The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lambasts

  • IYC leader lambasts Asari-Dokubo for meddling in crisis

    The outgoing President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, yesterday took a swipe at the Ijaw activist and erstwhile leader of the council, Alhaji Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, for meddling in the transitional crisis rocking the council.

    Eradiri said Asari-Dokubo, without consulting him, called a meeting of past leaders of the council at Patani in Delta State to deliberate on matters affecting the council.

    The IYC boss said he fell apart with the activist after he disagreed with Asari-Dokubo’s position that the Ijaw should go to war if former President Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 election.

    The famous youth body has been thrown into crisis as it prepared to elect a new executive council, with factions constituting two electoral committees for the poll.

    Following the impasse, Asari-Dokubo, called for the dissolution of the two electoral bodies and convened a meeting of past leaders to be chaired by the first IYC leader and former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Mr. Felix Tuodolor.

    Eradiri, whose tenure expires on Friday, formally moved his belongings out of the secretariat of IYC, yesterday.

    But the IYC boss said though the past leaders had the right to meet, such assembly had no bearing with the IYC and the transition convention scheduled to hold in Burutu, Delta State on Thursday (today).

    He also declared vacant the seats of executive members of the council and parliament members, who allegedly ganged up against him and set up a parallel electoral committee.

    He said henceforth any of them involved in IYC business would be arrested and prosecuted, adding that he was not afraid of whatever secret organisations they belonged to.

    He said: “Some people are planning a meeting in Patani. They have the right to meet as leaders and elders, but it has no bearing with the IYC. The highest decision-making organ of the IYC is the national convention.

    “So, anybody that wants anything should come to the convention. I have a constitution that we have followed to set up the electoral committee. But some brigands, who don’t have certificates and who think that they would not pass through the electoral process decided to gang about against me.

    “IYC is not a cult organisation. It is the umbrella body for the Ijaw people. If you belong to any organisation, keep it there and don’t use it to destroy the IYC”.

    On Asari-Dokubo, he said: “I heard that Asari called for the meeting. Asari has no locus standi to talk to me about IYC. I told him that if he mobilised 10,000 people, I will mobilise 20,000.

    “IYC is not about destroying the lives of young people. It is about building and developing young people. Let him show me how many people he had developed. Where is the university he said he opened? Where is the money?

    “What happened to the contract NDDC gave him to train Niger Delta people? He should go and train them. He is now talking about youths. He holds the beef against me that I stood against his statement that there would be war in Niger Delta if former President Jonathan lost the election. Can he go to war?

    “I told him it was not part of our resolutions in that meeting. He is a former president of IYC and his statement cannot be used to judge Niger Delta people. After 48 hours, I will be a former president with value and levels.

    “I am not afraid of Asari-Dokubo. He knows me very well because I added values to his organisation. Has he degenerated to the level of challenging a president? President protects president not  coming to cause confusion”.

     

  • Omoni Oboli lambasts critics

    Omoni Oboli lambasts critics

    Actress and movie producer, Omoni Oboli, recently made her directorial debut with the movie, Being Mrs Elliot.

    But as questions are being asked about her credibility as a movie director, the thespian has disclosed that she did not jump into an unfamiliar field without seeking adequate knowledge.

    “Not only have I picked up on-the-field experience, I also went to one of the best film schools in the world, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) to learn directing specifically. My lecturers were impressed with my project and I remain one of the few female practitioners in the industry who have gone to the school. If my years of experience and NYFA education don’t qualify me, I wonder what will. For those who know about movie and those who have taste for good movie, Being Mrs Elliott will more than impress,” she said through her publicist.

    Being Mrs Elliott is the story of a successful married woman, who is torn between two worlds after a life-changing incident. She finds out that the best life has to offer is not necessarily things, but moments.

    The movie opened the Nollywood Week Film Festival in Paris recently and got 11 nominations at the Nollywood and African Film Critics’ Awards (NAFCA) in California, USA.

  • GMO controversy: Adesina lambasts activists

    GMO controversy: Adesina lambasts activists

    Furore has continued over what some activists say is the sneaking in of Genetically Modified (GMO) foods into the country by the federal government.

    Recently, officials of Monsanto, a leader in the GMO foods industry visited the ministry of agriculture seeking inroad into the country.

    But some activists have kicked against this, saying the ministry of agriculture must not allow GMO crops to be introduced into the country.

    One of the activists, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, referring to a news report titled ‘Monsanto to introduce 40 new seed varieties’ questioned Monsanto’s presence in the country.

    In the report, Monsanto’s vice President Michael Frank said Monsanto would focus on maize, soybean, cotton, and oil-grape seed production in Nigeria.

    “There is nothing conventional or natural about Monsanto Transgenic modifications neither is there anything natural about inserting DNA from bacteria into cowpea,” said Rhodes-Vivour.

    Monsanto, on its blog blasted Vivour-Rhodes, saying his accusations are rants which “lack any credible substantiation.”

    However, reacting to the activists, the minister of agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, had said the activists wanted to misinform the population andGMO crops were not planted in the country.

    “What we have in Nigeria is biotechnologically improved crops to raise yields for farmers and not genetically modified crops as being speculated,” the minister said.

    According to Adesina: “Through conventional breeding and biotechnology we have safe nutrient enriched crops such as pro-vitamin A cassava, orange-flesh sweet potato, drought resistant maize, flood resistant rice and bananas resistant to virulent black sigatoka disease that can wipe out all of Nigeria’s and Africa’s bananas, and cassava varieties resistant to cassava bacterial blight that can wipe out Africa’s largest source of food. Does he (Rhodes-Vivour) expect us to fold our hands and do nothing and watch poor farmers go into such devastation?”

    Over the years, countries like Japan, France, Germany, and Russia have frowned against GMO products entering their country. And while Rhodes-Vivour agrees with Adesina’s assertion that Africa embraces modern technologies, he poses some questions for the minister.

  • APC lambasts Sylva’s former aides

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State derided yesterday ex-aides of former Governor Timipre Sylva for using his name to curry favour in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    APC Chairman Tiwe Orunimigha warned them against using the ex-governor’s name to negotiate for  positions within PDP.

    Describing them as mischief makers, Oruminigha said the former aides lacked political capital, adding that they were merely seeking relevance and contracts in PDP.

    He observed that since they left political offices, the former aides had found it difficult to survive.

    The former aides, led by former Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, last week, reaffirmed their support for PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan.

    But Oruminighe said the reaffirmation had not affected Sylva’s political structure and APC’s support base in the state.

    He said: “They should not use the APC and Sylva as a bargaining tool.

    “If they claim to be supporting Jonathan, why haven’t they shown their support and work for him?

    “It is a shame that these same persons can not win their wards. Their show of shame has not affected the massive support base of the former governor.

    “The use of our party’s name at a PDP’s event is cheap and nauseating.”

    A chieftain of the party, Sunday Frank-Oputu, said the APC ship is on course.

    Frank-Oputu, former Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), said it was political suicide for the former aides to engage in a show of shame.

    “They have never been members of the APC because the APC is searching for credible and politically reliable persons.

    “The support base of Timipre Sylva is intact and they should stop using APC and Sylva to score cheap political points.”

  • House lambasts Sanusi

    House lambasts Sanusi

    There were more knocks yesterday for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over his bitter pill for the ailing economy – sack of 50 per cent of civil servants.

    He also advocated a cut in expenditure of executive and legislative arms of government to free more cash for development. In his view, the number of lawmakers should be reduced and local governments scrapped.

    Sanusi, who spoke at a seminar in Warri on Tuesday, said the country was wasting 70 per cent of its resources on salaries and emoluments.

    The House of Representatives joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and others to chide Sanusi.

    House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Deputy Chair Victor Ogene described Sanusi’s remark as a trade mark of his bias for political turbulence and “stirring up storms in tea cups”.

    But the CBN said its governor was quoted out of context. The CBN Deputy Governor (Operations) Mr. Tunde Lemo told the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency that what Sanusi meant was that “if resources are freed up to remove structural rigidities such that would permit employment to flow in the private sector there would have been no need to cluster employment in government.”

    If this is done, Lemo maintained, “everybody will not be clamouring for government jobs.” He added: “big government hurts economies all over the world.”

    Sanusi, two years ago, alleged that the National Assembly’s overhead is 25 per cent of the overhead in the Federal Government budget.

    The CBN Governor buttressed his assertions with figures, saying: “I have figures from the office of budget for the year 2010. Total government overhead is N536, 268,49, 280. Total overhead of the National Assembly is N136,259,768, 112 which is exactly 25.1 per cent of Federal Government overhead. The overhead of the National Assembly as a percentage of the Federal Government budget in 2009 was 19. 87 and in 2008 was 14.19.”

    Ogene said Sanusi was unnecessarily heating up the polity, adding that the economic policies of the apex bank boss since he took charge of the CBN in 2009 has not achieved much.

    “In my opening remarks, I did not want to talk about the statement on the National Assembly by the CBN Governor because I do not know how to respond to him. But, sometimes, I begin to wonder whether this CBN Governor is a political economist, with bias for political turbulence.

    “We are of the view that he (the CBN Governor) has not been able to pull through on any of his policies, from the policy on N5,000 note to similar claims of profligacy in government. He has never pushed forward any of his proposed reforms.

    “But back to the issue; what is even the budget of the National Assembly that he will be calling for their reduction to save cost? What is even the budget of the National Assembly for 2012? N150 billion and here is a man whose organisation has a profile of over N300 billion spent and is not ready to put this before the Nigerian people to show transparency and accountability.

    “Yes, he talks about the CBN Act, but you know that any Act that is inconsistent with the constitution remains inferior to the extent of the inconsistency. So, the Central Bank is not superior to the constitution which requires that every MDA must have its budget cleared by the National Assembly.”

    According to the lawmaker, the workforce of the CBN has risen drastically by over a 1000 since Sanusi took over the CBN in 2009.

    “As at today, the staff strength of the CBN stands at 6015 employees. When Sanusi came on board in June 2009, the staff strength of the CBN was 5022 people. So if within three years, instead of pruning down since we are talking about reducing the cost of governance, he has employed about 1000 people,” he said.

    The lawmaker said Sanusi should proffer solutions to curing the economy “rather than continue to cause acrimony in the system”.

    But Sanusi got the backing of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) .

    National Publicity Secretary of the CPC Rotimi Fashakin in a statement said: “The CPC has noted the recent call for the sack of the CBN governor by the Labour leaders over his recent commentary on the unacceptable 70% of the budget that is perennially spent on recurrent as against the paltry 30% used for improvement of the nation’s Infrastructure.

    “Whilst we do not agree that the cause of the exorbitant recurrent expenditure is wholly due to the size of the public service work-force and that the sacking of half its size is the solution to the identified problem, we believe the call for the sacking of the forthright Public officer for volunteering his personal opinion is equally preposterous. It is our belief that the fiscal indiscipline of this Jonathan-led administration has exacerbated the nation’s malaise.

    “We equally believe that rather than vilifying the CBN governor for the commentary, this should throw up meaningful discourse on extricating the nation from the financial recklessness of this PDP-led Federal Government.

    “As a party, we have equally taken note of the ignominious manner this present crop of Labour leadership truncated, in January 2012, the people’s popular refusal to yield to the exploitative tendencies of the nation’s rulers.

    “ In the course of scuttling the people’s revolt, some of these Labour leaders got appointed into some dodgy committees that were not primed to achieve result. This is why we view this call by the Labour leaders for Sanusi’s sack as a cheap, opportunistic ploy to crawl back to the people’s reckoning.

    We believe that responsible leadership is about selflessness and consistency. We advise the Nation’s Labour leaders to critically examine the policies of governments (Federal and State) that impinge

    on the well-being of the people instead of looking for scape-goat for cheap publicity.”