The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • ‘Why North dumped Jonathan in 2015’

    Mouthpiece of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and one time chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state, Alhaji Yaro Makama Rigachikun have reacted to the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s claim that the north betrayed him during the 2015 presidential election.

    ACF and the former PDP chairman in their separate reactions to the former President’s book ‘My transition hours’, said Jonathan himself did not honour his words by jettisoning the PDP zoning arrangement which favoured north in 2015.

    The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu who reacted on behalf of forum said, “even though I have not read the book, however it is on record that Jonathan contested the 2011 and 2015 against the zoning arrangement of his party that zoned the presidential slot to the North.

    “Therefore, his assertions that Northern leaders and socio-political groups in the North worked against his presidency is rather odd, considering the circumstances at that time. Yet he won the Presidency in 2011 and the ruling party also secured 25% in some states of the North in the 2015 presidential elections.

    “It may interest you to know that his party has since admitted the oversight in the party’s 2015 winning game plan. This clearly means that leaders should always honor their words with deeds if they want to earn the respect of their followers.” He said.

    In the same vein, former Kaduna state PDP chairman and Northern Elder member, Alhaji Yaro Makama Rigachikun said two factors were responsible for Northern elites dumping former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 elections.

    Read Also: Why I didn’t visit Chibok – Jonathan

    Rigachikun who had defected to APC prior to the 2015 general elections disclosed that the first reason the North rose against Jonathan in 2015 was the fact that the former President had taken oath of office twice.

    According to him, “He was sworn in when late Umaru Yardua died. He was again sworn -in, in 2011 when he won that year presidential election. To the Northern establishment he was sworn in twice which was in tandem with the constitution.

    “So, to allow the former leader to be sworn in for the third time was against the spirit of the constitution and the Northern establishment would not take that.”
    According to the Northern Elder, the second reason was the issue of suspicious and distrust because the Northern establishment believed that the former leader had a hand in Boko Haram.

    However, he contended that event later proved that the former leader was not behind the insurgency, saying, as a former member of APC we came to realise that Jonathan hands was never in Boko Haram.

    Instead the PDP chieftain remarked that  the issue of Boko Haram is still very much around us, saying,  even the  President Buhari is still grappling with the issue of insurgency.

  • You can’t sway S/East with false promises, PDP tells Buhari

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari that with the 2019 elections around the corner, he cannot sway the people of the Southeast with fake promises and false performance claims.
    The party accused the President of attempting to lure the South-East geo-political zone into supporting his second term, saying however, that the people have resolved not to follow any leader who can not deliver on his promises.

    In a statement on Thursday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been jittery.

    According to the main opposition party, the Southeast and other geo-political zones across board have expressed an overwhelming acceptance of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, due to his “proven competence, respect for equity and all-inclusiveness in governance”.

    The party said, “Instead of accepting his failure, which is manifest to all, President Buhari, who is reputed for not fulfilling campaign promises, is busy making a fresh list of fake promises to Nigerians.

    “In this desperation, Mr. President fails to understand that the people of the South East, just like other Nigerians, are too sophisticated to fall for gimmicks, false promises and ethnic politics, and as such cannot be swayed from their resolve to rally with Atiku Abubakar to rescue our nation from the shackles of misrule.

    “Nigerians have since seen through President Buhari’s bouquet of failures and fake promises, which in any case, cannot heal the wounds of marginalization, nepotism, inequity, disregard for federal character principle and harsh economic policies, including obnoxious foreign exchange regulations and heavy taxations of his administration, which are killing businesses and plunging families into extreme poverty.

    Read Also: 2019: PDP accuses APC of unholy alliance with police

    “Nigerians, including those in the South East, know that President Buhari does not keep promises. They know that he has not fulfilled any of the promises he made during the 2015 campaign. As such, they cannot fall to the same old trick ahead of the 2019 general election.

    “Moreover, President Buhari is yet to apologize to the Southeast and other geo-political zones over his administration’s indictment for human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, arbitrary detention, torture and reported disappearances, as detailed in the reports by the United States Department of State, Amnesty International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).

    “Instead of clutching on straws and seeking to beguile Nigerians with fake promises, blame game and false performance indices, President Buhari should come to terms with the fact that there is no way Nigerians can change their minds about voting in Atiku Abubakar as his inevitable replacement come February, 2019”.

    Shortly after a meeting with Southeast governors at the presidential villa on Wednesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, had told newsmen that the Southeast stood a chance of getting the presidency in 2023 if they support President Buhari in the 2019 election.

  • Buhari must go, Atiku tells cheering Adamawa supporters

    The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has told his supporters to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari and other people in the present federal government who he said have caused so much suffering for the country.

    Atiku spoke in his home state, Adamawa, at a Youth Endorsement and Road Show programme organised for him by one of his support groups, Atiku/Obi Vanguard for Good Governance, which urged him to fight hard and defeat Buhari in the 2019 elections.

    Atiku who personally attended the event Wednesday night at the Lamido Cinema in Jimeta, Yola, said Buhari had failed the country in too many ways and the youths had it as their duty to vote him out. He chanted as the supporters cheered, “Buhari must go! Buhari must go!”

    Read Also: Atiku reveals plans to boost tourism sector

    He reiterated his commitment to high participation of youths and women in his government should he win election and become president, specifying that youths would get 40 percent participation and women 30 percent.

    Earlier in his address, the Coordinator of Atiku Obi Vanguard for Good Governance, Bar Leader Teneka, said so many negative things had happened since Buhari became president that he ought to be voted out.

    “It is no longer news that our country has been designated world extreme poverty capital. And we’ve been declared one of the most dangerous countries to be born in. It is also no longer news that massive and unabated corruption continues to fester. We are more divided as a country now than we have ever been,” Teneka said, urging his fellow youths to rally for Atiku and ensure his election as the next president.

     

     

  • PDP accuses APC of instigating violence in A/Ibom, others

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over what it declined as calculated attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to instigate violence and breakdown of law and order in Akwa Ibom State.
    The plot, which the main opposition party said, was meant to be replicated in other littoral states under the control of the PDP with the view to forcefully taking over the leadership of the states in the 2019 general elections.
    At a joint media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan and the Publicity Secretary of the Akwa Ibom chapter of the PDP, Emem Obong, said the plot was being hatched in phases.
    Obong said the APC wanted to ensure that the Governor is presented as being overwhelmed by security situation in the state in order to bring in the Federal Government to aide a forceful takeover by the APC.
    Obong said, “The end point of that plan is to ensure that on the day of election, Akwa Ibom as well as other states controlled by the PDP will be selected as flash points and kept for a separate day”.
    The PDP spokespersons said one leg of the plot was to have the governorship election postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the day of the first ballot and a new date fixed for the poll.
    They added that the other leg of the plot was to create room for massive deployment of security agencies for the rescheduled election like it happened in the last governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
    “These are schematic attempts unfolding gradually. It first started with trying to say that the former a bullet was found in the bedroom of the former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio even when there was no piercing on any part of his building.
    “Till today there’s no evidence of such attack. It was meant to create the impression for the security agencies to believe that they are being attacked by the state government and its agents”.

    Read Also: Jonathan pillar of democracy, says PDP

    The party spokespersons fingered the police as being part of the plot as they recalled how the state chairman of the PDP, the DG of the governor’s campaign, Speaker of the state assembly and other prominent PDP members were invited to Abuja by the Inspector General of Police over billboard issues.
    “What is the relationship between the state chairman of a party and the position of a billboard in a state? All those people were invited to Abuja on the orders of the inspector General of Police”, the stated.
    The party also linked the ongoing crisis in the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly to part of the distabilisation plot by the APC and its agents.
    Ologbondiyan lamented that the Presidency and the APC have continued to design what he described as heinous machinations and issuing threats of violent take over of some littoral states, for which they have now directed their arsenals particularly on Akwa-Ibom state.

    He alerted Nigerian to recent “volatile outbursts” by the Buhari Campaign Organization and APC leaders, with the use of violent images and outright threats of war on Akwa-Ibom state.

    The PSP spokesman said, “Nigerians are invited to recall the violent and ominous outburst by the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who vowed that the APC will take over the state the same way Hitler overran Poland, swearing that ‘war shall see Warsaw and Warsaw shall see war’ in Akwa-Ibom state.

    “Given that this statement is the policy of the APC and the Buhari Presidency against Akwa-Ibom and other parts of our nation, where they are not in control, the President, as chief security officer of our nation, never issued a reprimand nor has Senator Akpabio been pulled in for questioning by security agencies.

    “It is now clear that the statement is an approved prelude of a pre-meditated plot by the Buhari Presidency and the APC to initiate, facilitate and superintend a mayhem and bloodletting in the peaceful and developing Akwa-Ibom, irrespective of the huge human and material damage such could cause in the state.

    “Part of the plot is the forceful attempt to take over control of the Akwa-Ibom state legislature, for which the Presidency and the APC have been sponsoring the invasion of the House of Assembly complex and seeking ways to violently oust the duly elected leadership of the state assembly

    “Only recently, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who has been under fire over allegations of corruption, threatened and directly accused the erstwhile Akwa-Ibom Commissioner of Police, John Abang of refusing to carry out APC’s orders to provide security cover that will enable three legally sacked members of the 26-member legislature to effect a change of leadership.

    “The PDP has information of how the APC hierarchy thereafter, ordered the Inspector General of Police, who in compliance, summarily redeployed CP John Abang and replaced him with a new CP, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo. It is needless to say that Mr. Abang spent just one month as CP and had to be removed for not carrying out APC’s atrocious directive.

    “Since the arrival of CP Kimo, there has been mounting tension and escalated siege mentality in Akwa-Ibom state, particularly in the state legislature where thugs, backed by the police, have been invading the premises, disrupting legislative activities, harassing staff members and hindering them from performing their responsibilities.

    “This recourse to self-help, against declarative judgment by competent court of jurisdiction sacking the three lawmakers, is a deliberate attempt to instigate violence, foist a reign of terror, cause confusion, create an impression that the state has become ungovernable.

    “This is with a view to opening the way for a declaration of a state of emergency, which will enable them dismantle all democratic structures and forcefully take over control of the state.

    “The PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to bear in mind that their plot to forcefully take over Akwa-Ibom or any other PDP-controlled state will be firmly resisted by the people of those states and such may lead to a crisis of unprecedented magnitude that has the capacity of truncating our hard-earned democracy.

    “This is because the people of Akwa-Ibom state will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to overrun their state or in any way attempt to foist an undemocratic leadership over them and no amount of intimidation or force will make them change this resolve”.

    The opposition party charged President Buhari and the APC to be ready to take full responsibility for any breakdown of law and order as direct consequences of the people’s resistance to their plot to forcefully take over control of Akwa-Ibom or any of the PDP-controlled states.

  •  Kaduna PDP guber candidate threatens defamation suit against ex-aspirant

    The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Hon. Isa Ashiru has threatened legal actions against a former governorship aspirant in the State, Dr. Muhammad Sani Bello over alleged defamation of character.
    Dr. Bello who recently left the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said he resigned his membership of the PDP because he was not comfortable working with the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate whose credentials were in question.
    Bello who voluntarily withdrew from the governorship contest on 30 September before the commencement of the governorship primaries of the party to support Hon. Ashiru, had before leaving the PDP said “there were talks that came up concerning the authenticity of the documents that our candidate presented for the purpose of contesting in the 2019 general elections.”
    Concerned by the defamatory statement against his person, the governorship candidate through his team of lawyers from the chambers of Emmanuel Toro and Co. wrote to Dr. Bello demanding for retraction and public apology.
    According to the letter served on the former governorship aspirant, “the publish defamatory statement has not only defamed the hard-earned reputation and integrity of the guber candidate, it has also subjected him to public ridicule, scorn, opprobrium, and odium”.
    “Based on the foregoing, therefore, it is our client’s instruction to demand from you; and we hereby so demand that, you forthwith and in any event within seven (7) clear days commencing from the date of receipt of this letter, retract the defamatory Statement and publicly apologize to our client (Hon. Ashiru).

    Read Also: Kaduna begins registration of intending pilgrims

    “The retraction and apology shall be published in two (2) offline national dailies, your facebook wall and page and shall be given wide publicity in like manner as the content of the defamatory statement. In addition thereto, you shall pay N500m as compensation for the injury and emotional trauma you caused to our client as a result of the published defamatory statement, given the period that it was made and being circulated.
    “In the event of your refusal to comply with, or make good our demands as aforestated, we have our client’s instructions to explore all legal means available under our extant laws to ensure that these demands are met. Specifically, but without prejudice to other recourse, we shall file an action in a court of law against you for defamation of our client’s character and claim special aggravated damages,” the letter read.
    The PDP’s governorship candidate was elected member, Kaduna State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, and from 2007 to 2015 he was elected member House of Representative, representing Makarfi\Kudan federal constituency. In 2014, he contested the Kaduna State gubernatorial seat under the platform of APC and lost to governor Nasir el-Rufai at the governorship primaries.

  • My integrity, a big challenge to the PDP – Oshiomhole 

    …Okorocha, Amosun, Yari missing in APC reconciliation committees

     

     

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said Wednesday that recent attacks on his person were aimed at undermining his integrity which he said is a major challenge to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Oshiomhole who spoke while inaugurating six committee to work as National Peace and reconciliation committee to reconcile aggrieved members the party across the six geopolitical zones said the only integrity the PDP were bringing on board was the integrity of sharing the nation’s resources.

    Read Also:Obasanjo, Oshiomhole, Akpabio storm Jonathan’s book launch

    Three Governors of the party who are having a running battle with the National Chairman of the party, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state are the only governors of the party who are not in any of the committees.

    The APC Chairman said he had been a victim of people’s anger as a result of the outcome of the party primaries said it was not surprising to see the number of aggrieved persons who felt that the outcome of the primaries should have favored them.

    He said “I have had my own fair share of people, who, out of anger chose to target me as a person. Unfortunately it coincide with what the opposition PDP have always wanted because bringing on board my past reputation is a challenge to the PDP that has no reputation. If they had any, it is a reputation of share the money and these are no longer in the realm of speculations because it has been subject of several litigations across the country.”

    Comrade Oshiomhole explained that the party has a responsibility to placate members of the party who are aggrieved, stressing that party had so much challenge as a result of the growing confidence of the Nigerian people on the party.

    He said: “We want you to help us find in-house solution with a view to finding peace and ensuring internal unity and harmony within the APC family. We have gone through a very crucial stage in the processes leading to the next presidential election, National Assembly, governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

    “From my own records, of the 36 states and the FCT, I believe that we have done extremely well. It is almost impossible for even the most gifted child to score 100 percent in every subject. The more questions you have to answer, the more the chances of missing some of them.

    “Four years ago, around this time, we were in opposition and therefore, the value of our ticket was certainly not near where they are today. More and more women and men of conviction now subscribes to contesting election on our platform.

    “I believe that to our collective credit, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari who is our candidate in the next Presidential election, assisted by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, we have all worked very hard and we have been very well led by Mr. President. As they say, you can never under estimate the power of example.

    “We have not solved the problems of Nigeria, but those with good memories will have no difficulties in comparing the previous 16 years of PDP rules and the past three and half years of APC rule.

    “Our people voted for change because they wanted to change the way the country is managed, they wanted to change the way government and governance is approached, they wanted to eliminate corruption in the process of governance, they wanted to reconcile efforts with reward; they wanted to eliminate a situation where people who work so hard earn very little and those who have no business address are the billionaires.

    “They wanted to address a situation where every week, a Nigerian was buying a private jet when he had no business address. The challenge of changing the reward system that was on ground was obviously not going to be easy.

    “The House if bigger that it was four years ago because those who initially had reservations have since realized that the President meant business and the APC was delivering on the promises that we made.

    “As they say, success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. The fact of these accomplishment which has enlarged the house and brought in more political activists and political leaders who are people of huge electoral value across the states has meant that the internal democratic process which we were obliged under our constitution to go through was getting more intense and competitive with more people showing interest in the affairs of our party.

    “But we are still learning the full import of multi party democracy and of a free and fair election. If it were possible to have angels in politics, and ten of them decide to contest for the office of a governor of a state, nine angels will lose nomination, not because they are less pure, but because only one person will be chosen.

    “Whether that choice is through imposition, consensus, direct or indirect primary, it is obvious from the onset that nine will go without the ticket. This is something we ought to expect and that every democrat should readily appreciate.

    “I am not surprised that inspite of the efforts that we have made, we still have some persons and groups in few states where some people feel about uncomfortable with the outcome and they feel that the system was not just to them.

    “For me, it is not sufficient to rely on the fact that colleagues and I on the NWC, as much as we tried to ensure that the rules were obeyed and ensure that the process was transparent and that we protected everyone, those who the system did not favour are not only questioning the outcome, but appeared quite disappointed with some very bitter and resorting to statements that might be unhelpful as we approach the elections.

    “As Chairman, I have since learnt that once you step out to be the Chairman of even a local Association, you opt to be the dustbin to which everybody empty everything. I have had my own fair share of people, who, out of anger chose to target me as a person.

    “Unfortunately it coincide with what the opposition PDP have always wanted because bringing on board my past reputation is a challenge to the PDP that has no reputation. If they had any, it is a reputation of share the money and these are no longer in the realm of speculations because it has been subject of several litigations across the country.

    “In moving forward, it is not a question of whether we think that we have done everything perfect, but even if the outcome of a perfect exercise makes one person unhappy, as leaders privileged to have been entrusted with the management of our party and ensure there is peace and tranquility within our party, we must, inspite of our conviction that we have done our very best make every effort to identify those who are unhappy and use our in-house huge human resource to try and find in-house solution.

    “From our tradition, I know that seeking peace and finding solution, the quality of people involved also matters. We believe that these committees which include our governors who inspite of their own reservations are at home and at peace with the party and are working hard to ensure that the party win their respective zones, we can call on them to come and help us in this process of peace building and reconciliation.

    “The truth is that when somebody is unhappy, we have a responsibility to make them happy. We also realized that sometimes, women have special gift of persuasion and that is why we have enough women of substance in this committee to help carry out this reconciliation.”

    Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima who Head the south west committee assured the party leadership that the committee will work hard to reconcile All members and work as a united family to ensure victory for the party in the general election.

    Shettima said “Contestation for power is not a tea party affair, it is common with human nature but the maturity with which these issues were handled depends on the quality of leadership in our system. We have to commend the leadership of the party.

    “We have governors in 23 states and like I said contest is a normal phenomenon in human life. I want assure the leadership and members of the party that we shall try our best to see that we reconciled our aggrieved members. Whatever is our grievances we have a goal and the end is to see that President Muhammadu Buhari wins the forthcoming election.

    “We should ensure that our moves from the present 23 states to control 30 states at the next election and also control the National Assembly. To achieve this however, we have to put our house in order.”

     

  • 2019: PDP accuses APC of unholy alliance with police

    ….PDP inciting public against police – APC

     

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of unholy alliance with the police ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The state Chairman of PDP, Cleopas Moses, in a statement alleged that the leaders of the APC in the state turned the office of the Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, to their operational political base.

    But the APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, said the PDP was irresponsibly inciting the public against the police.

    Cleopas, described the office of the police chief as critical to security maintenance and the preservation of state stability, but lamented it had been tainted with political bias in Bayelsa.

    The PDP Chairman claimed that the conversion of the office of the Commissioner of Police to the security wing of the APC was the first manifestation of the political mission of the Joseph Mukan in Bayelsa.

    He said the opposition APC in its desperation for political control in the state started colluding with the police chief to weaken the security apparatus in the state for selfish political purposes.

    Cleopas asserted that the unholy alliance between the commissioner and the APC culminated in an upsurge of cultism in the state.

    He said that the action of the police boss was not unexpected as he was sent to the state to prosecute a dirty political assignment which he stressed would be resisted by the Bayelsa people.

    While acknowledging that the Inspector-General of Police has the right to deploy his men, Cleopas queried why Mukan was posted to head Bayelsa State Police Command for a record three times, if there was no ulterior motive.

    The PDP Chairman said that a police commissioner, whose posting was allegedly influenced by the APC and who identifies with the publicity apparatus of the party’ could not be trusted with the security of Bayelsa.

    He said: “We made it clear to Nigerians a few days ago that this particular police commissioner was posted to Bayelsa to intimidate PDP supporters to join APC, destabilize the security and stability of the state for political purposes ahead of the 2019 elections.

    “This unholy alliance, he stressed is fueling the upsurge of activities of cultists who are mainly APC members.

    “Since he was posted to Bayelsa State, his office has become an annex of the APC headquarters as members of the party have relocated to the command to plan how to destabilize the state by weakening its security.

    “Nigerians should Note that this particular CP has been transferred to Bayelsa State for the third time, and we as a party wonder why this particular CP out of the many in this country is the preferred commissioner for Bayelsa?

    “The last time he came he was accommodated by APC leaders in Abuja and Yenagoa, Former Governor Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hen. Lokpobiri.”

    But the APC, however, condemned the PDP for a serial show of irrationality and fear since the recent posting of a new commissioner of Police to the state.

    Buokoribo said that PDP took its phobia to an alarming extent of now creating frightening scenarios and plotting “low level fiction” all in an attempt to incite the populace against the police.

    He described as indecent and reprehensible that a party in control of government and power in the state could be so frightened by a lawful routine security posting, with no evidence of infraction that it would begin to provoke unlawful behaviour among the population.

    He recalled that not long ago, under the Governor Seriake Dickson government, his personal friend and member of his party, PDP, was posted to the state as Commissioner of Police.

    The APC spokesman said despite apparent injustices, APC never resorted to PDP’s current attempt to provoke public anger against the police and cause anarchy.

    He accused the PDP of having something untoward up its sleeves and fearing that the new police commissioner would not condone such.

    He said: “As usual, the PDP has not provided any evidence to support this low level fiction. We consider it indecent, reprehensible and ungodly for a political party that is in control of government and power at the state to serially incite the populace against the police.

    “We are in a democracy, and the PDP must know that it has to respect all the institutions of law and order. The PDP cannot decide for the Inspector General of Police whom he should appoint as Police Commissioner in the state.

    “Except there is something they are not telling us, the PDP is not in a position to say it is only someone they can do business with that must be Police Commissioner in the state.

    “The PDP is taking its objection to the posting of the new Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, beyond the red lines. It has become a joke taken too far.

    “The Bayelsa APC is a party of peace-loving people committed to democracy and the progress of Bayelsa State. Like President Muhammadu Buhari, we would like to take the state to the next level. We have nothing to gain in the event of a breakdown of law and order in the state.

    “We cannot help but wonder with alarm what unlawful acts the PDP plans to engage in this time, which they fear the new Police Commissioner, unlike their friend and party man, would not condone. To us, the new police commissioner is doing very well in the state.

    “Indeed, we commend him for reaching out to all the critical segments of society, especially the youth, in his attempt to rid the state of crime and criminality.

    “Similarly, we salute Police Commissioner Mukan for apprehending the suspected killers of Miss Seifa Fred. Fred, a first year student of Niger Delta University, was killed recently in Yenagoa. We call on the people of Bayelsa State to support and cooperate with Police Commissioner Mukan”.

  • Deployment of Commissioner of Police: APC chides PDP

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Bayelsa has condemned the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for kicking against the deployment of a new Commissioner of Police in the state.

    In a statement on Wednesday in Yenagoa, the party said that PDP had by opposing the deployment engaged in inciting the people against the police, and hence calling for anarchy.

    The statement, signed by Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Mr Doifie Buokoribo, was in response to a statement by PDP alleging that the police commissioner’s office had become APC’s “operational political base”.

    The APC said that it considered it indecent and reprehensible that a party in control of government in the state could be frightened by a lawful routine security posting.

    Read Also: Save Delta APC from collapse, stakeholders beg NWC

    It said that there was no evidence of infraction to warrant unlawful behaviour among the population.

    The party recalled that not long ago, under the Gov. Seriake Dickson’s administration, “his friend and member of his party, PDP, was posted to the state as commissioner of police.

    “And, in spite of apparent injustices, APC never resorted to PDP’s current attempt to provoke public anger against the police and cause anarchy.”

    It accused the PDP of having something up its sleeves and fearing that the new police boss in the state would not condone such.

    “The PDP is taking its objection to the posting of the new Police Commissioner in Bayelsa, Mr Joseph Mukan, beyond the red lines. It has become a joke taken too far,” APC stated.

  • Why I dedicated my book to my predecessor-Sullivan

    Former Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime says he dedicated the book on his eight year stewardship to his predecessor, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani for giving him the opportunity to serve.

    Chime told newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday during a pre-book launch briefing that Nnamani was the one who made it possible for him to serve the state as the governor.

    “I would not have had the opportunity to serve if he did not bring me into his government.”

    He made it clear that he did not fall out with the former governor as insinuated in some quarters rather Nnamani decided to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined another one.

    “He saw way back what I saw in 2015 and left the party. So, I have no issues with him,” he said.

    Chime said that the book entitled `An Honour to Serve: Enugu State in the Sullivan Years’, would be unveiled on Friday, Nov. 23 by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The former governor explained that the book was all about his experiences from inception to the handing over.

    According to him, it is a report of my stewardship to the electorate, whom he described, as his employers.

    “The book is an account of my stewardship for eight years to my employers.

    Read Also: Sullivan Chime’s daughter set for the altar

    “It is a compendium of what we did in the governance of Enugu,” he said, adding that as compendium, it was not possible to cover all aspects.

    “It is not possible to cover all we did in eight years. It is only a summary of what we did in Enugu State.”

    He said that when he assumed office, “we promised a four-point agenda and we kept all the promises”.

    Chime pointed out that the greatest challenge when he assumed office in the state was insecurity, adding that people were then scared to come to the old regional capital.

    “We tackled the situation and today Enugu is one of the safest states in the country,” the former governor said.

    He cleared the rumour of strained relationship with incumbent governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, saying that he did not have issues with him.

    On why he did not complete some abandoned projects by his predecessor, Chime said that he did not believe in personalising projects.

    “You do not personalise projects. You come into government and look for projects that will benefit the people.

    “I developed Park Lane Hospital and ESUT which Nnamani started. We improved on it. Also Loma Linda or Maryland Estate which he did not complete, I concluded the project and made it viable.

    “Once you do not personalize projects, you won’t have issues as a leader.

    “You see, there is a difference between politics and governance. After politics, you engage people who can help you deliver or govern,” he said.

    Chime explained that he could not complete the International Conference Centre (ICC) because he could not get the design to complete it.

    “I could not get a copy of the design from the contractor. There is no record in the Ministry of Works or any related government office about the project. The contractor disappeared with it,”.

    The former governor said his greatest regret was that he did not have enough money to develop the state the way he wanted.

  • Atiku reveals plans to boost tourism sector

    Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed his plans to boost the tourism and culture sectors in Nigeria.

    In his recently released policy document, the former Vice President proposed to enlist the help of private sector in transforming the sectors into major earners for the country.

    The document noted the challenges of the culture and tourism sectors in Nigeria which include inadequate promotion of local culture, and poor support for arts and cultural centers across the country.

    It also decried the demonstration of Nigeria’s artifacts and under-funding of the tourism sector  despite the rich exotic landscapes and historical monuments the country is blessed with.

    He promised to “invest, along with an incentive private sector, to transform the culture and tourism sector into one of the big earners of foreign exchange as part of our strategy to diversify the economy.”

    Atiku also stated that his administration would revive parks and cultural festivals, especially the bi-annual National Festival of Arts and Culture.

    He would “promote local traditional festivals, so as to revive the culture and traditions of our people Revive National Parks driven by the private sector.

    “Each of the over 350 ethnic groups in Nigeria has a traditional festival to display or a special form of creativity to offer contemporary society,” the document said.

    Read Also: ‘Atiku should not take us back to era of squandermania’

    According to the policy document, Atiku would also encourage intervention fund and increase budget support for culture and tourism.

    He would “encourage States to develop tourist destinations to attract home based and foreign tourists. Advocate the granting of loans and grants to qualified practitioners.”

    “Encourage talented individuals to harness, and showcase abroad, certain aspects of our literary material and performance traditions.”

    NAN