NEWS
Benue APC Shuns National Reconciliation Committee, Suspends State Chairman
From Attah Ede Makurdi
The Benue State Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Austin Agada has been suspended following allegation of anti party activities levelled against him.
Comrade Agada’s suspension is coming barely 24 hours after the National Reconciliation Committee from the party’s national secretariat met the state governor, Hyacinth Alia and the state leadership of the party in Makurdi on Tuesday.
The Executive Committee of the party in Ehaje Ward 1 Owukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue state, where the embattled state chairman hails from, led by the ward chairman, Godwin Abah announced the suspension of the chairman yesterday.
The ward exco at a press conference in Makurdi, passed a no confidence vote on Agada and further imposed suspension on him for total disregard for the disciplinary committee set up to investigate allegations against him.
They said their action followed a petition by a party member and Senatorial Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Comrade Daniel Onjeh alleging anti party activities against Agada.
They said, “APC Ehaje Ward 1 in Owukpa of Ogbadibo received the petition by Comrade Dan Onjeh on the 23rd of January, 2024 and immediately based on our party constitution set up a disciplinary committee same day by the Ward Exco.
“This is in accordance with our party constitution powers vested in the Ward Exco pursuant to Article 13.14 sub section Vii and Article 21. 1 sub section 1 & ii.
“The APC Ehaje Ward 1 disciplinary committee having sat and invited Hon. Augustine Agada, the APC Benue State Chairman from January 24 to 29, 2024, who is a card-carrying party member of the ward, blatantly refused, ignored and disrespected the disciplinary committee by refusing to attend nor communicate back with the committee.
“The disciplinary committee having exhausted its patience, and based on the strength and irrefutable facts tendered in the petition with CTC of bank statement tendered, oral evidence given by party members in the ward, drew its conclusion and submitted its findings and report back to the APC Ehaje Ward 1 Expanded Exco.”
They said after reviewing the petition and subsequently finding merit in it, immediately passed a vote of No Confidence on Agada.
The Ward Exco said, “[We] found the State Party Chairman guilty of Anti-Party Activities in the ward and the Southern Senatorial District zone of Benue State (Zone C).
“That the State Party Chairman Comrade Augustine Agada Is found guilty of all charges brought before APC Ehaje Ward 1 in Owukpa and so has been suspended by the Ward where he is a member of the party.”
They urged Agada to stop parading himself as a member of the party in the ward and also as the Benue State Party Chairman in line with the party constitution as stipulated.
The eight Ward Exco members said Agada was found to have indulged in political malfeasance, embarrassment and disrepute.
The suspension they said was “To instill discipline and foster unity and generally to serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators of anti-party activities.
“This suspension takes immediate effect from today Wednesday 31st of January, 2024.”.
In his reaction, Agada said he still remains the chairman of APC in Benue state.
He said Godwin Abah is not his ward chairman but Peter Onoja, adding that Abah is the current supervisory councilor of works in the LG having been replaced in Dec. 2023.
He said Ward Exco are 27 in number and the document suspending him was signed by only eight people who were not officials of the party.
Agada who described his suspension as null and void urged the governor to use his office and wield the big stick and call them to order before they destroy the party and his administration by extension.
Curiously, this suspension came at a time that the reconciliation committee instituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party came and pronounced Governor Hyacinth Alia, as the only duly recognized leader of the party in the state.
The reconciliation committee at the meeting, said they decided to clear the air following the leadership tussle between the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume and the governor of Benue State on who controls the party in the state.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the committee’s meeting, Governor Alia said he was happy that the leadership of the party took their time to come to the state to ensure the return of peace in the party.
He assured, “The meeting has resolved everything, putting to rest all the anxieties. The outcome of the meeting as it is, has brought happiness on the faces of the great men and women in the party, and the party is going to turn a new leaf, which suspends anything that was drawing us back.
“The state can now look forward to the gains the meeting will bring, especially with me as the governor and the SGF, Senator George Akume, at the federal level.”
Earlier, the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Festus Fuanter, who led the reconciliation team from the National Secretariat said they were in the state to ensure the return of peace in the party.
He described the meeting as one amongst many, which the NWC of APC has arranged for all the zones in the country to ensure there is absolute peace, especially in states where there appears to be internal wrangling.
Last night, a statement from the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka said Agada remains the Benue State APC chairman.
It directed that all matters be set aside pending further review of the purported suspension of Agada by party executive in his Ehaje Ward 1, Owukpa, Ogbadibo Local Government Area of the state.
The statement therefore, said Agada remains a bonafide member and the chairman of the party in the state.
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
Share The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing...
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
Share By Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s...
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)...
Imo: Police kill 3 Hoodlums in Attempted Police Station Attack
Share The Police Command in Imo on Sunday foiled an attack by hoodlums on Njaba Local Government Area Divisional Police...
INC Condemns killings During Youth Congress Elections
Share The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has condemned in strong terms the Sept.14 killings in Abuloma during the ljaw...
Tinubu Committed to Improving Welfare of Senior Citizens –Alake
Share Dr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has restated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improve the welfare...
Lifting of Petrol from Dangote Refinery Marks Industrialisation – FG
Share The Federal Government has hailed the commencement of petroleum product lifting from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, describing...
Parents Protest Boarding Fees Increase in Lagos School
Share Some parents of students of Oriwu Model College in Ikorodu on Sunday protested the sudden increase of boarding fees...
Federal High Court Resumes Tuesday After Annual Vacation
Share The Federal High Court (FHC) will, on Tuesday, resume its annual vacation. The annual vacation, which began on July...
EFCC Detains 5 Chinese Nationals over Alleged Illegal Mining
Share The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended five suspected Chinese illegal miners in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, Ibieno Local...