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Presidency Destroying Our Democracy – Fayose
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, yesterday urged Nigerians to resist what he described as the rascality of Presidency officials who he said are bent on destroying our hard-earned democracy and emasculating the National Assembly.
The governor said: “The major difference between democracy and dictatorship is the presence of the legislature in democracy and its absence in a dictatorship”, adding that efforts by this administration “to hand-cuff the National Assembly is a subtle plot to foist full-blown dictatorship on Nigerians.
He therefore charged Nigerians to resist such development, saying: “In doing so, we shall be defending our democracy and we shall also be defending ourselves and generations of Nigerians yet unborn. This democracy cost us a lot in blood and sweat.
The labour and sacrifice of the heroes and heroines of our democracy must not be allowed to go in vain”, he said.
The governor made the remarks in a statement released in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, saying it is a shame when the Constitution of the country is violated by Federal appointees and the Presidency keeps silent.
“It confirms that the Presidency is the one behind it. In the uniform saga involving the Comptroller-General of Customs, it is safe to say that the Presidency is in support of Hammed Ali against the National Assembly.
“It is scary that a whole Senate of the Federal Republic has to bow to an appointee who had needed the same Senate to confirm his appointment. In a democracy which thrives on separation of powers, this is tantamount to an invasion of the hallowed chambers of the legislature, in the same manner that we recently witnessed against the Judiciary.
“When the Presidency accepts and defends the arrogance of one man against the time-tested and practice-honoured intricate system of governance, then, the system as a whole has collapsed.
It is even more dangerous that the courts have been dragged into this obvious plot to destroy the legislature just as we recently witnessed a similar plot against the Judiciary itself” “It is an open secret today that many judges are being blackmailed to do the bidding of the Presidency and the ruling party.
It is also embarrassing to ask the Senate to maintain status quo on an issue that borders on the performance of its legislative duty”, he added.
“Presidency appointees are ridiculing and sneering at the Legislature, which is comprised of the elected representatives of the people; Presidency appointees are relentlessly and without remorse tearing the fabrics that bind this country together: What are they turning this country into?
When last did this happen in Nigeria? “Magu’s nomination has twice been rejected by the Legislature; yet, he sits pretty in office: Under what law and by whose authority?
Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara, permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, who should have retired two years ago, is being brazenly kept in the civil service in flagrant violation of extant civil service rules and regulations.
Where else in the civilised world can that happen? “If a power-drunk Presidency is bent on violating the law, why can’t the individuals concerned be men and women of integrity? “What is the essence of sending appointees’ nomination to the Senate? It is so that the Senate, which is the authority constitutionally-saddled with the responsibility to confirm or reject such nominations, can perform its duty. And its decision is biding; not advisory like some chop-and quench lawyers are rationalising.
And no nominee, who fails to pass the Senate hurdle, can sit in the office to which he had been nominated.
“The spirit as well as the letters of our Constitution; and, indeed, the pillars of democratic governance erected this road block to enforce checks and balances and keep the Executive in check because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely “Otherwise, we shall have dictatorship on our hands and President Buhari would soon become Emperor Buhari in the same mould or even worse than those of Emperor Jean Bedel Bokassa and Emperor Idi Amin Dada.
God forbid! Fayose then warned that “the infractions by the President’s men are becoming too often, too many, and achingly intolerable. We run a constitutional government and not a dictatorship. It is a shame that they are all behaving as if Nigeria is a banana republic”.
“What is the essence of sending appointees’ nomination to the Senate? It is so that the Senate, which is the authority constitutionally-saddled with the responsibility to confirm or reject such nominations, can perform its duty. And its decision is biding; not advisory like some chop-and quench lawyers are rationalising. And no nominee, who fails to pass the Senate hurdle, can sit in the office to which he had been nominated.
“The spirit as well as the letters of our Constitution; and, indeed, the pillars of democratic governance erected this road block to enforce checks and balances and keep the Executive in check because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“Otherwise, we shall have dictatorship on our hands and President Buhari would soon become Emperor Buhari in the same mould or even worse than those of Emperor Jean Bedel Bokassa and Emperor Idi Amin Dada. God forbid!
“Fayose then warned that “the infractions by the President’s men are becoming too often, too many, and achingly intolerable. We run a constitutional government and not a dictatorship. It is a shame that they are all behaving as if Nigeria is a banana republic”.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.