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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party

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

January 10, 2018
Ekiti: Four PDP guber aspirants rise against Fayose

Four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State have called on the national leadership of the party to disqualify Governor Ayo Fayose from playing any role in the primary election scheduled for April.

They said the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Prince Uche Secondus should disqualify Fayose having adopted his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, which they said amounted to the imposition on party leaders and members.

The concerned aspirants at a news conference they addressed on Tuesday claimed that there was no time Olusola showed interest in ruling the state adding that “Fayose saw him as a weakling that can be manipulated against the interest of Ekiti people.”

The four governorship hopefuls accused Fayose of unilateral imposition of Olusola, using state apparatus to promote him, intimidation and harassment of party members loyal to other aspirants, arbitrariness and one-man dictatorship.

The alleged imposition of Olusola by Fayose, they said, has led to indifference and exodus of leaders and members expressing fear that the action may kill the party.

The four aspirants who addressed reporters are former Minister of State for Works and immediate past PDP national spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Senate Minority Whip and former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi; former Secretary to the State Government and former High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Dare Bejide and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi.

They also called for the dissolution of the state PDP executive committee led by Mr. Gboyega Oguntuase for allegedly betraying its expected neutrality calling for the constitution of a caretaker committee in its stead.

The aspirants called for a strict adherence to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution in the process leading to the conduct of the primary and emergence of flag bearer for the July 14 governorship election.

Adeyeye lampooned Fayose for allegedly carrying out persecution of other aspirants to “a ridiculous level” by ordering party members in all parts of the state to reject Christmas gifts they sent to them.

Adeyeye said: “The candidate he (Fayose) has chosen for himself is not a person that can win the election in this state. When you display billboards and you are writing “Meet Your Next Governor” on them, you are putting yourself in the position of God and that is very annoying.

“We will not leave the party for him because he sees himself as all-in-all but we know he is not all-in-all. The governor being an interested party must be put in his place and no advantage should be accorded (Olusola) Eleka.”

Mrs. Olujimi said: “We have not come here to tear our party apart, all we are demanding for is a free and fair process that will lead to the emergence of a candidate.

“Can anybody who wants to win the election for PDP wish us away? If anybody wants to wish us away in the party, the consequences will be grave.

“The primary will ne held in few months and nothing has changed. This (Fayose) was the same man who opposed the use of consensus when he was contesting the last time.”

Bejide said: “Section 50 (i), 50 (2) and 50 (2b) of the PDP constitution spells out how our candidate will emerge.

“Imposition, impunity and arbitrary action of a sitting governor is definitely ruled out and we will surely enforce the provision of the law.

“The governor and the State Working Committee has no role to play except they are co-opted by the national leadership.”

Ajayi said: “The governor may claim that he has the right to support any aspirant of his choice but the deputy governor has not come out to say he wants to be governor.

“What the deputy governor has said was that he wants to back to the university to continue lecturing. The govenor is forcing the Deputy Governor on us.

“The so-called was a fraudulent act, an illegal action; I want to tell you that eighty percent of those working with him are with us. They are only working for the money they are earning.”

January 9, 2018
2019: PDP begins search for presidential flag bearer

Key stakeholders and power blocs within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun the covert search for an acceptable candidate that will fly the party’s flag in the 2019 presidential election.

The party has also renewed its pressure on the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, former Kano State Governor, Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso and other prominent chieftains that dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin, who dropped the hint in Abuja on Tuesday, also confirmed that the party was already weighing options regarding the suitability of the array of aspirants lining up for the job.

Jibrin spoke at Legacy House, the party’s campaign headquarters while addressing a PDP youth group, Ward-To-Ward that paid him a courtesy visit. He, however, clarified that the search is restricted to aspirants from the North.

“We are all doing what we can in the North with all the leaders to identify who is the best candidate to rule this country. The best person that will take away power from the ruling party because 2019 is our own. 2019 is for PDP.

“We as a party, have agreed that the President of Nigeria in 2019 should come from the North. I enjoin you to support the North to bring and give you a very capable President; never-a-no-do-well President, a good qualitative President.

Describing the return of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the PDP as a good omen, Jibrin said the party was expecting more of the chieftains that dump the PDP for the APC before the 2015 general elections.

He listed Saraki and Kwankwaso as key among those expected to rejoin the PDP, adding that others being expected to return to the party include serving National Assembly members and former governors.

Jibrin said: “We are also expecting a big return of some of our former governors, our National Assembly members and very renowned party followers. And when this is done, which will be done very quickly, then the party will now come to its stable stand.

“We should encourage everybody who has left us to come back and reunite with us. We will not hate anyone or deprive anybody. It is a good omen for this party that we should receive people.

“We are therefore calling on the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and all our former legislators who have left this party to come back quickly”.
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The BoT chair also disclosed that the party has constituted a special reconciliation committee headed by a former President of the Senate, David Mark.

According to him, the Mark committee has been mandated to mediate in grievances among BoT members that disagreed over the choice of chairmanship candidate at the December 9 national convention of the party.

Some of the BoT members had openly taken sides with their preferred candidates, a development that Jibrin said was divisive and tended to erode the neutrality of the BoT as the conscience of the party.

Jibrin regretted that members of the BoT had remained neutral before that chairmanship campaign, but that along the line, some members decided to give open support to some aspirants. This he said, had left the BoT members divided.

The BoT chair commended the role played by the party’s governors in the convention in which Prince Uche Secondus emerged as National Chairman.

He credited the governors with the success of the convention, adding that all the party’s 11 governors gave the necessary support to ensure Secondus’ emergence.

January 9, 2018
PDP advises APC leadership to address national issues

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government to as a matter of urgency address the incessant killings, unemployment and other national issues affecting the country.

PDP gave the advice in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Monday in Abuja.

The advice according to Ologbondiyan is in reaction to the list of appointed board members of federal parastatatals which contained names of deceased persons.

He specifically called on the APC leadership to ensure a clear roadmap that would address burning issues affecting the economy and Nigerians, rather than resorting to excuses and shifting of blames.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had dissociated the party from the appointment, saying the party had no input in the appointments.

Some of the issues according to Ologbondiyan include economy challenges, job losses and business closures which he says have caused hardship to families.

Others according to him include insurgency, fuel crisis, and hidden oil subsidy payouts, illegal lifting of crude and the depletion of Nigerians foreign financial instruments.

January 8, 2018
This Toyin Abraham!

I am going to ask for some favours today. The first: Forget Seun Egbegbe. The second: Think less of Nollywood actor and Tinsel star Niyi Johnson. And third: Cast your mind away from marijuana, codeine and hard drugs.

Please you must also de-emphasize the past which involved hawking plantain chips. Also pretend you never heard any comment about willing to die for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But the most important favour you will do for me is to please focus on the 2017 theatrical exploits of this Auchi, Edo State-born girl, who many still call Toyin Aimakhu despite the fact that she announced a change of name to Toyin Abraham over a year ago. Also help me thank Bukky Wright for giving this great actor a chance in 2003, when she was in Ibadan to shoot a movie.

In one of her promotional materials for the sequel to Wives on Strike, ace actor and director Omoni Oboli predicted that the world would celebrate Toyin for her role as Iya Bola in the flick. I saw the film last Saturday and could not agree less. Toyin was simply crazy. Not that other actors were not good. They were. But Toyin was the life of that film, which showed that comedy could be full of messages for us all to learn from. There is no scene with this crazy girl that falls below standard. Like they say, she simply killed the role and my mind was simply made up about who should earn my trophy for Actor of the Year.

In Pathetic, Tatu, Alakada Reloaded, Okafor’s Law, The In-laws, Celebrity Marriage and Wives on Strike the Revolution, Toyin gave her all last year. She was like the most-sought-after actor last year and I can predict she still will remain hot cake this year. Almost all the major productions at the cinema last year had Toyin playing one major role or the other and she delivered. Very well.

Her performance in ‘Tatu’ was in a light I am not sure I have seen before. She interpreted the role so well that one could not but feel the pain she was made to go through. The scene where she was put in a hole was well delivered.

One other great flick she featured in last year was Hakkunde. She was simply crazy here. The role needed a mad actor to play Aunty Yetunde and Toyin fitted the bill. Perfectly.

At a point I noticed that she was in almost all the Nigerian movies at the cinemas and there was none n which she played mediocre.

In Alakada Reloaded, which she produced, there was almost no dull scene. We laughed almost throughout while seeing it at the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas at the Maryland Mall. Not a few even clapped when the credits were rolled at the end of the film, which appeared to have been produced with some ‘hefty’ money. It was one film in which Yoruba was the main language yet made significant impact at the cinemas home and in the United Kingdom.

One major point Toyin was able to prove last year was that she is a cross-over actor. Give her Yoruba roles, she will deliver. Give her a role in an English production, she will kill it. She can play a pauper, a clown, a rich brat, an old woman, a mad woman and all. I have seen her play three persons in a film Eta and she delivered in a way I have seen only Tyler Perry do. I just love the fact that she throws her all into her job.

This down-to-heart lady, who will turn 34 later this year, is brutally frank. She earned my respect when she spoke at the 2017 edition of Success Story Africa at the TLC Auditorium, Lagos.

“You need to stop bad habits. I was involved in a lot of vices and it became worse last year,” Toyin said and added the clincher: “I did drugs and I am not ashamed to say it because it is now a thing of the past. They say codeine makes you high; I took a lot. I smoked a lot and I didn’t even know I looked horrible, because I was so skinny. If you came to my house last year, you would meet a lot of people and you won’t want to leave because we smoked, gossiped about people and what have you.”

She said more: “I made a lot of mistakes when I began acting and that was because I did not have plans. I just wanted to be known.

”But, I now know that being popular isn’t the same thing as being successful. When I got into the industry and the fame became too much, I became irresponsible.

“I could not boast of N1 million in 2016. I was making money and I wanted to feel among. When one of our colleagues bought a car, it was trouble because we all strove to buy the same car or a bigger one. I had to change my circle for good and this change started in March 2017.”

Aside the films I earlier mentioned, you need to see London Fever, Mentally, Dance to my Beat, Love is in the Hair, Esohe, Alani Baba labake, Ebi mi ni, Alakada and Sola Fe Pami to appreciate the good in this controversial Edo girl.

For this year, The ghost and the tout is one production in which she will most likely dazzle us when it goes to the cinemas. Femi Adebayo’s Diamonds in the Sky in which she acted last year should also hit the cinemas later in the year and I am positive Toyin will just scatter the place like she is wont to do. With direction from respected Kunle Afolayan, I expect Toyin to surpass her previous records.

My wish for Toyin this year is that she will not go down like Iya Bola refused to do in ‘Wives on Strike the Revolution’ when she misunderstood a white man who asked her and others in London if they would like to follow the lift to the ground floor. There will be no more codeine; no more hard drugs and scandals will be a thing of the past.

Let me leave you with Omoni’s take on Toyin: “I am so proud of you my darling. The world will celebrate you some more after they watch #Wivesonstriketherevolution. You murdered your role as Iya Bola! I could not have casted a better actor. I’m so glad you took all we talked about into consideration and you ran with it! You just wait for the accolades and the awards! I love you my baby girl.”

Well, I present her my own award today. It is time ToyinTitans got together and celebrated the one they call World Best.

Happy New Year!

January 5, 2018
Slave camp: Parents protest sale of three Ekiti girls in Libya

Parents of three girls from Ekiti State who were allegedly given three slots to travel to Dubai but ended in a slave camp in Libya are demanding the safe return of their children.

They made the call on Thursday at the State Police Command where a suspect who facilitated their trip, Dada Ogundare, was paraded.

Ogundare was paraded alongside a prophetess, Omoseeke Komolafe, who collected money from their parents and gave same to the trafficking suspect.

The suspects claimed that they only assisted the young ladies, one of whom was pregnant, to seek employment outside the country not knowing that they would end up as slaves.

The victims left Nigeria on November 25 by road rather than by air as they were promised that they were going to Dubai only to be taken to Libya where they were sold as slaves.

The parents explained that they later made attempt to bring their children back home but the traffickers in Libya demanded N1.2 million from them.

One of the parents, Mrs. Margaret Olorunfemi, revealed that she and Prophetess Komolafe are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the same ward with deputy governor in Ikere-Ekiti.

Mrs. Olorunfemi disclosed that Prophetess Komolafe told her daughter that the deputy governor has been given four slots to be given to children of party members in his ward to travel to Dubai adding that they were told to make N150,000 available to facilitate the trip.

The woman said she was worried when she did not hear from her daughter. According to her, she was able to speak with her daughter on December 10 who told her that she was in a slave camp in Libya.

Mrs Olorunfemi said: “My child called that the prophetess had sold her into slavery that we should go and meet the deputy governor that we should get N1.2 million before they can be freed from slavery.”

Another Ikere woman whose daughter was trapped in Libyan slave camp, Mrs. Feyisayo Adedayo, revealed that her daughter is pregnant.

She said: “My daughter, Ayomiotan, spoke with me on the phone that they went through the desert and not by flight as they were promised.

“I don’t have N1.2 million to send to them to free my daughter. The (Ekiti State) government should return my daughter to me with her pregnancy.

“She (daughter) is my only girl and my last born; I reported the case at the police station in Ikere. I want my daughter back because I don’t want her to die in a slave camp.”

Another parent of Libya slavery from Ikere, Mrs. Bukola Bamise said she was shocked to learn that her daughter had been sold as a slave.

She said: “It was the deputy governor that said he wanted to use the four slots given to his ward to benefit our children but I was shocked to learn that they were camped somewhere and they had been sold as slaves.”

The suspected trafficker, Ogundare, told reporters that she contacted the prophetess to help her find girls interested in jobs in Libya. He claimed he didn’t collect money from the victims.

Ogundare explained that his wife and younger sister are in Libya added that she told the prophetess to inform the girls’ parents of their destination.

He said: I didn’t collect One Naira from anybody, I have so far taken four persons to Libya while madam (prophetess) had taken nine persons to Libya.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mr Julius Okoro, warned parents against allowing their children embark on questionable trips.

He said: “The girls were trafficked to Libya on the pretext that they were taking them to Dubai. Information reached their parents that they are suffering and they had been sold out in the slave camp in Libya.

“One of the girls trafficked to Libya is pregnant but was rejected by those buying them because of her pregnancy. We understand that they are suffering seriously in Libya.

“Our advice to parents is that they should be careful of those they entrust their children to. Let them be careful and be sure of the persons they are handing over their children to.”

When called for his reaction, Director of Press Affairs to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Oyetunde Oyebode, promised to get back on the matter. He was yet to react at the time of filing this report.

January 4, 2018
Obaseki’s 2018 budget is full of deceit, duplication – PDP

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the state 2018 budget as signed into law by Governor Godwin Obaseki is full of deceit and duplication.

It said the Edo 2018 budget was meant to inflict pains on the people.

The PDP said the budget was padded and funds allowed to projects already completed and commissioned by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

What it said made the budget unserious was the allocation of N15bn to the office of the Governor.

State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who spoke at a press briefing in Benin City yesterday it was worrisome that Obaseki allocated 10 percent of the entire budget sum to his office at a time Edo people are experiencing hard times and finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Chief Orbih accused Obaseki of wasting state fund on frivolous things by allocating N4bn as security vote, N1.5bn for governor’s office, N2.5bn for central administration, N2.105bn for governor’s entertainment and N1m monthly for an essential drug for the Governor.

Orbih alleged that the budget was padded to the tune of over N500 under the guise of providing equipment for the new accident and emergency ward and construction of new and emergency ward complex at the Benin Central hospital

He said the provision of N134m to build a water fountain in the budget was misplaced as portable water was not available in the state.

The PDP chairman said it was wrong to provide N100m for start-up packs for young entrepreneurs and small loans and another N100m for consultancy service.

According to him, “The APC government is unserious. If Obaseki is sick, he should let us know about his health status. How come we will use N1m monthly to buy essential drugs for the Governor. We are forced to ask what exactly is wrong with the Governor?

“The man Oshiomhole foisted on us is not a technocrat. Look at the budget breakdown. They gave us a man that has no knowledge of governance. There is no functional public water in Benin City. Water Board is not functioning now.

“You need to go into the details of the 2018 budget to know what we are talking about. The government has remained adamant to pensioners but voted money to provide water fountain.

“Some of the money is duplicated in other sub-heads. In the Ministry of Health, you will see Obaseki’s wonder.”

Reacting to the allegations, Governor Obaseki said the PDP could not appreciate plans and initiatives contained in the 2018 budget because it was still stuck in primitive politics and a system that glorifies avarice.

Governor Obaseki who spoke through his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, noted that the 2018 budget was meant to fix the damage caused by decades of misrule by the PDP.

Obaseki stated that the budget was targeted at improving the well being of Edo people and aimed towards enhancing enterprise, building infrastructure, promoting agriculture, enhancing job creation and social economic well being of Edo.

He added, “Specifically, some roads that will be constructed this year were budgeted for by the PDP in the past and money was released that ended up in their private safes. These roads were not constructed. We have the same issues in the education sector where money was released to build schools, only to be stolen.

“But under Governor Obaseki, we are seeing roads being fixed everywhere and this will continue in the years to come. The PDP is bitter because there is no more money to share for birthday parties and ego trips. This budget will address the needs of ordinary Edo people.”

“Hard as they tried, they cannot say that Governor Obaseki allocated any sum to himself, his family or his political party, as is the stock in trade of the PDP. The budget is clear in its purpose.

“Specifically, given the need to fast-track development, the 2018 budget is focused on key areas that can easily spur growth. Over 60 percent of the budget went to infrastructure; around 20 percent to growth enablers, such as job creation and agriculture. Law and order got 10 percent because the PDP bastardised the state when it held the helm of affairs and almost succeeded in turning the state to a place without order.

“But we understand why the PDP would come out to make these spurious allegations. In their heydays, they built roads on paper; the budgets were for the fun of it. Roads were budgeted for but no one could see where they were built. These, for them, were their hallmarks of governance.

“The culture of stealing and greed, of appropriating to themselves the Commonwealth of the state still runs fresh in their veins. So, it is not a surprise that they are stuck in primitive politics and expect that others would wallow in such lows with them. This is just to let them know that the 2018 budget is for the people and for the growth of the state.”

January 4, 2018
Yuletide: Omisore hosts widows, pensioners, others

The former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore (Phd) FNSE, CON, has demonstrated his kindness and love to humanity by lifting retirees, pensioners and widows in Osun State.

Senator Omisore at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat, at Ogo Oluwa, Gbongan-Osogbo Road, Oshogbo on 31st December 2017, celebrated the end of the year’s get together with this group of hapless indigenes of Osun by distributing clothing materials and food items to them.

Omisore condemned a situation where someone would have worked actively for the government for over 35 years and be neglected after retirement by a ‘callous government’ who refused to pay them their retirement benefits for over 12 months.

The former Deputy Governor enumerated that the main reason for providing this succour is to wipe away their tears during the yuletide festive season. “It is our responsibility to bring joy to the less privileged and make them realise that their cry could still be heard in the state by people like us”.

Senator Omisore in his speech emphasised the importance of giving, adding that giving to the needy should not be the job of the rich alone but a task for everyone who has the means in the society.

He informed the people that his foundation has been giving to the needy for over 15 years and that he belonged to other global philanthropic organisations that give to the poor around the world.

“Such institution includes the “I Will Give” programme which was initiated to help your neighbour in any way you can. I WILL GIVE is an innovative platform to expand domestic financing from organised philanthropy, community giving and corporate social responsibility. If I could join such organisations to help people in other communities across West Africa, why should I not bring such help to my own people?,” Omisore explained.

He revealed that his yearly giving programme at Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital Complex, (OAUTHC) marks 15 years this year. He used the initiative to bring joy to the hearts of the patients on January 1st every year, in order to wipe away their tears and give them hope.

Speaking further, Omisore announced that the idea of giving to the pensioners, retirees, and widows in the State would become a weekly or monthly program. He implored other guests at the occasion to also give to widows and the needy in their communities, towns, or wards. He prayed that next year’s programme would be done at the government’s house where it would be like a home for everyone.

The Chairman PDP Caretaker Committee and former member of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hon. Ismaila Kolawole who was at the event to support Senator Omisore declared that the occasion was to bring joy to the heart of the retirees, pensioners, and widows who have been rendered powerless in the society making them realise that they still have a place in the society. He emphasised the necessity of showing love to people and assured them of a better life in 2018.

Another guest at the event, Engr, Alhj Ishola Awotorebo, a former Minister for Water Resources, commended Senator Iyiola Omisore for his good work and prayed that God will always uplift him. He condemned the APC’s administration in the state that has caused a lot of damage to the masses including the less privileged in the society. Awotorebo enumerated various failures of the APC leadership to include unbridled fuel price increase in 2015 to the current scarcity of the essential commodity and the hyperinflation that are now making poor Nigerians to weep secretly. He said a change must come to the state by September 2018..

Former member House of Rep and former chairman, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji who was a former chieftain of the APC in the State, revealed that after studying Omisore’s philanthropic gesture, he and his members in the Lions Club International had to recommend Senator Omisore for the globally renowned “Melvin Jones Fellow Award’’ — the highest award category in honours list of Lions Club International in 2014. This award is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism. The recipient of this award becomes a model of exemplary service to his club and the community which it serves. Dr Iyiola Omisore was giving this prestigious award in 2014 at a global forum.

Other people present at the occasion were PDP Women leader in Osun State, Mrs Comfort Ale; Legal Adviser to PDP in the South West, Barrister Ojo Williams; Former National Deputy Vice Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo; and a party chieftain, Dr. Bayo Faforiji. Also, some association of widows present to receive 50kg bags of rice and other food materials include: Mercy of God Widows Association, Itesiwaju Widows Association Ilesa West; Alubarika Widows Association, Olorunda; Daughters of Zion; Isokan Widows Association, Oredegbe Widows Association and Uncommon Favour Widows Association, Ife North.

January 4, 2018
Foundation builds quarters for Abia DPO

An organisation known as Emma Nwaka Foundation has built a residential quarters for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State to alleviate the accommodation problems faced by every DPO posted to the area.

Speaking with The Nation while handing over the building at Amokwe-Amiyi, Isuikwuato, the chairman of Senator Emma Nwaka Foundation, Sen Emma Nwaka said that he decided to build the residential quarters to solve the housing needs of the council area DPO.

Nwaka a former senator said that he felt pity for the DPOs who have been operating from outside the council area, stressing that such situation do not allow them to give their best in terms of crime prevention or even combating crimes head long.

He said that most DPOs posted to the area either operate from Okigwe in Imo state or from Umuahia, “This is very bad for combating of crimes and I felt pity for them, their condition made my foundation to build this modest house for them”.

Nwaka who is the immediate past state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that the building is a three bedroom house, en-suit masters bedroom and a room for his orderly, “There is a standby generating set and a borehole to service the house”.

He said, “I had wanted to furnish the house to taste but the recent burial of my late mother drained my purse, but I am going to beckon on my friends to come and help in the furnishing so that every DPO posted here will have a place to live in and operate effectively”.

“I have also offered to help a son of the man who donated the land free for the building to get a job as part of the way to pay him back, though the house is very close to my house, the land does not belong to me. The name of the man who donated the land is Paul Ihedioha”.

Nwaka said that the foundation had earlier seek the permission of the police to build and donate the house to the state police command and part of the letter which The Nation sighted reads.

“When it came to our notice that the DPO of our area does not have a befitting abode in his area of operation, we thought it wise and necessary to build a house and hand same over to the Nigeria Police in perpetuity on the understanding that it shall become the permanent abode of any DPO posted to the area”.

“The job these people do can at times be quite hazardous, as most times, they lead their men to confront dangerous criminals and it is not fair that at the end of the day such an officer goes back to dwell among these miscreants without absolute control over his own house”.

“This made our foundation to decide to build a three-unit, apartment for the DPO, made up of a 3 bedroom flat en-suit, a two room apartment for his orderly/assistant and a security outpost with perimeter fence, there is water and dedicated power generating set to augment public supply”.

In a letter sent to the foundation on the occasion of the unveiling and handing over of the building to the state police command, the senator representing Abia North at senate, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa was read.

The letter reads, “I sincerely commend you and the entire members of the Emma Nwaka Foundation for this rare choice of providing a comfortable perpetual accommodation for the DPOs in your council area., this is indeed an added strength to the foundation of our national security in Isuikwuato and the entire nation which is worthy of emulation”.

Unveiling the building the Abia state Commissioner of Police, Michael Ogbizi commended the Emma Nwaka Foundation for remembering to give back to the police which he said will go a long way to encourage them to do more.

Ogbizi who was represented by his deputy, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sagir Abubakar said that he had wished that there are 774 Nwakas across the country which would have helped the police to perform better and urged him not to relent.

December 22, 2017
Quest for change made me team up with Buhari – Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says that his pursuit for change made him to leave his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), to join the All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

Amaechi made the disclosure on the sidelines of the Future Awards Africa held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Saturday.

He said that he would have done otherwise by staying in PDP and fight for the change, instead, there was a need to cross over to APC because of his belief in President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I moved from PDP to APC because I am tired of what is happening in the party, I have the option to stay because of my position as the Chairman of the Governors then.

“I can use my position to fight them (PDP) and get what I want because I believe Nigeria was not going in the right direction by then.

“My attention and belief shifted to Buhari which was the viable alternative, I believe in the change mantra because it is the only way to improve on what is on ground.

Read also: How APC can win 2019 elections – Amaechi

“He has not disappointed because the economy is now back on track and is growing. This is evident in the current prices of food items because it’s getting lower,’’ he said.

Amaechi said that prices of food would further crash because of the efforts of the government at making the country self-sufficient in food production.

“With the change going on, the price will further crash because before this government came in, the price were soaring because we were importing food items, things we can grow here.

“Now the policy of government which banned the importation of rice is working, the price is now about N16,000, but before now, we are importing about N3 billion worth of rice.

“Before now too, we were importing another N3 billion worth of poultry products, we are importing tomatoes but with the ban, we are now concentrating on our local production.

“Many states in the northern part of the country are now growing rice in large quantities though by right, the South-South geo-political zone should be doing that because they are the ones in the swampy area,’’ he said.

Amaechi said that the wastage in the PDP era was alarming, adding that the depletion of the excess crude account was supposed not have been.

“When Obasanjo was leaving, he left about 65 billion dollars in the Excess Crude Account, but this money was frittered away and we wonder where the money is.

“As at then, the price of crude oil during the president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration hovered around 140 dollars with this, they did not leave anything for the incoming government.

“With that kind of money, we should be thinking of connecting Nigeria through rail system. The rail between Ibadan to Kano would have been completed.

“Also the rail gauge between Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Lagos to Calabar, but all the excess crude money was frittered away, we need to ask questions,’’ he said.

NAN

December 12, 2017