Category: News

…says it’s time to deliver good governance on the mandate of the people

The Enugu State Governor-Elect, Dr. Peter Mbah, has dedicated the March 18 governorship victory and his certificate of return to the electorate in the state who made it possible through their massive votes and support at the polls.

Dr. Mbah, who, alongside his deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, and 23 other House of Assembly members-elect were issued with their certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu on Thursday, said the mandate given to him by the people of the state would be reciprocated with good governance, massive development, industrialisation and deliberate strategic policies that inspire development.

While extending his hands of fellowship to candidates from other political parties to join in moving the state forward, Dr. Mbah noted that the era of politics, acrimony and the bitterness associated with it was over, stressing that the collective interests of the people and the state and how to achieve them should be the next step as he could not afford to let the people down.

He vowed to deliver within time on his promises, saying the certificate presented to him contained an unwritten pact between his administration and the people of the state to restore peace and security, attract investments, create jobs, provide running water within 180 days, ensure new infrastructure and take the state to its desirable and enviable place in the comity of Nigerian states.

The entrepreneur who further reiterated his resolve to run an all-inclusive administration that would carry everyone along irrespective of party affiliations, zones and leanings, added that he would be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and traceability that would enable the people to assess the performance of his government.

His statement reads in parts: “A while ago, I received the Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This certificate is not just an ordinary paper. It is a legal document which contains an unwritten pact between our administration and the good people of Enugu State.

“Today is indeed another memorable day in our journey to greatness, development and prosperity.

“In the build-up to the campaigns and electioneering process, we played politics. It was understandable and fit for the purpose of that time. For some aspirants and candidates, it was a game of survival of the fittest and elimination of the weakest. To some others, it was, fair is foul and foul is fair. Today’s handing over of the certificate of return to us should end all such atrocious politicking. It is time to move on.

“History will never forgive us if, at a time like this, when we should be pursuing the interest and development of our dear Enugu State, we are still enmeshed in the pursuit of political gains and cleavages.

“It is why I extend my hands of fellowship to all my brothers with whom I ran the race for the hearts of the Enugu electorate. While we have different political platforms to achieving the Enugu dream, we are united by our passion for the growth of our state.

“As I said earlier, politics has ended. Ndi Enugu have shown their preference. Let us end the politics of acrimony and focus on how to move our state forward

“Let us recognize that Enugu State is bigger than all of us. We thus must all work in her overall interest, which is development and growth.

“Since my announcement as winner of the March 18 election, I have set forth at dawn. I sleep and wake like the woman weaving the tapestry. Ideas of how to weave an Enugu State that will be the joy of all of us spin daily in my head. But, I cannot do it alone. I ask all of us to come on board and let us jointly take our dear state to its desirable and enviable place in the comity of Nigerian states.

“As I have said time and again, we are passionate about creating an environment that is conducive for peace and security to reign. We will do all within our powers to create an Enugu State that is highly prosperous and which is strategically developed.

“In doing this, we will be guided by a governance philosophy that is underpinned by transparency, accountability and traceability. We will codify a citizens’ charter that will define all our promises to Ndi Enugu. All that our people will need to do is to score us on account of this irrevocable charter. This, we will do, God willing.

“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate the newly elected House of Assembly members and the people of Enugu State. This is our collective government. It is not the government of any section of this state. The massiveness of the votes from all the zones of our state points at the collectivity and joint ownership of this mandate. We will reflect this in our administration and spread the dividends of democracy to every citizen of Enugu State.

“Let me also thank all the stakeholders for your tireless efforts in ensuring the peoples’ voices were heard, the media, which creditably fulfilled their role as the 4th estate of the realm, holding all participants and stakeholders accountable from the beginning of the elections to the end.

“Permit me to thank you all for your rapt attention and the joint labour of love for our state. It is time to do even more. Enugu State needs us more than ever before. It is time to serve her with all our strength.”

Earlier on, in their separate addresses, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States, Chief Ken Ukeagu, and the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, noted that the issuance of the certificates of return to candidates that emerged victorious in elections was part of the electoral process recognized by the law which must be done within 14 days of the conclusion of election.

They explained that a certificate of return issued by the INEC is evidence and authority that shows that one has been duly elected in an election conducted by the commission, adding that INEC had shown its impartiality throughout the conduct of the elections.

The commissioners charged the newly elected candidates to put the collective interests of the state above personal interests while ensuring that every constituency is carried along in the state.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government has approved a pay raise for civil servants in the country.

Ngige, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, said the pay raise is a peculiar allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality.

He explained that the money will help the government workers navigate through inflation, rising cost of living, hike in transportation fare, housing and electricity tariffs.

“The Federal Government is looking at giving people in the public service a pay raise to take care of the increased cost of living,” he said.

“In the Presidential Committee on Salaries, we have done something for the civil servants for those who are on Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) and some corporations, MDAs that are on that CONPSS. CONPSS is the salary scale for civil servants.

“We put a percentage for the President to approve, we have approved it at our own committee level. We said it should take effect from January 1, 2023.”

According to the minister, the current administration has made provision for the increment of civil workers’ salaries in the 2023 budget.

During the interview, the minister also spoke on the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying the policy has curbed insecurity and vote buying during the 2023 general elections.

He, however, admitted that the implementation of the policy was not smooth.

(Channels TV)

Some key political players are plotting to foist an Interim Government in Nigeria, according to the Department of State Services (DSS).

President-Elect Bola Tinubu is due for inauguration on May 29, but in a statement on Wednesday, Dr. Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman, stated that some persons have weighed various options, which include foisting interim government after obtaining frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels.

Afunanya said such persons were also considering sponsoring endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency.

“The Service considers the plot, being pursued by these entrenched interests, as not only an aberration but a mischievous way to set aside the constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis.”

“The illegality is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians. This is even more so that the machination is taking place after the peaceful conduct of the elections in most parts of the country.”

The DSS which said it supports a hitch-free handover, vowed to work assiduously in this direction.

“Consequently, the Service strongly warns those organising to thwart democracy in the country to retract from their devious schemes and orchestrations.”

“Stakeholders, notably judicial authorities, media and the Civil Society, are enjoined to be watchful and cautious to avoid being used as instruments to subvert peace and stability of the nation. While its monitoring continues, the DSS will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against these misguided elements to frustrate their obnoxious intentions,” the Service said.

(Daily Trust)

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in the new chairman of the Police Service Commission, former Inspector-General of Police Dr Solomon Arase (retd).

Arase took his oath of office at 10:05 am at the council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and other FEC members.

Recall Arase’s appointment was confirmed as chairperson of the PSC by the senate.

This came on the heels of his name being forwarded by the President on January 24, 2023, asking the upper legislative chamber to confirm him in line with sections 153 (1) and 154 (1) of the constitution as amended.

Arase, 65, who retired in 2016, was the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (between April 2015 and June 2016) and has served in various capacities including as head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the foremost intelligence-gathering unit of the Nigerian police.

The President also swore in five board members of the Code of Conduct Bureau.

They include Murtala Kankia from Katsina State (North-West); Zephaniah Bulus from Nasarawa State (North Central) and Farouk Umar from Yobe State (North East), Taofeek Abdulsalam from Ondo State (South West) and Prof. Juwaria Badamasi from Kogi State (North Central).

Council members also observed a moment of silence in honour of Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya (retd) who died on Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Diya served as Chief of General Staff and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council under the Abacha regime.

Born on April 3, 1944, at Odogbolu in Ogun State, Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War.

He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.

As Chief of the General Staff, he was second in command and the de facto vice president of Nigeria under General Sani Abacha from 1994 to 1997.

The Federal Executive Council meeting thereafter went into a closed-door session at about 10:30 am.

(Sun)

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday extended the ultimatum issued to CBN to make naira available in commercial banks by two weeks.

The two organisations had earlier threatened to picket all branches of the CBN beginning from 29 March if government and the CBN did not end the nationwide cash crunch.

NLC President Joe Ajaero told a news conference in Abuja that the decision to extend the ultimatum was reached after consultations with affiliate members of both unions and their National Executive Councils.

He said reports from state branches of the two organisations indicated that there had been partial compliance by the CBN with a Supreme Court judgment to make cash available in banks.

“We agreed that we have to monitor this compliance for the next two weeks to establish whether it is sustainable.

“CBN rushed to move money to commercial banks, but some of the banks are getting empty again. Queues are returning to some of them.

“It will be very naive of the NLC to hurriedly call off the action. We would want to loosen up for another two weeks, however.

“The NLC and TUC have decided to allow March 29 to pass without any picketing, but to watch for the next two weeks.

“After two weeks from today, the NEC of the two organisations will meet to decide whether the CBN has fully complied and whether its compliance is sustainable to drive the economy,’’ he said.

The NLC president said committees had also been set up at the national and state levels of the two organisations to monitor the level of compliance by the banks.

He observed also that some banks did not comply with the CBN directive to operate at the weekend.

“We equally wish to advise the CBN to play its regulatory role because it can sanction banks that are not compliant as Nigerians have suffered so much,’’ Mr Ajaero said.

In his contribution, TUC President Festus Osifo corroborated Ajaero’s submission that the two organisations had agreed to sustain the push in the next two weeks to ease the hardships of Nigerians.

“With reports that came from the states, there had been some level of compliance, but some banks refused to comply or refused to open and they did not open at the weekend.

“We call on the CBN to encourage them to sustain the availability of cash as the confidence in the system has been eroded.

“The CBN needs to do much more. It needs to supply much more money into the economy,’’ Mr Osifo stressed.

(Premium Times)

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure says the party will refund N25 million nomination fee paid by a deceased governorship aspirant of the party in Imo State, Humphrey Anumudu to his family.

Abure spoke in Abuja on Tuesday after meeting with National Assembly-Elect members of the party. He also said no newly elected members of the National Assembly under the party will defect to other political parties.

Anumudu had purchased the party’s form to contest the LP primary ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State but died last week.

Abure, in Abuja on Tuesday, said the party decided to return the nomination fee to the family of the deceased to show empathy and compassion.

Addressing newsmen, he said, “You will recall that one of our aspirants in Imo State lost his life. I am pleased to announce to members of the public and members of the Labour Party family and his immediate family that the party will refund the nomination fee of N25 million that he spent.

“We feel that we need to do this the support the family and show leadership of compassion, of empathy and that is what the Labour Party stands for.”

(Channels TV)

The governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on Monday appealed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to prevail on the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over its planned protest slated for Wednesday.

But at a closed-door meeting which held at the headquarters of Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja, Emefiele was quoted as saying the protest would hinder the progress of the apex bank if not averted.

The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero led other Labour leaders while Emefiele led the apex bank officials to the meeting that was later presided over by the Minister.

According to Daily Trust, an official of the ministry, who attended the meeting reported that Emefiele promised to ensure that all commercial banks were given enough cash from the CBN’s vault.

“You would notice that the CBN had since last Friday directed commercial banks to open during weekends so as to ease the issue of cash crunch. The governor (Emefiele) was here to talk to the Minister in order to prevail on the labour leaders.

“He (Emefiele) said the protest will disrupt a lot of things in the bank, hence his reasons to heed the minister’s call who is a Chief conciliator”.

None of the trio spoke to journalists after the closed-door meeting.

A statement is yet to be issued either by the apex bank or the ministry regarding the meeting as at when filing this report last night.

But the NLC President in a formal invitation to our correspondent said he would brief the press on Tuesday regarding the outcome of the meeting.

(Daily Trust)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, April 15 for governorship, national and state assembly supplementary elections.

The commission made the disclosure in a tweet on Monday.

“Arising from its meeting held today, the Independent National Electoral Commission has decided that all outstanding Governorship, National and State Assembly supplementary elections will take place on Saturday 15th April 2023.

“A detailed official statement will follow shortly,” the tweet reads.

The announcement comes barely one week after the governorship elections of Kebbi and Adamawa states were declared inconclusive.