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Tag: Murtala Nyako

  • 1,500 ghost workers in Adamawa

    1,500 ghost workers in Adamawa

    •Nyako suspends workers

    Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako has suspended some principal officers, who are alleged to have established a racket, where more than 1,500 ghost workers are on the payroll of the State Post Primary Schools Management Board.

    The Permanent Secretary (Administration) in the office of the Head of Service, Mohammed Gidabo Sa’ad, in a statement yesterday announced the suspension of Dahiru Gomina and Garba Kayari from the e-Payment Department office of Accountant General.

    Sources said a top government official (names withheld) is believed to be behind the fraud.

    According to the statement, the suspension followed the recommendation of the Committee on investigation of fraud in salary payroll of the board.

    The statement said Bilikisu A. Khalid has been appointed as the new Executive Secretary Post Primary Schools Management Board, Yola.

    The former Executive Secretary is to be re-assigned by the Ministry of Education and to be investigated.

    The statement reads: “Governor Murtala Nyako has approved the suspension of the following officers, Dauda Audu and Elam Sule from the Post Primary Schools Management Board and Garba A Kayari, Dahiru Gomina from the e-Payment Department office of Accountant General.

    “The aforementioned officers remain suspended, until investigations are concluded.

     

  • PDP chieftains launch re-election campaign for Jonathan

    PDP chieftains launch re-election campaign for Jonathan

    •National chair mounts pressure on Amaechi, Kwankwaso, others to return

    Chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Minna expressed support for President Goodluck Jonathan in his re-election bid ,in what appeared to be a flagrant violation of the ban on campaign by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Speakers after speakers at the North Central Solidarity and Unity rally of the PDP led by the Senate President David Mark and the party’s national vice chairman, Yusuf Ayetogun, assured the President, of maximum support in the 2015 election.

    The national Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, made a fresh appeal to Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Ahmed Abdulfatah (Kwara) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), who dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the ruling party.

    “We are willing to welcome them back home and I can assure them that they will be treated equally. Please come back home,” the PDP chairman said.

    He saddled the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum and Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu with the responsibility of bringing back the ex-PDP governors.

    He said: “if the Niger State governor, as the leader of the G7 and Jigawa State governor, can remain in the party, I call on Gov. Aliyu to ensure the return of the other five PDP governors who went to APC.

    “Gov. Aliyu saw the light at the end of the tunnel and stayed. Your job has not finished: go back and make sure your people (G5) see the light and get them to come back home to PDP.”

    But President Goodluck Jonathan saw the defectors as retrogressive politicians.

    He described the PDP as the only stable and democratic political party in Africa. He said: “PDP is the only party that has not changed its name, logos, slogan or colour. Some parties change colours at will, they are chameleons and cannot be trusted. PDP can be trusted, we have vision and mission. If you have a vision, you will not be changing slogans, logos and colour everyday. PDP is still the dominant party in Nigeria.

    “We still remain PDP, not like some parties that today, they are red party, tomorrow, they are green party, next time, they are blue party, they are chameleons and they cannot be trusted. PDP has its vision and mission, if you have a vision, you will not be changing name, slogan, logo and colour everyday.”

    He said that those who defected from the PDP were a problem when they were in the party.

    “Some people were founding members of PDP; they were in PDP for 14 years. They had been Ministers, Commissioners, Speakers, Governors and held various positions under the party, now they say they are decamping (sic) to another party because they say they need progress, that PDP is not good enough.

    “This means that when they were in PDP, they were retrogressive elements, it means they were a problem to us in the party. Now that they have left, we will progress more, now, PDP will move faster and bigger. It is a party that will take Nigeria to development.”

    Though the president said he was not in Minna to campaign, he predicted that come 2015, “PDP will regain, recover and reconstruct the states it had lost in 2011. For us in PDP, there is no shaking, in the North Central, there is no shaking; we will recover Kwara and Nasarawa States. We will regain, recover and reconstruct these states that we have lost in 2015.”

  • Adamawa to rehabilitate Boko Haram victims

    Adamawa to rehabilitate Boko Haram victims

    The Adamawa State government has inaugurated a committee to rehabilitate Boko Haram victims.

    Governor Murtala Nyako announced this when the State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) visited him at the Government House, Yola.

    He said it has become imperative to cater for victims of insurgence and other disruptive insurrections.

    Inaugurating a seven-man committee to rehabilitate and integrate victims of Boko Haram attack in Chakawa and Waga villages, Nyako urged the committee to work hard to ensure that the victims were properly rehabilitated and the churches which were bombed reconstructed.

    Commissioner for Special Duties Salihu Hayatu said the agency had also donated relief materials, including a truck-load of building materials, 70 bags of grain and edible oil.

    He said the committee would provide ways and means on how the affected communities would be re-integrated.

     

  • Three more PDP govs heading to APC

    Three more PDP govs heading to APC

    * Senators, Reps also expected to defect

    Three more governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are getting ready to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a fresh wave of defections from the PDP.

    Two of the governors are from the Northwest and the third from the North central.

    More Senators and Representatives are also bidding their time to cross over to the APC, highly placed sources said yesterday in Yola where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar teamed up with the APC mid week.

    At the last count, Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Ahmed Al-Fatha (Kwara) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and no fewer than 37 Reps and 11 Senators defected from the PDP to the APC.

    Also numerous state legislators and local government chairmen and councillors in Kwara, Kano, Rivers and Sokoto states defected to the APC.

    It was gathered yesterday that 16 PDP lawmakers in Adamawa will be joining APC later this week.

    Sources said that Alhaji Atiku, Governor Nyako, General Buba Marwa, Marcus Gundiri, Mr. Boss Mustapha have been working the phone from their Yola homes to convince more PDP members to cross to the APC.

    Atiku, in particular, is said to have lined up a number of meetings with PDP bigwigs with a view to wooing them into the APC.

    Some supporters of the immediate past national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur are also said to be contemplating dumping the PDP should the PDP continue to procrastinate the harmonisation of the factions in the party.

    A PDP lawmaker in Adamawa State said yesterday that the party’s new national chairman Adamu Muazu may have been misled by vested interests to ignore the harmonisation.

    The lawmaker said that any attempt to impose Deputy Governor Bala Ngilari as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2015 election will spell doom for the party.

     

     

  • Tinubu: Atiku’s return is good for democracy

    Tinubu: Atiku’s return is good for democracy

    •Excitement as Akande, Nyako, Marwa, others unite for APC in Adamawa

    Yola, the Adamawa State capital, was agog with political excitement yesterday when the state’s top political leaders and national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) launched the party.

    In attendance were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governor Murtala Nyako; former Lagos State Governor Buba Marwa; former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu and Senator Mohammed Bindow Jibrila – all Adamawa indigenes.

    They were joined by the leaders of the party, led by its Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    The party chieftains were supported by other APC leaders from parts of the country, including Senator Ali Modi Sheriff, Senator Danjuma Goje, ex-Bayelsa State Goverbor Timpreye Sylva, Senator Sani Yeriman Bakura, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and Dr Audu Ogbe.

    The host was the Interim State Chairman Kobis Aris Thimnu. He received the party’s flag from Chief Akande.

    The APC reaffirmed its objective of winning the federal elections next year.

    Akande, who formally received Atiku, following the former vice president’s defection on Sunday, said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had been rested.

    He urged Adamawa interim state executive to ensure that the registration of members was not by allocation or proxy but by physical registration.

    Tinubu urged Nigerians to celebrate the ousting of the PDP .

    The foremer Lagos State governor advised Nigerians to sweep away the dirt and social vices of the PDP with APC’s broom.

    The APC leader described the return of Atiku to the progressives fold as a giant stride that would enhance democracy.

    He hailed Nyako’s efforts at resolving the internal crisis in the party in the state.

    Nyako said the PDP had died and Nigerians should await its final interment.

    He said: “The PDP has gone for good for the reign of impunity. The party is dead. Nigerians should rally round to bury it.”

    Sylva apologised to Nigerians, on behalf of the people of Niger Delta region, for mobilising them to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

    He regretted that the President had failed to deliver democracy’s dividends to Nigerians.

    Sylva said: “In 2011, I was in Yola to mobilise the Adamawa people to vote for our son, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. You kept to faith by voting for him as president of Nigeria. In 2014, I am here to apologise to Adamawa people for the failure of our son, Goodluck Jonathan.”

    The former governor said he was in the state to team up with the North so that they could salvage Nigeria from the pangs of deprivation.

    “The country is not performing. The ship is sinking due to poor leadership,” he said.

    Ribadu spoke on unity of the party at all levels, saying unity and mutual respect were the sure roads to success.

    The former EFCC chairman said the APC had grown into a formidable force that could uproot the PDP.

    Marwa said the power squabble within the party had been resolved to make the state better.

    Jibrila, who spoke on behalf of defected senators, assured that after the elections, the APC would form the government at the centre.

    Nyako thanked Atiku for joining hands to fight the bad leadership of the PDP.

     

  • PDP’s defected governors: Court orders fresh service of processes

    PDP’s defected governors: Court orders fresh service of processes

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered fresh service of court processes on five former governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The processes are on a case filed by the PDP seeking the governors’ sack following their defection to the opposition party.

    The governors are: Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara).

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the order yesterday following the complaint by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Alex Iziyon (SAN), that despite being served, the defendants were not only absent in court but also failed to file any response to the processes served on them.

    The judge ordered that the governors be served through the national office of the APC in Abuja.

    Justice Kolawole also granted the plaintiff the permission to publish the court processes in two specified newspapers.

    He adjourned till February 6 for hearing of the plaintiff’s originating summons.

    Sued with the governors is the Independent National Electoral Commission (first defendant).

    The PDP argued that the governors should be sacked from office because, by their defection, they had forfeited their offices which the party said should revert to it.

    Should the five governors be sacked from office, the PDP urged the court to order their deputies or speakers of the Houses of Assembly of the affected states, or any officer next in rank, who is still its member, to assume their positions.

    The PDP urged the court to declare that by the combined provisions of Sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the 1999 Constitution, the five governors, who were elected on its platform, cannot continue to enjoy the mandate given to them by the people/electorate of the affected states as they (governors) have defected to another party.

    It prayed for a declaration that in the absence of any division in the PDP, the five governors have vacated or forfeited their seats following their defection to the APC.

    The party sought a declaration that by the combined provisions of Sections 87 of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended), and sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the 1999 Constitution, the offices of the defected governors have reverted to the PDP.

    The PDP also urged the court to declare that by the combined provisions of Sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the 1999 Constitution, following the defection of the five governors, their mandate has reverted to the deputy governors or Speakers of the Houses of Assembly or any other officer next in rank who is still a member of the PDP.

     

  • Gaidam swears in council chairmen

    Gaidam swears in council chairmen

    •Nyako hails election

    Seventeen local government chairmen elected last Saturday in Yobe State yesterday took their oath of office.

    The 17 chairmen and 178 councillors were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The ceremony, which took place at the new State Cultural Centre, witnessed a huge crowd, which turned out to felicitate with their leaders.

    Governor Ibrahim Gaidam said the smooth conduct of the poll has proved wrong those who spread falsehood about the state’s security situation.

    “It is unfortunate that those who do not wish the state well tried to undermine government’s democratic disposition and respect for the rule of law by disseminating false information on its security situation.

    “It is also an indication that the remarks by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman that the 2015 elections may not hold in states under emergency rule is unfounded and mischievous.”

    The governor described the victory of the APC as an indication that Yobe is home to the APC, adding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dead in Yobe State.

    The governor urged the chairmen to ensure that the people enjoy good projects, such as schools, health, good water and farming input.

    He called on the chairmen to obey their oath, by imbibing transparency, accountability and justice.

    Chairman of Gujba Local Government Kyari Batarama, who spoke for his colleagues, promised that they would not let the people down.

    Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako yesterday praised the people for the success of Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

    The governor spoke in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Malam Ahmed Sajoh, in Yola.

    The governor said the peaceful conduct of the poll had laid to rest doubts about the possibility of conducting the 2015 elections in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa.

    Nyako said: “The massive turn out of voters and the peaceful manner the process was conducted has proved sceptics wrong about the possibility of conducting 2015 election in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.”

    The statement urged those “Abuja Politicians” to stop misleading the Presidency, INEC and security agencies about the situation in the affected states.

  • Saraki: I advised Tukur not to fight Nyako

    Saraki: I advised Tukur not to fight Nyako

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, at the weekend said he advised the embattled Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to avoid conflict with Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State.

    Saraki spoke in Ilorin when he explained his defection and that of other defunct New PDP members to the APC.

    The former governor, who addressed party members at Ile-Arugbo, explained that instead of ensuring an harmonious relationship with Governor Nyako, Tukur became vindictive by dissolving the party’s Excos in his home state.

    The senator traced the problems in PDP to undue intervention of the party’s National Executive Council in the internal affairs of state chapters.

    He named the most affected states as Adamawa and Rivers.

    The senator told his supporters that the defection to the APC was necessitated by the need to sustain the collective interest of the people and not out of selfish interest.

    Saraki urged party members and supporters to register when APC begins the exercise next year.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said the non-reinstatement of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the party secretary, despite a court judgment, was among reasons the PDP had become retrogressive and devoid of respect for the rule of law.

    The governor promised the people that his administration, in 2014, would create 6,000 jobs.

  • Sultan, Nyako urge unity

    Sultan, Nyako urge unity

    THE new paramount ruler of the Bachama of Adamawa State, the Hama, mounted the throne yesterday with Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, stressing the need for unity among the diverse components of the country.

    Presenting the staff office to Homun Honest Irmiya Stephen, [Kwere -Mana, Kpafrato 11], Governor Nyako asked traditional rulers across the state in particular to make peace their watch word.

    He said the current state of emergency in Adamawa should not, in any way, be allowed to interfere with their promotion of peace.

    The governor hailed the new Hama Bachama for his effort to restore the past glory of the kingdom as a centre of cultural excellence.

    Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar asked his fellow traditional rulers across the country to preach peace among their subjects in the best interest of the nation.

    He appealed to Nigerians to continue to live in peace with one another and to eschew bitterness and violence.

    The ceremony was witnessed by traditional rulers from different parts of the country including the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar.

    The new Hama Bachama thanked Governor Nyako for ratifying his appointment and pledged to do his best to improve the lot of his people and contribute his quota to the development of the state and Nigeria in general.

  • Anxiety over plot to declare Amaechi, Wammako, others’ seats vacant

    Anxiety over plot to declare Amaechi, Wammako, others’ seats vacant

    Desperate Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders renewed yesterday their push for the removal of the five governors who dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The plan is to use the court to declare vacant their seat, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    The governors are Rotimi Amaechi(Rivers), Murtala Nyako(Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso(Kano), Aliyu Wammako(Sokoto) and Abdulfatai Ahmed(Kwara).

    The hawks in PDP are said to be considering filing an ex-parte motion at any high court which will lead to a declaratory order asking the governors to leave office immediately.

    But President Goodluck Jonathan is said to have asked the PDP leaders behind the plot to pull the brakes on it because of its likely consequences on the nation’s political environment.

    One of the lawyers engaged in filing the suit last night however said: “We have not yet filed any document in court.

    “I think the President has not agreed with the PDP leaders who are pushing the matter. The President has asked them to stay action.”

    It was learnt that some PDP leaders were shocked by the threat which the defection last Tuesday might pose to the PDP’s electoral fortunes.

    They were said to have agreed on creating legal hurdles for the governors.

    It was learnt that the party has already secured the services of a 10-man legal team, including Chief Alex Iziyon (SAN), who is more or less the counsel to the President; Phebian Ajogu (SAN), Austin Alegeh (SAN) and a Northern constitutional Lawyer.

    A source said: “We learnt that the PDP is either considering filing a motion ex-parte or pushing for accelerated hearing of its application.

    “But some leaders of the party are in favour of a motion ex-parte. Once the application is granted, the five governors will be asked to vacate office immediately or be ejected from office.

    “In fact, the PDP is banking on the invocation of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution to support its application. This Section was invoked by the Supreme Court to declare Amaechi as the Governor of Rivers State.

    “The party is claiming that the governorship tickets of the five governors belong to the PDP and not the occupants.

    “Also, we learnt that the party might apply the principle of ‘Case Stated’ to compel a Federal High Court to ask for interpretations of Section 221 from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to seal the fate of the governors at the lower court.”

    As at press time, a meeting of the APC governors was being convened at Kano Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District, Abuja.

    The session, expected to be closed door from 9pm, might go far into the night.

    One of the APC governors , who spoke in confidence, said: “This is our first meeting after five PDP governors joined the progressives club. We are going to chart the way forward for the party to make the merger of the New PDP and the APC to work.

    “We will also take time to discuss issues affecting our governors, including plans by the PDP to declare the seats of the five governors vacant.

    “The PDP is capable of any mischief; we are also going to put our legal team on standby.”

    The National Chairman of the merged New PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said: “There is no law backing the declaration of a governor’s seat vacant.

    “Why are they just talking now when some PDP governors have joined the APC? I was the one who received ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim when he defected from PPA to PDP. Was Ohakim’s seat declared vacant? Wasn’t Governor Isa Yuguda in ANPP before joining PDP? What of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State who defected to PDP from PPA. Did all these governors vacate their seats?

    “This is not the first time the PDP has tried to declare the seats of our members vacant. Some of our members in the National Assembly have actually sued Bamanga Tukur.”

    Another leader said the conditions for removing governors are contained in Sections 188 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Section 188 reads in part: “A governor can be removed by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal in accordance with Section 188 or 189 of this Constitution.”

    Section 188 says in part: “The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State may be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of this section.

    “Whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third member of the members of the House of Assembly is (a) presented to the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the State; (b) stating the holder of such office is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified.

    Section 189 says in part: “The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State shall cease to hold office if (a) by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all members of the Executive Council of the state, it is declared that the Governor or Deputy Governor is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and (b) the declaration in paragraph (a) of this sub-section is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary, by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the Speaker of the House of Assembly.”