POLITICS
Bayelsa APC Kicks as Dickson Appoints 35 New Permanent Secretaries
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The recent appointment of 35 permanent Secretaries by the Governor of Bayelsa
state, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, has generated fury in the camp of the main
opposition -All Progressive Congress(APC) in the state.
According to APC, while it was not averse to such appointments, especially if they were in tandem with civil service rules and regulations, it had w reservations with regards to the timing as the appointments were made less than three months to the expiration of the present administration.
In a press statement issued by the APC secretariat and signed by the Party Secretary, Mr. Alabo Martins, the party said if the outgoing administration was aware of the existence of these vacancies in the top echelon of the public service of the state and that the situation was creating a lull in the service, why were the vacancies left unfilled until the eventide of the administration.
It said the appointments were made in bad taste adding the motive was clearly political.
“We appreciate the fact that until
February 14, 2020, the present administration has the constitutional powers
to hire and fire but this responsibility should be carried
out in the best interest of the state and its people”
.
“We must say that the present scenario is just for the satisfaction of
some political interests and therefore, falls far short of the wider interests
of the state. Instead of completing the lingering 8years old
uncompleted projects.an administration that went all
out sacking, retiring and refusing to promote civil servants in order to
decrease its wage bill to the detriment of civil servant have suddenly found
vacancies to employ and appoint civil servants,” the statement said.
.
“We, therefore, advise the state government to do the right thing for the
sake of posterity. Because we as a party will review the eligibility of the
clandestine employments and appointments in the civil service to over
bloat the wage bill to incapacitate the incoming Government
“The party. also warned Banks and financial institutions to refrain from given out loans to the out going adding, Government and any Bank doing was at it’s own risk.
POLITICS
Nigeria not Ripe for Diaspora Voting – NBA Official
Mr Auta Nyada, the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Legal Education Committee, says Nigeria is not ripe enough for Diaspora voting.
Nyada said this at the Multi-stakeholders’ Forum on Youth Electoral Reform Priorities on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that although the idea of Diaspora voting had been raised by many groups in recent times, the electoral system was not matured enough to accommodate it.
Nyada advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to concentrate on addressing the loopholes observed in the 2023 general election and the other off-cycle elections rather than delve into Diaspora voting.
“Diaspora voting is actually a good idea, but for me, I don’t think that Nigeria has reached the stage for Diaspora voting, introducing Diaspora voting will require a lot to be successful.
“Nigeria is still struggling with the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and people are talking about Diaspora voting.
“We are witnesses to the malfunctioning of the BVAS in the 2023 general election, I think we should work toward rectifying the problem, instead of talking about Diaspora voting, ” he said.
Nyada said that Nigeria must put in a watertight technology before thinking about Diaspora voting.
“So many foreigners are getting the National Identification Number (NIN) in spite of the stringent regulations by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
“If you introduce Diaspora voting today in Nigeria, all black people in the world could decide to vote as Nigerians.
“We don’t have a watertight security system to identify genuine Nigerians from others, I think Diaspora voting is for future and not now, ” he said.
Nyada also called for the amendment of the Electoral Act to ensure that all election matters were terminated before elected officials were sworn in.
“You can’t expect me to have a control over the state power apparatus and still expect me to lose an election case in court, it is really impossible, ” he said. (NAN)
POLITICS
PDP NWC passes Vote of Confidence on Damagum
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has passed a Vote of Confidence on the party’s Acting National Chairman, Mr Umar Damagum.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the vote of confidence was passed at the NWC’s 584th meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ologunagba said the decision was based on Damagum’s efforts aimed at repositioning the PDP as the main opposition party in Nigeria.
The National Executive Council meeting of the party had be slated for Thursday to either affirm Damagum as the Chairman or appoint a replacement.
Damagum was appointed as the Acting Chairman following the suspension of the former chairman,
Chief Iyorcha Ayu in 2023.
POLITICS
We Shall Return to Aso Villa in 2027 – PDP Reps Caucus Says
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Represebtatives says it must regain the presidency it lost in 2015, as the seat of power had “become our party’s birth right”.
Rep. Chinda Kingsley, the leader of the minority caucus in the House, said this while briefing newsmen after the third meeting of PDP lawmakers in Abuja, on Tuesday.
“We are going back, as we resume the session to commence a strong, virile and purpose-driven opposition to give the people a voice in the parliament,” the Caucus said.
The lawmakers issued a three-months ultimatum to the Federal Government to normalise the security situation in the country.
According to him, government must immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalised.
“We x-rayed the security situation in our country and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigeria is today almost tagged as ‘one life, one minute silence’.
“After three-months, the caucus will take further steps to sensitise and mobilise Nigerians to take their security into their hands,” the legislators said.
He said the caucus also agreed to call on all party caucuses, the board of trustees, national executive committee and the national working committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures.
This, according to him, is with the view to resolve all litigations that are pending and have hindered the party’s quest for a substantive national Chairman.
He called on leaders of the PDP to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is placed where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa.
He said that PDP members in the House of Reps were united, indivisible, committed and out to perform their duty as the watchdog on behalf of the Nigerian people.(NAN)