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Post Date : February 24, 2022

PDP will resolve IPOB agitations when we take over in 2023, says Iyorchia Ayu

  Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will be resolved when the party takes over power in 2023. IPOB, a seccessionist group founded by Nnamdi Kanu — who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) — is agitating for the creation of Biafra. The group, had on November 30, 2021, said it would suspend its agitation if the federal government sets a date to hold a referendum on the secession of the south-east region. Speaking in Imo on Wednesday, during a reception for the new PDP secretary, Ayu said the PDP will employ the strategy adopted by former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which was used to resolve the issues with militants in the Niger Delta. On assuming power in 2007, Yar’Adua had given amnesty to Niger Delta militants after years of unrest in the south-south region. Speaking on plans by the party for the south-east, the PDP chairman also said the cause of the agitation by IPOB is “marginalisation” of the region. “Our party PDP will be taking over government in 2023. We will bring development across the nation and as well solve the ongoing agitations in south-east by the Indigenous People of Biafra over marginalisation by the current ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said. Also speaking, Samuel Anyanwu, the newly elected PDP national secretary, urged the people of Imo to support PDP in the state. Present at the reception organised for Anyanwu were four governors — Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia. Other chieftains present were Walid Jubrin, PDP BoT chairman; Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo; Achike Udenwa, former Anambra governorship candidate, and Anyim Pius Anyim, former senate president.

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

2023: PDP Wants To Rescue Nigeria From The Present Division – Bala Mohammed

  Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Wednesday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants to rescue Nigeria from what he describes as the present-day division. He stated this during a visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Addressing journalists after the closed-door meeting that lasted one hour, the governor said he had come to visit the former president because he was instrumental to his career development as well as discuss some of his personal aspirations ahead of the 2023 elections. “We are rebuilding our party to remove rancour, division. We still need him (Obasanjo) and his words of wisdom are very useful,” Mohammed said. “So, I came to seek his opinion on some of the things we want to do in the party to close ranks and make sure that we provide Nigerians the opportunity to rescue Nigeria from the present division we have found ourselves in.” Governor Mohammed, who is also a presidential aspirant, stressed that Nigeria’s leadership should be based on merit towards bringing everybody on board. The governor stressed he is optimistic about getting the PDP ticket, saying that Nigeria is too large to be ignored. On zoning, the governor said the PDP is not disturbed if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) zones the presidency to the South. According to him, the main opposition party will strategise, plan and organise to secure victory in the 2023 general elections.

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

Insecurity: Declare all known leaders of terrorists wanted now, Senate to FG

  The Senate has again raised its voice against the continued cases of insecurity in the country with massive killing and wanton destruction of property as it has urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, declare all known leaders of terrorists wanted. The Senate has also called for the establishment of an operational base within Danko/Wasagu and Sakaba Local Government Areas of Kebbi affected by “the current rise in security challenges”. The Upper Chamber has also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy massively, the military and other law enforcement agencies to conduct a rigorous operation in order to bring to an end the banditry and cattle rustling in the affected LGAs. Resolutions of the Senate Wednesday were sequel to a motion entitled “Urgent need to surmount all kinds of kidnappings, banditry and related security challenges in Wasagu-Danko, Sakaba and Yauri Local Government Areas of Kebbi”. It was sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kebbi Central and co-sponsored by 12 other Senators. The Senate has also urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to as a matter of urgency provide relief materials to the affected areas, just as it called on all relevant agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and private philanthropists to come to the assistance of the victims of violence and humanitarian disaster. Presenting the motion, Na’Allah said “it is no longer news that the bandits are moving in hundreds from village to village, house to house in search of cattle to rustle and people to abduct. “The bandits have been reportedly laying siege around Yar-kuka, Morai, Dankade to Wadako and recently in Bena where 20 people were abducted.” According to the Senator, if urgent steps to tackle the security challenges were not taken, the peace-loving communities may be forced to resort to self-defence by acquiring arms and ammunition. In his contribution, Senator Adamu Aliero, APC-Kebbi South said “recently we purchased Tucano Aircrafts which can be used to move out the bandits. “It has the ability to trace the movement of these bandits. If they are rustling cows, I wonder how they move them without being detected. “I urge security forces to intensify efforts to stop banditry in the state.” In his contribution, Senator Sani Musa, APC, Niger East said, “the security situation is becoming alarming not only in Kebbi but in surrounding states like Niger. Human beings are lost every day, and we enjoy to stand and do one-minute silence. “Apart from calling on security agencies to intensify efforts in the fight against insecurity, leaders should fear God,” he said. In his remarks, the President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan said “let us never be discouraged because sometimes we fill why are we doing this when nothing is happening. “There is a limit to what we can do but we must do what we are supposed to do well. We can only do oversight to put pressure but we can’t execute. We can’t command anyone to go anywhere but what we do here is very significant. “We should continue to debate it and follow on with some actions. We have approved significant resources, funds recently in both the Supplementary Budget of 2021 and the Appropriation Act of 2022 for armed forces and other security agencies. “The time has come for all security and defence-related committees to oversight on the releases of funds to these agencies.”

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

Constitution amendment: Reps panel makes U-turn, proposes immunity for senate president, speaker

  The house of representatives special ad hoc committee on the review of the 1999 constitution has recommended immunity for presiding officers of the national assembly and judicial officers. The recommendation was contained in a report laid before the house on Wednesday by Idris Wase, chairman of the committee. Wase is the deputy speaker of the house. The development comes weeks after the committee rejected the bill. TheCable had reported how the bill was stepped down in January during the consideration of the constitution alteration bills by the committee. The bill was stood down after Abdulhamid Mohammed, a consultant to the committee, said the proposed legislation is against international best practices. Mohammed, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had said the proposed legislation will create a “conflict of interest” among judicial officers. “It seeks to restrict that immunity that you can sue with the leave of a competent court, but actually, the bill did not go further to indicate which of the court within the federation will have the competence to grant the leave for you to sue the public officer concerned,” he had said. “We need to consider what are the conventions all over the world, in terms of immunity. It is really unconventional all over the world for judicial officers and presiding officers to have immunity. It could also be self-serving from the angle of morality. “There could be a conflict of interest if the immunity is now extended to judicial officers, and that you need to go to the judiciary to seek leave to sue the officers concerned. You are now going to apply before the judicial officers because these are courts of competent jurisdiction. There are perhaps issues of bias.” The bill titled ‘An Act to alter section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of the legislative institutions’ is sponsored by Segun Odebunmi, a lawmaker from Oyo state. Section 308 of the constitution states that no civil or criminal proceedings can be instituted against the president, vice-president, governor or deputy governor and they can’t be arrested or imprisoned, nor can a process of any court requiring or compelling their appearance be issued against them. But with the bill, the proposal is for the immunity to be extended to cover presiding officers of the judiciary and national assembly, which include senate president, deputy senate president, speaker of the house of representatives, and deputy speaker of the house. Meanwhile, Odebunmi is the lawmaker who sponsored the Nigeria Press Council (NPC) and Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) bills which sparked controversy and were rejected by media stakeholders. The lawmakers are set to vote on the clause of the proposed law, as well as 67 other bills, next week.

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

Airline Operators Justify N50k Base Fare

  The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has justified the adjustment in air fare. Daily Trust reports that there has been outcry from members of the flying public over the increment in air fare with a one-way economy ticket costing over N50,000. However, justifying the increment at a media briefing in Lagos, on Wednesday, Vice-President of AON, Mr. Allen Onyema, said, “”t is only a very stupid business man that would not know there is fire on the mountain.” He lamented the rise in the cost of Jet A1 from N200 per litre to N430 per litre. Onyema also debunked the insinuation that airline operators met to fix ticket prices, saying the N50,000 base fare has always been on airlines’ websites. “Some people even said that we are a cartel. We want to state clearly that the Airline Operators of Nigeria never got together to increase their base fare. We debunk that insinuation that the airlines got together to fix prices.” “The N50,000 you have seen on our inventory has always been there for the last five years. During Christmas time, the period of December, you noticed that the base fare going to certain areas of the country would be N60,000, N70,000. Airlines didn’t come together to decide to do that. “It is a matter of you working out your unit cost per seat of your operation. What is the unit cost per seat of your operation, that would determine your price. During those periods, you noticed that in some areas, you would fly in full aircraft and you would be coming out with zero passengers. So airlines will just do that on their own, individually to at least get their costs covered. “The Ground Handling Companies increased their charges by 300 percent and they got together to do that. They went to the National Assembly and it has been approved for them. “So if the cost of my operation, all of a sudden, has gone up by 300 percent, just from the ground handling services alone, what do I do? “If the cost of aviation fuel has risen by over 200 percent within a month, what should I do? If the cost of forex (foreign exchange) has risen from N340 to N585, what should I do? Gentlemen, don’t forget airline business is dollarized. Everything is in dollars. Do you want to fall out of the sky or fly safe in Nigeria? “Foreigners have been asking questions about how you people maintain your plane with the kind of fare you charge in Nigeria. “In the year 2000, the lowest fare in Nigeria was N2,200 which was equivalent to $100 then. Now 22 years down the line, Nigerian airlines, we were charging less than $30, $40. Do you need to look for reasons why airlines are closing shops in this country? Over 50 airlines have closed down in this country. Has anybody bothered to find out why?”

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

NDLEA Destroys 255 Hectares Of Cannabis Farms, Arrests 13 In Ondo

  Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a major operation that lasted seven days, have destroyed a total of 255 hectares of cannabis farms spread across five local government areas of Ondo state. In addition, 13 suspects were arrested and 250 kilograms of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85kg cannabis weeds were recovered during the operation deep inside five major forests: Omolowo/Powerline forest; Ipele forest; Ala forest; Ogbese forest; Utte and Okuluse forest that spread across five local council areas of the state. The exercise codenamed ‘Operation Abub’, which began at Ogbese forest on Tuesday 15th February lasted till Monday, February 21, 2022. At the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa was arrested in his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank. The following day, 16th of Feb, the Agency’s Strike Force operatives in their numbers stormed Ipele forest where they arrested Amos Mark; Luke Job; Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations were destroyed. One of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house. The Omolowo community in Ogbese area was next on Wednesday 17th Feb when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5kg of cannabis seeds and 4.5 kg of processed cannabis. Also recovered in the farm was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres of hose for watering the illicit weed. NDLEA’s Media Director, Femi Babafemi, disclosed on Wednesday that not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt. A suspect, John Mike who claimed to be a labourer was also apprehended with 2.5kg of cannabis seeds. On day four of the operation, 54 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed at Utte and Okuluse forest, Ose Local Government Area of the state. Also recovered in the farm was 95kg of cannabis seeds, 2.5kg of processed cannabis Sativa and a pumping machine with a long hose. On the fifth day, one Anthony Agbe, 58, was arrested with 43kg of fresh cannabis inside a farm that was earlier destroyed at Ogbese. He claimed he was contracted by one Henry Daniel, (a.k.a Calender) who is at large to help gather the destroyed cannabis weeds. On the same day, one Ahmadu Abubakar was arrested with three Dane guns in a hut within a farm where over three hectares were destroyed at Akure North Local Government Area of the state. On the last day of the operation, February 21, over 50 clusters of cannabis farm spread across 47 hectares were destroyed and 2kg of cannabis seeds seized, while a suspect, Olorunlogo Lekan was apprehended inside a large cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares at Ala forest before it was destroyed and burnt by Strike Force officers drawn across Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states Commands of the anti-narcotic agency. At least, 72 hectares of other cannabis farms in small clusters close to the identified ones in the five forests were also destroyed in the course of the operation. Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Strike Force corps of the Agency for their sacrifices and commitment to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that all such cultivation and plantations in the forests must be located and destroyed. He charged them to look out for more of such farms in any part of the country for a similar response.

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

Uzodimma has failed Imo ― Wike

  Rivers State governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, dismissing him as a failure. Wike spoke at a grand reception organized in honour of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in Owerri, Wednesday.   The Rivers governor said that what he described as Uzodimma’s failure will make it easy for PDP to reclaim the governorship of Imo in 2024. He submitted that the only mistake PDP can make is not to work together towards achieving victory. Wike urged the party’s faithful in Imo to do away with factions and unite for victory. “One of the reasons I came is to tell you that capturing the governorship of Imo State is in our hands. The man that is here has failed. The only mistake we will make is for us not to work together. And we can’t make that mistake. We will support you. “APC has failed at the national level, they have kept Nigeria under tension. Look at what they are doing with the signing of the electoral act. A party that cannot hold a convention; is that a party? Nigerians are tired of APC. “PDP will take over Imo and at the national level. Go and tell your brother (referring to Uzodimma) that I said so. Some of you here who are spies should go and tell him. Nobody can intimidate you. Don’t be afraid. The days when the fourth person becomes the first are gone. It can never happen again”, he stated. In his speech, the National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, maintained that the party will take over the leadership of the country in 2023. Ayu said the APC-led federal government is one that doesn’t listen to the people and therefore needs to be voted out. He urged the leaders of the party in Imo to unity and support one another. Deputy Chairman, PDP Governors Forum and Abia State governor, Chief Okezie Ikpeazu, stated that it’s obvious Imo belongs to PDP. Ikpeazu said nobody will ambush the party again to take its victory at the court. Former governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, submitted that PDP had won every election in Imo, adding that the party has learnt from its mistakes. Ihedioha encouraged everyone to remain faithful. In his remarks, the National Secretary of PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said PDP has one common enemy which is APC. Anyanwu stated that PDP is united in the state, promising never to use his position to witch-hunt anybody.

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Post Date : February 24, 2022

Strike continues, ASUU insists as Ngige pleads with union

  The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off its four-week strike before the expiration date. The PUNCH reported that Ngige had met with the leadership of ASUU during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting which lasted for several hours, the minister accused ASUU of claiming that the government had failed to implement some long standing agreements. Ngige in an interview told one of our correspondents that ASUU demands were being reviewed, saying he would meet with ASUU and the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council next week. He said, “We have discussed quite a number of things and I am urging them to brief their members and call off the strike before the expiration of the one-month duration of the warning strike. By Monday, we would have dealt with some of the issues they are talking about and return to them for further discussion. We will meet again with them and the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council and we will take it from there. However, the national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke in an interview with The PUNCH insisted that the union would not call off its strike if all its demands were not met. Osodeke said, “We can call off the strike tomorrow if the FG implements and meets all our demands. It is in their hands to meet all the demands not in our hands. If they want it called off this week, next week, it is possible if they should do what they are supposed to do and not all these empty promises that we are not sure they will not implement. But If you call off the strike, as usual, they will abandon everything.” But Ngige cautioned the union not to intimidate the committee and Ministry of Education, saying if they did, their document would not fly. “We had a committee we impanelled in the ministry of education to take matters up because they are the direct employers of the lecturers. The committee was headed by Professor Manzali and there was a draft proposal which the education ministry has to agree on with them and then break it up to the higher bodies of the government, the Presidential Committee on Salaries, and from there, it goes to FEC for approval. ASUU should not intimidate the education ministry or the committee to come up with things that are not in tandem with the normal rate. if they do that, the document will not fly. The ministry of education will resuscitate that committee within two weeks to look at the draft proposal it had with ASUU so that they can come up with something for the PSC to have a look at and send to FEC”. Osodeke replied that all the union wanted was for the FG to implement the agreements. “We have no problem and we are busy people he might have all the time, our own is for them to implement. “If our union could negotiate during the military era and had agreements signed but in the civilian era they are telling us what to do and what not to do, that means something is wrong with this system. What they are doing now is to be blackmailing us and intimidating us. “We are just waiting they have said this over and over. If they are serious let them implement all that we have agreed on. We can call off tomorrow if they implement. Nigerians should tell them to implement the agreement, we don’t gamble.” ,,

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Post Date : February 23, 2022

UPDATED: Senator Hassan Confirmed As Zamfara Deputy Governor

  The Zamfara State House of Assembly has confirmed Senator Muhammad Hassan Nasiha as the deputy governor of the northwestern state. His confirmation followed a screening by the lawmakers on Wednesday. The speaker of the House, Nasiru Mua’zu, had at the resumed plenary read a letter from Governor Bello Matawalle nominating Senator Muhammad as his deputy. Hassan was nominated hours after Mahdi Gusau’s impeachment on Wednesday. Senator Hassan is representing Zamfara Central Senatorial district. Gusau was impeached after the House received the report of a committee set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu. The committee was set up probe allegations levelled against the deputy governor. The seven-man panel was led by Retired Justice Halidu Soba and had submitted its report to the State House of Assembly complex in Gusau, the state capital. According to a member of the panel, Oladipo Okpeseyi, the committee carried out its assignment with integrity. The panel had commenced its sitting on Monday and ended proceedings the next day. But the embattled Gusau, who was the respondent, was absent. Some of the allegations against him were a breach of the Constitution, gross misconduct, financial fraud, and abuse of office.

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