Buhari’s Independence speech: Labour demands concrete plans

 Buhari’s Independence speech: Labour demands concrete plans

— 3rd October 2017

…Says target easy to set, tough to implement

By Bimbola Oyesola

Nigeria’s organised Labour centres have picked holes in the the Federal Government plan to add 10,000 megawatts to the nation’s electricity grid by 2020 in addition to creating 10,000 jobs, describing it as mere wishful thinking. Labour said there are no concrete plans on ground to achieve the targets. 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in a separate interviews with Daily Sun said the target would have been feasible if there was the political will by the present administration to attain the goals.

The General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, said targets can be easily set, but the situation on ground, particularly in respect of adding 10,000 megawatts to the electricity grid may be a fluke at the end of the deadline since economic realities on ground can’t make this achievable.

“The situation on ground after bungling of the privatisation programme shows that it is not feasible. Even in terms of generation, the Discos cannot  distribute all the powers generated. Setting targets without addressing the fundamentals will get us no where”, he said.

On the job creation, the labour leaders urged the Federal Government to tell Nigerians where the jobs would come from: “where are the jobs coming from, and what is the quality of the jobs? We want an economy that will create sustainable jobs. Nigerians are more interested in what concrete plans are on ground towards achieving these targets.”

For his part, the President General of TUC, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, expressed confidence that it could be possible if the politicians would use the funds allocated for projects to execute them.

“Politicians have habit of allocating funds, but often end up diverting or mismanaging the resources. More so, the government has to work on the Gen cos and the Discos to ensure they deliver on their mandates.”

Patience Jonathan petitions Buhari over EFCC

Patience Jonathan petitions Buhari over EFCC

— 3rd October 2017

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of “relentlessly plotting to destroy her family” and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, to order.

Mrs. Jonathan alleged that Magu’s “vindictive disposition towards her family portrays the organisation as an agency for revenge” and called on Buhari to bring him back to the path of sanity and reason to salvage the image of the Presidency, which she said the EFCC boss has “ceaselessly desecrated through his malicious actions.”

In the statement signed by her media aide, Belema Meshack-Hart, the former first lady also accused Magu of bias and intimidation. She said the EFCC boss had been “spreading barefaced falsehood and propaganda” against her in the name of investigations. Mrs Jonathan further claimed that Magu’s actions were tantamount to “unjustified witch-hunt”, stressing that no other first lady had faced such fate of brazen intimidation in the history of the country.

The statement said: “We wish to bring to the attention of Nigerians, the unjustified witch-hunt and media propaganda against the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her family, by the agents of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and his media hirelings.

“For almost three years, this agency of government has beamed its searchlight on her and her family members, including siblings and parents, as well as her Foundation and Non-Governmental Organisation; A. Aruera Reach Out Foundation, and Women for Change and Development Initiative, in the name of investigating their activities. However, we have since discovered that the real intention is to disgrace, intimidate, dehumanise and ridicule her and her family, through sheer cheap propaganda, sensational investigation and media trial that have been going on for too long.

“We wish to place it on record that in the history of this country, no wife of any president had been so far investigated in such flagrant vindictive and disgraceful manner, as has been the fate of Mrs. Jonathan.

“As a tradition, every first lady in this country has had one pet project or the other, with which they sought to intervene in the lives of less privileged. Mrs. Jonathan started her NGO in Bayelsa State 11 years ago, when her husband was the governor of the state. With it, she has, over the years, touched the lives of many Nigerians. It is then surprising that while other first ladies and their pet projects were left alone, it is only her activities and that of her NGOs that are being subjected to indefinite probe by the Buhari administration.”

The former first lady accused the anti-graft agency of adopting the method of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it by “maliciously linking her to all kinds of fake possessions and properties around the country, including the Local Content Office in Yenagoa, which she said is an arm of NNPC, Shoprite Complex, Nigerian Customs Guest House and Park View Hotel, both in Port Harcourt, as well as the residence of her neighbor who is a serving Senator.

“It has now come to a point where all the magnificent edifices in Abuja, Yenagoa or Port Harcourt are presented to the media as belonging to Mrs. Patience Jonathan. Not done, they also accuse her of owning several plots of land in many cities across the country, including places she had never visited. The most astonishing of all is that her close relatives are viciously being victimised, as their personal properties are also being investigated.

“It is either the EFCC is now led by people who cannot conduct proper investigations, or they are deliberately feeding the public with false information, in line with their sinister script to embarrass and brow beat the former first family.

“We wish to remind President Muhammadu Buhari that what Magu and other agents of his government are doing is tantamount to desecrating the hallowed and dignified office of the president, and exposing it to public ridicule before the rest of the world.”

Army begins Operation Crocodile Smile II in South South Saturday

Army begins Operation Crocodile Smile II in South South Saturday

— 3rd October 2017

By Emma Njoku

Troops of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, in Rivers, Port Harcourt, including affiliated formations and units located within its entire Area of Responsibility (AOR), covering core Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers, will begin training for this year’s Operation Crocodile Smile II on  Saturday, October 7, 2017.

The exercise will end on October 28.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Col Aminu Iliyasu, said the exercise is intended to train troops on administration, operations, logistics as well as civil-military cooperation, such as the provision of free medical care to host communities, Quick Impact Projects (QIP) and the conduct of sanitation exercises for the benefit of their host communities.

He added that the exercise will include the distribution of educational materials to schools as part of the army’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“It will also avail troops the opportunity to sharpen their combat skills in the conduct of land based as well as joint riverine operations.

The exercise will also aim at imparting to the troops the importance of equipment maintenance, reconnaissance, inter-service and inter-agency cooperation, effective application of the Nigerian Army Code of Conduct as well as strict adherence to Rules of Engagement (ROE), proffer handling of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), captured or surrendered hostile elements in line with international best practices.

“In light of the foregoing, the authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army wishes to inform the general public as well as solicit their usual understanding and cooperation during the period of the exercise and beyond,” the statement read.

Iliyasu said dates and locations for the  sanitation and free medical interventions will be announced in due course.

“The command also wishes to allay the fears of the general public as they will witness increased movements of troops and equipment during the period,” he said.

Kanu’s whereabouts: IPOB lawyer hits Kalu

Kanu’s whereabouts: IPOB lawyer hits Kalu

— 3rd October 2017

Eminent businessmen and former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has been flayed by Ifeanyi Ejiofor, head of the legal team of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), over his statement on the whereabouts of the embattled separatist agitator, Nnamdi Kanu.

     Ejiofor accused Kalu of capitalising on the travail of the embattled IPOB leader to curry favour from the Federal Government.     

   The whereabouts of the IPOB leader had been shrouded in mystery and steeped in controversy since the alleged invasion of his family home near Umuahia by troops of the Nigerian Army, last month.

He was last seen on September 14 when clashes occurred between members of his group and soldiers on an army exercise “Operation Python Dance” in Abia State.

While IPOB members have consistently claimed that their leader was being held by the military, the army have denied holding him.

But Kalu, in an interview with a national daily and published on Sunday was emphatic that Kanu was not arrested by the military.

“Kanu was not taken away by the military. Kanu went to Malaysia from where he travelled to the United Kingdom. Nnamdi Kanu is in London right now as we speak. He was not arrested by anybody. He left the country on his own.

“One of his relations has spoken to me and explained everything because I wanted to see him and talk to him wherever he was and see how I could meet some Federal Government officials on his issue.

“I also wanted to see ways of talking to the President about him, and find common ground but his family told me that he has left the country, unless they are lying to me.

“I believe, whether he had left the country or not, he is not with the military because I asked the Commander of the 14 Brigade, Brig. Gen. A. K. Ibrahim, who is a very fine and good soldier, well educated and dedicated, and he told me that they don’t know his whereabouts and I am sure, the Department of State Services has the same information.”

But in a swift reaction, Ejiofor, said in a statement released on Sunday that the former governor had turned himself to the spokesperson for the Federal Government and the military as part of his strategies to get freed from his ongoing trial on corruption charges.

“Orji Uzor Kalu is a drowning man, looking for where to perch. He has since outlived his usefulness in Igboland. What do you expect from a man who is enjoying a temporary freedom and struggling to get his head out of grievous corruption charges hanging on his neck?

“He saw Nnamdi Kanu’s travail as an opportunity to seek relevance from the prosecuting authorities.

“At some time, he attempted deceiving the state into believing that he had the magic wand to Nnamdi Kanu’s peaceful agitation.”

In the wake of controversies over Kanu’s whereabouts, the Defence Headquarters last week said it had no knowledge of his whereabouts.

The army had kept a dignified silence over the location of the IPOB boss despite allegations by his lawyer that the army knew his whereabouts or may have been killed.

But Defence spokesperson, John Enenche, told journalists in Abuja last month that neither the military nor any security agency could be held responsible for the missing IPOB leader.

Mr. Enenche, a major general, also denied allegations that the military raided the home of Mr. Kanu in Abia State. 

“I watched the operations live. I also got first-hand information from our men on the ground. For the records, Nnamdi Kanu was never taken away by the military.

“The military is doing their routine exercise operation I saw everything, nobody raided Kanu house. I stand to justify it not from the information I got, I was watching it live. I was monitoring it live.”

“Nobody raided his house, nobody went to ‘carry’ him, that must be very clear I saw the militancy, nobody told me,” he said.

Mr. Kanu, who is currently facing trial for alleged treason is due to appear in court on October 17 for the continuation of his trail.

Ejiofor, in an application filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has asked the court to compel the army to produce Mr. Kanu in court.

The group is fighting for an independent nation of Biafra and has pitched battles with the Nigerian security operatives in recent months. The government recently tagged them a terrorist outfit after securing a court order.

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Don’t insult Buhari, Umahi advises PDP members

Don’t insult Buhari, Umahi advises PDP members

— 2nd October 2017

Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has advised politicians in the opposition not to insult those in government but to criticise them constructively to enhance development.

Umahi spoke at a gala-night to celebrate 21 years of the creation of Ebonyi and the 57th Independence anniversary of Nigeria in Abakaliki on Sunday.

He advised members of his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to refrain from insulting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government.

The governor also urged members of APC in Ebonyi to refrain from insulting him and his PDP-led state government.

.“I always tell my people (PDP) that opposition at the centre is not about insults; I also advise the opposition in our state to tow the same line.

“Opposition is about constructive criticism, putting the leader in check and reminding him that he has not fulfilled the promises he made.

“It should not involve lying to the people, deceiving them and practising politics with bitterness and anger.

“I will ask our grandfathers who are tackling us to do so with wisdom and love because it is a shame that a grandfather would tackle his children,” he said.

Umahi said that the opposition would not succeed in the state because the state was neat and did not need to be ‘swept.

“We have been holding the umbrella for an old man who was under the umbrella for eight years and we will take him to the boundaries of Ebonyi to sweep.

“We are standing on God’s mandate and not shaking because over 10,000 people are praying for us day and night to succeed and take the state to another level, “ he said.

Umahi commended the president for agreeing that the country needed to be restructured and noted that such stance had established a platform for Nigerians to discuss their agitations.

“We will now talk, disagree, agree and arrive at decisions that will take the nation to greater heights and achieve the desired unity and development,” he said.

Mr Augustine Nwankwagu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, said the party was to celebrate God’s mercies since the state’s creation and the successes of the governor.

The governor has been heavily criticised for his actions by the opposition, with his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi, who decamped from PDP to APC, leading the critics.

Elechi during a recent interview told newsmen that he did not support Umahi’s emergence as governor and would not support his re-election for a second term in office. (NAN)