POLITICS
2023: APC releases 422-Member Presidential Campaign Council
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released a 422-member Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) ahead of the commencement of the party’s 2023 presidential campaign to be headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the list of members of the council released in Abuja on Saturday,
Sen.
Bola Tinubu, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate and Abdullahi Adamu, its National chairman, are to serve as deputy chairmen of the council .Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau is the Director General with James Faleke as secretary of the council.
Sen. Kashim Shettima, the party’s Vice-Presidential candidate is the vice chairman of the council and Adams Oshiomhole, former APC National Chairman is the deputy director-general (Operations) while Hadiza usman is the deputy director-general (Admin).
The 422-man campaign council has Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Chairman Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), as Vce Chairman and state Coordinator.
Godswill Akpabio, former Akwa-Ibom Governor, is vice chairmen (South-South and Uju Kennedy, the former female APC presidential aspirant is vice chairman South-East.
Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa is the Regional Co-ordinator and Chairman for North and his state, Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, regional co-ordinator South and Ebonyi; Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River is regional director South-south and Ebonyi.
Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu is zonal co-ordinator for South-West and Ondo State; Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello is the zonal co-ordinator for North-central and his state.
Gov. Muhammed Yahaha is zonal co-ordinator for the North-East and Gombe and Gov. Bello Matawalle is the zonal co-ordinator for the North-West and Zamfara.
The list showed that all APC governors are co-ordinators of the presidential council in their respective states and where there was no sitting governors of the party, its governorship candidates were the co-ordinators.
Others appointed were Gov. Yahaha Bello of Kogi as National Youth Co-ordinator, Felix Nicholas, Deputy National Youth Co-ordinator; Festus Keyamo, spokesperson, Chris Tarka, deputy secretary, Gov. Kayode Fayemi is the Co-ordinator for Ekiti State and Adviser Foreign Affairs.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan is made Senior Adviser on strategic planning, Femi Gbajabiamila, Adviser on Legal Matters, Aliyu Wamako, former Sokoto State Governor, Adviser on Special Duties.
Rotimi Amaechi, is adviser on infrastructure; Ibikunle Amosun, adviser on contacts and mobilisation; Dele Alake, Adviser on Media, Communications and Public Affairs.
Others are Abdullahi Ganduje, adviser politcal affairs and Kano coordinator; Nasir El-rufai, coordinator, Kaduna State and senior adviser, policy, strategy and enforcement and Abdulrahaman Danbazzau adviser, strategic engagement.
Faleke, Secretary to the council, advised all nominees to pick their appointment letters on Monday at the APC presidential campaign office.
The PCC with its many directorates would be inaugurated on Sept. 26 at the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja (NAN)
POLITICS
Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday attributed the deadly stampede that claimedmore than 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.
”In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond ASCAB, demanded justice for victims of the tragic events, saying, “These tragic events are a national shame, the victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.
”On December 21, 12 people died and 32 others were injured in Okija, Anambra State, during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.
On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.
Just two days prior, on December 19, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas funfair at an Islamic High School, Basorun. in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana lamented.
“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”
Falana also criticized the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events, stating, “No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” and condemned what he termed “class prejudice” in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
He also announced plans to mobilize lawyers to pursue civil suits against the organizers of these events.
“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana affirmed. “Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”
POLITICS
2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others
Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, National Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) ,has commended President Bola Tinubu for giving priority to security and other key sectors in the 2025 Appropriation Bill .
Olorunfemi gave the commendation while speaking with newsmeon Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the President had on Wednesday presented the N47.
9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill , christened “Budget of Restoration, Securing Peace and Rebuilding Prosperity” , to a joint session of the National Assembly .The President listed highlights of the 2025 budget allocations to include: defense and security: N4.91 trillion; infrastructure: N4.06 trillion; Health: N2.
48 trillion and Education: N3.52 trillion.Reacting , Olorunfemi described security as an enabler of development.
He called on the President to ensure proper implementation ,saying budgets had always been well-crafted but usually lacked monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing that can happen if there is no security. This is good if the budget is properly utilised for the purpose.
“Our problem is not about policies and budgets, it is about monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing wrong in bringing a budget proposal forward in terms of expectation, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how much we want to spend.
“Now, the most important thing is the implementation,, budgets in Nigeria have always been properly crafted,” the LP boss said.
Olorunfemi called on the President to build strong institutions to prevent sabotaging of his policies.
“If this government wants to do anything, it must wake up to the responsibility of monitoring policies and ensure severe penalty for anyone who attempts to sabotage such policies.
“We need institutions that no one will be able to interfere with. We must allow these institutions to work, that is what we expect.
“Once we have strong institutions, most of our problems are solved,” he said.
He also called on the President to take steps to address the problems experienced by Nigerians in the banking sector.
Olorunfemi decried the inability of many Nigerians to get cash at bank’s Automated Teller Machines and the high charges paid to get cash from Point of Sales (POS) operators.
The LP boss also urged the President to devise ways of ending multiple taxations and high fuel price, describing them as major causes of hardship .
Recalled that the President said that the budget was a demonstration of government’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives and repositioning the country for greater performance.
He also said the budget sought to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy, boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments and bolster oil and gas production. (NAN)
POLITICS
Atiku hails Ndimi’s Oriental Energy on commissioning of first FPSO
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
The former Vice President of Nigeria and PDP Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the Chairman of the Nigerian Independent producer, Oriental Energy Resources (OER), Muhammadu Indimi, on the successful completion and commissioning of the Okwok Field’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel/platform in Dubai.
In a statement in Abuja by his Media Office in Abuja on Wednesday, the Former Vice President described the commissioning of the FPSO as one of the most gladdening news coming out from the upstream subsector of Nigeria’s oil industry in recent times.
“The vessel’s deployment at the Okwok field is expected to significantly increase Nigeria’s crude oil output, contributing to the government’s revenue growth and economic development objectives,” he said.
According to Atiku, “This is the first FPSO entirely funded by an indigenous Nigerian company and this landmark achievement being championed by OER showcases the rising capability of Nigerian firms in conceptualising and successfully executing complex projects in the nation’s upstream oil industry.
The successful building and commissioning of the FPSO marks a significant step toward enabling an indigenous oil and gas company to independently develop a marginal oil field.
This development marks an important milestone for Nigeria and its indigenous energy sector, he said.
“No doubt, this latest investment would boost economic growth, generate job opportunities for Nigerians, and ensure steady growth and development of not only the oil sector but the nation’s economy in general.”
He described Indimi as a man who so much believes in the capabilities that exist in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
“From onset of his foray into the nation’s oil sector, his vision of standing out as a player of reckon in the nation’s upstream oil business has been top-notch,” he said.
As he said, Oriental Energy’s significant investment in the oil sector has set a new standard in local investment and operational excellence in the nation’s oil business, benefiting both the company and its partners.
The 40,000 barrels per day capacity facility constructed by the Singaporean firm HBA Future Energy will commence sailing to Nigerian waters beginning February 2025 for hook-up on the Okwok Oil Field. Production is expected to commence on the oil field in the first half of next year.
Okwok Oil Field, discovered by ExxonMobil in 1967, is located in Oil Mining Lease(OML) 67, in 31 metres water depth in shallow marine, southeast offshore Nigeria with estimated recoverable reserves of 45 million barrels. OER has an ongoing multi-well drilling campaign on the field that commenced in October 2023.