Nigerian Newspapers
Ekwunife tackles Obi on Anambra zoning
· Says, she can’t be intimidated
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Chairman, House Committee on Environment and governorship aspirant in the forthcoming Gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, has disagreed with Governor Peter Obi on the latter’s stand that Anambra North Senatorial Zone must produce his successor, saying that the state has no such zoning arrangement.
Ekwunife, who spoke to Saturday Sun, ascribed the governors stand as his personal opinion, adding that what is important to the people is to have someone who will bring the expected change and not where the person comes from. A two-term member of the House of Representatives for Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency, Ekwunife had contested the governorship seat of Anambra State in 2010 on the platform of Peoples Progressives Alliance (PPA) and made impact.
She also spoke about her party, APGA, why she cannot be intimidated and some other political issues.
Declaring ambition for Anambra guber election
Yes I used the press conference to declare my ambition to serve Anambra State in the capacity of an executive governor and told my brothers and sisters in Anambra State that I am contesting that position in the forthcoming election. Let me state here that I am not just coming out to join the bandwagon of those who say that they are contesting, I am fully prepared to contest as a person who is contesting to win by the special grace of God.
Motivation
What is the motivation for running any election? The service, to the poeple, that’s the only motivation. I mean for you to seek for an elective position, you are seeking to get a platform where you’ll provide service to the people and I feel that running for governorship is a position that you can use to effectively and maximally touch people’s lives.
Governorship of the state is not a small platform, it is indeed a huge responsibility and that huge responsibility is to use that to touch an ordinary man in the street, that’s what the office is for. Democracy is what? Government of the people by the people and for the people, and that’s what governance is all about. I’m seeking this position believing that I have all it takes to govern the state in terms of knowledge, exposure, experience. If you are talking of understanding the job, I know it, I’m a second term member of the House of Representatives.
Of course if you are a good legislator and two terms for that matter, it will be difficult for you not to be a good governor. But you can be a good Governor without being a good Legislator. So at the same time I’ve got what it takes to govern the state.
Insinuation of wanting to be a running mate
I’ve been reading it but I don’t know where the story is coming from, Nobody runs for deputy governorship slot. Deputy Governor usually is appointed; maybe you hang around someone who is running for governorship at the end of the day you will be picked as deputy, nobody runs for deputy, and I cannot be spending the kind of time and the kind of awareness I’m creating and the kind of resources I am putting in the system for just a deputy governor, no. In fact, I have never seen a situation anybody, even in the past ran for Deputy Governorship position, so please I don’t know who is ascribing that to my name.
I am running for governorship and I am running fully. I know it that I have the capacity, mental ability, I have exposure, I have the experience, I have what it takes to rule the state. So that is a rumour. Once a woman is in this kind of very top terrain, of course a lot of issues will begin to fly. I want to put it on record that I am running the race believing God that I will win the election.
Zoning
You know that Anambra State indigenes are very much politically aware and what we need now is good governance, I don’t think zoning is a major issue or from where one comes from should be a major issue.
The most critical issue here is good governance and I think this state needs someone that knows the state, someone that knows the people, someone that understands what the issues are and someone who has the ability to do better than the previous administrations, that’s what I think our focus should be not where one comes from.
Bush ruled America as President, his son ruled again as President and another son a governor so I don’t think at this level in our political life and exposure; we should be thinking about whether all the governors are coming from one place. Though people share the same concern as you but at the same time this is politics and this is democracy. Democracy is about the choice of the people, about their wants, and even in the constitution of Nigeria as amended it does not recognize zoning and all that, is about whoever has interest should go to the field, ask for peoples support and whoever the people give their mandate will rule them. I don’t think where I come from should be a major issue but rather giving people a better leadership.
Governor Obi’s stand
On Governor Obi’s statement about the North Senatorial Zone producing his successor, that’s his opinion and you won’t stop people from having personal opinion, that’s his opinion. I remembered all the time we had governorship election in this state everybody participated including North, South and Central they all participated.
And when you talk about zoning, in as much as zoning is unconstitutional, you can still do that by mutual agreement, we have never sat down any time to agree on zoning and you can’t just sit down and said am zoning this portfolio to that side, no. it has to be a gentleman’s agreement, there should be a kind of stakeholders coming together to agreed on the terms to use.
When you say you are zoning it there must be give and take, it goes beyond one person saying am zoning it to the North, so to a large extent I think that is his personal opinion, probably he must have promised that when he was running election and I must salute his courage in saying that knowing that Anambra state is one state that when it comes to political issues they are very conscious.
Anambra is not where you can just wake up and say you are starting this on a personal issue, so I think that’s Governor’s personal opinion not the agreement of all stakeholders in Anambra and he has the right to his opinion.
APGA crisis
It is normal in politics there are litigations, and there is always confusion and controversy especially in the leading political parties. I know you are talking about the disagreements in our party. Though APGA is opposition party in Nigeria but in Anambra State it is the leading party because we have APGA in power. Having said that, it is very clear to us and to you too that Appeal Court in Enugu still recognises Chief Victor Umeh as the Chairman of APGA for now, though we still have some pending court issues, but for now he is still the Chairman of APGA until otherwise, so we still have some cases in the High court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court, until those ones are disposed and you have a contrary judgment, we can begin to talk about any other person for now Victor Umeh is recognised both by the court and INEC as the National Chairman of APGA and that’s what it is. So we don’t have two chairmen, we have just one chairman and he is Victor Umeh.
No intention to return to PDP
Is it moving to PDP now to run in PDP or moving when I win as Governor? Well, I have no intention to leave the party, APGA is a very peaceful party, APGA is a Party that is very dear to my heart and that is why some of us who are still committed and loyal to the party are praying that APGA continues to rule this state. Because the present government has done well and he carried the policy and manifesto of the party to there in government, that is why he is doing very well. So I believe with APGA government we are going to build on the foundation that he has laid, so I don’t have any intention to go to any other party than to belong to the ruling party in the state, which is APGA.
I did not say I will never run for elective position again I don’t think I ever said that I am a very young woman with so much future; I can’t just terminate my future politically just because I have been to the House of Representatives. There are other positions waiting for us. We have the governorship which is now under consideration, we still have the Senate, we have the President, we have the Vice President, we have so many things waiting, but thank you, on that note I’m still running.
Woman is not an impediment
Being a woman is not an impediment at all rather it is an advantage. When people talk asking ah, if she is the governor who will break the kola? I have never seen any governor who goes about breaking kola, even the male Governors they don’t break kola, if they visit you, you break your kola, so that shouldn’t be an issue. When Dame Virgy Etiaba was here I’m sure you saw the she made, remarkable improvement when she was the governor for three months.
So what we should talk about is somebody who can bring the desired change that we need in the system. And we are not gong to government house to go and fight, if is fighting that we are doing there that’s when you talk about men, may be physical fight. But we are going to render service to the people and for you to render that service you must be mentally balanced to do that, you must be exposed to do that, you must have the knowledge to do that, you must have empathy for the people and most importantly, you must be someone that to a large extent is firm and decisive in taking action.
I cannot be intimidated
Who will intimidate me now? The men? No, I’m not at that level now where I will start feeling intimidated, I don’t think anybody can intimidate me. Who will intimidate me? Is it my opponent or my co-aspirant or who? I don’t think any body can intimidate me, am very much prepared for the job am seeking for.
Why Governor?
Thank God you said I have represented my people well. House of Representatives is the only place where you have the largest chunk of elected people. 360 members with versatile knowledge, 360 young, bright and brilliant people, where you can tap knowledge from. So if I have represented my people well at the federal level, I want to import that knowledge into the state and use it to develop the state. The office of the governor is not a small office, is not an office that you say ah, because I’ve already been sent to Abuja to represent my people, I cannot come down here. What matters to our people is someone that can give them good leadership, so if I come here is still the same service I will still offer them as a governor of the state.
What I can you do differently
Of course you know that government is about continuity, no matter how well anybody has done, that office is constant, the only thing that goes is the person occupying the office and nobody will come into any government and finish everything at a stretch, it is not possible. It is a continuous process, so you start from where the other person has stopped.
The only difference is the manner in which you have carried your own activities in the office. Development is a continuous thing, even now America is still developing with there decade of years in democracy they are still developing. There is no way any politician will come to the office and will not add value to that office and looking at our state for instance, Anambra State is one of the states you can say that has a huge road network, but if you go to hinterland you see that we still have a whole lot to do.
There are so many areas you can focus on. When you talk about the road you think you’ve had enough, we’ve not had enough, we still have so many areas to develop. You talk about industry, you talk about health, you talk about education, you talk about human capacity, you talk about women empowerment and you also talk about poverty eradication, so there are so many areas to build on and these are the areas I think I will concentrate on when we get in there.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Sun Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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