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TINUBU NEVER OFFERED WIKE SENATORIAL TICKET.
Our attention has been drawn to a misleading report in some national dailies and online newspapers, particularly, Sahara Reporters that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, offered the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, senatorial ticket to defect the APC.
Governor Wike was alleged to have disclosed this during the media chat that was aired on Channels Television, African Independent Television, Nigerian Television Authority and TVC on Friday, 23 September, 2022.
We wish to state emphatically that this news is false, baseless and ludicrous as the Rivers State governor throughout the media chat never mentioned the name of the APC presidential candidate or alluded to him offering him a senatorial ticket.
To lay the facts bare, we have decided to include herein the transcript of what governor Wike said concerning senatorial form.
“First of all, this is how you know those who are prepared to run an election. Some of them collected presidential form at the same time collected senatorial form. You’ll know that those people are not serious to run.
“I never collected senatorial form. Even after the whole thing, people said come and go for Senate, I said no. I won’t do that. I’ve already made a commitment that this Senate ticket should be zoned to this area (Etche) because they’ve never had it before. I must not be in power.”
In an era of increasingly divisive political climate, the tendency to pervert the truth is extremely high. It is on this basis that we wish to remind journalists that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
“At this critical juncture in our nation, we wish to remind journalists that getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism. Journalists are enjoined to always strive for accuracy and give all the relevant facts in their report.
“We, therefore, urge the unsuspecting public not to give any credence to this false, baseless and ill motivated reports.”
Kelvin Ebiri
Special Assistant on Media to the Rivers State governor.
24th September, 2022.
$23m Abacha loot: SERAP sues Buhari, Malami over ‘failure to publish copy of agreement with U.S.’
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over “the failure to publish copy and details of the agreement the Federal Government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by the late dictator Sani Abacha.”
Joined in the suit as Respondent is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The United States government had in August signed an agreement with the Federal Government to repatriate $23 million Abacha loot to Nigeria. The $23 million adds to the $311.7 million Abacha loot repatriated from the U.S. to Nigeria in 2020.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel President Buhari and Mr Abubakar Malami to release and widely publish copy of the agreement on the Abacha loot with the U.S.”
SERAP is also asking the court to “direct and compel President Buhari and Mr Abubakar Malami to publish details of the transparency and accountability mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the repatriated funds are not mismanaged, diverted or re-stolen.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that, “The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s international obligations impose transparency obligations on the Federal Government to widely publish the agreement on the $23 million Abacha loot.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Publishing a copy of the agreement with the U.S. would allow Nigerians to scrutinise it, and to monitor the spending of the repatriated loot to ensure that the money is not mismanaged, diverted or re-stolen.”
According to SERAP, “the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot is vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. Substantial part of the estimated $5 billion returned Abacha loot since 1999 may have been mismanaged, diverted, or re-stolen, and in any case remain unaccounted for.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Publishing a copy of the agreement would ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of repatriated loot.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Atinuke Adejuyigbe, read in part: “The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s international obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.”
“The Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any repatriated stolen funds are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.”
“It is in the public interest, and the interest of justice to grant this application. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human right to information.”
“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including to a copy of the agreement on the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
25/9/2022
Lagos, Nigeria
Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org
Twitter: @SERAPNigeria
Website: www.serap-nigeria.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202
Okowa deplores poor services by BEDC
Delta Governor and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has deplored poor supply of electricity to consumers in the state by Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
Okowa expressed his displeasure over the situation at the official opening of Lumen Christi College, Maryhill, Owanta, Ika North East Local Government Area of the State on Thursday.
He said that even when residents and communities procured transformers and handed over to BEDC, “they will still charge them to energise it”.
According to the governor, sometimes you install a transformer, the distribution company will ask you to come and pay even when you are handing over that transformer to them.
He regretted that “even when you are ready to pay, they will delay you for six months and even for one year. It’s frustrating.
“Sometimes when we try to help communities, it is difficult because of BEDC’s delay.
“Even, when the transformers are energised and handed back to the distribution company, to get them to energise it, it will look like you are begging them to do so; it ought not to be so,” Okowa stated.
He lauded Rev. Fr. Mario David Dibie, the Proprietor of the school, for his philanthropy and care for the poor and vulnerable in the society.
“While men are busy pushing after fame and ego, here is a man with God’s grace thinking about the very lowly in the society.
“It is a lesson and a story that should change our lives because when you see the life of a man like Fr. Dibie, every part of his story tells about his desire to assist the less-privileged.
“If we have more of him Nigeria would be a better place. He is beginning to build a crop of young ones that will grow up to become responsible adults.
“It is not about the beauty and ambience of your school but about the character you come out with from here will pave way for you in the future.
“Due to the suffering in our nation, things are getting so bad and people are afflicted from the inside because of hardship. People are resorting to kidnapping and banditry because of hardship and it is a time for collective prayer for our nation,” he said.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I congratulate and rejoice with Fr. Dibie for this great feat because he is building a great society for Nigeria by helping to train our children,” Okowa added.
Welcoming guests earlier, Rev. Fr. Dibia said he was always guided by the Biblical injunction to always consider the poor in his dealings.
He disclosed that he had a Covenant with God that 20 per cent of whatever he got would be for his maintenance while 80 per cent would go to the poor.
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Wike: Atiku still open to dialogue – Spokesman
Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr Charles Aniagwu says the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was still open for further dialogue with Governor Nyesom Wike and his group.
Aniagwu who spoke on Arise Television on Wednesday night said Atiku’s reaction to the alleged boycott of the Presidential Campaign Council by Wike’s group was not a foreclosure of further reconciliation with the group and other stakeholders in the party.
He said that Atiku’s call on the party to move was a call to focus on the real issues bothering Nigerians and not necessarily meant to leave any stakeholder behind.
According to Aniagwu, we don’t have any faction in the party just a group with interest which is allowed democratically.
“As a party we are quite comfortable that in the course of time these issues will give way for everybody to be on board.
“Atiku didn’t say its time to move on because he wants to leave anybody behind, he is asking members of the party that its time for them to move on to talk about those issues that affect Nigerians.
“There are a whole lot of issues that affects us in this country and so Atiku said its time to move on meaning that every hand has to be on deck to carry every Nigerian along and to address those many challenges that confronts Nigerians in their everyday life today.
“Atiku is not just looking for anybody to come and vote, he is looking forward to unite every member of the party and by extension Nigerians so that at the end of the day he would have been able to carry everybody along.
“He has asked everybody to come on board and we are quite optimistic that in the course of time everybody will indeed be on board,” Aniagwu stated.
[22/09, 17:45] Nelson Egware: Okowa gives technical college project contractor October deadline
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Thursday directed the contractor handling the Obiaruku Technical College, Obiaruku in Ukwuani Local Government Area on October 31 completion deadline.
The governor gave the directive while inspecting the project and said that prompt completion of the project would enable students already admitted for current academic session to commence studies.
He said that the needed staff for the college had already been recruited and pointed out that the contractor had no reason to delay the project longer.
According to the governor, I sent for the contractor last week and told him that this school must resume by the end of October. So, he just have to put in a little more speed.
“The classrooms are ready and the equipment are already on ground. I have been reassured by the commissioner and the consultant that they would be able to get the resumption done.
“Other little jobs can be done even when the school has resumed in October because the teachers are already engaged and the students have taken the entrance exams into the school and all the other processes of admmission have been completed,” he said.
Okowa, who is Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further said that the road leading to the technical college was already contracted to same contractor and would be constructed after the rains.
He also inspected ongoing construction of a bridge across River Ethiope in Obiaruku and the road to Eziokpor-Obiogo, Eziokpor-Umuoshi and Eziokpor-Unor road all in Ukwuani Local Government Area.
Okowa was conducted round the projects by the Commissioner for Works (Urban and Highways), Mr Noel Omodon and his Technical Education counterpart, Princess Shola Daibo-Ogbemi. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the work.
He expressed optimism that the bridge across River Ethiope would be completed in December, 2022, saying “as you can see, a lot of work has been done.
“It was just started a few months ago and I have been told by the contractor that they would be finished in December.
“As we have been told, across this river, we have a lot of plan there to create a lot of expansion for them because with this bridge, we can now cross over and hope that in the future, we can also use the road to neighbouring villages.
“For now, the major purpose is to ensure that the people are able to access all the expanse of land beyond the river.
“The contractor is doing quite well. I didn’t know that they have gotten to this level. I am very pleased with what I have seen here and they have assured me that in three months, they would be through with the entire bridge project,” Okowa stated.
PDP Crisis: Calls for Ayu’s removal ill-timed – Aniagwu
Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Charles Aniagwu, says the call for the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, is ill-timed, with the 2023 general election a few months away.
Speaking on “Good Morning Nigeria” on NTA Network, on Friday, Aniagwu said those calling for Ayu’s removal based on equity and justice were not wrong but appealed that they look at the bigger picture because the period was too close to the 2023 general elections.
The Presidential Campaign Spokesman said Ayu never denied agreeing to quit if a presidential candidate emerged from the North, noting that Ayu will quit if the party wins the presidential election. The national chairman was clear when he said if the Party ask him to quit he will. The party did not make that request, the NEC passed a vote of confidence on the NWC.
According to him, Ayu has never denied what he said, be let us look at what he said and the laws of the party. Let us always think of the country first and not about North and South that tends to divide us.
“In developed climes nobody talks about zones and regions they talk about what works for the people. President Buhari is from Katsina today but I am not too sure that life has become far better for those in Katsina than it was in 2015.
“In 2006, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was President and Ahmadu Ali was National Chairman, the primary was conducted and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory emerged Presidential candidate of the party.
“Ahmadu Ali prosecuted that election and Yar’Adua became President before the party held a Convention to bring in somebody from the South and nobody asked Ahmadu Ali to leave because a presidential candidate had emerged from the North.
“When Jonathan became President after the death of Yar’Adua, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor remained National Chairman of the party until it was time for another election.
“These are tenured offices and the issue of zoning is only in the offices and positions, the position of a presidential candidate is not an office, it only becomes an office after winning election,” Aniagwu said.
He said the presidential candidate is not opposed to Ayu stepping down however it should be done after the general elections.
“The difference between what we are saying and what Governor Nyesom Wike and his group are saying is time line.
“Our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and our National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu are on the same page with them to return the National Chairman to the South but that can only be done after the general elections because we have a bigger picture in view.
“Again Ayu’s stepping down is not the problem, going by our party constitution, moving the Chairman from the North to the South is the problem because the Deputy National is expected to take over from him by virtue of Section 45 of the party’s constitution.
“So even if Ayu leaves, what happens to Iliya Damagun who is the Deputy National Chairman?
“What happens to the National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu who hails from Imo State. By the convention and principles of our party both of them don’t come from the same zone because both of them actually run the party,”
He said when leaders come together to hold meetings the majority of the people are not usually part of those meetings, pointing out that “it is the law that represents and protects the interest of those people who are not opportuned to be in that meeting.
“Ayu has said if the party asks him to go he will leave, but the NEC of the party has met and they have considered the issues and came to a conclusion that it was not the right time for that move.
“And so we appeal to our great leader, Governor Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders of the party to respect the decision of NEC on the matter by exercising patience with the party until after the general elections.
“The reason why we are pleading with them is because Atiku wants to run with everybody on board, in six months time this election would have been done and dusted and these changes would be effected,” he said.
