Politics
Anambra APC Reports Ngige To Buhari
Members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State have expressed misgiving about Minister of Labour and Employment in the affairs of the party in the state.
In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, signed by Jideofor Ejimofor, Emeka Kammelu, Gody Offor, Henry Obiokpala, Ugochukwu Egbobe Joseph Molokwu, Ayamelum and Paul Chuks Umenduka, the party alleged that Ngige had not helped the party in Anambra State.
They said with the minister as the leader of APC in Anambra State, the party had not won any election.
“With Ngige as leader in Anambra, APC has never won any election anywhere in the state; whether councillor-ship, local government chairmanship, House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate or governorship.
“It may also interest Mr. President to know that the councillor representing Alor Ward (minister’s ward), whether elected or appointed since the inception of APC, has always been of APGA extraction. Same applies to the House member representing the minister’s state constituency. Presently, his federal constituency has a PDP House of Representatives member.
“In 2019 election, with Ngige as leader and sitting labour and employment minister, APC performed abysmally poor in the presidential election. Ngige hails from ldemili South council, where President Buhari scored 2,220 votes and PDP presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku, scored 17,039 votes. Also in Idemili North council, which is Ngige’s second council in his federal constituency, Buhari scored 1,846 votes and Atiku scored 37,188 votes.
In summary, Anambra State, under Ngige’s leadership, Atiku scored 524,738 votes and Buhari 33,298 votes in 2019 presidential election,” the party said.
The party leaders said Ngige has only favoured his relatives instead of party members, saying: “We thank Mr. President for graciously reappointing Ngige as labour and employment minister, appointing his wife, Evelyn, as permanent secretary, Office of Head of Service (Welfare Office); his biological brother, Emeka, as chairman, Council of Legal Education; his elder brother, Edwin and his maternal uncle, Emma Nwosu as chairmen of federal boards; his biological sister, Bene Nwachukwu (nee Ngige) and his cousin, Uzoma Igbonwa, as NACA board members.
“A careful look at those Ngige employed in Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) will show that majority of them are from his village (Alor) with too many Ngiges on the list.
“Out of about 43 names he employed in NSITF, majority of them are from Alor, his village and Nnobi his mother’s village. The comprehensive list can be seen from a video of House of Representatives Committee probing NSITF. Very few members of the party have benefitted from employment being given by Ngige as a minister.”
They accused the minister of appointing his kinsman, Uzoma Igbonwa (Okife) as chairman, Presidential Task Force on the 774 Federal Government jobs for Anambra State when the same man is also the Federal Government board member of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NACA).
The APC members appealed to President Buhari to “direct Ngige to open up the party by being fair and accommodative to all members.
“He should also be urged to stop using his leadership position to witch-hunt and unsettle genuine and committed party officers and members.
“This clarion call is very urgent to prevent a looming exodus of party’s major stakeholders…”
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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