Tag: Nigeria

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday inaugurated a 10-member Peace and Reconciliation Committee to address grievances arising from the just-concluded primaries of the party for the state governorship election.

Inaugurating the Senator Inatimi Spiff-led committee in Government House, Yenagoa, the governor described disagreements and grievances as normal in any political contest.

Dickson in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, however, said the way and manner such grievances were managed was important for the PDP.

He said the PDP family under his watch always demonstrated maturity, love and resilience in handling their differences with a view to promoting the greater good of the party.

He harped on the need for all aggrieved aspirants and their followers to join hands with the PDP leadership to work for the success of the party in the November 16 gubernatorial polls.

Dickson, who expressed optimism over the victory of the party, assured those embittered by the outcome of the primaries that their interests could only be better protected in the PDP than elsewhere.

He noted that the people of Bayelsa would not make the mistake of ceding their state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use its land for rural grazing.

He said: “Let me say that reconciliation and persuasion are the core of the political service; politics is about reconciling and managing conflicting interests,ambitions and perspectives and sometimes even reconciling clash of egos

“The way we are in this state, everyone knows that Bayelsa is PDP stronghold.

In the last National Assembly and state House of Assembly Elections, we displayed that again even with the presence of security forces and abuse of security and the collation process we won convincingly. So there is no doubt that this is a PDP stronghold.

“We have just come out of a hotly contested gubernatorial primaries and as it is in life, there are always people who will have one or two grievances about their government, the flag bearer and even about the running mate that he has on his own nominated, all of these are normal things, which we must deal with at this time.

“And because we know we want to keep every PDP leader, every aspirant and every supporter in the PDP family, we have set up this committee. That’s the only way we can remain strong and big and maintain our position as the foremost election-winning party in this part of our country.

Read Also; Bayelsa guber: APC not ready for election, says Dickson

“This is a committee of very respectable elders and leaders known across the state and even beyond who will undertake a special assignment at this very important period, the responsibility of reconciling and bringing to the fold those who have grievances including those who feel maybe they should try some other pastures which certainly we know are not greener.

“I am talking about those who entice people, we all know what happened 2015 in my re-election. By this time over 150 to 200 key leaders of our party decamped openly and I gave them the stadium and in broad day light, appointees were leaving everyday, saying lots of things but yet we defeated the APC even with their federal back up.

“We don’t want one single well-meaning PDP leader to leave to APC because this state has no room for APC to use it for RUGA. This land is completely PDP and so our leaders have been assembly to do what they have the experience in doing all this year promoting reconciliation and peace”.

Responding, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State PDP Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Senator Inatimi Spiff, thanked Dickson for counting members of the Committee worthy to carry out the reconciliation assignment.

Senator Spiff noted that although some party faithful were aggrieved including members of the Committee who worked for their favoured aspirants, the reconciliation process would help to strengthen and reposition the PDP for victory.

Senator Emmanuel Diffa is the Vice Chairman of the Committee while former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gideon Ekeuwei is the Secretary.

Other members are Solomon Aguanana, Chief George Okrinya, Chief Israel Igbori, Chief Million Asangba, Chief (Mrs) Apretari Ogugu, Chief Darius Obiene and Chief Bright Ereware-Igbeta

Protesters under the aegis of Lagos Youth Vanguard (LYV) on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to demand the probe of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode over alleged corrupt activities.

The protesters, who chanted solidarity songs, were led by the Patron of LYV, Mr. Rasak Olokooba and the President of the Group, Mr. Ibrahim Ekundina.

Some of the placards of the protesters read: “Ambode, submit yourself for probe,” “Ambode must be probed,” “EFCC do your job,” “Ambode is a thief,” “Ambode awarded fake contracts,” and “Ambode, return Lagos money.”

The Lagos Youth Vanguard stated in their leaflet that were distributed to journalists that Ambode “deliberately laid landmine through the obvious improper, inappropriate and insufficient content in his handover note that should serve as a guide to the incoming administration in the tradition of every civilised public officer.”

They accused Ambode of flouting so many government procedures, saying that he refused to abide by the procurement laws.

He was accused of wrong priority in policies and programmes and abandoning the track that can bring about development in the state.

“We call for his probe and investigation with a view to apportioning penalty and dishing out appropriate penalties.

“We want to assure the good people of Lagos State, including all the people that care about Lagos and the people of Lagos that we will continue to pursue every legitimate means until justice is done,” they said.

Speaking to journalists in an interview, Mr Rasak Olokooba, said that it was good to be fair to every administration.

Olokooba added that they had watched events for 90 days and that there were clear indications that the former governor had been going about to disrupt the activities of the current administration.

“For every government that is going out, you leave a template for the coming government to succeed.

“Ambode handed over a very rickety handing over note that cannot assist the current administration.

“If you go round the state today you will see that there is no governor that would inherit such state and the people of the state would be happy with him, but thank God the goodwill enjoyed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is still intact if not, by now the people of Lagos State would have been complaining bitterly.

Read Also: Lagos Assembly raise panel to probe Ambode’s 820 buses

“Put all these things together and add it to what the EFCC said recently that they were going to conduct an investigation into the activities of the former governor Akinwunmi Ambode, you would see that we are right,” he said.

The activist insisted that anybody could be investigated anytime, but that they were shocked by what happened at the residence of former governor Ambode in Epe, when the operatives of the EFCC wanted to search his residence.

He described what happened there as very ungentlemanly, adding that this was not how statesmen behave and that statesmen respect institutions and apparatuses of the government.

“Also, the parliament has promised us that they were going to look into the activities of the last administration, but we have not heard anything from them.

“I am a taxpayer, I pay education tax, I pay the salaries of the Governor from my tax and I must be concerned about how the money is being spent likewise other Nigerians.

“The former governor must be accountable for how he ran the affairs of the state in the last four years. We want him to clear his name. Gone are the days when people just hear of probe and you don’t take it up,” he said

Olokooba maintained that they were taking the matter up because the EFCC and the parliament had spoken about it.

He stressed that the rest of the world was watching Nigeria, which he said must work as it represents 2.5 % of the population of the world.

“We are the most populous black nation in the world and after Cairo it is Lagos among the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa.

“We don’t want anybody to mismanage Lagos. We want this to be a deterrent to others such as local governments chairmen, senators and others in public offices who might want to do what the last administration did.

“Look at the state of Lagos, people were complaining bitterly over the litters of refuse in the state though they are disappearing now. Look at Badagry Road, you would agree with me that you are also part of what we are doing today as journalists,” he said.

Addressing the protesters, the representative of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Hon. Rotimi Olowo stated that the protesters were right as their action was constitutional.

Olowo emphasized that the House had commenced investigations into the government of Ambode and that they would look into the petition as a House and do their jobs as expected.

The lawmaker added that they were having a committee meeting shortly before the protesters arrived to look into the finance of the state and ensure that the road in the state were motorable.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded a system-wide investigation into the alleged siphoning of N90 billion from the coffers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in which top members of the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been mentioned.

A statement on Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, cautioned that there should be no cover up of the alleged humongous corruption scandal, which the party said involved highly placed individuals.

It lamented that in the face of excruciating hardship being endured by Nigerians, a government, which came into office on the mantra of change and zero tolerance for corruption, has become enmeshed in atrocious acts of corruption.

Saying that the allegation speaks volumes of the character of the present administration, the party further stated that it’s unfortunate that a top member of the federal cabinet is being fingered in the alleged siphoning of monies collected as taxes from millions of impoverished Nigerians.

“Our party notes that this shocking allegation directly borders on gross misconduct and breach of public trust.

“The party, therefore, rejects the flimsy denials and threats being pushed through the FIRS as a belated attempt at cover-up by persons close to the Presidency.

Read Also: Bayelsa guber: Dickson, PDP begin reconciliation

“It is therefore held that the delay by the Buhari Presidency in applying established statutory processes and procedures of ordering an investigation into the issue only goes to confirm that the Buhari administration is a citadel of corruption.

“This is more so as reports are already in the public domain of how the money stolen from FIRS, was allegedly diverted to private purses and for other extraneous purposes, including the 2019 extravagant campaigns of the APC.

“Nigerians expect that all our national resources should always be used to ensure the welfare of the citizenry and must be accounted for at all times”, the party said.

Here is the full list of Gov Oyetola’s Commissioner, Special Adviser-nominees

*Oluremi Omowaiye

*Ibitoye Felix

*Sola Oladepo

*Bola Oyebamiji

*Ajisefini Abiodun

*Muminu Adekunle

*Ogunfolaju Sola Oyehan

*Oladimeji Olanubi Segun

*Agunbiade Nathaniel

*Folorunsho Bamisayemi

*Akeju Taiwo

*Lawal Yemi Azeez

*Olaonipekun Henry

*Adeleke Adebayo

*Olamiju Olasiji

*Yinusa Olalekan

*Isamotu Rafiu Olasunkanmi

*Jamiu Olawumi

*Akande Oluwafemi

*Olumide Babatunde Olawale

*Olaniyan Hussein

*Adeosun Rasaq

*Badmus Rahmon Lekan

*Bakare Akande

*Giwa Lateefat

*Tadese Raheem

*Adewole Adedayo

*Lawal Tajudeen

*Babalola Idiat

*Kolajo Aderemi

*Egbemode Funke

*Kareem Akande

*Oyegbile Rufus

*Olaboopo Olubukola

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Kogi have called on politicians, INEC and other stakeholders to ensure peaceful conduct of the Nov. 16 governorship election through strict adherence to the electoral law.

The representatives of the CSOs made the call at a two-day workshop on ‘Conflict Transformation and Election Violence Mitigation’, organised under Electoral Empowerment for Civil Society Programme (EECSP) by Search for Common Ground (SEARCH) on Tuesday, in Lokoja.

Mrs Gift Omoniwa, the State Project Coordinator of SEARCH said that violence had the capacity to distort the legitimacy of elections.

She, however, added that when the stakeholders upheld the tenets and played the game according the rules and in strict adherence to the laws, the outcome of such an election would be acceptable by all.

Read Also: INEC trains security personnel for Kogi Gov race

She said that electoral violence could be random or organised, with the intent to intimidate, threaten, inflict physical harm, blackmail, abuse, coerce, influence or affect an electoral process.

According to her, the periodic election upon which the nation’s democratic process is hinged constitutes a major source of political conflicts in Nigeria because of the emotional attachment to elections.

“We have also seen that violence during elections has the capacity to reverse all the progress made in the economy and every facet of our national life.

“So there is the need for intervention in issues around elections by relevant stakeholders”, she said.

Also speaking, Mr Idris Miliki, Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), said that issues of violence during elections were crucial and should be addressed squarely to give credence to such election.

Miliki said that all stakeholders should take the issue of violence seriously in view of its negative impact on elections, adding that the fact that INEC was already expressing fear of violence could generate voter apathy.

Mr Nathaniel Abaniwo, Executive Director, Rehoboth Community Advancement Initiative, said opinions had shown that people were expressing more fears than optimism over the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Abaniwo urged all stakeholders, including security agencies, politicians, INEC, the electorate, CSOs, the media and those remotely connected with the smooth conduct of the election, to take a common stand and resolve to make the exercise successful.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop addressed issues like mapping election risks, election violence analysis, violence scenario identification and early warning response matrix as well as violence escalation and de-escalation.

(NAN)

The Senate will not interfere in the alleged face-off between President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, its spokesman Senator Adedayo Adeyeye has declared.

Answering questions from Senate Correspondents after plenary in Abuja, Adeyeye said while the President reserves the prerogative to assign duties to his aides, he is not aware that any roles assigned to the Vice President have been withdrawn.

Adeyeye, who is the Chairman Senate Committee in Media and Publicity, was responding to a question on whether the Senate would intervene to solve the allegedly crisis.

He said: “The Senate is not involved with that and we are not concerned about what happens in the executive (or) things that are happening with the Executive.

“I am speaking for the Senate. I do not speak for the Executive and I do not want to concern myself with the issue of the Vice President or the Executive. It is not our business.

Read Also: ICYMI: Disquiet in Presidency over Vice President Osinbajo

“That is the executive arm of government and we do not interfere. Why do we have to do that?

“It is not our concern, why do you want to drag me into something that does not really concern me and that does not concern the Senate.

“So, we are not bothered about that and we are not concerned. I am not aware if any role constitutionally assigned to the Vice President has been taken away from him. Nothing like that has happened.

“Constitutionally assigned duties remain the same. Get it right, The President has the prerogative to assign duties to all those who work with him in the executive.

“He has the constitutional power to (assign roles to his aides.) He can call the Minster of Works and say ‘okay go to that ministry tomorrow, Finance (Minister) go to labour. The Senate will not inquire into that because that is his duties.

“He can say my Vice President, I give you this additional responsibilities. Where is the power of the Senate to investigate that.

“We do not have the power… Of course, that will warrant the intervention of the Senate. That has never happened, and that has not happened.

“I do not think that will happen, even judiciary will have a role to play in that as well, not only the legislature, only where the constitution is seen to have been violated.

“I do not think we have any cause to be discussing that, because that itself has not happened. So we are not bothered about that and we are not concerned. I want to tell you that at this moment we are not investigating it.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN on Tuesday revealed how President Muhammadu Buhari plans to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

According to him, the Federal Government’s policies and programmes aimed at promoting financial inclusion remain key to the actualization of the plan.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke in Abuja at the opening session of the 2019 Annual Conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Osinbajo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, was referring to the President’s June 12 speech where he stated that “we are working to lift Nigerians out of poverty and set them on the path to prosperity. We intend to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years”.

According to the Vice President, “Financial inclusion, of course, is the key to realizing so much of what we expect as an economy and the President promised in his June 12 speech to lift 100 million people out of poverty in ten years, that is the commitment of the government of Nigeria.

“We started that journey with our collaboration with the Bank of Industry to deliver the GEEP programme, better known as TraderMoni and MarketMoni by providing microcredit to almost 2 million petty traders. The Bank of Industry has now brought this huge bottom of the pyramid into the formal financial system and that has been recognized worldwide. Recently the programme won the AfDB prize for financial inclusion because of the work that was done with TraderMoni. This is a huge task.

“Going forward, we now need to embark on financial training for all of those who have been brought into the net. As you know, when they’re given N10, 000 and they pay back, they are given N15, 000, N20, 000 and it goes all the way.

“But at that point they’re given their BVNs, they’re formally included in the financial system, they’re formally included as formal traders, and so we are able to give them financial training and all that.”

Continuing, the Vice President said “…for very long, that bottom of the pyramid has been completely excluded and yet informal trade is a significant part of trading that is going on in our country.

“So, there’s a real need out there and we must devise the methods by which those at the bottom of the pyramid can be uplifted and we must look at how we can even resource the entire value chains. What we find is that the petty trader, who just has a trade, is usually selling little bits and pieces from many of the manufacturers or fast-moving products and we found that just by giving them credit, we can resource the whole value chain all the way up.”

Read Also: Full text of Buhari’s speech at UNGA

Speaking further on what the Federal Government intends to do in improving opportunities for those at the bottom of the pyramid, Prof. Osinbajo said “we’re working with the Bank of Industry, with several players in the market, especially the marketing services people to identify how to work through those value chains so that more of these people can move from petty trading, higher up in the value chain as they’re resourced”.

He urged stakeholders in the banking sector to support government’s efforts in resuscitating the MSMEs and real sectors.

He said “All of that will depend on what the banking industry is prepared to do, how adaptable the banking industry will be to giving loans, especially microcredit. Everything is changing very quickly.

“We must create good jobs and opportunities. We must rapidly industrialize, we must provide the environment for local businesses, small and large to create wealth and value. We must also address the concerns of young entrepreneurs and startups, and the small traders, the millions at the bottom of the economic value chain, the millions at the bottom of the pyramid, those who sell from their trays and table tops all over the markets in our country.

“We must develop the housing sector both to provide much needed shelter but also to boost local opportunities in the local building and building materials sectors. We know that we must ramp up our agricultural production, and provide a more efficient farm-to-market value chain, again creating millions of jobs in farming and Agribusiness generally.” he said