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Tag: Olisa Metuh

  • Metuh honours EFCC’s invitation

    Metuh honours EFCC’s invitation

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    The officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday stormed the residence of the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh inviting him to the commission’s headquarters.

    A statement by Richard Ihediwa, Special Assistant to Metuh said upon enquiry on the reasons for the invitation, the officials stated that he has some issues to clear with the commission.

    “They also said he was not being arrested but a friendly invite.

    “The operatives, four in number, came in a White unmarked Toyota Hiace bus.

    “As at the time of issuing this statement, Chief Metuh is still being kept at the commission’s headquarters and his lawyers were making frantic efforts to reach him.

    “While details of why Chief Metuh was invited is yet to be made public by the commission, it could be recalled that severally, Chief Metuh, as the mouthpiece of the opposition party had alerted in various press conferences and statements that he has been under threat and that the ruling party and the government have been very uncomfortable with his stance.

    “The latest being the outburst and threats by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun in reaction to Chief Metuh’s criticisms of President Buhari’s widely criticized response on government’s disobedience of court orders, during the last Wednesday’s Presidential Media chat,” Ihediwa added.

  • 2016 budget: Nigeria going the way of Greece – PDP

    2016 budget: Nigeria going the way of Greece – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the N6.08 trillion budget proposal for 2016 by the Federal Government, may throw the country into severe economic recession, like in the case of Greece.

    The party said with the proposed N1.8trillion borrowing to fund the budget, the country would be borrowing N5 billion per day from first day in 2016 to the last day of the year.

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated further that there were no clear cut measures put in place to repay the N1.8trn loan being sought by the government.

    He added that there were no corresponding provisions for economic production, in what he described as “a scenario that spells doom for the future of the nation.”

    Metuh said, “Some people may be wondering why we raised the alarm about the budget. The reason is simple. When we analysed the budget, we discovered it is a misshapen attempt at a Keynesian economics of applying deficit spending to stimulate growth even when studies have proven that GDP growth rates decrease by over 50 per cent when debt goes from low or moderate to high. But then we know the borrowing here is to pay huge campaign debt and fund a political war chest.

    “By every standard, this budget is a booby trap against the nation. When you break down the proposed N1.84 trillion borrowing, you discover that it amounts to borrowing N5 billion everyday for the 365 days in 2016. The questions are: for what specific projects are they borrowing N5 billion per day and how do they intend to pay back?

    “The President should explain to Nigerians how they intend to pay back the loan. Is it by continuous borrowing to service the interests, and does he intends to accumulate colossal debt for future generations of Nigerians?

    “The truth is that this administration cannot justify this proposal. There is no known economy in the world where you can justify borrowing N1.84 trillion without specific projects and precise repayment outline.

    “This is worse still in an oil-driven, mono-economy at a time crude oil is selling at $30 dollars per barrel and is speculated to go down to about $20 dollars or even lower in the next one year.

    “The idea can only come when you diversify the economy and boost production capacity in manufacturing and other critical sectors, a direction, which the budget clearly failed to provide.”

     

  • Dokpesi’s arrest ‘a persecution’ – PDP

    Dokpesi’s arrest ‘a persecution’ – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the arrest of Daar Communications Emeritus chairman Raymond Dokpesi as persecution.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh, the opposition party said:

    “While the PDP is not against the war against corruption, we insist that the crusade must be carried out within the limits of the law and not as a guise to persecute and torture opposition elements in the country.

    “Our fear is that with the pronouncement of guilt even without being given the opportunity within his rights as a citizen to state his own side of the story, the President Buhari-led government is sidestepping the laws to ensure that Chief Dokpesi does not get justice in the court, a plot which they want to extend to other PDP leaders.

    “The PDP therefore demands an open and public trial of all those arrested so that all issues and charges against them as well as their defence therein would also be in the public domain.

    “We demand a proper investigation and lawful prosecution instead of the reprehensible resort to outright political persecution, which can only have a place in a military regime.

    “We also note that this development may not be unconnected with the planned onslaught against the media, following its commitment in holding this dictatorial regime accountable since it took office.

    “We call on the international community and rights bodies worldwide to note the growing impunity and gross violation of human rights by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government tailored to decimate the opposition and cow the media in Nigeria.”

  • Audu’s death a monumental loss – PDP

    Audu’s death a monumental loss – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday expressed shock at the death of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi, Prince Abubakar Audu, describing it as a monumental loss.

    The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it would refrain from making comments on the election at this time.

    The statement said, “The issue of election is not important to the party now. What is important at this point is the sanctity of human life.

    “Our deepest thoughts and prayers go to the family of Prince Abubakar Audu and indeed, the APC fold.

    “On this note, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, charges all PDP members in Kogi and across the nation to keep Prince Audu, his family and loved ones in their prayers, as we mourn with them and the people of Kogi state over this monumental loss.”

  • PDP to new ministers: Focus on economy

    PDP to new ministers: Focus on economy

    The Peoples Democratic Party has charged the in-coming ministers to quickly settle down, move fast and focus on the economy.

    The party said that the present administration has so far played heavily on dramatising routine procedures and processes, which was even glaring in the prolonged swearing-in of the ministers.

    A statement issued on Wednesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the much-expected assignment of portfolios to the ministers did not inspire confidence that there is indeed any change being introduced in the system.

    The party said with the inauguration, the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration should fully resolve the issues on the actual position of the nation’s economy and the direction therein.

    The statement said, “Whereas President Muhammadu Buhari had announced that the nation is bankrupt to the extent he cannot pay his ministers, his new Minister of Information had contradicted him directly by stating how the government is buoyant and ready to deploy $2.5 billion infrastructure fund, saved N1.4 trillion with another N2.5 trillion ready as special intervention fund, which goes to say that the country is not actually broke.

    “These new ministers should note the challenge before them regarding the image of the country which the APC government has changed from being the ‘Heart of Africa’ and a country of ‘Good people, Great nation’ to that of ‘corrupt people, broke nation’.

    “Furthermore, we counsel the ministers, especially those who will be the face of the government, to note that the campaigns are over. Nigerians therefore will no longer condone propaganda, lies and deceit but expect a responsible dissemination based on truth, honesty and openness.”

  • Alleged libel: Lai Mohammed sues Olisa Metuh for N500m

    Alleged libel: Lai Mohammed sues Olisa Metuh for N500m

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed has sued his Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) counterpart, Olisa Metuh, at the Lagos State High Court for alleged libel.

    He is demanding N500 million damages from Metuh for authoring and issuing a “malicious” press statement that was injurious to his reputation.

    The claimant, through his lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the PDP spokesman wrote and widely circulated a press statement on September 20, which contained libellous materials, entitled: Assault on democracy: ‘Address issues’ – PDP replies APC… Insists democracy sliding under Buhari.

    In the statement, Metuh described Mohammed as “being ethically challenged” and “embezzling funds meant for fencing of an airport in an APC-led Southwest state”.

    He also accused the APC spokesman of “fraudulently refusing to supply ambulances after collecting money from another APC Southwest state.”

    Metuh’s statement added: “It is then a comedy of roles when Alhaji Lai Mohammed speaks on corruption, a topic he practices and has well learnt, being personal aide to one of the most corrupt politicians to ever bestride the political landscape of the country.”

    Mohammed, a lawyer and former National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) member, served as public relations officer and later corporate secretary at the Nigeria Airport Authority between 1985 and 1988; and as chief of staff to former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu from 1999 to 2002, among others.

    Mohammed said he distinguished himself meritoriously and without any blemish in all the positions and responsibilities he held over the years.

    Mohammed prayed for an order directing the defendant to publish an apology to him and retract the libellous material in a widely read newspaper for seven consecutive days.

    He also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Metuh, his cronies, or any newspaper/magazine from further publishing or disseminating the libellous materials or something similar.

    The claimant said Metuh “wilfully and maliciously made false, destructive and defamatory statements” designed to inflict damage on his reputation and goodwill and expose him to public opprobrium.

    The allegations, Mohammed said, were unsubstantiated as neither him nor any of his companies ever embezzled funds meant for fencing of an airport or was involved in a contract to supply ambulances to any Southwest state and any other state.

    “The claimant avers that the libellous publication against his person by the defendant is designed to damage irreparably the reputation of the claimant, lower his esteem in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society as well as expose him to shame, ridicule and public embarrassment,” Mohammed said.

    He added that by the “defamatory words”, Metuh was implying that he (Mohammed) is a fraudster, a man who must not be entrusted with money, a man of dubious character, a corrupt person and an economic saboteur.

    The APC spokesman said the publication has “seriously” damaged his personal and professional reputation and caused him considerable pain, distress and embarrassment, resulting in his suffering loss of esteem.

    Metuh, through his lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), in response to a letter by Mohammed demanding an apology, stated that the APC spokesman earlier accused Metuh of having “allegations of corruption hanging on his neck from his own party”.

    But Mohammed said his statement against Metuh arose from a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was “not a conclusion of guilt against the defendant in respect of those allegations for which the defendant is required to clear himself”.

    Metuh is expected to defend the suit which was filed on October 8.

     

  • PDP mourns Alamieyeseigha

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is grief stricken over the death on Saturday of a former Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

    A statement issued on Sunday by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party was still in shock over death of the former governor, describing the development as deeply saddening.

    “The PDP mourns the demise of this great Nigerian, who made immense contributions and sacrifices towards the unity, stability and development of his state and our dear nation both as a military officer and a politician.

    “Chief Alamieyeseigha was a true democrat, humble leader, brilliant administrator who had extraordinary love for his people. He was an outstanding party-man, who, despite his travails, remained loyal to the PDP at state and national levels to the very end.

    “The PDP sincerely commiserates with Governor Seriake Dickson, the Alamieyeseigha family, the Ijaw kingdom and the people of Bayelsa state and pray God to give them the fortitude to bear this great loss.”

  • Olisa Metuh’s achievement narrative

    SIR: The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh was upbeat  in ascribing the modest progress made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari  to PDP and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    While it would be unfair to deny that some activities took place under the six years of Jonathan’s presidency, the vacuum of leadership to galvanize those activities and turn them into visible deliverables of governance is the greatest albatross of the PDP and its stewardship.

    Take security for instance. The arms and ammunition narrative of Metuh was controverted by the out gone Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh and his Chief of Army Staff counterpart Kenneth Minimah. The duo admitted to heading an army that is ill-equipped.

    EX-President Olusegun Obasanjo in a recent interview declared that its an impossible task to get our refineries to function in spite of Turn Around Maintenance (TAM). He recommended outright sale. This further invalidates the nexus between TAM and the resuscitation of the refineries.

    The PDP publicity secretary failed to mention the improvement in power supply under President Buhari. He must also be reminded that the EFCC was ‘brain dead’ in the period under review.

    It is gratifying to note that Buhari has not performed any magic other than provide leadership, an exemplary leadership that the citizens can resonate with.

    Metuh’s propaganda of denial is sure to do more damage to the already battered image of the PDP.

    However any constructive criticism from the PDP that could incentivise actualization of deliverables would be apposite.

     

    • Bukola Ajisola.

    Lagos

  • Why Olisa Metuh is target, PDP

    Why Olisa Metuh is target, PDP

    The National Publi-city Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday deplored what he called incessant and unnecessary attacks on his person by political opponents.

    He claimed that he was being targeted with a view to forcing him to abandon his statutory function as the mouthpiece of the party.

    But he vowed to remain undeterred as he “is now, more than ever before, determined to ensure that PDP provides robust and credible opposition, which is inevitable to further grow our democracy.”

    Metuh’s Special Assistant, Richard Ihediwa, said in a statement that “credible intelligence available to us has shown that apart from instigating some unsuspecting persons within our party to peddle lies and insults against Chief Metuh, there is a well-coordinated assault by anti-PDP forces who have engaged heavily paid consultants masquerading as writers and columnists, in addition to social media hirelings, some of who use pseudonyms to attack him for daring to speak out against the undemocratic actions and tendencies of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.”

    Ihediwa added: “While the National Publicity Secretary is fully aware of the challenges that come with his new role of providing firm, issue-based opposition, we decry the resort to dirty politics by the anti-PDP forces, instead of focusing on the issues, as not only shameful but also a despicable act of cowardice.”

    He said that even after the PDP Workers Welfare Association has apologised over allegations it made against the PDP National Working Committee, and particularly himself, “the anti-PDP elements, shamed by that development, are still relentless in their unholy enterprise against the National Publicity Secretary and other leaders of the party.”

    Metuh denied receiving “any money or monies from the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan before, during or after the 2015 campaigns for media and publicity functions or for any other reason whatsoever.”

     

     

  • Buhari running communist economic agenda, says PDP

    Buhari running communist economic agenda, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of running a communist economic agenda.

    The party said the administration’s attempts to repeal the provisions of the Foreign Exchange And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, otherwise known as Decree No.17 of 1995 and replace it with “unilateral imposition of new regulations was not acceptable.

    In a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP kicked against what it described as moves by Buhari to deny Nigerians the right to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts.

    “This Act remains the subsisting law regulating the operations of domiciliary accounts in Nigeria and by its provisions therefore, Nigerians are empowered to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts.

    “As such, any enactment and or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are deemed void. Thus, the recent foreign exchange transaction restrictions by this government are illegal, unlawful and void.

    “Besides the provisions of the law, the PDP declares this administration’s archaic communist economic agenda as unworkable and unsustainable”, the statement said.

    The PDP said President Buhari should remember that “this is 2015 and not 1984”, stressing that trade and import restrictions are archaic and outdated.

    It added that “we are practicing a proper democracy and not the dictatorship of the politburo under a communist regime”.

    The PDP also said the apparent absence of an economic team in the third month of the administration was leading the country into economic quagmire and doldrums.

    The statement continued, “In the past, we had given examples of the devastating effect of lack of an economic team and a clear-cut fiscal policy by this administration as evidenced in the lull and painful decline in the stock market, spiral rate of inflation, the disastrous outing of the government team in bilateral talks during the recent visit to the United States of America and the shambolic state of our economy at present.

    “This confusion has been extended to operations and regulations of the foreign exchange transactions in Nigeria wherein the government is making it impossible for honest Nigerians to engage in free trade and regulate their personal activities as guaranteed by the constitution, and this is clearly an agenda to illegally impose a communist economic regime on Nigerians.

    “In a desperate attempt to create a semblance of movement out of the clearly motionless and stoic state of affairs of this government, they have reeled out bans and complete clampdown on free trade. One begins to wonder therefore whether we are not heading back to the era of import duty licenses and regulation of commodity prices”.