The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Meeting

  • ‘No meeting on Kaduna deputy governor’

    Southern Kaduna Elders’ Forum Chairman, Gen. Zamani Lekwot, yesterday said no meeting has been held to back anybody for deputy governor.

    Lekwot told reporters that the report on the alleged proposal for the deputy governor was not true.

    He added: “The late governor’s body has not even arrived in Kaduna (the interview took place before the body arrived Kaduna). So, it will be improper for anybody to start making statements that I led a delegation. This is not fair to us. Let us bury the man first. I did not lead a delegation on a deputy governor.

    “The information is not proper. We went to pay a condolence visit to His Excellency and the Vice-President. So, it’s out of decorum for anybody to say that we went to say this is our deputy governor. The elders are more responsible than that. Let’s bury him (Yakowa) first and other things will follow. But I’m telling you we have no hand in that story.

    “The poor woman (Yakowa’s wife) is mourning her husband. How could anybody start meeting on that? We have not met and a decision will be taken after the burial.”

    Also speaking on the issue, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo denied that the Southern Kaduna Elders submitted any name to him for consideration as the next deputy governpor.

    Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, Umar Sani, the Vice President said: “No; the elders did not make a case for Yakowa’s wife to be deputy. They came on a condolence visit. They told the Vice President that they wanted the governor to make his own choice but that wider consultation should be done. They did not represent anybody.

    “You know, the Vice President understands the complexities of Kaduna and he has said that he will not interfere and that the governor should select someone from Southern Kaduna that he feels he can work with as his deputy. And that is the beauty of democracy – wider consultation with the stakeholders from Southern Kaduna and the person that will be selected will be acceptable by everybody.”

     

  • Ogun PDP begins peace meeting

    Ogun PDP begins peace meeting

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Chief Sule Onabiyi, yesterday said the crisis in the party had been settled.

    He said factions in the party had agreed to work together to enhance the PDP’s chances in the 2015 general elections.

    Onabiyi spoke with reporters on Sunday after the reconciliation meeting of Ogun Central PDP.

    The meeting was held at his Ibara GRA home in Abeokuta, the state capital.

    Onabiyi said similar meetings would be held in Ogun West and East senatorial districts.

    He said a state reconciliation meeting would be held soon in Abeokuta to bring all members together.

    Expressing confidence that, this time, sustainable peace would be achieved would endure, Onabiyi allayed the fears that former Governor Gbenga Daniel and his group may not be accommodated in the party by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    He said the differences between Obasanjo and Daniel was a “father and son matter” that would be sorted out by the duo in no time.

    Onabiyi said: “We have so many problems and if we do not reconcile warring parties, we cannot get to where we are going. We have a long time to prepare our selves and have all buried our hatchets. That is what we came here for and we are happy that we have achieved that.

    “You can be sure that this is permanent; take my word for it. The people you see here are from Ogun Central Senatorial District. The people of the West and East senatorial districts would have theirs too. Because we (Ogun Central) are the leader, the people always follow the Central. That is the reason we started the reconciliation.

    “Our father, Obasanjo, has no faction. We that have factions have reconciled. If there are two or three people absent here, we are going to beg them to make sure that we become one. Obasanjo has no faction. He is the head of the party in the state, Nigeria and anywhere.”

     

     

     

  • ‘Oni unfit to preside over Southwest PDP meeting’

    ‘Oni unfit to preside over Southwest PDP meeting’

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Prince Segun Seriki, yesterday said ousted Ekiti State “Governor” Segun Oni had no right to preside over the purported caucus meeting of the PDP in the Southwest.

    He described Oni’s conduct as “contemptuous, illegal and an affront on the rule of law”.

    In a statement, Seriki said Oni’s action was illegal because he was sacked by the April 27 judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which nullified the PDP congress in the Southwest.

    He drew the attention of the party’s national leadership and PDP chieftains in the Southwest to the consequences of allowing a man, who was sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction, to manage the party’s zonal affairs.

    The statement reads: “I am at a loss as to why a man, who came third at the party primaries pre-2007 elections but was imposed by his godfather and yet could not win the election, presided over a meeting where the strategies to win back the Southwest were being discussed.

    “It is all the more disappointing, given the fact that Oni had been removed as the Southwest PDP Chairman by the Federal High Court. That fact is incontrovertible.

    “And since you cannot build something on nothing, whatever action and decision taken by Oni since April 27, 2012, including the decisions purportedly reached at the meeting, is illegal, null and void.

    “I take solace in the fact that this development will be addressed at a more appropriate time and forum. It cannot stand the test of time and the law. At least, three of those who dared the courts have been convicted. Now, they are ex-convicts, whether they want to admit it or not.”

    Seriki urged the PDP national leadership not to leave its affairs in the hands of people “with ulterior motives, who are bent on bringing the party to opprobrium by trampling on the rule of law, which is one of the cardinal principles of the present administration”.

    He said: “All the posturing of Oni and his co-travellers are towards the 2015 elections, as their godfather has sworn never to support President Goodluck Jonathan should he throw his hat into the ring.

    “All they seek to do is to float a separate structure, which they intend to use against the interest of Mr. President in accordance with the dictates of their godfather. That is their game plan.”

  • Make-up artists reveal magic behind the movie, The Meeting

    Make-up artists reveal magic behind the movie, The Meeting

    THE special effects and make-up of the stars, especially that of Rita Dominic who played the role of Clara Ikemba, a woman in her 50s was one of the talking points of the movie titled The Meeting.

    However, the makeup artiste behind the makeup, Jennifer Joe-Alegieuno, has opened up on how she was able to achieve the spectacular feat. According to the South Africa – trained artiste, “Turning a diva into Clara was really exciting because unlike most make-up artistes in Nigeria, who love all the beauty part of the job, I really love creating weird! The process of aging Rita involved a lot; backaches, early wake up calls, and above all, a detailed understanding of the character which I related to my matron from secondary school.”

    Speaking on the challenges, Jennifer said, ”due to the humid atmosphere here in Nigeria, I had to deal with heat causing the skin to sweat and lifting the products used off her face. Also, I had to deal with the fact that special effect supplies are unavailable for purchase here, so we were a bit limited and couldn’t really do the build up of character we really wanted.”

    The Meeting will be premiered at an elaborate event on Friday, October 19, 2012 with a cross section of celebrities in attendance and will be in cinemas the same day.

    The movie is based on the premise of corporate espionage interwoven with political patronage, bureaucratic red tape, and Cupid’s arrow while in hot pursuit of a ‘meeting’ to secure a government contract.

  • Jonathan, Ban in close door meeting

    Jonathan, Ban in close door meeting

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday met with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon as the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly began in New York

    The UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that shortly after receiving the president, both parties went into a closed door meeting.

    NAN gathered that they discussed recent developments in Nigeria, how best to enhance the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea as well as the implementation International Court of Justice judgment on Bakassi .

    According to a source, they also agreed on the pressing need for stabilisation of the political situation in Mali and for a concerted international approach to problems in Guinea-Bissau, Darfur, and Sudan-South Sudan.

    NAN also learnt that they discussed terrorism in the Sahel and the importance of socio-economic factors in reducing it by ensuring increased investment in agriculture, education and employment.