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Tag: Victor Umeh

  • Outcry against Tax Reform Bills misplaced, says Senator Umeh

    Outcry against Tax Reform Bills misplaced, says Senator Umeh

    The senator representing Anambra Central on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Victor Umeh, has said there is nothing to fear about the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, in October, transmitted four Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly for consideration. The President had said the proposed reforms were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s fiscal institutions and ensuring the actualisation of his administration’s comprehensive development plans for the country.

    The President’s introduction of the Bills had ignited public outcry, leading to widespread debates across Nigeria.

    Umeh, who addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja, noted that despite the criticisms against the proposed tax reforms, the Federal Government only has to properly market the Bills to Nigerians to enable them have a better understanding of the contents to clear their doubts.

    Read Also; Tinubu to Nigerians: 2025 is a very promising year

    The lawmaker, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora Matters and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), stressed that reforms were necessary steps and actions the government needed to take to bring about the changes that would guarantee the growth of the economy and make life better for the citizens.

    “Globally, what people don’t like to do is to pay tax. Nobody likes to pay money. But a system that has worked effectively would have the confidence of its citizens to pay tax. When you charge tax that people will not be willing to pay and then you use force to get the tax, it is not a good tax.

    “Any tax that you use force to get is not a good tax. A good tax is one that people will be willing to pay. And so, it will be easy to administer, and the collection process will be easy.

    “If they know that the government would pay the money they are paying as tax to provide infrastructure and services, people will be more persuaded to pay tax. But in Nigeria, we are in a situation where Nigerians have lost faith in governance.

    “So, any action that is geared towards taxing the citizens would receive immediate rejections. That is what we are seeing with the Tax Bills.

    “People have not been able to read the Bills. They have continued to rely on social media posts to condemn the proposed tax reforms. I have read the Tax Reform Bills. I can tell that in as much as we will be doing consultation, I have not seen anything that is very harmful in the Bills that should warrant a total rejection.

    “What we need to do is to explain and ensure that people understand the purpose and the intent of the Bills. So, the government has a lot of work to do to market its objectives to the Nigerian people and do things that will promote confidence on the part of Nigerians.

    “The drivers of the government should be able to show that they are ready to be like ordinary people so that when you are asking Nigerians to pay money, they will know that they are not paying this money for you to go and buy luxuries for yourself and your family,” Umeh said.

  • Umeh blasts INEC for alleged manipulations

    The Senator representing Anambra central and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Victor Umeh has lashed out at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for leaving its flanks open for manipulations during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Anambra State.

    He called for cancellation of the exercise in all the troubled areas identified during the polls.

    Umeh, while briefing reporters on Tuesday at his Aguluzigbo country home, said INEC lost control of the exercise in the area.

    The Senator argued tis was why the outcome of the election could not be declared three days after it ended.

    Umeh contested the Anambra Central senatorial election with Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Chief Sylvester Okonkwo of the All Progressive Congress APC as his main opponents.

    The commission has not declared the result for the contest despite releasing the presidential results owing to alleged anomalies observed in some polling units at Obosi and Abatete, both in Idemili North local government area in the zone.

    He  said the fact that election results for Anambra Central had not been declared was an indication that all was  not well, adding that all of them should hold their celebrations at least for now.

    Read Also: Card Reader: INEC cancels 54,668 votes in Ebonyi

    According to him: “INEC said that accreditation must be done with card readers but in majority of the places, card reader did not work and the electoral umpire resorted to the use of manual voting, which made it to lose control of the exercise.

    “The results being turned out by INEC in the zone showed that card reader did not work. In my place where it worked, the proper thing was done.

    “In Obosi and Abatete, for instance, where violence marred the exercise, INEC was still trying to generate results several days after the election.

    “The election was highly manipulated in Anambra Central and that is why INEC is finding it difficult to release the result.

    “In many places where the card reader was not used, hoodlums were brought in buses and they voted without proper accreditation.”

    He went on: “Because it lost control, INEC resorted to asking agents of political parties to bring their duplicate copies to enable it compute the results, which is not proper.

    “If the commission does not have original result, then there is nothing to compute.

    “INEC left some flanks open for manipulation, which was why even unregistered people were allowed to vote in some polling units.

    “The INEC guideline specifically said that in the event of card reader not working, the election should be shifted.

    “Since INEC cannot arrive at anything after three days of the election, the only way to remove the impasse is for the election to be cancelled in the affected places so that the card reader can be used.”

  • Umeh refutes alleged N26m misappropriation

    The senator representing Anambra Central District and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Feb. 16 poll, Chief Victor Umeh, has dismissed alleged misappropriation of N26 million belonging to the 109 electoral wards in the Senatorial district.

    A group of aggrieved party members who were ward Chairmen when Umeh was National Chairman of the party between 2006-2015 had on Tuesday, accused the senator of misappropriating the sum.

    The group known as G21 in a communique signed by its spokesmen, Mr. Leo Nwokoye, threatened to work against Umeh’s Senatorial ambition unless he returned the money to the wards.

    They also claimed they were yet to be recognised by the APGA government in the State since 2015 despite all their contributions towards the sustenance of the party.

    But reacting through his media aide, Emeka Odionu, Umeh insisted that his accusers were sponsored by his political enemies who were afraid of losing the election.

    He wondered why such allegations would be leveled against him when he was not in charge of the party treasury.

    He said, “There is no such money under my custody and I am neither the financial secretary nor the treasurer of the party to answer to the allegation.

    “We all are aware of the antics of some people who are apprehensive about my winning the Febuary 16 Senatorial election and they’re trying everything possible to stop me.

    “We know where they are coming from and they have failed in their plot because Anambra people have become wiser and they are not new to this desperate style of politics.

    “My tenure as National Chairman produced a two-term governor of a state and also midwifed APGA to APGA transition from an out-going governor to the in-coming one.

    “Such success stories could not have been told if I did all they’re alleging and I wish to urge the public to discountenance the allegation as it smacks name dropping and cheap black mail.”

    While urging members of his constituency not to be distracted by paid agents, Umeh reassured his readiness to sustain effective representation of his district.

  • Minimum Wage: Nigerian workers deserve a better deal—Victor Oye

    Dr Victor Oye, National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Wednesday in Awka said Nigerian Workers deserve all that they could get due to their contributions to development of the country.

    Oye, made the assertion in an interview with our reporter, said the economic reality of the country had made workers the “weeping boys” of the system.

    He urged the Federal Government to not only enhance their pay but improve on their working conditions.

    The APGA chairman commended the quality of negotiations between government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Organised Private Sector that led to aversion of the threatened industrial action.

    Oye commended the Anambra Government for paying salaries on the 25th every month and for being among the first states to offer to pay N30, 000 minimum wage

    “Nigerian workers deserve a better deal considering the harsh economic atmosphere in the country; they have always been at the receiving end.

    “That the Federal Government is able to avert the strike brought a huge relief to Nigerians and averted what would have come with consequences of embarrassing proportion.

    “APGA urges the federal and state governments to take the welfare of workers seriously.

    “They must come up with a programme on how to develop the cognitive and latent talents of workers to make them more productive,” he said.

    Read Also:I’m committed to new minimum wage – Buhari

    On his part, Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central at the National Assembly, said he considered the N30,000 a meager amount that could not lift any home out if poverty.

    Umeh argued that governors could pay the amount the NLC was asking for if they could appropriate the state resources efficiently and be more innovative.

    “Nigerian workers do not have a living wage; we cannot continue to pretend and say there is no money when a lot of people are living in affluence.

    “They deserve living wage, even the N30, 000 they are demanding is not a living wage, government should know how to manage its resources to enable it pay workers,” he said.

    Umeh thanked workers for suspending the strike that was to begin on Nov. 6 and expressed the hope that all parties would respect the terms reached during the negotiations.

  • Appeal Court upholds Senator Victor Umeh’s election

    The Court of Appeal, Enugu has upheld the election of Victor Umeh of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial district in the National Assembly.

    In a unanimous judgment delivered Wednesday, the appellate court dismissed the appeal by Mr. Nkem Ekweozor, challenging the judgment of the Anambra Central Senatorial Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the victory of Umeh in the January 13, 2018 senatorial rerun in the district.

    Read Also:Appeal Court halts execution of arrest order on INEC Chair

    Ekweozor who was the candidate of the Mega Peoples Progressives Party (MPPP) in the senatorial rerun, had claimed that Umeh was not validly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election and that the election was marred by corrupt practices.

    Ekweozor alleged that Umeh was not qualified to contest for the election, as he got his nomination while still holding the position of National Chairman of APGA.

    The appellant who joined Umeh, APGA and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively, prayed the court to order INEC to conduct a fresh election and that Umeh should be disqualified from the fresh election.

    Delivering judgment, the three-man Appeal Panel headed by Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji noted that the appellant has made no reference to any particular primary election conducted by the 2nd respondent (APGA), from which Umeh emerged as the candidate.

    The judge held that the appellant’s complaints on the issue of nomination of the 1st respondent, Umeh, “are at large and ex facie.”

    According to him, there was no dispute on the primary election of the 2nd respondent, APGA, which produced Umeh as its candidate.

    Citing relevant authorities, the judge stated that the appellant’s averments in his petition bother on matters of mere conjecture and speculation, which the court or tribunal does not have jurisdiction to act on.

    Justice Abba Aji further warned that a court should refrain from indulging in speculation, as it is not part of judicial exercise but a mere guess work.

    He stated the law as settled by decisions of the Supreme Court is that the issues of primary election, nomination and sponsorship of a person as the candidate of a political party “are definitely pre-election matters.”

    He said the tribunal was right when it held that it was not clothed with the jurisdiction to look into the complaints raised by the petitioner, which relate to the nomination, sponsorship and candidature of the 1st respondent.

    “The decision to inquire into the conduct of primary election by political parties resides in the Federal High Court, the High Court of a state or the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory as donated by section 87 (9) of Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended),”the judge said.

    On the striking out of some paragraphs of the election petition by the trial tribunal, Abba Aji said he carefully perused the averments as contained in the stated paragraphs and completely agreed with the findings of the tribunal that the said paragraphs clearly and absolutely fell short of the requirements of the provisions of paragraph 4 (1)(d) of the Electoral Act and therefore resolved the issue in favour of the respondents and against the appellant.

    On whether the tribunal rightly evaluated the documentary evidence presented before it, vis-à-vis the oral testimonies of the petitioner/appellant and his witnesses in the proof of the petition, the judge said “mere making of an allegation does not shift the burden of proof to the other party.”

    “It is incumbent on the party making an allegation to adduce credible evidence in support thereof before the onus of disproving such allegation could shift to the other party. Whereas in the present case, allegations made were unsupported with any scintilla of credible evidence, the allegations by themselves fall flat and remain dead,” he said.

    “The remaining issue is: Whether the tribunal was right when it ascribed probative value to the documents tendered and admitted where the 3rd respondent failed to call oral evidence in respect of such document. The 3rd respondent did not call any witnesses at the trial but rather tendered a set of documents from the bar with the consent of the other parties.

    “The said documents were result sheets forms EC8C (1) and EC8B (1) for the respective local governments and were admitted as exhibits R12 TO R24 respectively.

    “Before us while arguing the appeal, the Appellant asked this court to hold that the first Respondent was ineligible to have contested the said senatorial elections and consequently order that the candidate with the second highest votes in that election be returned elected.

    “The implication of this volte face includes the fact that the appellant was no longer contesting the results as declared by the 3rd respondent.

    “The further implication of this later posture of the appellant is that the arguments canvassed in respect of this issue are rendered academic. Courts exist to resolve live disputes between parties and would demur from delving into academic issues,” Justice Abba Aji said.

    He added that in totality, the appeal is devoid of any form of merit and accordingly dismissed.

    The other two justices, Moore Aseimo Adumein and Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole, concurred with the lead judgment.

    The court however asked all the parties in the matter to bear their respective costs.

     

  • ‘Obi, Obiano, two greatest leaders in Nigeria’

    …says country needs leaders with vision, compassion

    The incumbent governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi, have been described as two of the greatest leaders in Nigeria.

    This was the opinion of specialist in pain management in Las Vegas, United States of America, Prof Godwin Maduka.

    He said what the country needs now are leaders with vision, compassion, drive discipline and confidence.

    Maduka, who was the chairman during the recent retreat and book launch, organized by the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA at Finotel hotel resort in Awka, Anambra state.

    He said the party had been able to thrive in the state and indeed Nigeria because of the leadership qualities of former national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, the current national chairman, Dr Victor Oye and Governor Obiano.

    According to him, “Political office seekers who promote mischief, violence or brigandage as instruments of political competition must be held accountable for their actions”

    “What Nigeria needs now more than ever is high quality leadership intuned with vision, drive, discipline, confidence, and most of all, compassion”

    “I have absolutely no doubt that you the aspirants in this hall, distinguished and respected personalities are poised and prepared to rise up and embrace the challenge”

    “It only requires seriousness and sincerity as well as a strong commitment and revolutionary mindset”

    “All full blooded and convinced citizens of Nigeria, we must strive towards inventing a meaningful Nigerian nation that fulfils the promise that Nigeria holds out for all of us here, for all Nigerians in the Diaspora as well as the rest of the world”

    Read Also: Obiano doles out N.3billion to mission schools

    “You the potential representatives of our people are the human treasurers of this dream. You are now presented with a magnificent opportunity to challenge and correct malgovernance across all sectors”

    “For Nigeria to be great, those whom aspire to lead must bear in mind the fact that they are servants and as such cannot ever be greater than the people, their masters”

    ” A leader must never allow his high office to separate him from the people. He should symbolize good government. He must have physical and moral courage and most importantly, he must possess the ability to inspire the people out of despondency”

    “A leader who serves his people will be enshrined in the hearts and minds of his people. This is his only reward in his lifetime”

    “I commend the Governor of Anambra State Chief (Dr) Willie Obiano, for living up to these ideals and for making Anambra State an international showpiece of good governance”

    “APGA is a party that can boast of some of the most visionary Governors Nigeria has ever produced in the persons of Mr. Obi and Chief Willie Obiano,” Maduka said.

  • Tribunal upholds Umeh’s election

    The Anambra Central Senatorial Election Petition Tribunal on Friday upheld the victory of Senator Victor Umeh in the January 13 senatorial rerun election.

    It dismissed the petitioner, the candidate of the Mega Peoples Progressives Party (MPPP), Mr. Nkem Ekweozoh, as a rabble-rouser.

    The tribunal comprising Justice H. A. Olusiyi, Justice A. O. Ayoola, and Justice A. U. Birnin Kudu also dismissed the five reliefs sought by the petitioner.

    The tribunal said the petition lacked merit and the applicant unable to proof his case.

    Ekweozoh had claimed that Umeh was not duly elected by majority of valid votes cast at the election and the victory was invalid as it was fraught with corrupt practices and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

    He further said Umeh was not qualified to contest the election as his nomination came at a time he was still the national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

    Besides,Ekweozoh said  Umeh spent far above the maximum election expenses of N40 million as stipulated by law.

    Delivering a unanimous judgment that lasted more than five hours, Justice Olusiyi, described the petitioner as a “`meddlesome interloper” who lacked the locus standi to contest the outcome of the election.

     

  • Nigeria to phase out non-bio degradable plastics – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said that the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with critical stakeholders, has developed a national strategy for the phasing out of non-bio degradable plastics in Nigeria.

    Osinbajo disclosed this while speaking on Tuesday at an event to mark the 2018 World Environment Day at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He also said that the ministry was working in partnership with the state governments to develop a national plastic waste recycling programme involving the establishment of recycling plants across Nigeria.

    According to him, eight of the plastic waste recycling plants have been completed and handed over to the states, while 18 others were in various stages of completion.

    “In addition, the federal government is also collaborating with the state governments to establish plastic waste recycling plants under the community-based waste management programme in the ministry,” he said.

    The Vice President said that two plants have been completed in Ilorin, Kwara State; one in Lokoja, Kogi State; while work was ongoing on another in Karu Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, all in North Central geopolitical zone.

    He said that there were two privately-run plastic recycling plants in Gombe and Kano States that work for the recycling of plastic.

    He said questions have been raised about limited options for cheap packaging of food and drinks, especially where consumers are relatively poor; micro marketing methods of fast moving consumer goods in sachets; and the retailing of detergents also in sachets.

    Read Also: Nigeria on right path – Osinbajo

    Osinbajo challenged multi-national corporations that produce fast-moving goods in plastics to take action towards managing plastic wastes.

    “It is my view that for controlling the proliferation of plastic sachets, we must go back to the major producers of fast-moving goods to put in place recycling programmes that could effectively ensure that while we seek environmentally-friendly options for packaging, we are keeping the environment as free of plastics as possible,” he said.

    Professor Osinbajo said that Nigeria expects multi-nationals like Coca Cola, which has committed to collecting and recycling the equivalent of all drink containers it ships, including  110 billion plastic bottles; and Unilever and Procter and Gamble, which have begun recycled plastics; would make and fulfill the same pledges in Nigeria.

    He also called on the multinationals to partner with governments at the states and local governments “to ensure that we maintain the critical balance between economic growth and a safe and livable environment.”

    “Nigeria is in a good place to lead Africa and indeed the world in beating plastic pollution,” Osinbajo said.

    He pointed out that there are a good number of effective initiatives that are being considered towards develop policies.

    Speaking at the event, President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, represented by Senator Victor Umeh, said the Senate would continue to support the Ministry of Environment “by providing robust laws that would ensure healthy and sustainable environment.”

    Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin said the ministry has done quite a lot in the area of pollution and waste management.

    He said the ministry has formulated and articulated policy targets and regulatory benchmarks that end at reducing plastic pollutions in Nigeria.

  • Anambra Central: A/Court upholds Umeh’s election

    …Dismisses Okonkwo’s appeal

     

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the election of former Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh as Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District.

    A five-man panel of the court held, in a unanimous judgment Monday, that the appeal filed Obiora Okonkwo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was without merit, and dismissed it.

    Obiora had appealed the January 12, 2018 ruling by Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in which the judge set aside the court’s earlier judgment of December 13, 2017 ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Okonkwo.

    The Court of Appeal, in its judgment, held that Justice Tsoho was right to have set aside the consent judgment it delivered on December, 13, 2017.

    Justice Frederick Oho, who read the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal, held that the lower court was in order in setting aside the judgment because it was a nullity.

    Justice Oho said lower court has the inherent powers to set the records straight by setting aside the consent judgment once it was discovered that there were a lot of infractions leading to the judgment.

    While noting that a court cannot sit as an appeal on its own case, Justice Oho said a court has the power to reverse itself if it discovers that its earlier judgment was obtained by fraud or that it was misled, as is the case here.

    Justice Oho described as sacrilegious events surrounding the December 13, 2017 consent judgment of the Federal High Court.

    He noted that, despite being aware of the decision of the Court of Appeal, ordering  that a fresh election be conducted for the seat within 90 days with the exclusion of the PDP and its candidate, the appellant (Okonkwo), who was the candidate of the PDP, still proceeded to mislead the lower court to give judgment in his favour.

    Justice Oho described the attitude of the appellant as a clear disobedience to the orders of the Court of Appeal. He added Okokwo’s lawyer was duty bound to have furnished the court with all relevant facts in the case including the three judgments by the Court of Appeal.

    He held  that whether the matter is a pre-election or post-election matter, the lower court must always give way to the appellate court on the same issue.

    Read Also: Umeh: My election is victory for APGA, Anambra

  • Jealous man ‘beats’ lover to death 

    Jealous man ‘beats’ lover to death 

    The police in Lagos have arrested a 38-year-old man, Victor Umeh for allegedly beating his lover to death.

    Umeh was said to have committed the offence at his Ago Palace Way, Okota, residence last Friday, after he saw his lover, Rachael Osu talking with another man.

    It was gathered that the couple had gone out that night when Osu ran into an old friend of hers and they started discussing.

    According to sources, Umeh angrily left the place they went to and returned home to wait for Osu, whom he descended on when she arrived.

    Neighbours alleged that Umeh was in the habit of beating the deceased and locking her inside their apartment, adding that the woman had been advised to leave him.

    It was gathered that he made efforts to abscond after he realised Osu was dead but his neighbours discovered.

    “The lifeless body of the deceased was found hours later by neighbours. The suspect had apparently locked her up and went out after beating her.

    A source said: “At first she was crying for help and nobody came to her rescue because it was a daily occurrence. Some ladies in our compound had advised the deceased to pack out. I don’t know what she sees in him that she allowed herself to be beaten up like that always. It is not that he was giving her money.”

    The suspect is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba for murder and might be arraigned on Friday.

    According to the source, the deceased’s elder brother, Chukwuyenum Osu, reported the case at the station, adding that Umeh threatened to deal with him.

    The command’s spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said the deceased was persistently beaten by the suspect, adding that neighbours said they heard Osu shouting “he wants to kill me.”

    He said: “But the beating persisted. She was beaten to death by her boyfriend. The landlord forced the door open and found the deceased lying lifeless.”