APC THREATENS TO EXPEL OKOROCHA’S SON-IN-LAW, ABE, SHITTU, OTHERS..

ABUJA – In what appeared a subtle threat to some of its aggrieved governors and their proxies, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has threatened to activate constitutional provisions regarding the several court actions instituted against it as a result of the outcome of its recent nationwide congresses.

The decision was taken at Monday’s meeting of the National Working Committee NWC of the party.

Confirming the development in a statement, Monday night, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said the NWC “frowned at the actions of some Party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism”.

Article 21(D)(v) states; “Any member who files an action in court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matter or matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for redress provided for in this constitution shall automatically stand expelled from the party on filing such action and no appeal against expulsion as stipulated in this clause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from the court by the member”.

In Imo state, a son in law to the governor, Uche Nwosu had instituted a court case against the party as part of measures to retrieve what he described as his “stolen” governorship candidacy.

In Zamfara and a handful of other states, high-profile members of the party had also instituted several court cases against the party.
The party has now warned against the growing trend which it described as “manifest indiscipline”.

“The actions, it should be noted, is considered as anti-party as it goes against our Party’s constitution.

For emphasis, according to Article 20, Subsection 10 of our Party’s Constitution, offences against the Party include the following: ‘Filing an action in a Court of Law against the Party or any of its Officers on any matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the Party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in this Constitution.’

“The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the Party’s interest.

“We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place.

“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.

“We therefore advise such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the party’s dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions”, the party warned.

The NWC has also set up reconciliation committees to interface with all aggrieved elements in the party.

The committees were set up on geopolitical basis with seven members each, including governors elected on the platform of the party. Three aggrieved governors, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara were however excluded from the committees.
The mandate of the committees is simply to reconcile aggrieved parties and not to recommend the alteration of the candidates’ lists.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole took a swipe at the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Atiku Abubakar for promising three million jobs per year, querying why he did not do that when he was part of the presidency.

“If you say you are going to create ten million jobs you have to tell us why when you were in government, you could not do that. By the time that government was out, we had lost Michelin, Dunlop closed down, the entire textile industry closed down. We were witnesses to the unprecedented levels of industrial obituaries. Factories were closing one after the other just at the time the then PDP government promised to create more jobs. These are issues we really want to engage. It will be every interesting to play back what people are saying”, he said.

On Senate President Bukola Saraki, he said; “For me even more outstanding is the humiliating defeat Saraki suffered in the hands of Kwara people who are determined to dismantle the saraki failed attempt to install his own variance of a political culture of which he is the only constant decimal.

I think the good people of kwara state have dealt him a big blow as the proclaim leader of the opposition PDP and he has had to lead the campaigns to so many other places. Now here is a native doctor who was busy going to other states now unable to heal his own people. That defeat in kwara state as far as we are concerned particularly by person he did not put in place to stand election means a lot to us.

We are not going to accept a Nigerian variant where a minority party preside over the affairs of the national assembly whether as dictated by Bukola Saraki as as represented by Yakubu Dogara in the House of Representatives of the PDP because it is not right.

In his own case what the people of Kwara have done to him is that they are going to politically bury him come February next year and he has seen the first warning .I am sure Saraki would be politically retired by the good people of Kwara that he has mismanaged their economic and political rights over the years. So I am very excited about that and we think that this is something worth celebrating and we took time to celebrate it today.

SEE ATIKU'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, POLICY DOCUMENT

Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Monday formally launched his 2019 presidential campaign with the unveiling of policy documents that contain what he describes as his vision to get Nigeria working again.

The documents tagged the “The Atiku’s Plan” was briefed in a nine-minute address streamed live on Facebook and Twitter by the presidential hopeful.

“The sad fact today, as you know, is that too many of our people are not working and are living in poverty and insecurity,” Abubakar said.

“The very fabric of our society is breaking down. We have never been so divided as a nation,” he said.

“The most important question in this election is: are you better off than you were four years ago, are you richer or poorer? That is why our primary focus is to get Nigeria working again.”

According to Abubakar, “the two major indices of deterioration in the welfare status of Nigerians in recent times are the increasing rates of youth unemployment and high level of poverty.”

In his policy document, the former president said he is targeting a gross domestic product of $900 billion (788 billion euros) by 2025, more than double the current amount and pledged to lift “at least 50 million people out of extreme poverty”.

His campaign spokesperson Segun Sowunmi told Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, hours before Abubakar’s Facebook broadcast that his principal will create jobs for the teeming army of Nigeria’s unemployed youth through the privatisation.

Nigeria’s unemployment rate has been increasing steadily since Q2 of 2016 when it stood at 13.30 percent to 18.80 in Q3 of 2017, when Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics released the last job figures.

The statistics office said last week that it cannot publish new figures for lack of funds.

“We said we will create jobs because we have a job creation problem in Nigeria,” Sowunmi said. Not only because of the maladministration of this government, although they contributed a lot to it.

In contrast to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s seeming affront comments about the country’s youths, “do nothing” and want everything for “free”, Abubakar pledged to revive an apprenticeship programme which will recruit 100,000 artisans to train one million people.

However, Buhari while launching his campaign on Sunday said: “over the last three and a half years, we have laid the foundations for a strong, stable and prosperous country for the majority of our people.”

Buhari acknowledged that “there is still much to do” he, however, said, “the Next Level of effort focuses on job creation across various sectors.”

He told a delegation of the Nigerian community in Paris last Monday that his government has fulfilled its key campaign promises.

“We campaigned on three key issues; security, improving the economy, and fighting corruption,” Buhari said.

“We have not been controverted by anyone that we have not recorded some results.”

FULL TEXT Of ATIKU'S PLAN FOR NIGERIA IF ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 2019

 
The presidential aspirant and the former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has just released his plans for the country if elected as president in the year 2019, here is the full statement...

"Today, I am formally presenting myself to you as the presidential candidate of not just the PDP, but of the hopes and aspirations of all Nigerians. The most important question in this election is: “Are you better off than you were four years ago? Are we richer or poorer?” 

That is why our primary focus is on getting Nigeria working again. I am strongly of the view that I am just one Nigerian and one Nigerian cannot be as wise as all Nigerians. That is why I will offer an inclusive leadership. Atiku Abubakar is 100% for 100% of Nigerians, 100% of the time"

He added that "Too often, Nigerians have been promised better governance by those seeking their votes. Such individuals have preyed on the legitimate desires of our people for their conditions to be improved, that they make all sorts of promises. I am not one for making grandiose promises. Rather than promises, I believe in policies. A promise is an indication to do a future action. A policy is a plan to achieve future goals.

As the International Monetary Fund stated very recently, it is the failure of this government to have a coherent and comprehensive set of policies combined with poor leadership that has led to its failure to deliver. Over the last 18 months, I have worked with the best experts Nigeria has to offer to come up with policies and plans that when implemented will get Nigeria going in the right direction again. I am not talking about what I can do. I am talking of what I have done before.

He went further to describe his tenure when he was the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the President Olusegun Obasanjos's regime, "I was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 and in that time, I chaired the National Economic Council that gave Nigeria her highest and most consistent GDP growth of over 6% per annum. Despite the fact that crude oil prices at that time were much lower than they are today, under the dynamic leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo, we paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt"

"We also introduced the GSM revolution that saw Nigeria go from 100,000 phone lines to over 100 million today. We were able to achieve these, and much more, because we had a plan. That plan worked and today I have the pleasure of unveiling our policies and strategies to take Nigeria from where she is now, to where she needs to be".

Here Are The Plans:

- My plan will give Nigerian workers a living wage.

- My plan will give Nigeria’s youth a world-class education.

- My plan will empower Nigerian women, reduce maternal mortality and increase their financial stability. 

- My plan will cater for the elderly, so our people are not afraid of growing old. 

- My plan will invest in our failing infrastructure. 

- But above all, my plan will help create jobs because in my many travels across our great nation the one consistent thing I hear wherever I am 
is that our people need jobs.

- Today we will begin the process of sharing our policies that form my plan to create jobs, restructure the polity, and Get Nigeria Working 
Again.

- If elected President, I will be pro-active in attracting investments and supporting the 50 million small and medium scale enterprises across 
Nigeria for the purpose of doubling the size of our Gross Domestic Product to US$900 billion by 2025. 

- These investments will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first 2 years.

- My team and I will also help create jobs by innovating flagship programmes such as the National Open Apprenticeship Programme through 
which we shall enhance the capacity of Master-Craftsmen and women to train 1,000,000 new apprentices every year.

- Our National Innovation Fund and SME Venture Capital Fund initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring 
entrepreneurs. 

- My plan to restructure Nigeria will lead to a vast increase in the Internally Generated Revenue both for the Federal Government and the states 
via the matching grants that we will provide to state governments that increase their own revenue.

- Let me be clear no state will receive less funding than they get today – in fact all will receive more and the harder a state works the more they will get.

He concluded with this "I started out as an orphan selling firewood on the streets of Jada in Adamawa, but God, through the Nigerian state, invested in me and here I am today. If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you. 

It is time to Get Nigeria Working Again. I appeal to you to join me on this journey towards a better life for all Nigerians, Thank you".

2019 POLL: ANXIETY IN PDP AS ATIKU’S POLICY PLAN EXTENDS TO SECOND TERM IN OFFICE

Atiku 

There was anxiety yesterday in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the discovery that the policy plan of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has extended to a likely second term in office.

Instead of planning for a single term of four years, Atiku’s targets have a six-year timeline, fueling speculations that he might be hoping for two terms in office.

Most party leaders from the Southeast and Southwest were worried last night on the tenure framework in the document tagged People’s Policy”.

According to a PDP governor, who spoke in confidence with The Nation, the “policy is causing some disquiet because it does not give a ray of hope that power will shift from the North to the South in 2023 if Atiku is elected as the nation’s president in 2019.

“Some of us were expecting a timeline of 2019 to 2023 but the policy plan is mostly made up of a six-year plan.

“The people of the South-East, South-West and South-South want a commitment from Atiku on whether or not he will spend one term in office in order to complete the slot of the North.

“We are suspecting that those who drafted the policy have a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku.”

A member of the National Working Committee of the party said: “I think our candidate is planning for the future for the country. It may not be a matter of second term ambition.

“Atiku has not really been categorical on whether or not he will spend one term in office. So, those raising dust on 2025 policy plan are getting agitated to know where he stands.”

The governor took time to highlight some of the contentious areas which have drawn suspicion on Atiku’s plan.

The document said: “The State’s critical policy priority is to build a broad based, dynamic and competitive economy with a GDP of US$900 billion by 2025

“By 2025, we shall increase the inflow of direct foreign investment to a minimum of 2.5% of our GDP Working towards achieving the lowest corporate income tax rate in Africa.

“Accelerate investment to double our infrastructure stock to approximately 50% of GDP by 2025 and 70% by 2030.

“Achieve a sustained increase in manufacturing output from 9% to 30% of GDP by 2025.

“Reduce the sector’s dependence on imported raw materials. Looking inwards will promote value addition.

“Achieve a diversified production structure with more processing of domestic raw materials.”

On electricity, Atiku said: “Power sector reform will be a critical policy priority. By 2025, Nigeria shall make giant strides in diversifying its sources of power and delivering up to 20,000 MW.”

The document indicated that the same 2025 timeline was assigned to crude oil production.

It said: “Prioritise investment in nameplate capacity and ensure that Nigeria starts to refine 50% of its current crude oil output of 2 million bpd by 2025.

“Privatise all four-outstanding government-owned refineries to competent off-takers with mandates to produce agreed levels of refined output.

“Issue new licences for Greenfield investment in crude oil refining and allied activities.

“Introduce market friendly fiscal and pricing policies.”

Concerning road development, the policy document gave also a timeline of 2025.

It added: “Develop 5,000km of roads by 2025 through PPPs and community interventions. Develop and rehabilitate the connecting road networks across the geo-political zones.

“Reduce gradually the rate of unemployment and under-employment to a single digit by 2025.

“Encourage transportation development around the nation’s agricultural and industrial clusters.

“Construct up to 5,000km of modern railways through privatisation, PPPs and public investments.

“Improve existing port efficiency and achieve accelerated development of alternative container ports, especially inland dry ports.”

Speaking with our correspondent last night, one of Atiku’s strategists, Mr. Phrank Shaibu ( who is also a communication expert), said: “2025 is not an eight-year term; it is a six-year plan Whoever takes over will complete the programmes.

“The ruling party’s focus should be more on damage control to enable them offer seeming apologies to millions of Nigerians they have diaappointed and the millions they have put in the labour market through their ill performance in government.

“So, the issue of campaign promises will not hold water for the Buhari camp as their participation in this election is just for posterity to be subtle in judgement of failure.”

On the kind of campaign to expect, Shaibu, who is also a close associate of Atiku, said: “A large population of Nigerians have been taught new lessons on poor leadership and now have a better understanding of disinformation because they feel the reality of economic pains and hopelessness that have been thrust upon them in the past three years.

“Consequently, the campaign for 2019 presidential elections will be based on truth campaign.

“Right now, the electorate have grown in knowledge of what choice will be best for them, especially on their safety, real economic growth and equity.

“Nigerians will experience a new trend of issue based campaign. The two major contestants have been tested and their performance cum capacities to deliver well documented.

“Already, we have a lot of decided voters, especially given their sad experiences and difficulties in the past three years under a president that has ruled Nigeria twice with established antecendent of bringing upon the citizenry abject poverty.

“I believe the campaign focus will be on the few undecided voters. This category of persons when shown and educated on some hidden facts of maladministration, especially on gross embezzlement, many shades of corruption, selective justice and deceits, will reach early conclusions on which camp to give their mandate.”

‘70% OF WORKERS IN NIGERIA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN VULNERABLE EMPLOYMENT’

About 70 per cent of workers in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, are in vulnerable employment, compared to a global average of 46 per cent.

A report, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), indicated that unemployment and underemployment ranked in first place in sub-Saharan Africa as the top risk for doing business.

The forum stated in the recent report that 22 of the 34 economies surveyed cited it as the top risk for doing business in the region.

“In sub-Saharan Africa, countries face the profound challenge of creating sufficient jobs to meet the needs of the working-age population,” the report stated.

The forum predicted that the working age population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to more than double to 1.6 billion by 2050 and that this must be matched with quality of employment.

It is the view of more than 12,000 business people across 140 economies, according to findings that the World Economic Forum published in the first edition of a new Regional Risks for Doing Business report that  unemployment and underemployment represent the biggest risk for doing business around the world.

ASUU STRIKE: THESE ARE THE ASUU KEY DEMANDS

The issues, according to ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, include the payment of fractions and non-payment of salaries, earned academic allowances, non-release of operational license of NUPEMCO, non-implementation of the provisions of the 2014 Pension Reform Act with respect to retired professors and their salaries, and exclusion of university staff schools from funding by government.

Other demands are funding for the revitalisation of public universities that entails implementation of Needs Assessment Report and addressing poor funding of state universities and proliferation of universities by their Visitors.

Here are the five demands of ASUU in a nutshell:

1.  Areas of agreement include funding for revitalization of public universities and the issue of Earned Academic Allowances.

2.  The issue of funding University Staff Schools 

3.  The implementation of the judgment of the National Industrial Court, National Universities Pension Management Company and guidelines for pension matters for professors.

4.  The exemption offered by the government regarding the issue of TSA, which included the issue of grants, endowment funds as well as salary shortfall, which is already being implemented by the government.

5.  The union also promised to submit a position paper to the Federal Government on their observation with a view for government to advise state governments.

A DISBARRED LAWYER, 4 OTHERS CHARGED DOCKED FOR MURDER OF BUSINESS WOMAN

The FCT police command has charged a Lagos-based disbarred lawyer, Ephraim Chukwuemeka Ugwuonye and four others over their alleged involvement in the killing of an Abuja-based business woman, Charity Aiyedogbon.

The charge bordered on criminal conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

Other accused persons are: Ezeugwu Paul Chukwujekwu, Adogah Emmanuel, Ikechukwu James Ezegwu and Michael Leo Oyong.

The charge sheet said the accused persons conspired and robbed Mrs. Charity Chidiebere Aiyedogbon (now late) of her property and killed her. They were also accused to have dispossessed the deceased of her Acura ZDX jeep, phones and other valuables while armed with cutlasses and other offensive weapons.

Similarly, Ugwuonye is facing another fresh 10-count charge on extortion, impersonation, injurious falsehood and false information.

The charge between the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command (complainant) and Ephraim Chukwuemeka Ugwuonye (defendant) is also before a high court in Abuja.

In the charge, he was accused of “Extortion by threat of accusation of an offense punishable by death, injurious falsehood against the Nigeria Police, injurious falsehood against David Aiyedogbon, giving false information with the intent to mislead public servants and obstruction of a public servant in the discharge of his functions.”

He was also accused of “Impersonation, when you have reasons to know that your name has been struck off the roll of Legal practitioners in Nigeria.”

Hearing dates for the two new cases are yet to be announced at the time of filing this report.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS REACTS TO NIGERIA DRAW AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA

Arsenal, Chelsea and Stoke City have reacted to Super Eagles qualification for next African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

The three English clubs reserved special praise for their players in the Nigerian squad after they booked a place in Cameroon.

The club followed Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa at the FNB Stadium because Kenneth Omeruo, Alex Iwobi and Oghenekaro Etebo were on international duty.

Another Chelsea loanee, Ola Aina was omitted from the match day squad and ex-Arsenal U23 captain, Semi Ajayi earned his third cap off the bench as a late replacement for Iwobi.

Chelses wrote on their official website, ”It was a better Saturday for Kenneth Omeruo and Nigeria who secured their place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament with a 1-1 draw away to South Africa.

”The defender, who is currently on loan in Spain at Leganes, and his international team-mates went ahead with the aid of an early own-goal. The home side drew level in Johannesburg midway through the first half.

”Nigeria have made it to the finals, which will be held in Cameroon in June and July, with a game to spare”.

Arsenal also lauded Iwobi for his performance against Bafana Bafana, tweeting, “Joy for @AlexIwobi! #BIG17 played 90 minutes as Nigeria claimed a 1-1 draw in South Africa in order to seal qualification for AFCON 2019.

”Congratulations to our #NaijaBoy and the @NGSuperEagles ��.”

Etebo was picked as one of the best players on parade for the Super Eagles by Championship side Stoke City.

The Potters wrote on their official website, “Peter Etebo played the full 90 minutes as Nigeria guaranteed themselves a spot at the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Saturday afternoon.

”The Potters ace impressed in the heart of midfield as the Super Eagles earned the point they needed in South Africa to secure qualification from Group E….”

LEAD REFEREE APOLOGISES TO NIGERIA AFTER COSTLY MISTAKES DURING SOUTH AFRICA MATCH (SEE VAR PHOTOS)

VAR footage

Report has it that the head referee who officiated the AFCON 2019 qualifying match between Bafana Bafana and Nigeria on Saturday in South Africa - has apologised for the costly mistakes made by officials during the game.

The Gambian football referee identified as Bakary Papa Gassama apologised to the Nigerian team after wrongly denying them two goals due to wrong offside calls, according to a report by OwnGoalNigeria.

VAR footage

 Ahmed Musa put through Kelechi Iheanacho who tapped home believing he has given Nigeria the lead but Musa who supplied the pass was judged by the assistant referee as been in an offside position, something which turned out to be wrong after video replays.

In the second half with less than five minutes to go, Musa was once again at the receiving end of another poor referee decision as he was once again flagged offside incorrectly after slotting home what could have given Nigeria all three points.

The game ended 1-1 with Nigeria sealing her passage to next year Africa Cup of Nations but officials of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) still expressed their unhappiness to Gassama over the poor decision which cost Nigeria a win.

Gassama admitted the error and even went a step further by sending his apologies to Musa over the incident although he admitted that such errors are sometimes unavoidable particularly due to the non-availability of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

However, the unanswered question still remains: why didn't the authorities uphold the VAR decisions and award the goals to Nigeria? 

FRSC TAKES EMBER MONTHS' SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO CHURCHES

 As part of its Ember Months campaign, the Plateau Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has embarked on road safety campaign in churches.

Mrs Pat Emoerdi, FRSC Sector Commander in Plateau, addressed worshipers on Sunday at St. Finbar’s Catholic Church, Rayfield, Jos. 

She said the church service was organised to commemorate the 2018 African Road Safety and World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the week-long event has the theme: “Roads Have Stories’’.
According to Emoerdi, the need for a safer highway for all road users cannot be overemphasised, as safety is everybody’s business.

“We wish to seize this opportunity to sensitise all of us gathered in this church on the need to be very conscious while plying highways during this ember months.
“Christmas is already knocking. This is the season that comes with high vehicular movements with many motorists, particular commercial drivers rushing just to embark on many trips in the name of making more money.
“This is the time when a lot of motorists disobey traffic rules and regulations, hence causes crashes on our highways.
“So, we are here today not just to remember those who died via crashes but to also remind ourselves on the need to always drive to remain alive particularly during the festive season,’’ she said.
The sector commander called on all motorists to support the Corps in its bid to reduce if not end road crashes on the highways.

Emoerdi advised Nigerians to desist from speeding, overloading, wrongful overtaking, use of phone while driving; driving under the influence of alcohol and night driving, among others.

(NAN)