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Tag: Usani

  • Breaking: Owan-Enoh, Usani granted substituted service on Ayade

    The Cross River State Governorship Tribunal sitting in Calabar on Wednesday granted Senator John Owan-Enoh and Pastor Usani Usani separate orders for substituted service on Governor Ben Ayade, who won the Cross River State gubernatorial election on March 9 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    Owan Enoh, a serving senator representing the central district of the state and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani, had been in a tough battle over who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Both had filed separate petitions, challenging Ayade, the incumbent governor, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the outcome of the election.

    Owan-Enoh in a suit with number EPT/CAL/GOV/01/2019 had dragged Ayade and INEC, first and second respondents respectively, to court. Also Usani in another case with number EPT/CAL/02/2019 had also dragged INEC, Ayade and the PDP as first second and third respondents respectively

    In court on Wednesday Counsel to Owan-Enoh, M. O. Inyang, who held brief for Awa Kalu, in a motion exparte application for hearing, sought an order seeking substituted service on the first respondent (Ayade).

    In a motion exparte dated April 8, 2019 and filed on April 9, Inyang said there are four grounds for the application, but the paramount was the fact that the bailiff of the court had made fervent efforts to service Ayade personally to no avail.

    Read Also: Ayade, Lalong, Masari, others get INEC’s certificates of return

    The application was supported by a three-paragraph affidavit, an exhibit, which was the affidavit of non-service, as well as a written address in support of the application.

    Chairman of the three-man governorship panel, Justice Josiah Majebi, said the application had merit and granted that Ayade can be served by pasting the notice of service on the wall of the PDP State secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway.

    In the second matter filed by Usani, his lawyer, Henrie Ituen, also in a motion exparte dated and filed on April 9, 2019 sought an order to serve the second respondent, Ayade, though substituted means by pasting it at the governor’s office in Diamond Hill.

    Attached to it also was an eight-paragraph affidavit, exhibit (affidavit of non service and a written application.

    This was also granted.

  • My accusers are real enemies of APC, says Usani

    Minister for Niger Delta Affairs Pastor Usani Uguru Usani has described those accusing him of engaging in anti-party activities as the real enemies of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Usani, who addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja, said  having rejected PDP overtures for 16 years, when he was just a party man, he has no reason now to work for the same PDP.

    The National Vice Chairman in charge of the Southsouth, Ntufam Hillard Eta, and other party stakeholders in Cross River, accused Usani of working with the PDP government against the APC in the general elections.

    Usani said: “For 16 years, I rejected offers from the PDP. If I could refuse offers when I was vulnerable, what do I stand to gain by supporting them now that I am a Minister? To be the President?”

    The minister also dismissed his suspension by the party’s national leadership, saying he was never informed of allegations against him or called to defend himself.

    According to him, the process of discipline outlined by the party has not been exhausted and therefore his suspension cannot stand.

    “I am not aware that the party has ever invited me to any meeting by any means. That I urged people not to vote for APC at any election is not true. My evidence is in the result which I produced. In each of the elections of the President, Senate and House of Representatives, I delivered the two council wards of my community with more than 4,000 votes against PDP which scored less than 1,000 votes.

    “Even in 2015, I delivered similar results. The claim in this petition is a defence mechanism to placate them and divert attention from their untoward activities. Hilliard Eta, the party’s Vice Chairman for Southsouth, won no unit in his Ward 5 in Calabar Municipality.

    “Some of these signatories subscribed to supporting the PDP presidential candidate and their personal ambitions, which created confusion. The selection of Abuja residents, who pose as owners of the party by gaining patronage of the National Chairman, has some shameful undercurrents that I cannot pronounce in this document.

    “That I am working for PDP’s Ben Ayade is laughable. Cross River State indigenes know us by character. When I was politically fallow, I shunned every overture from PDP. It sounds ridiculous that anyone would allege that I am a PDP ally. Some of these signatories have gained from Ayade by proxy in contractual engagements,” he added.

  • I’m unaware of my suspension from APC, says Usani

    I’m unaware of my suspension from APC, says Usani

    •Factional chairman carpets Abdulahi 

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, yesterday denied knowledge of his suspension from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Usani told reporters at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar where he was welcomed by supporters they were in the process of rebuilding the party for a greater future.

    Speaking on the conflict within the party in the state, he said: “Every party has a fight and how you resolve it is what is important. My worry is within the limits of known partisan tradition and conflict.

    “We are resolving it. When a resolution takes place, whether amicably or by victory, the important thing is that there is a resolution and we are resolving it.”

    Weeks ago, the acting chairman of the party, John Ochalla, after a meeting of the state working committee, announced Usani’s suspension.

    He accused the minister of working against the interest of the party by holding “illegal meetings” to install a new chairman to do his bidding.

    A faction of the party led by the State Organising Secretary, Ekpe Owan Ayang, held a meeting where it declared Usani’s suspension as null.

    The faction went ahead to announce the suspension of Ochalla as well as the National Vice Chairman South-South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta from the party.

    In a meeting at the party’s secretariat last Tuesday, the factional group declared Etim John as new acting chairman of the party in the state.

    But a statement from the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Bolaji Abdulahi, countered the endorsement, saying Ochalla remained the chairman.

    He warned members involved in the appointment of a new acting chairman would be disciplined.

    But reacting John, who arrived Calabar with Usani, said the statement from the National Publicity Secretary was a misnomer.

    “That statement, as far as I am concerned, is a misnomer. The party guidelines stipulate clearly how and acting chairman is appointed.

    “As far is this concerned, Ochalla is yet to be appointed or elected because he only came in to hold brief,” John said.

    Ochalla took over as acting chairman of the party after Usani, who was the chairman, was appointed Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

  • I never refused anybody APC membership, says Usani

    The Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, has denied his alleged refusal to allow some persons entry into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.

    In an interview, Usani, a former chairman of the party in the state, said: “Before the elections, I made deliberate and conscious efforts to woo some persons whom I knew we could midwife to victory into the APC. But such persons, apparently feeling that they would be automatic winners if they got the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tickets, rebuffed my overtures and went to wrestle in the PDP. Now, tell me: are you talking about those who used all their might against APC?

    “I had, at no point, refused anybody membership of APC. Where a man comes, because he lost an election in the PDP or any other party and begins to insinuate that there were no persons in APC, this is not fair to the foundation members of APC. As the state chairman of the party, I owed my party men a duty to protect them and fight for their benefit.

    “How does it feel for a man who ate and broke the pot to immediately go to another man’s cooking pot and want to even be dished food ahead of those who have been patiently waiting and persevering starvation, when the food has been prepared?

    “I still maintain my stance, which is that benefit should be served first to those APC members who have suffered and worked, because anything short of that will be a betrayal of the resilience and hard work of those who hoped when others scorned and some despised. This was also the maiden pronouncement of the President (Muhammadu Buhari) after last year’s election.

    “Let the so-called ‘no names’ be known. For example, I was the Personal Assistant (PA) and commissioner before I became 35. It means there are many talents untapped in APC that we can harness. This is because out of the conviction displayed in their resilience, this group has the integrity to drive this government’s agenda and ideology.

    “I tell you sincerely: strengthen a small name with character and watch him become a giant.”

    Usani urged APC members in Cross River State to unite and make any leader accountable.

    He said: “Let them unite and be able to call any leader to accountability. They should be able to speak out through all known civil media. They should be able to take collective positions and speak same without intimidation by any leader, without fear or favour.

    “They should also resolve to individually and collectively ensure to live the ideology of APC. They should ensure to win elections even as they complain daily about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Cross River State.”

  • Civil society group advises Usani on Niger/Delta’s development

    The Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Pastor Uguru Usani, has been urged to pursue the comprehensive implementation of the Niger Delta master plan for the area  to experience meaningful and deserved development.

    The Director of the Development and Leadership Institute, Mr. Olaoshebikan Clement, said this at a forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    He said this could be realised if the leadership in the region, led by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, pursued the resolution of several policy issues that have remained unresolved in the region.

    He said: “As a matter of urgency, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani, should begin the process of achieving real development in the Niger Delta by focusing on resolving the implementation of the four key policy issues, which have for a long time remained a sore thumb in the region.”

    Clement said with the election of the President Muhammadu Buhari  and his change mantra, expectations are high in the region. “Leadership of the ministry must therefore, move away from the failure of the past and sincerely focus on implementation rather than the formulation of new policies,” he said.