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  • Ogun lawmaker denies news of decamping to PDP

    Ogun lawmaker denies news of decamping to PDP

    Mr Olusola Odofin-Sonuga, a member of Ogun House of Assembly, on Tuesday denied the news that he had left All Progressives Congress ( APC ) for Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ).

    Odofin-Sonuga, representing Ikenne Constituency, said in Abeokuta that he had no issues with his party, APC.

    He said he had no reasons to dump APC for another party.

    The social media was awash with reports that the lawmaker had dumped APC ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    “My attention has been drawn to the fake news going round the public that I have decamped to the PDP.

    “That is not true and it is important to address the issue immediately.

    Read also: No plan to dump PDP for APGA – Oduah

    “Last week Tuesday, I visited Ladi Adebutu, House of Representatives member under the platform of the PDP, in his house in Iperu Remo, Ogun State.

    “I paid him a visit to commiserate with him over the unfortunate fire incident that gutted a building in his house.

    “But to my surprise, I received news from social media that I had decamped and there were several calls to confirm if I had decamped to the PDP.

    “I want to state categorically that I was not the only prominent APC member that visited Adebutu that day to commiserate with him.

    “Moreover, I don’t think visiting a senior colleague and a good friend has anything to do with me decamping from my party to the PDP.

    “I, Olusola Odofin-Sonuga, hereby publicly declare that I have not decamped to the PDP and any news of such should be ignored,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker urged his supporters not to be distracted, saying that the current government at the state and national levels meant well for citizens.

    NAN

  • Who becomes PDP presidential candidate?

    Who becomes PDP presidential candidate?

    Eight heavyweight politicans are struggling for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Demoractic Party (PDP). They are Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose. More aspiratns may still join the race. Deputy News Editor Bunmi OGUNMODEDE examines the contestants.

    Who becomes the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s election?

    The major preoccupation of the PDP is to secure the country.  Hence, the need to appraise the qualities and character of the major individuals that have so far expressed interest in the presidency on the platform of the party.

     

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

    Atiku is a household name as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. He has been in the political arena of the country since he retired from the Nigerian Custom Service. He contested the 1993 presidential primaries under the banner of Social Democratic Party before he was prevailed upon to step down for Chief MKO Abiola. Atiku is so deft in political engineering and calculations.

    Atiku contested and won the governorship of his home state, Adamawa before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo chose him as his running mate in the 1999 president election. He eventually won election alongside Obasanjo as Nigerian Vice President. But his two terms of office were dogged with allegations of corruption and backstabbing of his boss. The relationship between Atiku and former president Obasanjo became very frosty at the time the duo were in charge of Nigerian presidency. Their relationship even grew so sour to a level that the two of them were highly suspicious of each other. Although, credit must be given to Atiku for demonstrating the capacities to create wealth and jobs for Nigerians.

    Atiku has contested for president on four different occasions. His age is also a minus to his aspiration. He would have turned 72 years of age by 2019 if he wins the election. Virtually all Nigerian youths are circumspect of having another septuagenarian as their president in view of the health challenges of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. Aside the factors of old age, he would have been good presidential material for the PDP.

     

    Alhaji Sule Lamido

    Alhaji Sule Lamido can be regarded as an old timer in Nigerian politics. He entered politics as a member of the left-of-center People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the Nigerian Second Republic. He had gone ahead to become  the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the Nigerian third republic. Lamido was severely criticized for his handling of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, who was prevented from taking office and eventually died in custody while pushing to reclaim his mandate.

    Lamido was appointed as the Foreign Affairs Minister by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, having contested and narrowly lost Jigawa State governorship election. He later recontested and won. Lamido served two terms as a governor and did his best to transform and reposition Jigawa state. He deserves credits as a loyal and consistent party man. He stayed firmly loyal to the PDP even in the face of crisis when five governors of the party decamped to the then opposition APC.

    Lamido has always expressed his desire to rule Nigeria and he is undoubtedly qualified for the exalted office of president. However, his age and cases of corruption against him in courts would serve as major impediments to his aspiration. Lamido will soon attain 70 years of age and would have become 71, if he wins election as president.

     

    Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi

    Ahmed Makarfi was a two term governor of Kaduna state from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was subsequently elected a senator for Kaduna North in April 2007. He ran for reelection on the PDP platform and was reelected in 2011 as senator. Makarfi had earlier served in the Executive Council of Kaduna State as Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning.

    Makarfi had a career with the defunct Nigeria Universal Bank, where he rose to the rank of Assistant General Manager.

    He had also earlier worked as a part-time Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, Ahmadu Bello University from 1987-1993.

    Makarfi is a  trained accountant and he is educated to the level of Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance. He had also served as a member of the Board of Trustee and the Director of Finance and Administration at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja.

    He is the immediate past caretaker Chairman of the PDP, having being appointed at the Port Harcourt Convention. One of the major political achievements of Ahmed Makarfi was the successfully conducted elective national convention of the PDP that produced Prince Uche Secondus as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

    Makarfi is 61 years of age and he has no corruption case against him.

     

    Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo

    Ibrahim Dankwambo is the incumbent executive governor of Gombe state and he is now serving his second term in office. He contested in 2011 and won with a landslide victory; a feat Dankwambo repeated when he recontested as governor in 2015. He was the Accountant General of the Federation during the administration of  Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. He held the position from 2005 to 2011 when  he resigned to  contest election as Gombe state governor. Dakwambo had also served as the Accountant General of Gombe state.

    Dankwambo has had illustrious professional career with Coopers and Lybrand, now PriceWaterHouseCoopers as a Chartered Accountant from 1985 to 1988 before moving over to the Central Bank of Nigeria where he worked from 1988 to 1999.

    He is a graduate of Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University. Dankwambo has also obtained a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Lagos in 1992 and a PhD in Accounting from Igbinedion University . He is equally a Post graduate Diploma holder of Computer Science obtained from the Delta State University Abraka, Delta State. He belongs to seven professional  bodies having written and passed their qualifying examinations.

    Dankwambo is reputed to have made his mark while serving as the Accountant-General of the Federation. To his credit are several innovative achievements that he recorded while serving as the Accountant General of the Federation. He has also been described as the best thing to have happened to Gombe state since its creation in 1996. Little wonder he was recently adjudged the Best Northern Governor in view his landmark achievements in Gombe state.

    Dankwambo has simply transformed Gombe state far beyond the expectations of his people. He has turned around the fortune of Gombe state through his numerous verifiable achievements and giant strides. He has initiated and completed whole lots of projects inspite of lean resources of Gombe state. Ibrahim Dakwambo has taken full advantages of his uncommon brilliance and wealth of economic management to achieve much results with the little resources available to Gombe state.

    The achievements of Dakwambo has cut across all sectors of Gombe state. Gombe is one of the few states in Nigeria that has paid its workforce up to date and as at when due. Dakwambo has simply rebuilt Gombe, the capital city of Gombe state and all major towns of the state. He has revolutionized agriculture, health and education in Gombe state. He has built several higher educational institutions in the state and has likewise rebuilt and equipped all state owned hospitals in the state.

    Dankwambo has so far devoted serious attention and deployed huge resources to security of lives and properties, provision of water, housing, rural development and welfare of Gombe state civil servants. Provision of state of the art communication equipments, sports development, attainment of millinium development goals, beautification and lightening of Gombe state and provision of foreign technical assistance have been the major concern of Dakwambo. Gombe state now boast of one of the best road networks in the country and unarguably the best International Conference Center in Nigeria.

    A major advantage of Dankwambo is the fact that he is a relatively young man. He is only 55 years of age; which makes him the youngest amongst the contestants. Another factor is the fact that he does not have any allegation or charges of corruption against him. These are coupled with the facts that he is super brilliant scholar, a goal getter, a flexibly dynamic individual and a proven innovative achiever who can turn around the bad economy of Nigeria.

    Candidacy of Ibrahim Dakwambo will readily enjoy huge acceptance and support from millions of Nigerians who are daily yearning for a breath of fresh air and better governance.

     

  • ‘PDP created more poverty, unemployment in Ekiti’

    ‘PDP created more poverty, unemployment in Ekiti’

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Kola Alabi, has said the high rate of unemployment in the state is “unfortunate and unacceptable”.

    He promised to create jobs for the teeming youths with investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), solid minerals and agriculture, if elected APC candidate in its primary and governor in this year’s election.

    The APC chieftain said his Nine-Point Agenda was carefully put together to get Ekiti out of the woods and improve the people’s standard of living.

    He identified the components of the agenda as Education, Health, Job Creation, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development, Land Reforms, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Transparency in Governance.

    According to him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration created more poverty and threw many people into the labour market through its “harsh and anti-people policies”.

    Alabi spoke on Sunday evening at his home in Ikere-Ekiti while hosting his supporters from the 16 local government areas at a New Year get-together.

    The ICT entrepreneur said he would create a structure for job bureaux in every local government area to link job seekers with job opportunities.

    He promised to leverage ICT as an enabler for jobs and incentives for investors to develop a Technology City in Ekiti State.

    Alabi also pledged to offer tax incentives/refunds to organisations that create at least 100 new jobs every year.

    The APC chieftrain pledged to launch a Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme in partnership with commercial lenders to improve access to finance for SMEs.

    He expressed confidence in winning the APC ticket at the April primary and the July 14 governorship election to provide quality leadership.

     

  • Nigerian army has succeeded in keeping the country united – Secondus

    Nigerian army has succeeded in keeping the country united – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) Prince Uche Secondus has said that the nation’s armed forces have succeeded in keeping the country united.

    Prince Secondus said in a statement today, Sunday, to mark the armed forces Remembrance Day, emphasised that Nigeria is standing as one country today due largely to the contributions of the armed forces to keep it United.

    The PDP boss noted the gallantry of Nigeria troops in containing the Boko Haram insurgency and the supreme sacrifice paid by federal troops and urged them to remain focused to the cause of a United Nigeria.

    “You must remain committed to your profession and to the development of the country’s armed forces in particular and the country in general,” Secondus advised the rest of the citizens, especially political leaders to appreciate the huge contributions of the soldiers and those who paid the supreme sacrifice by being more patriotic and accommodating.

    The PDP leader called on the security agencies to be more civil in carrying out their obligations and know that their responsibility is to the country and its citizens and not to only government in power.

  • Remembrance Day: PDP salutes Nigeria fallen heroes

    Remembrance Day: PDP salutes Nigeria fallen heroes

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has commended the Nigeria Armed forced and the sacrifices of the fallen heroes.

    Secondus made the commendation in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, to mark the 2018 armed forces Remembrance Day.

    He said Nigeria was standing as one country today due largely to the contributions of the armed forces to keep it united.

    He also commended the gallantry of Nigeria troops in containing the Boko Haram insurgency and the supreme sacrifice paid by federal troops.

    He urged them to remain focused to the cause of a united Nigeria.

    “You must remain committed to your profession and to the development of the country’s armed forces in particular and the country in general,” Secondus said.

    He also called on the security agencies to be more civil in carrying out their obligations and know that their responsibility was to the country and its citizens and “not to only government in power.”

    The PDP national chairman also admonished the rest of the citizens, especially political leaders to appreciate the huge contributions of soldiers, especially those who paid the supreme sacrifice by being more patriotic and accommodating.

    Secondus advised leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to eschew hate and “bigotry” in their utterances.

    Similarly, the PDP advised President Mohammadu Buhari to pay condolence visit on the people of Benue State to condole with victims of the “horrific killing of defenseless Nigerians by marauders.”

    NAN

  • Why I can never return to PDP—Ondo senator Omogunwa

    Why I can never return to PDP—Ondo senator Omogunwa

    Senator Yele Omogunwa is the lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District of Ondo State in the 8th Senate. In this interview with INNOCENT DURU, he speaks  about how he ventured into politics after being a  classroom teacher for over a decade and why he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), among other issues.  Excerpts:

    What was your experience like as a teacher for over a decade and why did you quit the classroom for politics?

    I was doing so well in my carrier as a teacher when I made a foray into politics. I was the vice principal of the largest secondary school in my area. Politics at that time was not all about money as it is glaringly being associated these days. The story was that in the whole of my area, we only had  four men calling the shots there. And I felt I could help, so I approached one of them, and demanded that they should invite some of us young and viable men into politics, such that we can be giving them a helping hand, by handling some assignments, but the answer I got shocked me. He bluntly told me that you don’t invite people into politics, whoever is interested comes to play. After a while, I was appointed the secretary to my local government. Thereafter, I became the chairman of that very local government.

    For me, politics has never been for money. If it were to be, I would have made some big money, as I was appointed the Commissioner for Works, when Dr Olusegun Mimiko was Commissioner for Health in the regime of Chief Adebayo Adefarati. I later became Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Information and again Commissioner for Works in the first term of Governor Mimiko. As commissioner for education, I could have made some fairly good money, if that was my priority, mostly as commissioner for works, I could have enriched my pocket if that was my focus. My major concern ever, has been the wellbeing of my people. My lifestyle attests to this.

    It is on record that you and  former governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko were good friends. What went wrong that made you desert your friend and the party on which platform you became a senator?

    I still believe we are friends but there is no permanent enmity or friendship in politics.

    We became friends on the phase of politics. In fact, we were on the same cabinet of the late Chief Adefarati, the then governor of Ondo State in 1999.

    He was the Commissioner for Health and I was the Commissioner for Works.

    He told me of his ambition to become governor, so we had an arrangement and I agreed and was following him and working with him.  Eventually he became governor by virtue of his popularity, hard work, acceptability by the people of the  state and divine order.

    I eventually became the Commissioner of Works. But that story is for another day. He is a friend.

    This is not my first time of aspiring to be in the Senate. I was supposed to be in the 7th Senate, but that was not God’s plan for me and now I am in the 8th Senate.

    I went on spending the little money I had when I wanted to get the ticket to be in the 7thSenate, and as a friend,  Mimiko would ask me how my campaign was faring, without me knowing that he had a hidden agenda. He was supporting another candidate as against my own agreed candidature and, he kept deceiving me. I was annoyed and resigned from his cabinet and his party.

    In the long run, he came begging me and brought a delegation. We went to a neutral place and settled our differences. Again, I agreed and supported his ambition for a second term. He won, and that was the end of that.

    While he did not do well in supporting my candidacy for the 7th Senate, he did well in supporting my ambition for the 8th Senate. As a matter of fact, he paid the N4.5 million nomination form on my behalf because he knew I did not have the means to do that.

    How do you see APC in Ondo State and how does it feel having Rotimi Akerdolu  as the governor?

    I did not know Rotimi Akerdolu much when I decided to support him. By my calling, I am a minister in my church.  There is a way God reveal things to me. I knew Akeredolu would win the primary elections despite the chaos that occurred. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is doing his best and he is working to leave a legacy.  This is evident in his attempt to ensure youth empowerment through the bitumen factory work in my district of Ondo State. It is a lifelong investment for the entire people.  The contract for the road leading directly from Ayetoro (in the riverine area of Ondo State) to Lagos has been signed and we all know the advantages that  this direct link to Lagos State would have once the road is done. Some of the projects that he met before he came into office are still on going, like Oba Ile Airport Road.

    Are you saying that you stand with Akeredolu?

    Who is the leader of the party anywhere in the world? Is President Muhammadu Buhari not the leader of the APC in Nigeria? Or Governor Ambode in Lagos, although we have the national leader. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is the leader of APC in Ondo State.  Do you leave the leader and follow the follower? How many people would I follow? I have told you repeatedly that I came to work for the governor and that is who I follow.

    How would you describe the leadership style of the Senate President,  Dr Bukola Saraki?

    The  name Saraki is legendary in the Nigerian politics. He hardly smiles but his heart is pure. He is highly cerebral. He is able to run the affairs with no commotion and no disagreement of unmanageable dimension, I give it to him.  He is consistent. My love for him was when he stood and introduced all the senators in Nigeria to President Buhari, he would mention your name and your constituency. He does this for the whole 109 senators off hand.  I was marvelled, and I think is remarkable.

    What  are your achievements in the Senate so far?

    The totality of the achievements of the Senate is the totality of the achievement of the Senate President and is equally the totality of the achievement of every senator.

    The viability of a senator is not only in bill presentation, and neither is it by visibility only. Yet, one of my bills has just gone through the first reading and very soon would be going through the second reading. The bill is about the coastal security and coastal region of Nigeria. It has been slated and mentioned for the first time.

    What would you say are your contributions to your senatorial district?

    I might  not have been able to put money into the pockets of every one in my senatorial district, enrol all the children in schools, help all the widows , meet up on all the numerous requests of the people of my senatorial district, but in my own moderate way, I have made impacts in all these areas.

    Among all the senators in Ondo State, I was the first to carry out empowerment programme. The first empowerment was in less than eight months of my membership of the Senate. I gave over 200 motorcycles, over 60 sewing machines, 80 dryers and so many other items. I have also constructed quite a number of drainages in Irele and Okitipupa Local Government Area. The records are there.

    When I gave the second empowerment, the present governor, Akeredolu, was present. I gave mattresses to different hospitals, I brought trucks of cement and distributed them to some dilapidated schools in my senatorial district for their repairs. I gave out ankara and N30,000 to each of the registered widows in my district.

    I am giving another empowerment currently. However, I am doing this so quietly this time around, because the first time I did empowerment programme, about 70 motors cycles was stolen.

    I recently took a loan of N43,000,000.00 to buy a grader. The grader is fully deployed to regular work in the entire district right now. The operational engagement of the grader is such that the community or farm road where the services of the grading machine is needed would place request at my constituency office nearest to them, for their request to be scheduled on the graders time table. So far, the grader has worked in Irele, Odigbo, Ile Oluji and Okegbo. I am solely responsible for the maintenance, fuelling, operators’ and two operator assistants’ salaries. On January 7th, 2018, it moves to Odigbo. Thereafter, it will move to Odeaye to grade their roads, all for free. The graders request list has ever been increasing. So far, this is my little way of giving back to my people.

    You were reported in 2017 to have said that corruption should be legalized and liberalized by the Senate. What informed that statement?

    It was during the budget review of last year when we were debating and I raised the point of not being briefed of how far the budget of 2016 had been executed before bringing in the budget of 2017, and if you may recollect,  the 2016 budget was delayed, which made its success level doubtful. And then, there is the accusation and counter accusation that everyone was corrupt. The executive, the legislature and even the judiciary were all being accused of corruption. The EFCC was arresting and detaining quite a number of dignitaries in and out of government and would charge some of them to court. Their activities seem superficial, what they seem to be doing is recovery and not checking corruption.

    It was in the light of this ceaseless corruption accusation in the country, with no plausible scheme or technology deployed into the Nigeria system to curtail corruption that I made that ironical statement, that we should either cure our system of corruption genuinely or legalize this hydra headed monster called corruption.

    When you defected to the APC, all your PDP colleagues in the Senate walked out. Was it because they felt you betrayed them?

    No! They could not have said that I betrayed them. I left majorly for three reasons: Failure of Dr Olusegun Mimiko to respect and follow the zoning fomular. Secondly, I was the only PDP Senator from Ondo State; even in the Senate, I was a lone ranger. Remember, at the influence of Dr Olusegun Mimiko, we decamped newly from our original Labour Party to PDP. So, I did not know them in the PDP. It’s only now that I am getting to know them at the Senate. My third reason was that President Muhamadu Buhari is in the APC and  the Senate President Dr Olusola Saraki is also  in the APC and I saw some acceptable qualities in them. The Senate President has a very large followership and acceptability across board in the Senate. Therefore, on this basis, I wrote to the Senate telling them I would like to move to APC because I wanted to support a candidate from another district in the person of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for the governorship seat, and this decision was before the APC primary in Ondo State. The active part I wanted to play in Akeredolu’s emergence as candidate of APC and subsequently the governor of the state goaded me to join APC. All these was in my declaration paper. Thereafter, the PDP Senate leadership claimed that their protest was triggered by my stated reasons for decamping to the APC, that it would have been considerable, if my reason was based majorly on the crisis within the party, rather than for the reason of a preferred governorship candidate in another party, but I was just being frank and sincere to myself.

    Is the PDP currently talking  to you to come back?

    Only one person in the person of Mimiko can talk to me about PDP but I have made up my mind on remaining in APC. As I said before, I am too old to be jumping around.

    What is your advice or what role can you play based on your experience in politics to ensure the success of the party in 2019?

    I will tell you the result of what would happen in 2019 elections and I have my reason for saying that but for now, I want to assure you that if any prophet or prophetess tells you that the APC would not win, tell him or her to forget it. My leader in the Senate is Olusola Saraki and I know he remains in the party. The Chairman House Committee on National Planning, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, is in  APC. The big names in politics in Nigeria areall in APC. If you read the papers, a lot of people are decamping to the APC. I am hopeful that the party would remain in power in 2019. What problem does APC have that the other parties do not have? Leadership matters? Then, President Buhari should carry all the leaders along, including the national leaders. I am not saying that he is not carrying them along. He should draw closely to the National Assembly, endorse their constituency projects; if he does all these, then it is a forgone issue.

     

  • PDP backs teachers’ strike in Kaduna

    PDP backs teachers’ strike in Kaduna

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday said it was in support of the current indefinite strike by public school teachers in Kaduna State.

    The State Chairman of PDP, Mr Felix Hyat made the declaration in a statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Abraham Catoh in Kaduna.

    He faulted the state government on its threat to sack teachers that joined the strike, stressing that strike was “a legal means for all civil servants to seek redress on the injustice presently meted out on them.’’

    According to the PDP chairman, the sack of the teachers was callous, insensitive and meant to increase the level of unemployment and poverty in the state.

    “The incessant sack of civil servants in the state, if allowed to continue unabated, would definitely lead to high rate of crime, social vices and would dampen the morale of civil servants in the state,” Hyat added.

    The PDP chairman also faulted the provision of N1 billion in the state 2018 budget to construct new legislative quarters after selling the ones on ground by the government.

    “We condemned this act in its entirety, for it is another ploy to fleece the resources of the people of our state of their collective commonwealth.’’

    Hyat also accused the state government of undertaking “fictitious projects and consultancy contracts’’ with no bearing or direct impact on the masses.

    Read Also:2019: PDP begins search for presidential flag bearer

    On security, the state PDP chairman said Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i has demonstrated “ineptitude and lack of capacity to curb the insecurity challenge bedevilling the state.’’

    According to the chairman, the PDP would “reinstate all unjustly sacked civil servants’’ if elected in 2019.

    He advised the electorate to use their permanent voter card to vote out the APC government in the state in 2019.

    Reacting to the statement, the State APC Director, Media and Publicity, Mr Manasseh Istifanus said the party would not exchange words with the PDP.

    He however said the sack of teachers and other civil servants was part of ongoing reforms in the civil service.

    According to him, the state government would replace the over 21,000 teachers sacked with 25, 000 qualified ones that would add value to the education sector.

    On the N1 billion budgeted for the building of legislative quarters by the government, Istifanus dismissed the claim as mere “concoction’’ by the PDP.

    He stressed that the government had considered so many factors in arriving at the number of civil servants being disengaged, so as to rejuvenate and inject vibrancy in the state civil service.

    NAN

  • Mega rally showed APC is insensitive to Nigerians’ plight – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for organizing a mega rally in Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday, saying the development showed that the ruling party is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja that the APC was in Umuahia to spit on the faces of suffering Nigerians and the graves of those that had died due to “hardship caused by its misgovernment.”

    The party said: “Nigerians were disheartened to see leaders of the ruling party dancing away and making vain speeches at a time when millions are still traumatized over killings in Benue and other parts of the country, while many more are groaning under the pains of economic hardship worsened by the unabating fuel crisis in the country.

    “If the APC had an iota of regard for Nigerians, it would, at this moment, be brainstorming on the many woes it has caused the nation and how to shore up the economy ruined by its tactless government.

    “The Umuahia rally has also shown that the APC leaders are not in any way interested in the welfare of Nigerians but in their selfish, political and pecuniary interests.

    “This even manifested in their empty speeches wherein they could not present the people with any achievement or plans for future development.

    “Perhaps the APC would have learnt a lesson from the scanty turnout of Nigerians at the mega rally.”

     

  • APC kicks as PDP sweeps council poll in Delta

    APC kicks as PDP sweeps council poll in Delta

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State yesterday won in 23 local governments in the council elections.

    The Chairman, Delta Independent Election Commission (DSIEC), Mike Ogbodu, who declared the results in Asaba, said elections were postponed in Ughelli North and Ethiope East local governments.

    He said elections in these councils will be conducted  tomorrow.

    Ogbodu said 55 chairmanship candidates contested the poll, adding that PDP won 425 councillorship seats.

    He said All Progressives Congress (APC) won one councillorship seat in Ward 2 in Aniocha North Local Government.

    The chairman said 59 PDP councillors were returned unopposed.

    He said elections did not hold at Otor-Owhe community in Isoko North, Ozoro following an injunction by a Delta State High Court.

    APC condemned the election and called for cancellation.

    It urged the electoral body to conduct another poll that will be transparent and peaceful.

    The party Chairman, Mr. Jones Erue, in a statement alleged that sensitive election materials were not delivered as expected in most of the polling units where the elections were supposed to hold.

    He alleged that where the materials were delivered, they did not arrive in time, as most were hijacked and re-directed, adding that result sheets did not accompany the materials in most of the councils.

    Erue alleged that in places where result sheets were produced, they were in contrast with the samples presented to party officials during DSIEC training exercise.

    He said returning officers were not at polling units to conduct the elections or announce the result.

    According to him, “a DSIEC returning officer at Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government was arrested at a hotel annex in Ozoro facilitating illegal thumb-printing of votes. He was handed over to the police at Ozoro.”

    Erue said violence marred the elections in local governments and wards.

    “In fact, we learnt that DSIEC office at Ughelli was torched, while election materials were not issued.”

    His words: “We are not shocked by the outcome of the election because we had issued out a note of caution previously, warning about the potential for connivance between DSIEC and PDP officials or agents.

    “Our party was prepared for peaceful elections. Unfortunately, the people were let down, but more importantly, DSIEC demonstrated to the world that it is not yet able to deliver such an onerous responsibility for conducting peaceful elections. We recall that PDP had been boastful that APC was not on ground. However, this election has proved that to be false. The bastardisation of this election that ought to be peaceful shows PDP is a dying party, and that they were amazed by the level of preparedness, organisation and mobilisation APC mustered across the state. There is no doubt that PDP is experiencing a backlash from the masses, given the overall poor performance by its council officials and the state government that oversees the councils.

    “In all of this, we are most saddened that during the process of this election, at least three of our members were shot in Ughelli South Local Government, and not fewer than a dozen others were attacked with machetes and injured by PDP thugs, just as vehicles were damaged. We wish these gallant ones a quick recovery, just as we extend our deepest appreciation to them for standing up for what is right and just. We stand with them in their pains.

    “It is disheartening that the people have been robbed once again of their constitutional and inalienable right to freely pick leaders of their choice. This is a crime against the people, and the day is nearer when PDP will have no choice but to beckon to the voices of the people who are tired of the poverty PDP has inflicted on them over the years.”

  • Why APC, PDP cannot fix economy

    The Nigeria of today is certainly not the Nigeria of 1960. Nigeria in 1960, had 15,703 primary schools with 2,912618 enrolled; 883 secondary schools with 135,364 enrolled; 29 vocational/technical educational institutions with 5037 enrolled; 315 teachers’ training with 27,908 enrolled; and three colleges of technology, one University College. In the 1997/98 academic year, Nigeria had 39,377 primary schools with 23,809000 enrolled; 6000 secondary schools with 6,05600 enrolled; 58 colleges of education, 45 polytechnics, 122 technical school and 40 universities with 983, 000 enrolled. Nigeria now has over 150 universities (NUC, 2017) and produces over 300,000 graduates in the year. So, the Nigerian educational system has grown tremendously in quantitative terms and has produced many educated/learned people. Nigerians have also been travelling abroad to virtually all nations to acquire education in various areas of knowledge. Nigerians have learnt a lot in about 57 years. Nigeria is a more knowledgeable nation than she was in 1960s. Sadly, Nigerian politicians have not changed; indeed they are worse than they were in 1960s. This article explains why the PDP which ruled Nigeria in the period 1999-2015 and the APC which has been ruling the nation since 2015 cannot fix the economy and promote democratization.

    Nigeria needs political parties because the political groups in Nigeria remain political machines and political machines who seize power. President Dwight Eisenhower (1956) of the United States, reflecting on the issue of a political party, said, a political party deserves the approbation American, only as it represents the ideals, the aspirations and the hopes of Americans. If it is anything less, it is merely a conspiracy to seize power. About 20 years later, Daniel Boorstin (1973), American historian, again reflecting on the issue of a political party, said, a political party is organized for a purpose larger than its own survival; a political machine exists for its own sake, its primary purpose is survival.

    I agree with President Eisenhower and Boorstin.

    Political groups in Nigeria do not represent the ideals, the aspirations and hopes of Nigerians; they exist for their members. Politicians at the local government, state and federal levels get into government and become very rich people in three months. In view of the millions of barrels of crude petroleum sold daily for over five decades, over 70 per cent of Nigerians are very poor. Nigerian politicians would claim that the nation is doing well. They would not accept the well-known bases for assessing the performance of a government – the state of the economy measured by the levels of employment/unemployment, productivity and inflation, and peace and harmony. Also, Nigerian political machines would not accept globally accepted reports like the UNDP Human Development Report, because they would clearly reveal that they are political machines and conspiracies with no plans to develop Nigeria. They would rather cling to the reports of less known bodies like Fitch and deceive the ignorant people that Nigeria is rated BB-, BC+; Nigeria has the highest GDP growth in Africa that will trickle down one day; Nigeria built roads and bridges, dams!

    Political machines connive with foreigners to deceive the ignorant people to adopt programmes which though have beautiful names, lack growth elements and do not promote growth and development. Nigeria adopted the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986 when the military government of Ibrahim Babangida was ruling the nation. All governments, including PDP and APC governments since 1986 have continued to implement SAP. That is PDP implemented SAP in the period 1999-2015. The APC has been implementing SAP since May 2015. SAP has three principal elements: mandatory foreign exchange market (FEM), sale of public enterprise and liquid assets to the rich nationals and foreigners and, adoption of deregulation (laissez-faire economics or market economic philosophy or profit consideration, individualism) as the basis for assessing the performance of public projects and activities. African SAPs were introduced to Nigeria and other African nations in the 1980s by the World Bank and IMF. The original document (Bellow, 1986) claimed that the Nigerian SAP has four main objectives: to: restructure and diversify the productive base of the economy, achieve fiscal stability and positive balance of payment, set the basis for a sustained balanced non-inflationary or minimal inflationary growth, and, reduce the dominance of unproductive investments in the public sector.

    However, the analysis of the Nigerian SAP in the book entitled, “Understanding why Privatisation is promoting unemployment and poverty and delaying industrialization in Africa (Ogbimi, 2007), showed that the Nigerian SAP lacks growth elements and could not achieve any of its claimed objectives. SAP is merely promoting unemployment and poverty and delaying industrialization. Consequently, SAP has completely sapped and destroyed the Nigerian economy and impoverished the people. All that is left of Nigeria is a sapped majority of people and a destroyed Naira. There are also a few economists, accountants, bankers, lawyers, others in government and business who do not understand the science needed for increasing productivity and transforming an agricultural economy into an industrialized one, who daily repeat the financial clichés associated with SAP and the stock market.

    An important warning to all Nigerians is pertinent here. Margaret Thatcher, a former Prime Minister of Britain, once said that to destroy a nation, you first destroy her national currency. She was speaking in relation to the experience of Germany when the nation implemented the German SAP 1919-1923. Germany lost WW I in 1918 as the leader of the Axis powers. The Allied powers demanded $33b from Germany as war reparations. Germany could not pay. Germans were forced to implement the German SAP principally characterized by the mandatory forex market (FEM). The German Mark exchanged 4.2 units to the US$1 in 1919. In 1920, 63 Mark exchanged for one dollar. The Mark further depreciated in 1921; it exchanged 200 units to the dollar. The Mark depreciated catastrophically in 1922; it exchanged 2000 units to the dollar. In 1923, the Mark collapsed; it exchanged 4.2 trillion units to the dollar and stopped being a national currency (Stolper, et al., 1967; and Glahe, 1977). The Germans and Germany were seriously humiliated. But the strong will of the Germans saved them. They abandoned SAP in 1923 and printed another currency which the value was one trillion Mark, reverting the exchange rate to 4.2 units to the dollar.

    In the book on privatization above (Ogbimi, 2007), it was demonstrated that a nation operating mandatory FEM experiences increasing speculation and decreasing productivity. Also the currency experiences increasing devaluation till confusion sets in the nation. The German experience is sufficiently instructive.

    Nigeria’s planning has always been devoid of growth elements. What Nigeria needs is industrialization, not mere capital investment/Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs), not privatization, not mere erection of infrastructure, not entrepreneurs. Industrialization is promoted through learning – education and training. The Nigerian economy has been stagnating hence it is experiencing mass unemployment. Only mass education, mass training and mass employment can save the Nigeria of today.

    • Prof Ogbimi is of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.