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Tag: Sule Lamido

  • Lamido welcomes Oduah to Jigawa

    Lamido welcomes Oduah to Jigawa

    There are pointers that President Goodluck Jonathan and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido may have reconciled, as the governor welcomed Aviation Minister Stella Oduah to the state a few hours after Jonathan and Lamido met in Abuja.

    It was gathered that the governor and the minister left Abuja to Jigawa on different flights, which landed at the Kano Airport.

    They travelled by road to Dutse where they inspected the Dutse international Airport.

    Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Ms Oduah described the airport as one of the best in the country.

    She said the airport would begin full operations in the first quarter of next year.

    The project will cost the state government about N11 billon.

    Ms Oduah said the Federal Government would build a perishable cargo terminal to enhance agricultural produce and commercial viability in the area.

    She said the airport had the potential to become the perishable cargo hub in the region, adding that this would enhance the income of farmers.

    The minister described the three-kilometre runway as “fantastic”, promising that a cold room to store perishables would be built at the airport.

    Lamido said the minister was in the state to fulfill part of the President’s campaign promises to the people.

     

  • Jonathan in talks with Lamido, Aliyu at Villa

    *13 PDP Governors meet Sambo, SGF at Villa

    President Goodluck Jonathan Sunday  night met the remaining two aggrieved governors who refused to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa.

    The two state governors, who met with Jonathan, Vice President, Namadi Sambo and the Secretary
    to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim at the First Lady Conference room are Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).

    Details of the discussions at the meeting is still unknown as the meeting was still on as at press time sunday night.

    While the meeting with the G-2 governors was starting at the venue, the Vice President and SGF met for about two hours with 13 PDP Governors at House Seven in the Presidential Villa.

    None of the members spoke with journalists when the Vice President ended the meeting at House Seven around 8.40p.m as Sambo and Anyim rushed to meet up with the President’s meeting with the G-2 governors.

    When Chairman of PDP Governors Forum Akpabio was approached at House Seven for comments, he said that the meeting was Vice President’s meeting.

    The 13 PDP governors, who met with Sambo and Anyim at the Villa had also earlier met briefly at the Akwa Ibom State Lodge with Akpabio before proceeding to the Villa.

    The PDP governors present at Akwa Ibom Lodge include Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Idris Wada (Kogi), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina).

    Others are Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Theodore Orji (Abia), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Serike Dickson (Bayelsa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and Niger and Kaduna deputy governors.

    PDP governors who were absent at the Akwa Ibom State lodge meeting included Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ibrahim Dankwambo ( Gombe), Garba Umar (Taraba), Gabriel Suswam ( Benue) and Saidu Dankigari (Kebbi).

  • Abdulsalami tasks politicians on peaceful coexistence

    Abdulsalami tasks politicians on peaceful coexistence

    Former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), on Thursday urged politicians to promote peaceful coexistence for the unity of the country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Abubakar made the call when he visited Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa in Dutse.

    He stressed that peace was important for the development of any society, pointing out that there will be no nation without peace.

    “Where ever we are, we must make peace and this is also applicable to politics.

    “We, as people must avoid violence and if there is any difference among us, there are procedures to follow – like the judiciary,” he said.

    The former head of state noted that the effort to restore democracy in the country during his regime was possible because of the commitment of all Nigerians.

    He also called for serious and genuine efforts to deepen the country’s democracy and growth.

    Abubakar commended Lamido for transforming his state positively, noting that the governor had executed people-oriented projects.

    Earlier, the governor described Abdulsalami as a “leader of democracy.”

    He said that Abubakar nurtured a system that prepared the 1999 election that brought democratic government.

     

  • Amaechi, Wamakko, Nyako, Saraki, Oyinlola join APC

    Amaechi, Wamakko, Nyako, Saraki, Oyinlola join APC

    History was made yesterday in Abuja, with the New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) merging with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Besides, five of the aggrieved seven PDP governors, popularly called G-7, joined the APC.

    Governors Aliyu Babangida (Niger) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa) are to follow later.

    Aliyu, who showed up briefly at the conclusion of the merger talks in the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District, Abuja will determine his political future in January, next year.

    Lamido decided to go through the peace talks with the President, based on the advice of his political godfather, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who he fondly calls “The Oracle”.

    The outcome of the peace talks would guide Lamido’s choice- either to pitch his tent with the APC or not.

    It was also learnt that Lamido is tarrying a while because of alleged overtures from the Presidency on tAhe fate of his sons, who were recently arrested for money laundering.

    The Presidency was said to be offering a soft-landing for the governor’s children, if he renounces his alliance with the New PDP.

    Radiating a sense of fulfillment, APC leaders posed for historic shots at the doorstep of the lodge, amid backslapping.

    They were all smiles as photographers kept on pestering them for shots to mark a milestone in the political evolution of Nigeria.

    An excited National Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who swiveled his brown Babanriga with ecstasy, said the merger was real.

    He read a terse statement, after about three hours talks between the faction and APC leaders, with the relish of a newscaster.

    The statement was signed by the National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and Baraje.

    The statement said: “A meeting of the leadership of APC and the New PDP met this morning at the residence of the Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Abuja.

    “After exhaustive deliberations, the two parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy.”

    The merger of New PDP with APC was preceded by final round of talks between the G-7 governors and top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

    The meeting, which began at 9.30am at Kano Governor’s Lodge and ended at about 12.30pm.

    Those at the meeting were a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governors – Rotimi Amaechi, Murtala Nyako, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Rabiu Kwankwaso. A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, ex-Governor Ogbonnaya Onu(the immediate National chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party), ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, ex-Governor Bukola Saraki, ex-Governor Abdullahi Adamu, ex-Governor Timpreye Sylvia, Alhaji Lai Mohammed­ and ex-Senator Suleiman Nazif were also there.

    Others are: Imam Kashim, former Deputy National Chairman of New PDP, Sam Sam Jaja and the Youth Leader of the New PDP, Timi Frank.

    Governor Aliyu Wammako, who was away in Senegal, was said to be monitoring the talks.

    Speaking briefly with reporters, Baraje said the New PDP had merged with the APC.

    He said: “We are merging; we are merging.”

    Asked if the merger meant dropping the name, new PDP, he said: “All these are implications of merging. What they are telling you is that we have merged and we have agreed to merge.

    “Please take note that… you have observed that …some of our members took permission to go out of the meeting; they did not walk out. You have seen the Governor of Kwara State, you have seen the Governor of Niger. They all took permission to travel.

    “In fact, some of us here are travelling too. We only waited a little bit for this communiqué to be read because of you.”

    Although Baraje did not give the details of why the leaders terminated talks with Jonathan, The Nation learnt that the merger came two months earlier than proposed by the coalescing groups because of the President alleged foot-dragging on the peace talks within the crisis-ridden PDP.

    The G-7 governors and the New PDP had opted to wait till the conclusion of talks with Jonathan on or before January before merging with APC or not.

    It was learnt that the bungling of the peace talks last Sunday by the President made the merger a fait accompli.

    Most of the governors and New PDP leaders were aggrieved that the President was only bidding time.

    The New PDP and the G-7, according to sources, also acted to beat alleged plot by the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee(NWC) to expel their leaders.

    A governor, who spoke in confidence, said: “For sometime now, we have been weighing options. We felt we should wait till January 2014 to move to APC, if the talks with the President did not yield any fruits.

    “As a matter of fact, in the last 48 hours, we were still at the crossroads on whether to give Jonathan more time or not.

    “We have, however, discovered that the President was just bidding time to consolidate and deal with the G-7 governors. At a point when we gave the President a breathing space during the peace talks, he decided to remove ministers allegedly loyal to the G-7 governors.

    “In another instance when we thought were making progress with the peace talks, Oyinlola and others were suspended.

    “And when we expected resumption of peace talks after this year’s Hajj, Jonathan kept on shifting the goalpost. Although he said he would meet with us on Sunday, we knew there were plans to expel some of our leaders on or before Friday.”

    After reviewing past meetings, the group concluded that the President was never seriously committed to the peace talks. “Each time we met him, he would just be laughing. His position is that he should bark orders at us and we should comply, said the source, who added:

    “Technically, they do not want us in PDP again but they were being tactical in trying to edge us out.”

    Another source said: “We are actually expecting three or more PDP governors to join the APC early next year.

    “This is just the beginning of the coming political hurricane in the country. Nigerians should wait for further developments.”

    Replying to a question, the source added: “All the G-7 members did not join the APC today because of one reason or the other. They gave us cogent reasons, which are acceptable to us.

    “We are expecting them in 2014. For example, Governors Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido offered to explore the peace initiative to the fullest. Aliyu, who may make up his mind in January, is also reading the lips of political makers in Niger State.

    “For Lamido, the Presidency knows he is a political asset and it has been mounting pressure on him with a promise to address the money laundering case against his children. They know he is passionate about hanging corruption allegations against his children. They are using likely reprieve for the children as a bait to woo Lamido.

    “Also, Lamido as a party man, defers to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo a lot. He might still want to consult the ex-President before taking the next step.”

  • Money laundering: EFCC arrests Lamido’s sons

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two sons of the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido for alleged laundering of about N10billion.

    The sons, Mustapha and Aminu Lamido were brought to Abuja at about 9am on Friday.

    They were being interrogated as at press time.

    But there were fears last night that the arrest of the two sons was linked to the ongoing crackdown on G-7 governors

    According to a top source, who spoke in confidence, the suspects were picked up in Dutse, Jigawa State following alleged diversion of state funds into their accounts.

    It was gathered that the ongoing investigation of the alleged mismanagement of the N10billion led to the invasion of Jigawa by the EFCC operatives.

    Although the governor was linked to the laundering of the said funds, the EFCC could not arrest him because he enjoys constitutional immunity.

    The source said: “You will recall that we had earlier secured the conviction of Aminu for laundering $40,000. This incident made the EFCC to take more interest in the financial affairs of Jigawa State.

    “Following tips-off, we stepped up investigation into the financial transactions leading to this fresh discovery of alleged mismanagement of N10billion.

    “We are looking into how part of these state funds got into the accounts of the governor’s sons.

    “We are investigating the allegation that the suspects had been fronting for their father by laundering state funds.

    “All the accounts of the sons and their fathers are being scrutinized by our investigating team.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The two sons were brought to Abuja at about 9am on Friday. Their interrogation is still in progress.

    “It is too early to talk of their admission to bail now because they had been making only statement.”

    Contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “We have arrested the sons of the governor, they are being interrogated.”

     

  • Talks to resolve PDP crisis deadlocked

    Talks to resolve PDP crisis deadlocked

    The meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and 16 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at the Presidential Villa on Sunday night to resolve the crisis rocking the party ended in deadlock.

    Seven governors including Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulafatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) left the venue of Saturday’s Special National Convention of the party with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form a parallel exco for the “new PDP.”

    They announced the sack of the Bamanga Tukur- led executive committee and replaced them with Kawu Baraje as National Chairman, Olagunsoye Oyinlola as National Secretary and Dr. Sam Jaja, as Deputy National Chairman of the new PDP.

    Reading the Communiqué of the meeting convened to resolve the crisis at the early hours of Monday, the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, said that discussions at the meeting was smooth and encouraging.

    Anenih, who was flanked by President Jonathan on the right and Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso on the left, said that all the other aggrieved governors will attend another meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

    Out of the seven governors that left the convention to form a parallel party, only four of them attended the Sunday meeting. Those in attendance were – Aliyu, Wamakko, Nyako and Ahmed.

     

  • Lamido, Wamakko, Kwankwaso, Nyako meet Shagari in Sokoto

    Lamido, Wamakko, Kwankwaso, Nyako meet Shagari in Sokoto

    Four northern governors including Sokoto state governor, Aliyu Wamakko held a closed door meeting in Sokoto on Tuesday.

    Wamakko and three other governors – Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano) and Sule Lamido ( Jigawa) also visited former president Shehu Shagari at his Sama Road Residence.

    However, the governors refused to disclose the outcome of their meeting with Shagari.

    When asked by journalists to comment on their meeting shortly before leaving Sokoto, Lamido said they were in the state to consult with eminent Nigerians on the multifaceted problems and challenges confronting the nation.

    “Just as we have visited other states in the recent past, the same thing brought us to Sokoto to fine tune ways and find solutions to the country’s multiple problems,” he explained.

    The governor, who did not give room for questions relating to politics also said,” you know Nigeria’s fundamental problem lies on security challenges which we are working round the clock to tackle so that it can be overcome.”

     

  • Clark apologises to Nigerians, Lamido

    Ijaw leader and former Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark has apologized to Nigerians for his recent comments and altercations with prominent politicians across the country.

    A retrospective Clark spoke with newsmen in Warri, Delta State on Friday in the wake of his recent entanglement with Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

    The Ijaw leader took on Lamido and four other governors for their recent visit to embattled Rivers State Governor, Rt Honourable Rotimi Amaechi and other prominent Nigerians.

    He insisted that nobody could stop President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking election in 2015.

    His outburst elicited a stern response  from Lamido.

    The Jigawa State Governor urged the elder statesman to mind his utterances in order not to jeopardize the nascent democracy.

    Chief Clark, speaking at the finals of the first  Chief  E.K Clark National Wrestling Championship held in Warri on Friday , said, “I apologize to all Nigerians if my utterance or my action threatened the peace and unity of this country.

    “All politicians, leaders should emphasize only those things that keep this country together, we cannot split, Nigeria is a large country,”

    He emphasised that  “love is one of the greatest thing that binds us together and Nigerians should learn to love one another and work assiduously for the unity of the country”.

    He disclosed that he had to rescind his decision to reply to a statement against his person by the Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido when he discovered that a wrestler from Jigawa State was squared against a wrestler from Delta State.

    According to Chief Clerk most of the statements issued by politicians were as a result of political interests not that they were against the unity of the country.

    The former Minister of Information  called  for a national conference to be convened noting, “we need to discuss the basis of our unity in this country.”

    While also apologizing to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for any possible wrong he had done him, Chief Clark assured him of his support and that of his followers.

    Governor Uduaghan  in his speech called on the people of the South –South Region and indeed Nigerians to ensure  that they put the unity of the country first in whatever they do. He called for support for the success of President Goodluck Jonathan  and his transformational agenda.

    He said, “the unity of Nigeria is paramount, the unity of South-South is paramount, the unity of Delta State is paramount, Nigerians should continue to support the President to succeed.”

    “Our people in the South-South should support the President, whatever challenges we have, we can discuss it back home, it is not for us to pull the President down,” Dr Uduaghan said.

    He added, “we should avoid statements that are inciting, many of us prayed for democracy, we should also work for the sustenance of our democracy.”

    Governor Uduaghan who was happy with the success recorded at the National Wrestling Championship reiterated, “when there is no unity, there is no development.”

     

     

     

  • Sule Lamido: The issues and the realities

    Aso Rock seems to have again opened up another controversy because of struggle for who to occupy the seat come 2015. Politics, they say, is indeed, unpredictable. That is why those who analyse it would warn that, nobody should come to any conclusion until the last word has been spoken or action has been taken on any political development. Alhaji Sule Lamido, the Jigawa State Governor, is one of the unique, indisputable, experience and expert politicians in the present day Nigeria.

    To be candid, I may not be erroneous if I say Lamido is the most successful of all governors that held sway in Jigawa State since the creation of the state in 1991. Lamido possesses all the experience, qualities, exposure, maturity and credibility to hold any political office in the land.

    In various interviews granted by Lamido, he did not at all for once deviate from his word (stand) on Jonathan’s candidacy. In Daily Trust of Thursday, December 23, 2010 page 4. Lamido was quoted as saying “Yes, we resolved as a party to uphold our victory of 2007 by further supporting the Goodluck ticket in 2011. he is our own and we can’t disown him, if anyone feels he has a candidate, let it be, but we in PDP, our own is Goodluck “. It was published in Sunday Tribune of 30 January, 2011 with caption on the front page “Nigeria should break up… over Jonathan” In page 5 Lamido was branded by northerners as anti-north and the one who doesn’t like Muslim and Islam, that he has gone astray all because of Jonathan.

    Another issue that was allied to Lamido was the allegation that, he wanted to leave the party. This accusation of Lamido leaving PDP is something anyone can ignore, this is because, he is one of the founding fathers of the party also for, his contributions and stand on the party, one can disapprove the insinuation . In an interview he granted with People Daily of Saturday 27-Sunday 28, November 2010 page 15, Lamido stated it clearly. He was asked about G3 counterweight to both the Chiroma’s group and the Jonathan team? “I do not know what you refer to as a G3, it is your coinage. Ours is a union of friends, brothers and people who believe in PDP……….. Therefore, we are very much concerned for the wellbeing of our party.”

    On the issues of love for the unity of Nigeria, he also stated in many occasions, one of such is the interview during Barewa old Boys (BOB) which was published in Sunday Trust of February 20, 2008 page 59. “As a foreign minister, I have dined, but not wined, with the high and mighty all over the world. There is nothing I have not seen, so I can say I am now a fully mature person. I will keep on working for Nigeria to become efficient and great. This is the kind of culture we imbibed at Barewa College, and I am not going to depart from it.”

    At this juncture, I appeal to everyone to give Lamido a breathing space. Please let him be. Sule Lamido has made a lot of sacrifices for this country, Nigeria. His contributions have re-united and re-awakened Nigeria. I must conclude with Nelson Mandela words: “There is nothing which makes people more appreciative of a government than that it should be able to deliver services.” He also said, “ The important thing is to give happiness to people.” In his speech at Dublin Castle, Republic of Ireland, the U.S President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), once said: “Democracy is a difficult kind of government. It requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, a willingness to make commitments and sacrifices for the general interest, and it also requires knowledge.” May God guide our leaders right and bless Jigawa and Nigeria as a whole.

    Adam Muhd Usman

    Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State

    amu3333@yahoo.com

  • Rivers’ crisis: Arewa group threatens to retaliate attack on governors

    Rivers’ crisis: Arewa group threatens to retaliate attack on governors

    A socio-political group, under the aegis of the Arewa Rapid Response Network (ARRN) has threatened to retaliate the attack on four northern governors at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Tuesday.

    In a statement signed by the national coordinator of the ARRN, Mallam Yakubu Ahmed, the group warned the perpetrators against allowing the chain of events in Rivers to snowball into a national crisis capable of truncating the nation’s democracy.

    Governors Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) were attacked by supporters of the Minister of State, Mr. Nyesom Wike. Their host, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, also came under attack.

    Eye witnesses said the mob attacked the convoy of Amaechi and the four governors with stones and clubs, smashing the windshield of some of the vehicles, including the coaster bus in which commissioners rode. They were also shouting obscenities at the convoy.

    Over 5,000 supporters of Wike, under the aegis of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), armed with placards bearing various inscriptions, moved to the airport as early as 7am, protesting against the governors’ visit.

    Wike is the grand patron of GDI.

    The Arewa group accused the Presidency of having instigated the attack on the governors, adding that it was a calculated attempt by agents of President Goodluck Jonathan to humiliate the visiting northern state governors.