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You Don’t Own PDP, Coalition Blasts Ayu Over Gboko Comments
Benue Coalition for Democracy (BCD), has replied the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, over his alleged unsavoury comments in Gboko, last Friday, saying “you don’t own PDP.
Ayu, who addressed his people in Gboko at the weekend, was quoted to have bragged that he has the power to stop any candidate in the PDP, particularly in the state, from contesting the 2023 election under his party platform.
The national chairman, who was reacting to calls by some state governors, including Governor Samuel Ortom, and his Rivers State counterpart, Chief Nyesom Wike, for him to fulfill his promise to resign if the party produces a northern presidential candidate, had stated that they have no powers to remove him from office.
He went ahead to say that “I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.”
Reacting to Ayu’s outburst, the coalition, in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Aloysius Gbakaan, expressed disappointment at his comments, reminding him that he doesn’t own the party.
The group said, “Yesterday in Gboko, he sounded like a despot who owns PDP, boasting that he could stop anyone from contesting elections. But under the PDP Constitution, the national chairman does not have such absolute powers. Ayu should remember Prince Uche Secondus. Where is Secondus today?”
They likened him to a military dictator who has absolute power under his control, saying “But we are not surprised. Ayu is a Machiavellian. He belongs to the ilk of those who are sly, deceptive, distrusting, and manipulative”.
The further alleged that, “He is known for destroying those who help him to ascend to positions of authority. For him, allowing the people who pushed him to climb the ladder to remain relevant will be detrimental to his sustained stay at the top.”
The group, who also berated the PDP national chairman for keeping mute over killings in Benue, especially in Gbeji and the flood disaster in the state, regretted that as one of the biggest beneficiaries of key positions at the federal level from Benue State, Ayu has never returned the love and blessings he receives from the state.
“Parts of Benue State have come under renewed attacks by Fulani herdsmen in recent weeks. Gbeji in Ukum Local Government Area recorded one of the heaviest casualties in the last two weeks with 36 corpses recovered and more people still missing while others are in the hospitals.
“Benue is one of the states facing the biggest floods with thousands of people rendered homeless by the surging water.
“As a man who is from Benue State and as the national chairman of a political party which is seeking to take over the reins of power at the centre, many Nigerians expected Ayu to visit Gbeji and sympathise with families of those killed in the attack while condemning the dastardly act.
“He was also expected to visit the areas most affected by flooding and offer some words of consolation.
“It would not have been too much to send relief materials to the victims. In fact, a man who is not self-centred would have invited his presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to accompany him to visit Gbeji and the flood hit areas.
“Ayu did none of these things and instead mounted the political podium in Gboko to attack Governor Samuel Ortom and other PDP stakeholders in Benue State who have called his bluff”.
They said, “Ayu and Atiku must stop living in denial, thinking that only people of a certain tribe, religion or region would decide their fate come 2023 as they need the support of all Nigerians.”
The BCD called for an immediate apology from Ayu for playing politics when his people are being killed insisting that, “He and Atiku have spat on the graves of scores of Benue people hacked-down by satanic herders who are on the prowl to actualize the Fulani agenda.
“We want Nigerians who are desirous of enjoying peace after the tenure of the largely incompetent President Muhammadu Buhari to beware of Iyorchia Ayu and Atiku Abubakar’s utterances now that they are not near the seat of power. They have no sympathy or good feelings for the people. Atiku will be worse than Buhari.”
The coalition further stated that Benue voters find the insult from Ayu and Atiku unacceptable and will show their anger during the next year’s election.
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.