News
Atiku, Tambuwal, Tinbu Give Jonathan Quit Notice
President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday suffered another round of attacks from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as leading members of the opposition party took a swipe at his administration, asking him to prepare his handover note as the end of administration is imminent.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, described the head of the federal government as a “complete failure and a disappointment to Nigerians.”
Tambuwal, who recently defected from the ruling PDP to the APC, while speaking in Benin City, the Edo State capital, at the sixth anniversary of the Governor Adams Oshiomhole administration, said he accepted the invitation to join the opposition party because the PDP had failed Nigerians.
He said what Nigerians were currently experiencing was not a government but a cabal that hijacked the resources of the people for their selfish interest.
The speaker admonished Nigerians not to be deceived again by the antics of the PDP in the 2015 general election, as it had been proven that the ruling party will not provide good governance.
He described the APC as a movement for change with the objective of ensuring better living condition for the people, advising those campaigning for the re-election of Jonathan to go and settle debts they owed the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), before soliciting for votes for him to avoid prosecution.
Tambuwal urged Jonathan to stop covering his lack of performance with the excuse that he was being intimidated because he comes from the minority, because what Nigerians need is good governance and not where the person comes from.
His words: “I accepted to join the movement for change in Nigeria being championed by the APC because the government at the centre has failed, and the objective of the change movement is to provide Nigerians with uninterrupted power supply and improved infrastructure.
“What we have at the moment is not a government but a cabal that has hijacked the resources of the people for its selfish interest. Nigerians should not be deceived again. It has been proven that the PDP will not provide good governance. What Nigerians need is good governance no matter where the person who would provide it comes from.
Also speaking, former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, charged Nigerians to use their votes to liberate the country from the PDP’s imposed poverty in 2015.
He reiterated the party’s call for President Jonathan to resign, or the APC would sweep him out of office in the forthcoming polls, as insurgents are gradually taking over Nigeria under his leadership.
Tinubu wondered why the president would still go ahead with his declaration for the presidential election on Tuesday when he should have been mourning the death of over 47 students who were bombed in Potiskum, Yobe State, a day before his declaration.
He contended that the insensitivity displayed by Jonathan showed how he governs the country.
“Jonathan danced on the blood of the Yobe school children when he went ahead with his declaration for the 2015 presidential election yesterday (Tuesday) in Abuja.
Insurgents are taking over parts of Nigeria; who is responsible? How can soldiers who stake their lives fighting the insurgents be rounded up and sentenced to death? Jonathan must resign. If he fails to resign, we will sweep him away,” Tinubu said.
Urging Nigerians to be ready to vote out the PDP in the 2015 elections, the APC leader said: “We have done it before and we are ready to do it again. We will show them that the power of the people is greater than the power of tyranny.”
He warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against collaborating with the PDP, saying that the APC will resist such plot, adding that the opposition will support the electoral body to create additional polling units, but “not the ones with zero registered voters that would be used to rig elections.”
On his part, Oshiomhole, who also warned against the rigging in the next elections, said any attempt by the PDP-led federal government to use the military to rig the polls would be resisted.
He said: “Nobody born by a woman will govern Nigeria in 2015 with a stolen mandate. So, let them stop using the language ‘fall’ because we are ready to defend our land. And any attempt to use the armed forces to rig the elections, it will be fire for fire.
We will stand and defend our democracy because only a coward dies a million times before his death.”
Reacting to the recent declaration by President Jonathan that “Edo State will fall to the PDP” 2015, Oshiomhole advised the president to look elsewhere for support in his re-election bid, as Edo people will this time not vote on the basis of tribalism. He also said that the state “is not an enemy territory,” but one that has come to stay.
“In 2015, Edo people will not vote on the basis of tribalism but on the basis of who will provide power. For as long as the PDP is in power, Nigerians will be out of power; for as long as the PDP has power, Nigerians will never have power. So, Edo State will never fall to the PDP and we cannot be intimidated.
Former Head of State, General Muhmmadu Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who also addressed the crowd, urged Nigerians to sustain the momentum that brought the APC to power in Edo State and extend same to the rest of the country including the centre.
In his speech, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the party promises a new Nigeria, boasting that the party will sweep the 2015 elections in the South-south geo-political zone seen as the stronghold of President Jonathan as well as form the government at the centre.
At a different forum yesterday, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for the growing activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.
Consequently, the governor said a federal government under the president lacked the capacity to defend the country’s territorial integrity, citing the growing loss of the country’s territory.
He said this at the ninth raffle of Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (LagosHOMs) draw at LTV 8 compound in Agidingbi, Ikeja, calling his countrymen to cease the 2015 elections to vote out leaders that underperformed.
The governor said the federal government’s failure “to ensure the security of lives and properties was responsible for the insurgent’s takeover of some parts of the country.”
Fashola explained that the people of Nigeria handed the country over to Jonathan’s administration intact, lamenting the extent to which the country “has degenerated, so much so that some parts of the country have fallen into the hands of the insurgents.”
The governor said the powers that be “enjoy making promises, they cannot keep. We have heard promises about security, not so? Promises made four years ago. But we handed them the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with all its components parts intact.
“We are back four years after with some parts of Nigeria already taken away from them and they are saying the next four years will be better,” Fashola explained.
He urged his countrymen “to be wary of politicians who come to them during this electoral period to make superficial promises, noting that the electorate should assess the track records of political office-holders and their political parties before deciding for them.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.
The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Giving a breakdown, Babafemi said that in Edo, an intense sweep of notorious drug hotspots within Benin City by NDLEA operatives on June 2 led to the arrest of four key traffickers, including three females.
“At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects were nabbed with a cocktail of illicit substances, including 176 grams of skunk, 65g of Loud, and 5 grams of Methamphetamine.
“Along Agbor road in Benin City, another female suspect, 21-year-old Anita Abraham, was apprehended with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.
“At Upper Mission, Benin City, a male suspect was arrested with a diverse cache of psychotropic substances consisting of Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and Methamphetamine.
“A swift operation by operatives in Kano State on Thursday, June 4, led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan at the Kafi area of Madobi, with 40 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 38 kilograms,” NDLEA said.
In a related development, Babafemi said, operatives in Gombe state intercepted a 28-year-old suspect on June 1 near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe.
“The suspect was caught with 15,000 capsules of tramadol,” he said.
He said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands and formations equally continued across the country in the past week.
Reacting to the string of successful operations, the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers, men and women of the Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their resilience and vigilance.
Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
He re-emphasised that the agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and would continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.
The Nigerian Navy says its operatives under Operation Delta Sentinel have intercepted over 135,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) during separate operations in Rivers State waterways.
Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operations were carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder around the Onne and Abonema axis.
He said the seizures were made during routine patrols aimed at curbing crude oil theft and illegal fuel transportation across creeks in the state.
In one of the operations, naval personnel intercepted a fibre boat at the entrance of Owogono Creek in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area carrying drums and jerrycans filled with suspected stolen AGO.
According to him, the occupants abandoned the boat and fled into nearby creeks, while the vessel and about 63,000 litres of product were recovered.
In another operation around Abonema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, patrol teams intercepted a wooden boat conveying about 72,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO concealed in sacks.
The Navy said the products were being transported through waterways for onward distribution before the operation disrupted the movement.
Folorunsho said the recoveries highlight the continued exploitation of creek networks by criminal elements for illegal petroleum product transportation.
He added that all recovered items were handled in line with established procedures on anti-crude oil theft operations.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling illegal oil networks and protecting Nigeria’s maritime economic assets.
The Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo mni, has charged public servants to embrace accountability and prudent management of public resources, stressing that government funds must be utilised responsibly.
Dr. Sirawoo made the assertion during the 41st anniversary of The Rivers State Television (RSTV), in Elelenwo.
He noted that public service demands commitment and sacrifice, urging workers to justify the opportunities entrusted to them through diligengence and productivity.
“All I try to do is to see that we have value for every kobo that we spend and value for our time.
“Government has a social responsibility to provide opportunities, but when you have one, you must guard it through hard work and ensure your presence is justified,” he stated.
The Permanent Secretary further appealed to workers to see themselves as ambassadors of their respective institutions, adding that government remains committed to creating employment opportunities and improving public service delivery.
Also speaking, former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr (Mrs.) Christiana Atako, praised the station’s professionalism and consistency despite operational challenges.
“We have never been disappointed. In spite of all the challenges RSTV had at that time, they never failed us. They carried our stories very well,” she said.
Dr Atako encouraged staff members to continually improve themselves through training, education and professional development in order to remain competitive in the evolving media industry.
Earlier, Acting General Manager of RSTV, Ambassador Paul Damgbor, described the anniversary celebration as an opportunity to reflect on the station’s journey of over four decades and appreciate those who have contributed to its development.
Pastor Damgbor said that the station had recorded remarkable improvements in recent months through the acquisition of digital cameras, computers as well as upgrades in audio and visual production facilities.
“We have seen great change. We were able to get new brand digital cameras and improve on our audio. We have also provided new computers for key departments, including News, Programmes and the Library,” Damgbor remarked.
He also unveiled a commemorative magazine chronicling the history and achievements of the station, describing it as a valuable reference material for preserving RSTV’s heritage.
The Acting General Manager, however, expressed concern over the theft of critical equipment from the station’s transformer, a development he said had forced the organisation to rely heavily on generator power supply.
The Senior Pastor of Gateway International Church, Pastor George Izunma, who gave a short charge during the event, urged media practitioners to uphold the ethics of journalism and remain committed to accuracy in reporting.
“You are pressmen. You are okay to doubt, but verify,” he advised, stressing the importance of credibility and responsibility in the profession.
He equally highlighted the need to “ask the help of God, sow a seed of help, and step into something as if you have help” stressing the need to move by faith for growth.
Some participants at the event also raised concerns about employment opportunities while commending RSTV’s growth and contributions to public enlightenment in Rivers State.
A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation of an award to the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications in recognition of its diligence and service to the people of the state. Dr Honour Sirawoo also received a special award for his contributions to the growth and development of RSTV.
Awards were equally presented to outstanding members of staff of RSTV for exemplary performance and their dedication to duty.
The event also featured the unveiling and launch of the RSTV commemorative magazine as well as a tour of the station’s newly built cafeteria and other facilities.
The celebration marked another milestone in the station’s 41-year history and reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in public broadcasting.
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