POLITICS
Kwankwaso Launches New Political Group, Attracts Galadima, Dalung
By Jude Opara, Abuja
Former governor of Kano state, Engineer Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso yesterday said he was on a mission to ensure that Nigeria will once more become great again and a society of justice, freedom and equal opportunities where all citizens shall aspire to achieve their lifetime goals and ambitions, to live in peace, prosperity, and happiness.
Kwankwaso who spoke in Abuja during the official launch of his political tendency: The National Movement (TNM), said Nigerians should as a people utilize their rich and diverse cultures as a unique and rare foundation of strength and rebuild a nation where no person is oppressed.
The TNM, a political group convened by the former Minister of Defence was set up for Nigerians to have a platform that will afford them the opportunity to choose their leaders carefully in the 2023 general elections.
He further assured that the TNM was established for all Nigerians irrespective of their diverse backgrounds, tribe or religious inclinations.
“We in The National Movement see our human and cultural diversity not as a curse, but as an asset and blessing which we must put to good use. The core values that define the Movement shall include: Trust, Leadership, Responsibility, Equity, Competence, Trustworthiness, Commitment, Transparency, Equality, Patriotism, and Justice; Furthermore, the Movement shall: Uphold the sanctity and dignity of human life; Uphold the fundamentals of freedom and human rights; Restore the glory and prestige of Nigeria and Nigerians in the eyes of the world and consolidate Nigeria’s strategic alliances with our global friends and partners; Redeem the image and credibility of Nigeria as a major actor and a major factor in the international system.”
Kwankwaso who was full of emotions about the state of the nation said he was aware that most of the people who venture into politics in Nigeria only do so with what they intend to gain and not for the interest of the entire nation. He added that such people were only caring about who wins the next election, saying that they often resort to blame games.
“A great number of those whose primary interest was about elections were content with sitting down accusing others of failure, passing the buck and engaging in blame games. But for those of us who met and reviewed the state of the nation in the summer of last year, we had a different view.
“For us, we see ourselves not just as politicians, even though we are. Rather, we saw ourselves as leaders; we saw ourselves as patriots; we saw ourselves as nationalists; we saw ourselves as democrats; and we saw ourselves as major actors and factors in the evolution and future of Nigeria. We were therefore convinced that there must be a Nigeria first before politics and democracy can be nurtured and there must be Nigerian people alive and living largely harmoniously with each other before elections can take place. While most of us would want to contest and win elections, we resolved that we must do everything possible within our abilities”.
The former Senator also said the various agitations across the country for structural changes, saying that for the nation to move forward, the yearnings and aspirations of the people must be met.
“We in the TNM are also acutely aware of the agitations of many sections of our beloved country for restructuring and re-alignment and resource control. We believe that the voice of the people is sacred; the voice of all our people, together, is the voice of God. Therefore, restructuring the corporate units of our great country is possible and doable. As avowed democrats we are ready and prepared to act in concert with the wishes and desires comprehensively of all our people. We will embark of massive, comprehensive, and unprecedented reform of our national life in order to improve the living conditions of all our people”.
On the raging spate of insecurity, the former Minister said; “At this juncture, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, members of the diplomatic corps, TNM wishes to call upon all countries of the world, especially our neighboring countries in the sub-region, to partner with Nigeria to defeat the raging terrorism and banditry in our sub-continent. No economic and social development is possible without the requisite atmosphere of peace and security. We hereby call upon all countries that love Nigeria and its people to join us in saving democracy and rescuing Nigeria from our current quagmire”.
Other speakers who spoke at occasion include former political ally of President Muhammmadu Buhari, Buba Galadima and former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung who also took turns to lampoon the present administration over the poor state of the economy.
The Abia Chapter of the INEC Staff Welfare Association (ISWA) has warned its members to uphold the integrity of the commission and guard against the culture of manipulating election results.
The Abia Chairman of the association, Mr Collins Eze, gave the advice at the group’s general meeting and end-of-year party in Umuahia.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the ceremony, Eze said that the staff members were adequately aware of their enormous responsibility and should ensure free, fair and credible elections.
He said: “We have also told our colleagues that anywhere they find themselves they should make sure that they do the needful by ensuring transparency in the conduct of elections.
“We have always told them not to allow anybody to induce them with money to manipulate election results.
“I’m happy that they have been building the capacity of our colleagues on election processes.
“So, in the coming years, we won’t have any problem in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.”
He said that the end-of-year party was special as it afforded them the opportunity “to wine and dine together as well as thank God for sustaining them in 2024”.
Eze said that his leadership had introduced various means of assisting members in dire financial needs by providing platforms to solicit suppory for them.
He expressed gratitude to members for their support and cooperation, describing them as the “secret behind the success of this administration”.
He said that 34 of at least 350 staff members of the commission in the state retired from service in 2024.
According to him, the development has placed a huge financial burden on the association, in terms of their welfare and entitlement as members.
Report says that each member received a carton of tomato paste as Christmas gift from the association. (NAN)
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be thankful to God that its 16-year administration was not probed by the successive APC-led governments.Okechukwu stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, while reacting to a statement by PDP congratulating Ghanaians for the conduct of free, fair and transparent general elections.
Report says that PDP had, in a statement, said that the verdict of the people of Ghana in the presidential election was a signal to the APC that its days were numbered. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had said in the statement that the power of the people in Nigeria, just like in Ghana, would ‘surely prevail and end the APC’s oppressive rule’.This, he said, would “return Nigeria to the path of good governance, security, political stability and economic prosperity on the platform of the PDP in 2027.”However, in his reactions to Ologunagba’s statement, Okechukwu said that the PDP clan should thank God that former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, out of sheer statesmanship, had refused to probe ‘the 16 locus years of PDP administrations’.Okechukwu, a former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), described the 16 years of PDP administrations as ones full of squandering and lack of plan.He said that Nigeria had yet to recover from the humongous culture of impunity and trust deficit planted by PDP on the Nigerian soil.Okechukwu said corruption was among the culture of impunity, saying it governed the privatisation of Nigeria’s electricity value chain, a key element in the country’s industrialisation drive.“Another is the blatant rigging of the 2007 general elections which the foremost beneficiary, President Umaru Yar’Adua, out of good conscience and noble magnanimity, publicly acknowledged the malfeasance which characterised his victory,” he said.Okechukwu also mentioned what he called conscienceless sale of the legislative and ministerial quarters, the annual rentage of which, he said, was bleeding the country’s treasury.“Another one is the neglect of $23 billion Greenfield Refinery, which could have saved over $70 billion expended on importation of refined petroleum products and which simulated the economic hardship of today,” he said.On why, for nine years, the APC administration could not fix those challenges, he recalled the efforts made by the Buhari administration to reopen talks on the Greenfield Refinery which, according to him, the Chinese regrettably rebuffed.The former VON director-general said that Nigerians were not in a hurry to forget the deliberate breach of the rotational convention of president from the north to the south.He said that the country could not also forget the utter disregard for Section 7 of the PDP’s constitution which expressly mandated zoning.Okechukwu advised the PDP not to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians by assuming that citizens would easily forget how they were put in the harms way.He said that PDP should thank God that Buhari and Tinubu did not want to probe them, adding “that’s why Nigerians cannot decipher the difference between the two political parties.” (NAN)
Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta) says that Local Government Administration is central to democracy in Nigeria as it ensures grassroots governance and service delivery at the local level.This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Michael Nwoko, the Chief of Staff to the lawmaker in Abuja on Monday.Nwoko said this on the occasion of the presentation of an award “Icon of Hope” to him by the Association of Local Government Vice Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGOVC).
He was represented by his Chief of Staff. He said that the importance of local government administration in the country could not be overemphasised, as it was the bedrock of democracy.According to him, local governments in Nigeria play key roles in the country’s democracy by promoting participatory democracy, providing services, and representing citizens.“Local Governments help determine local needs and how to meet them. They also act as a link between the centre, state, and local people.“They are created to decentralise power and bring the government closer to the people. They perform both mandatory and concurrent functions.“It is in view of this that I took it upon myself to enhance the viability of local governments through the Paris and London club loan refunds,”he said.Dr Folashade Olabanji-Oba, ALGOVC National Chairman, while presenting the award at its 7th Annual National Conference, said the award was in recognition of the lawmaker’s significant contributions to strengthening local government administration.She highlighted Nwoko’s critical role in ensuring the Paris and London Club loan refunds, a financial breakthrough she said enhanced the capacity of local governments nationwide.(NAN)
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