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Corrupt, Incompetent Govt -PDP …Demands Release Of Kaduna Campaign Director
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that his administration has no moral rectitude to pontificate on corruption. “President Muhammadu Buhari has soiled his hands in corruption”, the said.
In a statement disclosed by the National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party accused Buhari of presiding over the most corrupt and incompetent administration in the history of Nigeria. PDP flays Buhari’s assault on Atiku’s campaign
The party equally accused Buhari of becoming a threat to the coming elections, noting that he is funding his campaign with looted funds. The statement reads: “The PDP, out of respect for the Office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, had severally refrained from calling out President Buhari on his various indictments for corruption even during his era as a military ruler.
“A clear reading of Mr. President’s statement today shows that he is not yet aware that Nigerians have decoded his mastery of concealments of corruption in his Presidency and are no longer interested in his failed self-acclaimed fight against corruption.
“President Buhari presides over the most corrupt and incompetent administration in the history of our nation, for which Nigerians are very eager to go to the polls on Saturday to vote him out of office. “If Mr. President were to be aware, he would have discovered that his entire surrounding reeks of moral, institutional and integrity corruption.
But since he has consistently claimed not to be aware of anything around him, it is imperative to let him know that the fish in his pond is rotten from the head. “Clinical examples can be drawn from his campaign council. Nigerians are aware that not a few members of this council have been indicted on malfeasance bordering on corruption
“Is it not strange therefore that President Buhari who wants Nigerians to perceive his administration as fighting corruption, will cast a net into the ocean and bring out only corrupt people to run his campaign? Youth network condemns suspension of CJN, vote buying
“The truth is that Nigerians have seen more than enough of the fake fight against corruption and have come to a conclusion that President Buhari is merely paying lip services to this fight. He has no intention to do it and even if he had the opportunity to govern perpetually, he will never fight corruption.
Meanwhile, the PDP in Kaduna State yesterday called for the “immediate release” of Mr. Ben Bako, the Director (Media), of its Campaign Council.
Bako, a former commissioner of information in the state, is currently under the custody of the Department of State Services, over alleged hate speech and public incitement.
The PDP demanded for Bako’s release at a press conference yesterday in Kaduna. The conference was addressed by the Deputy Director of the State Campaign Council, Mr Danjuma Bello-Sarki.
“We are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ben Bako, who has been harassed and illegally detained without trial for more than 24 hours,” he said.
According to him, the Director, Directorate of State Service in Kaduna State, Ahmadu Idris, invited Bako to his office in Kaduna on Saturday. The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Kaduna State have protested against the recent arrest of its Campaign Director Media Committee of the Isa Ashiru Gubernatorial Campaign Team, Mr Ben Bako, by security operatives for undisclosed charges.
PDP members in the state have also disclosed plans to arrest the former State Governor and Party Chieftain, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and some other top chieftains of the party.
The Deputy Director of Ashiru’s Campaign Organisation, Danjuma Sarki, revealed that the State Director of the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) Ahmadu Idris placed a curious invitation to Bako before he was arrested and whisked away to Abuja.
According to Sarki, “As a law abiding citizen with nothing to fear or hide, Bako dutifully honoured the invitation of the DSS after informing many members of the campaign team”.
“We are very much aware that, long before now, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, under the leadership of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has penciled down a long list of influential PDP members in the state for intimidation, arrest and detention over spurious charges few days to the general elections”, Sarki alleged.
Among those listed for arrest, he explained are “former Governor of Kaduna State and former National Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi”.
Also penned for arrest is former Governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, Kaduna State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Felix Hyat and former Kaduna State Chairman of the PDP, Yahaya Yaro Makama and Kaduna State Secretary of the PDP, Comrade Wusono”.
Sarki further disclosed that, “We are also aware that several youth leaders of the PDP in the state, women leaders and staunch supporters of the PDP, including some public commentators are also to be locked up shortly before the elections”.
“The plan is to lock away 150 leaders of the PDP at the State and Local Government Areas on trumped up charges of hate speech during campaign rallies”.
“The intention is to send fears and weaken the spirit of the campaign. Or to stir crisis in the state”, Sarki noted.
“But, unknown to Governor el-Rufai and the DSS, the more he arrests us, the stronger the PDP gets. It is too late to reverse the determination of the traumatised people of Kaduna state”.
“They have been fleeced by a narrow group of friends and family under a government of tyranny, propaganda, bigotry, disunity and backwardness”.
Condemning Governor El-Rufai on his recent threat to local and global peace, Sarki said; “If anyone deserves impeachment, arrest or arraignment for hate speech over the years, it has to be Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state”.
“The world today is still outraged by the murderous threat of Governor Nasir el-Rufai to International Election Observers, when he vowed that should any of them intervene contrary to the designs and expectation of the APC during and after elections, they would return home in body bags”.
“Curiously, the Presidency came out in full support of that crude, barbaric bravado which carries a costly diplomatic price, should any harm befall any International Election Observer in the course of their legitimate duty in Nigeria during the polls”.
“From his call for violent assault to the three Senators in Kaduna state; his denigrating reference to the Pope over his rejection by the electorates in Kaduna State and his latest threat, el-Rufai remains the greatest albatross to local and International peace in Nigeria today. Not Mr. Ben Bako of the PDP”, Danjuma stated.
“The PDP in Kaduna state will not be drawn into any violent conflict no matter the provocation. Let us reiterate for the records; The PDP in Kaduna state is determined and totally committed to a violent free polls. No member or supporter of the PDP must be involved in breaking the law. In the same manner, the PDP is solid serious about ensuring that every vote cast in the state, counts.”
“We are calling on our members and supporters to ensure that they come out in large numbers and vote. They must ensure that their votes are counted, recorded and securely moved to the next collation centre. On this, we are ready to use every legal means to protect our franchise”.
“No amount of intimidation, threat, blackmail and illegal use of state force will deter us from this aspect”, he stated.
The Deputy Director General demanded for the release of Bako from detection custody.
According to him, “The DSS has become compromised and partisan in Kaduna state and we say no to such development.
“We believe that Kaduna State Director of the DSS, Ahmadu Idris will not be neutral in the 2019 general elections and we call for his immediate redeployment”, Sarki stated.
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.