Intra-party rancour led to PDP loss in Lagos in 2015, says PDP chieftain

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Amos Olayinka, on Sunday said the party lost the governorship seat in Lagos in 2015 because of internal rancour.

Olayinka told newsmen that intra party rancour affected the ability of members to monitor and protect the party’s governorship poll in 2015.

Olayinka, who said he founded the PDP in Lagos with Chief Dapo Sarumi, expressed hope that Mr Jimi Agbaje and the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, would win in 2019 elections.

“There is no more friction in Lagos PDP. No rancour anymore. Disagreements happen but we will never again allow it to degenerate to the point of affecting our lot in the 2019 general elections.

“We know the under currents that made Agbaje to lose the election in 2015. We will not let it happen again,” he said.

He said that the party had gone back to the grassroots because it realised that it had to do a thorough homework in order to win the elections not only in Lagos but nationwide.

According him, underrating Agbaje will be the worst mistake anyone or party will make in the upcoming guber polls.

On PDP’s loss to the APC in Lagos over the years, Olayinka said that “the myth of perpetuation in office is not founded on constables.”

“It’s about 90 days to the 2019 general elections, I wish to seek the support of Nigerians and Lagosians for Atiku and Agbaje.

“I am committed to the PDP. I will remain in PDP and I believe that Atiku and Agbaje will provide purposeful leadership for Nigeria and Lagos,” he said.

He said Nigerians should jettison sentiments and lies against Atiku, describing the PDP flagbearer as a man with pedigree who was in the system for eight years and influenced economic policies still enjoyed by Nigerians.

The PDP stalwart also reiterated calls for Nigeria to restructure, insisting that regionalism would create checks and balances as well as reduce corruption.

He said that 2019 would be decided by individuals standing for the election rather than their parties, pointing out that Nigerians want to vote based on a person’s pedigree but not for a party. (NAN)

Police question 21-year-old student who allegedly killed her baby

The police in Enugu State have arrested a 21 year-old student for allegedly killing her baby soon after delivery.

The spokesman for the Police Command in Enugu State, SP Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement on Sunday said the suspect, Sandra Dimbo, allegedly carried out the action at Royal Lodge, Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area, on Saturday.

“It was gathered that the mother of the late infant was said to have given birth to the baby on Nov. 17 and allegedly killed the child immediately after birth inside her room before the arrival of neighbours.

“It was further gathered that on that fateful day, the cry of a baby was heard in the suspect’s room which attracted neighbours to her room but they could not gain access until they forced themselves in.

“The neighbours only discovered after gaining access into the room that the baby that was delivered had been allegedly killed by the mother,’’ he said.

Amaraizu said that full scale investigation had commenced into the incident, adding that the suspect was helping the police in their investigations.
“The dead body of the baby was also recovered by police operatives,’’ he said. (NAN)

NDIC says N28.48bn recovered from debtors of DMBs in-liquidation

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), said it recovered N28.48 billion from debtors of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in-liquidation as at Dec. 31, 2017.

Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, NDIC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer said this in the Corporation’s 2017 Annual Report, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Ibrahim said the sum was higher than the N28.16 billion realised in 2016.

“To date, a total of N125.13 million was realised from debtors of closed Microfinance Banks (MFB) as at Dec. 31, 2017.

“Debt recoveries from Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) increased by 22.60 per cent from N195.17 million in 2016 to N239.27million in 2017.

“The sum of N21.39 billion was realised from disposal of physical assets of closed DMBs compared to N21.21 billion in 2016.

“The sum of N386.11million was also recovered from the sale of physical assets of MFBs in the period under review as against N361.45 million recovered in 2016.

“Also, the value of physical assets recovered from PMBs was N77.87 million in 2017, compared to N75.50 million as at Dec. 31, 2016,’’ Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim, the NDIC paid N11.50 billion to depositors, creditors, shareholders and other stakeholders of closed financial institutions in the year under review.

The NDIC boss said the corporation’s Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) stood at N959.55 billion, Special Insured Institutions Fund (SIIF) was N114.39 billion, and its Non-Interest Deposit Insurance Fund (NIDF) stood at N0.693 billion in the period under review.

Ibrahim said NDIC operating income increased from N122.68 billion in 2016 to N146.47 billion in 2017 and its total operating expenses decreased from N93.60 billion to N63.55billion in 2017.

He further said that the corporation remitted N22.77 billion per audit to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federation as at Dec. 31, 2017. (NAN)

I married Atiku for his integrity – Titi Abubakar

Hajiya Titi Abubakar, wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, said she married her husband because of his honesty, sincerity and integrity.

Mrs Atiku made the remarks when a group, Women for Atiku, paid her a courtesy visit at her Maitama residence in Abuja.

“I get confused whenever I read the false allegations of corruption being peddled by mischief makers against my husband in the media.

“I ask myself if they are referring to my husband whom I have been married to for 47 years or a different person.

“No one knows my husband like I do and their descriptions of him are totally that of a different person and not that of the man I love and adore because of his uprightness.

She said they were brought together by destiny and had been endeared to him because of his sterling qualities and patriotism to his fatherland.

“I was on my way back to Nigeria from Benin Republic where I visited my aunt and was accosted by custom officials at the Idi-Iroko Boarder who demanded for payment of a duty for the pair of brocade material which was a gift from my aunt.

“An argument ensued between us and I told them to keep the material because I would not pay duty for a pair of brocade, and a gift at that.

“The officer, who was Head of the Command at that time intervened, paid for the duty charge and gave me the receipt.

“One thing led to the other, we hooked up later and the rest is now history.

“As the head, he could have chosen to order that I be allowed to go, but he paid for the duty and that act from that time impressed me and I fell deeply in love with the man Atiku,’’ she said.

The National Coordinator of Women for Atiku, Mrs Blessing Ebera, thanked Mrs Abubakar for the warm reception accorded her group and pledged that it would continue to mobilise women across every ward to vote for Atiku Abubakar come 2019.

She said that the National leadership and the 36 state coordinators of the group visited to inform her that with the commencement of campaign, the group was set to penetrate every corner of Nigeria to mobilise support towards an Atiku victory in 2019.

Ebera said that the group would also embark on voters’ mobilisation and education.

She said that the acquisition of Permanent voters Card (PVC) would be mandatory for every female of voting age in Nigeria.

She urged those that registered but were yet to collect their PVCs to visit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for collection.

She assured Mrs Abubakar that members of the group had strategized to mobilise at least 50 women in every ward across the country through synergy with other women support groups.(NAN)

APC’s Olawuyi wins Kwara bye-election

The candidate of the All Progressives  Congress (APC), Raheem Olawuyi, was on Saturday declared the winner of the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency bye-election held across the four councils in Kwara.

The Returning Officer for the election,  Prof. Abimbola Adesoji, while declaring the result at the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Omu-Aran,  said Olawuyi polled 21, 236 to emerge winner.

He defeated his closest rival, Saheed Damilare of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  who polled 18, 095.

Abimbola, who is of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said Olawuyi having scored the highest number of votes in the election was declared winner.

Other contestants in the election were Femi Ona-Ara of Labour Party, Ajadi Olayemi of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) as well as Olaniyan Ayorinde of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

Abimbola gave the total number of total registered voters as collated as 168, 707, accredited voters as 41,185, the total valid votes as 39,599, total number of rejected votes as 1, 331 and  total number of votes cast as 40,930.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some cancellations arising from snatching of ballot boxes and over voting were reportedly experienced in three polling units in  Irepodun Local Government Area.

The affected units as listed by the Presiding Officer in charge of the council included Registration Area (RA) 02 of Esie-Ijan Ward where two ballot boxes were reportedly snatched and 955 number of registered voters lost.

Other areas were Oro Ward 1  RA 02, Polling Unit 01 where a case of ballot snatching was recorded and a total of 297 registered voters were affected and  over voting in Oro Ward 2 RA 10  Polling Unit 01 with 474 registered votes   lost.

Election cancellation was also recorded in Ile Apaasin  RA 04 Polling Unit  in Isin Local Government  where only 59 voters were accredited but turned  in 377 votes.

Some Independent National Electoral Officers were confirmed to have been attacked and had  wounds in the process.

NAN reports that the declaration of the results was witnessed by notable officials that included the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Fafowora, the Resident Electoral Commissioner  from Kwara, Malam  Garuba Madami as well as  his  Imo and Lagos counterparts,  Mr Emeka Nzeonu and Mr Sam Olumeko respectively. (NAN)

Enriching lives through youth development

This year, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimated the population of the country to be about 184 million. This huge figure makes Nigeria the country with the largest population on the African continent and the world’s seventh most populous country. Figures released by the NBS last year put the country’s youth unemployment rate at 13.41 percent. This year’s figures are likely to have grown and will continue to grow if drastic measures are not taken to arrest the trend.

The soaring rate of youth unemployment, expectedly, is a source of concern for government and every Nigerian. Unemployment is a major cause of insecurity in addition to a plethora of other societal challenges, some of which have debilitating consequences.

The prevalent view is that government, all by itself, cannot successfully address the challenge of youth employment, especially now that the economic climate is inclement. Government and experts have frequently called on corporate bodies to assist the government by developing initiatives targeted at making the country’s young people gainfully employed and useful to the society. The call has been answered by some corporate bodies through development of various youth empowerment programmes as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility interventions. These programmes have attracted the attention and recognition of both the government and various professional bodies.

One of such recognition platforms is the just concluded BrandPower Golden Icons Awards, which seeks to recognize and celebrate brands that have contributed to the development of the country. At the awards ceremony, which held in Lagos on 9 November, MultiChoice emerged winner of the Youth Empowerment through Access to Information Award.

On reflection, I realized that not many corporate bodies in the country see entertainment as a means of youth empowerment. MultiChoice Nigeria, however, stands out as one. Through its DStv and GOtv platforms, MultiChoice has positioned itself an authentic voice and credible platform of expression for young Nigerians as well as one that offers them a way out of the grip of socio-economic challenges.

In his keynote address at the ceremony, entitled “Winning strategies for customer winning brands of the future”, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, listed four crucial conditions for building a winning brand. These, he said, are consistency, commitment, authenticity and trust.

He further explained that for over two decades, MultiChoice Nigeria has provided its customers with quality local content that has resonated across the continent. And in a brief chat with Ugbe after his address, I discovered that in 2014 alone, MultiChoice Nigeria contributed N34 billion to the country’s GDP.

In the area of youth employment, MultiChoice through its GOtv Sabimen scheme, which provides participants with training in the rudiments of service activation, response to customer enquiries and resolution of issues on GOtv, has empowered over 5,000 young Nigerians and more than 10,000 dealers, retailers, installers and sales agents.

In the area of education, MultiChoice has furnished schools across the country with over 400 MultiChoice Resource Centers (MRCs). The centers are designed to grant beneficiary public schools access to the special MultiChoice Education Bouquet with the aim of integrating the programmes into the school curriculum to further enhance the teaching and learning processes in the classrooms.

Nollywood continues to feel the positive impact of MultiChoice. With the eight outstanding channels of Africa Magic, thousands of young Nigerians have been directly and indirectly employed to be in front of or behind the camera in many Africa Magic productions such as Tinsel, The Johnsons and Jara.

The Youth Empowerment through Access to Information award, which MultiChoice Nigeria won, is indeed a true attestation to several youth empowerment schemes the organization has initiated and an uncomplicated indication of that MultiChoice is committed to enriching the lives of Nigerian youth.

Jailed Senator Joshua Dariye reportedly submits APC nomination form from prison

Senator Joshua Dariye, who is currently serving a 14-year jail term over financial misdeeds while serving as Plateau governor, has picked his All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form to contest next year’s election.
“Yes, Senator Dariye has picked a nomination form to seek a third term. It is true. He is among those jostling for the APC ticket in Plateau Central, ’’ Chindo Dafat, APC publicity secretary in Plateau, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, September 18, in Jos.
Dafat said that Dariye has filled the form and submitted to the party.
“His (Dariye)’s ward secretary came and signed the form on his behalf. It has been filled and his supporters are already campaigning ahead of the party primary election ," he said.
According to him, Dariye will battle with three others, Zakari Dimka, Sam Piwuna and Manji Pompori, for the APC ticket.
The party official said that Dariye was “still very popular and relevant in Plateau Central in spite of his current ordeals’’, adding that the former governor “can win the primary elections from the prison’’.
He said that Dariye had appealed his conviction and could have it upturned “because we are praying for him’’.
“Aside possible success in the appeal, we are also praying for a state pardon. That is another possibility. Dariye is very important to our party, unfortunately, this happened to him. It is not that we cannot win elections without him; we can win without him, but he has done a lot and is well loved by his people.
“Somebody could be in the hospital or prison and pick a nomination from there. We have no right to deny anyone a nomination form. Even INEC cannot stop Dariye from contesting the 2019 elections. There is no law that stops him from buying the form. Whoever comes for the nomination form can get it. I see it as a constitutional matter. Only the court can disqualify him.
“If Dariye wins elections from prison, he will not be the first Nigerian to do that. Iyiola Omisore, from Osun, once won a Senate seat while in prison," Dafat pointed out.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the development as
“shocking, strange and embarrassing."
“It is shocking that a convict serving a 14-year jail term will be given a nomination form to contest an election. This is just ridiculous," Ben Shignugul, PDP Vice Chairman (Plateau Central), told NAN.
“The nomination form has a portion which requests aspirants to state whether they were once convicted; I wonder what information Dariye provided in that column.
“He (Dariye) is our illustrious son and we sympathise with him. We expect him to be sober and reflect on what has happened to him, instead of allowing himself to be dragged around by desperate politicians ," he said.
Shignugul said that the Plateau PDP executive council, led by its chairman, Damishi Sango, recently visited Dariye in Kuje prisons and prayed for him.
“We still pray that he will serve out his 14-year jail term and come out in good health. Dariye should equally be praying, instead of attracting unnecessary attention to himself ," Shignugul said.
The PDP official, however, said that the party was not afraid of facing Dariye, or any other APC candidate, in the 2019 general elections.
“Dariye cannot be a threat to us because people in the zone are already fed up with him after eight years as governor and two terms in the senate ," Shignugul claimed.
But, section 107 sub-section 1 (d) of the Nigeria Constitution 1999 as amended, states that no person shall be qualified for election if, within a period of less than 10 years before the date of election, he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty.
It also states that anyone that has been found guilty of contravening the code of conduct shall not be allowed to contest election.
Recall that the Federal Capital Territory high court found former Plateau state governor, Joshua Dariye, guilty of fraud and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment . The former governor was charged for allegedly diverting N1.162 billion while he served as governor of:
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that Senator Dariye who was representing Plateau Central at the Senate on Thursday, September 22,
dumped his former political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dariye official defection was contained in a letter he submitted to the Senate and was read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki at the close of today’s plenary.


CREDIT : NAIJ.COM

Saraki stops Convoy, helps clear Accident Scene in Imo

Senate President, Bukola Saraki assisted in clearing an accident scene earlier today in Imo state.

Saraki, who is running for President on the Platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, visited the state today to visit the party leadership and discuss with its executives.
As he was heading from Owerri to Abia on the Aba-Owerri road. A truck fell, causing significant traffic. He stopped his convoy, got down and assisted road users. He also directed his Security team to help out.


CREDIT : NAN

Fracas at PDP secretariat as Atiku submits nomination form

Violence erupted at the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Secretariat on Thursday as supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who accompanied him to submit his presidential nomination form, clashed with some thugs.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abubakar’s supporters arrived at the secretariat at about 9 a.m., drumming and dancing while waiting for him.
The aspirant arrived at about noon and while submitting his nomination form inside the party secretariat, pandemonium erupted as some persons suspected to be political thugs attacked his supporters.
The development caused chaos as people scampered for safety, causing stampede at the secretariat main entrance as the supporters, especially women tried to rush into the premises.
The situation was, however, brought under control following the intervention of policemen who promptly fired gunshots into the air to dispel the thugs.
No arrest was made as the hoodlums escaped through different routes, and it was not immediately ascertained if injuries were sustained in the fracas.
Meanwhile, Abubakar said that he is seeking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket to make Nigeria ‘work’.
His media office said he made the statement after submitting his nomination form at PDP’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
Abubakar sad that he was saddened by the fact that 11 million Nigerians, excluding “the millions more who never had a job since leaving school’’, had become unemployed since May 29, 2015.
He, however, said that he had created thousands of jobs in his private businesses and knew how to lead a government that would do the same for Nigeria.
“It weighs deeply on my heart that Nigeria has become the world headquarters for extreme poverty according to the World Economic Forum and the World Poverty Clock.
“I am not happy that there are so much killings and terror across the country that the Global Terrorism Index rates Nigeria as more terrorised today than she was in 2015.
“I am not happy that Nigeria is perceived to be more corrupt today than she was in 2015 having moved 12 steps backwards, from 136 in 2014 to 148 today, in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.
“136 is bad enough; 148 is simply unacceptable and shameful, especially under a government that claims that fighting corruption is its priority,” said Abubakar, who himself had been accused by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo of being corrupt.
Abubakar called on all PDP delegates and all Nigerians to join him at the struggle to make Nigeria work again.
“Let us work together to create the right conditions for investments to flow in and flourish to create jobs for our people. Let’s work together to send poverty packing.
“Let us, together, reduce corruption so that our resources will be deployed to our national priorities. Let us work together to fight all types of terrorism and other crimes.
“Let’s work together to restructure Nigeria for better governance and to unite our peoples. Let’s get Nigeria working again,” he said.

Ugandan Police surround homes of opposition members

Ugandan police have surrounded the homes of several opposition politicians and lawyers after receiving what a police spokesman said was information that they would “incite people to riot” over a court hearing for a detained opposition lawmaker.

The detention of lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi and four other politicians critical of President Yoweri Museveni triggered two days of anti-government demonstrations in the capital Kampala and other parts of the country this week.

Kyagulanyi attended a military court hearing in the northern town of Gulu on Thursday.

Ugandan police spokesman Emilian Kayima said that the opposition leaders whose homes were surrounded had been placed under “preventative arrest” to try to prevent further unrest.

“We have intelligence reports that these leaders were inciting people to riot yet they have other lawful avenues, like petitioning a higher court, to seek redress about their fate of their colleague,” Kayima told Reuters.

“We don’t want to experience what we went through on Monday,” he said, referring to a demonstration in Kampala at which Ugandan police fired tear gas and military units were deployed to disperse protesters.

Representatives of several prominent opposition politicians said on social media they had been prevented from leaving home. An aide to one of the politicians, Kizza Besigye, who contested and lost four elections against Museveni, said on Facebook that Besigye had planned to attend Kyagulanyi’s court appearance.

Kyagulanyi, a musician-turned-lawmaker who goes by the stage name Bobi Wine, and the four other lawmakers were arrested on Aug. 13 on suspicion of involvement in the stoning of a presidential convoy during a parliamentary by-election campaign.

Kyagulanyi was charged on Aug. 16 with unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition while three other lawmakers and dozens of other people were charged with treason.

The musician, whose songs are stingingly critical of Museveni’s government, has a large youth following. He entered parliament last year.

CREDIT : NAN