The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof. Jerry Gana

  • PDP’s BoT moves to reconcile Sheriff, Makarfi camps

    PDP’s BoT moves to reconcile Sheriff, Makarfi camps

    In a last minute effort of save the upcoming national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) has put set up a reconciliatory committee.

    The 18-member committee, chaired by a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, is to reconcile the Ali Modu Sheriff camp with the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee.

    Inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Monday, chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, said the trustees would not sit by and watch the party destroyed by the lingering leadership crisis.

    He expressed dismay that there are about 15 different court cases instituted by the various contending groups within the party.

    According to him, there was an urgent need for a politician solution to the crisis, stressing that allowing the cases to go on might leave the party in a permanent state of crisis.

    He appealed to the litigants to withdraw their court cases and allow the reconciliation committee to resolve the differences so that the August 17 convention could hold.

    Speaking shortly after the inauguration, Prof. Gana assured that the committee would discharge its functions with every sense of responsibility, justice and fairness.

    He pleaded with the Sheriff camp to allow the committee resolve the crisis by making himself available for discussions, saying that the party should go into the convention united.

    Other members of the committee are Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, Senator Ibrahim Ida, Hajia Inna Ciroma, Senator Biodun Olujimi and Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd), among others.

  • My role in N500m bank loan – Gana

    My role in N500m bank loan – Gana

    A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, on Monday explained his role in the controversial N500 million bank loan which he joined others to obtain for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

    The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, had accused Gana of unilaterally collecting the loan on behalf of the party without approval, threatening to drag the professor before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning.

    But Gana, responding to questions on Monday, said it was the leadership of the party at the time that mandated him to source for funds to enable the party organise fund raising dinner and other activities for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign.

    He said, “As chairman of the fund raising committee, I was mandate by the party leadership to raise funds and I had the party’s National Financial Secretary and others as members.

    “The then National Working Committee was briefed and we were given the go ahead to obtain the loan on behalf of the party, with the agreement to pay back from the money expected to be realised from the fund raising.

    “But after losing the election, leading to the resignation of the former chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu, the party leadership refused to pay back the money as earlier agreed.

    “The issue of repayment was what led to the crisis and the bank has already taken the matter to court. The money was used by the committee for what it was meant for and account was dully rendered. The records are there. The fact is that I was not even a signatory to the account.”

    Meanwhile, Sheriff had already apologised to Prof. Gana over the accusation, saying he never authorised his media aide that leveled the accusation to do so.

     

     

  • PDP Northern elders seek postponement of national convention

    Northern elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have lent their voice to calls for the postponement of the party’s national convention originally slated for May 21.

    The elders’ group led by a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, which arrived at the decision at a meeting in Abuja late Wednesday night, said the postponement would allow for reconciliation by army of aggrieved members.

    Another group led by the immediate past Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, had earlier made a similar call, citing flaws in the ongoing congresses across the various states.

    The Gana group, however, insisted that the present members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should vacate their seats on May 21, when their extended tenure is expected to expire.

    The elders decried the entrenched culture of impunity and imposition by the present leadership of the PDP, insisting that the party must shun these vices to enable it achieve stability and the vision of its founding fathers.

    They also faulted the proposed amendment of the PDP constitution, saying it was a violation of the party’s constitution.

  • Gana: Jonathan ’ll campaign in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa

    Gana: Jonathan ’ll campaign in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa

    •‘N21b donation for party secretariat, others’

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will take President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and other states in the Northeast ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    Chairman of the PDP fundraising dinner and former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, stated this in Abuja yesterday.

    Gana is also the director, Contact and Mobilisation of the President’s campaign organisation.

    Towns and villages in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states are under Boko Haram’s attacks.

    A number of the towns and villages have been seized by the sect members, with hundreds of innocent citizens killed, maimed and abducted.

    Gana said: “As the director, Contact and Mobilisation, yes, we are going to go to the Northeast. The campaign organisation is going to be inaugurated today (yesterday) and because we are organised, the programme is ready.

    “Northeast is in our programme and in fact, we are going to campaign in Maiduguri, Yobe and everywhere else. And by the grace of God, we shall come back.”

    On the chances of the PDP in next month’s elections, Prof. Gana said the electorate will go for capacity and experience.

    His words: “People will go for experience and capacity and not those that will be experimenting with the new house, because we don’t know whether the new house will last after the election.

    “People, who want to be stable, build on solid rock, which is the PDP. The other one is the sand; and when you build on sand, it may scatter. Please advise Nigerians to vote for the party that is on the rock.

    “This is a critical year for Nigeria, but it will all go well. There won’t be violence; the elections will be free and fair. The winner will be clear and Nigeria will not break up. Anyone who says Nigeria will be divided will be disappointed, because Nigerians have become very mature politicians and democrats.”

    Gana also said the N21 billion donated by individuals and corporate bodies towards the president’s re-election campaign at a fundraiser in December would be used to complete the PDP national secretariat building under construction and other party projects.

    He spoke at a news conference at the construction site of the party’s permanent secretariat building, located at the Central Area of the Federal Capital Territory.

    According to him, N10.5 billion would be used to complete the building while the remaining N10.5 billion would be expended on capacity building for party officials at various levels.

    He added that party projects in the 36 states of the federation would also be financed with part of the money.

    The party was forced to make a detour, apparently as a result of public outrage that greeted the donations, in which the amounts donated by individuals and corporate bodies exceeded what the Electoral Act stipulated.

    Defending the purpose for raising the N21 billion donation, Prof. Gana said:  “The administration of the party resolved that we must complete this project, so that we can move here.

    “So, part of the preparations for this year’s campaign is for us to raise funds and I had the honour of leading a very distinguished team of Nigerians to prepare for the fundraising.

    “We raised about N21 billion on that day. And the purpose of this press conference is to say that right from the start, we were raising money for the PDP and the project of the party.

    “The documents and letters said so, the speeches confirmed it. During the day of the fund-raising, in my own speech and the speech of the vice president – who happens to be an architect – there was a specific focus on this building; that this is one project we want to complete.

    “The vice president, being an architect, gave graphic details of where we were on this project and how we desired to go ahead. Therefore, the central aim of the fund-raising was to empower the party to complete this building and other projects.

    “The second is of course to empower the party to campaign for its candidates. Not for the President alone, but for others. The presidential candidate has the right and he is going to use that right to raise fund for his campaign quietly.

    “So, we want to make it clear that the money raised was for the PDP and a substantial part of it will be for the completion of this building.

    “As already noted, we need over N10 billion to complete it and so, even if we raise and we hope that we are going to raise more, half of the money is already going to be for the building and other projects.

  • Gana orientates youths on good leadership

    Gana orientates youths on good leadership

    Nigerian youths have been advised to believe in themselves and work towards improving themselves, rather than depending on a meritocratic leadership.

    Prof. Jerry Gana, who gave the advice during his keynote address at the 15th anniversary and public lecture of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, said that any society which does not raise quality youths is doomed.

    He further stressed the fact by referring to Dr. Myles Monroe’s definition of leadership which says: “Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.”

    Prof. Gana Stressed the fact that good leaders must always stay connected with the people and since leaders must lead and people follow, then it is necessary for the leader to know the way he is leading and be trustworthy, which comes from character, competence and courage.

    He said, “A leader must have the iron will to set priorities because a leader cannot do everything but must have the will-power to be able to stick to priorities and not deviate from them.

    “A leader should be able to take a few things and excel in it because the society will not remember you for what you say you will do but your achievements.”

    He concluded by saying that the youths in Nigeria make up about 60% of the population and that they are the ones that can change the mistakes of the past and bring back the much needed peace and unity that Nigerian presently longs for.

    The founder and national commandant of the Nigerian Peace Corps, Amb Dickson Aboh said that he had started the group 15 years ago, as a way of preaching peace, unity amongst Nigerians and the group which now has more than 70,000 members remains the most organised youth organisation in the whole of Nigeria and Africa.

  • 4,000 delegates to vote at PDP’s mini convention

    4,000 delegates to vote at PDP’s mini convention

    No fewer than 4000 delegates are expected to vote at the mini convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming up on July 20, chairman of the convention planning committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, has said.

    Briefing reporters at the PDP national campaign office (Legacy House) on Friday, Gana said all the vacant positions would be thrown open to interested members of the party.

    He, however, added that the same list of delegates approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2012 convention would be used for the July 20 exercise.

    To this effect, Prof. Gana said the party had forwarded to INEC its letter informing the electoral body of the date and modalities for the convention as prescribed by the relevant laws.

    He said: “The NEC of the PDP in its wisdom essentially adopted the list of delegates from the 2012 convention because we are actually reconvening to do the business we should have done properly.

    “Where there are variations, we are referring this list of delegates to the states for ratification. They will bring it (list) back as quickly as possible.

    “If there are situations where people have left the party or some people have died, or where there are other vacancies, we will make the necessary adjustment.

    “But I want to assure you that NEC has essentially adopted the list of delegates for the 2012 convention for this other convention for the 20th of July. So, there is not going to be election of any more delegates.

    The committee chair said his team would ensure a well organised convention through adequate publicity of the guidelines and ensuring well thought out preparations for the welfare of the delegates.

    “We also want to make sure that there is a credible system of election, so that when we conduct the elections, the elections are so excellently conducted to ensure a free, fair and credible choices by the delegates.”

    Also speaking on the matter, secretary to the committee and Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said the party would retain the existing zoning arrangements for all the positions to be contested for.

    Ekweremadu, however, added that candidates for the various positions would have to pay for fresh nominations, regardless of whatever they might have paid for nominations in the previous exercise.

    “But if there is any strong reason for us to change a particular candidate, that will happen. But for now, we are going to keep all the positions in the zones that are keeping them presently.

    “We are not changing the zoning formula of the NWC members. We are reopening nominations. This is a new convention. They will pay because it is not the old convention,” Ekweremadu stated.