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Impeachment: Achuba Petitions Buhari, Heads to Court

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The impeached Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr Simon Achuba, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the political crisis currently rocking the state to prevent breakdown of law and order.

This is just as the embattled former Deputy Governor has said he would challenge his impeachment in Court.

Achuba spoke at press conference in Lokoja on Sunday, shortly after packing out of his official residence.

He said the president’s elderly intervention would save the state and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from an impending danger.

Achuba described his impeachment by the state House of Assembly as an act of extreme lawlessness, saying that he had instructed his lawyers to commence a judicial process to reclaim his seat.

He accused the executive and the legislative arms of government of treating him like a common criminal by calling policemen to barricade the entrance to his house.

The impeached deputy governor said that electricity supply to his official residence was also disconnected and power generator disabled to force him out few hours after his purported impeachment.

He insisted that swearing in anyone else as deputy governor amounted to illegality and a breach of the constitution.

“My purported impeachment last Friday by the state House of Assembly was unconstitutional and an illegality that will not stand the test of judiciary,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has accused members of the panel that investigated the allegations levelled against the former deputy governor of compromising the assignment given to them.

The Assembly’s Majority Leader, Hon. Hassan Abdulahi, made the accusation in a statement he issued on Sunday in Lokoja.

Based on the rules of procedure given to members of the panel, Bello said that their assignment was a fact-finding one, which did not require them to give any resolution.

“The panel submitted its report to us, and based on the report, we gave our verdict.

“The rule of procedure says that the panel was a fact finding one and as such, they were not to give judgment. This was in the rule of procedure which they accepted.

“They are not supposed to give any verdict in this circumstance. The decision of whether the deputy governor is guilty or not guilty is that of the House.

“If you look at Section 188(11), it says that the House of Assembly is the only authority which determines what gross misconduct is. It is not for the panel to determine,” the lawmaker explained.

He also expressed displeasure with the reports of the panel being put in public domain.

“How come that few minutes later, the whole reports were on social media, even before the deliberation of the House on the same report? Again, I should let you know that even the report that is in the public domain was not signed.

“In the rule of procedure, it was written boldly that the panel shall not give the report of its investigation to anybody except to the Assembly.

“We question the rationale behind the statement credited to the panel Chairman, Mr John Baiyeshea, on the issue and wonder what his interest is.

“So, if the panel has gone ahead to release the report to anybody, that means it has compromised.

“It is a known fact that the impeached deputy governor was on some national television stations, discussing issues that should be classified information about the state government, thus acting against the oath of secrecy he swore to uphold.

“Does that not amount to a gross misconduct?” he queried.

The majority leader claimed that Achuba confirmed before the panel that he did appear on those stations.

“Aside that, he (Achuba) also affirmed through an affidavit that he did commit the offence as alleged, and besides, the reports he submitted came in three parts. Then, how come the version on the social media is only parts I and II.

“In a nutshell, his actions already have negated the oath of secrecy. Is that not gross misconduct? Achuba also lied that he was not paid his salary when the schedules of payment showed clearly that he was paid.

“These and many more showed that he has negated his functions as deputy governor,” Bello said. (NAN)

POLITICS

I Didn’t Call for Ganduje’s Resignation – Alia

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From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue has denied calling for the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor has called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.

The Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji.
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the National party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories.” Kula said.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benue State said it has withdrawn the only case filed by the embattled state chairman of the party, comrade Austin Agada that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
It said the said case has been consequently struck out by Justice T.A. Kume.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Daniel Ihomun,  said this was done in compliance with the directive of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its 146th meeting held on the 20th March, 2024, wherein resolutions targeting peace were made directing all pending cases filed by members of the party in Benue State against the party or concerning the party and its members be withdrawn within 7 days.
Mr. Ihomun in a statement, made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said the State Legal Adviser of the APC, Alyebo Mathew Esq, at the instance of the state chairman, filed a Notice of Withdrawal on the 25th March, 2024, in the only case filed by the chairman that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
The party urged all members affected by the directive to withdraw all matters in court to clear the way for proper reconciliation that will ultimately pave the way for peace in the party.

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Mutfwang Meets PDP North Central Leadership Calls for Unity among Officials

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has called for unity a purpose among officials of the North Central geopolitical political zone towards the growth of the party in the region.
He noted that the region has consistently remained a stronghold for the PDP since its inception, attributing it to the party’s ideologies and its developmental impact on the citizens at any given opportunity.


Governor Mutfwang made the commendation during a meeting on Wednesday with PDP officials from the North Central, led by the zonal National Vice Chairman, Hon.
Theophilus Dakas Shan, at Plateau House in Abuja the nation’s capital.

While applauding the dedication, patriotism, and steadfast support of the PDP officials in the region for their role in promoting unity and internal democracy in the party reiterated that such dedication will not be forgotten by the party.
Governor Mutfwang through his Director of Press and Public Affairs expressed his gratitude to the zonal officials for their commitment during the 2023 general elections, an effort he said aligned with the party’s principles.
He reiterated that the party’s mission is to govern not for personal gain but for the people’s liberation, voicing his expectation that the PDP will continue to be the people’s party, deserving of significant involvement in its administration.
As the opposition party, the Governor emphasized the need to strive for the governance Nigerians aspire to, stating, “We must offer constructive criticism to the government and ensure the Nigerian people are not shortchanged.”
The Governor announced plans to reform the party into a robust, dependable, and credible political platform that enables Nigerians to run for elections and fulfill the promise of democracy.
The National Vice Chairman of the PDP North Central Zone, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, congratulated Governor Mutfwang on his election and Supreme Court victories.
He pledged full support to his administration, noting that the Governor’s unique position as the sole PDP-elected Governor from the zone will not be taken for granted.
He acknowledged the North Central’s role in electing the National Chairman of the PDP by consensus before the 2023 elections. However, recent political events in Benue State, has set aside the Chairman from office adding that the zone needs to address the matter as a family.
Hon. Shan said plans are underway to hold congresses of the Party and called for unity to ensure that the process is reliable, credible, and universally accepted, thereby minimizing potential litigation.

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FG Seeks Swedish Govt Support on Technical Education

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By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Federal Government is seeking the support of the Swedish Government to help drive its ongoing efforts of integrating technology and skills into the education sector.The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman who made the appeal while hosting the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englung, on a working visit to the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was important to leverage Sweden’s technical expertise.

The Minister also said the Federal government is seeking the support of the Swedish government in the development of indigenous languages to aid sound educational development in Nigeria.
He said: “The presence of (Swedish) tech companies in education and training is very important for us because one of the major things this ministry is focusing on now is to bring technology and skills into our education system right from the very early stage of education and we feel it is a very important mechanism tool for learning and teaching.
”And so we will be looking at your experiences to see how we can grow from that because what we want is right from primary school we want our students to be exposed to technology and skills so that at that stage they can grow with it and nurture critical thinking capabilities.“Right now education is not all about just providing training for jobs and skills of today, but preparing them to think about the skills of tomorrow and the best way to do that is by nurturing critical thinking capability right at the early stage.“So we will be leveraging your expertise and experience in order for us to develop our plans and integrate skills and technology into the curriculum at all the levels of our education system in Nigeria.”Mamman who noted that some agreements had been signed between Nigeria and Sweden in the past, however, stressed the need for both countries to deepen bilateral relationships by committing to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in several areas of partnerships.The Swedish envoy had earlier named some Swedish firms in Nigeria engaged in educational and entrepreneurship programmes.Hahn – Englung who expressed Sweden’s readiness to deepen existing relationships, especially in the area of education, noted Sweden’s desire to have more students study in the country’s institutions of higher learning.“We have quite a number of companies especially when it comes to EdTech but then also, we have ideas to see what we can do more together.“We have many Nigerian students going to Sweden every year. They are very competitive students we have noticed but we will like to see that expand more.”

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