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Abia House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to stop payment of pensions to former governors and their deputies in the state.
It is entitled: “A Bill (H.A.B 11:) for a Law to Revoke The Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters connected in addition to that.”
It was sponsored by Mr Uchanna Okoro, the Majority Leader and member Representing Arochukwu State Constituency.
The Speaker, Mr Emmanuel Emeruwa, announced the bill’s passage after its first, and second reading, consideration at the committee of the whole and its 3rd reading during the day’s plenary.
Emeruwa, while congratulating members, said that the bill would reduce the state’s governance expenses and redirect resources towards development.
He said that the bill once assented to by the governor would be referred to as “Abia State Governors and Deputy Governor’s (Repeal) Law 2024.”
The Speaker said that bill would take effect immediately, Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the bill, former governors and their deputies will no longer enjoy pension benefits after their tenures have expired.
NAN further reports that there had been a lot of controversies over the years concerning the outrageous life person and other enviable benefits being paid the governors and their deputies.
While few states had made moves to repeal the law, many states showed nonchalant attitude toward doing so.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, the immediate past Minister for State, Petroleum, and the former Governor of the State, Timipre Sylva, are recently juggling over comments made over the killings of 16 soldiers in the Delta community.
The former governor and All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the November 11, 2024, governorship election, Timipre Sylva, berated politicians and particularly the state government for arming non-state actors with guns and ammunition during the last election.
The State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, took a swipe at the former governor over the statement, noting that Sylva’s statement was akin to the proverbial pot calling the kettle black when the APC governorship candidate’s antecedents as a politician were like an open book known to everyone.
A statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, while condemning Chief Sylva’s statement, said his introduction of politics into the highly condemnable killing of men in active service to their country smacks of insensitivity at a time when true patriots were mourning the unfortunate incident.
Sylva, in a statement credited to him and circulating on social media, claimed that “the last Bayelsa governorship election featured lots of disheartening state sponsorship of gunmen, which he alluded to as an act of desperation and the unnecessary loss of precious Nigerian lives.”
“I condemn in totality the killing of men of the Joint Task Force in Okuama, Delta State. This again shows why politicians should not arm irresponsible non-state actors.
“The last Bayelsa governorship election featured a lot of disheartening state sponsorship of gunmen. And today, we all see the result of that act of desperation and the unnecessary loss of precious Nigerian lives. My heart goes out to the families of those gallant soldiers who lost their lives,” Sylva stated.
But in a swift reaction, the Bayelsa governor wondered why the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources chose to dance on the graves of the slain soldiers in his false allusion to the use of non-state actors in the governorship poll in the state.
Diri said it is just as ridiculous that the same Sylva was whipping up negative sentiments and spreading falsehoods over the presence of soldiers in Igbomotoru, a Bayelsa community, where the military had reportedly extended its investigation into the Okuama incident.
He said, “The military authorities should be allowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the sordid occurrence in Okuama. Comments should be restrained at this time while efforts are underway to unravel the perpetrators.
“It is therefore very unfortunate and sad that Chief Sylva chose to play politics with the evil act of the killing of Nigerian soldiers at a time when patriots in our country were outraged and mourning.
“Introducing politics into the Okuama killing is insensitive, just as it is condemnable and akin to dancing on their graves. For those who know, this is like the pot calling the kettle black.
“However, Sylva’s unending bellyaching and whining over the 2023 Bayelsa governorship election does not change the fact that it has been won and lost. He and his ilk should embrace this reality and join hands with our government to further the development of our state.”
Okuama crisis: We’ve never lost soldiers like that, not even in Boko Haram war – Edwin Clark
AFOLABIElder statesman and leader of the Ijaw Nation, Edwin Clark has condemned the recent killing of soldiers in Delta State, stressing that Nigeria has never witnessed such a tragedy before.
According to Clark, the incident was shocking, barbaric, and wicked.
He also advised that the communities and the military should work together to find the murderer(s).
He made this known on Tuesday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s News programme.
Clark also appealed to soldiers to act with restraint and not take law in their own hands, noting that with modern technology they should be able to fish out very soon those who committed the crime.
“What happened a few days ago is very shocking, very barbaric and wicked. I think what is required really, the military together with the communities, all of us should take that task to look for these people who committed this murder. It is very very important.
“In fact, I was so sad when I heard that Lt Col. Ali was involved because on Thursday, 14 March, I spoke to him. I think about 8:45 about my dead younger brother, Col Bernard Clark (rtd), who died recently and was to be buried on Friday to have a military burial.
“I had to contact him. And he told me he was in a vehicle and that he would speak to me later, only to hear that he was among them. At that time he was speaking to me from Agbor in Delta State.
“There’s another one, Major B. I spoke to him about the same time on Wednesday. So I am indeed very very sad that we should lose such a people at a time, even in the Boko Haram war we have never lost soldiers like that. We all support Mr President when he said the people should be looked for,” he said.
Appealing to the military to act with restraint while going after perpetrators to avoid inflicting more collateral damage Clark said: “Well my appeal to our gallant soldiers is that they should act maturely and not take the law in their own hands. I know they are provoked. We are all provoked. There are innocent children, pregnant women everywhere.
“As far as I am concerned, we should appeal to the military to take it easy. They have all the modern technology. They should be able to fish out very soon those who committed this crime.
“One should not blame the army so much for whatever must have happened. It’s all collateral damages.”
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, has met with President Bola Tinubu over the killing of 16 military personnel in Okuoma community of Ughelli South local government area of Delta State.
Recall that 16 military personnel comprising the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, a Lieutenant Colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers were killed while on a “peacekeeping mission” in Okuoma community last week Thursday.
While the Delta State and the federal governments have condemned the incident while promising that perpetrators would face the wrath of the law, the visit of the State governor to the Presidency on Tuesday may have been spurred by the incident.
Briefing State House correspondents after meeting behind closed-door with the President, the governor said that the situation was under control, assuring that there would be no more further attacks.
The governor declined to confirm the report of reprisal attacks allegedly carried out by the military and the number of casualties, saying that being a security issue, there are certain things he cannot say in the public.
He said that he met with the security heads in Bomadi LGA of the State on Monday but has been unable to meet with the community involved because the place of the incident was completely deserted.
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has urged the Federal High Court to send him to Kuje prison.
He alleged that the Department of State Services had no medical facility to treat him, adding that there was a conspiracy for him to die in the DSS custody.
He said, “People will come to see me they will not allow them. They don’t have a medical facility. I have congestive heart failure. They are patching me up.
“My foot is swollen. I asked them to conduct surgery, and they said they couldn’t. There is a conspiracy to die in detention. I want to be transferred to Kuje.”
Details later…
Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam has slammed the government of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Tuesday, he said the current administration under the All Progressives Congress, APC, doesn’t have a direction.
Suswan claimed that all the policies, including economic and social, have fallen flat on their faces.
The former governor stated this while fielding questions on Arise Television’s News programme.
He suggested that Nigerians need a viable alternative, which is achievable with serious and focused leadership.
“We had President Olusegun Obasanjo who did very well and handed over to late Umaru Musa Yaradua, who unfortunately died, and his tenure was completed by his Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. Unfortunately, Goodluck Jonathan lost the election to the All Progressives Congress, APC; he lost to Muhammadu Buhari.
“We lost that election because of what’s happening today, there was a lack of discipline in the party at that time, coupled with the massive propaganda and lies by the current party in power now. We couldn’t make any headway and we lost the election.
“Buhari came in making promises of change. Buhari’s eight years have come and gone, and it’s left for Nigerians to frankly determine if they were better off or worse than then.
“I believe this country nosedived and changed for the worst. Because if we look at the economic parameters that were left by Jonathan and what happened during Buhari’s time, most Nigerians say they would have preferred Jonathan’s time.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, we thought would win that election. Nomination was done, and then a crisis started after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was nominated to carry the flag of PDP. Some Governors felt they were short-changed.
“It’s obvious that the APC under the current leadership doesn’t have a direction. All the policies, whether they are economic, political or social have fallen flat on their faces. And so, Nigerians need a viable alternative, which is achievable with serious and focused leadership, something I can provide."
Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL has made a promise to Nigerians.
He stated that the refinery in Kaduna State will be ready for production by December 2024.
He disclosed this during a meeting with the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria in Abuja.
He disclosed that operations at the Port Harcourt refinery are scheduled to begin in two weeks.
According to Kyari: “We did a mechanical completion of the (Port Harcourt) refinery, that was what we said in December. We now have crude oil already stocked in the refinery. We are doing regulatory compliance tests that must happen in every refinery before you start it, and I assure you that this Port Harcourt refinery will start in the next two weeks.
“Completing the mechanical work means that you are done with the rehabilitation work, now you have to test to see how it works. Of course, we have also completed the mechanical work on the Warri refinery.
“It is also undergoing regulatory compliance; processes that we are doing with our regulator, and this will soon be completed and it will be ready.
“The Kaduna refinery will be ready by December. We have not reached that stage in Kaduna, but we promise Kaduna will be delivered by December.”
Afe Babalola (SAN), the founder of Afe Babalola University, has said that indigenes of Ekiti state are facing hardship because all former Governors failed to implement the blueprint for the state.
According to him, the plan was for Ekiti to be the best state in Nigeria but it failed.
Speaking at the commissioning of ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, Annex Odo-Ado, at Igirigiri road in Ado Ekiti, Babalola commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his recent strides, adding that the vision behind the creation of Ekiti was to make it the best state in Nigeria.
He said;
“It pains me that you didn’t become governor of Ekiti much earlier than now. We know what we did to bring Ekiti State into existence. Our vision was for Ekiti to be the best state in Nigeria, that will be setting the pace as my university is setting the pace now.
“Unfortunately those who became governor before you didn’t have the love of Ekiti. Go and tell them that I said so. That is why we are facing so much hardship in the state. When I was a local government councilor in the sixties, I didn’t receive a salary.
“That was when there was development in Ekiti Local Government. We thought that those who are coming to govern Ekiti will follow our footstep and our blueprints but they refuse to follow it. However, this governor is doing a yeoman’s job.”
The Edo State House of Assembly has directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa to set up a seven man panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the state deputy governor Ry Philip Shaibu.
The state assembly is accusing the deputy governor of misconduct and divulging governments information to the public.
The panel is expected to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations and make necessary recommendations.
The brief sitting was presided over by the Speaker, RT Hon Blessing Agbebaku.
Recall that the Edo State House of Assembly, earlier this month, began an impeachment move against Shaibu, accusing him of constitutional infractions.
But, Shaibu, denied being served with impeachment notice from the state House of Assembly as claimed by the Speaker, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku during plenary.
The inability of the House, according to the Speaker, to physically serve Shaibu led to a substituted service through advertorial in the newspaper.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Speaker dated March 12, 2024 and titled “RE: Service of Impeachment Notice,” signed by the Personal Assistant to the Deputy Governor, Charles Olubayo, Shaibu denied ever being served any letter and refusing to collect same.
He said Shaibu has been out of the state since March 3 and therefore could not have been served as claimed during plenary.
His supporters, however, believe that he is being persecuted because he is interested to succeed his boss in office, Gov Godwin Obaseki.
Shaibu emerged as the governorship candidate in a parallel primary election held on February 22, 2024.
President Bola Tinubu is preparing to initiate a novel three-step approach for evaluating the performance of Ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) as he approaches the completion of his first year in office.
This innovative strategy aims to incorporate public opinion into the decision-making process regarding the retention or dismissal of cabinet members and key agency leaders by May 29, 2024.
Insiders from the Presidential Villa in Abuja disclosed to BusinessDay that the President intends to launch the feedback platform on Tuesday.
This digital platform is designed to gather assessments from Nigerians on the performance of each minister and their contributions to the administration’s objectives.
However, the inauguration of this feedback mechanism has been postponed to the following week.
The delay allows for the finalization of necessary preparations by the office of the Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, led by Hadiza Bala-Usman.
This extension is to ensure the platform is fully operational and capable of capturing comprehensive and insightful feedback from the citizenry.
The source said, “This will be done at three different levels. First, you have members of the public who can through the platform, get relevant information on the President Bola Tinubu’s targets for each Ministry and through that give feedback on the performance of each Minister based on the targets provided.
“The next stage will be evaluation carried out by the Policy Coordination office, and lastly, a group of Consultants will also give their assessments on the Ministers performance
“So, these will be the basis for determining which Minister stays and those that will leave the cabinet because of poor performance.”
Bala-Usman had earlier in the year indicated that President Tinubu “will drop ministers who do not deliver on their mandates.”
She had stated this at the opening of a technical retreat organised for delivery desk officers of federal ministries, to train them on implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.
Usman warned that “President is serious about delivering on his promise to make life better and easier for Nigerians.
“You must understand that as ministerial delivery desk officers you are the engine room that will provide that feedback and constantly track ministerial progress and report challenges and bottle to the CDCU.”
The retreat, according to her, “was to introduce the delivery officers to the framework of the delivery chain for progress tracking and build the officers’ capacity on monitoring of the delivery plan”
The President had tasked the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, soon after the Ministerial retreat on November 3rd, 2023, to “immediately activate the performance tracking system in a way that maximally leverages on cutting- edge digital innovation to provide real time oversight capability for the benefit of all Nigerians.”
The President also charged the Ministers to demonstrate diligence, innovative thinking, commitment, and an unrelenting focus on resul, added that “I want to reiterate that the Renewed Hope Agenda is about more than just economic growth.
“It is also about building a more just and equitable society for all Nigerians. It is about creating jobs, improving education and healthcare, and reducing poverty. It is about ensuring that all Nigerians have the opportunity to succeed.
“I know that we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident we can achieve our goals. We have a strong team in place, and we are committed to working together to build a better future for Nigeria.
“Let me remind you that our people are not interested in excuses, political games, or procrastination. Neither am I. They are interested in tangible results. They seek solutions to the problems that have long plagued our great nation. The challenge before us demands that we must put aside personal ambitions and focus on adhering to the performance bond we have all signed up to on this day. These performance bonds represent a contract we must uphold.”
The President also emphasized the importance of data in governance, saying: “Data is the life- blood of effective governance. It enables us to understand the challenges we face so that we can design and implement effective solutions as well as monitor and evaluate our progress. Without data, we are flying blind.”
It was also gathered on Monday that the Policy Coordination Office will rely mostly on the recommendations made at the first Ministerial retreat, in assessing the achievements of each Minister.
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The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has appealed to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, to call off their 7-day warning strike, which started on Monday.
The Minister also expressed displeasure at the action of the unions, which she described as a total disregard of Federal Government’s concerted effort to address the concern of the unions.
A statement issued by Olajide Oshundun Director, Press and Public Relations, quoted Hon. Onyejeocha as saying that “the Ministry was not officially notified by the unions of their intention to proceed on a 7-day warning strike. This is contrary to the provisions of section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.
“However, when the Ministry got wind of the intended warning strike, it reached out to the leadership of the unions for an emergency meeting in order to avert the strike. Unfortunately, a physical meeting could not be arranged between the unions and the federal government, but a tele-discussion took place between their leadership and the Ministry.
“Consequently, the Ministry suggested another date, Monday 18th March, for a proper conciliation meeting, believing that on the basis of that discussion, the intended strike would be put on hold pending the outcome of the meeting; but this date was rejected by the unions.
“The Minister has always maintained that strike does not serve any useful purpose and should only be resorted to as a last option after exhausting every conciliation effort.”
She appealed to the SSANU and NASU to step back from their hard-line stance and meet the federal government at the table for conciliation.
The Minister also appealed to all Nigerians to always take steps that are beneficial to the well-being of the country and the citizens.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has said the country needs a new constitution rather than an amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
Ozekhome stated that no amount of amendment can cure the flaws in the 1999 constitution following the set-up of Committees to review and amend the country’s law by the National Assembly.
He said this on Monday during a National Constitutional dialogue in Lagos in honour of the late Ben Nwabueze, the Pioneer Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The senior lawyer asserted that military leaders handed over the current constitution to Nigerians and that a new constitution should be created through a referendum.
Ozkehome added that a new constitution will make provisions for the creation of state police, stating that the argument for abuse of state police is not tenable.
He said: “But will their (national assembly) work amount to what we are looking for? Is it just the amendment of the constitution that is our problem? Can you amend a bad document? Can you amend a fundamentally flawed document?.
“My humble answer is that you cannot. One million amendments, multiple by one million amendments of the present fundamentally flawed constitution, cannot cure the original sin.
“What is that original sin? It was imposed on you and me militarily by a military junta led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and 28 members of the provisional ruling council.
“It was never subjected to the referendum of the people. Guess what? The present constitution was attached as a mere schedule to decree number 24 of 1999.
“So the constitution you are using is a mere schedule attached to a decree. How can you amend it? How do you cleanse it? Nigeria must own their own constitution through a popular referendum of the people.”
A leading figure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Stanley Ekezie, has blamed the electorate’s decisions in the last general election squarely for Nigeria’s ongoing economic hardship.
Naija News reports that Ekezie made this comment during an interview in Owerri, Imo State’s capital on Monday.
The PDP chieftain’s comments come as Nigeria grapples with significant economic challenges that affect citizens across all socio-economic strata.
“Blame Nigeria’s electorate for the current economic crisis. Nigerians prefer to take peanuts in lieu of good governance,” Ekezie stated, highlighting a culture of vote-buying that plagued the last electoral cycle.
According to him, this practice saw voters willingly exchange their votes for immediate monetary rewards, paving the way for unqualified individuals to assume positions of power.
Ekezie argues that this phenomenon not only undermines the democratic process but also sets the stage for governance that lacks accountability and foresight, directly impacting the nation’s economic stability.
The consequence, he notes, is the widespread economic hardship currently experienced across Nigeria, a direct fallout from the electorate’s decisions.
The former aspirant for Okigwe North Federal Constituency further lamented the cyclical nature of this issue, warning that without a significant shift in the electorate’s approach to elections, the economic situation is unlikely to improve.
He warned that“The situation will persist so long as the wrong people continue to occupy the seat of power.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has bemoaned persons he said are notoriously making Guinness Book of Records as pretenders.
Wike said this in Port Harcourt at the 60th birthday celebration of the national vice chairman (South-South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Victor Giadom.
The former Rivers State governor stated that Giadom was not a pretender and was not fashioned like some persons, who failed to reveal their true identities as snakes.
He said, „Even though we were of different parties, Victor had never gone on television to abuse any of his friends. He doesn‘t allow politics to be a wedge between him and his friends. He plays politics and still remains with you.
Victor is someone, who will tell you he will be with you and he will be with you. Victor is not a pretender. He is not one of those who have made the Guinness Book of Records as pretenders.
There are those, who had made Guinness Book of Records by pretending. Nobody knew that they were snakes.
“Victor is not an ungrateful person. He is not an ingrate. He remembers those who stood by him and who will stand by him. When I was Chief of Staff, Victor became the chairman of Gokana Local Government. He left us and went to the other side.
“Unfortunately for him since he left us he had not won any election again. It is on record since 2015, Victor had not won any election. But because he came to us again in 2023, he now won an election. Victor remembers his friends. I thank God Almighty for what he has done for his family“.
Wike emphasized that he remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite that his loyalists, who are members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, had joined the APC.
The FCT minister, who stated that as a PDP member, he had defeated Giadom many times in elections, said their political differences would not stop him from identifying with the APC national vice chairman.
He said: „He belongs to the APC, I belong to the PDP. I am a member of PDP even though my Assembly members are APC but I am a good member of PDP. I have come here to identify with him. I have defeated him but it doesn‘t mean I shouldn‘t come and celebrate with him.“
[Leadership]