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Nigeria on the brink of failure- PDP governors
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have warned that if the alarming drift of Nigeria under the watch of the All Progressives Congress, APC, government continues, the country will become a failed state.
They expressed deep concern and alarm at the deteriorating relations between various groups in Nigeria, even as all the country’s fault lines and differences are being stretched to the limit by the APC government that clearly lacks the capacity to govern.
The governors under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, met in Makurdi, Benue State on Friday, to review the state of affairs in the country and common developments in their states.
Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum cum Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who read the communiqué issued at the end of their meeting observed that due to the rise in ethnic and tribal tensions, religious divisions, and various forms of social and political cleavages, Nigeria is in dire need of leadership at the Federal level to avert the looming disaster.
The meeting was similarly alarmed that security of lives and property of Nigerians are no longer guaranteed under the present government as a result of leadership incompetence and mismanagement of the nation’s affairs, noting that Governors have a role to play in the handling of some of the worsening situations.
They regretted that their hands are tied behind their backs as the entire coercive authority in the country is monopolised by the APC federal government.
“Time has come to take advantage of the ongoing Constitution Amendment process to decentralise the security architecture of Nigeria and involve States and Local Governments.”
He explained that the Governors reaffirmed their conviction that an urgent devolution of powers and restructuring of the country in a way that brings together various groups and tendencies in the country appears to have become imperative and timely now as Nigeria cannot afford another civil war.
The governors charged the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to send a new Revenue Allocation Formula that allocates more resources to States and Local Governments to President Muhammad Buhari for National Assembly’s action.
They noted that it is a scandal that 21 years after the 1999 Constitution came into being, no new Revenue Formula is in place.
Furthermore, the governors called for a more transparent and accountable running and operation of the NNPC.
He said PDP governors further condemned the intimidation of their incumbent colleagues by the APC administration using all sorts of weapons like security agencies, unequal access to federal resources, promotion of divisions in the opposition political parties with fake promises and falsehoods.
“We significantly condemn the double standards that are applied by the APC-led federal government to intimidate PDP controlled states. To this end, we call on Mr. President to lift the so called “No flight Zone” and other intimidating tactics, imposed on Zamfara State as similar measures have not been extended to similar states with security challenges like Kaduna, Borno, Katsina, Yobe and others. This is mostly politically motivated to ensure that the Governors move over to APC.”
The PDP governors took a swipe at the APC for being unable to have a democratically-elected National Executive Committee as required by the Nigerian Constitution.
According to them, a political party that operates by military fiat with an appointed and unelected Executive Committee from ward to national has no business running the affairs of the country.
” APC cannot deliver democracy to Nigeria; even to constitute a Board of Trustees has been an impossible task for the party since inception. It further expressed surprise that the APC is interested in playing politics and jockeying for power in 2023, when they have done an abysmal and terribly poor job of their current questionable mandate.”
Tambuwal said PDP Governors were distressed that Nigeria is now officially the country with the highest unemployment rate in the world at 33% and second highest poverty rate in the world under the disastrous leadership of APC.
The meeting received briefings from the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, and Chairman PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, and assured Nigerians that help is on the way as the PDP is primed to offer effective leadership come 2023.
The meeting commended the Governors of PDP-controlled states for their innovative approaches to governance in many fields especially infrastructure, education, health, women and youth initiatives and the timely delivery of developmental projects, across the country.
“It is these legacy projects being undertaken in many PDP-governed states that will be presented to Nigerians as our scorecard at the appropriate time.”
The PDP governors thanked Governor Samuel Ortom for hosting the first meeting of the PDP Governors in recent times outside Abuja and for holding the Party together not only in Benue State but in the entire North Central Zone.
Present at the meeting were the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike; Governor of Oyo State, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde; Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku; Governor of Adamawa State, Rt Hon Ahmed Fintiri.
Also present were the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom; Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Enugu State Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi ; Governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki and the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Baba Tela represented his governor.
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BREAKING: EFCC operatives storm ex-Gov Yahaya Bello’s Abuja residence over N84bn fraud case
BREAKING: EFCC operatives storm ex-Gov Yahaya Bello’s Abuja residence over N84bn fraud case
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has barricaded the house of Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Kogi State, in Wuse, Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, the EFCC siege is coming days after the former governor held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, at the State House.
It was gathered that there is currently no movement in and around the house located at Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4 in the nation’s federal capital.
On Wednesday, a top source shared the photograph showing how operatives of the EFCC barricaded the access road to the Bello’s house.
The source said: “EFCC barricades Bello’ house in Abuja. No movement in the area as EFCC barricaded the house. They are yet to gain access.”
Although there was no immediate information available to the reason while the anti-graft agency stormed the former governor’s residence, it may be connected with the N84 billion fraud case against him which the EFCC is prosecuting.
The EFCC had charged the former governor with financial fraud to the tune of N84 billion.
The anti-graft commission in an amended charge, accused Bello of diverting N80 billion of state funds in September 2015, four months before he assumed office.
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Recall that the EFCC had arraigned Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, for alleged money laundering to the tune of N10 billion belonging to the State government.
The State Government faulted the charge describing it as “ridiculous” and “laughable”, argued that it is impossible, as the former governor was not yet in a position to access or misappropriate state funds at said time.
The state government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, had on February 7, 2024, accused the EFCC of being “infested with persons whose intents disagree with the noble intention of ‘Mr. President’ to defeat corruption in Nigeria.”
Recall that the EFCC had dragged former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja for alleged N84 billion money laundering.
EFCC, which joined Bello’s nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalam Hudu as co-accused, had said it is prosecuting them on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of fund to tune of N84, 062,406,089.88.
The anti-graft agency had claimed in the amended charge that former governor Bello is still at large.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Yahaya Adoza Bello (still at large) and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in September, 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eight Kobo), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(b) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended,” the EFCC said.
“While ex-Governor Yahaya Bello and Hudu are still at large, Ali Bello and Suleiman, first and second defendants respectively, who were present in court “pleaded not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to them.
BREAKING: EFCC operatives storm ex-Gov Yahaya Bello’s Abuja residence over N84bn fraud case
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EFCC has no powers to prosecute people over naira abuse – Odinkalu
EFCC has no powers to prosecute people over naira abuse – Odinkalu
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has argued that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacks the powers to prosecute naira abuse.
To the professor of law, spraying of the naira does not fall within the commission’s prosecutorial purview.
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Odinkalu stated: “The law that establishes the EFCC defines ‘economic and financial crimes’ to mean ‘non-violent criminal and illicit activity committed with the objectives of earning wealth illegally either individually or in a group or organised manner thereby violating existing legislation governing the economic activities of government and its administration.’ “
Socialite and barman Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, is set to challenge the charge filed against him by the EFCC, having pleaded not guilty.
He was arraigned on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Lagos and granted N10million bail.
EFCC has no powers to prosecute people over naira abuse – Odinkalu
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Stop Wike from using PDP for relevance, Secondus tells party leaders
Stop Wike from using PDP for relevance, Secondus tells party leaders
Ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, former national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, has asked party leaders to stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from continuous use of the party to remain relevant in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Wike, who claims to be a member of the PDP, is serving in the cabinet of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
Secondus, in a statement by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, urged the leaders to prove that no individual is bigger than the party by dealing with the FCT minister who he said is already drowning politically.
The PDP is scheduled to hold its 98th NEC meeting on Thursday, in Abuja.
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- Court affirms Ganduje’s suspension as APC member
- BREAKING: Police arraign 29 Yoruba Nation agitators in Ibadan
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The former PDP Chairman urged them to do everything humanly possible and within the law to rescue and restore the party’s glory, adding that the immediate past Rivers State governor is trying hard to create a non-existent crisis in the party to make himself relevant before his boss, President Tinubu.
He stated, “By deviously trying to create the impression that he is in a tussle of supremacy with the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Wike, who is copiously losing political relevance everywhere from Rivers to Abuja, is trying to give the impression that he is a factor in PDP and holding it for his APC interest.
“The critical structures of this party, NEC, BOT, National Caucus, forum of Governors, Chairmen of states and National Assembly caucus of the party must rise to the challenge and isolate mischief makers and meddlers like Wike and move the party forward.
“I expect the founding fathers and other dedicated members to rise to the challenge and return this great party to its glory by ensuring, as they always do at critical moments, that nobody or group is greater or bigger than this party,” he said.
Stop Wike from using PDP for relevance, Secondus tells party leaders
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BREAKING: EFCC operatives storm ex-Gov Yahaya Bello’s Abuja residence over N84bn fraud case
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