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Rumbles, as APC Progressive Youth Movement Suspend Mustafa, Wife

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By Jude Opara, Abuja

Crisis is brewing in the youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) rose from a meeting Tuesday night to announce the suspension of its National leader, Prince Mustafa Audu and his wife Princess Zahra Audu.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Secretary General of the group, Dr.

Hassan Sadiq said they decided to take the drastic action against their leader because of acts of misconduct on his part.

Sadiq said with the 2023 general elections around the corner, the PYM must be ready to mobilize the Nigerian youths in their  numbers to vote for all the candidates of the ruling from the House of Assembly to the President.

“We’re here today to intimate the press, the world and Nigerian youths that so far so good we have been doing very well in terms of youth movement inclusiveness.

“We also want the world to know that there are some members of leadership that we have suspended as of now because of gross misconduct. We want members of the public to know that if you have any dealings with them, it is at your own risk henceforth. Because if we are youths and we can not engage in gross misconduct and we are trying to bring the youths under one umbrella that  will support the APC and the incoming president which is Asiwaju. In that light you cannot see members of PYM misbehaving. It is on this note that we want the public to know that the faces you are seeing here these are the council members and leadership of the PYM.

“Again, we are now moving into our zonal interactive session that we always do to tell them to go collect their PVCs and be ready to vote for APC when the time comes.

“The suspension was based on Prince Mustafa Audu, you’ve heard of it and his wife who have been involved in a lot of misconduct in terms of financial recklessness. We don’t want anybody to smear the name of PYM because we have reputation to protect. We have been doing very well and we are going to continue. We want the public to know that these are the real PYM. They are no longer our members, nobody should deal with them, if you deal with them it is at your own peril”.

Similarly, the South South leader, Prince Godswill Edward in his remarks said the previous leadership undermined the group, hence the decision to ask them to take a break til further notice.

“The previous leadership, we all appointed them to act on behalf of all of us and we gave them all amount of support and loyalty because we believe that they are going to work in the interest of Nigerian youths. 

“You cannot continue to take decisions without a gathering. We’ve not have a gathering for a very long time. People take decisions on behalf of all of us we have put out our integrity, our pedigree in the face of Nigerian youths.

“We cannot be fighting and advocating for new kind of leadership and we are portraying that kind of attitude. Anybody who portrays that attitude different from what we believe in becomes the enemy of this association. I cannot put my face and die in silence. They say in silence dog will never back as a lion. I’ve chosen to speak for Nigerian youths that we will not mislead them.

“We have taken a position, we have disbanded them. They were members of our group but now they stand suspended until further notice”.

Oscar Obi the South-east leader equally took a swipe at Mustafa for allegedly engaging in actions that run contrary to the ideals of the PYM.

“Our sole concern has been how do we move the party forward. Today, we have huge mandate, huge responsibility to discharge before Nigerians before youths community, they are looking up to us for direction, for relevance. We here have disassociated ourselves from two of our members who have shown unscrupulous attitude, they have depicted manners that are contrary to our core objectives. So the names are Prince Mustafa Audu and Princess Zahra Audu.

“So, going forward we do not deal with these duo whoever that is dealing with them is doing that at his own peril.

“What we want is for the young people of this party, the PYM to remain focused of the original objectives which are inclusiveness of youths in government and in party, winning elections, not just winning elections but delivering good services, good governance to the people.

“By the word misconduct, it cuts across finances, mischievous attitude, mischievous in the sense that painting the youths in the manner it was not formed that is what we called misconduct which now also involved financial recklessness in terms of going to party stalwarts and soliciting for funds and without the intimacy and knowledge of the youths of the PYM. These together is what I called gross misconduct”.

Also, Leadership Council member, Linda Dirisu said the PYM is not a family affair adding that Prince Mustafa and Princess Zahra cannot continue to lead the group as if it was their private business.

POLITICS

2024 FCT Budget: Wike presents N1.15trn to NASS

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By Laide Akinboade, Abuja 

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike,  on Monday,  defended the details of the proposed N1.15 trillion 2024 statutory budget aimed at transforming both the capital city and rural communities.

Presenting the budget before the Senate and House Committees on FCT in Abuja, Wike outlined the allocation of funds towards recurrent and capital expenditures, emphasizing infrastructure development and ongoing project completion.

Of the total budget, N421.44 billion is allocated for recurrent expenditure, while N726.3 billion is designated for capital expenditure.

Notably, N80 billion is earmarked for SUKUK loan projects, and N29 billion is allocated for the Abuja Light Rail project.

Additionally, N500 billion is designated for commercial loans to complete ongoing capital projects in the federal capital city and satellite towns.

The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) received the largest share of the capital budget, with FCDA allocated N457 billion and STDD N116 billion.

Major road projects included in the budget proposal are the completion of Roads B6 and B12, construction of access road and car park for Abuja Light Rail, and the extension of Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) among others.

The transportation sector receives N69 billion, with significant allocations for the construction of bus terminals and development projects in education and health sector

The proposed budget also allocates funds for agriculture and rural development, aiming to improve agricultural production, engage youths in agriculture, and enhance food security.

Additionally, allocations are made for social development, legal services, Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), and Area Council Services Secretariat to ensure effective service delivery and rural transformation.

Meanwhile, the Minister of FCT,  also explained  vote of no confidence he placed on all the lawyers working as staff members of the FCT Administration.

He added that there is no going back on his decision to hire Senior Advocates of Nigeria to stand for FCTA in court.

The Minister said on assumption of office in FCT, he was shocked to discover that land racketeering has remained endemic in Abuja because the notorious syndicate was Collaborating with FCT lawyers in court.

He stated that it was not just shocking, but also embarrassing that the lawyers were always losing simple land cases in court.

According to him, more worrisome was the fact that FCTA gets over one thousand five hundred land cases monthly.

He added that he has vowed not to allow any lawyer who is a staff of the administration, to represent it in any court over land cases.

He equally expressed concerns over another discovery that directors in the Land Department, were involved in arbitrary land allocations, which gave rise to the court cases.

Wike  lamented, “Recently Director of land gave 500 hectares of land to one company, you can’t believe, that before we knew it, the company colluded with lawyers in the FCTA, went to court and got a judgment against the administration. It is terrible”.

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POLITICS

Our Legislative Agenda ‘ll Enhance Standard of Living, Says Akpabio

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By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has said that the legislative agenda of the 10th National Assembly will bring about tremendous improvement in the standard of living of Nigerians.

Akpabio stated this during the Public Hearing of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund and House of Representatives Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing on Student Loan (Access to Higher Education), repeal and reenactment Bill 2024, at the Senate, on Monday.

“The present 10th National Assembly at its inception in 2023 set out for itself a legislative agenda whose implementation will surely bring about a tremendous improvement in the living conditions/standards of the citizenry with Mr.

President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, ” he said.

Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, he commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his foresight and uncommon passion in supporting the students of the country with the loan scheme.

He said the scheme will address the problems of lack of funding among Nigerian students.

In amending the bill, he said the opinions of all stakeholders would be considered to have the best legislation.

“I wish to urge you to freely express your views and opinions either for or against the subject of this hearing in a manner that will bring about the sustenance of our collective will to be together as a nation to call ours.

” Public Hearings are one of the primary legislative processes that offer the general public and especially relevant stakeholders the opportunity to contribute their quota to law-making.

“There is no doubt that your views at this Joint Public Hearing will go a long way in assisting the committee make an informed recommendation (s) to the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.

“It is this submission/recommendation of the Committees that the Senate and the House of Representatives will rely on to pass/make relevant laws for the good governance of our citizenry as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,” he said.

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POLITICS

How Nigeria Can Reach Its Potential–Anyaoku

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A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, says Nigeria is  still struggling to fulfil  its potential  as a  nation owing to lack of true federalism.
Anyaoku spoke at the “National Dialogue on  the Constitutional Future of Nigeria” in honour of  the late renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof.

Ben Nwabueze.
The dialogue was organised by The Patriots ,a pan -Nigerian group of eminent national leaders of thought.

The programme had the theme, “Lawful Procedures for Actualising a People’s Constitution for Nigeria.”
Anyaoku, who is the Chairman of the Patriots, said Nigeria  had failed to develop like other pluralistic countries in the world because of its inability to devolve powers to federating units.

According to him, other pluralistic countries are far ahead of Nigeria in terms of development  because they have implemented true federalism.
“First, Nigeria is a pluralistic country that is still struggling to become a nation with assured political stability and progressive socio-economic development.
“The fact from across the world is that some pluralistic countries have succeeded in becoming developed nations ,while other pluralistic countries have failed and disintegrated.
“The lesson from this is that pluralistic countries ,which have succeeded in becoming nations have generally practiced true federalism with considerable power devolved to the federating units.
“This fact was acknowledged by our founding fathers who negotiated painstakingly and agreed on the Independence Constitution of 1960-1963,” Anyaoku said.
He said that the Nigeria’s present constitution  lacked the legitimacy that should flow from a democratically -made constitution.
The diplomat added  that the constitution had proven to be unsuitable for tackling many of the serious challenges confronting our country.
He said: “It is a widely recognized fact that the crucial areas of the country have significantly deteriorated and continue to deteriorate.”
Anyaoku said Nigeria had suffered deterioration in many fronts in  security, healthcare, education, economic well-being of the citizens, infrastructure.
He said that the country had equally suffered  in the area of social cohesion,  social values and the sense of national unity.
He said that Nigeria had the option of getting a truly federal constitution by  adopting the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab organised by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prof.  Nwabueze  was the pioneer Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo , also a Senor Advocate of Nigeria and a leading thought leader.
Nwabueze died on October 28, 2023 at aged 92.

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