COVER
Atiku in Delta, Restates Commitment to Restructuring
By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja
Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, yesterday, restated his commitment to restructure the country, if elected in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of party members and supporters at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Atiku explained that devolving more power and resources to the states would enable them to deal with their respective problems without waiting for the Federal Government.
“One of the items (in my five-pont agenda) that are of benefit to you is the issue of resource control or restructuring.
“You as Niger Delta shall benefit from that policy because it is our intention to devolve more powers and more resources to your respective states to deal with your problems instead of waiting for the Federal Government to do so,” he said.
The PDP presidential candidate also promised to secure the country when elected, adding that there could be no peace and development without security.
“It is our responsibility and commitment to make sure we secure this country and make you safe wherever you may live,” he added.
Atiku said the APC-led government had disunited the country but pledged to restore the unity of Nigeria.
“The APC Government has disunited Nigeria, north-south, has disunited Nigeria Christian-Muslim, has disunited Nigeria in all respects. It is our commitment to restore the unity of this country,” he said.
He urged the people of Delta State to reject the APC and vote for him and the PDP in the general elections.
According to Atiku, in my entire political career from 1999 till date Delta State has never failed me and I want to tell you that I shall not betray the trust of Delta State and in fact the united Delta sub-region all together.
“That is why as my modest contribution to your support for me over the years, I decided to take one of you (Ifeanyi Okowa) as my running mate.
“As you know, a running mate is always a stepping stone, it is up to you to give Governor Okowa the massive support that he needs to show the people of this country that he has committed to your own future.”
Tinubu Promises to Give Youths Better Nigeria
The presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu, has promised to make Nigeria better for the younger generation.
He also vowed to transform the education sector and ensure that Nigerian students receive sound education and graduate as at when due.
Tinubu spoke in Umuahia the Abia State capital during his presidential rally and governorship campaign flag-off yesterday.
He solicited for the votes of the residents of the state in the forthcoming 2023 presidential and governorship elections.
The APC presidential candidate also called on the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Oga, to stop all court cases against the governorship candidate of the party Ikechi Emenike.
“We are politicians, I’m calling on Uche Oga to come home and let us settle the matter in our living room. There is no need to bring a third party who is neutral to a family we can settle ourselves.
“To you students who are here, I appreciate your efforts today, you will not spend eight years doing a course of four years again.
“I pray that God will give you the encourage to go to the poll on the election day and vote for APC,” he said.
The governorship candidate of the party in Abia State, Emenike, said the party would win the presidential, governorship, national and state Assembly elections.
He reiterated that Abia had suffered underdevelopment and needed to be rescued before it could be developed again.
He promised that the owning of backlog of salaries, pensions and gratuities would be a thing of the past with APC in the state government.
“Hope is on the way, I want our youths to know that unemployment will be a thing of past in the coming year.
“I will be a father of all, we will bring back our straying party men because what is binding us together is greater than what divides us,” he said.
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, called on the party members in the state to work hard to reconcile their differences in order to win the election
The state APC Chairman, Kingsley Ononogbu, also called on the people of the South-East not to repeat the mistake of the past by playing regional politics.
“Tinubu possess the capacity and competence, exposure, experience and the will to turn things around for Nigeria.
“Be rest assured that our votes are you and our governorship candidate.
“Our votes in the South-East is for APC in presidential and governorship elections and then we have the right to demand for fair share of the dividends of democracy,” Ononogbu said.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed plans for a major political coalition involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) to confront what he described as the ‘incompetent and inefficient’ government of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku made the announcement, while addressing a delegation of stakeholders from the Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba, in Abuja. He said he was deeply concerned over the country’s worsening security crisis, blaming the Tinubu administration for its lack of political will to address the issue.Atiku recounted his experience as Vice President during the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency, highlighting how decisive leadership under his administration had temporarily quelled the threat.He stated, “How can leaders remain indifferent while their citizens are being killed? Such apathy is the height of irresponsibility for any political leader, anywhere.“I hold our current leadership accountable for the widespread insecurity plaguing our nation. There is a lack of political will.“Let me remind you of when Boko Haram first emerged in 2002, during our time in office. The president summoned me and asked, ‘Mr Vice President, what should we do about this?’ It began in Yobe. I advised him to call the service chiefs and set a clear deadline: if they couldn’t quell the insurgency, they should resign.“The president summoned the service chiefs, I was present, and issued firm orders. Within weeks, the insurgents in Yobe were subdued, and the threat did not resurface until after we left office.”Atiku also criticized the government’s under-policing strategy, suggesting that unemployed graduates be recruited into the police force to address the security manpower deficit.“We are under-policed. There are not enough police officers in this country, while many educated individuals remain unemployed. Why not recruit them into the police force?” he asked.He emphasized the need for a united front against the current administration, stating, “We are forming a coalition, all major political parties, including the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party, are involved. This is the only way forward to confront such an incompetent and inefficient government. I assure you of my understanding and full support.”Simon Achuba, who led the delegation, echoed Atiku’s concerns, lamenting the rampant violence, kidnappings, and destruction of communities in the North.He accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty to ensure peace and security, urging northern leaders to step up and foster unity within the region.“Unfortunately, the government is doing little to alleviate this crisis, and it is their responsibility, sir. It is the government’s duty to ensure peace and order in our communities.“Yet, in a situation where the government fails to take adequate action, I believe, we believe, that northern leadership must step up,” Achuba said, calling for internal healing and brotherhood among northerners.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that Nigeria was long overdue for a national census, adding that the exercise would assist the country in national planning.Akpabio made the remarks while playing host to members and management of the National Population Commission(NPC) who visited him in his office to update him on the preparation for the next Census for the country.
Akpabio told his guests: “I don’t want to call it a national disgrace but can I say it’s a national embarrassment that even Nigerians who go outside to represent us in different fora do not know the number of Nigerians. ”Sometimes you will go to some places and they will say 250 million Nigerians. At another place, they will say you people are over 270 million. Some African countries think we are over 300 million.”If you go to places where they are holding retreat now, they are now shrinking from 250 million to 220 million. I think it’s time to bring that confusion to an end.”Any country that fails to know its population has already started to fail in its planning. You cannot truly plan for the future if you don’t know the number of mouths you want to feed. You do not know the number of children that you want to put in schools. You can’t know the number of classroom blocks you will build.”We must plan. Any country that does not plan for its future has already accepted failure. We will be failing the future generation of Nigerians if we do not begin to plan for the future and start the planning of this Census. This Census is important so that we know how many people we are planning for.”Akpabio assured members of the NPC that the National Assembly would support the Commission to succeed.”It is very important that we support you. The National Assembly will support you to succeed. I have no doubt, with the calibre of men and women that I have seen here, that the task that Mr President has given to you, once the proclamation is done, you will rise to the occasion. And I know that the National Assembly, the Senate in particular, will stand by you all the way,” he said.Earlier, the NPC chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra who led the delegation said the visit was to keep the Senate President abreast of the stage of preparation and seek continued support of the National Assembly for the next Census.”We cannot conduct this Census without your support. So we will continue to count on your support and we want to make Nigerians proud by conducting a very thorough Census that will yield a lot of data that will assist in planning policy formulation and tracking our development,” Kwarra said.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido has called on President Bola Tinubu to show courage by closing the chapter of June 12 once and for all.According to him, the payment of the N45 billion debt owed to the family of the late presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, would serve as a symbolic and moral closure to the June 12 struggle and Abiola’s unjust treatment following the annulment of the election, widely believed to have been won by the late business mogul.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs made the call while delivering his closing remarks at the launch of his autobiography, “Being True to Myself,” held yesterday in Abuja.“When (General) Murtala (Muhammed) died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed, I think, about N45bn for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telecommunication for the Ministry of Communications. The military high command at that time said no.“He went around the Emirs in the North to lobby, and the Emirs asked that they (the military) should please pay the money. They (the military) said they annulled the June 12 elections because if they made him President, he would take his money, and the country would become bankrupt. Those who were close to Abacha should know this because Abacha was then one of the big shots; they were all aware.”“Before I end my remarks, I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged that Abiola won the election. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed N45 billion. He was doubly punished: first, denied the presidency; second, denied what is owed to him.”Lamido urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who represented President Tinubu at the event, to deliver the message to the President.“Please tell the President to pay the Abiola family the N45 billion. Once this is done, the June 12 chapter will be closed. It is very important,” he stated.
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