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Tag: push

  • Nobody can push us out of Ogun APC, says Senator

    Nobody can push us out of Ogun APC, says Senator

    Senator Akin Odunsi (Ogun West) has said the Chief Olusegun Osoba faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State will not leave the party, despite the crisis rocking the state chapter.

    He said the crisis could be resolved, if the national leadership does the right thing.

    Reacting to speculations that Osoba and his loyalists are planning to dump the party, Odunsi said: “It is a wicked and unfounded rumour. Though our group appears to be a beautiful bride for a lot of groups to approach, we are not leaving because APC is our party.  We are not leaving APC. The landlord does not leave his house for the tenant.  Nobody can stampede us out of APC. We are appealing to our members to remain steadfast and undaunted. Though we have been cheated, we should remain faithful to the party and we believe justice will come our way.

    “It will be disastrous if the party insists on taking wrong decisions on the parallel congresses conducted by the Osoba and the Governor Ibikunle Amosun factions. Which of them followed the party’s guidelines that say only candidates with bank tellers are qualified to contest? The party leaders should be guided in their decision by the party’s guidelines on the conduct of congresses. If the party takes the bull by the horn, I assure you that a lot of our members who are drifting today will come back.

    “The national secretariat seems not to understand the gravity of the problems at hands. If it decides to ignore the complaints of members of the National Assembly from the state, it appears the party leadership is treating the matter with levity. Before the matter got to where it is today, we intimidated the national leaders but nothing was done.”

    Odunsi ruled out harmonisation between the two groups. He said it was the decision of the members that there should be no further harmonisation, adding: “What informed this position was the previous experience we had with the governor, who promised harmonisation during the congress but nothing happened.”

    Osoba and his group boycotted the APC national convention held in Abuja. Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East) said he and his colleagues boycotted the convention because they were not formally invited. He said even though he had the right to be at the convention as a senator, he decided not attend because of perceived injustice.

    Kaka said: “The moment the APC national leadership decided not to review the appeal committee’s report on the parallel congresses in Ogun and decided to recognise the Amosun faction, we lost interest in what was going on.”

  • U.S. needs to push for sanctions on Rwanda to help Congo

    U.S. needs to push for sanctions on Rwanda to help Congo

    BACK IN January, President Obama rationalized his refusal to act in Syria in part by asking, in an interview with the New Republic, “How do I weigh tens of thousands who’ve been killed in Syria versus the tens of thousands who are currently being killed in the Congo?” Since then, his administration has supported a vigorous campaign of diplomacy and military intervention to stop the bloodshed in . . . Congo. This worthy effort now faces its first serious test.

    A United Nations-sponsored conference in February produced a peace framework; in March the U.N. Security Council authorized a 3,000-strong “intervention brigade,” the first in U.N. history, to carry out offensive operations against armed groups. The force, composed of troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania, is due to be fully deployed by next month — and it appears that its services will soon be needed. This month fighting has erupted between the Congolese army and a rebel group called M23 after months of relative calm. Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in North Kivu province, where there are already nearly 1 million displaced civilians.

    The scale of recent bloodshed in Congo is in no way comparable to that in Syria, but it stems from a chronic conflict that has repeatedly convulsed Africa’s Great Lakes region. With the Congolese government in faraway Kinshasa unable to control the region, neighboring countries — beginning with Rwanda — have repeatedly intervened. Rwanda originally sought to protect itself from Hutu militias that fled its territory after carrying out a 1994 genocide, but over the years it has developed economic interests in Congo and close ties with Congolese Tutsis.

    According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, Rwanda is backing M23 despite its commitment at the February peace conference to stop sponsoring Congolese militias. The report says M23 has carried out scores of murders and rapes since March. It is not the only offender: Government troops are also guilty of abuses, as are smaller militias allied with one of the two sides. M23 may be trying to gain advantage ahead of the U.N. force’s deployment, which is why it’s important that the force begin to act on its mandate as soon as possible.

    The Obama administration continues to focus on the problem: Secretary of State John F. Kerry is due to lead a ministerial discussion on Congo at the United Nations on Thursday. Mr. Kerry can be expected to remonstrate in private with representatives of Rwanda — which unconvincingly denies links to M23 — but he ought to speak out publicly about the violations as well. The United States and European governments, longtime supporters of Rwanda, suspended some aid last year after M23 briefly seized the city of Goma. Now they need to threaten further sanctions, while also offering Rwanda incentives, including economic carrots, that will allow it to beat a face-saving retreat from Congo once and for all.

    – Washington Post

     

  • PDP BoT chair: Leaders push for consensus

    PDP BoT chair: Leaders push for consensus

    Barely 24 hours to the emergence of a new Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leaders of the party are pushing for consensus instead of voting by members.

    The Presidency and party leadership are also in favour of the consensus option.

    A former national chairman of the party said consensus will unite the BoT and the party better than an election.

    The Presidency is showing more than a keen interest in the choice of a new BoT.

    The BOT members would converge on the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday for a session on their new chairman.

    It was learnt that about 20 leaders of the party have obtained forms to occupy the seat, which was vacated in June by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Some of the aspirants are a former Chairman of the BoT, Chief Tony Anenih; a former National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmadu Ali; a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani; and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. There are, also, a former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Don Etiebet, who is a returnee to the party; a former Chairman of the BoT of ANPP, Chief Harry Akande and 13 others.

    Others who did not apply but are being recommended tfor the slot are former-Vice-President Alex Ekwueme and a former acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

    Most leaders of the party and some influential members of the BoT believe that an election will not be suitable in the choice of its chairman.

    A BoT member said: “Party leaders prefer consensus than outright election because BoT is more or less an advisory organ made up of the President and elders of the party.

    “The leaders are also surprised by the fuss the choice of a new chairman is generating because it is arguably the least potent organ of the party. After all, the chairman and the secretary of BoT will only be members of the National Executive Committee.

    “Except for serving as the conscience of the party, BoT remains a mediatory organ, in terms of addressing crises. I think a former Chairman of the BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, gave colour and power bite to the seat, such that when Obasanjo left office he was desperately after the seat for relevance.”

    Another BoT member said: “Everyone is interested in the choice of our new chairman because we will soon go into election period and we need a voice who can serve as a true conscience of the party.

    “Allowing a figure head to be BoT chairman won’t assist dispute resolution within the party. If you look at the PDP leadership structure, it is presently weak. Other organs should not follow the same weak pattern.

    “Look at the crisis in Adamawa State , it is a problem that a strong BoT leadership could address without PDP leaders getting involved in the mess.”

    A former National chairman of the party, who spoke in confidence, said: “I am positive that we will be able to produce a new chairman for the BoT without going into election.

    “As a matter of fact, our constitution is not strict on election of either the chairman or the secretary. We have started discussions and we will be able to have a new BoT leader without going into ballot.”

    Asked to respond to the insistence of some aspirants on election, the source added: “It is normal in a democracy like this, but I think in view of the pedigree of BoT members, wise counsel will prevail and we will produce a consensus candidate.

    “We have never elected any BoT chairman or secretary. This will not be an exception at all.”

    But one of the aspirants said: “They are begging us to allow mutual discussion to prevail and pick a new leader. But some of us want election to prove a point that this organ should lay the foundation for democracy.

    “If you read Article 12.77 of the PDP Constitution very well, it is categorical that the BoT should elect a chairman and secretary.”

    Article 12.77 of the PDP reads in part: “The BoT shall elect a chairman and secretary from members of the Board. The chairman and secretary shall also be members of the National Executive Committee.

    “Without prejudice to the provision of this Constitution, ensure that the person to be elected chairman and secretary respectively are of proven integrity and have contributed immensely to the growth of the party.”

    As at press time, four zones are in the forefront for the chairmanship slot.

    The geopolitical zones are North-Central, South-South, South-East, and South-West.

    Out of the four zones, it was learnt that only the South-East has not occupied the BoT chair.

    But party leaders are arguing that the Southeast is having more than its fair share of appointments, with key portfolios such as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Finance, Debt Management Office, Budget Office, Bureau of Public Procurement, Ministries of Aviation and Labour.

    A source added: “The South-East is virtually in charge of the nation’s economic management at present. It would be too much to concede political power to the region again.

    “The North-Central appears to have been shortchanged because it has only the President of the Senate. If members concede the BOT seat to North-Central, they have to look within and outside the body.”

    On the part of the South-West, party leaders unanimously believe that it has been really marginalised.

    The Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kayode Babade, said: “Our appeal is simple; we are urging the national leadership of our great party to honour our zone with the position of the BOT chairman.”

    According to sources, the presidency is showing interest in the choice of a BoT chairman.

    A source said: “The emergence of a new BoT chairman will determine the future of the zoning policy of the party and, by implication, where Jonathan’s aspiration will stand in 2015.

    “So, the presidency cannot just watch idly and allow any distortion in BoT which could cost Jonathan a second term ticket. That is why horse-trading is going on at present.”

    Some of those expected at Tuesday’s session are President Goodluck Jonathan, all past and serving presidents and vice-presidents; Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha; past Senate Presidents and Speakers still in PDP and their deputies; all past and present national chairmen and national secretaries of PDP, all founding fathers and mothers of the party, two women selected from each of the six geopolitical zones; three members, at least one of who shall be a woman from each of the six geopolitical zones; and persons not exceeding six, who have contributed immensely to the growth of the party and found suitable by the Board.