News

Fraud Allegation Hits TAN

Published

11 years ago

October 13, 2014

The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), a group passionately campaigning for a second term for President Goodluck Jonathan, has been hit by allegation of fraud, with some members of the group accusing it of staging a crowd in support of the president and refusing to pay them as agreed.
TAN has conducted regional rallies in support of Jonathan since August, with the last of its six conventions held in Kano, for the North West, which comprises Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Kaduna states.
The Kano event held September 27, like the previous five regional rallies, was attended by senior officials of the Federal Government, and thousands of supporters.
Much of the crowd at the event was rented, some aggrieved members of the group have told our correspondent.
The politicians, who are members of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in Kano State, and were drafted to be part of the TAN rally, narrated how they were asked to rent a crowd for the president for an agreed fee, only to be left stranded without money to compensate hundreds of youth and women hired for the rally.
The matter is threatening to tear the support organization apart with the aggrieved members gearing to seek redress and expose the sham they claim was on parade at the events.
The aggrieved agents now have a pile of debt to settle and some of them, who spoke with our correspondent, say they do not know who to talk to about the money they spent in bringing in supporters.
One of the agents, Ibrahim Lawan, who claimed to be the secretary of the PDP Youth Awareness Initiative, Kano, told our correspondent that he was instructed to bring in 500 youth and women and to hire buses that will transport them to the venue of the rally in Kano city.
The arrangement, according to Lawan, was that each participant would be paid N500 on arrival, and N2, 000 for each bus. Those contracted to rent the crowd hired, at least, 50 busloads of supporters, he said.
The story changed once they arrived at the venue, Lawan told our correspondent.
“But to my utmost surprise and confusion, as we entered the venue, we tried to locate the organizers but we could not see them. When I called them, they said I should be patient as they would settle everything after the event. But almost immediately, we realized that the whole thing is a scam because nobody was talking to us again,” Lawan said.
He said they were left to source money and settle some of the youth who became restive and attacked them and their personal vehicles, and seized their belongings, including phones.
“This left us in rancour with over 600 angry youth who went wild due to frustration of spending lots of hours, no food or water, and also no available transportation back to their various destinations,” he said.
Lawan said he managed to escape while two of his guards were injured in the fray that followed.
Students in the state, who were also asked to put up a showing at the event, were treated the same way, he said.
Another agent, Bello Dan Alkarya, also told ou correspondent that he was asked to bring in women and youth to the venue and would be given N500 for each of them.
Alkarya said he did, but unlike Lawan, he was short-changed as only N300 was paid for each person transported to the rally venue.
Our investigation revealed that TAN has no official representation in Kano.
Our correspondent, who made findings in Kano, was told the group has only two resource persons who are responsible for the entire North West.
One of the officials, who agreed to speak, but on the condition his identity be protected, said he had received several complaints of people short-changed by the group after the event.
“I simply told them I am not an insider on the activities of TAN because I don’t know much about them. We are only two of us in the whole of North West region, and we don’t have any office. The only way I get to them is when they call me, I don’t know anything about them,” he said.
“In fact, the only person who holds everything is the owner of the group, Ifeanyi Uba. He is the one who directed one Jibrin to make sure that they get some people to bring in women and youth. Now, you can see that there is a problem in the whole thing,” the man said.
TAN’s Director of Communication and Strategy, Udenta Udenta, told our correspondent in a telephone interview last Saturday that the association was not aware of the issue, and could not have been involved in such an arrangement.
“Kano rally was our last rally. The response of Nigerians to our objective and rallies was spontaneous and they are full of passion and conviction. From the South East rally to the North West, that has been the trend.
“However, stakeholders, including those contesting elections, can mobilize people to come to the rallies. It is not like TAN is doing the entire mobilization. It is like a market place. TAN only set up a platform to accommodate various interests. Therefore, whoever made the accusation (you are talking about) should be clear on it; he should state clearly who is responsible, when the agreement was reached, date and if not, such a story should be dismissed,” Udenta said.
Lawan said he and others affected have decided to reach out to the media, the PDP leadership and the police.
“Till now, those in charge of the mobilisation and payment of transport fares and feeding stipends are nowhere to be found or contacted,” he said.
“It’s indeed a pity to see how things are being organised by TAN North West (Kano). Please, PDP, GDG and TAN members, come to my aid, I am currently under pressure and threatened by angry PDP youth to pay them their stipends,” Lawan lamented.
TAN has been at the centre of controversy before.
During its earlier rallies, the group staged the events at the peak of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, defying complaints and warnings from Nigerians about the possibility of helping to spread the deadly virus.

News

Ibas Inaugurates RSIEC, Service Commissions, Healthcare Board In Rivers …Charges Appointees To Embrace Principles Of Service

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has charged newly appointed Board members to uphold the highest standards of discipline, competence, integrity, and unwavering dedication in their service to the State.

He emphasized that such commitment is critical to stabilizing governance, restoring democratic institutions, and advancing the principles of good governance in the State.

This was contained in a statement by the Administrator’s Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo on Monday.

Ibas issued the charge on Monday while inaugurating the reconstituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, and the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The Administrator urged the new appointees to embrace their roles with diligence, patriotism, and a commitment to transforming Rivers State through excellent service.

Addressing the Chairman and members of RSIEC, Ibas underscored their pivotal role in ensuring credible local government elections that reflect the will of the people.

“Your task is clear but demanding: to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at the grassroots level. You must resist bias, favoritism, and external interference while restoring public confidence in the electoral process,” he stated.

“The independence of your actions is crucial to sustaining peace, stability, and grassroots governance. I urge you to act with fairness, impartiality, and professionalism—even in the face of difficult choices,” Ibas added.

The Sole Administrator also charged the Rivers State Civil Service Commission on the need to eliminate mediocrity and foster a culture of excellence through merit-based recruitment, training, and promotions.

“The civil service must transition from favoritism to competence, integrity, and accountability. Your commission will lead reforms, including digital transformation and standardized practices across ministries, departments, and agencies,” he said.

He disclosed that extensive training programmes are underway, with a committee set up to overhaul the public service framework for greater efficiency.

Meanwhile, Ibas urged the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission to ensure professionalism and discipline in local government administration.

“As the closest tier of government to the people, you must drive reforms that insulate the system from politics and mediocrity. Your mandate includes merit-based recruitment, training, and enforcing standards for effective service delivery,” he stated.

In the same vein, the Administrator charged the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board with revitalizing healthcare delivery across the state’s 23 local government areas.

“Primary healthcare is the foundation of a sustainable health system. Your board must ensure facilities are adequately staffed, equipped, and operational focusing on maternal health, immunization, malaria control, and community health services,” he said.

He emphasized data-driven operations, incentives for rural health workers, and restoring the referral system to improve healthcare access.

He also assured the Board of sustained government support, including funding, for the effective discharge of their mandates but warned that board members would be held accountable for their performance.

The newly inaugurated members include: RSIEC: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman) with Prof. Arthur Nwafor, Prof. Joyce Akaninwor, and others as members.

Civil Service Commission: Dr. Livinus Bariki (Chairman), Amb. Lot Egopija, Mrs. Maeve Bestman, and others.

Local Govt. Service Commission: Mr. Isreal Amadi (Chairman), Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd), Dr. Tonye Pepple, and others.

Primary Health Care Board: Dr. Dawari George (Chairman), Dr. Chituru Adiele (Executive Director), Prof. Kaladada Korubo, and representatives from key ministries.

News

Rivers PDP Debunks Sale Of LGA Election Forms

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, has debunked claims that the party has commenced sale of forms for chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Yowika made the rebuttal in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, describing the publication on the social media as baseless and untrue.

He urged members of the PDP to disregard the claim, saying that official communication regarding the sale of forms would be disclosed through the appropriate channels.

“With reference to information trending on social media, it has been falsely claimed that the sale of forms for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State will begin soon.

“However, the party has firmly denied these rumours, stating that they are baseless and untrue.

“The party has its own established methods of reaching out to its numerous supporters.

“The People’s Democratic Party, a law-abiding organisation, will patiently await the release of guidelines from the recently inaugurated Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) before considering any sale of election forms.

“The PDP is urging its members to remain calm as official communication regarding the sale of forms will be disclosed through appropriate channels,” the statement read.

Enoch Epelle

News

South-South contributes N34trn to Nigeria’s economy in 2024 – Institute

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has stated that the South-South region contributes N34 trillion to country’s economy in 2024.

He made the remark at the South-South Zonal Banking and Finance Conference in Calabar, yesterday.

He spoke on the theme, ‘’Building An Inclusive South-South: Economic Diversification as a Catalyst For Development.’’

Olanrewaju, who quoted the data from the Cable Data Index, said the feat was more than 21 per cent of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The president described the growth as ‘’ impressive,’’ saying that it was not driven by oil alone but significant expansions in trade, services, and the creative industries.

According to him, to fully harness this potential, coordinated financial, technological, and policy support is essential.

“As we work to reposition the South-South for broad-based prosperity, the financial system must play a central role, not merely as a source of capital, but as a catalyst for innovation, ideas incubation, and inclusive economic growth.

“This conference, therefore, provides a strategic opportunity for stakeholders to reimagine the South-South economy, not merely as a resource belt, but as a region of diverse capabilities and resilient enterprises.”

Olanrewaju added that Nigeria must move beyond old models and chart a new course for the development of the South-South region, where financial institutions and stakeholder collaborate to diversify the economy for shared prosperity.

He, however, commended Gov. Bassey Otu for his pledge of land for CIBN Secretariat in Cross River and being the first sitting governor to willingly undergo and complete the Chartered Bankers Programme.

On his part, Gov. Otu said that the conference discussion on the economic diversification in South-South region was timely against the backdrop of global trade and economic volatility that was affecting the nation’s economy.

Represented by his deputy, Mr Peter Odey, Otu said the South-South region must now act with urgency to diversify its economy while leveraging its shared natural endowment in agriculture and extractive resources.

“This conference must help develop tailored financial solutions that reflect the unique strengths and realities of states like Cross River in the south-south.

“Diversification should be evidence-based and must be backed not just by financial advice but project focused financing and real investment support,” he noted.

He said that Cross River had taken the bold step to invest in its agricultural sector by launching an Agro processing hub.

Otu further said that the state had invested in aviation by acquiring more aircrafts for Cally Air, construction of the Bakassi Deep Seaport and injecting N18 billion in its tourism sector.

Similarly, Mr Tolefe Jibunoh, Cross River Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the region was blessed with natural resources, cultural diversities and immense human potentials.

Jibunoh, who was represented by Mr Segun Shittu, Head, Currency Control Office, CBN, Calabar, noted that strategic diversification could unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth in the region.

He added that the CBN remained steadfast to maintain monetary possibilities and promote a sound financial system as a catalyst for sustainable economic development for the benefit of all.