Nigerian Newspapers
Reps, lawyers, Tsav condemn PDP over Amaechi’s suspension
•’It’s a bad omen for democracy’
Members of the House of Representatives yesterday criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the suspension Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Minority Leader of the House Femi Gbajabiamila described the move as an act of desperation.
He said: “This tells you how low a government will go when desperate. This is an accidental government. There is supposed to be an art and a science to governance but this one possesses neither. First it was the State Assembly members that were purportedly suspended and now it is the governor.”
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) Dakuku Peterside said it was a bad omen and a major setback to Nigeria’s quest for true democracy.
Peterside, in a statement, said: “This is an inauspicious moment to suspend a popular governor who is not only marking his 48th birthday but was also a few days ago, re-elected by his colleagues in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) as Chairman.
“This news is baffling and a major blow to lovers of democracy because it violates the right of an individual to associate freely, to vote and be voted for in any democratic process. The NGF is not an extension of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thus not governed by the constitution of the PDP. This is also a major impediment to PDP’s future as a party as Governor Amaechi is seen in Nigeria today as one of the most outstanding governors.
“What would it benefit a political party to suspend its most performing governor? Therefore, to my mind, this decision is not only ill-timed but ominous and capable of threatening the foundation of democracy, especially the process of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.
“This ignoble action of the PDP Working Committee signposts what to expect in the build up to 2015: divergent views will not be tolerated and this is dangerous”.
Deputy Minority Whip Datti Ahmed (CPC Kaduna) said the PDP members were bad losers.
He said: “This has shown what PDP is all about; it is about illegality and rigging. They are just giving us bad example because they are bad losers. This decision cannot stand because he has to freedom of association to vote and be voted for.
“He has not committed any offence. Even the PDP knows it cannot stand. You cannot suspend somebody for exercising his fundamental human rights. We in the opposition are very happy about what is happening in the PDP. It is nemesis and it shows that PDP is on its way to the grave.
“Everyday is for the thief one day is for the owner. It is the injustice that they have done that is haunting. They are expelling the democrats among. Let them suspend more we are waiting for them. This is the right time for them to join the opposition.”
Chairman, House Committee on Anti- Corruption
Abiodun Faleke condemned the decision. “Suspension? For exercising his right to vote and be voted for. It shows the type of party PDP is.”
Another member, Sokonte Davis (PDP Rivers), said the action was laughable.
He said: “It is unfortunate that this is the only time I have heard that somebody is punished for winning. If canvassing for the support of his colleagues is a crime, why is the defeated anointed candidate not equally suspended since he has opposition members like Peter Obi who supported him?
“On the other hand, why participate in a process you expect only your party members to be lobbied? They shouldn’t have gone into the elections at all since they already have their own governors.
“I think that this action has made the party to become opprobrious to the generality of the country. In fact , I am yet to believe that the story is true. If it is true, then all the denials that the main purpose of the Rivers State crisis is not to chase Amaechi and his supporters from the party have turned out to be lies. Those who play or want to play God should not forget that power belongs to God and he gives it to whomever and however it pleases.”
A former Lagos State Commissioner for Police, Abubakar Tsav, said the suspension was unfair.
He said: “Every person, who is elected and took oath of office and allegiance as a state governor, is expected to be above reproach, temperate, self controlled, respectable, reliable, impartial, dependable, honest, forthright and God fearing. The governors agreed to form an association and named it Nigerian Governors’ Forum. They unanimously agreed to hold election for the chairmanship position. Election was held and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was declared winner. A few hours later Governor Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who is neither the returning nor electoral officer, declared Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State as winner. Couldn’t the governors resolve this quietly or they simply want to satisfy the President? Now Amaechi is suspended from the PDP. Is this Democracy? What are the factional governors teaching the youths? A shame of a nation !”
Senior lawyers, such as Emeka Ngige (SAN), Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Dr. Fred Agbaje condemned the NWC’s decision.
Ngige said: “It is unfair. The National Working Committee shouldn’t have relied on the report of the faction that is at the logger head with the governor. Moreso, the NWC didn’t summon Amaechi to appear and defend his action. Anyway, there is no cause for alarm. I am sure the governor is equal to the task. What is playing out is part of the script written by the powerful forces in the PDP to deal with Amaechi. He should challenge the suspension in court.”
Ali said the PDP was vindictive. He said: “Political party is like any other association. You are free to join and abide by the rules. But in the case of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, there are elements of vindictiveness the way PDP is handling the matter. Nigerians are embarrassed by politics of hatred, intolerance and that everybody in the party should go to the same direction as exemplified by PDP in the Rivers State crisis. I want to believe that his suspension is out of his victory at Nigeria Governors’ Forum chairmanship election.
“The country is faced with serious challenges like epileptic power supply, insecurity of life and property which would be tackled by government rather than dissipating energy on petty and primitive politics.”
Dr. Agbaje said the PDP has succeeded in cutting “noses to spite its ugly faces”.
He said: “The suspension can never demean the political ruggedness, popularity, astuteness and irokoness in Amaechi. PDP leadership is jittery and acting politically demagoguery and a clear case of infantile puerility. What is wrong in Amaechi exercising his freedom to freely associate? This is the question every right thinking member of the Nigeria society should ask PDP leadership. What PDP did to Amaechi better put thus: ile oba to jo, ewa lo bu si. (A burnt king’s house will turn out more beautiful) Tukur deserved to be commended for leading PDP astray.
However, the National Vice Chairman of PDP, Ishola Filani, said the decision was in order.
Filani said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) must have articulately verified their facts before they decided to suspend him from the party. Suspension is usually done with a view to investigate an offence levelled against somebody and that is what the NWC has done. This is in principle with democracy but however, I am not in any position to pass judgement on what has happened. He is only on suspension and has not been expelled from the party.”
A member, Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers) said the action was appropriate.
“ I have said the party is superior to its members. Without discipline we cannot progress, however, fairness, equity and due process must be complied with in the process,” he said.
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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
•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
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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