The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Runsewe hails Air Peace efforts

    DIRECTOR General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has lauded the efforts of the Chairman of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyeama, for the prompt evacuation of Nigerians caught up in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

    Runsewe expressed appreciation to the airline boss for being sensitive to the cries of Nigerians who wished to return to their country after losing their means of livelihood to massive looting and yet intimidated to leave South Africa.

    “Oyeama deserves our support and appreciation. He has shown capacity and candour, attributes expected of those privileged to be in forefront of our socioeconomic and political development,” Runsewe said.

    The agency chief noted that Onyema’s humility and humanity were engaging and resonated with the true culture of Nigerians as their brothers’ keeper.

    Read Also: The other side of Allen Onyema

    Runsewe said he would visit the Air Peace boss in Lagos to personally convey his appreciation for his deep understanding of the Nigerian culture of brotherhood, which engenders unity and sacrifice.

    Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, the staff and Chairman of National Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also received kudos from the NCAC chief for standing up for the country and its people when they faced humanitarian challenges in South Africa.

    “We at NCAC are happy for this very significant rescue mission to get Nigerians out of trouble and we pray our country will rebound and have good cultural narratives to share with the world, a process that would bond us together and make Nigeria great again.

    “We appreciate all who have contributed to this mission to bring Nigerians back and we wish to emphasise that Nigerians should be culturally sensitive and emulate the good gesture of Air Peace chairman who remains our model of how to be a true Nigerian,” Runsewe said.

     

  • Navy warns personnel against substance abuse, violence

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) at the weekend warned its operatives to keep off hard drugs or any substance that could cloud their sense of judgment.

    They were also warned to shun violence or any act that could smear the image of the Navy.

    Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) Rear Admiral Stanfford Enoch gave the warnings at the weekend after the quarterly 10km route march.

    The exercise saw over 600 personnel marching from the headquarters at Harbour Road, Apapa to Costain and back to the admiration of elated road users.

    Rear Admiral Enoch, who was represented by NAVTRAC’s Chief Staff Officer (CSO) Rear Admiral Idowu Yusuf said the NN was warning the personnel against drugs because they carry firearms.

    He said the navy was mindful of the doom it would spell for the country if firearm bearing operatives take to substance abuse.

    Read Also: Navy arrests fishing trawlers for ‘illegal’ activities

    The FOC said: “Stay away from bad substances. There are serious repercussions if you are caught.

    “Remember we carry firearms and so, it could spell doom for the nation if a rifle-bearing rating influenced by hard substance opens fire on people.

    “The warning does not mean there is an issue of drug abuse in the navy. The military is orderly and we do not  wait for things to go bad before we take action. We take action in advance to prevent occurrence of such issues.

    “That is why we are doing this exercise. It is often said that the more we sweat in peace time, the less blood we shed in war time.”

    The Nation reports that the quarterly route march, a directive from the naval headquarters, was held simultaneously across all units and formations in the country.

    According to Enoch, the exercise was aimed at enhancing the mental and physical alertness of personnel as well as assuring Nigerians of their preparedness to defend the country.

    He advised the personnel to undertake routine medical checks, just as he emphasised the need for synergy with other security agencies.

    “You must eschew violence. Running away from violence does not make you a coward, it shows maturity,” he said.

    Similarly, the FOC Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Oladele Daji during the command’s march which held inside Navy Town in Ojo said the need for personnel to keep fit cannot be overemohasised giving the current security challenges in the country.

    Rear Admiral Daji,who was represented by the command’s Operations Officer Commodore Livingstone Izu charged the operatives to remain law abiding citizens and maintain improved.

  • No NFIU directive on lawmakers, Judiciary accounts, say banks

    CHIEF Compliance Officers of banks have denied getting the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) letter directing them to provide bank account details of leaders of the National Assembly and the Judiciary.

    A document, said to be from the NFIU and dated September 10, showed a request to banks for the information on the accounts of legislators and the judicial officers.

    “Kindly provide the NFIU with a schedule (account names and account numbers) of the National Assembly, members of National Assembly and principal officers of National Assembly Service Commission, as well as all accounts of National Judicial Service Commission (NJSC) and their principal officers, including judges and other relevant politically exposed persons. Kindly note that your response is expected on or before September 13, 2019,” the letter said.

    Though NFIU denied making such request from the banks, a source in one of the banks said he believed the unit backtracked on the request after considering the political implications of such probe.

    “I do not want to talk about it because the NFIU has denied issuing the directive. But I think the denial was an afterthought. They have weighed the implications of such probe and backtracked,” the source said.

    Another source from other financial institution said the planned probe may not be unconnected with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) team’s Mutual Evaluation planned visit to Nigeria later this month.

    The FATF Mutual Evaluation for Nigeria is being conducted by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and was designed to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the laws, regulations or other measures required to ascertain the effectiveness of the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.

    Read Also: Joint account: Governors opt for legal battle with NFIU

    Contacted, the GIABA Information Officer in Nigeria, Timothy Melaye, said he could not speak for NFIU.

    But he confirmed that the FATF Mutual Evaluation will take off later this month and end in October.

    The Mutual Evaluation is expected to provide information on the progress made by Nigeria in meeting its obligations towards the FATF demand for a complete set of counter-measures against money laundering.

    This covers the criminal justice system and law enforcement, the financial system and its regulation and international co-operation.

    The FATF is a global body that sets standard for AML/CFT efforts; like other previous evaluations for Nigeria, its team will carry out random checks at the branches of selected banks and other financial institutions across the country.

    Also, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Sunday denied alleged plans to screen the accounts of judges and principal officers of the National Assembly.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, he said: “One thing I want to categorically state and make clear is that the NFIU, by its competency and capacity, is well placed to have information relating to accounts of individuals and institutions without any recourse to a third party.

    “So, in effect, the idea of making a formal claim does not even arise because the NFIU is the custodian of the information and it is very well placed by law to analyse and have a very forensic analysis of the information at their disposal.

    “The NFIU had indeed issued a formal statement to the effect that there was nothing of that nature taking place. There was no investigation; no cause for such investigation as it is. And if indeed there exists such a cause, there could have been no basis for a formal request for it from institutions because it is the institution that is legally, logically and inherently vested to do the job.”

     

  • Group celebrates Yoruba national Day

    A group, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, will on September 23 mark the ninth edition of the Yoruba Youth Leadership Summit, to celebrate the Odu’a role models, under the chairmanship of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, the National Leader of Afenifere.

    The event, which is dedicated to Ayo Fasanmi @ 94, will be conducted in Yoruba language. It holds at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Square, Osogbo, Osun State, by 11am.

    The guest speakers are Oloye Lekan Alabi, Agba Akin Olubadan of lbadanland, Otunba Jumoke Ogunkeyede, (JMK), Chief  Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, lyaloja General of Nigeria and Chief  Yetunde Babajide, lyalode Ojodu, Berger, Lagos State.

    Read Also: I accept to lead Yoruba, says Akintoye

    Special Guest of Honour is Senator Ayo Fasanmi, National Leader, Afenifere Egbe llosiwaju Yoruba, while guests of honour are the executive governors from the Southwest.

    Father and mother of the day are Oladosu Oladipo, the National Coordinator, Nigeria Next Level Forum and Iyalode Alaba Lawson, lyalode of Yorubaland.

    Royal fathers of the Day are Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi lll, the Alaafin of Oyo and Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan Ojaja ll, Ooni of lfe.

    The Chief Host is Osun State Governor  Adegboyega Oyetola.

    A keynote address will be delivered by lba Gani Adams, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.

  • Nigeria’s long road to cash-less economy

    The use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, web payment, online transfers and mobile phones for transactions are fast getting popular in Nigeria after years of reliance on cash payment writes COLLINS NWEZE

     

    THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the cash-less payment policy seven years ago. This has promoted the use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, web payment, online transfers and mobile phone transactions.

    Without this policy, Nigeria cannot be integrated into the world’s financial system.

    While pushing for the full use of the online payment system, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele said for Nigeria to actively play at the world stage, “our payment system must be successfully benchmarked against the global best practices, as in most developed nations of the world.”

    The cash-less policy provides safe and efficient mechanisms for making and receiving payments with minimum risks to the CBN, payment service providers and end-users.

    The cash-less payment is catching on to the extent that even the lowly members of the society now do transactions online.

    There are even incentives to discourage the use of cash.

    The Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), collaborating with the CBN Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads (CEBIH) and banks in ensuring that bank customers that use their e-payment cards to pay for goods and services on PoS terminals and web platforms are rewarded with a cashback of 50 kobo for every N100 spent.

    This scheme allows cashback rewards to cardholders for using their cards to make payments on alternate channels.

    The benefits of shifting transactions to web-based platforms are clear. For customers, web-based platforms offer convenience, 24 / 7 access, and freedom of location. For Nigeria’s banks, the shift promises the opportunity to improve service delivery and achieve a lower cost-to-serve.

    A pointer to the success of the cash-less policy is the internet and social media penetration in Nigeria. The internet is the purveyor of cash-less transfers.

    The country is estimated to have more than 148 million mobile telephone subscribers and at least 92 million of them access internet data services on their devices.

    About one-third of Nigeria’s population is now under 24 years old and the middle-class population is growing.

    The use of social media channels is rising significantly. Platforms such as Facebook, Watsaap, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr are widely used by Nigerians to communicate with friends and follow up on what is going on around the globe.

    Indeed, a survey showed that 77 per cent of Nigeria’s banking customers now use social media for personal purposes

    However, despite the campaign by the CBN and the statistics of internet access and social media use, cash is still king in Nigeria.

    Many people – mainly outside the big cities – want to touch their cash as clear evidence that their services or goods have been paid for.

    For this category of people, cash transfer is not convincing enough that payment has been made. Besides, a lot of people keep cash at home which they move around to transact their business in spite of the inherent danger in doing so.

    This shunning of e-payment is not limited to the financially lowly in society.

    A recent survey by Visa International showed that high net-worth account holders neither own nor use ATM cards. The survey showed that the more the people earn, the less they own and use debit cards. Majority of the rich, the survey showed, think that avoiding debit cards is the best way to stay protected from online frauds.

    Just 42 per cent of Nigerian banking customers said they use online banking platforms for one or more banking activities. And just 40 per cent said they have interacted with their banks using social media in the past.

    According to NIBSS data, of the 120.9 million bank accounts in the country, only 74 million are active as at January 2019 while there are 37.4 million Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolled customers. The total active BVN across all banks is 29.4 million.

    However, the NIBSS data showed that Nigerian banks did N1.5 trillion worth of transactions on 56,102 ATMs between January and March this year. The transactions were done in 203 million deals.

    Also, N107.6 billion was transacted through web payment and N810.1 billion through mobile money.

    This explains that although Nigeria is racing on the e-payment track, the statistics are still low when compared with what is obtainable across the world.

    For instance, the cashless society is fully in action in Sweden. By one estimate, only one per cent of the Swedish economy operates on bills and coins. The New York Times reported that only about one in 10 Swedes paid for anything in cash last year.

    Part of the reasons why the rich shun card usage is the fear of cyber fraud. The CBN has promised safe, secure and seamless operation of the cash-less policy with the use of the big stick to sanction banks, mobile money operators, payment solution providers and other financial institutions for electronic payment infractions

    KPMG Nigeria reviewing a survey it conducted said the onus is on the banks to get their customers to buy into the cash-less payment system.

    It explained that to succeed in today’s banking environment, banks need to understand their customers.

    “Banks need to ask them what is important to them in a banking relationship, the channels they currently use and what channels they would like to use and how their current banks compared to their expectations,” it said.

    Partner, KPMG in Nigeria and Head of Financial Services Africa, Adebisi Lamikanra, said a lot had changed in Nigeria’s banking industry in the past three years.

    She said customers are still concerned about financial stability; but what they primarily want from their banks is enhanced high-quality service, more innovation and greater convenience.

  • APC leaders drum up support for AbdulRazaq

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Kwara State at the weekend drummed up support for the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

    The stalwarts converged on Olooru in Moro Local Government to attend a prayer session organised by AA G13 Support Group.

    APC leader from Kwara North District Senator Ahmed Mohammed urged residents of the council and Kwarans as a whole to be patient with the AbdulRazaq administration.

    Read Also: APC to Kwarans: be patient with AbdulRazaq

    He admonished the people not to relent in praying for the success of the APC-led government.

    Another APC leader from Kwara South and a political associate of

    Governor AbdulRazaq, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the governor’s impressive performance in the first 100 days in office had earned him

    accolades and applause.

    Fagbemi, who was at the event to represent the governor, said: “The applause will continue as he will not renege on the good things he has been doing. He is prepared for governance. He has the heart to do good, he will continue to do good. Kwarans will be happier for everything that he will do.”

    Fagbemi, a former chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), hailed the springing up of groups supporting the administration.

    He said: “There is always strength in unity, so we expect that all hands must be on deck to put Kwara forward, except for those that have ulterior motives. We want unity and cooperation of all, so that he can excel.”

  • Time to crush the terrorists

    IN no time they brought back the sad and nauseating agonies of the past, the fear, the despair, the nightmare, the dark cloud of silence and uncertainties are here again. Knock, knock and knock, the demons of destruction and agents of darkness have once more murdered our sleep and our newfound victor’s song suddenly evaporated.

    Run, run and run, Borno is on fire again.

    This is the eleventh year of terror war and in the recent renewed and sudden upsurge of insurgency with impunity, the people of Borno in particular the epi-centre of the terror saga are being told in an unambiguous tone by the insurgents to keep vigil as all is not yet over because the Night of Long knives might after all just began.

    This is Borno’s sad story that rudely interrupted the forward march of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, the state governor who for the past few weeks on the assumption of office, has demonstrated the capability and capacity to lead, inspire and govern. Governor Zullum is in trouble and the recent rattle of gunfire and assault on the people of Maiduguri,  Gubio, Konduga , Dalori and other towns and villages of Borno by the terrorists provoked, pricked and prodded the governor and others alike to action and reactions.

    Narrating his ordeal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Zulum lamented that the Boko Harm insurgents have demonstrated higher expertise and more sophiscated weapons than the Nigerian military. According to him, the insurgents are now using drones to monitor the military movements and operations. With this trend, Governor Zulum is of the view that the sect from all indications might be ahead of the military in the possession of higher technological warfare strategies and expertise to the nation’s Joint Military Task Force.

    The state governor who was speaking at the Government House in Maiduguri recently during the Speaker’s courtesy call stated, “Boko Haram now uses drones to monitor the operations of the military. Without providing proper and up-to-date technological capacity to the military, this thing will never end, he warned.

    Zullum said, “The capacity of the military has to be re-examined interms of modern technological warfare. Otherwise this thing (insurgency) will never end”

    The governor implored the Federal government to increase the numerical strength of the country’s security and paramilitary personnel fighting the terror war in addition to supporting the Civilian JTF in the light of serious sophiscated warfare from the terrorists and scaled up operations of ISWAP in the Chad Basin region.

    Further lamenting the destruction of Boko Haram sect on the state, governor Zulum told the Speaker that although all the local government areas in the state had been liberated from Boko Haram “only 10 villages now stand out of the 500 that used to exist in Northern Borno, only 20 now stand out of about 1,000 villages that used to exist in Central Borno before 2015.”

    Responding, Femi Gbajabiamila who was in Maiduguri to assess the situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with regards their population and their transition from  the camp to resettlement regretted that the insurgency continued for” a bit too long and we have to put it behind us.”

    The Speaker pointed out that the Federal Legislature has resolved to collaborate with the executive for concerted efforts to bring to an end the terror war pointing out that for now it is not yet “UHURU.”

    Shortly after the meeting of the Speaker and governor Zulum in the state capital, the insurgents struck again in some parts of the state, prompting Zulum to rush to Abuja to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the latest where he was assured that plans were on to end the insurgency.

    Hardly had Governor Zulum left Abuja back to Maiduguri when some Borno indigenes wrote President Buhari on the precarious situation in Borno following the latest upsurge of the insurgency. According to the report in the Vanguard of August 27, 2019, P9 the open letter said to have been signed by Hassan Boguma’ a traditional ruler indicted the military of not doing enough in the light of recent attacks by the insurgents with no counter measures by the military to forestall such.

    According to the letter, “The attempts by Boko Haram to intimidate and attack communities in the state and the actions of our soldiers in the frontline has made us lose confidence in the recent military’s performance in protecting not only the vulnerable citizens but even the territorial boundaries of the nation.

    “Your Excellency, while lauding the efforts of the Nigerian Army for its gallantry in other parts of the state, much is needed to be done in the areas around MMC and Jere and in the light of recent attacks on Nganzai, Gajigana, Gubio, Magumeri, Amurwa, Kalali Abdul, Wanori and Dalori villages”.

    The letter further explained that the incessant and daring attacks by Boko Haram terrorist is becoming a source of great concern to citizens living in the two local governments moreso when five villages were recently simultaneously attacked for three days without any counter measures or even a response to distress calls from the locals.

    No doubt the people of Borno in particular are indeed unhappy- no thanks to the insurgents who visit them every now and then with gunfire, bomb blast, abduction, death, sorrow and blood. The great question is when will this lamentation go? Gambo  Dori in his Tuesday Column of the Daily Trust of August 13, 2019 asked ” When shall we vanquish Boko Haram?”

    It is indeed high time we went back to the drawing board with all sincerity and find out where things went wrong in the journey so far instead of the present blame game. It is time we look critically at ourselves as stakeholders in this business to ascertain whether as a group or individuals we have honestly contributed our quota positively or negatively to the struggle aimed at eliminating the insurgency. It is time we ask ourselves some thought provoking, pricking and prodding questions thus: Who are the sponsors of Boko Haram and where are they? Who are the internal and external collaborators and accomplices. Is Boko Haram caring the tog of religion, politics or criminality? How sincere is our neighbors in this war against the insurgency? Equally is the question, to what extent can Nigeria trust some notable counties in the international community in this terror war?

    Coming back home, do we really understand the enemy or enemies we are fighting? Have the military the full grasp  of the terrain it is operating? How equipped is the military material wise, logistics wise, intelligent wise and pro-active wise in this terror war? Are there no fifth columnists within the rank and file of the military who aid and abet the insurgents? What is responsible for the successful ambush of the terrorists on the locations and movements of soldiers and para military groups? How far is the allegation that some members of the security agencies fighting in the fronts security agencies are short changed with regards their entitlements especially allowances? How regular is their salaries?

    More questions: To what extent in the synergy amongst the members of the armed   forces, the police and other para-military formations in the sharing of intelligence? How cooperative are the locals  with the military in giving helpful information to the latter on the locations and movement of the terrorists in their respective environment? How far in the allegation that the so called over stay of the present military chiefs in their respective positions is said to be uncomfortable with some groups within the military with spill over of this prompting the less vigorous prosecution of war on terror? How honest and desirable are the activities of the Non-Governmental organizations, some who are alleged are fraudsters and spies and would want the insurgency war to continue in the name of merchandise?

    It would be recalled that on some occasions, the military has indicted some elite especially, the politicians in the North east and Borno in particular of trying to frustrate the efforts of the military in its determination to end the insurgency for self ends. The question is what has become of the said politicians?

    Even the military is equally alleged to have been retarding the terror war on the said accusation that some of its unpatriotic members have turned the war to commercial venture with some allegedly fronting for the insurgents as well?

    No doubt the federal government since the terror has not kept mute. Efforts were made by subsequent central government to tame the insurgency. Especially, President Muhammadu Buhari administration come out loud and clear in this direction to put on hold the onslaught of the insurgency. To this end, success has been recorded as the large empire once controlled by terrorists has been reclaimed by the military.

     

    Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes at victoizekor@gmail.com.  

     

     

     

     

     

  • Makinde to launch 20-year development agenda

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Sunday spoke of plans by his administration to launch a 20-year development agenda to save the state from under performance.

    Makinde made this known  in Ibadan while speaking at the closing of a two-day retreat for members of the State Executive Council and his senior aides.

    He said that the launch of the development agenda would set a high bar for his administration’s developmental objectives.

    ”We have been underachieving for many years; administrations had come and gone. Yes, they did their best, but still, we have to set a high bar for ourselves.

    ”Within the shortest possible time, we have to put in place a strategic development plan for the state.

    ”Administrations had come and gone, but most of them operated on ad-hoc bases. We will put in place a 15 to 20-year development plan for Oyo State, and we will be bullish about our development plans.

    Read Also: I will recover looted funds, says Makinde

    ”Of course, we are aware that our mandate, for now, is for four years. What we want to do now is to put up a plan or vision so that successive administrations will not need to go back to do the work again.

    ”We will do the work. Who knows whether the leadership of the next administration is here with us? So we should not take anything for granted,” he said.

    The governor tasked his executive members and top civil servants to work in harmony, adding that collective responsibility must be the watchword.

    While promising that his administration would empower the civil servants to enable them do their job efficiently and effectively, he, however, said that accountability would be demanded from them.

    ” For our permanent secretaries, it still remains ‘soldier goes, soldier comes but the barracks remains’. So your commitment to the success of this administration must be unflinching.

    ”We are making a pact with you that the current administration will empower you and give you necessary and required responsibilities. We will give you the authority to carry them out but we will demand accountability from you.

    ”I know that the pertinent question that is probably agitating your mind right now is: will the system be fair to you? I make bold to say that, under my watch, the system will be fair to you, absolutely.

    “So, my appeal to everybody is: come with me; let us create a prosperous Oyo State together, and God will help us,” Makinde said.

  • Youths tackle Obiano on roads

    SOME youths in Anambra State have expressed anger over the deplorable state of roads in the state.

    The group insisted that the deplorable roads and increasing number of potholes across the state affected their businesses and daily activities.

    The youths under the eages of Anambra Youth Empowerment Initiative (AYEI), also frowned at “poor representation” of senator representing Anambra North in the National Assembly, Senator Stella Odua and other lawmakers for their inability to call for town hall meeting.

    Addressing reporters after their meeting in Onitsha, the chairman of the group, Hon Nduka Alor, called on Governor Willie Obiano to urgently fix the roads and save the state of eminent erosion menace.

    He sued for calm and beckoned on the irate youths to trade with caution.

    “As proactive citizens, we must be the vanguard of the society but my appeal to the youths was to take it easy and direct their grievances through the proper channel.

    Read Also: Obiano, Ortom, workers hail Ngige’s re-appointment

    “It is obvious that roads are not built during the rainy season because of the nature of the soil texture in this part of the world.

    “You must always have a lot of potholes during the rainy season, especially when the rains are very heavy and daily as we witnessed this year.

    “Anambra State government, recently acquired three state of the art road machines known as Dura Patcher from the United States to fix the potholes once the rain subsides. I was also meant to understand that the operators are undergoing training right now.”

    Alor also challenged the lawmakers representing the constituency at various levels to brace up to their responsibilities of providing quality representation as promised during electioneering.

    “It is expected that they call for town hall meeting at least quarterly but they seem to be doing nothing.

    ” They need to dialogue with the people on what they have done or what they intend to do for the constituents. Such meeting oils democracy and gives to purposeful representation” he said.

    The State Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke had during a visit to the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Awka, assured that all potholes would be patched up as soon as the rains stop.

     

     

  • Ex-Women Affairs Minister Alhassan returns to PDP

    Former Women Affairs Minister Aisha Alhassan, who suffered massive defeat in the 2019 governorship election in Taraba State, says she has completed arrangements to return to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Hajia Alhassan was the governorship standard bearer of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the 2019 elections in which she scored only 14, 651 votes.

    She joined the UDP on the eve of the election after she failed  to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, a party she contested under in 2015 and was able to secure 275,966 votes to come second in the governorship poll.

    Hajia Alhassan was subsequently made the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development by President Muhammadu Buhari, but had to resign amid doubts over her political loyalty.

    Hajia Alhassan told reporters on Sunday after a UDP stakeholders meeting in Jalingo that the majority of her supporters in the 168 wards of Taraba had encouraged her to shift base to the PDP.

    She said that the stakeholders meeting, which lasted till midnight on Saturday, drew participation from all those who contested for various political offices on the platform of the UDP, executive members of the party from the ward to state levels and other respected elders.

    Read Also: PDP governors okay appeal

    Alhassan added that more than 80 per cent of respondents in an opinion poll conducted by a committee headed Alhaji Abdulmumini Vaki, a former PDP chairman in the state, which covered the 16 local governments, suggested that she should move to PDP.

    The former minister said, based on the outcome of the opinion poll, she had no option but to go  by the decision of majority members of the UDP.

    She said: “I cannot go against the decision of the popular opinions of my supporters,” adding that she was glad that the committee did not suggest the APC as an option.

    A communiqué issued at the end of the stakeholders meeting, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jalingo on Saturday night, recommended that two committees be set up immediately to fast track the defection process.

    According to the communiqué, which was signed by the state UDP Chairman, Alhaji Hassan Chul, the first committee is to visit the national leadership of the UDP in Abuja to express the appreciation of supporters of the former minister for providing her the platform to run for the 2019 governorship election.

    The communique added that the second committee is to arrange a meeting with PDP leadership in Taraba to work out modalities for the former minister’s official return to the PDP.

    NAN reports that Alhassan contested and won the election for the senatorial seat of Taraba North in 2011 under the PDP before defecting to APC in 2015.