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Don’t Use Our Party To Seek Relevance, PDP Warns Tinubu …Police Tighten Security In Presidential Tribunal Venue
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, accused national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of hauling insults on the party (PDP) in a bid to curry political relevance.
This is even as the party noted that by travelling to Mecca, at this Ramadan period, just to meet President Muhammadu Buhari and “engage in gossips, invectives and diatribes against the PDP, Asiwaju Tinubu has further demonstrated that he has nothing to offer towards the development of our nation.”
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party chided the former Lagos State governor for travelling to Saudi Arabia allegedly for political reasons.
The statement read: “It is atrocious that at the time other leaders are in the Holy Land offering prayers and supplications for our nation, Asiwaju Tinubu is in Mecca for photo-ops, playing dirty politics and hauling insults at other Nigerians just to curry relevance before President Buhari.
“The party notes that nothing but sheer hypocrisy would push Asiwaju Tinubu to engage in unholy praises of a failed administration in a desperation to avert the purported threats by certain agents of the Presidency to expose him.
“This is the same Asiwaju Tinubu, who, in January 2018, at the 15th Annual Daily Trust Dialogue, berated the Buhari administration for its nepotism, incompetence, corrupt oil subsidy regime; blaming it for the high-level poverty in our country and counseled Nigerians to be guided by their conscience in electing leaders in the 2019 general elections.
“Asiwaju, in criticizing the Buhari administration held rightly that ‘too much political and economic power resides in the hands of too few. This result in a society described by too much of unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, too little food, yet too much poverty.’
He then added correctly that under President Buhari, ‘rather than becoming a joyous nation, Nigeria has become a cruel playground where the fears and concerns of the average person get exploited but their interests never get promoted.’
The PDP therefore lambasted Asiwaju Tinubu for making allusion to its determination with Nigerians to retrieve Atiku Abubakar’s stolen Presidential mandate at the court, adding that no amount of blackmail can detract from this resolve. The party cautioned Asiwaju Tinubu to call himself to order, particularly as Nigerians, including members of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, have seen through his power-grabbing antics and are now determined to give him the back seat treatment.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Police Force has planned traffic diversion from routes leading to the venue of the Presidential Election Tribunal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, saying it is to avert possible clashes between supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
The FCT Command said the traffic diversion today would be on the GoodluckEbele Way and Shehu Shagari Way in the Maitama area where the tribunal is to sit, noting it was part of its “proactive measures to beef up security at the venue.”
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, stated this in a release, that members of the public are advised to use alternative routes to their destinations today.
Manzah said, “Ahead of the sitting of the Presidential Election Tribunal at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, the FCT police wish to inform members of the public that there will be a diversion of traffic at Goodluck Ebele Way and Shehu Shagari Way.
“While apologising for the inconveniences this might cause those who ply the said routes to their respective offices and business points, the command states that the gesture is part of proactive measure to beef up security at the venue.
“It is to forestall any act that could disrupt the tribunal sitting and result in the breakdown of law and order; especially clash between supporters of both parties. In view of this development, members of the public are advised to use alternative routes to their destinations today. The command reiterates its commitment to the protection of lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory.”
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.