Connect with us

POLITICS

External Forces Plotting to Destabilize APC in Taraba – Chieftain

Published

on

Share

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba, Mr Ezekiel Afukonyo has alleged that some external forces are trying to destabilize the party in the state to scuttle its plan to take over power from the PDP in 2023.Afukonyo who is the board Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Awka and a four time governorship aspirant in the state, stated this at a press conference in Wukari on Thursday.

He explained that the battle for the soul of APC in the state has become more intense because the party is now the only hope for the future of Taraba.
He accused a serving Senator from the state for infiltrating some APC members and trying to use them to take over the party structure the recent ward congresses.
“In the APC, it is true that we have personal interests but we are not allowing that to becloud our sense of purpose.“In the southern Taraba here, for instance, Chief David Kente and I are the major aspirants for the governorship ticket, but we didn’t allow that to distract us from uniting our people to tackle some external forces who wanted to come through the window and hijack the party structure at the last ward congresses.“As a state, there were disagreements from several quarters but as Chairman of the reconciliation committee, we were able to address these differences quickly and proceeded with the congresses amicably.“We know that there are so many people out there who want to join the party.“The APC is big enough to accommodate everyone but people must go through the right process be become members. “Staying in another political party and scheming to take over the structure you have not contributed in building would be vehemently resisted”, he said.He urged youths in the state “to get constructively engaged in politics rather than allowing themselves to be used as thugs and be dumped after elections.He said that their value after the election can only be determined by their innovative and civilized contributions towards the victory of the party.“They should not allow themselves to be used for mundane service as agents of chaos, confusion and destabilization”, he said.In a separate interview, Alhaji  Adamu Sanusi, an APC stalwart from Wukari, told journalists that it was unfortunate that preparatory to his possible decamping to APC, loyalists of a Taraba Senator within the APC were battling hard to take over structure of the party in the Southern zone, but stakeholders from the zone, particularly Chief David Sabo-Kente, resisted it. The Congress held across the 168 wards of Taraba was characterized by power flexing among  critical stakeholders of the party who battled hard to reach a compromise on how the ward leaders of the APC emerged.Meanwhile, Sen. Yusuf Abubakar took control of the Central Zone, Sabo-Kente  and other stakeholders  in the Southern Zone.Two former acting governors, Alhaji Sani Danladi and Alhaji Garba Umar took control of the party in the Northern Zone through consensus agreement by majority of the stakeholders.  (NAN)

POLITICS

Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana

Published

on

Missing N500bn: Probe CBN, Falana, Others Tell PMB
Share

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.”

Continue Reading

POLITICS

2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others

Published

on

Share

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)

Continue Reading

POLITICS

Atiku hails Ndimi’s Oriental Energy on commissioning of first FPSO 

Published

on

Share

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.

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

Economy33 minutes ago

Stockbrokers Propose Strategies to Grow $1trn Economy

ShareNigerian Stockbrokers have proposed strategies by which the Federal Government can deepen the capital market to achieve its proposed one...

NEWS36 minutes ago

Police Apprehend Suspect over Alleged Human Trafficking in C’ River 

ShareThe Police Command in Cross River has apprehended one Victor Eyop, 35, for alleged trafficking of girls from Nigeria to...

Court Sentences Applicant to 6 Months in Prison for Stealing Cell Phone Court Sentences Applicant to 6 Months in Prison for Stealing Cell Phone
JUDICIARY39 minutes ago

Court Remands Suspects Linked to Bello Turji in Kuje Correctional Centre

Share A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the remand of four suspected terrorists linked to notorious bandit...

JUDICIARY43 minutes ago

Man Sentenced to Death with Reprieve for Driving car Into Crowd

Share A man who drove a car into a crowd in Changde City, central China’s Hunan Province, was sentenced to death...

NEWS46 minutes ago

Adhering to Fiscal Discipline will Check Inflation- Economists

Share An economist, Prof. Bright Eregha, has urged the federal and state governments to adhere to fiscal discipline and support...

NEWS7 hours ago

Abuja Stampede: CAN Mourns

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The National Leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the weekend, said it is...

NEWS7 hours ago

Benue unveils Zeva Premium Lager Beer

Share The Benue Government on Sunday unveiled a new beverage, Zeva Premium Lager Beer, produced by Benue Investment and Property...

NEWS7 hours ago

NAFDAC, Manufacturers Collaborate to Strengthen Food Safety Culture in Nigeria

Share The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has partnered with the Association of Food, Beverages,...

NEWS7 hours ago

CHAN: Nigeria, Ghana Clash Ends in Goalless Draw

ShareThe Nigeria, Ghana final qualifying fixture in the race to next year’s African Nations Championship ends a goalless draw in...

NEWS7 hours ago

FG Lifts Ban on Mining to Boost Zamfara IGR – Minister

Share Alhaji Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence, says President Bola Tinubu has lifted the ban on mining in...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc