The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Opinion

  • Allocating Resources Strategically will boost Anambra State Development

    Sustainable economic developments have continued to elude Anambra State in critical areas, owing to inequitable and nonstrategic allocation of its resources by succeeding administrations, Reverend Godwin Chukwuma Okonkwo has said.

     

    Okonkwo, who retired from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as the Managing Director, NNPC Capital, argued that the state would have been better developed, if past administrations had been strategic in the application of the its resources.

     

    A native of Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area, Okonkwo said he would contest the next governorship election and promised to ensure accountable and judicious management of the state’s human and material resources.

     

    Okonkwo, who spoke in Abuja, shortly after his endorsement by a grassroot political group – the National Democratic Mandate Group (NDMG) – at its first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting promised to disclose his political party in due course.

     

    Though it was learnt that the technocrat is believed by many to be the anointed candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but, others have said he plans to contest on the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP) against Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, but Anambrarians may not have long to guess as he is said to have concluded plans to announce his candidacy and platform officially in the next few days.

     

    Okonkwo said: “If things were going on as expected, people like us will not bother to contest elections. But, because we know that Anambra State is not where it should be today and with my experience and expertise we want to help put things in order.

     

    “So that the resources that we are getting today would be judiciously used, whereby robust economic planning tools and godly integrity would be deployed in the management of the human and material resources of Anambra State.”

     

    Okonkwo, who promised to dwell on his manifesto, assured that, as against the practice by past administrations in the state, he would conduct Local Government election as stipulated by the constitution.

     

    He added: “I can assure you that when godly integrity is brought into the management of the state’s human and material resources, all areas would be touched. If the resources of Anambra State are strategically deployed there will be sustainable economic growth, increase in foreign investors, the youths will be empowered and crime would reduce.

     

    “If the youths are engaged with the provision of employment that allows them to meet their basic needs, crime rates would reduce.

     

    “One of the first things I will do when I assume office is to conduct Local Government elections. Why is it difficult to conduct Local Government elections in Anambra State?

     

    “Conduct elections and let the allocations that are due to that tier of government go to them. You should lead by example. When the people that you are leading see that you are showing good example, they will fall in line.

     

    “Why most people fail is that they were not organised before they got into office.

     

    “What you do is to identify and prioritise the work programme, create an economic plan with an experienced team, set timelines, take them in stages and you will make an impact. When people see what you are doing, they will bear you witness.

     

    “You don’t try to do everything at the same time, because you will end up not achieving much, even if you spend all the resources at your disposal,” Okonkwo said.

     

    He cautioned electorate in the state to desist from the practice of trading their votes for immediate gratification that would hunt them later.

     

    “The people of Anambra should not apply short-term solution to a long-term problem. They should not collect rice and eat now and continue to live under bad governance. They should not collect N5000 and mortgage the future of their children.”

     

    “They should go out there, think and be responsible for the action they take during voting, because the action they take would have years of repercussion,” Okonkwo said.

     

     

    NDMG’s National Chairman, Ambassador Isaac Udeh said his group’s national leadership unanimously agreed to adopt Okonkwo as its sole candidate and members shall work for in the Anambra State governorship election.

     

    On what informed the group’s decision, Udeh said Okonkwo is known to NDMG as an accountable and trustworthy individual.

     

    “He (Okonkwo) is not just a Christian, he is a good Christian. We know his antecedents when he worked in the NNPC before he retired honourably. He is a trustworthy man, who is driven by accountability  and fear of God in all he does,” Udeh said.

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • PDP requests the sack of the defence minister

     

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, demanded the sack of the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, for asking Nigerians to defend themselves against armed aggression by bandits and terrorists.

    The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the minister’s statement as reckless and confirmation that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has allegedly surrendered to outlaws and lacks determination to fight them.

    The opposition party said: “It is unthinkable that a government would describe unarmed victims of armed aggression of terrorists and bandits as ‘cowards’, while those who were elected and given the necessary resources to defend them recede in the comfort and safety of their offices in Abuja.”

    The PDP added that ‘such disposition to security, a statutory responsibility of government, goes to validate apprehensions that our nation is, indeed, descending to a failed state under the Buhari presidency, where government can no longer perform its duties, while unarmed citizens are left to confront bandits and warlords.

    “Given the silence by the Buhari presidency, our party holds that the defeatist comment by the minister represents the disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari and his security architecture, and explains why the administration has remained complacent in the fight against terrorism and banditry in our country.

    “Such statement by the Buhari administration, at the time it ought to be scaling up its security strategies to guarantee the safety of Nigerians, have been emboldening bandits, terrorists and kidnappers to escalate their atrocities against our compatriots.

    “Moreover, with such disposition, the Buhari administration is creating a lucrative job for bandits, terrorists and kidnappers, who are settled with huge ransom, instead of being faced with firepower.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • IMF shows concern over the use of cryptocurrency

     

    The International Monetary Fund has called for caution in the use of cryptocurrencies, describing it as a concern.

     

    It disclosed this during a virtual briefing on the recently published 2020 Article IV IMF Staff Report for Nigeria.

     

    The Resident Representative of IMF for Nigeria, Ari Aisen, said the concern on the use of cryptocurrencies was why many central banks were cautious about the development.

     

     

    He said, “The issue with some of the cryptocurrencies is that perhaps some care should be taken about their activities. The use of cryptocurrencies is a concern.

     

    “That is why some central banks, not only in Nigeria, have these concerns about what kind of activities these cryptocurrencies are put and how best to monitor those activities.”

     

    Aisen noted that some of the activities might be illegal or related to money laundering and drug peddling.

     

    This, he said, was why many monetary authorities had been concerned about how best to supervise and increase their oversight regarding the use of cryptocurrencies.

     

     

    Aisen further canvassed the unification of foreign exchange rates in Nigeria so as to make the management of forex more transparent across the country.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • NIGERIA: Our political, social, economic and financial disorderliness

     

     

    When a place called Nigeria continues to exhibit endless lines of conflicted management security controls and poor information security controls everywhere, everything and everyone remain unsafe.

     

    In what appears to be a functional tribal and religion-oriented democracy where tilted type “leadership” mannerisms prevail, system disorders will manifest across our institutions and the country. Just like a true schizophrenic type person or mindset.

     

    The psychology of Nigeria now faces a significant situation where everyone is for oneself. Every region is for itself.

     

    I don’t know if there will be a physical civil war but what we all know is that a psychological civil war has started. Big time.

     

     

    On the one side is the cry and shouts from one man, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in the midst of others who apparently remains banana sucking heads in mostly non-northern regions. On the other side of Nigeria are Governors Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna and Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State with a commitment to stand and speak ethnically for the most part.  So, the divisiveness is clear.

     

    If any physical civil war starts, the words of Bala Muhammed will become very relevant. He said the cows and Fulani carriers of AK-47 have the right to any part of Nigeria.

     

    I agree with the freedom of movement especially as it relates to citizens humans,  even the cattle but not illegally.

     

    Muhammed appears to have endorsed the unconstitutional and illegal carrying of an automatic weapon used for mass shootings and in war theatres. In linguistic terms, I think he spoke sentimentally and overly protectively and that is dangerous for an emerging multi-ethnic democracy. But believe me the damage has been done in the eyes of the people and the world.

     

    In fact, the governor, unlike any other person in the world, just opened up the path to a physical or bloody regional war. I hope not.

     

     

    Inadvertently, he has ordered others to do the same. He alone knowingly or unknowingly has ordered the unconstitutional right to carry a dangerous gas operating terror inflicting weapon like AK-47. Now everyone could be getting ready to follow his cold words.

     

    In the same vein, Muhammed has given AK-47 blessings to various religional protective groups. Like the Hisbah, an Islamic type police body and the Civilian Joint Task Force in the North.

     

    Other regional security outfits will share from this anyhow talk. The Amotekun of the South-West, and the Eastern Security Network of the eastern and southern parts of Nigeria will get theirs since he said groups have the right to  protect themselves and their followers in any region.

     

    In the light of our current state of national psychosis or misgivings, the national government through the Federal Ministry of Justice has trouble in its hand. The state governments also have trouble in their hands.

     

    In a society where we argue whether to see the constitution or religious doctrine as the ultimate doctrine of the land, I don’t see a quick solution to our national idiocy.

     

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    Therefore, the psychological civil war which I fully endorse must continue, whether it turns to a physical bi-regional war is left to others.

     

    As long as violence and extremism now have a stable place in Nigeria as well as general inequity, let everyone be ready to protect themselves and their religions. No one side should have inequitable privilege.

     

    Global observers and the Biden presidency must watch Nigeria and its inequitable policies in terms of the vulnerable on matters of insecurity and religious freedom.

     

     

    Because everything looks dicey. Big time.

     

    As I close, I say hello to our all-round brother, VP Yemi  Osinbajo, wherever he is today. The same to President Muhammadu Buhari, an ardent Fulani religious mind who must try to take equal pride not just for the Fulani but also for all tribes or face the current psychological revolution which he can’t win. Not in this time of our social media globe.

     

    The President must on live TV tell Nigerians, using his institutional voice of authority and leadership, to level up the current mess.

     

    The quintessential question now is when enough is going to be enough with our current “wahala” or cyclical self-driving institutional and societal woes.

     

    I remain optimistic.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Re: Attempt to Incite the Public and Re-Create the Effium Crisis in Ishiagu

    BETWEEN SILAS JOSEPH ONU AND PDP, WHO IS CAUSING VIOLENCE IN PARTS OF EBONYI STATE.

     

    RE: ATTEMPT TO Incite THE PUBLIC AND RE-CREATE THE EFFIUM CRISIS IN ISHIAGU

     

     

    1. The attention of the media aides of the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji has been drawn to another sponsored directionless and clueless post on the above referred caption by a busy body in People’s Democratic Party, PDP who parades himself as the State Publicity Secretary of PDP.

    2. Although the Hon. Commissioner had restrained us from responding to that clearly misleading, infamous and irresponsible post credited to that ghost writer and anachronistic propagandist, we are constrained to put the records straight lest Silas Joseph Onu swindles the sensibilities of the gullible.

    3. While we are careful not to go against the stand of the Commissioner on speaking reservatively on the person of Senator Anyim whom Silas Joseph Onu unwittingly made a subject of discussion for reasons best known to him, we must note here that the language, content and context of the said post of Silas Joseph Onu depicts a man of shallow knowledge of the historical background of the land grabbing contestation between Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and his kinsmen in Ovumte Ishiagu

    4. It would appear that the embattled Silas Joseph Onu is desperately confused about the jurisdictional dictates of the office of the Publicity Secretary of a Political Party when he chronicled unfounded allegations of inciting ‘Ishiagu’ people against Senator Anyim Pius Anyim over land grabbing, and when he framed up a fictitious story against the Judiciary of Ebonyi State, and the noble project at Umuchima in Uburu.

    5. It is a shame that Silas Joseph Onu who doesn’t know the spelling of Ishiagu community and who wanders fugitively as diaspora- based political jobber without coming home, is standing as a spokesman to Senator Anyim Pius Anyim over a land grabbing allegation which has no connection with any government officials at any level of government, and turns back to condenm the sighting of Federal Housing Project at his home town as land grabbing. This is a height of ignominious idiocyncracy and political exuberance of a political green horn who was brought as a far substitute to an original nominee( from Ishiagu) of the Abuja group of the State Caretaker Committee of PDP.

    6. With this rustic behaviour, one can deduce who nominated Silas Joseph Onu and his objective, unfortunately Onu is lacking in direction and capacity to the utter disappointment of the leader of the PDP Abuja group

    7. Meanwhile, we are calling on the Security Agencies to beam their survellance processes on Silas Joseph Onu over his unguided and unabated utterrances and seditious publications which are not only deceitful but also provocative and evil packed.

    8. It will be noted that this so called Silas Joseph Onu has never met Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji and that is why we are wondering why Silas Joseph Onu will be the next conduit to be used by Onu’s Principal to levy cheap lies against the person of Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna. But he has to ask questions because it will boomerang.

    Members of the public are enjoined to disregard the allegations contained in the 5th February 2021 publication of Silas Joseph Onu of PDP as baseless, false and nothing but a costly caption with a worthless content and lacking in credibility and sensibility.

     

    Signed:

    Engr Damian Okafor

    TA – Media (Online)

    Office of the Hon. Commissioner

     

    Daphne Nnenna Eteng

    TA – Media ( Print)

    Office of the Hon. Commissioner

  • Ebonyi Crises: Government Officials Alleged to Instigate Crises in their Communities. As State Government assures of calm.

    Ebonyi Crises: Government Officials Alleged to Instigate Crises in their Communities.

     

    As State Government assures of calm.

     

    By Arizona James.

     

    Since the controversial defection of Ebonyi State Governor from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, Ebonyi State has not known real peace.

    Many people’s opinion about the Governor portray him as a self-centered, ungrateful child who after being nurtured by a mother turned a monster, attempting to bite off the mother’s breast to deprive other children the succour.

    Needless to emphasize that the Governor has continued to allegedly sponsor his stooge, the removed PDP chairman in the State, Onyekachi Nwebonyi to continue fomenting trouble in the Party even when he has legally been barred from parading himself as Chairman by an Abuja High Court.

    The Governor had also been alleged to have gone ahead to use forces at his disposal to prevent the substantive Caretaker Committee of the Party chaired by Elder Fred Udogu from taking occupation of the PDP Secretariat claiming that it was his personal property.

    Across the various communities in the State, there has been barrages of reports of intimidation, harassment and threat to life of politicians and their followers who refused to tow the path of the Governor.

    From Ezza South where the Council Chairman, Ken Eze sealed the Private school belonging to the PDP chairman in the area, Mr Friday Agbom, for allegedly refusing to join the APC, to Ohaozara where the Youths of Ihenu in Uburu recently protested illegal and forceful land grabbing by agents of the State government, it has been sordid stories of human rights abuses.

    Meanwhile, the most disheartening part of the entire brouhaha is the fact that the greater chunk of the crises seem to be obviously targeted at the indigenous Local Government Areas of some political heavy weights who have decided to continue to remain with the PDP in spite of the Governor’s compulsive beckoning.

    Probably, Effium community in Ishielu Local Government Area could be said to have received the major brunt of the artificial crises allegedly perpetrated by government forces in the State.

    The community which is housing both the Effium aborigines and the naturalized Ezza settlers was recently thrown into regrettable intra-communal war which resulted in loss of many lives, with destroyed property worth billions of naira.

    Preliminary investigations have revealed that the crises was instigated by the Council Chairman, Clement Odah, whom the Governor often refer to as his son, in flimsy struggle with another politician over who controls the motor park in the area.

    But apart from the recent pronounced Effium crises, Ohaukwu has been notorious for fatal internal wrangling and local cult clashes. Ohaukwu is the home Local Government Area of the first Executive Governor of the state, Dr Sam Ominyi Egwu who was initially maligned by the Governor alongside the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim and others for alleged refusal to join his train.

    Some days ago, a group of stakeholders of Amagu in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of the state raised a petition against the State Government and its few appointees in their area over a ploy to instil crisis in the Community by illegally meddling with the communal land in spite of subsisting Court order.

    In the petition titled “Gross Abuse of Rule of Law by Ebonyi State Government”, made available to some journalists, the stakeholders drew the attention of appropriate authorities to the brewing crises in the area which they alleged was being sponsored by the State government.

    The Community lamented the development whereby few Aides of the governor in the area appropriated the community land for themselves, leveraging on purported executive orders issued by Governor Umahi in total disregard to subsisting Court Order.

    They regretted that the political appointees from the area have failed to attract development like other communities, but were busy attracting crisis, and urged Governor David Umahi, to call his Aides from their area to order over flagrant abuse of Court orders.

    The petitioners described the development as both worrisome, and a strategic plan to introduce the recent Effium, Ohaukwu kind of crises which claimed scores of lives in their area.

    Part of the petition read: “It is worrisome that the Ebonyi State Government neglected the standing court order and reordered that no activities whatsoever should be carried out on the land as against the initial court decision on the subject matter.

    “The crisis started when the delegation of government instructed that the court order validly secured by Amagu should be ignored and what they called executive order should be followed…

    “This order which obviously did not go down well with the community triggered crisis immediately to the extent that the government delegate narrowly escaped being lynched…

    “To this end therefore, I call on necessary agencies to call the Ebonyi State Government to order and that they should observe the supremacy of the law and avoid taking laws into their hands, before they create problems bigger than them.

    “A stitch in time says nine.”

    Investigations revealed that the land in contention is a Community land, owned communally, which onus rests on traditional stakeholders to decide what use it should be put into.

    Meanwhile few political appointees of the Governor in the area had attempted to covet the land for their personal uses but were resisted by the community people .

    The entire episode had resulted into legal dispute in which the Court ruled against the few individuals with an order to desist from the land. However, following the political situation in the State occasioned by the defection of Governor Umahi to the All Progressives Congress and its resultant discontent with some major political gladiators who chose to remain in PDP, the Governor’s Aides took the advantage to foment crises in the Community by stepping again into the land in spite of the existing Court Orders.

    From the foregoing, most of the community stakeholders expressed suspicion that the Governor was using his Aides from the area to instigate crises to spite the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim and other political weights from the area who refused to decamp with him.

    Narrating the development, the Amagu Ishiagu Development Union Chairman, Mr. Livinus Uka explained that the land belonged to the entire community and not to any individual, adding that it was wrong for very few individuals to dictate for the community.

    His words “the land in question is just a general land of the community. “Now because our population and homesteads are increasing, we decided to make that community land a home settlement. The people living in the land knows that the land is a community land and they do perform a kind of rent to show that they are not the original owners of the land. These few individuals took us to court in January 2020 but on 17th November 2020, the court struck out the case in our favour for lack of merit. All of a sudden, these people again started destroying the beacons the community planted on the land, running to the government because of the political crisis in the state so that government will use their power to support their undesirable plans. One of them had issued us with Appeal notice which assumed that the case is still in court.”

    Uka further lamented that the once peaceful community has been turned into a crises zone by the actions of the few politicians, and urged Government appointees to desist from using their privileged positions to intimidate the people.

    “This is a misunderstanding in the community where some people think that they can do anything they like in the community. They are just trying to stop what the community is doing and I pray to God to help them realize that there is no gain in crisis and align themselves in what the community is doing and stop pointing accusing fingers on innocent persons because they want to attract public sympathy from anybody. The struggle is for the interest of the whole community and no individual has a hand in it . Anyone involving Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is doing so to attract sympathy for himself because Anyim is a big figure in the country. The land is a farm settlement but now the community wants to share it so that every family will have a portion and it took the community 20years, to get the actual figure of the community so that every family will be accommodated. I urge those in government to stop using government to intimidate the common people in order to gain what is not due to them.” He said

    Corroborating the story, the Chairman Ovumte Land Committee, the village where the land is domiciled, Mr. Chinedu Makwe, maintained that there was no crisis in the community .

    He however, stated that the problem was from few individuals who were claiming that the community land belonged to them.

    Makwe added: “We only have problem with some individuals in the community that claimed that the community land belongs to them and went to court, and on the basis of that, court gave us (community) judgement in November 17, 2020. After the judgement, these people did not go to appeal within the stipulated 2weeks and that is clear that they don’t have any more claim to the land but because they are Ebonyi state government employees, they are trying to use the political situation in the state now to turn our community to a war zone, but by the grace of God, it will not work. This group of people are the ones inciting problems, creating tensions where there are none. We are telling them that we need development like other communities. We don’t want crisis. They should attract development for us and not crisis. We also urge the state government not to put crisis where there is none. That is all we plead”

    Meanwhile, while briefing journalists on Friday on the outcome of State Executive Council meeting, the State Commissioner for Information, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, assured that calm has returned to Effium community. He also confirmed the withdrawal of security agencies from the area, stressing that the State government was on top of the security situations across the State.

  • Restructuring: Wole Soyinka urges the National Assembly to respond to restructuring calls

    Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday urged the National Assembly to listen to the calls for the restructuring of Nigeria and take responsibility towards the effect.

     

    Wole soyinka

    His call is in consonance with the Presidency which had repeatedly asked agitators for restructuring to channel their clamour to the National Assembly, being the representatives of the people.

     

    Such regional groups as the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, its counterparts in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and the Middle-Belt Forum have been very vociferous in the call for the nation’s restructuring.

     

    They had often argued that the National Assembly was not better placed to restructure the country, since the 1999 constitution currently in operation and which the lawmakers are applying, was not written by the people but a select few.

     

    However, Soyinka, who spoke on AIT’s Kakaaki programme yesterday, said the National Assembly had the powers and moral authority to respond to the calls, if the Presidency was not doing so.

     

    He said: “The Presidency is saying it’s not my responsibility. On the other hand, the National Assembly keeps saying it wants the President to take action.

     

    ‘’When that happens, why doesn’t the National Assembly say ‘fine, we take this as our responsibility, we are obliged to the people who elected us here, the shout is heard, even by the deaf today that this nation must restructure, and if that has to be done through the constitution, we are now going to face this as one of our major tasks’ and then lead the Presidency on its own?

     

    “If the Presidency is not responding, then the National Assembly has the powers and the moral authority to respond to the desire of the populace.”

     

    On why the National Assembly has been reluctant to take up the leadership opportunity, Soyinka said: “Very often, they are struggling for those various committees where I think all the goodies are shared, so they are compromised.

     

    ‘’But when I speak about this, I’m not speaking about the entirety. But unfortunately, there are those who are purely for their own interest and who make compromises with the Executives simply because they want to fulfil’ their own personal interest.”

     

    Soyinka also said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the steam to fight corruption.

     

    He said so many people ought to be in prison if the government was serious about the fight against corruption.

     

    “There are so many people who should be in prison if this government had not run out of steam, and so the system is being manipulated.

     

    “There are cases where the prosecution had reached the level where evidence had been given on governors who had been stealing and depositing in bits and pieces so as not to flout a certain regulation.

     

    “I mean cases have been taken to that level and suddenly, silence. The EFCC, which I back solidly ever since the days of Nuhu Ribadu, in all kinds of ways, we no longer know the distinguishing from rights and left,’’ he said.

     

     

     

    Source: www.vanguardngr.com

  • Kogi State law makers solicit for Yahaya Bello, press APC for political action.

     

    Ahead of 2023 polls, Kogi State lawmakers paid a visit to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday, to lobby All Progressives Congress (APC) House members on behalf of Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

     

    The lawmakers said that it was time states in the North Central unite and work with the sole aim for the zone to produce the next president.

     

    The high-powered delegation led by the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, made the call when they paid an advocacy visit to the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ilorin.

     

    The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, said the agitation for power shift to North Central was a laudable move, recalling that the zone had yet to take shot as either President or Vice President since the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

     

    However, the Kogi Speaker told his host that the mobilisation drive for Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as next president was due to some attributes in him as well as his contributions to the development of Kogi State and the nation since his election as governor.

     

    Kolawole noted that Governor Bello had succeeded in addressing insecurity climate in the state, which was prevalent prior to his emergence.

     

    He urged other zones in the country to concede the presidential ticket of the APC to Kogi Governor, saying that the nation would be in safe hand if Governor Bello is given the opportunity.

     

    ‘We are here to notify you about the plan ahead as regard 2023 election. We are here on behalf of Governor Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. We want to thank him for the good relationship we have built together in the Kogi State House of Assembly. Apart from the synergy that we have, in the House of Assembly, we have passed into law between 67 and 70 bills since he assumed office as governor. He has assented to all the bills.

     

    ‘Before now, Kogi State used to be a den of kidnappers, armed robbery and social vices. And people cannot move freely. Since our governor assumed office, the first thing he did was to demystify the camps of all the kidnappers and demolish the houses of well-known criminals in the society. I can tell you categorically that my state is 80 per cent free from kidnapping and armed robbery. We equally saw our governor as being a youth governor, while many in his government today are absolutely youths.

     

    ‘So, by the time we put all this together, we looked at his capacity, ability, charisma leadership effectiveness and control, we in the House of Assembly of Kogi State passed a vote of confidence on our governor and at the same time, we went further to ask him to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

    ‘We didn’t just ask him to contest. We equally looked at the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Four had benefitted immensely in the leadership of this country in terms of President and Vice President. We realized that North Central and South-East were left out of this powerful political position (President). As a result of that, we asked our governor, maybe the youngest governor in Nigeria. Because of his effectiveness and leadership control and the role he has played in developing our party in Nigeria, we said our governor should contest for the President, which he has finally agreed to run for.

     

    ‘And we cannot do this alone in Kogi State. As a result of this, we decided to pay advocacy visits and talk to our colleagues, who will be delegates from different States in a future election. We are here to appeal to you to support our youthful and pragmatic governor, who has really contributed to the development of Kogi State and APC in Nigeria, to run for the office of President and for him to succeed. Above all, we are advocating from Kwara State House of Assembly to join Kogi State House of Assembly in this crusade of North Central to produce President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ the Kogi Speaker said.

     

    Speaking during the visit, Salihu assured that Kwara would support the movement for North Central to produce the next president.

     

    The Speaker, who led the Deputy Speaker, Raphael Olanrewaju Adetiba and other lawmakers to receive the visiting team, applauded Kogi lawmakers for taking a bold step with the resolution for Governor Bello to vie for the presidential ticket of the APC.

     

    He said: ‘In North Central, we have not seen the key actors of the country, which include President and Vice President [from] 1999 to date. And agitating for this is a plus to North Central. By God’s grace, as we start this journey, we pray that it should be a journey that favours the North Central Zone.

     

    ‘Kogi State has taken a bold step with your resolution asking an aspirant to go and contest for an election. And for the aspirant accepting your resolution, it is a plus, and it has shown the cordial relationship you have with the executive.

     

    ‘Honorable colleagues, I will say Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Governor of Kogi State) is in our youth constituency, though a senior brother. We have to give maximum support to the youth constituency. This move you are doing is a very big task. We will support the North Central move and put it in prayer for us to succeed. It is time for us to come together for the movement to be a success.’

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • EFCC recovers N75m from ex minister’s wife

    An operative with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Bello Hamma-Adama, has told Justice Inyang Ekwo, of a Federal High Court in Abuja that a sum of N75m was recovered from Halima Turaki, wife of a former Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

     

    Tanimu Turaki was a former Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs during the administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan between 2013 and 2015.

     

    He also served as the Minister for the Federal Ministry of Labour between 2014 and 2015.

     

    Hamma-Adama, the fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Turaki, made the observations before Justice Ekwo on Wednesday.

     

    The EFCC had arraigned Turaki alongside his former Special Assistant, Sampson Okpetu, and two firms, Samtee Essentials Ltd and Pasco Investment Ltd, on a 16-count charge of money laundering.

     

    Although Turaki and Okpetu pleaded not guilty to the charges, the anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants used the companies to launder the fund totalling N845m taken from the two ministries where the ex-minister held sway under the Jonathan administration.

     

    While being led in evidence by the counsel to the EFCC, Mohammed Abubakar, the witness said about N359m was moved from the Ministry of Special Duties for a sensitisation project for the government.

     

    Hamma-Adama, who was the lead investigator in the agency, however, said the money was later transferred in tranches into private individuals’ accounts.

     

    Giving the breakdown, he said N45m was allegedly transferred to the ex-Minister’s brother, Abdullahi Maigwandu, through his Zenith Bank account.

     

    Out of the N45m, he said Maigwandu transferred N20m to the Guarantee Trust Bank account of Halima Tanimu Turaki, the ex-minister’s wife.

     

    According to the fifth prosecution witness, the sum of N20m was transferred to O-Pec Nig Ltd.

     

    He said the remaining N5m was withdrawn in China using the ATM of Maigwandu by Halima to procure furniture items.

     

    “The sum of N30m was transferred to Abubakar Sani Gude’s Zenith Bank account from the ministry’s account and the N30m was sent to the wife of the first defendant (Turaki),” he said.

     

    Hamma-Adama said when Maigwandu was invited for interrogation, he confessed that the money came from the ministry and he neither had any business with the ministry nor engaged in any sensitisation exercise.

     

    The witness said Maigwandu, a civil servant in Kebbi with a monthly salary of N33,000, also told the EFCC that the N45m was received by the ex-Minister’s wife.

     

    ‌

    “We called for the Maigwandu’s account statement in Zenith Bank. We discovered that he is a civil servant in Kebbi on a salary of about N33, 000.

     

    “We suspected a case of money laundering and we did a network analysis and we discovered that he could not have owned that money because he is on a N33, 000 salary”, Hamma-Adama said.

     

     

     

    He said Maigwandu told the investigators that every money in that account belonged to Turaki, except his salary.

     

    “He said he is a brother to the former minister and that the money was transferred on his instruction,” the EFCC operative added.

    Hamma-Adama hinted that as at the time the N45m was transferred to Maigwandu, he was having about N7,300 in his account.

     

    He said with all the information gathered, Halima was invited to their office.

     

    “She came alongside the first defendant (her husband) and a lawyer. On video, she mentioned that the transaction was done at her instance.

     

    “She said she was not a contractor with the Ministry of Special Duties and that she did not carry out any sensitisation exercise for the ministry. We ask if she knows Gode and Gwandu and she said she did. She said the transaction was her transaction and it was done on her instructions”, the witness said.

     

    Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter till February 9 and 10 for the continuation of the trial.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • MASSOB tackles IGP Mohammed Adamu

     

    Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has tackled Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, over his recent order for the arrest of Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, because he gave quit notice to Fulani herdsmen in Oduduwa land.

     

    MASSOB, after its executive meeting, yesterday, viewed the directive by the police boss as unprofessional; an act of dictatorship, intimidation and violation of citizen’s right.

     

    The group wondered why the IGP failed to arrest the spokesperson of Arewa Youths Group, Mallam Abdulazeez Suleiman, when the Coalition of Arewa Youths gave the Igbo residing in Northern Nigeria notice to vacate the region.

     

    A communiqué by MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, accused Adamu, who is Fulani by tribe, of protecting, aiding and backing the criminal and terrorist Fulani herdsmen.

     

    The group stated: “The Fulani are deceiving themselves with the tendency and primitive beliefs that Nigeria belongs to their ancestors because President Muhammadu Buhari is the current president of Nigeria.

     

    “No section or region of this political entity called Nigeria has monopoly of power, violence or domination of others.

     

    “Nigeria does not belong to any section or tribe in Nigeria. The primitive belief and tendency of born to rule while others are slaves in Nigeria are no longer admissible.”

     

    Meanwhile, Adamu in Lagos yesterday vowed to arrest and bring to book those who burnt Igboho’s house.

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Mayowa Alakija emphasizesThe reason why young people should adopt intellectual politics

     

     

    You were appointed Youth Ambassador, United Nigerian Forum (Extended Western Alliance) of the APC, during its inaugural meeting, recently, what is that about, what is the vision?

     

     

     

    The United Nigerian Forum has been in existence for a long time; the Western Alliance was only re-launched because it was not very pronounced, thus the appellation Extended Western Alliance. The vision is to engage with the youths and everybody to make sure we build a better Nigeria. The truth is that for you to get anything done, you have to engage with the youth, elderly and even children. You have to work with these segments of people across the society to make an impact.

     

    What are the responsibilities expected of you?

     

    My responsibilities include but not limited to bringing the youths into the mainstream. If you look at the role of youths in national affairs, you will agree that they have not done enough; therefore, there is need to engage them to take an active interest in the affairs of the country because we can no longer sit on the fence, neither can we continue to blame the elders for the situation of things. The youth must position themselves and prove that they have something to offer. My major responsibility therefore will be to engage the youth and convince them to become active participants in national affairs. Youths have the responsibility of changing the negative perception of Nigeria in the global community because the impression they have of youths outside the country is that of yahoo-yahoo, which doesn’t define the identity of the Nigerian youth or Nigeria as a nation.

     

    The APC has indicated that it wants to triple its membership base during the next registration exercise. What are you doing as youth ambassador of a group within the party to make that dream a reality?

     

    Unfortunately, millions of Nigerian youths are not members of any political party. Hundreds of them do not have voters card, those that have voters card do not come out on election day to vote. Some of them have the impression that politics is about social media, but election cannot be won on social media, but by active participation in politicking. So, I am going on a massive membership drive at the grassroots across the country. The message is that the time has come for youths to be actively involved in politics. The Not Too Young to Run Act is not enough because though the act has been passed, if you are not a member of a political party, you cannot take part in politics. I will not only drive the youths to register as members of the APC, but I will also ensure that when the election proper comes, they will come out to vote. You cannot lay claim to being part of a political process when you did not play any role in the emergence of the government. So, I target to get at least seven million youths from across Nigeria to register as members of the APC during the membership drive.

     

    Nigeria has the largest concentration of youths in the world; the Not too Young to Run Act has opened up the political space, yet the youth are still not actively engaged in the political process. Do you think social media is enough to change their perception?

     

    There is a systematic approach to that; you need to engage them first, then you create the awareness and then convert them; it is when you convert them that you will make them see reason on the need to vote. Perhaps, the reason why youths don’t come out is that they don’t believe in the system. But when you don’t believe in the system and decide to stay back without participating, you will not make any difference. So, after we create the awareness by social media, we will also go to the grassroots and reach them one-on-one; we will make sure we have a representative at every ward and local government who will constantly engage the youths.

     

    Considering that money plays a significant role in Nigeria’s politics, what chances do the youths have?

     

    There is a level you get to that people will vote for you based on your integrity without money. It happened in 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari was elected; he didn’t have the money to throw around but people clamoured for him based on his integrity. Upcoming youths can take the same approach by building their names and gain the confidence of people based on what they have done within their immediate community. When they build up their integrity and personality, it will speak for them whether they have money or not.

     

    What positives can youths harness from the EndSARS protest?

     

    One of the positives is that it has created consciousness. 2023 is nearby and youths should get involved and not miss it. Youths cannot achieve 100 per cent success through protests alone. Every war that has been fought ended at a negotiation table. In 2023, youths need to come out and contest for political offices and that can only happen if the youths register to become members of political parties. Youths have already created the consciousness that they are a force to be reckoned with and that they always come out again and protest if things are not done the right way. However, they must strengthen that consciousness with active involvement in politics.

     

    The APC came to power in 2015 with three major promises, to tackle insecurity, grow the economy and fight corruption. In six years of the APC administration, Nigeria has not recorded any marked improvement in these areas, so why should they vote the APC again in 2023?

     

    We will be deceiving ourselves if we say the APC as a political party has not done well. There may be some lapses but overall, the party has done wonderfully both at the state and federal level. If you look at corruption, there has been a big reduction because the administration put in place so many policies that the previous government was unable to, like the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which led to better accountability and management of funds. In the economic sector, those who feel the economy is not doing well should remember that the price of crude oil which the country depends on has dropped drastically compared to what it was during the last government. Today, this administration is talking about alternative revenue by focusing on agriculture and local production, and it is yielding results; the last closure of the land borders encouraged local production. On security, we can see that the era of terrorists taking over the whole local governments in Borno State is gone. It is a step-by-step thing, but the administration will get there. The APC has done well and its chances in subsequent elections are bright.

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • …if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi

    I say this with tears of joy, that if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi—-Hon. Barr. Uchenna Orji

    Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji is the Honorable Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State. He had previously served the state in different capacities. In this chat with The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine Team at his office in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, he bares his mind on issues relating to the state, with emphasis on what is believed to be the developmental strides of the Governor, Chief Engr. Dave Nweze Umahi (Akubaraoha).

    PFM: Tell us about yourself

    Commissioner: My name is Orji Uchenna Orji. I’m from Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. I’m a graduate of Law. From 2007-2011, I was the Member representing my constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. I was, at the time, the Chief Whip of the House as well as the Chairman, House Committee on Justice and Judiciary. I also served as the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation. As God would have it, I have served in some other capacities. Between 2014-2015, I served as a Board Member, West African Examination Council, Member, Administrative and Finance Committee, West African Examination Council and Council Member, West African Examination Council. Between 2015-2017, I served as the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ebonyi State. From 2017-2019, I also served as the Honorable Commissioner for Empowerment & Job Creation in Ebonyi State. The Ministry is now known as the Ministry of Human Capital Development & Monitoring. Presently I am the Honorable Commissioner for Information & State Orientation.

    PFM: Let’s look at Ebonyi State as one of the youngest states in the country. Ebonyi seems to be the new kid in the block, with the news of rapid developments sweeping across the state. Give us an insight into what is actually happening in the State.

    Commissioner: Prior to 2015 when Governor Umahi declared his intention to run for Governor, he was deserted by people. He was called all sorts of names for the reason that he had that ambition, but God came in his fulness and said touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm. What we saw was a neglected person becoming popular and he emerged the Governor of Ebonyi state. He became governor at a time when we had the worst of economic recession so he began doing things differently. When you take a look at his first inaugural speech and match it with what is happening in the state, you will know that he’s a special creature God gave to us. He’s from Uburu, the community with the highest salt deposit in Nigeria, from where Ebonyi garnered the Salt of the Nation motto, which at a time was corrupted to Dust of the Nation. Today, under his watch, we having Ebonyi as truly the Salt of the Nation. For me, his coming is very symbolic. Do you know that today, with the exception of Lagos and Abuja, Ebonyi has the highest number of flyovers in the country? The type you have in Enugu are not flyovers but pedestrian bridges. Some of these flyovers built by Umahi are 23-25 span, dualized flyovers, that all kinds of trucks and heavy-duty vehicles can ply. The one in Anambra can’t be plied by these heavy vehicles. He’s building thirteen dualized flyovers, of an average of 23 span at all the major junctions of the state. He built a beauty spot in the state- the biggest light tunnel in the whole of Africa and he named it after President Muhammadu Buhari. Cited close to the light tunnel is the biggest ecumenical centre in Africa, built by him. Again, cited close to this ecumenical centre is a mall built by him.

    When Senator Ben Bruce came, he confirmed it to be the biggest in Africa. Still close to this light tunnel, there are three flyovers, apart from each other at a driving time of 3 minutes. One of the flyovers connects the biggest international market in the South East, bigger than what we have in Onitsha, being built by this administration. It was started by the previous administration but he considered what was there to be inferior so he began afresh. Apart from Abuja & Lagos, I can tell you that in the whole federation, Ebonyi has the highest number of good network of roads. He builds these roads using what is called concrete pavements, with a guaranty of 50 years. With this concept, he has built 25km roads in all the LGs in the state, with a plan that all roads in both the rural and urban areas will be pliable. It doesn’t matter to him that a particular road is designated a federal road, so these roads built have improved the economic advantages of the state. As much as Human capital development is important, he believes that the environment should be such that man can thrive in, just like God first created the garden before creating man to dwell in it.

    PFM: But beyond all these infrastructural developments, Ebonyians complain that they have been starved while roads are built. Don’t you think that Human capital development can work simultaneously with infrastructural developments?

    Commissioner: Recall I said I was Commissioner for Human Capital Development for a time so I can tell you authoritatively what this administration has done in that regards. The governor identifies human capital development as a process of mentoring the people mentally, financially, morally, etc. so that you have the capacity and audacity of purpose to be self reliant. He is the first governor in the present crop of governors to create a full Ministry to oversee human capital development. The governor began with a training for women and youths, at the end of which they were asked to come up with a business plan and 3000 persons with interesting plans were given a grant of N250,000 each totaling seven hundred & fifty million naira. He went to Lagos and noticed that most of the hawkers were Ebonyians so he profiled 520 hawkers and trained them. At the end of the training, he gave them a grant of N250,000 each, totaling one hundred & thirty million naira, in a program he called Street to Skill Empowerment Program. Today, the hawkers of Ebonyi origin in Lagos have drastically reduced. Before IPOB had issues with the leadership of South East, the government of Anambra accused Ebonyians of being the bulk of IPOB members and championing their activities. To abate that, the governor procured 450 tricycles and gave out to the youths that were previously barrow pushers. At a time 4,300 widows in Ebonyi were trained and given one hundred thousand naira each; this is in addition to the N5000 he has been paying each of these widows every month for the past 5years. For civil servants, the governor mapped out four billion naira for what he called Second Agro Scheme for civil servants to assess between N300,000-N1,500,000 for use in Agric related activities. For the clergy, irrespective of religion, he mapped out N508,000,000 to be used to for Agric related business. The governor also introduced what was called Wives of Security Officials Empowerment Program, not minding that most of the security officials are from the North and some from the West, and gave 403 wives of security officials a grant of N200,000 each to go into Agric related programs. The list is quite long; even the market women, he gave them about N150,000,000. All of these monies were given as grants, apart from that of the civil servants. We keyed into the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Program and every other FG intervention program because we enjoy a good relationship with the FG. Our governor respects the President as his Boss. Ebonyi doesn’t engage foreigners in most of the construction jobs done-we use our people- and of course, the governor’s definition of an Ebonyian is anyone who lives or does business in Ebonyi,

    irrespective of your state of origin. As part of the human capital development, the governor also introduced Mentorship programs. Ebonyi has the highest number of State Exco members, about 106 excos, in comparison to other SE states. International Best Practices may tell you this isn’t the best but there’s a reason the governor encouraged that. The idea is for these young men and women to understudy good governance as it is in the state today, through mentorship and participation. There are about 1000 Technical Assistants seriously working for the state by supervising different sectors and learning what service is really about; they are paid over N100,000 monthly as salary. As part of the human capital development, in Education, before this government came onboard, we were classified as being educationally less privileged. Since 2017 till date, an LG in Ebonyi has always had the highest number of matriculants in the 774 LGAs of the country according to a ranking by NUC. In maternal mortality ratio, World Bank has ranked Ebonyi state above average. Those who are saying the governor has abandoned human capital development just want to whip up sentiments. Human capital development can’t be seen but the impact is always felt so they think that because it is abstract, they can convince people against the governor. The impact of this sector has made Ebonyi the state with the lowest insecurity profile in the South East. The development in Ebonyi has boosted the confidence of the average Ebonyian whom hitherto felt inferior because he or she hails from Ebonyi and I think that this is the best achievement in the human capital sector. Governor Umahi creates wealth, he has a midas touch. As a deputy governor, the then governor always entrusted him with hard nuts to crack. As a PDP state chairman, he was the best party chairman in Nigeria and the chairman of the forum of party chairmen in Nigeria and he built the biggest party office in the whole of Africa for PDP. In addition to being the Chairman of the SE Governors Forum, he’s also the Co-Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum.

    PFM: Let’s look at Agriculture. Does Ebonyi state government have plans to engage in all year farming through providing facilities for irrigation?

    Commissioner: When we came onboard, we looked at areas of comparative advantage for Ebonyi and we selected Rice and Cassava as the primary commodities. We wanted to engage in the dry & wet season rice production but we had challenges arising from the issues of irrigation, river basins and all of that. We are working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Water Resources to see how to develop our irrigation facilities. We now had to invest heavily in processing facilities. To boost our rice production, we procured 13 bulldozers and 40 tractors to mechanize the process. We now have the highest numbers of rice processing mills in Africa. The state-owned rice mill produces 24 metric tonnes of rice per hour and this is responsible for the over 500,000 metric tonnes of rice we produce, ranking among the 3 highest rice producers in the country. We also have parboiling plants that turn out 32 metric tonnes of rice per hour.

    PFM: Considering the education sector, you previously said that anyone who leaves in Ebonyi is classifies as a citizen but we have reports that the state university has a fee for indigenes, different from that of non-indigenes. How does one reconcile this with your earlier stance?

    Commissioner: I want you to get the facts straight. You must be comprehensive in your assessment. In primary and post primary schools, we have full control but in tertiary institutions we don’t have full control. What we give is intervention so we reduce school fees for indigenes by intervention- they pay a part and we pay the other part. So, when we say indigenes, we mean those resident in Ebonyi and you know that residency is established over a period of time. If you gain admission into Ebonyi State University, and you just come to Ebonyi to school, you are not a resident. Staying for a certain umber of years qualifies you as a resident of Ebonyi. See in Ebonyi, our governor does not discriminate. A native of Anambra is the Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Ebonyi state. We have much persons from other states holding one appointment or the other.

    PFM: There has been this much touted rumor of Governor Umahi wanting to run for President. Now that he has decamped to the All Progressives Congress, what do we expect, especially since he gave his reasons for decamping as being in the interest of the Igbo people?

    Commissioner: When we get to that bridge, we shall cross it but let me tell you one thing. I say this with tears of joy, that if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi. This country is very wealthy and if you want the fortunes of this country to be turned around, look for his likes. The President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo said that the kind of character Governor Umahi has is such that what any other state will do with five naira, he will do with one naira. Is it not time we let such persons lead this country? If the governor touches the kind of resources in Nigeria, if he has such resources at his disposal, the situation will change that even U.S will marvel. So, when we get to the bridge, we will cross it but the truth must be said that this man is nationalistic. He is not doing these things in the state because of what he may want at the national level. He’s educationally sound, he has strong negotiation skills and he is so passionate. I remember traveling with him to China and while we were in the train, he was looking at the level of developments there. The next thing I saw was that my governor bowed his head and I heard him speak in tongues. In between the tongues, he said God help me transform Ebonyi state to be like this. In Ebonyi today, we have the highest number of water fountains in any state in the country. The kind of street lights we have in this state works for 12 hours non-stop, yet they are powered with diesel, even Abuja & Lagos doesn’t have them. He supervises projects round the clock and makes such that all projects are delivered professionally and up to standard. People who come to work in Ebonyi don’t come to amass wealth, they come to work and make modest gains. He was the first to procure electronic tricycles under the zero-oil economy. He had delivered a lecture on this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In Ebonyi, we already have a college where we learn how to fabricate tricycles and we have empowered about 50 women with electronic tricycles.

    PFM: Honorable Commissioner, we were informed that since this year, the governor has paid salaries just once. Is the state government using the salaries of civil servants to do all these?

    Commissioner: I’m going to answer your question by calling a civil servant in this Ministry to provide the answer [presses his office bell. A civil servant steps in shortly to answer the bell with the following questions from the Commissioner following suit while the Team watches and listens;
    Commissioner: Accountant, have you received your salary for the month?
    Accountant: Yes
    Commissioner: Ah Ah! How come you didn’t inform me?
    Accountant: Everybody has received theirs too.
    Commissioner: Okay, you can go.
    At the end of this, the conversation continues with the Team.]
    I want to let you know that we used to pay our salaries by the 15th of every month but civil servants complained that receiving the salaries at the middle of the month left them empty by the month’s end. When it got to the governor’s attention, the date was changed to 24th of every month. He also pays the 13th month bonus. The governor is building an airport that is being fashioned after the Abuja and Lagos airports and he plans to complete this before the expiration of his tenure. He is achieving all these quietly without much noise. We are building an executive council that will be the highest in the South East. The governor is building a medical college in Uburu and all these things are done with the little resources the state has, but which are properly allocated.

    PFM: We appreciate the time.

    Commissioner: Thank you for finding time to report the activities of our state.