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  • PDP calls on N/Assembly to probe FG’s N24.3 trn debt profile

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised questions over Federal Government’s “unwholesome” borrowings amounting to N24.38 trillion debts, from 2015 debt stock of N12.12 trillion.

    Revelations on the government’s current debt profile were contained in a report released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) last week, prompting the PDP to call on the National Assembly to investigate how the monies were spent.

    In a statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party blamed the Buhari administration for what it described as saddening and devastating debt overhang on the nation.

    According to the PDP, the rising debt profile was a product of the government’s manifest incompetence and lack of initiative to stimulate and run a productive economy.

    It blamed the administration for its reliance on heavy borrowings and unbearable tax regimes, which the party said have crippled productivity, caused untold hardship and mortgaged the economic future of the nation.

    The PDP said there has been a culture of unexplained borrowings leading to a steep rise in the debt stock from N17.5 trillion in 2016 to N21.72 trillion 2017, rising to N24.387 trillion in 2018.

    The PDP said, “It is shocking and completely insupportable that our nation’s debt had risen from N21.72 trillion in December 2017 to N24.387 trillion in December 2018, showing an accumulation of a whopping N2.66 trillion in a space of one year.

    Read Also: ‘INEC’s silence on PDP’s server claims worrisome’

    “President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration therefore has a huge explanation to make to Nigerians for its borrowing spree, especially as it cannot point to any meaningful development project into which the borrowed funds were invested.

    “This is particularly against the backdrop of allegations in the public space that the borrowed funds, which were taken as development funds, were diverted to 2019 general elections campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a huge part of which ended in private pockets of corrupt APC leaders.

    “This is in addition to direct frittering of public funds through the alleged N1.4 trillion sleazy oil subsidy regime, the looted N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo, the alleged N33 billion fraud in the handling of funds meant for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East, among other sleazes”.

    The party called on the National Assembly to commence a system-wide investigation into the borrowings by the administration, particularly the terms of the borrowing and the handling of the funds.

    It charged the federal legislature to save the future of the nation by restricting the Buhari administration from taking further loans on behalf of the country until explanations are provided on the terms and handling of the borrowed funds.

    “Nigerians cannot afford to continue to bear the burden of an incompetent and insensitive administration and that is why they eagerly await the retrieval of our stolen mandate at the presidential election petition tribunal”, the statement added.

     

  • Mass protest in Birnin-Gwari over killings

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu have visited Kakangi village in Birnin-Gwari local government area where several people, including two policemen were killed some 48 hours ago.
     
    Their visit coincided with massive protests by over 200 indigines of Birnin Gwari over incessant killings and unabated kidnapping in the area.
     
    Five people, including two policemen, were killed by the armed bandits in the attack on Kakangi community on Saturday.
    The bandits who invaded the village on a motorbike also razed houses and the community’s market.

    Read also: Police kill three bandits in fresh Kaduna village attack

     
    The protesters stormed the streets, chanting killings and kidnapping in the area must be brought to an end.
    Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “we want peace, stop killings of innocent people of Birnin Gwari“, “Mr. President, we need your special intervention“, “stop the killings, El-Rufai respond” among others.
    The IGP later met with the Emir of Birnin-Gwari, Alhaji Zubair Jibril Maigwari and elders of Birnin-Gwari.
    The Acting Inspector General visited the area to personally access the security situation and meet the stakeholders in the area.
     El-Rufai went to Kakangi village, which was attacked on Saturday.
    Accompanied on the tour of the scene by some government officials and security heads, El-Rufai described the attack as inhuman and ungodly.
    The Governor assured the residents of his government’s commitment to restoring peace and security to the area and other troubled parts of the state.
    The governor also visited those injured during the attack at the hospital to commiserate with them over the unfortunate incident.

  • PDP is bad loser, says Ganduje

    Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has described the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as bad loser in elections.

    The governor, however, said he is ready to meet the party at the Election Petitions Tribunal.

    He spoke with State House correspondents at the weekend after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He also said that there was jubilation in Kano State when he was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after the Supplementary elections.

    The whole state, he noted, has also been peaceful since his victory.

    He assured that his second tenure will favour the people.

    He said, “I came to consult with the Chief of Staff that Kano is peaceful, people are jubilating and I am happy to inform him that everything is normal.”

    Speaking on the petition by the PDP to challenge his victory at the Election Petitions Tribunal, he said that it was common for the PDP to go to tribunal.

    “Well we are waiting for them; we know that they are not good losers anyway. So, it is common to go to the tribunal, we are ready to meet them because the first election they committed a lot of fraud, a lot of irregularities and the Supplementary election was fair and free.

    “It was carried out in 28 local government areas, they didn’t win a single local government out of the 28, so that is paining them a lot. So we are ready to go to the tribunal.”

    On his blue print in the next four years, he said, “The next four years is going to be a very interesting four years because we are going to consolidate on what we have achieved so far.

    “In particular we see what we can do in order to make education is free, affordable and also to ensure that girl education is being given prominence.

    Read also: PDP blackmailing Supreme Court, APC alleges

    “Of course, agriculture is another issue that we must take the state to another level. So far we have done a lot and the production of rice is now we feed ourselves. We are happy Mr. President has stopped the importation of rice into the country and farmers are very happy.

    “What is existing now is agric mechanisation; we can see what we can do so that our farmers can achieve maximum production with ease.”

    On how reassuring his second term will be in terms of holding unto his promises to the people of Kano state, he said that he was taking the state to the next level.

    He said, “Our first term is very successful, if you go to Kano you will see how we have changed the face of Kano and in terms of youths empowerment we have also done very well we have even built multi billion naira ultra-modern skill acquisition centre in Kano.

    “Very soon, Mr. President will go and commission it. So as I told you that we are taking Kano State in the next four years to next level,” he stated.

  • In 4th Republic, Kate Henshaw is political Heroine we’ve been waiting for

    Political movies are not the best when it comes to choices of what to watch. More so, the genre in Nollywood has never been properly put together with terrible plot twists, cheap and inappropriate costumes.

    There are unfortunate settings and a whole list of time wasting dialogue and picture. Also, female characters are often reduced to stereotypes: scream queens in death news, escorts to the political men before meeting an untimely death in evil rituals.

    Ishaya Bako, Director of the Movie

    But Ishaya Bako new movie 4th Republic, in theaters all over Nigeria on 12 April, presents a new kind of woman heroine—one who doesn’t scream, doesn’t squirm, and definitely doesn’t need a man to save her.

    Her name is Mabel King played by Africa Movie Academy Award winner Kate Henshaw. The actress’s performance in 4th Republic is convincing, like everything she does, but it’s more than that: It’s a powerful portrait of a Nigerian woman in a fictional Conference State who contests for a gubernatorial seat, looses—survives the threats of the incumbent governor Idris Sani (Sani Mu’azu) and teaches women how to fight back on their own without having to bribe.

    4th Republic like a portrait of Nigeria’s current political situation comes with a quick succession of scenes that led up to the shocking denouement. It has good subtext that engages a viewer’s mind to think, be sad and at the same time laugh at some of the comic dialogues.

    King moves through the movie with a firm sense of purpose. When the men in her political circle advise her to bribe her way in winning the electoral tribunal, King says: “I will never bribe anyone for anything.”

    Also, when her personal aide’s brother is arrested by EFCC, she refuses to call people who can help but advises the right way to help is to follow due process.

    This makes her a shining example of how following due process is the ultimate way to follow if we must shun corruption.

    Co-producers, Bem Pever_ Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju_ Director, Ishaya Bako and Executive Producer, Ummi Yakubu

    Standing up for the truth and fighting for justice makes ugly situations disappear.

    Resilience is another important theme in 4th republic and King has it in spades. In the movie, we watch King’s car shot seriously by unknown gunmen.

    Despite the fact her opponent, incumbent Idris Sani is perceived to be behind it, she never backs down. That’s so incredible to see from a female protagonist.

    Facing your fears is difficult, but it’s necessary for survival, both in movies and real life, where the fight is just as scary.

    Political movies, like other movie genre, often end with a fine line between the protagonist and the antagonist. To defeat the villain, characters become upright for good to win over bad.

     So, her determination to do everything right to make up for that moment of a wrong decision changes.

    In a world full of threats, especially for women, we need more onscreen heroines like King. When done properly, like in 4th republic, political movies are the perfect place for women to see how to be brave in a dominated- men space.

    Strength, patience, resilience, empathy: These are all traits King has in 4th republic and they’re what we need to fight the monsters in our own lives.

    L-R. Yakubu Mohammed, Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju, Kate Henshaw, Enyinna Nwigwe at the premiere of 4th Republic Film

    Representation matters. Emil B. Garuba and Zainab Omaki writing and Henshaw’s acting bring to life a woman who’s powerful, bold, and balanced: exactly the woman we need to see in 2023.

    Mabel King is leading a new path in politics, one that shows female characters conquering fears in their life once and for all.

  • PDP calls on N/Assembly to probe FG’s N24.3 trn debt profile

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised questions over Federal Government’s “unwholesome” borrowings amounting to N24.38 trillion debts, from 2015 debt stock of N12.12 trillion.

    Revelations on the government’s current debt profile were contained in a report released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) last week, prompting the PDP to call on the National Assembly to investigate how the monies were spent.

    In a statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party blamed the Buhari administration for what it described as saddening and devastating debt overhang on the nation.

    According to the PDP, the rising debt profile was a product of the government’s manifest incompetence and lack of initiative to stimulate and run a productive economy.

    It blamed the administration for its reliance on heavy borrowings and unbearable tax regimes, which the party said have crippled productivity, caused untold hardship and mortgaged the economic future of the nation.

    The PDP said there has been a culture of unexplained borrowings leading to a steep rise in the debt stock from N17.5 trillion in 2016 to N21.72 trillion 2017, rising to N24.387 trillion in 2018.

    The PDP said, “It is shocking and completely insupportable that our nation’s debt had risen from N21.72 trillion in December 2017 to N24.387 trillion in December 2018, showing an accumulation of a whopping N2.66 trillion in a space of one year.

    Read also: PDP blackmailing Supreme Court, APC alleges

    “President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, therefore, has a huge explanation to make to Nigerians for its borrowing spree, especially as it cannot point to any meaningful development project into which the borrowed funds were invested.

    “This is particularly against the backdrop of allegations in the public space that the borrowed funds, which were taken as development funds, were diverted to 2019 general elections campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a huge part of which ended in private pockets of corrupt APC leaders.

    “This is in addition to direct frittering of public funds through the alleged N1.4 trillion sleazy oil subsidy regime, the looted N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo, the alleged N33 billion fraud in the handling of funds meant for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East, among other sleazes”.

    The party called on the National Assembly to commence a system-wide investigation into the borrowings by the administration, particularly the terms of the borrowing and the handling of the funds.

    It charged the federal legislature to save the future of the nation by restricting the Buhari administration from taking further loans on behalf of the country until explanations are provided on the terms and handling of the borrowed funds.

    “Nigerians cannot afford to continue to bear the burden of an incompetent and insensitive administration and that is why they eagerly await the retrieval of our stolen mandate at the presidential election petition tribunal”, the statement added.

     

  • Pollution: OAU says water from dam safe

    The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has assured members of the institution and other stakeholders of the safety of water from its dam.

    A statement issued on Monday in Ile-Ife by the institution’s  Registrar, Mrs M.I Omosule, said suspected land grabbers  had polluted the dam with chemicals which led to the death of several fishes and other aquatic animals.

    According to her, the university community was lucky as the pollution was at the lower level of the dam.

    She said that inspite of this, all necessary steps had been taken  to ensure  the safety of the water and the health of the public.

    Read Also: OAU sex-for-mark jailed six years

    Omosule stressed that thorough assessment of the situation was immediately undertaken

    She stated that the pumping of water was only resumed after necessary and satisfactory steps had been taken so as to confirm and ensure the safety of the discharge from the waterworks.

    The registrar enjoined members of the  university community to go about their normal activities without any fear of poisoning, molestation or attack.

    She also said that the issue had been reported to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

    NAN

  • PDP blackmailing Supreme Court, APC alleges

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday accused the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of making frantic efforts to blackmail the Supreme Court over the exclusion of APC candidates from the just concluded elections in Rivers state.

    The APC said contrary to the statement of the PDP, the apex court has not made any pronouncement on the exclusion of its candidates from the elections in the state, stressing the PDP should stop feeding Nigerians with fiction and concentrate on the real issues

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu said in a statement made available to newsmen that the APC was a firm believer in the rule of law and will allow the rule take its course and asked the PDP to do same.

    The statement reads: “We read with dismay the nonsensical statement by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two senior serving cabinet members – Minister of Transport, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    Read Also: Oyo APC will bounce back, says Ajimobi’s wife

    “While the APC has no intention to join issues with the PDP over its fictional and concocted allegations against the party and its leaders, we are however well aware of the PDP’s intent to hoodwink and deceive the public; and most importantly, intimidate and blackmail our eminent Supreme Court Justices into doing their bidding in respect of the matter of the purported exclusion of Rivers State APC candidates from the last elections, before the apex court.

    “Again, for the purpose of clarity, it needs restating that the Supreme Court has not made any pronouncement on the purported exclusion of APC candidates from the just concluded Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Rivers State.

    “Hence, the cheap attempt by the PDP to ambush the Supreme Court with their cock and bull conspiracies should be seen for what it is, hogwash!

    “We urge Nigerians to completely ignore the evil machinations of the PDP as contained in their ludicrous and false statement on the matter of the purported exclusion of Rivers APC candidates in the last elections before the Supreme Court. The PDP as a party has refused to come to terms with the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration is a stickler to the rule of law.

    “As always, we shall allow the law takes its course in respect of the purported exclusion of our candidates in the elections in Rivers State and we advise the PDP to do the same, rather than overheat the polity with their illogical and false claims.”

     

     

  • INEC releases timetable for Bayelsa, Kogi gov polls this week

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said it will release, before the end of this week, the timetable and schedule of activities for the end of tenure governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States billed to hold at separate dates later this year.

    Its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure when he led other members of the Commission to defend the Commission’s 2019 budget proposal before a joint session of the Senate Committee on INEC and House Committee on Electoral matters.

    Yakubu, while breaking down the Commission’s 2019 budget proposal of N45.4 billion, explained: “This year we are going to conduct two end of tenure elections into the offices of the governors in Kogi and Bayelsa States.

    “This year towards the end of the year we are going to conduct governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsea.”

    He added: “Let me seize this opportunity here to say before the end of this week INEC will issue a timetable and schedule of activities for the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states”.

    On the 2019 INEC budget, he observed that the Commission was receiving same envelop amount as 2017 and 2018.

    Read Also: ‘Why Bayelsa is no longer safe’

    He said: “For 2019, we were presented with an envelope of N45.5 billion as our regular budget. This is the same envelope as in 2018 only slightly better than the envelopes of several years before them.

    “In 2017, it was 45 billion in 2016 it was 45 billion naira and in 2018 it was increased marginally to 45.5 billion and the same envelope was presented to the Commission in 2018 and 2019.”

    He noted that in terms of performance of the Commissions budget in the previous year, INEC was fully funded.

    “I will say for the 2018 financial year we were fully funded. We were on the first line charge so in terms of the releases from the executive to the Commission we were fully funded,” the INEC boss said.

    The INEC chairman further gave a breakdown of the proposed 45.5 billion naira, which he explained were in four components.

    He said: “The first one is personnel cost and in 2019 the commission is proposing the sum of 21.8 billion naira to cover consolidated salaries for 16,455 career employees of INEC and 51 political office holders, making a total of 16,506 employees of the commission in 2019.

    “The personnel cost is broken into two subheads, you have the consolidated salary of 17.5 billion and you have the social contribution, National Health Insurance, contributory pension, and employee compensation of 4.3 billion naira.”

    The second component, according to Yakubu, is the overhead cost put at N4.2 billion while the third budget head is for electoral expenditure.

    “The Commission is proposing the sum of N17.7 billion under the electoral expenditure to cover such activities as monitoring party primaries, conventions, voter education, stakeholder meeting legal expenses and others,” he explained.

    He said the fourth and final budget head for which N1.6billion was earmarked was for capital expenditure.

    The chairman Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif, commended INEC for a job well done in the just concluded 2019 general elections even as he noted that there were concerns that should be addressed going forward.

     

  • Zone Deputy Senate President to South-East, Kalu begs APC

    The Senator-elect for Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Monday pleaded with the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to zone the position of Deputy Senate President to the South East geo-political zone.

    Kalu who made the appeal at the ongoing induction of Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect noted that zoning the Deputy Senate President to the South East will be in line with the diversity of the country.

    The diversity of the country, he said, is the beauty of the country.

    He said that APC as a party should look at diversity, because “diversity is our strength.”

    He said, “I am a very loyal party man. The party has already zoned the position of Senate President. I can never disobey the party. The party is supreme.

    “What I am asking the party to zone the deputy Senate President to the South East, so that I will not disobey the party by going on the floor of the House, which I have the capacity, if I am allowed to do that.

    “What I am asking the party as they have zoned this position of Senate President to North East, they should as well zone the position of the deputy Senate President to South East. So that I don’t go to contest out of zone.

    “I can contest against whoever comes from the South East or the caucus of the South East can go back and decide what the part wants within the South East.

    “What I am pleading with the leaders of the National Working Committee and other leaders, let us not divide this party. All of us are loyal to the country. We are loyal to the constitution. We are also loyal to our party. I want that loyalty to continue, so that none of us will deviate from what the party”

    “On relationship between the Executive and legislature, Kalu noted that it has to be very cordial in the interest of the progress of the country.

    He said, “President Buhari means well. And some of us who with or without politics we are his friends, we will like to keep the place very stable.

    “Not only for him, but for the good of the country. The President is just one person. If there is stability in the Senate and Executive, there will be stability in the country. We are for the stability of the country.

    Read Also: Zone Deputy Senate President to South-East, Kalu tells APC

    On the position of Senator Kabiru Gaya that the slot of Deputy Senate President should be zoned to the North West Kalu said:

    “You know, he is a senior governor. That is his view. It is not a view that represents the views and understanding of the country. He is a man I respect a lot. But his view does not represent the diversity of the country.

    “Even if you like take the President, Vice President, Speaker, Senate President to one part of the country, you have not solved the problem of the country.

    “The diversity of the country is the beauty of the country. I will like APC as a party to look at diversity. Diversity is our strength. Diversity is very important.

    “I don’t want to formally declare anything until the party zones to our zone. I am not going to challenge the party, but I want the party to do the right thing. I have the capacity to go on the floor of the House and contest. It is this people here that will vote and they are our friends. But I want the party to do the right thing.”

  • FG expresses concerns over increasing out-of-school children

    The Federal Government on Monday expressed concerns over the increasing rate of out-of-school children in the country.

    Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said it is even more worrisome that girls in the north accounted for a higher percentage of the 13.5 million out-of-school children in the country.

    He attributed this development to poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy and illiteracy.

    He stated this during a two-day media dialogue on Cash Transfer Programme organised by the United Nations Children Funds in collaboration with the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, in Birnin Kebbi, on Monday.

    The minister, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Advocate and Gender Desk Officer, CRIB, Uche Chuta, said that the government had introduced various development policies, including the school feeding programme to boost enrollment.

    The minister said: “Girl-child education is a major issue of concern in most developing countries of the world today, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa, where a large number of young girls do not attend school.

    “It is however more worrisome that Nigeria is counted to be among the West African countries that have the highest number of girls that are out-of school and that more than 75 percent of the 13.5 million children out-of-school are girls.

    Read Also: CBN mobilises school children to embrace saving culture

    “Barriers to girls’ education in Nigeria, particularly in the northern parts, have been identified to include a wide range of causes. They include poverty, early marriage, illiteracy and teenage pregnancy, all of which have grave consequences for both the girl child and the society at large.

    “The Federal Government is in the forefront of enhancing massive school enrollment attendance and completion by school -aged children through various child development policies including the National School Feeding Programme.”

    Earlier, the State Project Coordinator, Educate -A-Child/UNICEF, Kebbi state, Isah Usman said the goal of the EAC/CTP project is to expand access to basic education to 501, 749 children out of the 13.5 million that are out-of-school in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states by 2020.

    He said 41, 391 children had so far benefited from the intervention programme by UNICEF in Kebbi state.

    According to him, Kebbi and Zamfara states are considered as educationally disadvantaged states in the country, thus the various interventions by UNICEF.

    “To change this ugly situation, UNICEF has contributed to the expansion of girl education through its Girls Education Project (GEP -Phase 3) 1, 2 and 3 projects.

    “This is done through reduction in the poverty level by expanding the education level of the girl child as many parents cannot afford the education of their children.

    “The overall goal of EAC is to expand access to quality basic education for 501,749 out-of-school children by 2020 in Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara state.

    “The cash transfer intervention under the EAC aims to reach 41, 391 child beneficiaries and their female caregivers in four years, 31, 044 in Kebbi state and 10, 347 in Zamfara state.

    “Cash Transfer Programme addresses some of the underlying causes of inequalities in education outcomes, such as poverty, social exclusion and malnutrition.”