Politics
Wike Dissolves 17 LG Caretaker Committees
The successful hosting of the 56th Conference of the
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) reverberated last week as the governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and his counterpart from Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambunal ended the lawyers confab with the commissioning of projects at Rumuagholu and Okrika.
But last Monday the governor, as part of plans to give State burial to late literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi, announced a 13-man member committee led by former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barister Frank Owhor.
The Committee was inaugurated the next day, Tuesday in Government House by Chief Wike. He appealed to the members to ensure they give a befitting burial to the elder statesman.
The governor further charged the committee to come up with a proposal for a national burial, while urging them to avoid family squabbles, but do everything in its powers to ensure the burial was hitch-free, taking into consideration the personality and contributions of the late nationalist.
On Tuesday, Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo participated at the closing ceremony of the children holiday sports programme organised by Fair Cottage Sports Academy. She was represented by her Senior Special Assistant in Administration, Gilbert Nria as she restated the resolve of Chief Wike-led administration to sports development.
Dr. Harry-Banigo commended the effort of Fair Cottage Sports Academy at the Port Harcourt Club for organising the programme – designed to hunt budding talents in the younger generation.
On the same Tuesday, the first Lady, Justice Suzette Wike and the deputy governor flagged-off a one-day entreprenurship training workshop organized by the State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA).
Justice Wike used the workshop to affirm that the present administration in Rivers State is poised to create an investor-friendly environment for the sustained development of the state.
The weekly State Executive Council Meeting held last Wednesday with the governor presiding. The meeting which held in the evening ended with the suspension of four Commissioners – Chieftaincy Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Finance and Sports. The Head of Service and Special Adviser on Lands were equally suspended. They are to remain suspended for three months according to a statement from the governor’s Media Aide on Electronic Media.
The governor, last Thursday, dissolved 17 Caretaker Committees of Local Government Councils in the State. A Statement from the Special Adviser to the governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu urged the affected CTC Chairmen to handover to the most senior official in the respective local government areas.
The governor later visited sites of ongoing projects within Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government and Etche Areas. At the Etche/Chokocho Okehi Road, Chief Wike addressed the people and urged them to ignore claims by the opposition that the road project was being done by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Last Friday, the governor visited project sites, in Ogoni area. He commended contractors handling the renovation of Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori and the Sakpenwa – Kono Road. Before the project inspection, Chief Wike had played host to the Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Rachael Shelleng.
The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi paid a courtesy call to Governor Wike last Saturday and urged him to sustain his good works.
Chief Wike and members of the State Exco attended a massive crusade organised by the Church at Gen. Gowon Stadium, Elekahia.
Politics
Alia Denies Calling For Ganduje’s Resignation
Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has denied calling for the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.
The Tide source reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor had called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of the APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the national party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories,” Kula said.
Politics
LP Re-Elects Abure As National Chairman
The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
Other serving officers of the party were also returned unopposed.
Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize an all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.
Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.
“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
Politics
Suswam Blames External Forces For Problems In PDP
Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is being undermined by external forces which have rendered the party ineffective as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam stated this during a live television interview on Wednesday.
He lamented that the party had since after the 2023 general elections failed to live up to expectations of Nigerians as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam, who blamed the current PDP leadership for the ineffective state of the largest opposition party in the country, said unless there is an overhaul of its leadership, the party would “go nowhere” because the current leadership has lost focus.
He said, “I think there are subterranean forces inferring in the party and they are determining what is going on in the party. And the leadership is acquiescing to it.
“Subterranean suggests that people are trying to control the party from the outside. They are controlling the party from the outside and they are keeping the party in a comatose state.”
The Benue senator accused the party of refusing to call a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to help resolve some of the issues arising in the party.
He regretted the inability of the party to resolve the fallout of the 2022 presidential primary election which saw a group of five governors work against the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the inability of the Iliya Damagum-led leadership to discipline erring party members worsened the situation.
Senator Suswam said it was wrong for the party not to have sanctioned the G-5 governors and their allies who openly declared that they would remain in the party and work against its interest.
“They were not sanctioned which made others become emboldened to act anyway they wanted. PDP has been weakened since then,” he said.
He said no serious organisation does that, stressing that, “A serious organisation would apply sanctions” based on the laid down rules as contained in its constitution.
He further accused the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, of occupying the position which belongs to the North-Central zone, following the removal of the substantive chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from the zone.
Amb. Damagum, who was the Deputy National Chairman (North), hails from the North-East zone but was, as permitted by the party’s constitution, made acting chairman after Ayu’s removal by a court order.
The party’s law provides that the deputy chairman from the same region as the chairman takes over in the event of the latter’s removal from office.
Senator Suswam further lamented that “PDP is comatose now, and nothing can happen now,” adding that it was regrettable that politicians are now preferring to hold talks with smaller parties and not the PDP.
Noting that the PDP was at the precipice, Senator Suswam said, “Until we provide that leadership, PDP will not be a viable platform. We need to overhaul the leadership of the party. There is no pretence about it, everybody in PDP knows it. Without discipline and reconciliation, the party goes nowhere.”
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