POLITICS
43 aggrieved Bauchi APC Assembly Aspirants cry foul, seek Fresh Primary Election
By Mohammed Muktar Umar Bauchi
Forty-three aggrieved state House of Assembly aspirants under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State who are not satisfied with the conduct of the primary election have appealed to the party’s National working Committee (NWC) to order fresh elections in 11 constituencies in the state to elect delegates.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Centre of the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the aggrieved aspirants expressed fear that the local government delegates who would partake in the primary election were already being compromised.
They, therefore, called on the party’s NWC to, as a matter of urgency, order a fresh election of the LGA delegates or allow for a direct primary election.
Spokesperson of the aggrieved contestants, hon.Saleh Umar Nabayi, expressed surprise that the party gave its serving members in the state House of Assembly automatic tickets despite the fact that they (aggrieved aspirants) purchased expression of interest and nomination forms.
According to him, none of them were informed of this before the purchased the forms to contest for seats in the state House of Assembly
“We are here before you to express to the National Working Committee and the entire world about our grievances, particularly concerning our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC Bauchi State). You will recall that the State Assembly primary election has been done but we believe that it has not been concluded.
“Before you this afternoon, are about forty-three loyal party members of the APC who lawfully purchased nomination/expression of interest forms to contest for various state House of Assembly seats.
“Our party did not inform any aspirant that any of the serving members will be given an automatic ticket.
“We all obtained forms as required by the constitution and followed all the instructions given by our leaders. We canvassed for support across our constituencies and patiently waited for the day of primary election,” Nabayi said.
According to him, the primary election which was supposed to hold Thursday last week could not hold due to the late arrival of electoral materials, adding that they were surprised to be informed by the electoral committee on Friday that that all the state constituencies having serving lawmakers have been given automatic tickets and as such there won’t be elections in those constituencies.
He added that they held a meeting with the state chairman of the party and also lodged their complaints with the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Abubakar Saddique Baba, all of who promised to convey their grievances to the national secretariat of the party.
He listed the 11 affected state constituencies to include Toro/Jama’a/Lame State Constituency in Toro Local Government; Burra State Constituency (Ningi LGA); Ganjuwa East State Constituency (Ganjuwa LGA) and Giade State Constituency (Giade LGA).
Others are: Shira State Constituency (Shira LGA); Jama’are State Constituency (Jama’are LGA); Katagum State Constituency in (Zaki LGA) ; Dambam/Daguada/Jalam (Dambam LGA); Chinade/Madara in (Katagum LGA) and Warji State Constituency (Warji LGA).
“The election was slated for Thursday. We sent our agents to the party secretariat. They were waiting but sadly election materials were not distributed to the officials till dusk without any communication from the election panel.
“When they arrived late in the evening, they said that they could not distribute the materials that same Thursday, claiming that some of the constituencies in Bauchi State are far away from the capital.
“They pleaded with us that everyone should reconvene on Friday at 7:am when the election materials would be distributed. We all left for our various destinations and returned on Friday morning.
“On that Friday, we were surprised to hear from the committee that all the state constituencies that have serving lawmakers have been given automatic tickets, therefore there won’t be an election in those areas.
“They said that they have received orders from the national headquarters to give automatic tickets to all the serving state Assembly members.
“We expressed our anger to them that we are not in support of that arrangement. We insisted that elections must be held in all the state constituencies, including those with serving members.
“The state chairman pleaded with us that we should meet the following Saturday (yesterday). Though, he was not at the meeting but he was represented by his deputy. They promised to forward our complaint to Abuja.
“At the same time, we discussed this with the current APC gubernatorial candidate, Ambassador Abubakar Saddique Baba, who promised to intervene in the matter for possible solution, Nabayi explained.
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.