COVER
PDP Govs Tell Buhari to Sign New Electoral Bill
.Suspect the President Does not Desire a Credible Election
. Say INEC Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) Machines Need Improvements
.Knock FG’s Subsidy Regime
By Jude Opara, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammmadu Buhari to stop further delay and grant his assent to the re-amended Electoral Amendment Bill that is currently before him.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the meeting of the governors elected on the platform of the main opposition party, under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum yesterday at Government House in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.
The PDP Governors noted that the President can sign the Bill into law and then raise any issue, instead of the practice of allowing time to elapse before returning it to the National Assembly for any possible amendment.
The PDP governors reviewed the state of the nation and the party’s preparedness to rescue the country from the alleged bad leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governors in a communique issued at the end of the meeting, urged “President Buhari to immediately sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law. Waiting to run out the 30 days is yet another sign of unwillingness by Mr President to give Nigeria a reformed Electoral framework. If there are still misgivings on any aspect of the Bill Amendments may be introduced at a later stage.”
The Governors also congratulated their party on winning 43 out of 62 councillorship positions in the just conducted Abuja Area Council election results.
However, they regretted that in spite of improvements in the conduct of elections, the Gwagwalada and Abuja Area Council results show that manipulations are still possible, hence the charge on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to tighten all observed loopholes and further improve on the functioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) Machine for future elections.
Furthermore, the opposition governors also urged the National Assembly to use its remaining time to ensure a proper devolution of more powers to the states and local government areas.
“As the National Assembly winds down this current phase of the Constitution Review exercise, the Forum urged that they revisit the issue of devolution of more powers to the States and Local Governments.
“This opportunity to rejig the framework for policing and securing Nigeria should not be missed. To this end, the Forum would set up a Panel of Consultants to have a thorough look at the security architecture of Nigeria and make recommendations.”
The Governors also expressed their displeasure on the issue of contaminated Fuel supplied to Nigerians and urged government to bring perpetrators to account.
“The Governors frowned at the duplicity, inconsistency, insincerity of the APC-led Federal Government on the fuel subsidy regime, which has been badly and corruptly administered. The figures of consumption and ascribed to Nigerians appear fictitious and bloated. They called for proper investigation to be conducted on this matter.”
However, the Forum welcomed the Court decision on Police Trust Fund deductions from the Federation Account, a suit at the instance of Rivers State and urged the Federal Government to stop similar unconstitutional deductions from the Federation Account.
“In the same vein, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) should expedite action on the new Revenue Allocation formula in such a way as to increase allocation to States and Local Government.”
The Forum equally took a swipe at the APC administration over the way the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is operating allegedly as a parallel government, saying it is time to streamline its functions and processes to be constitutionally compliant.
They also weighed in on the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC), describing it as opaque. Therefore, they called for accountability and reconciliation of NNPC remittances into the federation account.
At the meeting were 11 governors including the Vice Chairman, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State who presided over the meeting.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Environment in the House of Representatives, Rep Terseer Ugbor (APC, Benue), on Monday, said that Nigeria has been marked as a major global trafficking hub for wildlife.
Representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, the lawmaker also decried the illegal activities of poachers and smugglers in Nigeria, adding that illegal activities like poaching and smuggling are a major sabotage to the economy and called for action to stop the trend.
Speaking at a policy dialogue on “the endangered species conservation and protection bill 2024,” Ugbor said the activities of poachers portend grave dangers to the nation’s economy, adding that biodiversity is particularly threatened by the actions of those he called wildlife criminals.
He said further that wildlife crime also fosters corruption, facilitates insecurity and presents opportunities for the spread of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19.
He said: “Nigeria has emerged with the unenviable status as a global hub for wildlife trafficking in recent years, and continues to be considered as one. Nigeria must therefore act swiftly and work to reverse this negative status and threat to our beautiful country and the world.
“The passage of this legislation will mark a major milestone for global conservation efforts and Nigeria’s international image. The passage of this bill will also advance the legislative agenda of the 10th House of Representatives for Nigeria’s environmental sustainability.”
The proposed law, he said, aimed to “address threats to biodiversity in Nigeria and across Africa by providing a consistent and strong legal framework to put an end to wildlife trafficking. In doing this, it embodies recommendations made following a consultative and collaborative analysis of relevant Nigerian laws for addressing wildlife trafficking.”
While highlighting the importance of the dialogue, the lawmaker stressed that there was a need to ensure that Nigeria’s biodiversity is supported by strong and comprehensive endangered species legislation.
He said: “Nigeria is also a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora obligating the strengthening of our legal framework for biodiversity conservation and this bill seeks to give effect to those obligations.“
Although not strictly a requirement of the lawmaking process, this policy dialogue is necessary to harmonize stakeholders’ position on the bill and clear the way for its expeditious approval and adoption as law.”
By Lubem Myaornyi, Abuja
Former governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to sack appointees who are under performing.
The former governor gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He advised the president to review policies that are not helping.
El-Rufai said, “You appoint a person into a position and he is not working according to the expectations, you should have the humility to tell him that I need a better person, go and do something else.
“What we must to do as citizens is to pray for our leaders for God to guide them to see or do what is right.
“For God to give them the humility to reverse themselves when necessary and do the right thing; that’s how society progresses.
”According to him, the Federal Government is paying more on fuel subsidies now than before.
El-Rufai who delivered a keynote address at a workshop aimed at enhancing the skills of government officials in policy implementation and human resource management in Maiduguri said, “The Federal Government is presently subsidizing fuel, a fact that may elude many.”
He endorsed the policy shift, expressing his longstanding support for withdrawal the oil subsidy.
However, he acknowledged the complexities involved in policy implementation, noting that despite initial intentions, the government found itself compelled to reinstate the subsidy due to unforeseen challenges.
He said, “Currently, the government is allocating a substantial amount for subsidy, surpassing previous levels.
“Leadership requires pragmatism. When a policy fails to yield the desired outcomes, humility dictates that adjustments be made.”
By Donald Andoor, Abuja
Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, vying to be the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has pledged to work with critical stake holders to revive, reorganise and reposition the Party as a viable alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I know all that is involved in the PDP since I joined the party in 1998, under which I was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, then as a governor and a Senator. I know what the party stands for and most of its major players either dead or alive…“With this experience, my intention is to provide focused leadership to revive reorganize and reposition the party as a viable alternative” he said adding “the only way to prevent absolute dictatorship is to have a virile opposition party.”Suswam who spoke to some journalists over the weekend in Abuja dismissed allegation of different camps in the PDP but rather insisted the party needs a strong leadership to lead the way.Flacked by Hon. Richard Gbande, former member of the House of Representauives for Katsina Ala/Logo/Ukum Federal Constituency, Suswam emphatically said the party needs a strong leader.“I am not insisting it must be me but if it is me it will be better for the party.”Acknowledging he was widely consulting with the critical stake holders of the party, he explained that the PDP was not planning a national convention for the election of the National Chairman that has been vacant since the exit of the former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu but the National Executive Committee (NEC) would come together to choose a replacement in line with the provision of Article 47:6 of its constitution.He explained further that the provision empowers the NEC to appoint a successor from the geo-political zone where the removed National Chairman comes from to complete such a tenure. He cited several instances to expatiate how the party had complied with the provision of its constitution in the past, including the appointment of Chief Audu Ogbe by the NEC to replace Chief Barnabas Gemade who was elected at the national convention of the party.He debunked allegation that the former National Chairman, has a pending case in court against the party over his removal with a terse dismissal that “Ayu is not in court.”The PDP NEC has slated April 18, 2024 to appoint a replacement for the vacant position of the National Chairman following the exit of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu last year.Amongst others contesting for the vacant position are: the 2023 governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, David Ombugadu and a former Minister from Kogi State, Humphrey Aba.Suswam, faulted some policies of the Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC )-led governmentas he regretted the dangerous economic slide as a result of ill-thought policies.He said the ruling – APC failed to learn lessons from the economic woes of Ghana and other Latin American countries, including Brazil that floated their currencies and attendant consequences on their economies.
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