13 for editing

13 for editing

South-south APC tells Kachukwu to resing

By Muideen Olaniyi

The South-South national vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Hilliard Eta, has asked the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachukwu, to resign from his position “if he is not capable of doing his part by efficiently running the ministry assigned to him”.

Kachikwu, who doubles as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had said, in reaction to public criticism of his handling of the fuel scarcity, that Nigerians should count themselves fortunate that the NNPC under his stewardship had been able to bring in the amount of fuel it is currently doing.

This comment had drawn criticisms from the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who said the minister strayed from the progressive calling required of the Muhammadu Buhari administration by making the statement attributed to him.

Eta, in a statement, said Kachukwu should get down from “his high horse to face squarely the duties required of him by his office, as responsibility to the people is one of the cardinal points of the APC which he professes membership.”

He said the South-South APC felt that “Kachukwu has not entirely cast off the orientation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he was, and this is manifest in his actions and utterances such as the recent one that attracted opprobrium from many Nigerians.

“In the light of the foregoing, Mr. Kachukwu must not be a cog in the wheel of progress and he should do the needful by resigning honourably if he is not capable of doing his part by efficiently running the Ministry assigned to him,” he said.

The party said the critique from the APC National Leader was not an indication that there was a major rift in the party.

“It is important to reiterate here that winning the federal election in 2015 has not eroded the core ideology of progressivism which we espouse as it is the very foundation on which the party rest.”

Don’t abandon Saraki- Frank tells APC

By Muideen Olaniyi

The deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has said that it is dangerous that the party leadership has decided to sit on the fence and watch Senate President Bukola Saraki swims or sinks at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Frank, in a statement, described the continued trial of the Senate President at the CCT as worrisome in view of what he called the manifest flaws in the processes leading to his arraignment.

He said: I sincerely hold that the current trial of Saraki is not only underserved, but amounts to paying a good man with evil. I also want to say that the leaders of our great party have unfortunately remained quiet in the face of evil.

“I don’t believe we have forgotten that the victory of the APC during the last general elections could not have been possible without courageous strategists like Saraki, who lent their political weight in favour of the APC at the risk of their own lives and personal survival.

“I don’t think we have forgotten how Saraki as a Senator in the 7th Senate brought the attention of Nigerians to the fraud perpetrated by the last administration in the name of fuel subsidy.

“I don’t think we have forgotten so soon how Saraki led five other governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC – a development that successfully turned the political tide against the PDP and eventually tipped the electoral scale against them during the 2015 general elections.

“I think the party needs to be courageous enough to speak out against this unwholesome trend, whose outcome will definitely not augur well for the overall development of our party and by extension, the country at this hour…,” he said.

CSOs, opposition parties list gains, pains of Buhari’s one year election victory

By Abbas Jimoh & Saawua Terzungwe

A year after President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory is a mix of pot pouri, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have said.

In separate interviews, CDD Director Idayat Hassan, Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani and TMG Chairman, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, were however unanimous in saying that some of the loopholes were avoidable.

Hassan said history was made with the opposition seizing power from the incumbent PDP government and that lots of things have happened, both negative and positive.

“We can all as a country acknowledges the fight against corruption being witnessed as oppose the lax attitude of the previous administration.

“Despite the positives, challenges are immense at the moment. In one year, the existing fault lines in the country have once again widened, the country is besieged with security challenges beyond Boko Haram. Fom renewed pastoral/ farmers clashes, Biafra separatists, Shiite, kidnapping, armed robbery, piracy and renewed militancy; economic sabotage such as vandalism of oil pipelines. The fuel scarcity and power outages are yet to abate. Inflation is now in 3 digits,” she said.

On his part, Mallam Rafsanjani, said, “We must commend President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, which has so far helped to save the nation’s image in the international community as well as reduced persistent infiltration by insurgency through system strengthening and the emerging border security.”

Zikirullahi said security, corruption and jobs were the three main issues President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians during his campaign and that for TMG, the president had scored 100 percent on security.

Similarly, former presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Rafiu Salau, said Buhari is deepening democracy in the country and should be given the opportunity “to stop the effect of the past administration.”

National chairman and presidential candidate of Citizens Popular Party (CPP) in the 2015 general elections, Chief Sam Eke, said a clear demonstration that President Buhari is serious about anti-corruption war is the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki, adding that corruption is being confronted without fear or favour.

But presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2015 general elections, Chief Martin Onovo, said, “insecurity is worse, economy worse and national unity sour. Look at herdsmen killing, spate of kidnapping, bombings, inconclusive elections in the country and intimidation of the judiciary. I think this is a deliberate plan by the APC to destroy Nigeria.”

Kwara APC accuse politicians of hijacking CCT

From Romoke W. Ahmad, Ilorin

The All Progressives Congress, (APC), Kwara State chapter, says some politicians have hijacked the Code of Conduct Tribunal and warned that the judiciary may throw the country into needless chaos and pandemonium.

In a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said President Buhari should not be seen to be watching helplessly, when politicians hijacked a crucial arm of government to carry out political vendetta against perceived political adversaries.

“For anyone who ever doubted our position that the trial of the Senate president is not an anti-corruption drive but political persecution and witch-hunt, ?the ruling of the Thursday’s ruling of the Tribunal shows that the CCT is being manipulated and remote-controlled by some desperate politicians.

“Given identical cases, Nigerians should note that the CCT under Justice Umar Danladi discharged and acquitted a leader of APC in 2011 based on Section 3 (d) of the CCB/CCT Act. Why is the Senate President’s motion on the same Section 3 (d) of the CCB/CCT Act being denied by the same tribunal under the same Judge?” the statement read.

Male as female lawmaker mix up corrected in N/Assembly website

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

A correction has been made in the website of the National Assembly of Nigeria which placed the photograph of a male member of the House of Representatives in the page of a female member from a different state.

Daily Trust had a fortnight ago reported that the picture of Rep. Muntari Dandutse, who represents Funtua/Dandume federal constituency of Katsina State, was seen upon a search of Rep. Stella Uchenna Obiageli Ngwu .

Rep Ngwu represents Igbi-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani federal constituency of Enugu State, and is the House of Representatives chairperson of the women affairs/regional planning committee.

Checks on Dandutsi’s page yesterday shows that his picture and his bio-data are now intact, just as Rep Ngwu’s page, photograph and bio-data.

However, the website: nassnig.org which Daily Trust reported that it had placed the picture of a Bauchi lawmaker, Lawal Yahaya Gumau of Toro federal constituency as Adamawa’s Adamu Kamale, who represents Michika/Madagali federal constituency, has now removed Gumau from Kamale’s page.

Rep Gumau’s picture, which was seen on the Rep Kamale’s page, is no longer there and the space was left blank.

Forum sack Sen. Melaye’s brother as chair

By Ismail Mudashir

Members of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF) at the weekend sacked the younger brother of Senator Dino Melaye, Sam Melaye as their chairman.

Rising from a congress, members of the forum alleged that Melaye was forced on them by the management of the National Assembly.

A communiqué signed by Lawson Oviasogie, at the end of a congress attended by 250 members, announced the constitution of an electoral committee that will oversee the emergence of new executives.

“If Sam Melaye is aspiring to become the chairman of ? Legislative Aides Forum, he should follow normal procedure by contesting election and not through the back door, ” the communiqué added.