PDP Crisis Deepens As Govs Shun NEC Meeting [LEADERSHIP]
The raging crisis in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a disturbing dimension yesterday as its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja was shunned by governors elected on its platform and other stakeholders.
Following the Supreme Court judgment, which sacked Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State, the party leadership had summoned an emergency NEC meeting to review the issue and take a stand on it.
But, the meeting was scantily attended by key officials and leaders of the party, especially state governors, who play enormous roles in its affairs.
Among the governors who failed to show up at the parley, which was tagged the “87th NEC meeting”, were Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Ben Ayade (Cross River}, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Other stakeholders who were also absent at the meeting included former Senate President, David Mark, the immediate past Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
Others were former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, former minister of foreign affairs, Tom Ikimi, former PDP deputy national chairman, Bode George, and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.
No explanation was given for their absence at the meeting.
However, governors Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto ), and Bello Mattawalle of Zamfara State as well as Ihedioha attended the parley.
I’m Looking Forward To Handing Over In 2023 – PMB [LEADERSHIP]
President Muhammadu Buhari has described himself as a major beneficiary of a free and fair election in the country and promised to re-enact same in 2023.
A statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, indicated that the president stated this at a dinner for members of his legal team who won the 2019 judicial tussle for him.
Buhari said that the mass turnout of Nigerians during his campaign tour of the 36 states of the federation in 2019 convinced him that his re-election was not a fluke.
He said: “The number of people that turned out in every state across the country was more than anybody can buy or force. This gave me so much confidence and the result tallied with the votes I got.
‘‘That is why I insist that elections must be free and fair because I am a clear beneficiary to a free and fair election,’’ he said.
FG To Fund Community Policing, Say Security Chiefs [LEADERSHIP]
Nigeria’s security chiefs have hinted of the federal government’s resolve to fund the community policing model so to be introduced across the country.
The chief of air staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the security chiefs met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja.
He confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had received two fighter jets on Wednesday to aid it in the war against insurgency in the Northeast zone.
The air chief said: “We also looked at the emerging situations in some of our areas particularly acts of banditry in some of the Northwestern states and other parts of the country and we are satisfied with the progress we are making; we are satisfied with the support the federal government is giving the armed forces and other security agencies in terms of the procurement of platforms, substantial number of these equipment are expected by the end of February.
“Some of the equipment we are acquiring have started arriving for the Nigerian Air Force, two helicopters arrived on the 15th of January and we are now in the process of putting them together which will add to whatever we have.
“We are equally expecting other equipment like I said that are meant for the armed forces of Nigeria which we are hoping to get by the end of February. I am sure you are also familiar with the equipment acquisition by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
“I am sure you are also aware of the policy on community policing that was approved by Mr. President and it is going to be funded. The whole idea is to ensure that Nigeria is secured and Nigerians can go about pursuing their legitimate aspirations without any hindrance.
“Basically, that is what this meeting is all about and what we want to do is to reassure Nigerians that the armed forces of Nigeria and indeed security and intelligence agencies in the country are going to continue to work round the clock to ensure that the country is secured and to ensure that nobody undermines the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Nigeria.
High Court Sacks Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah [DAILY TRUST]
An FCT High Court in Kubwa, Abuja yesterday reaffirmed its earlier order sacking Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young People’s Party as the senator representing Anambra South in the Senate.
Justice Bello Kawu in a ruling declined Ubah’s request to set aside the earlier order issued in a judgment delivered by the court on April 11, 2019.
The judge had in the said earlier judgment, sacked Ubah for allegedly submitting a forged National Examinations Council certificate to contest the February 23, 2019 senatorial election.
He had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ubah.
$25,000 Extortion Saga: EFCC Confronts Shehu Sani With 13 Audio Tapes Of Alleged Deal With Bizman [NATION]
- Senator: ‘Some aspects of recordings have been deleted’
The row over alleged extortion of $25,000 by Sen. Shehu Sani is almost ending following the retrieval of 13 audio tapes of the chats between the embattled Senator and the Chairman of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has played some of the bribe chat tapes to Sen. Sani in the presence of his lawyers, Barrister Audu Mohammed Lawal, and Barrister Glory Peter.
The Senator admitted that the voice in the tapes was his but he alleged that some aspects of the recordings have been deleted.
It was the first time in four weeks that the EFCC had a breakthrough in the investigation of the Senator and it wasted no time in presenting its evidence to the suspect.
According to findings, the EFCC team met with Sani and his lawyers on Wednesday where the 13 audio tapes were made available to prove that there was a bribe deal.
Emir Of Potiskum Recounts Horrific Experience From Bandits Attack Involving His Convoy [NATION]
…call on citizen to take security their business
The Emir of Potiskum, His Royal Highness Alhaji Umaru Bubaram Ibn Wuriwa Bauya has returned to his palace in Potiskum after his convoy came in contact with robbers along Kaduna/Zaria road on Tuesday night.
The Emir who was hospitalised after the attack returned to his palace amidst mixed emotions as his subjects trooped out in droves to thank God for sparing the life of their king but their eyes were still heavy as four of the Emir’s aid including a senior tilted holder of the Emirate was killed in the skirmishes.
The Nation reported that the four aids were buried on Wednesday with hundreds of thousands of sympathizers at the funeral which was held in front of the palace.
The Royal father who addressed his subject at his palace regretted the incident but also thanked almighty Allah for sparing his life and other members of his convoy who survived the attack.
The mornach was however saddened by the death of four of his aids who died and one that is still missing.
Minimum Wage: Labour’s Threat Sends Governors To Drawing Board [NATION]
- State chief executives move to avert strike, rev negotiation with workers
Several state governors have launched top level efforts to stave off the strike brewing over the delay in implementing the new minimum wage.
Governors Ben Ayade (Cross River), Yahya Bello (Kogi), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) have commenced negotiations with labour in their states to ensure that the stalemate is resolved before the January 31 ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for the payment of the minimum wage in all the states.
Governor Ayade last Friday inaugurated the state public service negotiating team for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Ayade who was represented by his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu, said his administration was willing to pay the new minimum wage.
He said: “We are only here to negotiate the consequential adjustments that will affect salaries from Grade levels 7 to 17. In doing that, we carefully selected this team of technocrats and strong labour people not just from the state civil service but from the local government for the negotiations.”
Arrest Yoruba Leaders Backing Operation Amotekun Now, Miyetti Allah Tells FG [SUN]
- It’s agenda against Fulani
National President General of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo has called on the federal government to arrest Yoruba leaders promoting Operation Amotekun, the Southwest regional security network.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the leader of the Fulani socio-cultural association emphasized that the aim of setting up the security outfit was to ban Fulani herdsmen from Yorubaland.
The Southwest has set up a regional security outfit, Operation Amotekun, what is your view on that?
I read it on the internet. However, it would have been a good development, if the national security agencies – the Army, the Police, the DSS, the Civil Defence, etc, were not living up to expectations. Will Amotekun have more security intelligence than these national security orgnisations? The answer is no. Anything security should be left with those security organisations, so, I don’t know the reason for this one from the Southwest, except that it has sinister motive.
Look at how the vigilantes are causing troubles all over; there is what is called interest in setting up this type of thing. Look at Zamfara where the vigilantes and the Fulani are having issues.
Nigeria’s Debt Rises To N26.215 Trillion [SUN]
Nigeria’s total public debt, comprising the federal government, 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as at September 2019, stands at N26.215 trillion.
The Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha made the disclosure at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday.
According to her, the comparative figure for June 2019 was N25.701 trillion, which implies that in the quarter July to September 2019, the total public debt grew by 2.0%.
The DMO boss also stated that the total public debt as at September 2019 includes promissory notes in the amount of N821.65 billion which had been issued to settle the FG’s arrears to oil marketing companies and state governments under the promissory programme approved by the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.
“The ratio of domestic debt to external debt at 69:31 was about the same as at June 2019 of 68:32 compared to the target of 60:40 in the medium-term debt strategy. The ratio of long term to short term debt in the domestic debt was 80:20 which shows that the target of 75:25 had been outperformed.
“Similarly, total debt as a percentage of GDP was 18.47% as at September 2019 was well within the limit of 25% and fares better in comparison with the debt/GDP ratios of countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada with ratios of 105%, 85% and 90% respectively for the same period.
“However, because they generate adequate revenues, their debt service/revenue ratios for the same period were much lower at 12.5%, 7.5% and 7.5% respectively when compared to Nigeria’s 51% in 2017”, she explained.
50 Years After, Gowon Opens Up On Ojukwu, Biafra And Aburi In War Memoirs [SUN]
Nigeria’s wartime Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon has opened up on some inside details of what transpired before, during and after the nation’s three-year civil war.
In the first-hand narration contained in a small version of “General Gowon’s War Memoirs”, the former Head of State spoke on Biafra, Ojukwu and Aburi.
Speaking on the Aburi Conference, which preceded the Nigerian Civil War, 50 years ago, Gowon said, “The purpose of going to Aburi was to try and find a means of coming together again and know ourselves and try to co-operate and work together in the interest of the country. And so, we went there with no set position but to be able to discuss generally and work together to restore the trust and confidence that we used to have in the army which unfortunately was broken by the event of January 1966 of which I was the only lucky beneficiary to be alive among the senior officers from the same school, from Barewa College. The coup plotters happened to have come from Umuahia Government College. For me, this is quite interesting. And of course, I went to Sandhurst with quite a number of them like Alex Madiebo and Pat Anwuna. They were together at Sandhurst but they were not part of those who did the coup.”
Operation Amotekun: Don’t Support Criminals Terrorising South-West, Ex-Govs Warn FG [PUNCH]
- Alao-Akala, Daniel, Mimiko, others fume over FG’s opposition
- Group gives Tinubu 24 hours to speak out
Femi Makinde, Eniola Akinkuotu, Ramon Oladimeji, Wale Oyewale, Peter Dada, Daud Olatunji, Abiodun Nejo, Bola Bamigbola and Tunde Oyekola
A number of ex-South-West governors have thrown their weight behind Operation Amotekun, declaring that the new security outfit is an answer to the yearnings of the people of the region.
According to them, many lives have been lost due to a spate of killings, robberies and other criminal activities in the zone.
This came as pressure continues to mount on South-West governors to jettison the regional security initiative following the Federal Government’s declaration that the outfit was illegal.