The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Politics

  • 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

  • APGA wins Niger house of reps by-election

     

     

    All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has won Saturday by-election into the House of Representatives seat for Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency in Niger State.

    APGA defeated the ADC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The party candidate, Salihu Salleh, polled 22,965 votes to beat his challenger, Emmanuel Endoza of the PDP who polled 22,507 votes and the ADC candidate, Halilu Yussuf who scored 316 votes.

    According to the result sheet made available to newsmen, total votes cast in the election was 46,499, while total valid votes was 45,808 while total rejected votes was 691.

    There were 169,000 registered voters in the Manama/Rijau federal constituency.

    The All Progressives Congress did not take part in the election having been disqualified by the court.

    There were reported violence in some polling units in Ibeto and Rijau towns but the poll was generally peaceful in other polling units.

    Three INEC commissioners, including the National Commissioner in charge of Voters Education, Festus Okoye, monitored the election.

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 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.

  • 2023 Presidency: The need for power to move down to the south in the next election

     

     

    Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori has added his voice to the contentious issue of which zone would produce the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. He spoke on that and more in this interview.

     

    There have been calls for some time now from different quarters urging President Buhari to rejig the country’s security architecture. Last week, the president appointed a new set of Service chiefs. What are your thoughts on that?

    Normally, Nigerians are grateful because it is better late than never. Like I have said before, what we need from the new Service chiefs is deep patriotism and they should not be tempted to embezzle money meant for the welfare of soldiers because all the Service chiefs that have been involved in this Boko Haram insurgency battle became billionaires after they left office. Though you can’t stop them but they should not make that their primary objective of serving the military. There is so much money being pumped to them and that is why they don’t want the insurgency to end. Let this set be the last on this Boko Haram and other insurgency issues in the country because it is a shame that Nigerian soldiers that are respected all over the world and who have played major roles in peace-keeping cannot even protect their territory. It has been a shame but like I said, it is better late than never. I wish them well but I think the greater blame should go to the head of state because we expected a retired general to be more efficient in handling this type of war than what Buhari is doing. And to leave some people in a command for five, six years is not acceptable anywhere in the world; even in Nigeria here, it has never been acceptable. Buhari believes that he is an island unto himself; that’s the way he runs his government. But, every government should be sensitive to its people; at times, Buhari is not sensitive to anybody. He does things at his own time and leisure; that is the issue. But, as I said, I want them to be more patriotic to be able to clear this dark era of our history – banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and so on.

     

    The whole country appears to have been enveloped by insecurity. It started from the North East before moving to the North Central and North West. Today, it has gone to the South West. That informs the recent seven-day ultimatum issued by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to all unregistered herdsmen in Ondo Forest Reserve to leave or get registered. The Fulani have also threatened to eject all the Yoruba in the North if the ultimatum is carried out. What is your take in all of these?

    Normally, you could see that the thing is coming to an end; they are reconciling and doing a lot of other things. Actually, the Yoruba are the only people who can deal with the criminal Fulani elements in this country. The Igbo cannot deal with them because those people who are thugs in the North can always pounce on the Igbo and take their shops because the Igbo have investments all over the country. The Yoruba people don’t have investment outside their own territory because they occupy the most critical part of this country; so you can’t mess up with them. The people of the North respect the Yoruba more than they respect every other people in this country, so they will more likely want to reconcile with the Yoruba than if it is the South East Igbo, Middle Belt or even the South-south people. So, all what is happening in Yoruba West happens all over the whole country. There is so much banditry in the South-south. The Fulani herders destroy a lot of crops; they kidnap people, rape women and do anything they like and they are not afraid because the South-south governors are not playing their roles like their Yoruba counterparts in the South West. Edo State now is virtually taken over by the bandits and sundry criminalities. So, it is an issue that has reduced Nigeria to something close to a failed state. That the World Bank and other major international agencies have not rated Nigeria as a failed state is because of our economic resilience; that is why, if not, the insecurity in Nigeria is abnormal. We are even the third most dangerous country to live in the world. But, I can only say that Buhari should try to leave a good legacy, if not, he would be on the wrong side of history when he leaves. He was able to defeat a sitting government because we all believed that Jonathan was very weak and Buhari, as a retired general, would perform wonders. But, here is Buhari whom we thought is a firebrand, and who doesn’t take nonsense from anybody, the whole indices are now showing that corruption is on the increase. Security-wise, we are one of the worst countries and the economy is also poor. I don’t blame him much on the economy but those two areas – corruption and security, which were the flagship of his campaign mantra, he hasn’t impressed me. Nigeria expected so much from him when he came on board and within the first three months, even without saying one word, Nigerians were running away from corruption but when they saw that it was the cabals that were running the country, nobody was afraid any longer. So, normally, every governor has the right to drive out criminals in their states; even the traditional rulers have the right to drive out criminals from their communities. But, why it is now difficult for communities to maintain security is because of the type of weapons these Fulani from the Sahel have imported into the country – high caliber weapons like the AK47 and others. So, with that, ordinary village farmers cannot withstand them and they are very ruthless. So, I know the battle that is going on in the West. What is happening in Yoruba now should be replicated in all the other zones of the country by the governors. You can’t just run a country where everybody is afraid to drive on the road.

     

    Recently, the leader of Miyetti Allah, Bello Badejo, stated that all lands in Nigeria belong to the Fulani. Some people have reacted saying that such statement was capable of causing crisis in the country. Do you agree with them?

    No, all lands belong to the government; I think that is what the land use decree said. I think the Miyetti Allah leader was becoming too arrogant and that was why one Dr. Aliyu gave Bishop Matthew Kukah a notice to leave Sokoto. Normally, you don’t have a right to tell people to quit but you have a right to tell criminals to quit your territory. Any country or organisation that is in this type of situation should hold the people at the top responsible. And that is why I am holding the president, governors and the National Assembly members responsible for the evils, and the pains we are going through in this country. When you talk of restructuring in this country, if the state governors and the National Assembly members said they want restructuring, it will be done, whether Buhari likes it or not. So, when we blame Buhari, the whole governors and members of the National Assembly should equally be blamed. If the governors and the National Assembly resolve to restructure this country, Buhari will have no choice but to do that, otherwise he will be impeached.

    Last week, Nigeria got the worst global corruption ranking since 2015, even though the presidency has disagreed with the ranking, insisting that the president should be commended for diminishing corruption.

     

    However, not many Nigerians would agree with that defence; what is your take on the rating?

    Forget about the rating. Nigeria has always been corrupt. There was a time when Nigeria was ranked the second most corrupt country in the world. So, now we are almost beating 20 countries. Nigeria is only better than those countries that are ruled by warlords in corruption rating. During the military regimes, only few people stole money, but now, a lot of people are stealing money. Today, you have about five percent of Nigerians stealing money, and living big while 95 percent of the people live in squalor. Today in Nigeria, if you are not attached to any governor or presidency or any State house or National assembly, you can’t get a job. You must be attached to somebody before you get a job. It is no more a country. The country is dying little by little. I am now calling on the governors and the national assembly to step into the crisis we are facing in this country. Leave Buhari; those two agencies can act and change everything but due to corruption because they themselves have acquired so much wealth, they won’t do anything. That’s the problem we have. If you have skeleton in your cupboard, you can’t dare to challenge the president. They dare not challenge Buhari. The presidency is eating and they are also eating, while the common man suffers. And most of the pressure groups in the country are no longer the way they used to be in those days. And when I talk about pressure groups, my own labour is the first culprit; the most powerful pressure group. The fourth estates of the realm, that’s the media, which actually are the tribune of the people, have been killed by corruption. The civil society group can only bark; they can’t bite just like the media. But, the most powerful pressure group is the organised labour. I am just watching my people from the sideline and shaking my head. The labour can shake any government; any authoritarian government or any rogue government.

     

    Which geopolitical zone would produce the president in 2023 remains a very contentious issue; what are your thoughts on that?

    I am somebody who believes in meritocracy. But, because the Nigerian system allows rotation of the presidency, it should be allowed to stand. I know that Nigerians agreed to rotate the presidency; although it is not written in law, but there is a conventional agreement to rotate the presidency between the North and South. It is only fair that the next president after Buhari should come from the South because the North would have done eight years after Buhari. So, naturally, it should go to the South. Actually, I am one of those who don’t believe in that type of nonsense but the way the country is going now, it is like some people think it is their hereditary right to dominate other people. No, that is not acceptable. It should be rotated between the two sides for us to have maximum peace, equity and justice in the country.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • APC support group appoints Obidike as the DG of the group

    APC support group appoints Obidike as the DG of the group

    The board of trustees of the Conference of APC Support Group today announced the appointment of Mr. Obidike Chukwuebuka as the Director General of the group.

    Mallam Gambo Jagindi Chairman Board of Trustees made the announcement to newsmen in Abuja today

    Jagindi said that the group has its major interest in the welfare of APC groups and every Nigerians

    He emphasized that the objective of forming this group is to mobilize support groups and ensure their welfare for the success of the party and national development

    Reacting to the appointment Johnson Okoye – Special Assistant on media and publicity to the Director General said that Mr Obidike Chukwebuka who is the founder of Heavens Mandate and Advocate of Good Governance sincerely accept the appointment as the Director General Conference of APC Support Group.

    This is a further testimony of the group firm believe in his capabilities, commitment, selfless services and doggedness in discharge of enormous human resources endowed in his personality.

    He prayed for God’s continuous guidance, directions and steadfastness in the great task ahead while looking towards other areas of cooperation , he once more reiterate his loyalty and dedication in partnering with all APC support groups at all levels because his progress is equally the success of  our great party.

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 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

  • 2023 Presidency: Moghalu declares his intentions to make a second run for the presidency

     

    A former presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu, says he’s making consultations on a second run for the presidency in 2023.

    Kingsley Moghalu

     

     

    As a candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) contested in the 2019 presidential election but won less than 22,000 votes.

     

    The 58-year-old promptly left the YPP and partisan politics to focus on electoral reform and voter education with a non-partisan platform called To Build A Nation (TBAN).

     

    Moghalu said in a statement on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 that he’s already thinking about running again in 2023 to give Nigeria a competent leader.

     

    “Will make my decision known when it’s final. And it won’t be 12 months to the election. Lessons learned.

     

    “Nigeria needs a modern leader for the 21st century. Someone New. Different. Bold,” he said.

     

    The political economist noted that an important criteria for choosing Nigeria’s next president should be competence.

     

    However, he also hinted that the regional rotation of the presidency should finally be allowed to favour a candidate from his south east region to promote inclusivity.

     

    “The key is to put competence first, and then look for it in a part of the country that has not been given the opportunity that has been given others,” he said.

     

    The Anambra native said he’s got assurances from voters in 2019 that they would vote for him when it was the turn of his region to take the mantle of the nation’s leadership.

     

    Nigeria has never had a president from the south east region, even though its Igbo population is one of the nation’s major three.

     

     

     

    Source: www.pulse.ng

  • 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

  • Mr President appoints first female Ambassador to US

     

    Uzoma Emenike

     

    History made as Buhari appoints Nigeria’s first female ambassador to U.S.

    Mrs Emenike was among the 52 non-career and 43 career ambassadors whose deployment was recently approved by Mr Buhari

    In a history making week when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first-ever African American and Asian American female Vice President of the United States, Nigeria was also recording a historic first for a female public servant.

     

    The Muhammadu Buhari administration recorded a feat with the appointment of Uzoma Emenike as Nigeria’s first female Ambassador to the United States.

     

    Until her recent appointment, Mrs Emenike, who hails from Umukabia-Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia, was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and Iceland.

     

    Over the course of her career, Mrs Emenike’s drive for excellence shines through.

    During that time, she was rated among the best performing ambassadors.

     

    This was a major reason the President submitted her name for reappointment last year, even though some others who were appointed at the same time with her were dropped.

     

    With her recent appointment by the president as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U.S., she now takes over from the late 83-year-old Nsofor, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court.

     

    Being the first female to be in that position has set a new standard, with analysts noting that her appointment has changed the landscape for Nigerian female diplomats.

     

    She is among the 52 non-career and 43 career ambassadors whose deployment was recently appro ved by the president.

    This comes six months after the National Assembly’s confirmation of the list of ambassadors-designate submitted by the President.

    Having joined the Nigeria Foreign Service about 30 years ago, Mrs Emenike served in Protocol Department and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

     

    From there, she was posted to the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in 1992, where she served for six years.

    On her return to Nigeria, she was deployed to other departments of the Ministry and served meritoriously.

     

    During this time, she represented Nigeria in numerous bilateral and multilateral missions, locally and internationally.

     

    A retired career diplomat, Mrs Emenike holds a PhD in International Diplomacy from the University of Reading, UK, alongside four other degrees – two masters (Diplomacy and MBA); LLB, and a Bachelor.

     

    They include a B.Sc, Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, and an LL.B from the University of Reading in the UK while her Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy was from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

     

    She also obtained another Master’s in International Management from University of Reading, U.K., She has certificates in French and Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy, Nigerian Diplomatic Service Academy.

    Mrs Emenike is also an author. Her published articles include: “The AFRICA We Envisage in 50 Years Time” and “Europe Needs Africa.”

     

    History made as Buhari appoints Nigeria’s first female ambassador to U.S.

    Mrs Emenike was among the 52 non-career and 43 career ambassadors whose deployment was recently approved by Mr Buhari

    ByAgency Report January 24, 2021 2 min read

    In a history making week when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first-ever African American and Asian American female Vice President of the United States, Nigeria was also recording a historic first for a female public servant.

     

    The Muhammadu Buhari administration recorded a feat with the appointment of Uzoma Emenike as Nigeria’s first female Ambassador to the United States.

     

    Until her recent appointment, Mrs Emenike, who hails from Umukabia-Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia, was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and Iceland.

     

    Over the course of her career, Mrs Emenike’s drive for excellence shines through.

     

    During that time, she was rated among the best performing ambassadors.

     

    This was a major reason the President submitted her name for reappointment last year, even though some others who were appointed at the same time with her were dropped.

     

    With her recent appointment by the president as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U.S., she now takes over from the late 83-year-old Nsofor, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court.

     

    Being the first female to be in that position has set a new standard, with analysts noting that her appointment has changed the landscape for Nigerian female diplomats.

     

    She is among the 52 non-career and 43 career ambassadors whose deployment was recently approved by the president.

    This comes six months after the National Assembly’s confirmation of the list of ambassadors-designate submitted by the President.

     

    Having joined the Nigeria Foreign Service about 30 years ago, Mrs Emenike served in Protocol Department and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

     

    From there, she was posted to the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in 1992, where she served for six years.

     

    On her return to Nigeria, she was deployed to other departments of the Ministry and served meritoriously.

     

    During this time, she represented Nigeria in numerous bilateral and multilateral missions, locally and internationally.

     

    A retired career diplomat, Mrs Emenike holds a PhD in International Diplomacy from the University of Reading, UK, alongside four other degrees – two masters (Diplomacy and MBA); LLB, and a Bachelor.

     

    They include a B.Sc, Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, and an LL.B from the University of Reading in the UK while her Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy was from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

     

    She also obtained another Master’s in International Management from University of Reading, U.K., She has certificates in French and Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy, Nigerian Diplomatic Service Academy.

     

     

    Mrs Emenike is also an author. Her published articles include: “The AFRICA We Envisage in 50 Years Time” and “Europe Needs Africa.”

     

    She also wrote a book on Nigerian diplomacy, entitled, “Africa: The Centre-Piece of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy (2015).”

     

    Interestingly, when she met the Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, a few years ago for her swearing-in ceremony in Dublin, he told her then he had read her book.

     

    On the home front, Mrs Emenike is married to Ikechi Emenike, a brilliant economist and highly successful entrepreneur, and they are blessed with four children.

     

    Those close to her say she is compassionate, but firm and dedicated to getting things done the right way.

     

    Having worked in several missions abroad before retiring from the public service, Mrs Emenike brings a wealth of experience to the office.

     

    Her appointment is seen as one that would further deepen bilateral relations and trade between the U.S. and Nigeria.

     

     

    Source: www.premiumtimesng.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.

  • Osinbajo demands sanction for corruption in government agencies

     

     

     

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed worry over a survey report that highlights persistent corruption, duplicity of functions, poor service orientation and other anti-business disposition in some of the Federal Government’s regulatory agencies.

     

     

     

     

    Osinbajo and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council therefore resolved to make the report available to the heads of the affected agencies.

     

     

     

     

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday titled,  ‘Osinbajo to regulatory agencies: Everything we do to grow the economy, change lives of Nigerians depends on conducive business environment.’

     

    According to the statement, the survey that returned damning verdicts on the unnamed agencies was conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

     

     

     

     

    The statement read, “The Cost of Compliance Report which was presented to the council at its first virtual meeting of the year on Tuesday revealed persistent corruption, duplicity of functions, poor service orientation, and several anti-business disposition in some of the regulatory agencies.

     

     

     

     

    “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who presided over the meeting directed that CEOs and heads of such government regulatory agencies involved should be presented with the outcomes and interaction should take place regarding some of the worrying disclosures in the report of the survey conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, PwC.”

     

     

     

     

    Akande also quoted the vice president as saying that if the environment, on account of regulatory authorities, was difficult or expensive, such that people were discouraged to do business, then the nation was shooting itself in the foot.

     

    Describing them as human issues, Osinbajo said something serious must be done to address the issues.

     

    Speaking further about holding those responsible for the major lapses to account, the Vice President said, “I am in full support of holding our CEOs to account because they, in turn, must hold their staff to account. If there is systemic corruption, bribery and extortion, and nobody is held to account, there is a problem.”

     

     

     

     

    Others present at the PEBEC meeting on Tuesday include the Ministers of Industry Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Vice Chairman of PEBEC; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Budget and National Planning (State), Clem Abga; Special Adviser on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, representing the National Assembly among other top government officials and re presentatives from PwC.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com