POLITICS
Mona Audu Warns APC Against Giving Party’s Ticket to Gov.Yahaya Bello
A leading aspirant for the November 16 Kogi governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress[ APC], Prince Mona Mustapha Audu has warned that his party stands the risk of losing the state in the coming election if it should, for any reason, field the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for the polls.
Mona, whose father late Prince Abubakar Audu had governed Kogi state and was on the verge of being declared winner of the 2015 governorship election for which Bello profited from his death as a result of highly political and judicial decisions , said in an interview that if the APC should field Governor Bello, “either accidentally ,or by miracle or by whatever means, the APC would lose Kogi state.
”Prince Mona added:”Bello is an epitome of bad leadership, and his governorship is at variance with what APC stands for. Under the present leadership, workers have been owned salaries for 40 months; poor health delivery, infrasctural decay, and suicide among our people, the highest ever recorded in the history of the state have become the order in the state.”
Prince Mona, the sixth child of the former governor of Kogi state, and his fifth male child promised to reverse the trend and deliver the state to APC with good governance if he is given the mandate to govern the state. Apart from this, he said:” the only way the APC can win in Kogi state is if I am the flag bearer .Kogi state has an unfulfilled destiny and social contract between the APC and the people which is also unfulfilled. When I become the flag bearer, and the governor , these promises would be fulfiiled.”
The 2005 graduate of Software Engineering from Glasgow University, Scotland said although his late father “distinguished himself as the greatest ever politician and leader in Kogi” ,he too has made his mark in various fields, and would bring to bear what he learnt from his father to the table of administration of the Confluence State.
According to the governorship aspirant: “I have distinguished myself among my peers since my father’s time as the governor of the state; I leant a lot from his political tutelage for about 15 years. He built a great foundation for me and not to take advantage of what he did for me will be negative. If he [Prince Abubakar Audu] was the greatest leader ever in Kogi state then it means I, his son, would have elements of his greatness. However, we are working tirelessly to achieve our goal, knowing that it would not be easy.” He said over the years, he has also worked tirelessly to make the required marks in real estate, agriculture, mining, sports and other spheres.
He said he is throwing his cap in the ring because of the fate of youths in the state and the country as a whole which may be in jeopardy because of the poor governance of the present leader in Kogi.
According to Prince Mona:”If we don’t get it right with the youths in Kogi state, no Nigerian youth can ever aspire for leadership position in this country because they will use Kogi state as the reference point for his failure. That is why we are coming in to rescue the state …A lot rests on our shoulder and the APC is aware.”
POLITICS
I Didn’t Abandon Mandate – LP Candidate
From Marcel Duru, Owerri
The Labour Party Candidate in the 2023 general elections for Mbaitoli-Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Uche Ogbuagu, has appreciated the party faithful in the area for their massive support for him, in last year’s general elections.Speaking during a special well attended Thank You Parley at his Akabo Ikeduru Country Home, the political Leader poured out his heartfelt appreciation to his supporters, who fought tooth and nail to ensure his electoral victory at the polls.
He explained that he did not abandon the mandate which the people freely gave to him but blamed the outcome on a few bad compromised elements who were bent on subverting the will of God and the people, maintaining that he has left Vengeance to the Almighty.According to Ogbuagu Uche Ogbuagu, he followed the right path as enshrined in the relevant laws of the land as he approached the court, the arbitrator and last Hope of the citizenry *from the tribunal to the Appellate Court.He assured his numerous supporters to keep faith alive as God still rules in the affairs of men and his faith in Christ Jesus remains unfazed.In the same vein he thanked God Almighty and the people of Mbaike, including the women and many others who accompanied him while he campaigned across the length and breadth of Mbaike.Many leaders of the party from the State, and across Mbaike which included His campaign Council Director General, Hon. Chris Egesimba, State Deputy woman leader, Chief Innocent Anukam the Chairman in Ikeduru, Chief Ifeanyi Aguocha, the Party Chairman in Mbaitoli, the Labour Party Candidate for Ikeduru State Constituency Hon. Engr Chuks Anaele and many other leaders,party executives from State,LGA and Wards,other stakeholders from all spheres attended the special event.Highlights of the events include the Observation of one minute silence in honour of departed LP Heroes in Mbaike and Exceptional Word Of Exhortation by Apostle Chiemela Rowland, which he titled ” Allow God to Avenge.”POLITICS
Deliberate Litigations Stall Efforts to Resolve PDP’s Leadership Challenges – BoT
By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja
The Board of Trustee (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the solutions to the leadership problems confronting the PDP are contained in its Constitution but are being stalled by deliberate litigations.Sen. Adolphus Wabara, the Chairman of the BoT, who stated this at the board’s 77th meeting yesterday, however, said the PDP needs to resolve the challenges in the best interest of the party and its members.
”It is incumbent upon us to resolve this matter with utmost urgency, guided by transparency, fairness, and the best interests of our party and its members,” Wabara said. He added, “Recalling the events that led to the ousting of the former Chairman of the Party in person of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the current Acting Chairman has spent over a year in office whereas as the usual practice of the party, the region from whence the national officer hails from should have produced a viable candidate to complete the tenure of the former national officer.”Furthermore, the contentious issue surrounding the office of the National Secretary has regrettably sown seeds of discord within our party. The ambiguity surrounding this position has led to confusion and internal strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our noble objectives.”The solutions to these two challenges are clearly imbibed in our party’s constitution but deliberate litigations have made the application of these constitutional solutions impossible.”He said the BoT as leaders feel the pulse of Nigerians and particularly members of the party in their demand and quest for direction at this critical time in the life of the PDP and the nation.”Nigerians are currently passing through a perilous time and their earnest expectation is for us as a party to put our house in order and effectively lead the charge to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the All-Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.He, therefore, said that the impending expiration of the Ward and Local Government Area executive structures of the PDP presented the party with the opportunity to reinvigorate and reposition for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”The forthcoming congresses at various levels serve as a beacon of hope, offering us a platform to reaffirm our commitment to democratic ideals, grassroots participation, and inclusive governance. Let us seize this moment to embrace change, foster unity, and chart a course towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our party and our nation,” he said.In his remarks during the meeting, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Iliya Damagum, said that in spite of the challenges confronting the party, it has been going about its activities, adding that consultations were ongoing to resolve them.Among members of the BoT in attendance at the meeting are Governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Mohammed, former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi and Secretary of the BoT, former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abbah Moro.Others former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Sen. Ben Obi, former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, Josephine Anenih, Sen. Biodun Olujimi, Sen. Osita Ngwu and former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan.POLITICS
Reps Cautions against Sabotage over Disillusionment in Nigeria’s Nuclear Centres
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
The House of Representatives said it is working on plans to ensure financial autonomy for managers of nuclear energy centres in the country.Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene called on personnel and nuclear scientists managing Nigeria’s nuclear research centres to make efforts to avoid any act of sabotage that could lead to adverse incidents that would jeopardize the security of the nation.
He assured them that the parliament is working towards ensuring that the Budget Office of the Federation “grant the two Centres of Excellence Financial Autonomy, by providing them with separate budget lines for Effective and Efficient discharge of their mandate. ”Ogene made this appeal on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Abuja, when representatives of the two Centres met with the Committee on Renewable Energy, at the National Assembly, in continuation of the investigation into why the hazard and high-risk allowances, which was approved for the scientists in the two centres were withheld by the Budget Office, but ironically, allegedly, paid to civil servants in the employ of Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Abuja.The two Centres in question are the Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Centre for Energy Research and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife.While the Centre in Zaria, Kaduna state, hosts the nation’s only nuclear reactor, the Centre in Ile-Ife hosts nuclear Tandem Accelerator in addition to nuclear waste and other dreaded sources of radiation that must be handled with care.The management of the two high-risk centres had raised concerns over the impact of the non-payment of the deserved allowances to the morale of scientists at the two centres, who faced daily risks in managing the nation’s nuclear facilities, through a complaint letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abass Tajudeen, in January, 2024.They also raised concerns over the danger of a possible sabotage or avoidable nuclear accident as a result of the disillusionment of staff at the two centres over poor working conditions and lack of institutional support for their programmes.The Speaker subsequently directed the Committee on Renewable Energy to look into the challenges raised by the Centres.The representative of the Centres, Prof. Ganiyu I. Balogun, Prof. J.F.K Akinbami, Dr. Bashir M. Umar and Dr. M.B Katif, who spoke in turns, explained the challenges of the centres and how they have been trying to manage the situation in order to avert ugly nuclear incidents that could lead to serious international embarrassment.But Hon. Ogene, while appealing to them for calm, informed them about the efforts of the House to bring a lasting resolution to the identified challenges.Speaking further, he told them that the Committee found merit in their petition and have therefore made some recommendations, which include:”That the Rt. Honourable Speaker, do direct the Budget Office of the Federation, as well as the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to restore the Allowances under review.”Also, direct the Budget Office of the Federation to grant the two Centres of Excellence Financial Autonomy, by providing them with separate budget lines for Effective and Efficient discharge of their mandate.”Also that the various appeals by the Chairman/CEO, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, made on behalf of his staff, should be approved by virtue of the sensitive nature of the jobs they undertake.”That the National Income Salaries and Wages Commission be queried because of its negative role in the matter.”