News
VP Slot: Jonathan, PDP Undecided
Although some Nigeria’s political juggernauts have began jostling for the Vice President slot, President Goodluck Jonathan is still undecided, The Tide on Sunday can now reveal.
The race for the Vice President slot has been on behind the scene while Dr. Jonathan held sway as Acting President, it was intensified as soon as it was learnt that President Yar’Adua was no more, with Governors Forum and other interest groups showing interest in it.
Curiously, all the contenders for the plump political job are from the North and ardent members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) although the 1999 Constitution stipulates that the Vice President could be picked by the President from any part of the Country.
Sources at both the Presidential villa and Wadata House — the PDP National Secretariat at Wuse Zone 5, Abuja told The Tide On Sunday that virtually all the avowed ‘god fathers’ of the party, especially from the Northern Zone and some Governors of PDP controlled State have expressed interest in having their loyalists considered for the Number – Two office in the land.
These political godfathers, The Tide On Sunday learnt include some members of the PDP’S Board of Trustees (BOT), like its Chairman, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and former Chairman, Chief Toney Anenih and contenders for the party’s 2011 presidential ticket like former military President, Geneneral Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as well as Patrons and arrow-heads of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) like Nigeria’s former permanent representative at the United Nations, Maitama Sule – on whose desk, many believe the political equation in the North stops.
Inspite of the general interests expressed in the Vice President’s Job and on-going jostling for it, especially in the North, The Tide On Sunday was able to establish in Abuja that the front contenders for the plumb Job as at yesterday are secretary to the Government of the federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, National Security Adviser to the President, Aliyu Gusau and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai who returned to the country last week after about two years in exile.
Our Aso Rock Presidential Source said the list is by no means exhaustive as behind the scene moves were being intensified to enlist names like Senate President, Senetor David Mark, former Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu & Governor of Bauchi State, Mr. Isa Yuguda among other contenders, adding that the trio of Ahmed, Gusau and el-Rufai however seem to have an edge over others, as at yesterday.
Adducing reasons for this, our source said: “Yayale Ahmed has been loyal to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, that explains why he was retained by Jonathan although he was appointed by Yar’Adua and you know any president want a loyal deputy so Yayale is being considered based on his credential of loyalty .
Gusau is seen as an old war-horse that could be used by the government to keep the status-quo intact. He is favoured by the Presidential Advisory council charied by General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd), on whose advice of course, he was appointed National Security Adviser.
The Military is loyal to him. This has been proved overtime, right from the days of IBB and Obasanjo in government so the thinking is that with him as Veepee, mutiny in the army would be adequately kept under check throughout Jonathan’s tenure”.
Our source continued, “For el-Rufai you know he is Obasanjo’s boy”. Infact, Obasanjo is instrumental to his home-coming, without arrest at the airport, inspite of the fact that he was declared ‘wanted’ by the EFCC and you know Jonathan was Obasanjo’s Choice for the Veepee slot in 2007 when he ran with Yar’Adua. If you know President Jonathan very well, he does not believe in biting the finger that feeds him or being disloyal to his superior officers so the calculation is that if Obasanjo comes up with superior arguments for El-Rufai, he might be considered for the Veepee slot.
Our correspondent reports that the bulk stops on President Jonathan’s desk as he is the only one empowered by the constitution to nominate his deputy and forward the name to theNational Seemblyfor screening and confirmation but this may not be without consultation with parts of the country.
Justus Awaji, Abuja
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.
News
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.