Politics
Lawmaker Floats Micro Finance Scheme For Women
The lawmaker representing Etche Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Amadi has floated a micro-credit and economic empowerment scheme for women in his constituency.
The scheme, which involves 250 women, will cost the sum of N40 million in the next two years.
Declaring the programme open at the weekend at Okehi, headquarters of Etche Local Government Area, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi said her organisation, the Empoweremnt Support Initiative (ESI), will partner in the success of the scheme.
Dame Amaechi said that the programme will go a long way in improving the condition of women in the area and charged other elected and appointed political office holders to emulate Hon Amadi by initiating programme that will improve the condition of their people, especially the women.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Joeba West said the ministry will encourage the initiative to ensure its success.
Mrs West also urged the beneficiaries to put the money into judicious use, stressing that its proper utilisation will regenerate the economy of the area.
Also speaking, the chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Hon Reginald Ukwuoma said the council is proud of the effort of the wife of the governor in the economic emancipation of the womenfolk in Etche Local Government Area.
The council’s chairman also lauded the initiator of the programme, Hon Victor Amadi, for the programme, which he observed will improved the economic wellbeing of Etche women.
In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Prof Ozor Mercury Ndimele said the area is now blessed with quality young men and women in politics who can now defend Etche’s interest.
Prof Ndimele also said that, the programme was an indication to come back home to help his people and urged other Etche sons and daughters in government to come back home and help their people.
He, however, said that the objective of the scheme will be defeated, if the beneficiaries divert the money to other ventures.
The initiator of the programme, Hon. Victor Amadi, who is the lawmaker representing Etche Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, said that the scheme was intended to reinvent the altitude of self sufficiency in Etcheland “ as well as wipe away tears from the faces of women in the constituency.”
Hon Amadi said that his office is in partnership with the Rivers State Microfinance Agency (RIMA) to not only teach the women the skills of managing small business, but also workout modalities of recovering the loan.
Highlight of the programme was the presentation of cheque of N100,000 cash to the 64 beneficiaries in the first phase of the programme.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with newsmen described the programme as first of its kind in the area.
Politics
Alia Denies Calling For Ganduje’s Resignation
Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has denied calling for the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.
The Tide source reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor had called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of the APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the national party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories,” Kula said.
Politics
LP Re-Elects Abure As National Chairman
The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
Other serving officers of the party were also returned unopposed.
Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize an all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.
Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.
“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
Politics
Suswam Blames External Forces For Problems In PDP
Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is being undermined by external forces which have rendered the party ineffective as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam stated this during a live television interview on Wednesday.
He lamented that the party had since after the 2023 general elections failed to live up to expectations of Nigerians as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam, who blamed the current PDP leadership for the ineffective state of the largest opposition party in the country, said unless there is an overhaul of its leadership, the party would “go nowhere” because the current leadership has lost focus.
He said, “I think there are subterranean forces inferring in the party and they are determining what is going on in the party. And the leadership is acquiescing to it.
“Subterranean suggests that people are trying to control the party from the outside. They are controlling the party from the outside and they are keeping the party in a comatose state.”
The Benue senator accused the party of refusing to call a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to help resolve some of the issues arising in the party.
He regretted the inability of the party to resolve the fallout of the 2022 presidential primary election which saw a group of five governors work against the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the inability of the Iliya Damagum-led leadership to discipline erring party members worsened the situation.
Senator Suswam said it was wrong for the party not to have sanctioned the G-5 governors and their allies who openly declared that they would remain in the party and work against its interest.
“They were not sanctioned which made others become emboldened to act anyway they wanted. PDP has been weakened since then,” he said.
He said no serious organisation does that, stressing that, “A serious organisation would apply sanctions” based on the laid down rules as contained in its constitution.
He further accused the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, of occupying the position which belongs to the North-Central zone, following the removal of the substantive chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from the zone.
Amb. Damagum, who was the Deputy National Chairman (North), hails from the North-East zone but was, as permitted by the party’s constitution, made acting chairman after Ayu’s removal by a court order.
The party’s law provides that the deputy chairman from the same region as the chairman takes over in the event of the latter’s removal from office.
Senator Suswam further lamented that “PDP is comatose now, and nothing can happen now,” adding that it was regrettable that politicians are now preferring to hold talks with smaller parties and not the PDP.
Noting that the PDP was at the precipice, Senator Suswam said, “Until we provide that leadership, PDP will not be a viable platform. We need to overhaul the leadership of the party. There is no pretence about it, everybody in PDP knows it. Without discipline and reconciliation, the party goes nowhere.”
-
Oil & Energy4 days ago
NNPCL Lists Transparency, Accountability, Others, As Transformation Drivers
-
News4 days ago
Trafficking: Beware Of Fake $900 Jobs, NAPTIP Warns Nigerians
-
Focus4 days ago
Reminisces On Tributes To Mrs Adeline Ndalu Jaja
-
Nation2 days ago
Ododo Applauds Security Agencies Over Rescue Of 43 Bus Passengers
-
Opinion3 hours ago
Good Friday: Timeless Message Of Sacrifice, Redemption
-
Education4 days ago
Bill To Increase UBEC Funding Passes Second Reading
-
News4 days ago
Food Prices Rise In February 2024 -NBS
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
Bayelsa Community Set For Youth Election, Inaugurates Eleco