Prof ABC Nwosu, former Minister of Health and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees in this interview says Nigeria is fast descending into tyranny and does not see the current INEC conducting free and fair election come next year. Emeka Nzeh brings excerpts:
What is your impression of the processes that led to the emergence of candidates?
I think the primaries were major in the light of what is happening in the country. My main concern in this country is not just poverty or the minimum the wage or second or the third or fourth Niger bridge, my main concern is that we are descending rapidly into the same period of tyranny that some of us struggled to free ourselves from. I was part of all politicians’ summit in Eko Holiday Inn, I am aware that some of our colleagues got jailed- members of G-34 especially Abubakar Rimi and Sule Lamido in the process of fighting the tyranny of late Gen Sani Abacha.
In those days, our freedom and right were curtailed, there was no democracy. It was God that saved us from that tyranny and I am frightened at the speed with which we are descending into similar tyranny with our eyes open. Three examples will suffice. Court grants bail, gives orders, they are not obeyed, it is not done in a democracy. Two, the Unity Fountain was a beehive, you had all kinds of things; Bring Back Our Chibok Girls- they were sitting out there on a daily basis, they were not molested by security agencies, even the hashtag BBOG was worn by Mitchel Obama, was worn by the Secretary General of the United Nations.
One of the female presidential aspirants now was very active then. She has tried it now and see how they dragged her on the ground! After that, she learnt her lessons. You should now see that there is a basic difference. Go there now, it is police dogs, police armoured cars and a lot of policemen.
The third one is that it is now dangerous to get on the street to protest. You saw even how high ranking members of the PDP were tear-gassed because they tried to express their dissatisfaction with the handling of the Osun election. The Osun thing, by the way, was a disgrace. But during the PDP administration, the opposition could occupy Nigeria.
The major danger that we face is not food on our table, epileptic power supply but the fact that you don’t have your God-given human rights and freedom. They are being curtailed by those you put in charge. If you don’t realise this, you are making a major mistake.
Now to turn to the primaries, everybody saw that the APC had no presidential primaries. In many local governments, it was by acclamation: raising of hands and affirmation. Now, raising of hands has translated into millions of votes. How did they count them? The PDP tried to do that-affirmation of Jonathan, we saw where it left us. This one, it may not lead the way of Jonathan simply because whether you like it or not, that affirmation will be made to be the real thing. Jonathan said it and I believe him, he didn’t want any problem. The opposite now is that the APC will force it down your throat whether you like it or not and since you have lost your basic freedom, it will go.
Compare it with the PDP, there was fire on the mountain before Port Harcourt was accepted. Everybody thought that the PDP will go to Port Harcourt and shatter into numerous pieces. What happened? The PDP cloned the 1998 primaries which conducted a very transparent election where Ekwueme conceded. In 2018, it was as transparent as ever. Those who were expecting governor Wike “to throw bombs” were disappointed. Governor Wike was there with his colleagues laughing but still voted for who he wanted and when the candidate emerged, all of them in unison went there before even the results were declared and embraced the candidate: Atiku Abubakar.
This is the difference between the PDP and the APC. The PDP brought democracy out of Abacha’s regime to Nigeria, maintained it for 16 years and even before the results were announced, peacefully handed it over to the opposition. That is what people with democratic credentials do. I am not going to talk of others because you can see that Imo people will never forgive Anambra people for what happened in their APGA in Imo.
So it is clear for Nigerians to see that there is single party that believes in democracy in Nigeria and bears that name. Authoritarian, tyrannical regimes provide roads and railways, provide you everything, even the most vicious dictatorship do that. The difference is always that rule of law and respect for human rights and dignity remains the principal attributes of a civilized democratic government. Nigeria under the APC government is matching on, descending rapidly into what professor Snider of Yell University calls “the road to un-freedom”.
People generally believe that the difference between PDP and APC is that between six and half a dozen. Apart from Buhari and perhaps Tinubu, the bulk of APC were former members of the PDP. Is it that the former PDP members in the APC have turned a blind eye to the tyranny you speak about?
I am a member of the BoT of the PDP. So everything I will say is seen as partisan. But I am also Prof ABC Nwosu with a soul, not just a body and spirit , a soul that cares for Nigeria . I took school certificate just a year after President Buhari in 1962. I’m not a young man; I went to school when it was “God Save Our Queen” as my anthem, I mean senior secondary school, went to the University of Ibadan, fled to the University of Nigeria because of the crisis. The set before me graduated in 1967 by 9pm because of Biafra. Instead of graduating 1968, I had to wait until 1971 to graduate and in between that, I was a commissioned officer and fought as an officer in the Biafran army. No excuses: I wasn’t conscripted, many of my mates were not conscripted at all, we volunteered. At the end of the war, we dropped our weapons. We were not demobilised; we dropped our weapons, went back to the University of Nigeria.
I became a Commonwealth scholar, came back to teach in Nigeria, became a professor in Nigeria, became a commissioner in Nigeria, became a minister in Nigeria. To me, Biafra was dead once it became clear to me that I was safe in Nigeria and my first son is married to Yoruba, my second daughter is married to Benin. I love being a Nigerian but what am I seeing now? I am now questioning whether really I am wanted in Nigeria by the actions of the APC government. That is dangerous. It hasn’t happened before. When did MOSSOB come? When did IPOB come? These are problems that are being exacerbated by the nonsensical 97.5 per cent policy by against people who have made up their mind that anywhere they find themselves in Nigeria they will give their best and you are labelling them 97 point 5per cent.
You are excluding them from the security. How do you think the people there will feel, both the elite and the commoners? Any minister from the South East who says he is happy in the APC government is deceiving himself and deceiving the government. He knows he’s not, they are our brethren, we see them. But when you have been out in the storm for too long and rain has beaten you for too long and you can’t endure the rain any further, they put you in a shelter, you tend to tolerate the things which the majority of your people will not tolerate. I won’t go beyond that.
With this background because I have a soul and because I desire to be a Nigerian, I don’t want to experience what I experienced in 1966 to 1970 again.
Ndigbo seems divided on who to support between Buhari/Osinbajo and the Atiku/Obi candidacy?
There’s no division. The Igbo People met in Enugu, every Igbo man who was an Igbo man was there. It’s the right of anybody to support whoever he wants. Let the other groups go and summon a meeting in the same Enugu, the venue is available; let them summon it in Onitsha; let them not summon it in Aba because they may not come out safe, let them summon it in Umuahia. We have a saying in Igbo when somebody does not like you, you don’t like that person in return. You even show that person that it is one-one, it’s a draw. You dislike him more than he dislikes you, let him do his worst.
‘INEC must audit PVCs’
The Igbos are known for daring people to do their worse, that the land is owned by both your father and his father. Let them go and try it and call this kind of meeting and see where they are. I came back from Nnewi, my town to Enugu to board an aircraft two days ago. The Minister for Work said the Enugu-Onitsha road is done.
I didn’t drive on a federal road. We had to sneak in through a good road to Awka built by governor Obi and others. We joined the one built by the Sullivan Chime and Gov Ugwuanyi to Enugu. Everybody from the eastern part knows that is the road, everybody knows that you can go from Aba to Port Harcourt and yet the Minister of Works is very happy with himself on television telling us these roads are going on.
It is clear this government does not like the Southeast. If you liked the Southeast, why hasn’t it pricked your conscience that nobody from the Southeast extraction is in your security council and yet python is dancing everyday in the East. So when you dislike somebody, why should the person like you? So there is no division. My challenge to them is: please go to Onitsha, let them not go to Aba, l beg them, let them go to Owerri and call such a summit.
In fact, they are best suited in Owerri because they have an APC governor there. Let them call Igbos. It was traditional rulers, it was not Ohaneze, it was Igbo leaders plus the Igbo elders, starting from retired military including our first ever Chief of Army staff, Gen Azubuke Ihejirika, Commodore Alison Madueke, the first Chief of Naval Staff was there, the Obi of Onitsha was there, the others were there. The communique was read by Olisa Agbakoba. The keynote address was given by Goddy Uwazurike, Gen Ike Nwachukwu was there, who wasn’t there? Anya O. Anya was there and then you get people you don’t know about and you say there is a division in Igboland.
The initial opposition against the candidacy of Peter Obi as the vice presidential candidate, where did it come from?
Have you heard anything again on it? Have you not seen the vice presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, with the people who had raised that initial opposition? It’s normal in a family. When something is coming and you think it may come to you but it goes to someone else, if you are dissatisfied and it becomes clear to you that this can’t go on, you stop. The Igbo has since moved away, far away from that.
Who knew Osinbajo before in Nigeria? Who knew that he was even Attorney General in Lagos state before he became vice president? Who knew he was a senior pastor in Redeemed Christian Church of God before he was appointed? Wasn’t everybody expecting Fashola to be? Have the West not moved away from it a long time ago? When Atiku was, wasn’t it Rimi that was expected to be? It is the prerogative of the candidate to choose whom he wants to work with.
Were Ndigbo consulted in any form?
Were the Northerners consulted in any form before before Atiku was chosen by Obasanjo. You forget I was Obasanjo’s first political adviser, that I was there right from the beginning. Were the Yorubas consulted when it was Osinbajo? How many governors consulted the entire state before they choose their deputies? People raise all kinds of questions I don’t know where they are coming from except that the people are just unhappy that the PDP has decided you can’t have exclusion.
All these questions are neither here nor there. It is the prerogative of the candidate, ones he has emerged to choose who he can work with based on his programmes and the direction he wants to take the country. He looks at all, makes his choice and in this case, Atiku himself said to Ndigbo, that he took a look at the candidates available and chose Peter Obi. That’s what he said to us at a private meeting in Enugu.
You have alleged that the APC seems to want to force its candidate down the throat of Nigerians, are you saying that 2019 will not be free and fair?
Even a goat in Nigeria knows it will not be free and fair. We have been shouting loudly that it will not be free and fair. Edo showed it. The most glaring was Osun where INEC announced results and went back and said there were cancelled votes. Cancelled by who? By you INEC. Was it the PDP that cancelled the votes? Then you went back negotiated and did abracadabra. It cannot be fair. Meanwhile, you flooded the place with the army and the police.
Contrast it with the PDP which had an election that was adjudged not to be free and fair in 2007 and it produced President Umaru Yar’Adua. God bless him. I believe he is the best President Nigeria didn’t have for too long. He is only the President who declared his asset fully. All these magic that others have done have been halfway declaration and then everyday you assault my senses that you have integrity. Yar Adua said “the election that brought me was flawed”. What did he do? He set up a committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Uwais and the electoral reforms immediately began. The PDP dominated National Assembly transformed it into Electoral Act. It is that Electoral Act that made it possible for the opposition to come into power. So 2019 will not be free and fair
What should Nigerians do?
It is not a PDP problem. If Nigerians want to live in tyranny, they have seen it before, they are welcome to it. PDP cannot save Nigerians from tyranny, Nigerians will save themselves from tyranny and there are three things Nigerians can demand. All the PVCs that have been collected, who owns them? Are you sure that they are actually owned by individuals? Why can’t we demand that these be audited? That is you select randomly from the PVCs in any state, and insist: These PVCs can we see the faces?
Who will do this sir?
Nigerians like to see a problem when it’s faced. That is the difference between you and South Africans and other nations. When other nations are confronted with a problem, they see it as a national problem. They don’t see it as somebody’s problem, it’s like who will bail the cat?
Look at the Dino Melaye recall saga. Didn’t it teach you a lesson? If we didn’t have that proviso that you have to verify the signatures Dino Melaye would have been gone because they had more than enough signatures to recall him. However, when these signatures were audited, how many did they get? Less than 10 per cent. Disgraceful!
You may find the same with this PVC. In 2015, I was one of those that shouted that Attahiru Jega was a fraud. How could Yobe that had less than1.01million registered voters have collected 800 and something thousand pvcs and there was Boko Haram there. But Enugu that had 1.5 million registered voters was claimed to have collected 700 and something thousand PVCs and there was no Boko Haram in Enugu.
I kept saying he is a professor like me and professors are known for logic. How could a place with less number of registered voters in an insurgency area collect more than a place with more registered voters and no insurgency? I needed a rational explanation. I didn’t get it. So, it looked to me like you knew certain catchment areas where you didn’t want people to vote.
Secondly, go and look at INEC report of 2015. The results for the 774 local governments of Nigeria were entered. How come that Boko Haram was in charge of some local governments? Was it Boko Haram that conducted the elections? I have the figures from INEC. For example in Borno, there were ten members of House of Reps, 9 were males 1 was female, all APC, APC won 100 per cent and yet it was that same Borno that was the centre of Boko Haram. How come you were able to conduct the elections, delineate constituencies or is there any place in Nigeria that was not registered? So when people talk of Jega, I look at him with contempt. The same thing is about to happen again.
Business
Less than 5% of Nigerians invest in capital market
by Amaka Ifeakandu
The President, Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers (CIS), Adedapo Adekoje yesterday has said that only less than five per cent of the Nigerian population have investments on the nation’s capital market.
Speaking at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Journalists’ Academy 2018 in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State, Adekoje regretted that only one per cent of registered companies in Nigeria are listed on the Exchange.
He said despite the full restoration of the stock market after the 2008 global meltdown, and continuous involvement of reputable foreign investors, the local investors are still bugged down by fear and low levels of confidence and as such have not been participating as much as they should.
Speaking further he said “If the percentage of Nigerians investing in the market can be increased to a just 20 per cent, for a start, in the next five years, there will be a massive growth in the capital market and by extension, the national economy.
He, however, said that major companies operating in the economy must be wooed and encouraged to list on the capital market, as that would greatly enhance the benefits derived by Nigerians on their patronage of these companies.
Noting that awareness about the Nigerian capital market was still low, Adekoje pointed out that Nigeria still have a long way to go even as he called for focus on investor education.
He stated that market itself must be cleared of all inherent contradictions in regulatory policy and allowed to operate strictly by the dictates of the law. For instance, he said, there are some market platforms today which permit non CIS’ chartered stockbrokers of trade, and this not healthy for the market.
Adekoje who described investment in the capital market as highly risky, said it is the easiest and best way to grow rich.
He insisted that Nigeria is presently bearing burden of infrastructure deficit, which the government cannot tackle alone using funds from crude oil, but added that long term loan from the nation’s capital market can bail country out
According to him “Nigeria has a huge infrastructure deficit, which the government alone cannot shoulder. our slow pace of progress in this area is largely defined by the relatively low priority and attention given to the capital market by the government despite the massive role the market played in indigenization, banking recapitalization and most recently, in providing the needed liquidity to get the country out of recession.
He however said that Nigeria as the globally acknowledged “giant of Africa” has huge responsibilities to its people and African continent, adding that our continuous appellation as a less developed country” is both an aberration and embarrassment to Nigerian and Africans alike.
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Unity Bank partners Jigawa on FG’s ‘Trader ‘Moni’
By Amaka Ifeakandu
Lagos
The federal government has formally flagged off social welfare initiatives code-named ‘Trader Moni’ in partnership with Jigawa State government and Unity Bank Plc with the initial sum of N300 million.
With a total of N1.5 billion earmarked for the initiative, the scheme is meant to accelerate an on- lending through Unity Bank to about 35,000 Jigawa petty traders
Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo who was in Jigawa for the launch of “Market Moni” presented the Unity Bank Cheque through the Chairman, Jigawa State Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (JICCIMA), Alhaji Shehu Muhammad Sunusi.
According to the Regional Manager, Unity Bank Plc, in Jigawa State, Mustapha Baba, the Bank is in good stead to facilitate the massive on-lending scheme to the benefit of Jigawa petty traders, not only as it has continued to identify with the genuine aspirations of the government and people of state, but also to support the Bank’s pursuit of financial inclusion which has dominated its business objective for some time.
Baba explained that arrangements have been made for the bank to begin direct disbursements to selected beneficiaries/small businesses in the state as intervention fund on behalf of the State Government/JICCIMA.
Osinbajo also used the opportunity to launch the Jigawa State Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture Business Support Loan.
The federal government through the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), recently launched ‘Trader Moni’ in Lagos, a product through which traders could access loans of up to N10,000 at the first instance.
Mustapha further explained that farming equipment such as tractors, planters among others, will be distributed to farmers in the state.
The Unity Bank cheque of N300 million presented by the VP to JICCIMA on behalf of the state government, is at zero per cent interest rate.
Under ‘Trader Moni,’ traders don’t need any documents or property to collect N10, 000 loan from the federal government. They only need to register, get captured and receive the money through their phones. The repayment plan is for six months and beneficiaries would pay a paltry N250 interest on the N10, 000 and qualify for a bigger loan thereafter.
CBN restates commitment to price, financial system stability
By Benjamin Umuteme
The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has reiterated the Apex Bank will continue to pursue price and financial system stability, support job creation and ensure a more inclusive growth in the economy.
Emefiele, stated this at the at the 2018 Annual Bankers’ Dinner Lagos.
The CBN governor insisted that despite criticisms of its policies, it will continue to do what is in the best interest of the country.
He said: “As policymakers, our perspectives are typically different from many talking heads, as our data, information sources and outlook remain superior. I therefore enjoin our critics to avoid being hasty in their condemnation of our policies. Some policies take time to bear fruit.”
The Apex Bank boss further said that in a bid to ensure self-sufficiency and reduce Nigeria’s excessive dependence on imports, the CBN invigorated its development finance activities.
According to him, the Bank maintained a particular focus on supporting farmers, entrepreneurs as well as small and medium scale businesses, through our various intervention programs such as the Anchor Borrowers Program, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and the National Collateral Registry.
“In the agriculture sector, the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) has ensured that Nigeria emerged from being a net importer of rice to becoming a major producer of rice, supplying key markets in neighboring countries.
“As at October 2018, a total number of 862,069 farmers cultivating about 835,239 hectares, across 16 different commodities, have so far benefited from the Anchor Borrowers programme, which has generated 2,502,675 jobs across the country,” he added.
The CBN helmsman maintained that Bank will not relent as it continues to aims at “sustaining a stable exchange rate is of overriding importance to us even as we continue to put measures in place to shore up reserves” noting that current capital flow reversals from emerging markets is expected to continue to exert considerable pressure on the Naira.
On supporting domestic production, Emefiele explained that given the remarkable success that has been achieved in stimulating domestic production of goods such as rice, cassava and maize, as a result of the restrictions placed by the CBN on access to forex for 41 items, “the CBN intends to vigorously ensure that this policy remains in place, and additional efforts would be made to block any attempts by unscrupulous parties(both individuals and 39 corporates) that intend to find other avenues of accessing forex, in order to import these items into Nigeria.”
He added: “The CBN’s Economic intelligence and Banking Supervision Departments will work very hard with the EFCC to expose and sanction any, bank, company or Fx operator that colludes with unscrupulous individuals / companies to undermine the policy on 41 items. Such sanctions will include, but not limited to prohibiting the banks from maintaining any bank accounts for such institutions or persons in Nigeria.”
Given the global and domestic headwinds Nigeria faces as a nation, the CBN governor averred that due to the volatility that is being experienced in the crude oil market, there is need for the authorities to work very hard to spur job creation by reviving agricultural and industrial activities in the country.
“If we continue to support the growth of small holders farmers, as well as help to revive palm oil refineries, rice mills, cassava and tomato processing 40 factories, you can only imagine the amount of wealth and jobs that will be created in the country; these could include new set of small holders farmers that will be engaged in productive activities; new logistics companies that will transport raw materials to factories, and finished goods to the market; new storage centres that will be built to store locally produced goods; additional growth for our banks and financial institutions as they will be able to provide financial services to support these new businesses; and finally, the millions of Nigerians that will be employed in factories to support processing of goods.
“If we turn a blind eye to the opportunities that are being created as a result of our policy on 41 items, we will be spelling doom for our nation. We can no longer afford to depend solely on imports given the size of our population, and the need to create jobs for our people. This is precisely the purpose behind our intention to restrict access to forex on 41 items, and I urge all stakeholders to 41 come onboard, as we intend to be vigorous in our pursuit of this objective,” he added.
KOWA party faults Atiku on sale of NNPC
By Emeka Nze
Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Kowa Party (KP), Dr Sina Fagbenro Byron has said the reported intention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to sell the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) if he becomes president is a wrong one.
According to Fagbenro who acknowledged that the concerns of Atiku were quite genuine but maintained that he as a president of the country would prefer to see the PIB bill passed as soon as possible to improve transparency in the sector generally
Reacting to Atiku’s pronouncement, while speaking to journalists on national issues at the weekend, Fagbenro Byron said even though reform of the Oil sector interest management is overdue as a result of challenges of accountability, control and efficiency confronting the NNPC, however noted that the ex VP should not have concluded on his own about selling the NNPC without subjecting that decision to wider consultations, both formal and informal.
Byron further stated that views from the legislative arm of government is pertinent to the sale of such crucial institution taking into account that the NNPC is Nigeria’s commonwealth.
“So the people through their representatives must have a say and a public hearing organized by the National Assembly would probably help ensure inclusive decision making and this is the beginning of transparency.
He reminded Atiku that privatization programs were also a conduit for grand corruption and may lead to further impoverishment of Nigerians if carried out at a whim and without sufficient thinking through.
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Poliics
We won’t lose sleep over Nwosu, Akinlade’s defection- APC
By Bode Olagoke
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the defection of the supporters of Imo and Ogun State Governors, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, from the party.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says it won’t lose sleep over the defection of the defection of Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law to Rochas Okorocha and Adekunle Akinlade, anointed governorship choice of Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.
Both had announced their defection from the ruling party along with their supporters and political machinery loyal to the governors.
Recall that Akinlade along other Amosun’s supporters moved to Allied Peoples Movement (APM), while Nwosu and others left for the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, dismissed their defection insisting that they were not true party men but were selfish persons that placed individual interest above party and national interest.
“APC as a party is looking critically at that development and in due course take a position on it. However, in the interim, we will continue to encourage our members not to be driven by selfish ambition but rather to be driven by higher ideals that the party represents.
“The unprecedented achievements the party recorded in the past few years are pointers that members should rise above personal interest. We will also continue to encourage them to think deeply to the larger implications of their actions and inactions.
“We are however mindful of the fact that at the end of the day, the generality of the people are happy with what we have done and what we are doing. We can never regret sticking by the rule of law and operating in accordance with what is good for the interest of the country.
“Let me emphasis that what we have done was for the best interest of the party, government and the generality of people of this country. This has continued to encourage us to be focused. We will however take what happened into consideration and in due course react appropriately.
“The reality is that as a party, you can’t afford to lose any party member. But we also know that as some are leaving, many others are joining us. Regardless of what happened, I can tell you that the ruling party is very much secure.
“They won’t threaten our chances especially as many more people joining us have continued to see APC as a party standing on solid and higher ground for the generality of the people. That exactly is the comfort.
“I will advise them to place party interest above individual interest especially as it conforms with the overall and the generality of members. Leaving a party because you didn’t achieve personal ambition is off the mark.
“To them I ask, what about the common objective of using the party as a platform to rescue the country from the dungeon that the PDP has thrown it. That would have been enough motivation to these members leaving the party. We implore them to think deeply and allow the national interest the party is championing.
“Reconciliation process has started with the setting up of the panel whose members have started working round the clock to pacify the aggrieved members from every part of the country.
“Good enough we have very credible and eminent personalities in the panel like governors, elder statesmen. They are committed to bringing lasting peace within the party. Let me say that we don’t regret any action we took in the interest of the party that led to their exit. It was in the best interest of democracy,” he insisted.
Marafa vows fight Yari in APC
By Patrick Andrew
Senator Kabiru Marafa has vowed to remain in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to lead the charge against the alleged injustices by Governor Abdulaziz Yari.
The APC governorship aspirant, who sought to replace Governor Yari, also promised to support the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to a statement he issued over the weekend, he challenged Gov. Yari to decamp to another party with all his anointed candidates and test his popularity by contesting against him.
Marafa gave the challenge ahead of Saturday’s deadline for the substitution of governorship candidates set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“I will remain in the APC to support and lead President Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign in Zamfara State and to ensure that Governor Yari fail woefully in his attempts to perpetrate injustice and impose his moles as candidates of the party in the state.
“The facts are clear that, Gov. Yari has failed woefully and has lost the popular support of the people, he can’t win any election in Zamfara today, he therefore choose to hide under the federal might to perpetrate criminality using his 8,500 recruited ‘vigilante’ to rig the elections in his favour and his co-travellers.
“We say no to that. I am going to remain in the APC to ensure that he and his cohorts are effectively retired.
“We have come this far together with all the people of Zamfara state, they have expressed the desire for change, they have given us their maximum support, and they have rejected Yari and all his chosen candidates.
“They have sacrificed their lives and health; some were killed while many others were injured during the botched and make-believe primaries in the state, all courtesy of Gov Yari.
“Having failed in his cruel attempt to impose his candidates through dubious means, he now wants to use the instrumentality of the Courts to legalise his illegalities. We will block him and let him know that Courts aren’t places for dumping of charade.
“Yari organised and conducted illegal, make-believe primaries in absolute violation of a subsisting court order and the directive of our party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
“He thereafter ran to court to give his illegalities a legal backing, forgetting that our courts are not rubber stamp. Courts are homes of equity and if you are going to the courts, you must go with clean hands,” he said.
Marafa said his decision to remain in the APC, despite all pressures, was in appreciation of the tremendous support he enjoys from supporters, adding that the decision is their best interest.
PDP lacks vision to govern Nigeria- Adeola
Nigerians have been urged to reject the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because it lacks the vision to govern the country, according to Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
The senator, who represents Lagos West Senatorial district, also said the PDP 16 years administration was a waste stressing that the party has nothing new to offer the country.
Speaking at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ikeja, over the weekend, Adeola said Nigerians should be wary about returning the PDP as it did little or nothing to improve the lots of Nigerians.
The member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),however said that his party has put the country on the path of progress in the last few years, and would achieve much more in 2019.
“Nigerians should reject the PDP in 2019; they have nothing to offer. In fact the three years of the APC administration are better than the years of PDP in power. It was 16 wasted years. PDP is a failure, they should be rejected,” he said.
Pointing out what he called the ineptitude of the PDP, he said it was the way they privatised the power sector. Adeola alleged that the PDP sold power assets to friends and fronts all in the name of privatisation. He said the hangover of the problem was still with the country till date.
The senator said electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) foisted on the country had done little to add value to the power sector, and Nigeria would be better with replacements.
Speaking on his achievement, he said his emergence in the primaries of APC to represent the zone again in 2019 reflected the confidence party men and the people had in him.
Adeola said he had organised many empowerment programmes and executed many projects that had touched the lives of residents.
He listed some of the programmes as the distribution of 500 UTME forms to school leavers, granting University scholarships to 56 students, and the facilitation of entrepreneurship training for 600 youths.
Adeola said he had also facilitated tens of employments for graduates and other young people in the Federal civil service.
“In the area of infrastructure development of our district in assisting and complementing the efforts of Lagos State and Federal Government, I donated 10 500 KVA transformers to a community in each of the 10 LGAs that make up Lagos West,” he said.
AdeoIa said he also facilitated the rehabilitation of Baale Olodi Apapa Road(Boundary-Berger-Suya-Kirikiri Bridge) and had sunk 28 boreholes spread across 28 Local Council Development Areas of the district.
“I also donated several 18-seater Toyota buses to Lagos West stakeholders including Obas, the Council of Baales, CDC, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), LASU student Union, the league of Imams, among others,” he said.
Adeola said he was one of the active voices in the Senate, having sponsored so many important bills and contributed to the passage of others. The senator promised to achieve much more in the upper chamber in 2019, if re-elected, urging his constituents to give him the needed support. (NAN)
Ikenna Okonkwo
Sun, Dec 2, 7:10 PM (10 hours ago)
to me
US: Buhari’s Presidency bent on tarnishing Atiku’s reputation
By Abdulrahman Zakariyau
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign has alleged that the fresh fabrications that its Presidential candidate, that Atiku Abubakar cannot travel to the United States, is being sponsored by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, in a bid to tarnish the image of the former vice president
In a statement signed by the Director Media and Publicity, of PDP Presidential campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan described as despicable that “President Buhari will continue to endorse the spinning of lies by his handlers against another Presidential candidate, including its false claims that Atiku Abubakar cannot travel to the United States, which Nigerians have since seen to be mere fabrications.
Continuing, the statement reads: “Is it not ludicrous that the Buhari Presidency has abandoned its statutory duties and turned itself into a lying, “monitoring spirit” on Atiku Abubakar and his movements, yet it has not been able to produce any documentary evidence to substantiate its claims?
“President Buhari’s fixation on Atiku Abubakar, to the extent of sponsoring fabrications in a section of the media, only goes to show that he is intimidated by our candidate’s resume, his overwhelming popularity and policy direction, which have since amplified his (President Buhari’s) incompetence and lack of direction, as a result of which he is being rejected by the majority of Nigerians.
“Atiku Abubakar is a global figure and is not inhibited, in any way whatsoever, from traveling to any part of the world.
“However, he is not prepared to make the sky his office, unlike President Buhari, who unleashed a widely condemned taste for very expensive and wasteful gallivanting with our national fleet, while Nigerians wallow in abject poverty for neglect and abuse of resources.
“In any case, the PDP refuses to lose sight of the fact that our campaign is on the rescue mission and that Nigerians are looking up to our candidate for direction.
“As such, we will not allow the rejected Buhari Presidency to distract us from our focus of repositioning and redirecting our nation to the path of a united, peaceful, secure and prosperous nation where are all citizens are happy and free.
“The PDP Campaign therefore counsels President Buhari to note that Nigerians have moved ahead with Atiku Abubakar as their next President. He should therefore use the remaining days of his fading administration to prepare answers for his misrule.
“President Buhari should, by now, be providing answers for the over N11 trillion stolen under his watch, particularly in the petroleum sector where he sits as minister; the alleged diversion of funds meant for the purchase of weapons and welfare of our soldiers to finance his re-election campaign as well as the neglect and insensitivity that led to the escalation of killings and bloodletting in various parts of the country under his rule.
Ologbondiyan charged President Buhari to provide answers for “his incompetence and harsh economic policies that plunged our economy into recession, leading to high cost of living, loss of over 30 million jobs, acute poverty, hunger, collapse of infrastructure in our country in the last three and half years.
It noted that, ” on our own part, the PDP will continue to focus on issue-based campaign and run with practical answers to the myriad of challenges facing our nation in line with the manifesto of our repositioned party and the policy direction of our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Banks employed more contract staff in Q3 -NBS
By Benjamin Umuteme
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in a new report on the banking sector has revealed that more contract staff were employed in the sector.
In its selected Banking Sector Data: Sectorial Breakdown of Credit, ePayment Channels and Staff Strength in the third quarter of 2018, the Bureau noted that the number of contract staff rose to 44,484 from 43,955 in the second quarter.
This represented a 529 increase in the number of contract staff that was employed by banks.
It will be recalled that the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has repeatedly warned banks to reduce the employment of contract staff noting that many of the fraud related incident tin the sector was traceable to contract staff.
Over all, total banking sector staff stood at 102,820 in the quarter under review from representing a 0.95 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase and 24.12 per cent year-on-year increase.
The statistics bureau revealed in the report that the total value of credit allocated by the bank stood at N15.59 trillion as at Q3 2018.
Oil & Gas led the sector with the highest credit allocation of N3.59 trillion representing 23 per cent of total credit followed by the manufacturing sectors which got a credit allocation of N2.15 trillion representing 13.79 per cent of total credit.
Also, the government, agriculture, education and mining and quarry got credit allocations of N1.40 trillion, N591.78 billion, N60.59 billion and N6.20 billion representing 8.99 per cent, 3.08 per cent, 0.39 per cent and 0.04 per cent at the period under review.
NBS noted that gross loans stood at N16,04 trillion in the period under review. A breakdown showed that loans (after specific provisions) was N14,01 trillion while non performing loans (NPLs) was N2,42 trillion representing 15.13 per cent, 17.33 per cent and 30.28 per cent increase respectively.
Dat from the report further revealed a N2 billion rise in inward remittances. According to the report, remittances in 2017 stood at N6.66 billion from N4.92 billion in 2016. However, it was not the same with outward remittance as it dropped sharply to N82 billion in 2017 compared to N185 billion in 2016.
Meanwhile, a total volume of 5,294,871,285 transactions valued at N340.15 trillion were recorded in Q3 2018.
A breakdown showed that Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions dominated the volume of transactions recorded. 220,270,371 volume of ATM transactions valued at N1,593 billion were recorded in Q3 2018.
‘INEC must audit PVCs’
The Igbos are known for daring people to do their worse, that the land is owned by both your father and his father. Let them go and try it and call this kind of meeting and see where they are. I came back from Nnewi, my town to Enugu to board an aircraft two days ago. The Minister for Work said the Enugu-Onitsha road is done.
I didn’t drive on a federal road. We had to sneak in through a good road to Awka built by governor Obi and others. We joined the one built by the Sullivan Chime and Gov Ugwuanyi to Enugu. Everybody from the eastern part knows that is the road, everybody knows that you can go from Aba to Port Harcourt and yet the Minister of Works is very happy with himself on television telling us these roads are going on.
It is clear this government does not like the Southeast. If you liked the Southeast, why hasn’t it pricked your conscience that nobody from the Southeast extraction is in your security council and yet python is dancing everyday in the East. So when you dislike somebody, why should the person like you? So there is no division. My challenge to them is: please go to Onitsha, let them not go to Aba, l beg them, let them go to Owerri and call such a summit.
In fact, they are best suited in Owerri because they have an APC governor there. Let them call Igbos. It was traditional rulers, it was not Ohaneze, it was Igbo leaders plus the Igbo elders, starting from retired military including our first ever Chief of Army staff, Gen Azubuke Ihejirika, Commodore Alison Madueke, the first Chief of Naval Staff was there, the Obi of Onitsha was there, the others were there. The communique was read by Olisa Agbakoba. The keynote address was given by Goddy Uwazurike, Gen Ike Nwachukwu was there, who wasn’t there? Anya O. Anya was there and then you get people you don’t know about and you say there is a division in Igboland.
The initial opposition against the candidacy of Peter Obi as the vice presidential candidate, where did it come from?
Have you heard anything again on it? Have you not seen the vice presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, with the people who had raised that initial opposition? It’s normal in a family. When something is coming and you think it may come to you but it goes to someone else, if you are dissatisfied and it becomes clear to you that this can’t go on, you stop. The Igbo has since moved away, far away from that.
Who knew Osinbajo before in Nigeria? Who knew that he was even Attorney General in Lagos state before he became vice president? Who knew he was a senior pastor in Redeemed Christian Church of God before he was appointed? Wasn’t everybody expecting Fashola to be? Have the West not moved away from it a long time ago? When Atiku was, wasn’t it Rimi that was expected to be? It is the prerogative of the candidate to choose whom he wants to work with.
Were Ndigbo consulted in any form?
Were the Northerners consulted in any form before before Atiku was chosen by Obasanjo. You forget I was Obasanjo’s first political adviser, that I was there right from the beginning. Were the Yorubas consulted when it was Osinbajo? How many governors consulted the entire state before they choose their deputies? People raise all kinds of questions I don’t know where they are coming from except that the people are just unhappy that the PDP has decided you can’t have exclusion.
All these questions are neither here nor there. It is the prerogative of the candidate, ones he has emerged to choose who he can work with based on his programmes and the direction he wants to take the country. He looks at all, makes his choice and in this case, Atiku himself said to Ndigbo, that he took a look at the candidates available and chose Peter Obi. That’s what he said to us at a private meeting in Enugu.
You have alleged that the APC seems to want to force its candidate down the throat of Nigerians, are you saying that 2019 will not be free and fair?
Even a goat in Nigeria knows it will not be free and fair. We have been shouting loudly that it will not be free and fair. Edo showed it. The most glaring was Osun where INEC announced results and went back and said there were cancelled votes. Cancelled by who? By you INEC. Was it the PDP that cancelled the votes? Then you went back negotiated and did abracadabra. It cannot be fair. Meanwhile, you flooded the place with the army and the police.
Contrast it with the PDP which had an election that was adjudged not to be free and fair in 2007 and it produced President Umaru Yar’Adua. God bless him. I believe he is the best President Nigeria didn’t have for too long. He is only the President who declared his asset fully. All these magic that others have done have been halfway declaration and then everyday you assault my senses that you have integrity. Yar Adua said “the election that brought me was flawed”. What did he do? He set up a committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Uwais and the electoral reforms immediately began. The PDP dominated National Assembly transformed it into Electoral Act. It is that Electoral Act that made it possible for the opposition to come into power. So 2019 will not be free and fair
What should Nigerians do?
It is not a PDP problem. If Nigerians want to live in tyranny, they have seen it before, they are welcome to it. PDP cannot save Nigerians from tyranny, Nigerians will save themselves from tyranny and there are three things Nigerians can demand. All the PVCs that have been collected, who owns them? Are you sure that they are actually owned by individuals? Why can’t we demand that these be audited? That is you select randomly from the PVCs in any state, and insist: These PVCs can we see the faces?
Who will do this sir?
Nigerians like to see a problem when it’s faced. That is the difference between you and South Africans and other nations. When other nations are confronted with a problem, they see it as a national problem. They don’t see it as somebody’s problem, it’s like who will bail the cat?
Look at the Dino Melaye recall saga. Didn’t it teach you a lesson? If we didn’t have that proviso that you have to verify the signatures Dino Melaye would have been gone because they had more than enough signatures to recall him. However, when these signatures were audited, how many did they get? Less than 10 per cent. Disgraceful!
You may find the same with this PVC. In 2015, I was one of those that shouted that Attahiru Jega was a fraud. How could Yobe that had less than1.01million registered voters have collected 800 and something thousand pvcs and there was Boko Haram there. But Enugu that had 1.5 million registered voters was claimed to have collected 700 and something thousand PVCs and there was no Boko Haram in Enugu.
I kept saying he is a professor like me and professors are known for logic. How could a place with less number of registered voters in an insurgency area collect more than a place with more registered voters and no insurgency? I needed a rational explanation. I didn’t get it. So, it looked to me like you knew certain catchment areas where you didn’t want people to vote.
Secondly, go and look at INEC report of 2015. The results for the 774 local governments of Nigeria were entered. How come that Boko Haram was in charge of some local governments? Was it Boko Haram that conducted the elections? I have the figures from INEC. For example in Borno, there were ten members of House of Reps, 9 were males 1 was female, all APC, APC won 100 per cent and yet it was that same Borno that was the centre of Boko Haram. How come you were able to conduct the elections, delineate constituencies or is there any place in Nigeria that was not registered? So when people talk of Jega, I look at him with contempt. The same thing is about to happen again.
