Politics
Rivers Chieftaincy, Domestic Violence Bills Get To C’ttee
The Rivers State House of
Assembly has committed two bills into ad hoc committee stage to look into them and organize public hearing on them.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree who took the decision after the two bills passed the second reading at the floor of the House yesterday, directed that the committees should submit the reports to the House in two weeks. The two bills are the Rivers State Chieftaincy and Council Bill and Rivers State Domestic Violence Bill.
While debating on the bills, Hon Chidi Llyod representing Emohua constituency said the bill was necessary in order to recognise chieftaincy stools in the state and also deal with chieftancy law.
Hon Llyod who is the House Leader noted that the recognition and passage of the bill would harmonise the stools and also ensure that one first class stool over sees the entire local government.
According to him, ‘’the Amanayabo of Kalabari will have to oversee the whole of Kalabari while the Onyesi Etche will have to oversee the whole of Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas.”
The lawmaker said this will correct the anomalies and make the chieftaincy stool up to date.
Others who spoke in favour of the bill include Hon Ibiso Nwuche,Hon Chigbo Sam Eligwe,Lucky Odili, all suggested that the bill should move to the next stage.
The ad hoc committee member to to look into the bill.include Hon Chidi Lloyd as Chairman,Hon Chigbo Sam Eligwe, Hon Miller Andew Anderson, Hon Ben Horsfall and Victoria Wobo Nyeche as members.
Also the Rivers State Domestic Violence Bill passed its second reading and was committed into committee stage.
Earlier, Hon Llyod had urged his male colleagues not to support the bill and allow it to pass this stage.
According to him, if it is passed, it will make all the male go to jail.
He condemned some clauses such as fiscal aggression and controlling, domineerin, saying it is the function of the man as the head of the house to control and head his home even as he said every woman should be treated well.
Hon Felicia Tanee, Tai disagreed with Hon Llyod that the bill was to witch hunt the male, saying it was meant to give the women some belongings at home.
Hon Lucky Odili and Hon Sam Eligwe noted that the term domestic violence was broad. Hon Odili observed that the bill was all about the husband and wife and did not imply other members of the family. He however advised the initiator of the bill to withdraw and re phrase it.
Earlier, Hon Nyeche said the bill should not be viewed in the context of husband and wife, but members should consider their daughters while making contributions on the bill. She noted that marriage is supposed to be enjoyed by the couples.
The Rivers State Domestic Violence Bill adhoc committee is to be headed by Hon. Golden Chioma Ngozi, while Hon Belema Okpokiri, Hon Lucky Odili, Hon Ibiso Nwuche and Hon Felicia Tanee serve as members
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.”
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