The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: Umahi

  • Umahi Dismisses Rift With Wike, Says They Need Each Other

    Umahi Dismisses Rift With Wike, Says They Need Each Other

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed reports of a strained relationship between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

    Umahi described Wike as a progressive politician and member of the same political family, insisting that there was no serious disagreement between them.

    The minister spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during a press conference where he addressed reports of divisions within the All Progressives Congress and speculation over his relationship with Wike.

    “We need Wike as Wike needs us. So, it’s one family,” Umahi said.

    He said political opponents had exaggerated whatever differences existed between them, adding that their relationship remained cordial.

    Umahi urged political actors to focus on national development rather than allow political disagreements to distract from the work of government.

    Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, had said in January that his rainbow coalition represented a departure from conventional party politics towards a broader political movement focused on the interests of Rivers State.

    However, the Progressive Governors Forum has maintained that it would not support political alliances that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.

    Speaking on the activities of his ministry, Umahi said the Federal Government inherited 2,068 ongoing projects valued at approximately N13 trillion.

    He said the administration was working to close the country’s infrastructure gap, adding that borrowing for infrastructure should be considered an investment where the projects could generate returns and stimulate economic growth.

    On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the minister defended the procurement process, saying Nigerian law permits open competitive tendering, selective tendering and special procurement.

    He explained that special procurement was adopted for the first phase of the coastal highway because of the complexity of the terrain and the need for a contractor with specialised experience in coastal engineering.

    According to him, the procurement process was approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council.

    Umahi also disclosed that the external financing component of the project attracted more than $100 million in excess commitments from international financiers, which he said demonstrated confidence in the project and its handling.

    The minister further disclosed that the Federal Government had commenced “Operation Rescue” on the Asaba-Benin road following difficulties associated with its concession.

    He said the government had intervened in seven sections of the route to restore movement, while plans were being made to redesign and reconstruct the road with concrete pavement.

    Defending the use of concrete for major highways, Umahi said the method offered greater durability and could last for several decades, potentially up to 100 years, when properly designed and maintained.

    He added that the first 119-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway had been completed, while the second section, measuring 164 kilometres, was expected to be completed by November 15.

    Umahi said the infrastructure projects being undertaken across the country reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to tackling the infrastructure deficit and improving connectivity between communities and regions.

    “There is no part of this country, there is no state that is not a construction site under President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

  • 2023: Peter Obi to hold Presidential rally at Ebonyi Township Stadium January 11

    2023: Peter Obi to hold Presidential rally at Ebonyi Township Stadium January 11

    Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, yesterday approved the request of the state chapter of Labour Party to use the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki for it’s rally slated to hold on 11 January,2022.

    Presidential candidate of the Labour party, Mr. Peter Obi, and his team are expected in Ebonyi for his presidential rally next week.

    To ensure the success of the rally , the Governor instructed the Ministry of Youth and Sports to allow the party to use the stadium for the rally provided they fulfil the necessary requirements as outlined in his executive order.

    The Governor gave the instruction while addressing some Commissioners and heads of government agencies and departments at his country home on Thursday.

    The public officers were in the Governor’s home with their Staff on a Christmas and New year homage to the Governor.

    The Governor emphasized that no Political party should be denied access to government owned facilities for any lawful activity, provided they fulfil the demands of the existing Executive order in the State for the use of such facilities.

    “The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, the Labour Party applied that they want to use the stadium on the 11th.

    “They must be allowed to use it, but they must comply with my Executive Order.

    “No Party should be denied the use of our facilities, but the laws of the State must be obeyed” he said.

    Governor Umahi who used the occasion to commend some Ministries for their outstanding performance in 2022, also cautioned those found wanting to buckle up or risk sanctions.

    He admonished all political actors to always put the development of the State first in their actions, insisting that Ebonyi State will continue to fare better under a government by the All Progressives Congress at all levels.

    “I continue to say that our first interest is Ebonyi as a State, and our Party is APC, and there is nothing like vote here, and vote elsewhere in all the elections.”

    Addressing the forum of former Executive Assistants, Senior Technical Assistants and Technical Assistants, the Governor said he would ensure that any of them who merits it would be brought into the State Executive Council in the next Administration.

    He however prescribed the major criteria as their ability to win their polling units up to 90 percent for APC in the coming elections.

    “Some of the former STAs and TAs who worked very hard will make members of Exco in the next Administration.

    “To be qualified, you must show evidence of winning your polling unit with over 90 percent” he said.

    (Sun)

  • Umahi, Ayade, Ikpeazu visits Wike attempts to lure him to APC

    Umahi, Ayade, Ikpeazu visits Wike attempts to lure him to APC

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Wednesday night, led his Cross River and Abia States counterparts, Ben Ayade and Okezie Ikpeazu respectively, on a quiet visit to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

    The meeting which took place at Wike’s private home at Rumuekirikom, Obio Akpor Local Governor Area of the state, was said to have lasted into the early hours of Thursday.

    Though details of the meeting was not made known as the four governors refused to speak to newsmen when it was concluded, inside sources say it may not have been unconnected with attempts to lure Wike to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), following his much publicised falling out with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Wike’s grouse with the PDP has seen him vow not to campaign for presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, over his insistence that the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down.

    He has the backing of four other governors of the party who include Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Before their defection to the APC,

    Umahi and Ayade, were members of the PDP and were elected as governors on the platform of the opposition party in 2015 and in 2019.

    But both dumped the PDP in 2020 and 2021 respectively with Umahi going ahead to contest in the presidential primary ticket of the APC where he lost to eventual winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    (Ripples)

  • 2023 Presidency: Northern group seeks support for Umahi

     

    A group under the aegis of Northern Organisation Umahi for President has lauded the aspiration of the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, to lead Nigeria in 2023.

    The group code named its mission ‘Rescue Nigeria’, revealed that it began its move in 2021, precisely one year ago, adding that the candidate would ensure the transformation of the country to an enviable position.

    According to a press statement issued to journalists on Thursday, by the Coordinator, Modibbo Yahaya, their candidate has displayed impeccable character, worthy of trust to pilot the affairs of the country.

    The statement partly read, “We wish to welcome all crew members on board this vessel. The name of the vessel is ‘Rescue Nigeria’. It’s flying Umahi ’23 flag. We started constructing this vessel in January 2021.

    “We wrote to His Excellency, Dave Umahi, requesting him to vie for president. However, God has answered our prayers. So we decided to flag off the journey on 20th January, 2022.

    “We started from this harbor. We will be cruising all over, until when we get to our terminal, pray Allah will answer our prayers.”

    While explaining further the reason the group settled for Umahi, Yahaya stressed that the job of the president is one meant for credible persons, which their candidate exemplified.

    “We really need your cooperation. Our flag bearer is honest, reliable, trustworthy and a true nationalist. He is not sentimental either tribal, religious or otherwise,” the statement added.

     

    (Punch)

  • 2023 Presidency: Dave Umahi joins Presidential race

     

    The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has declared his intention to contest for president in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

     

    He made his intention public shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja.

     

    This is coming a day after a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, revealed his plan to run for the office on the ticket of the APC.

     

    Mr Tinubu said, after meeting with Mr Buhari on Monday, that he would contest for the office of president.

     

    Mr Umahi, in an interview with State House correspondents, said he has told the president about his ambition to contest for the seat if the party zones the ticket to the Southern region.

     

    “We discussed politics as the growth of our party, APC, in Nigeria, and the South East. And, of course, you know, the interest of the South East, for the seat of presidency in 2023.

     

    “And, of course, I told Mr President, that without prejudice to whatever will be the decision of the party, which we shall abide by, that if the party throws the ticket open or zones to Southern part of Nigeria that I believe that with what I have put in place in the past six years plus, that I will be running for presidency on the platform of the APC.

     

    “So, I told him and of course, he believes that whoever wants to run for president of this country must have to consult widely, go to all the leaders and that we must do everything to remove ethnicity and religion in our politics so that this country can grow,” he said.

     

    Like the APC national leader, Mr Umahi promised to replicate his feats as a governor at the national level if he eventually gets to fly the party ticket and win the presidential election.

     

    ⓘ

    The governor, who will round off his second term in office in 2023, was one of the three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors that dumped the party for the ruling party between late November 2020 and June 2021.

     

    Mr Umahi left the PDP in November 2020, six months before his Cross River counterpart, Ben Ayade defected. Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State was the last to dump the PDP last year.

     

    The Ebonyi governor had argued that his defection had nothing to do with the 2023 presidential ticket but to take the Southeast region to the centre.

     

    “I want to clear the air that I never sought (for) PDP presidential ticket and I will not. So whoever said that I moved to APC because they refused to zone the ticket to me is being very mischievous,” the governor had explained at the time.

     

    However, with Mr Umahi’s declaration, he may be jostling for the APC presidential ticket with Mr Tinubu and the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who had declared his intention to contest the presidential election on the APC platform.

     

    The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, also of the APC, may be a contender but he has not officially declared his intention to run.

     

    The Ebonyi governor joins some of the South-east politicians who have indicated interest in occupying the nation’s highest political office.

     

    Last year, a former Senate President, Paul Anyim, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced his plan to run for president whether his party zones the slot to the South-east or not.

     

    Earlier, Kingsley Moghalu from Anambra State and Sam Ohuabunwa from Abia State had earlier indicated their interest in the race.

     

     

     

     

     

    source:www.premiumtimesng.com

  • All Eyes on Your Excellencies – By Onyema Okoani

    All Eyes on Your Excellencies – By Onyema Okoani

    I am sure you too must have been as pleasantly surprised as I was when the President, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) stirred the hornet of officialdom in an interview aired on Thursday, June 10, 2021 during The Morning Show on Arise TV.

    The president stated among other things that: “We have killed the Local Government totally. We will send 300 million naira as allocation to a local government, one Governor will ask the Local Government Chairman to sign that he collected 300 million naira but he will give him 100 million naira and the chairman will keep quiet…is that how we will continue?”.

    This is the bane of local government administration in the contemporary Nigeria. Having started with this, let me try to kill two birds with one stone, projectile on the problems and solutions.

    PROBLEMS
    It is an open secret that no single State Governor ever presented a topical issue at the Governors’ Forum concerning local government autonomy with reference to allocations because the independence of local governments spell doom on their “political business.

    This negation of the constitutional laid down position of a three-tier federal structure in Nigeria has remained a major developmental quagmire. The refusal of Your Excellencies to remove their knees on the neck of local government system is a major push and pull factor increasing poverty and destroying governance at the grassroots. From 1999 to date the situation has turned from worse to terrible.

    It seems real, whenever the Governors postulate that the reasons for establishment of Joint Local Government Account is for an equitable distribution of scarce resources because some local governments cannot survive with their own allocation from FAAC. But I stand to be corrected; there is no local government in Nigeria that cannot be self-sustaining, if things are done correctly. The Joint account has never helped the grassroots, it has rather become an avenue created to easily loot public funds and that has been the prevailing norms amongst the State Governors for many years. More disheartening is the way the Local Government Chairmen are relaxed and contented with their situation.

    Added to the injury is the general public. Many seem not to know their right in a democratic setup as we are always busy applauding the third tier Comprador Executives with no clear-cut pattern to governance.

    SOLUTIONS
    I will never pretend to know all the solutions, but in accordance with the constitution, Joint Local Governments Account is wrong and illegal.

    However, lack of political will power from the Central Government has prolonged the issue of Joint Local Government Account. In the past the State Governors contributes or supports any party Presidential candidate through the joint local government funds but now that the Buhari led administration has shown the will power to stop this anomaly through his actions by signing an Executive Order for Local Government Financial Autonomy, it should go beyond that since with the benefit of information at my disposal almost 95% of the local governments funding is through FAAC allocation.

    I expect the Presidency to direct the present Minister of Finance to deduct local government allocations from the source to local government accounts without interfacing with the state government. This would easily actualize the Independent movement of the local governments.

    The federal government should as a matter of urgency present an Executive Bill to the National Assembly empowering INEC to conduct local government elections in Nigeria. These will avail many public-spirited individuals the opportunity to vie for election in the local governments, as against shenanigans of the State Electoral Commission. The basic truth is that every election conducted by State electoral commissions are mere formalities to elect candidates selected by the Governors. These anointed cum select Chairmen are bound to be under the whims and caprices of their Governors. There is this notion that some former Excellencies who are now law makers will frustrate this important constitutional amendment, but I believe that the bill will fly in the present National Assembly.

    From the sidelines, the general public and Labour Union should put pressure on the National Assembly to push for local Governments’ autonomy financial wise.

    With that in mind, we should start doing the work by asking the necessary questions. The Freedom of Information Act, 2011, empowers us to seek for information on how money allocated to our local government is been spent. It is our right.