News
2019: Dogara, Lasun Absent At APC’s NEC Meeting …Party Heading For A Crash – Party Chieftain

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and his Deputy, Suleiman Lasun were conspicuously absent from yesterday’s National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The two are currently the highest ranking members of the party in the legislature, following the decision of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to dump the party to join the opposition.
Saraki’s Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu is a member of the PDP.
Although the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole related their apologies to the meeting, party watchers note that Dogara and Lasun were among top party leaders who have at one point or another, voiced their displeasure with the happenings within the party.
Lasun was particularly unhappy with the direct method adopted for the Osun governorship primary, which he participated in and lost.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), yesterday adopted direct primary election to select its presidential candidate for the 2019 elections.
The party also adopted an indirect primary for other elective positions like the governorship position.
The party adopted processes during its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at its national secretariat in Abuja.
Disclosing the development to newsmen, the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said states must inform the National Working Committee NWC of the party if they wish to hold indirect primaries.
Those present at the meeting included the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
Others were governors and other party chieftains.
In a related development, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and immediate former Adviser to Governor Abubakar of Bauchi State on Special Duties, Alhaji Sani Mallam has stated that the party is heading for a crash ahead of the 2019 elections.
He stated that this would happen if the ruling party failed to conduct its primary election through the congress system.
Mallam told newsmen in Bauchi, yesterday that aggrieved APC supporters were waiting for the final outcome on the debate from yesterday’s NEC meeting after which they would decide whether to dump the party or stay.
He said, “We are patiently waiting to hear the final decision of APC’s NEC on the possibility of congress primary election which is being agitated for as the best way to producing credible candidates for the party come 2019, which most APC governors seem to kick against because of their personal interest.”
Mallam maintained that the APC as a party has placed itself under a litmus test on the possibility of surviving its internal challenges ahead of the 2019 election.
The party chieftain blamed APC’s woes on party leaders’ impunity and lack of internal democracy by the leaders whose personal interest is supreme
“The situation in APC currently is the same as that of a pregnant woman especially if the party refuses to agree on a congress primary. Should that be the case, APC supporters may definitely dump the party for the opposition,” he warned.
The APC chieftain, therefore, advised the party’s NWC and NEC to reconsider the demands of its members on congress primary or risk losing supporters at the 2019 elections.
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
-
Sports23 hours ago
Eagles B Players Admit Pressure For CHAN Qualification
-
Niger Delta20 hours ago
NDLEA Intercepts 584.171kg Hard Drugs In Bayelsa … Arrests 559 Suspects
-
Rivers21 hours ago
Four Internet Fraudstars Get Different Jail Terms In PH
-
Business20 hours ago
Food Security: NDDC Pays Counterpart Fund For LIFE-ND Project
-
Business21 hours ago
PH Women Plan Alternative Stew, Shun Tomato High Prices
-
Foods/Drinks23 hours ago
What To Know About Your Menu
-
Niger Delta20 hours ago
Ex-IYC President Lampoons Atiku’s Presidential Ambition … Declares It Negative Impact On N’Delta
-
News21 hours ago
Tinubu Never Stopped 5-year Visa For U S. Citizens – Presidency ?