Nigerian Newspapers
Jonathan, PDP chiefs attack Amaechi at Villa meeting
WITH its brawling leaders talking tough, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be far away from the peace it desperately desires.
The President warned yesterday that the “new PDP” would not condone indiscipline, after accusing some of its leading lights of fraternising with the opposition.
He said: “In a situation where somebody is in a particular political party but his faith is in another political party… For those who are not holding political offices, yes you can excuse…But if you are holding an elective office, you won’t be in that party and be working for another party. Otherwise, why are you there?”
It was all at a meeting with some PDP leaders from Rivers State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Although, he did not mention his name, it was clear Dr. Jonathan was referring to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, whom he greeted warmly last Saturday at the Port Harcourt Airport – a scene many read as the end of their perceived misunderstanding.
Amaechi is suspended from the party. He got yesterday a condition to return – he should apologise.
The factional chairman of the Rivers State PDP, Prince Felix Obuah, announced the condition while speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of elders and leaders of the state with the President.
But Rivers State Commissioner for Information Ibim Semenitari told Obuah to refrain from making unguarded statements.
And a Rivers State Senator, Magnus Abe, dismissed the meeting as a one-sided affair. Only one member of the National Assembly from the state attended.
Responding to a question on Amaechi’s threat to leave PDP, Obuah said: “Everybody is entitled to his own opinion. He has been suspended because of anti-party activities. So, I don’t want to refer to Amaechi’s matter because it is with the NWC of the party. So he has all to say with the party and not me. If he wants to remain in the party, he has to show respect. If he wants to leave, I cannot stop him.”
“That is why we are here. In any case, he has gone to court. If he shows remorse and goes to the party and apologises, we will call him back, but if he still remains recalcitrant and refuses to change, we are not begging for everybody to be in PDP. That is the essence of multiple party democracy. If he wants to remain, fine. But if he wants to leave, nobody will stop him. Well, as he leaves, two will come to PDP. That’s a plus for PDP.”
Stressing that there is no crisis in Rivers PDP, Obuah said: “We want to assure the President that there is no crisis in the party. We are committed members of the PDP and we remain committed. We also assured him that whoever that is not disciplined and who is not in support of our programme should be left out. At every point in time, we let people realise that the party is supreme and the President is the leader of the party and we have come to show our commitment and loyalty to him.”
“We have come to solidarise with the President and we want to pledge our support to his government. We support his transformation agenda. We also thank First Lady for her recent visit to the state and the empowerment programme for women in all the local government areas in our state. Ordinary, this is the first time the leadership of the PDP is paying a courtesy visit to the President. We used the opportunity to appreciate him and wish him well.”
According to a copy of the speech read by Obuah at the meeting, he said: “We are pained and our heart bleeds today that the main champion of opposition in the country against Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria is our own son, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. This is indeed shameful.”
“We do not know what has come over the young man. Is it that he wants to destabilise the PDP before his eventual movement to his new party, having been handed over the ACN/APC structure in Rivers State? Unfortunately, he has repeatedly rebuffed every effort by us and well-meaning Nigerians to make him show remorse and respect for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“Mr. President Sir, we sincerely apologise to you and the First Lady on this sad situation. We appeal that as the saying goes, ‘you do not visit the sin of the father on the son’ and implore your Excellency, to remember us in prayers.”
He went on: “To demonstrate that Rivers people are not with Governor Amaechi in this hostile attitude against Mr. President and our great party, we shall continue to support his suspension from the PDP by the National Working Committee, until he retraces his steps from engaging in anti-party activities.”
“Your Excellency, Governor Amaechi is not only showing disrespect to your office, he is also attacking the Nigeria Police, his grouse that the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu is not doing his bidding as perhaps, some before him did by being used to terrorise innocent Rivers men and women, including his perceived political opponents. Your Excellency, Mr. Mbu is a God-sent Commissioner of Police who has refused to be used to arrest and harass political opponents of Governor Amaechi and charging them to court on trumped-up charges. We are very proud of his impartiality and we join well-meaning Nigerians in Rivers State to celebrate him as a core professional.”
“It is for this reason that our governor has been doing everything, including instigating commission of crimes to ridicule and blackmail the Commissioner of Police. Governor Amaechi desperately wants Mr. Mbu out of Rivers State and has publicly threatened to lead a street protest in Port Harcourt with hired persons and non Nigerians. The idea of the protest, we understand, is to further press for the removal of the patriotic and selfless Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.”
Obuah also thanked President Jonathan for giving many Rivers State indigenes the opportunity to hold federal appointments.
“Finally, as a party, Mr. President, we in Rivers State assure you that we will continue to support you, the Transformation Agenda and all your policies. As our son-in-law, we guarantee that you can go home and sleep with your two eyes closed, believing that at all times, we will massively support and stand with you, come rain come shine.”
Also speaking with State House correspondents, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike said: “The governor is suspended, so he can’t come. It is only when he comes back to the party, then he will join us. You can see the men of timber and calibre, the leaders of the party. So, it is not a question of what The Nation or The Sun will publish. I am happy that The Nation and Sun reporters are here and I hope they will publish correctly.”
“Tomorrow, you will see on the front page that a faction of the state PDP…; there is nothing like faction in the PDP. This is the chairman of the party; he led the members of his exco; all the party chairmen and other stakeholders are here.”
On the moves to bring back aggrieved members, Wike said: “We cannot shut our doors to anybody. That is why it is politics. If you are willing to come back, you will do so. The chairman of the party has said so but there are rules which we must comply with and if you cannot comply with the rules, you can’t come back. There must be party discipline. If you don’t want to belong to party A, you may go to party B.
“As I have said before, this issue of threatening does not hold water. It even favours us because people will now see who actually controls the votes in Rivers State. We are on ground and we have the grassroots. Money does not solve all problems.”
He, however, maintained that there is no misunderstanding between him and Amaechi, saying:
“There is no misunderstanding. What you should understand is that in every political process, you expect some disagreements. Some people see it as if there is a personal misunderstanding. There is none.”
“One thing you must understand is that Nigerians do not easily accept change and when change comes, it takes some people some time to accept, but it is change that has come to stay. That the governor does not have the party structure does not make him comfortable. So, all that you are seeing is a reaction to that and we believe that you cannot build a party around a personality.”
“The party is meant for the people and the people make the choice and the choice they made, they were denied and people went to court to get their mandate. It is like a tribunal; if you lose election, you go to tribunal and the tribunal will tell you if you won or lost. Then you can go on appeal; that is the way it is. So, there is nothing personal; rather it is a political activity that is going on.”
Denying the reports that he was shunned by the President last week, Wike said: “First of all, there is nothing like face-saving. If Mr President came on Friday and I received him and when he came back on Saturday, I was the one who mobilised the people and Mr President was quite happy. You can see me with Mr President in the pictures.”
“What you saw was a syndicated job. That is why I am saying and I will continue to say that journalists are supposed to report the truth. Some people stay in government house and write a story and send to you and you publish. You could see that they cut my picture just to prove that I was not there or that Mr President was not happy with me.”
“How would I have mobilised the entire people to see Mr President and he will now say Mr President should not see me. In fact, it is a humiliation to the governor; it is as a result of that humiliation that he went to the church the following day to now say I am a betrayer. It was that anger.”
The former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odilli, harped on respect for authority and discipline in the party.
He said: “There is no human problem without a human solution. What is important is for us to recognize that at any point in time respect for authority, respect for the rule of law, discipline is the guiding principle that will make us run whatever system or societies we are running in an orderly, disciplined fashion, in a way that will be inclusive for all stakeholders to contribute maximally to the well being and purpose of the organisation.”
Optimistic that the crisis in the state will soon be a thing of the past, Odili said: “My assurance to you on behalf of the new leadership of the party of the state is that you will see an end to this exchanges that put Rivers State PDP in bad light. The end will be for the family to resolve the matter in a way that will reflect the discipline and the proper organisation of the party.”
On the meeting with Jonathan, he said: “The leadership of the Rivers State PDP came with its executive to meet the leader of the party in the nation. And it was a very cordial meeting and a reunion, if you like, because for quite sometime the party in the state has not interfaced with the leadership at the centre. It was a very warm and cheerful meeting.”
Among those who attended the meeting yesterday were the Acting National Deputy Chairman of PDP and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche, Uche Secondus, Austin Opkara, Senator Lee Maeba, Fred Kpakol, Ama Pepple, and Walter Opuene.
Others are former Transport Minister, Abiye Sekibo, Senator George Sekibo, Sergeant Awuse, Kenneth Kobani, Timothy Nsirim, Doris Fisher, Toru Ofili, Boma Iyaye, Evans Bipi, Hope Ikiriko, Vincent Nemieboka and Elemchukwu Ogbowu.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation 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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