Politics
Dickson Warns Against Political Violence
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, last Friday warned against killings and violence during political campaigns, as the State celebrates the 7th edition of the Annual Thanksgiving Day.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei quoted the governor to have made the comment at the Annual Thanksgiving event held at the 15,000-seater Ecumenical Centre, Igbogene, Yenagoa.
Governor Dickson stressed that power only comes from God and warned unscrupulous elements planning to destabilise the hard-earned peace in the state to desist from such acts.
He urged the political class to go about their campaigns in a peaceful manner devoid of violence, thuggery and focus more on issues bordering on the stability, development peace and security of the state.
Dickson was joined by the Archbishop of the Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Margaret Idahosa, Senior Pastor, House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the Presiding Bishop of Logos Ministries International Church, Bishop Yomi Isijola, the Senior Pastor Royal House òf Grace, Apostle Zilly Aggrey and other men of God to mark the 7th edition of the Bayelsa Annual Thanksgiving Day Anniversary.
He said: “There is something very important that I wish to say here. Bayelsa is a blessed land. It is rated one of the most peaceful states in the country. Our state is one of the fastest developing in Nigeria.
“As we go into effective politicking, politicians should know that power comes only from the Almighty God. Our politicians should note that you don’t get power by violence, you don’t get political control because you are a deadlier killer. People should go about their campaigns without disrupting the peace and stability of the state.
“I urge you all to pray against a few criminal elements plotting to cause mayhem in the state. They are plotting to buy guns for young people and cultists to kill innocent people, they want to destabilize our state, we should pray that God should shut out such people.”
Describing the celebration as an opportunity for Bayelsans to renew their covenant of blessings with God, the governor called on the people to cultivate the habit of thanksgiving to attract more blessings.
His words: “What we do here in Bayelsa permeates from Arogbo in the Western frontiers of the Ijaw nation to Eastern Ibeno in Akwa Ibom, all we do here affect the entire Ijaw nation. I congratulate all Bayelsans on the 7th anniversary of thanksgiving. In the new Bayelsa, all good human being who come here, who do well are all Bayelsans.
Dickson said that his administration was able to achieve so much because real men of God assembled to hand over the state to God after a solemn assembly.
He said that Bayelsa was the only state in the country with a policy declaring a public holiday to give quality thanksgiving to God.
Governor Dickson, who thanked Bayelsans and residents of the state for their continued support and prayers for his administration, also used the opportunity to empathize with flood victims, assuring that, the government would continue to identify with them in their plight.
“As we currently gather here, over 70 percent of the state is under water, the state is below sea level. We again offer formal concerns to all those affected by the flood in all the councils and the camps.
“I have moved round the state to visit, and encourage our people who are affected by the flood. We have tried the little we can to support and encourage you.
“We also appreciate men of good will, churches, religious bodies, professionals, doctors and all those who made donations and offered support to the victims.
“I assure the victims that you are not forgotten in this hour of need. We thank you for your resilience, the Bayelsa spirit of perseverance. We thank God, it could have been worse. Whole communities and societies have been wiped out by natural disasters. Ours is not like that.
By: Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
Politics
2024 Budget: Funds Were Shared Among Senators -Abaribe
The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has explained how the Zonal Intervention Project funds were shared among senators.
Recall that the senator representing Cross River North, Agom Jarigbe on Tuesday revealed that ranking senators got N500 million each while he got nothing.
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate while speaking on allegations of budget padding raised by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Senator Abdul Ningi.
The lawmakers who have spent at least four years in the Senate are regarded as ranking senators.
Speaking on the development on a live television interview on Wednesday, Senator Abaribe denied receiving N500 million as alleged by Senator Jarigbe.
Senator Abaribe said he got N266 million from the money allocated to lawmakers in the six geo-political zones.
According to him, lawmakers from some zones, like the Northwest, which has seven states, would expect to get less than what he got, as his Southeast zone has only five states.
He said, “I have been saying that all fingers are not equal and by privilege of office, certain people will get but not every Senator gets an equal amount.
“These are six zones in the country, and every zone gets its own N10 billion in intervention. Now, if you are from the Northwest zone, because you have seven states, the senator will get less than me who comes from the five-state zone.
“My state, Abia, gets N2 billion and if we break it down for both the Senate and the representatives, the Senate is getting 40% and the House gets 60%.
“I got about N266 million as zonal intervention. The person in the Northwest who has seven states, will necessarily get less, about a hundred million and something.
“So it’s not correct when we say every constituency must get an equal amount.”
Politics
Dump PDP, Enhance Your Value, APC Woos Gov Mutfwang
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has been advised to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) so that his good works and value can appreciate more.
The call was made on Wednesday by the North Central APC Forum in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the forum’s first quarter of the year meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, the APC Forum Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said they were meeting to review the state of the party in the region as well as the region’s economic and security situation, adding that the position of the Plateau State Governor was vital in the overall development of the region.
Zazzaga, who was also a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the last election, commended Governor Mutfwang for carrying the citizenry along in his developmental efforts, noting that his approach to boost peace and security of the state as well as his calm personality was impressive.
However, he said for the governor to attain a robust and exhaustive achievement of his agenda, policies and the development of Plateau State, he should defect to the APC.
He said the governor’s defection would not amount to relegating his former party to the background, but would rather strengthen him more to develop Plateau State.
According to the Chairman, the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, is a good example of someone who seeks development for his people and the nation at large, using any vital and handy platform or party to advance his cause.
“Governor Caleb Mutfwang has so far shown that he is a progressive governor through his works, words and deeds since assuming office. But for him to advance more, he should consider joining the APC.
“This is because joining the APC will put him on the same page with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu who has the interest of Plateau in his heart and has been doing his best to advance it.
“Besides, Governor Mutfwang will be on the same page with his other counterparts in the North Central who are of the APC, and together they will have a common ground and work for the interest and development of the region in general and their specific states in particular.
“Also, most of the legislators from the state are in APC, and they can work hand-in-hand to move the state forward, because the relationship between the executive and the legislature cannot be overemphasized in the pursuance of progress and development.
Politics
Step Aside Over Alleged Budget Padding, PDP Urges Akpabio
The Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) on Wednesday demanded that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately steps aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
In a statement released by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the main opposition party also demanded that Akpabio immediately report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending case relating to N108 billion belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State, allegedly looted under his watch as the governor.
The party similarly told the Senate President to speak out on the reported N86 billion contract scam that allegedly occurred in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The PDP condemned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate “without a detailed inquest into the issue of budget padding which he raised.”
Recall that Ningi blew the whistle on the alleged unexplained N3.7 trillion inserted into the budget, leading to his suspension from the chamber for allegedly disparaging the legislature.
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