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PDP Loses 2 Senate, 6 Rep Seats in C/River

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The Cross River chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed in its bid to retain two Senate and six House of Representatives seats in the recently concluded National Assembly (NASS) elections.

The opposition party in the state lost the Cross River Central and Cross River South to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), but however beat the sitting Governor, Prof.

Ben Ayade to the Northen senatorial seat.

The PDP candidate for the Northern senatorial district and the incubent, Sen.

Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe, defeated Ayade by 76,145 votes against Ayade’s 56, 595 votes.

Simirlarly, Williams Jonah of the APC clinched the Central seat with 57, 354 votes against Ewa Bassey of the PDP who secured 53,463 votes in the polls.

For the Central senatorial seat, Asuquo Ekpenyong scored a total of 57, 870 votes to beat Labour Party’s Daniel Asuquo who pulled 50,76p votes while the PDP candidate, Ekpo Ekon came a distant third with 41,117 votes.

Newsmen report that the opposition party could only secure two seats out of the available eight seats in the House of Representatives.

While the PDP failed to return its candidate and incubent for the Calabar South/Akpabuyo federal constituency, Ekpenyong Ayi-Essien, its candidate and incubent for the Calabar Municipality/Odukpani, Etta Mbora also lost to Labour Party candidate.

Newsmen report that Ayi-Essien, who has been in the Green chamber for 20 years, came a distant third with 14,485 votes.

The LP and APC candidates, Edem Aqua and Joseph Bassey come second and first with 16,448 and 23,885 votes respectively.

Simirlarly, PDP Mbora lost the Calabar Municipality/Odukpani seat with his 19, 584 score to come third behind APC’s Idim Inok who scored 21,066 and Labour Party’s Akiba Ekpenyong with 23,759 votes.

PDP also lost the Boki/Ikom seat they have held for 12 years through Chris Agibe to APC Abang Bissong.

Attah Achinke, who sought to replace Agibe, was narrowingly beaten by the APC candidate with 23,158 votes against 22,745.

Newsmen further report that APC clinched the Akamkpa/Biase, Obubra/Etung, and Yakurr/Abi House of Representatives seats.

However, PDP candidates for the Ogoja/Yala and Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra seats defeated the APC candidates and incumbents to clinch the two seats.

The incubent for the Ogoja/Yala seat, Jude Ngaji lost to PDP’s Godwin Offiono by 32,964 against 36,642 votes; Idagbo Legor lost to Peter Akpanke of the PDP with 26,819 against 36,576 votes for the Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra seat.

The ruling party in Cross River completed the sweep with their victory in Obubra/Etung federal constituency seat with Michael Irom who polled 13,990 votes to beat PDP Gabriel Okpechi who scored 12,620 votes.
(NAN)

POLITICS

Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana

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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.”

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POLITICS

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

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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)

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

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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.

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