The Nation Newspaper

Tag: RESIGNATION

  • Zuma celebrates 74th birthday amid growing opposition

    Zuma celebrates 74th birthday amid growing opposition

    South African President, Jacob Zuma, celebrated his 74th birthday on Tuesday, amid growing calls for his resignation, mostly from the opposition.

    “My birthday wish is to see South Africa increasingly becoming a better place for all,’’ Zuma said in a message to the nation.

    Presidential spokesperson, Bongani Majola, said that Zuma would spend the day with his family in Pretoria.

    The president is embroiled in a series of scandals, notably improper state spending on his rural home and the Gupta business family’s alleged undue influence over his government.

    South Africa’s top court in late March ruled that Zuma violated the constitution by ignoring orders from an anti-corruption body for him to repay public money improperly used during security upgrades at his private home in Nkandla.

    The opposition has failed in a bid to impeach Zuma in parliament following the ruling.

    It has also accused Zuma of his links with the Indian-South African Gupta family after some sitting and former officials alleged the Guptas offered them ministerial posts.

     

  • ‘Oliseh’s resignation a blessing to Nigerian football’

    ‘Oliseh’s resignation a blessing to Nigerian football’

    Isa Matori, the Chairman of Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi, says the resignation of Sunday Oliseh as Chief Coach of Super Eagles is a blessing to Nigerian football.

    Matori told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Bauchi that the coach should not have been employed in the first place by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    “I expected his resignation a long time ago, because I believe that it was a mistake in the first place for the NFF to have appointed him to take care of the team.

    “He may have the qualifications, no doubt about it, but he does not have the requisite experience, the exposure and courage to lead our team to success,” he said.

    “He has also been looking for a way out of it. You will understand this when you look at his actions, such as when he had problems with the team captain (Vincent Enyeama) who has dedicated so much commitment to the nation in the area of football.

    “He should have sympathised with him when he lost his mother. Even when he (Enyeama) was able to turn up in camp, Oliseh’s reaction was bad.

    “So, he has been looking for a way to leave the job, and it is a blessing for us as far as I am concerned, because Sunday Oliseh cannot take us anywhere,” the club chairman said.

    Also, Umar Said, a Bauchi-based football commentator, supported Matori’s position, describing Oliseh’s resignation as a welcome development in Nigerian football.

    Said noted that the unending controversies between Oliseh and NFF was the result of the fact that due process was not followed during his engagement.

    He pointed out that unlike the appointments of Shuaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi and foreign coaches, where due process, such as screening, was followed before engagement, Oliseh’s appointment “came through the back door’’.

    “In the case of Oliseh, he was smuggled in through the back door and this has caused the country a lot in the field of football,’’ the former state Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) said.

    He then called for the engagement of a Grade ‘A’ coach for the team, to enable it forge ahead.

  • Mixed reactions trail Oliseh’s resignation

    Mixed reactions trail Oliseh’s resignation

    Friday Ekpo, an ex-international on Friday described the resignation of the Super Eagles handler, Sunday Oliseh, as shocking.

    Oliseh in the early hours of February 26 announced his resignation, citing violations of his contract terms and unpaid salaries by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as well as lack of support among others.

    The former Super Eagles midfielder was appointed on July 15, 2015. He took over from Stephen Keshi whose appointment was terminated by the NFF.

    Ekpo said that the resignation came at a crucial time when the nation was preparing for a major qualifying match against Egypt on March 26.

    “Honestly, I don’t know where we are heading to with this latest development of Oliseh’s resignation.

    “I hope this won’t affect our chances of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Ekpo, also urged the leadership of the NFF to get things right in order to avert such recurrence in the future.

    “The NFF should always do things the right way, that is the only way we can avoid things like this,” he said.

    Also, Falade Oyekan, Chairman of the Lagos Divisional Football Association (LDFA), said he was not surprised over the coach’s resignation.

    “What has Oliseh achieved as a coach that is the question we should ask ourselves as a nation, a lot of Nigerians questioned his appointment then.

    “The painful thing is that we have a very vital match at hand and he chooses to throw in the towel at this time,” he said.

    Donatus Emeka, a grassroots football coach, said that Oliseh should have resigned when he failed to qualify the home-based eagles for the second round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

    Emeka said that the NFF should be held responsible for the crises affecting football in the country.

    “If you do the wrong thing, definitely you will get the wrong result and that is what has happened concerning Oliseh.

    “NFF should do the needful to redeem its image and apologise to the nation,’’ he said.

  • Ikpoki resigns as MTN Nigeria’s CEO

    Ikpoki resigns as MTN Nigeria’s CEO

    The management of MTN Nigeria has announced the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Micheal Ikpoki and head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Akinwale Goodluck.

    The telecommunications company in a statement issued Thursday said; “MTN Nigeria’s CEO Michael Ikpoki and the head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Akinwale Goodluck have tendered their resignations with immediate effect.”

    The statement also quoted MTN as announcing a replacement for the duo; “They are replaced by Ferdi Moolman as MTN Nigeria CEO and Amina Oyagbola as its head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs,” the statement said.

    It added; “Mr. Moolman was previously COO at MTN Irancell and most recently CFO at MTN Nigeria. A Nigerian national, Ms Oyagbola also retains the position of MTN Nigeria’s Head of Human Resources. She formerly headed regulatory affairs at the Nigerian operating company.”

  • Iorfa delays resignation from Lobi

    Iorfa delays resignation from Lobi

    • Idoko, Kpakor, Imenger to form new board

    Vice chairman of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, Dominic Iorfa has been given a soft-landing by Benue State government, sponsors of the club.

    Iorfa, a former international has led the club for more than 13 years as the Vice chairman of the Makurdi side, during this period, he won the FA Cup and played at the continental level.

    Iorfa also led the club to the 2015 Federation Cup finals . He lost to Akwa United.

    SportingLife gathered exclusively that before the 2015 Federation Cup in Lagos, the ex-Super Eagles had a gentleman’s agreement to allow him complete the 2015 Glo Premier League and Federation Cup before he would resign.

    Even though the Benue State government wanted to sack him at the initial stage but when he pleaded for more time, it was granted but with a clause that he will immediately resign, SportingLife gathered.

    But more than two weeks after the Federation Cup and  the end of the 2015 Glo Premier League session, Iorfa is yet to honour his gentleman’s agreement, this according to supporters of Lobi Stars, who want to see a quick change in the club is causing anxiety.

    SportingLife gathered also that Benue State may carry out total reorganisation in the club to reposition it ahead of the league session for better performance and prudent financial management.

    Apart from this, the state government also plans to probe the financial activities of the  club, especially with  regards to the building of a football academy at Uchi town, located  on the Makurdi-Gboko road, which gulped more than N700 million by the management of the club,yet work is still at the foundation stage before it was abandoned.

    Already, Benue football coaches are united in their quest to take Lobi Stars to a greater height no matter who is appointed to lead the club.

    Names of those who would constitute the Lobi stars new management are Mike Idoko, Sam Aindi, Terver Ikya, Barnabas Imenger and Moses Kpakor.

    It is expected that Dominic Iorfa will turn in his letter of resignation as agreed or his sack maybe announced before the first week of December.

  • PDP demands AGF’s, INEC chair’s resignation

    PDP demands AGF’s, INEC chair’s resignation

    OPPOSITION Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday broke its silence on the Kogi State governorship election of last Saturday, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared inconclusive.

    In its first official reaction to the poll by its spokesman, Olisa Metuh, the party asked the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami and INEC chair, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to quit their positions.

    The party alleged that the AGF misled INEC to take an unconstitutional position on the yet-to-be concluded elections and that the INEC chairman hastily accepted the minister’s suggestion without advice from INEC’s legal unit.

    The statement said that the AGF should “immediately vacate his office for harrying and misleading the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into arriving at an unconstitutional decision to allow the APC to substitute its candidate in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election.

    It went on: “The party is shocked that INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process.

    “We are all aware that the two legal documents guiding INEC in the conduct of elections; the Constitution and the Electoral Act, have provisions for electoral exigencies as well as empower the electoral body to fully take responsibility for any of its actions or inaction without undue interference from any quarters whatsoever.

    “We are therefore at a loss as to which sections of these two relevant laws, INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate in an on-going election even after the timelines for such has elapsed under all the rules.

    “INEC as a statutory body has the full complements of technical hands in its legal department to advice it appropriately and we wonder why it had to wait for directives from the AGF, an external party, if not for partisan and subjective interest.

    “Consequently, the PDP rejects in its entirety, this brazen move by the APC and INEC to circumvent the laws and ambush the yet-to-be concluded election by introducing a practice that is completely alien to the constitution and the electoral act.

    “The clear implication of this action of the AGF and INEC is that the APC would be fielding two different governorship candidates in the on-going Kogi election, meaning that INEC would be transferring votes cast for late Prince Abubakar Audu to another candidate, scenarios that have no place in the constitution of the land.

    “Whereas the PDP, in honour of the sanctity of human life and respect for the dead, had since Sunday refrained from making comments on the conduct of the election, we can no longer maintain such in the face of the barefaced attack on our democracy.

    “This INEC under the leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has shown itself as partisan, morally bankrupt and obviously incapable of conducting a credible election within our laws.

    “In view of the foregoing therefore, the PDP demands an immediate resignation of the INEC Chairman, as the nation’s democracy cannot afford to be left in the hands of an electoral umpire that cannot exert its independence and the sanctity of the electoral process.”

    The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) will today meet to take a decision on the development which it called an “obvious threat to our democracy.”

     

  • Controversies trail resignation of Wike’s media adviser

    • Former governor’s aide on way to USA   •SA’s action demonstration of uncommon courage- APC

    Yesterday’s resignation of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike’s embattled Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, has continued to generate fresh controversies.

    According to investigations in Port Harcourt, Opunabo Inko-Tariah was on his way to the United States of America, as at the time his resignation was made public, making his telephone lines inaccessible for further clarifications.

    It was learnt that Inko-Tariah dropped the three-page resignation letter through a trusted senior journalist around 9 p.m. on Thursday, pleading that it must not be made public until 9 a.m. yesterday, when he would have been airborne to the USA.

    Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, lauded Inko-Tariah’s courage, describing it as uncommon.

    Rivers APC said: “We welcome the uncommon courage displayed by Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah in resigning as the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the embattled governor of Rivers State this (yesterday) morning.

    “As a party, the APC knew that it was only a matter of time before all well-meaning proud sons and daughters of Rivers State, who find themselves in Wike’s sinking ship jumped to safety. This is not only because his governorship will soon become history, but because the malevolently unique style of Wike, whose hallmark behaviour hinges on divide-and-rule exasperates decent minds.

    “We are not surprised that the former Special Adviser, Media & Publicity is telling sordid stories of neglect and disrespect for his views and advice by the outgoing governor. These are all well-known character pattern of Nyesom Wike.”

    It was also gathered that the embattled former special adviser was to be sacked yesterday morning by the Governor Wike for embarrassing him and the Rivers government over his accusation of the election petitions tribunals and the Supreme Court of judicial terrorism and gang-up.

    Inko-Tariah, who is also the publisher of Port Harcourt-based newspaper, Hard Truth, claimed in his resignation that he resigned because Wike starved his office of funds and refused to take his professional advice.

    According to sources, Wike made up his mind on October 27 to remove Inko-Tariah shortly after he issued a press statement, titled: “Judicial Terrorism,” where he thoroughly abused the judiciary and eminent judicial officers.

    It was gathered that the judicial terrorism statement angered the governor, himself a lawyer, making him decide to sideline the controversial Inko-Tariah to avoid further embarrassment.

    The Rivers governor, while meeting with stakeholders at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt on October 30, disowned Inko-Tariah and denied ever authorising the controversial statement.

  • Aregbesola urges Soyinka to reconsider resignation

    Aregbesola urges Soyinka to reconsider resignation

    The Osun State government yesterday appealed to Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka not to resign as the chairman of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo.

    A statement signed personally by Governor Rauf Aregbesola said public interest is supreme in all matters.

    The governor called on stakeholders to prevail on Soyinka not to go ahead with his decision to resign.

    “In the interest of the public and the culture of our race to which Soyinka is passionately committed, he must continue in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centre.

    “Yes, Wole Soyinka has resigned but he himself has conceded the fact that the governor must accept it.

    “We cannot accept the resignation even though we hold him in high esteem, because of the responsibilities attached to his chairmanship of CBCIU, which is beyond him and even beyond us.

    “It has to do with the culture and tradition of our race which we believe that the CBCIU is meant to preserve and promote.

    “We call on people of goodwill to prevail on Prof. Wole Soyinka, an international personage of culture, in the interest of our race, not to go ahead with his decision to resign.”

    The government said though the former chairman of the CBCIU had the vision to build the centre in his capacity then as the governor, he cannot be the chairman of the Centre in perpetuity as stipulated by the law establishing the Centre.

    The statement said: “The issue here is not difficult at all. The issue is that for whatever reason, a former governor of our state who had the vision of building that centre was misdirected to believe that he could be the perpetual chairman of the board of trustees, a situation that contradicts the constitution on any public institution.

    “There is no way the constitution will permit any individual to, in his individual capacity, head at that level, public institutions in perpetuity. It is not done. It offends the constitution. No matter how powerful you may be, no individual can put himself in perpetual role in a public institution.”

    The statement added that the law which vested that perpetual chairmanship in the former governor has been amended.

    It said: “The law which vested the perpetual chairmanship of the Centre on the former governor has been amended through the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (Amendment) Law 2012.

    “Wherever the public interest is, personal interest suffers, diminishes or does not exist at all. The public interest prevails.”

    “To that extent, as far at the CBCIU is concerned, the obnoxious section which gives the perpetual chairmanship of the Board of Trustees to any individual is no longer there. It is null and void and cannot be the point of reference for anybody. Whoever therefore still sees himself in that light is not in any way acting on the legal instrument today in force on that centre.”

    The government said Soyinka’s chairmanship of the Centre is part of a larger responsibility to drive the building of a new heritage centre in the state.

    “We call on all people of goodwill to prevail on Prof Wole Soyinka to kindly reconsider his position and avail us his world acclaimed knowledge, intellect, international network and commitment to black  culture and civilisation,”  it concluded.

  • Group demands Saraki’s resignation

    Group demands Saraki’s resignation

    The Salvage Group, a group of professionals in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to toe the line of morality and decency, by stepping down, to enable him face his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    In a statement by its National Coordinator, Mr. Peter Ajayi, and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bola Olanrewaju, the group said it is  shameful that while the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to give Nigeria a new direction, the Senate President is undermining its efforts by colluding with those that ruined the economy  in the last 16 years.

    The group said this not the first time a Senate President would be compelled to step down in the current political dispensation because he has lost the moral high-ground demanded to occupy such an exalted office.

    It cited the cases of Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Senator Adolphus Wabara and Senator Evan Enwerem, who were removed from office under similar circumstances. “These men were members of the governing party and they quietly left office at the time, but the nation moved on,” the statement noted.

    It added: “We like to say clearly here that some of his colleagues that purportedly passed a vote of confidence on him do not truly represent the feelings of their constituents, and so cannot be speaking for the 170 million Nigerians. The senators cannot claim to know Saraki better than the millions of his Ilorin kinsmen who, on Sallah day, stoned him like the devil which they think he replicates.

    “Saraki’s vote of confidence is mute because under the presidential system, unlike Westminster parliamentary system, votes of confidence are inappropriate. When the process commences, his colleagues will surely abandon him, as two of them have already done.

  • Buhari accepts Abdullahi’s resignation from Customs

    Buhari accepts Abdullahi’s resignation from Customs

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday accepted the resignation of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

    Abdullahi is billed to proceed on his voluntary retirement from Tuesday, August 18.

    The Customs boss had earlier written a letter dated August 3 to the President notifying him of his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement from Tuesday.

    President Buhari’s approval of Abdullahi’s request was dated August 14 and personally signed by the President.

    In the letter, the President thanked the NCS boss for his services to the county in the last six years.

    The President’s letter, titled “Voluntary retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service” read: “Dear, Alhaji D.I. Abdullahi. I write to acknowledge the receipt of your letter Ref. No. NCS/ADM/HQ/P. 35802 of 3rd August, 2015 conveying your decision to voluntarily retire from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from Tuesday, 18th August, 2015.

    “I note with appreciation your services to this nation, especially as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service in the last six (6) years.

    “Accordingly, I hereby approve your voluntary retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from 18th August 2015.

    “I wish you the very best in your future endeavours.

    “Yours sincerely, Muhammadu Buhari.”

    The Nigeria Customs boss had in his letter to the President thanked him for the confidence and trust reposed on him since he (Buhari) was inaugurated on May 29.

    Stressing that he would be six years in office as the Comptroller-General of the NCS by August 18, he recalled that on assumption of office, he articulated six-point agenda which he vigorously pursued.

    tering understanding of the Service in the eye of the general public using an intensified and a well-coordinated public relations platform.

    Under his tenure, he said that the revenue collection into various coffers of government increased drastically.

    He also pointed out that the Service’s average monthly collection in 2009 when he took over was about N29billion, while the average monthly collection is currently between N90billion and N100billion.

     

    His decision to go on voluntary resignation, he said, was based on the need to allow young bloods to takeover the mantle of leadership of the Service in order to sustain and improve on his legacy.

    “While thanking Your Excellency and indeed Nigerians for the opportunity to serve and contribute my quota to the development of our fatherland, I wish to seek approval of Your Excellency to be allowed to retire voluntarily on 18th August 2015.

    “This decision is taken with a view to allowing young bloods to takeover the mantle of leadership of the Service in order to sustain and improve on my legacy.” He stated

    But the President was yet to name Abdullahi’s successor as at the time of this report.