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Tag: Kola Ologbondiyan

  • PDP to Buhari: Present your certificate to INEC

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to show proof of his vaunted integrity by presenting his academic documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and put to an end his certificate saga.

    The main opposition party also urged President Buhari to fulfill his obligation like other presidential candidates, by presenting his certificate, if he has any, instead of bugging the commission with affidavits.

    A statement Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the President of seeking ways to short-circuit the system, instead of complying with set rules.

    The party said while its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has submitted his educational and other relevant documents to INEC, President Buhari has continued to insist that his secondary school certificate was with the military authorities.

    The statement said, “Indeed, a situation where President Buhari has been dodging the certificate issue raises huge questions of integrity, which demands that he makes available his credentials, or apologise to Nigerians, if he has none, so that the nation can move ahead.

    “President Buhari knows by now that Nigerians are no longer interested in his claims in an affidavit wherein he stated; “I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit”.

    The PDP maintained that integrity strictly demands that President Buhari, particularly as the Commander-In-Chief write to the military authorities directing them to forward his claimed credentials to INEC, as requisite evidence of compliance with a key requirement for election into the Office of the President, under Section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “That President Buhari and the previous INEC succeeded in circumventing the law in 2015 does not make such acceptable in our current electoral process.

    “Moreover, President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must realise that even their followers that were beguiled in 2015, are currently not prepared to accept ‘NEPA bill’ as WAEC certificate in the 2019 elections.

    “This is particularly as the certificate scandal contributes to the erosion of Mr. President’s rectitude to check the humongous corruption, ineptitude and recklessness among his officials which has brought the nation to its knees under his administration.

    “Furthermore, President Buhari’s failure to tidy up such grey areas also contributes to his inability to cultivate and earn the productive followership of the youth and the respect of the international community, resulting in retardation in national productivity and dearth of international development partnership in the last three and half years.

    “This situation has even been worsened by the revelations that President Buhari’s ministers and aides parade forged certificates.

    No country makes meaningful progress with persons with these educational pedigrees in its leadership.

    “The PDP, therefore, urges President Buhari to do the needful so as not to cause any frictions that will put INEC under further pressure ahead of the 2019 general elections”.

     

     

  • PDP accuses APC of ‘fabrication’ against Atiku, Obi

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of fabricating spurious publications against its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi.

    The party insisted that its presidential flag bearers have been well-received by Nigerians across board, contrary to what it described as spurious publications.

    A statement Wednesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party further knocked the APC and the Presidency for alleged smear campaign against the PDP candidates.

    Read Also:2019: PDP chair restates doubts over INEC’s neutrality

    The statement said, “Having failed in their attempts to smear him with unfounded allegations, they have now resorted to attacking our vice presidential candidate and trying to create the impression that he is not well received in some parts of the country.

    “The PDP is already aware of how the APC has paid millions of naira to hack writers to spin negative narratives with a view to create an impression of disagreement and bad blood among our leaders and members across the northern and southern divides, who have since aligned with the Atiku/Obi ticket.

    “The PDP and majority of Nigerians are aware that the APC and the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency have been jittery since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as our Presidential candidate, a disposition that heightened with the choice of Peter Obi as his running mate, hence their frenzy to cause confusion within our fold.

    “The PDP restates that the combination of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, with their internationally acclaimed forthrightness, hard work, ingenuity and managerial competencies, guarantee a prudent and result-oriented administration that will liberate our nation from the economic shackles which the wasteful, incompetent, and deceptive APC administration has plunged our nation into.

    “Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency and APC’s unrelenting resort to fabrications and personal attacks against our candidates instead of presenting their claimed achievements and programmes to Nigerians, confirms that they have nothing to offer as they have been trending on false performance claims and propaganda.

    “On our own part, the PDP, as a Pan Nigerian and performance-oriented political party, will never descend to the shallows with the fading APC and the Buhari Presidency, but focus on how to salvage our nation from the economic hardship, acute hunger and starvation as well as the daily bloodletting that have become the order of the day under the President Buhari administration.

    “Nigerians have gone through enough pain and anguish under President Buhari and no amount of smear campaign and personal attack on our candidates will ever whittle their resolve to vote in Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi with their proven political will and commitment to the welfare of Nigerians”.

     

  • PDP queries Buhari’s protection of suspended NHIS boss

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to come out clear on why he has been protective of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof. Usman Yusuf.
    Yusuf, who was on Friday suspended by the Board of the NHIS, has been fingered in various alleged corrupt practices, including the alleged siphoning of over N25 billion from the coffers of the agency.
    Despite the suspension order, Yusuf reported for work on Monday and was escorted into his office by a detachment of armed policemen.

    In a statement Monday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party accused the “Presidency cabal” of directly complicit in the alleged NHIS fraud and seeking every means to ensure a cover up.

    The PDP recalled that the Executive Secretary was in July 2017 suspended by the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole over alleged gross misconduct and corrupt practices.
    The party also recalled that how President Buhari, upon his return to the country from vacation in February, 2018, reinstated Prof Yusuf while he was still being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Read Also:  PDP warns against submission of unauthorized names to INEC

    The statement said, “The PDP invites Nigerians to note how the Presidency has continued to provide official cover for accused official even without the slightest investigation of the allegations and sanction by both the Minister and the Governing Council.

    “We ask: Why is the Presidency protecting an official of government openly indicted for corruption? What is the Presidency trying to conceal by ensuring that Prof. Yusuf remains the Executive Secretary after his indictment?

    “Furthermore, why is the Presidency vehemently opposed to any form of investigation on the activities of NHIS under Prof. Yakubu? Is it true that there are fears in the Presidency that an investigation will expose the alleged involvement of individuals close to the President in the reported fraud in the scheme?

    “Finally, while the PDP describes as reprehensible that an administration which prides itself as fighting corruption will continue to provide official cover for its officials indicted of corruption, the party urges Nigerians to continue to hold President Buhari responsible for the corruption in NHIS, as well as the siphoning of trillions of naira from various agencies, under his watch”.

  • Presidency orders EFCC to detain Fayose indefinitely, PDP alleges 

    …I ll stay and fight this battle, says Fayose

     

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged has alleged that the Presidency has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain indefinitely, the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

    In a statement issued Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said information at its disposal and in the social media, indicated that the Presidency has put the EFCC on the alert to arrest the governor at midnight today and detain him indefinitely.

    Read Also:Ekiti: Fayose ends tenure in tears, says he will be back

    The party said the alleged directive by the Presidency was not unconnected with alleged plot to use the EFCC and other security agencies to incarcerate the governor for his persistent criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government.

    The statement said, “This uncompromising stand of the outgoing governor against the present administration was the reason Ekiti State was invaded and taken by force during the last governorship election.

    “By 12 midnight, the governor’s residence is expected to be surrounded by armed men of the EFCC under the pretense that they had information of his plot to escape. This is to achieve their plan to humiliate the governor and portray him in bad light to the public by dramatising his arrest.

    “Nigerians can recall that it was the governor who offered to submit himself to the EFCC despite the commission’s clear display of bias and partisanship as demonstrated in its various actions, especially its tweets and putting the governor on security watch-list.

    “The EFCC even unprofessionally showed its bias in deriding the governor, making light of a very serious matter by mocking him and asking him to come before his tenure elapsed, which the governor declined in line with his constitutional immunity.

    “It is now beyond dispute that Governor Fayose is not a scoundrel running away from justice. Whatever the EFCC, APC, and the Presidency’s spin-doctors may say, it is also clear to everyone that Fayose is not a coward; neither is he afraid of the EFCC”

    The PDP said Fayose is prepared and ready to defend himself in the court of law, adding that neither the Presidency nor EFCC is a court of law.

    The party said having claimed to have dusted up Fayose’s files; the EFCC should be ready to take him to court once he presents himself at the agency’s office on Tuesday.

    “Governor Fayose has offered to walk to the EFCC office by himself and nothing must happen to him. The PDP condemns this resort to fascism by the APC government. The whole world should be at alert to see another demonstration of crude disrespect for the rule of law and rights of Nigerians”.

    Meanwhile, Fayose has reiterated his readiness to honour the EFCC’s invitation today, adding that he would “stay and fight this battle”.

    Fayose, spoke in Abuja Monday night at a send-forth ceremony organised in his honour by the PDP Governors Forum.

    According to him, he would continue to criticise the Buhari administration as his tenure ended midnight.

    Commenting on the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration, Fayose said, “They got power by deceit. But they gave no solution. Tell them at the Villa; my name is Ayodele Fayose, Peter the Rock.  By the Grace of God, I will be at the EFCC tomorrow (today) by 1pm. I am not a coward.

    “Let it be said to them that today is their own.  Tomorrow is our own. I will not run away, they will rather run away. They took me to Court 13 years ago, I won after 8 years.

    “They harassed my family and I got judgment three times against them. This time will not be an exception. Those who wait for me will wait in vain. EFCC is no court”.

    Present at the send-forth ceremony were Governors Udom Emmanuel (A/Ibom); Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Darius Ishaku (Taraba); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); and the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

     

  • PDP condemns APC’s virulent attacks on Atiku

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what it described as virulent attacks on its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The party also flayed similar comments by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as well as other officials of the Buhari Presidency.

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, decried what he viewed as deliberate efforts by agents of the ruling party to impugn on the character of Atiku Abubakar.

    Ologbondiyan said the APC and the Presidency are intimidated by the successful conduct of the PDP presidential primary and the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the main opposition party.

    Ologbondiyan said, “They have gone into panic mode and ignobly resorted to trading on rumour and spurious allegations, having failed in their evil machination to scuttle our presidential primary ambition.

    “The PDP is aware of how the unnerved and intimidated Buhari Presidency has unleashed its officials, spin doctors and hack writers with billions of naira, siphoned from our national treasury, to fabricate lies, spurious allegations and smear campaign against our presidential candidate.

    “While it is understandable that President Muhammadu Buhari is discomfited and afraid to face a popular candidate in any elections due to his incompetence, for which Nigerians earnestly seek his replacement, engaging in smear campaign, as a means of survival, is completely reprehensible and cowardly.

    “President Buhari and the APC, in their desperation, should not attempt to confuse personal economic prosperity that comes from hardwork, as in the case of Atiku Abubakar, with corrupt enrichment. That President Buhari failed in leading a successful personal economic life does not mean that others cannot succeed without being corrupt.

    “Furthermore, unlike President Buhari, who has failed in managing both private and public enterprises; who also confessed his failure to successfully manage his own farm and has made no personal contribution to our national development, our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is internationally known as a hard working, resourceful, versatile and successful private entrepreneur, a vast employer of labour; an ingenious citizen, who has made immeasurable contribution to our national development both in public and private lives.

    “It is therefore a heinous perversion for Lai Mohammed, who has earned himself a notoriety, to the extent Nigerians now replace his first name, ‘Lai’ with ‘lie’, to attempt to suggest that the choice of Atiku Abubakar is a return to era of corruption, whereas President Buhari is internationally reputed to be presiding over the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation”.

    The PDP spokesman reminded Alhaji Lai Mohammed that while Atiku has never been indicted for corruption or facing any corruption charge, President Buhari is overburdened by indictments and allegations of humongous corruption, for which he has failed to provide explanations.

    Continuing, the PDP said, “Since Lai Mohammed is talking about era of corruption, we charge him to speak up on the leaked memo detailing the stealing of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) through underhand oil contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Petroleum, under President Buhari’s direct supervision.

    “Lai Mohammed should speak up on the alleged siphoning of N1.4 trillion through sleazy oil subsidy regimes and those benefitting from the alleged N58 hidden tax per liter which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increase from N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.

    “Lai Mohammed should speak up on why the Buhari Presidency is suppressing investigation into alleged use of 18 unregistered companies to lift and divert N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in 2017 and the President’s alleged link with the beneficiaries of this fraud.

    “Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how the Buhari era allegedly presided over the stealing of over N18 billion from the funds approved for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and rebuilding of six northeast states ravaged by insurgency?

    “Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how over N25 billion meant for health needs of Nigerians was stolen by the Presidency cabal from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and how the same cabal siphoned the $322 million repatriated by Switzerland, under the guise of sharing the funds to the poor?”.

    The main opposition party added that it’s only in an administration like the Buhari Presidency that thrives in lies and deception, that characters like Lai Mohammed, with his proclivities, can be appointed a Minister.

    “This is the same person, who nearly caused a national crisis when he, in May 2015, accused former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of frustrating the activities of then Transition Committee only for the head of the APC team, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, to declare that that the team had all the cooperation from the PDP.

    Read Also: 2019 elections: Fresh controversy trails INEC budget

    “This is the same Lai Mohammed, who, in 2014, alleged that the PDP denied a plane carrying a state governor from landing in Ado Ekiti to attend the APC Governorship election rally in the state, only for the State Government to debunk the lie stating that the governor did not travel to Ekiti but was attending official functions in the state.

    “This is the same Minister that has not been able to explain the circumstances surrounding his attempt to obtain over N13 million from the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) under the mask of a ‘loan’, against budgetary approvals and principles of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)”.

    The PDP said that in as much as it remained committed to issue-based campaign ahead of 2019 elections, it will not by any means tolerate further lies and fabrications from the Buhari Presidency, particularly from agents “who have no ethical substance” to make allegations against any Nigerian.

    The party counseled the Buhari Presidency and the APC to shed their resort to lies, falsehood and smear campaign and get prepared to face an inevitable crushing defeat, come 2019.

  • PDP cautions INEC over alleged moves to bend rules

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged moves by the electoral body to bend the rules to “smuggle” in candidates from the Zamfara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The opposition party said whereas legally, all congresses and related processes for election of candidates for various offices for the 2019 general elections ended on Sunday, October 7, 2018, the Zamfara state chapter of the APC has not conducted any congress, and by the provision of the law, it has no candidates in all the elections.

    A statement on Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan insisted that the laws guiding elections must be upheld, as the party would never accept anything short of that.

    The statement said, “The PDP is aware of a clandestine meeting today between topmost officials of INEC and Zamfara state government, where INEC was instructed to manipulate the system and bend the rules to accommodate the APC.

    Read Also: I’m committed to ‘Independent’ INEC – Buhari

    “The PDP cautions the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, over this attempt to manipulate the processes and use underhand measures to liberate the APC from the cul de sac it plunged itself into in Zamfara state.

    “Finally, the PDP wants the APC and INEC to know that our party is at alert regarding all electoral processes, in line with our avowed determination to dismantle APC’s rigging machinery in the 2019 general elections”.

  • Buhari’s Independence Day address full of false claims, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Independence Day Anniversary Speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari was a litany of false claims, empty assertions and bogus promises.

    In a statement Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP described as fiction, the President’s claim that the economy had made progress under his administration.

    The main opposition party also faulted claims by President Buhari that the administration has provided enabling environment for local and foreign investments.

    The PDP said, on the contrary, hard economic realities have shown that not only has the nation become more economically disadvantaged under Buhari, but is presently ranked as one of the world’s poorest.

    The statement said, “Perhaps Mr. President needs to be reminded that his new minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed had last month alerted that the nation was facing serious revenue challenges under him, while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) expressed fears that our country is sliding further into recession due to his poor implementation of 2018 budget.

    “In his false economic assertions, President Buhari deliberately failed to mention that his administration has returned our beloved country to a debtor nation by accumulating over N22.4 trillion debt through which he had mortgaged the future of our country.

    “Mr. President also failed to respond to the fact that his harsh economic policies and demarketing tendencies, have caused a dearth in local and foreign direct investments, leading to over 30 million job losses as detailed by independent surveys including those by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    “Similarly, Mr. President failed to state that due to his incompetence, the naira has fallen from the N165/1USD he met in 2015 to N360 to 1USD. He had no words for the increase in the price of fuel from N87 in 2015 to N145 as well as the hike in the prices of staple foods and essential commodities in Nigeria under his misrule.

    “Furthermore, President Buhari claimed that under his administration, corruption, including brazen theft of billions of naira and shady oil deals have become a thing of the past.

    “Perhaps, Mr. President forgot that the latest corruption perception index released by Transparency International (TI), which saw our nation moving 12 places down the red line, shows that corruption has increased under him.

    “What the Buhari Presidency should note is that Nigerians are no longer swayed by the false performance claims of his administration. They have the facts and nobody can beguile them as was the case in 2015”.

  • PDP goes to court over Osun election

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said it’s going to court to challenge the inconclusive verdict passed on last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the election, following the cancellation of the service in some local government areas.

    But in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party insisted that the election was concluded and results announced in all polling and the collation centers.

    According the PDP, that signified the lawful conclusion of the election, thus removing INEC’s powers to declare the election inconclusive.

    The statement said, “Our electoral law is clear that once an election result is declared, INEC is bound to return a winner. INEC, in trying to play the card of the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC), contravened the law by refusing to announce a return, even when the declared results have thrown up a winner.

    “Section 69 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) states that inter-alia “in an election to the office of the President or governor whether or not contested and in any contested election to any other elective office, the result shall be ascertained by counting the votes cast for each candidate and subject to the provisions of sections 133, 134 and 179 of the constitution, the candidate that receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected by the appropriate Returning Officer”.

    Read Also: ‘PDP’s call for result selfish’

    “Concurrently, Section 179 (2), (a) (b) of the constitution directly prescribes that “a candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates – (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State.

    “INEC’s action in declaring a concluded election as inconclusive is therefore an annulment, totally duplicitous, constitutionally illegal, ultra-vires and as such null and void”.

    The PDP called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Osun State Governorship Election Returning Officer, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, for “succumbing to the pressure of the APC” and declaring a decided election as inconclusive.

    “We demand that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately summon the courage to do the needful by declaring our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, as winner.

    “It is completely ludicrous, that INEC and the APC are now attempting to divert the narrative from the substance of the election by making outlandish allegations against the PDP and lobbying Civil Society Organizations and Electoral Observers to validate their illegality.

    “Moreover, even if the Osun governorship election is conducted over and over again, the PDP will still win as the people of the state have chosen the PDP and its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    “Nevertheless, we insist that the September 22, 2018 election, under our laws, is conclusive and our candidate must be declared winner”

  • Osun Decides 2018: PDP rejects INEC’s inconclusive verdict

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the inconclusive verdict delivered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

    The party has insisted that the process was conclusive and that its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who won a total of 254, 698 votes was in clear lead and should be immediately declared winner by INEC, having met the requirements of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that Section 179 (2) (a)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, (as amended), was clear and very unambiguous in spelling out the conditions for returning a candidate to the office of governor of a state.

    Quoting from the said Section, the PDP said, “A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates – (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State”.

    The main opposition party insisted that the declaration by INEC of the election as inconclusive, was a “sordid robbery” of the franchise of the people of Osun State, who participated in the election.

    Continuing, the PDP said, “It is obvious that having failed in their schemes to alter the final results due to the resistance of the people, the APC had to bear pressure on INEC to declare the election inconclusive so as to pave way for the perfection of their manipulative schemes, which the people of Osun state have firmly resisted so far.

    Read Also: Updated: INEC declares Osun governorship election inconclusive

    “Instead of yielding to the evil machination of the APC, INEC should have summoned the patriotic courage to immune itself and end this needless controversy by returning the PDP and declare our candidate as the winner.

    “It is instructive to state that the PDP will no longer accept inconclusive elections as subterfuge by the APC attain its dubious electoral manipulative schemes in our nation.

    “The people of Osun state and the entire nation are already aware that the PDP won this election. They have the authentic figures from the polling units and know the candidate the voters prefer.

    “The people, by their votes, have overwhelmingly declared for our candidate and we are not ready to accept any attempt by anybody to use any means whatsoever to steal our mandate freely given by the people.

    “The PDP is for peace, but we will not hesitate to use every force available in a democracy to face any attempt to subvert the will of the people or rig us out in this election”

    The party charged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to avoid the fury of the people by immediately reversing what it described as a “fraudulent” decision by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and declaring its candidate the winner of the election.

    “Anything short of this is definitely not acceptable to the PDP and the people of Osun and it is a direct recipe for crisis.

    “Finally, the PDP cautions INEC and the APC to note that the game is up. The people of Osun state have decided in favour of the PDP and that has become a fact that can never be altered”, the party added.

  • Melaye urges unity among Nigerians

    Sen. Dino Melaye, Kogi West Senatorial District, has urged Nigerians to uphold the unity and peace of the country in spite of their religious, political and ethnicity differences.

    Melaye made the call call at a dinner and reception organised by the Okun Development Initiatives (ODI) and in honour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, and Public Complaints Commissioner, Kogi, Olusuyi Otitoju, on Friday night in Abuja.

    He also advised Okun people not to politicise the virtues that united them.

    “People should not because of bread and butter, Naira and Kobo sell the consciences of our people or politicie Okun land,’’ he said

    Read Also:‘Melaye, others underdeveloped Kogi West’

     

    Melaye commended ODI for the reception and described Ologbondiyan as a “one single Nigerian with multiple competences’’.

    He also said that the emergence of Ologbondiyan as PDP spokesman had given a new face to PDP and Nigerian politics.

    Chief Victoria Awomolo, keynote speaker at the occasion, called for specialised courts to try economic and financial crimes and other corruption cases.

    Awomolo said this would reduce the burden on normal courts and ensure speedy trial of offenders.

    “We also need total overhaul of the security apparatus in the country, beginning from recruitment of more personnel, provision of more advanced facilities and tools to combat crimes.’’

    Reponding, Ologbondiyan commended the group for honouring him, saying the award had encouraged him to do more for the country, urging all to contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

    “For us in Okun land, we were all brought up to speak the truth and to fight injustices wherever we find ourselves.

    “As a people, wherever we find ourselves, we must think and work toward emancipation of our people back home,’’ Ologbondiyan said.