Tag: Onjeh

Former candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has reiterated Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia is the undisputed leader of the APC in the State. 

He was reacting to attempts by the party’s suspended chairman, Mr. Augustine Agada, to convene a State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting without the Governor’s knowledge or approval.

Onjeh emphasised that Governor Alia’s position as the Chief Security Officer and APC leader in the state cannot be undermined by any individual, group or insidious vested interest. 

He urged the Benue State Government to meet any attempt to do so with stern resistance and dire consequences.

“The governor has made it clear that he will not tolerate any unauthorised or illegal gathering that could disrupt the peace of the state,” Onjeh stated. 

“As the leader of the APC in Benue State, Governor Alia’s approval is required for any meeting or gathering. Anything less should never be accepted and should be dealt with accordingly,” he said. 

Onjeh, a former Chairman of the Governing Board of PRODA Enugu, advised the organisers of the meeting, whom the approaching LGA elections have reawakened from their political comatose, to come to terms with reality and work with the progressives in the State to deliver good governance and dividends of democracy to the people of Benue. 

Read Also: Onjeh commends Alia’s appointment of new BSIEC chairman

He warned that if they failed to do so, the Alia administration would be justified to take any measure under the ambit of the law to stop them, including arrest and prosecution for trespass, breach of peace, and attempt to plunge the state into crisis.

He further stated that Governors are the leaders of their parties in their states and this is the practice in every state in the federation. Benue State should not be an exception. 

“Governor Alia should use the full arm of the law and the might of the security agencies to foil any attempt to foment trouble and plunge the state into crisis,” Onjeh emphasised. 

“No one (no matter his or her status) is above the law, and anyone who tries to undermine the governor’s authority should be dealt with accordingly,” he argued. 

Onjeh called on the suspended chairman and his backers to desist from their actions and work towards the progress and development of the state. He reiterated that  Governor Alia is the leader of the APC in Benue State and should not be undermined by any individual or group.

Onjeh commended Governor Alia for turning Benue State around within the short time he has been at the helm of its affairs. 

He encouraged him to remain focused. “Actions such as this attempted illegal gathering,” he stated, “are mere ploys to distract him from the excellent work he is doing for the people of Benue State.” 

Onjeh also urged all APC stakeholders in the state to shun the illegal meeting the suspended chairman of the party is attempting to convene. 

“By so doing,” he said, “you will not have a hand in plunging our dear state into crisis.” 

He implored all citizens of Benue State to be steadfast in their support of the Alia administration as the Governor has only their best interest at heart. 

Former senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has commended Supreme Court  for the courage in delivering a landmark judgement that affirms the full autonomy of local governments in Nigeria. 

The seven-man panel of the apex Court led by Justice Emmanuel Agim on Thursday granted local governments full financia autonomy. 

The Supreme Court declared that it was unconstitutional for Governors to hold onto funds meant for local government (LG) administrations. 

The court also directed that local government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth and not to State Governments’ coffers. 

This judgment grants financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country, allowing them to manage their funds themselves. 

The court also barred Governors from dissolving democratically elected local government councils, stating that doing so would breach the 1999 Constitution. 

This landmark judgment comes after months of calls for local government autonomy supported by President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government, which sued the 36 Governors over alleged misconduct of local government funds.

In a statement on Thursday, Onjeh, a foremost advocate of local government autonomy, considers LG autonomy and State Police as the two items that would, to a large extent, resolve most of Nigeria’s developmental challenges. 

The former Chairman of the Governing Board of PRODA, Enugu, said: “Anyone who opposes this ruling is an enemy of Nigeria.” He asserted that the ruling would cement local government autonomy, release much-needed funds to them to tackle insecurity and cater to their social responsibilities. 

“The funds released to local governments will allow them to sufficiently handle security logistics at the local level and involve chiefs and other community leaders in securing communities across the country.”

This, Onjeh noted, would reduce insecurity, especially in rural areas, thereby providing an environment in which business and other economic activities such as farming will flourish and lead to the reduction of poverty nationwide and the growth of the nation’s economy. 

Read Also: Onjeh canvasses patriotism on Democracy Day

He further noted that hitherto, most of the federal allocations meant for local governments ended up being siphoned, leaving little for developmental projects. 

“But with full control of their finances,” he noted “local governments can now apply these resources to better the lot of the people at the grassroots.”

Onjeh urged the leaders who would be at the helm of affairs of local governments going forward, to judiciously use the resources that would be allocated to their councils, investing them in projects that would improve lives such as functional primarily healthcare centres, schools, scholarships to indigent students, provision of agricultural inputs, loans to small businesses, clean water supply, rural electrification etc. 

“With this landmark judgement, the panel of Supreme Court judges Led by His Lordship Justice Agim have imprinted their feets on the sand of time. Nigerians look forward to the Supreme Court delivering more pro-people judgements that will address the niggling problems of the society,” Onjeh stated. 

He commended President Tinubu for taking the bull by the horns and doggedly fighting to grant autonomy to local governments. He urged local governments to vindicate the President’s belief that if they have control over their funds, more Nigerians will feel the impact of democracy and reap its bountiful dividends. 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Daniel Onjeh has expressed felicitations with Nigerians on 2024 Democracy Day. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Onjeh enjoined all citizens, especially the political class, to observe a sober reflection on our journey thus far to nationhood and democracy with the view to renewing commitment to the entrenchment of democracy and good governance in Nigeria. 

Affirming that democracy remains the best system of government for a pluralistic society like Nigeria,

The former Chairman, Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA) Enugu,  applauded the efforts of the founding fathers of democracy and other key players in the political space. 

Onjeh particularly commended the sterling efforts and sacrifices of those he termed, “the heroes of modern democracy in Nigeria”, by which he referred to those who played active positive roles in the political polity since the start of the fourth republic in 1999. 

“Only recently, Nigeria celebrated 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the longest in the chequered history of the nation. For this feat, we must always remember and commend the strident efforts of the heroes of modern democracy in Nigeria, whose unflinching commitment to nationhood reinforced the foundation and bolstered the pillars of our nation’s democracy, signposting the end of political instability in Nigeria characterized by military incursions. 

“From the long list of heroes, I take the honour of mentioning Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Alex Ekwueme, Alh. Abubakar Rimi, Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, Prof. Woke Soyinka, late Chief Bola Ige, Col. Abubakar  Dangiwa Umar (rtd), Alh. Dr. Balarabe Musa, Comrade Shehu Sani, Chief Frank Kokori, and of course not forgetting our current President and Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“There’s no denying that Nigeria is yet to attain its full potential. Amid our abundant human and natural resources, we are still bedeviled with enormous economic, political and social challenges. 

“But in spite of our numerous challenges, we have remained a united, strong and vibrant nation, poised for a much greater future. We are not yet where we hoped to be, but we must celebrate the journey so far; even as we brace up for the long, arduous road ahead. Nation building is not a specific task with fixed timelines and a terminal point; rather, it is a complex lifelong obligation requiring the absolute loyalty, patriotism and commitment of all citizens,” Onjeh stated. 

Onjeh, who was the APC senatorial candidate for Benue South, further commended President Tinubu for re-introducing the old national anthem, noting that its letters and spirit captures the true essence of our coexistence as a nation. 

Onjeh added that if all Nigerians took the time to critically listen to the salient message of the re-introduced national anthem, they will better appreciate the fact that it was well envisioned to be a binding force for Nigeria and Nigerians. 

Although admitting the reintroduced national anthem is not an immediate solution to the myriad socio-economic and political woes bedeviling Nigeria, Onjeh expressed the view that reciting the national anthem was capable of giving all Nigerians a sense of reassurance, while equally strengthening our confidence as a people that we will surmount all our challenges someday and arrive at the promised land. He added that all the nations of the world advance only through the patriotic disposition of their citizens. 

“Those who captured Nigeria’s old national anthem took into cognizance that any multi-religious, multi-tribal and multi-ethnic entity like ours is prone to various civil upheavals which may threaten the unity of the nation and claim several human lives. But because they cherished our heterogeneity, they made an honest and patriotic prayer for the future of the country bearing in mind that our tribes and tongues actually do differ.

“The second stanza of the re-introduced national anthem makes a bold statement to the world that our national flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reigns, in order to hand unto our children a banner without stain.  Unfortunately, as it stands, the banner that we are handing over to the future generations of Nigerians is highly tainted with the tears and blood of the many victims of societal injustice,” stated Onjeh. 

The former fiery student activist and past President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the West Africa Students’ Union (WASU), stated that as someone who had long been in the forefront of the vanguard against oppression and victimization in the country, he is particularly touched by the wordings of the third stanza of the re-introduced national anthem, which offered a solemn prayer to God to help us build a nation where no man is oppressed. Onjeh opined that on the contrary, the majority of Nigerians, especially the teeming masses, are today being perpetually oppressed, suppressed and enslaved by the ruling class. 

Read Also: Onjeh commends FG’s renewed drive for council autonomy

While urging all Nigerians to enthusiastically play their roles in nation building; Onjeh highlighted patriotism, hard work, honesty, diligence and sacrifice for a good cause as some of the few ways in which citizens can contribute their quotas to nation building. 

“I further wish to use this medium to urge all Nigerians to continue to keep faith with the nation’s political process. We must not be hoodwinked by the antics of all the individuals and organizations that constituted themselves into clogs in the wheels of our democratic process but unfortunately turned out to reap the most benefit from the same system; especially those that participated actively in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, popularly adjudged to be the freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria, and undeniably won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, arguably the greatest martyr of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. It’s against this backdrop that we must acknowledge former President Muhammadu Buhari, for recognizing June 12 as our national democracy day. 

“Nigerians must not lose sight of these individuals and organizations, as we must continue to shut them and their cronies out of our political system until the system is strictly dominated by progressives. We know that there are still vestiges of these inglorious antidemocratic cabals littering our political space, and they are still the ones posing major setbacks to the healthy growth and development of our democracy, as well as our national progress,” he said. 

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Comrade Daniel Onjeh has expressed firm support for the renewed drive of the Federal Government under  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for full financial and administrative autonomy for the 774 local governments. 

 Onjeh, who has long been an advocate of local government autonomy, stated that it was the surest way for development to permeate to the grassroots. 

The former Benue South senatorial candidate made this known in a statement on Monday in reaction to the lawsuit instituted last week by the Federal Government  against the 36 Governors at the Supreme Court. 

The former Chairman Governing Board of PRODA, Enugu, further stated local government autonomy has been on the front burner of national discourse for quite some time, stating any government that achieves it will endear itself permanently to the people. 

He argued LG autonomy will enable the citizens at the grassroots to take full ownership of the governance of their respective communities. 

While commending the Ninth Senate for its assiduous efforts in passing the LG Autonomy Bill, Onjeh stated that the bill was scuttled by Governors in the last administration by their deliberate refusal to mobilise at least two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly to ascent to the bill in line with the requirements of the constitution. 

The former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) urged Nigerians to rise up this time around and take the advocacy for LG autonomy to a new pedestal. 

“At this stage, we must tell ourselves the truth, regardless of political party affiliation. The challenge of Nigeria’s development lies hugely in the dysfunctional and inefficient local government administration. If we can achieve full local government autonomy, then we are fully on course to resolving all Nigeria’s development quagmires,” stated Onjeh. 

Read Also: Onjeh congratulates reinstated Kano Emir Sanusi

Describing the Joint State/LG Accounts as a complete aberration and alien to Nigeria’s constitution, Onjeh noted that the challenge of wanton corruption, diversion and misappropriation of local government funds by some state governors will be squarely addressed through the grant of full autonomy to the local governments. 

“The constitution of Nigeria recognizes the Federal, State and Local Government as the three tiers of government, which should individually draw funds for their operations directly from the Federation Account. The establishment of Joint State/Local Government Accounts is unconstitutional and must be promptly confined to the trash bin of history, if the local government must access the requisite funding to carryout any meaningful development. 

“The creation of Joint State/Local Government Accounts has become a huge conduit pipe for many corrupt and selfish state governors to pauperize the local governments under them, and turn the local government Chairpersons to errand boys and girls who must dance to every tune of the governor in order to access meager funds for grassroots development,” he argued.