POLITICS
Tambuwal, 3 Other Governors in Ondo, Woo Mimiko, others back to PDP
The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor’s Forum, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, said he, along with three other governors, were in Ondo State to woo Dr Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor in the state, back to the party.Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor led Gov. Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) on the visit to meet Mimiko.
They also had discussion with Agboola Ajayi, the immediate past Deputy Governor in the state, who is the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Governorship Candidate in the 2020 governorship election, his running mate, Gboye Adegbenro and state Chairman of ZLP, Joseph Akinlaja.The governors had on arrival held a closed door meeting with Mimiko at his residence in Ondo Town.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Tambuwal said that the visit was aimed at bringing the like minds together to rescue the country from its current challenges.
According to him, the visit is on the directive of the party to embark on a trip to historic town of Ondo to woo Dr Olusegun Mimiko, a former Ondo State Governor back to his family.
“We have had a robust engagement with him and we are very hopeful that we are going to hear something very positive from him soonest.
“Our message is simple, let’s come back and reposition the PDP and work toward rescuing Nigeria. The urgency of the matter is now.
“The essence is for rebuilding the party toward ensuring that PDP is back to power in 2023,” Tambuwal said.
Also, Mimiko told newsmen that he would carry along his political structures across the state before taking final decision on his return to the PDP.
Mimiko said: “This is one of the series of interactions we had in the last two months and they have come, at least to convince us why we should come back to join forces with them in PDP.
“We have listened to them; we will go back to our stakeholders’ meeting, because it is them that will decide before we jointly take our decision on it,” he said. (NAN)
POLITICS
Assembly Passes Edo N675bn 2025 Budget for Assent
The Edo House of Assembly on Monday passed the state 2025 budget of N675 billion for assent.
The passage followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Budget and Project Monitoring at plenary in Benin.
Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Sunday Fada, (PDP Esan Central) said the budget was made up of N225 billion recurrent expenditure and N451 billion capital expenditure.
Fada noted that the committee came up with the increase in the budgetary allocation to enable the governor carry out his five points agenda in the state.
The House at the committee of Supply, considered the budget clause by clause and subsequently, approved the increase from N605.
7 billion to N675 billion.The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, thereafter directed Mr Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house to forward clean copies of the budget to the governor for his assent. (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)