POLITICS
Enugu APC Leaders Visit Adamu, Seek Resolution of Crisis Before Elections
By Jude Opara, Abuja
In a frantic bid to save the party, leaders of f the Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, a visited the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Abdulahi Adamu at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.
The delegation led by a former Senate President, Sen.
Ken Nnamani submitted a petition and also requested that the Sen. Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) waded into the contestations in the State chapter ahead of the 2023 general elections.Signatories to the petition include former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; former Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime; General JOJ Okoloagu; Sen.
Ayogu Eze; Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu; Barr. Eugene Odo; Barr. Eugene Odo; Barr. Ifeanyi Nwoga; Chief Onyemuche Nnamani and Director-General, Voice of Nigeria.Sen. Nnamani said the delegation was submitting the petition as elders of the Party in the state to notify the Party’s National Chairman and the NWC on developments in the party in Enugu State, which required urgent intervention.
In his reaction, the APC National Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu promised that the NWC will study the petition and invite relevant party stakeholders in the state to chart a way forward.
Adamu further assured the delegation that all contentious issues will be resolved and that the ruling party would be better positioned in Enugu State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He said, “I assure you that because of the respect I and the National Working Committee have for you, we are going to take a look at the petition. We will invite those necessary among the leadership of our party in the state so that we see the best way forward. In the course of trying to solve existing problems, we should avoid creating new problems. That is very important. The election is by the corner, we don’t want to open the Pandora’s box to the extent that we have more problems and then cannot address the problems before the elections. Whatever we do, we are going to do with utmost care.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the party in the state, Barr. Ugo Agballah in a swift reaction said the claim by some party faithful that the APC in Enugu is in crisis is unfounded.
Agballah said prior to his assumption of office and nomination of Chief Uche Nnaji as governorship candidate, nobody has ever visited or contributed anything in any of the wards in the state, wondering where the said crisis is emanating from.
“First from the day the convention ended I and the APC governorship candidate for Enugu State, Chief Uche Nnaji have been on tour of the 260 wards in Enugu State. We have not wasted one day.
“Prior to Uche Nnaji’s nomination, nobody has ever given a dime to any ward. None of these eminent personalities have ever contributed one dime to the party at the State, local ward, zonal or national level. None of them have been seen in their wards.
“Chief Nnaji have been sponsoring ward, LGA and State meetings since he indicated interest to run as governorship candidate.
“The truth is that we the State Executive asked all leaders and stakeholders to relocate from Abuja and go and strengthen their wards and none agreed. They want me to be holding meetings with them in Abuja, unfortunately I have relocated to the wards and have visited almost 180 wards as of today. As of this minute am sending my report from Olo ward in Ezeagu LGA.
“These eminent personalities are all APC in Abuja and PDP in Enugu no wonder none of them have never publicly condemned the bad performing Ebeano cabal that has ruled Enugu for 23 years. Let them show or refer the press to a media report where they have ever done so”.
He further claimed that the eminent personalities and public office holders are mostly unknown in their various wards and do not participate in any APC activity in their various wards, adding that it was the reason none of them won their respective polling booths in 2015 and 2019.
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.
POLITICS
2025 Budget: Consequences Will be Devastating, says CUPP
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Wednesday said the consequences of the 2025 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu will be “far-reaching and devastating.”
According to the CUPP, the budget proposal is a stark reminder of the country’s persistent fiscal woes.
President Tinubu Tuesday presented a national budget of N47.
96 trillion for 2025 to the joint session of lawmakers in the National Assembly.He said the budget which was put together based on economic realities and would trigger the prosperity of Nigerians in 2025 if implemented to the latter, adding that it would restore and consolidate key polices of government.
Tinubu said Nigerians have shown resilience in 2024 economic challenges, hence, he believed that the 2025 budget would leverage that so that the fabric of the nation can be built further in 2025.
However, in a statement signed by High Chief Peter Ameh, the Publicity Secretary of CUPP, said a cursory examination of the line items reveals a familiar pattern which includes, debt servicing continues to take a substantial chunk of the budget, while allocations for critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure remain woefully inadequate.
“This phenomenon is not new; rather, it is a recurring tale that has plagued Nigeria’s budgeting process for years,” the statement added.
“The implications of this trend are far-reaching and devastating. As debt servicing continues to drain the country’s resources, poverty levels have skyrocketed, and economic growth has stagnated.
“The human cost of this mismanagement is evident in the lack of access to basic necessities such as healthcare, education, and clean water.
“The failure to address these pressing needs has led to widespread disillusionment and frustration among Nigerians.
“The President’s budget proposal for 2025 presents an opportunity for a paradigm shift. By prioritizing investments in critical sectors, the government can create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and reduce poverty. However, this requires a fundamental transformation of the budgeting process, one that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
“To break the cycle of annual rituals, the government must adopt a more proactive and responsive approach to budgeting. This includes involving civil society, the private sector, and citizens in the budgeting process to ensure that allocations reflect the country’s pressing needs.
“Performance-based budgeting, where funds are allocated based on performance indicators and project outcomes, can also help to ensure that resources are utilized efficiently.
“Furthermore, the government must address the issue of debt servicing, which continues to drain the country’s resources. Debt restructuring, revenue enhancement, and budget realignment are potential strategies that can help to alleviate this burden.
“The 2025 budget proposal presents a critical juncture for Nigeria. Will the government continue down the path of debt servicing and neglect, or will it seize the opportunity to transform the budgeting process and prioritize the needs of its citizens?
“The choice is clear, and the consequences of inaction will be dire. It is time for a new approach, one that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and the well-being of all Nigerians.”