2019 election: Oyegun speaks on crisis rocking APC under Oshiomhole

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has reacted to the crisis rocking the ruling party under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The former APC Chairman expressed sadness over the current crisis but expressed confidence that the ongoing peace moves will yield expected results.
Oyegun, who spoke with reporters at his Abuja residence Wednesday, Oyegun said he didn’t know anyone who is happy with the instability situation within the party.

“We need to begin to confront the election in February next year which given the state of the nation, are bound to be challenging,” he said, even as he appealed that every effort be made to establish peace such that the party will approach the general elections as a united force, rallying around a united program of action.
“Well, I can say something for sure that I am not happy as to state of peace or the relative instability in the party. I don’t think I know someone who is happy today about that but like I said earlier, there are peace missions that I have found all over the country and so at this point in time it will be ill of me to start saying ho, things went bad because that happened or because that did not happen but as a statesman let me not start passing my own personal judgement where there is a team out trying to broker peace, I won’t be helping the situation.
“What we require is peace, I pray God give these teams the wisdom that is required to to work out the settlement to bring the party back to strong political fighting force.

“As far as my own party is concerned, well I have only one appeal, that there should be peace and that Every effort should be made to establish Peace such that we will approach the elections a united force, a united voice a united party, rallying around a united program of action.
“There is no doubt about it that there are very serious disputations within the party. And I’m very very glad that peace teams have been sent out, I was glad to run into one of these teams once while I was on private business in the Southeast. And it is my prayer that they achieve the goals for which they were set up and for the reason they have been sent out.
“But It is necessary to state that for peace to happen, there is need to emphasize that all sides must be ready to give and to take, there must be willingness for compromise, such that can bring the party back together in such a fighting mood. We need to begin to confront the election in February next year which given the state of the nation, are bound to be challenging.
“As an elder statesman, I appeal to our leaders to keep away from distractions and non issues. If you read the Social Media today you see such terrible distractions, such terrible insults, such humongous, clear patent falsehood and this seem to have become the main issues whereas they are mere distractions, absolute distractions. Whether people have certificate or not, whether they went to schools or not and quite a lot of other things, manufactured stories about individuals, prominent individuals.
“It appears the pastime now is research for scandals rather than an attempt to build issues, to depict deepen alternative approach, alternative formulation. We all known the problems of our country, who has answers for these problems, what are the answers . I think those are issues this two and half months should try to address.”

2019 election: You’re poor students of history – Oshiomhole attacks Okorocha, Amosun

Adam Oshiomhole

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the party will win the 2019 election in Imo and Ogun States with or without the Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, respectively.

The party chairman was reacting to reports of alleged anti-party activities by Amosun and Okorocha whose supporters have already dumped the ruling party.
Oshiomhole said the Governors had forgotten so fast that they lost elections before winning on the platform of the APC.
 
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the party will win the 2019 election in Imo and Ogun States with or without the Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, respectively.

The party chairman was reacting to reports of alleged anti-party activities by Amosun and Okorocha whose supporters have already dumped the ruling party.
Oshiomhole said the Governors had forgotten so fast that they lost elections before winning on the platform of the APC.

The former Edo Governor spoke when APC women leaders from Edo State and Abuja paid him a solidarity visit in Abuja.
Oshiomhole said, “Those who think our political future is tied to them; they are poor students of their own political history.
“Some of these people who talk as if they are invincible, they have forgotten that they have run elections in the past and lost until they abandoned their parties and joined us. So if they return back, history will repeat itself.
 
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the party will win the 2019 election in Imo and Ogun States with or without the Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, respectively.

The party chairman was reacting to reports of alleged anti-party activities by Amosun and Okorocha whose supporters have already dumped the ruling party.
Oshiomhole said the Governors had forgotten so fast that they lost elections before winning on the platform of the APC.

The former Edo Governor spoke when APC women leaders from Edo State and Abuja paid him a solidarity visit in Abuja.
Oshiomhole said, “Those who think our political future is tied to them; they are poor students of their own political history.
“Some of these people who talk as if they are invincible, they have forgotten that they have run elections in the past and lost until they abandoned their parties and joined us. So if they return back, history will repeat itself.

“Whether you are a big or small man, the rules are not supposed to discriminate. Our popularity in Imo and Ogun today is much higher. It is not that once you are a governor you have high electoral value.
“In Imo state today, APC will win more votes. My focus is on ordinary Imo voters because on that day, the governor would have only one vote, his son-in-law would have only one vote while his Commissioner for Happiness would have only one vote.
“But artisans, traders, teachers and workers whose salaries are not being paid have the same weight of vote and they are excited about the renewed possibility of a new government coming with fresh ideas free of all the encumbrances of the present system. So in Imo I’m very confident.
“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is from Ogun State. The state is one of the most enlightened States in Nigeria. They have a huge history; they are not in a political kingdom headed by one person.”
“If they were looking for true reconciliation, they wouldn’t have done what they did (defection of aides). That is not how democracy works. Nigeria must grow beyond this syndrome ‘I’m the governor, I will decide.’ You have only one vote. With due respect, I was once a governor. Overall APC is much stronger now.”

Source: Daily Post

2019: I have better things to do than being governor – El-rufai

Gov El-rufai

 Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, said that he has better things to do with his life than being the governor of Kaduna State.
He promised to concede defeat to whoever wins the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Speaking at the event organized by the Kaduna State Peace Commission in partnership with AID Foundation Development Peace Initiative, United States Institute of Peace, Nigeria Bar Association and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, governor El-Rufai said, “l should spend most of my time with my family which I have not done in the last 10 years.”
 While calling on politicians to shun politics of bitterness, he said election was not a war but a competition that at the end of it will have a winner.
His words, “When politicians give weapons and drugs to young people for electoral purposes, then what do you do with them after you win? They become monsters that will be difficult to deal with.
“We have no thugs in the APC, all those that campaign with us, we try to empower and give them employment so that they can be off the streets

Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, said that he has better things to do with his life than being the governor of Kaduna State.

He promised to concede defeat to whoever wins the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Speaking at the event organized by the Kaduna State Peace Commission in partnership with AID Foundation Development Peace Initiative, United States Institute of Peace, Nigeria Bar Association and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, governor El-Rufai said, “l should spend most of my time with my family which I have not done in the last 10 years.”

While calling on politicians to shun politics of bitterness, he said election was not a war but a competition that at the end of it will have a winner.
His words, “When politicians give weapons and drugs to young people for electoral purposes, then what do you do with them after you win? They become monsters that will be difficult to deal with.
“We have no thugs in the APC, all those that campaign with us, we try to empower and give them employment so that they can be off the streets.

“If you don’t find job for this people, they are the one who become soldiers for Boko-Haram, kidnappers and involved themselves in other criminal activities.
“For us as state government, we must continue to govern and these are very serious issues for us.”
He said politicians should conduct themselves during the campaign and avoid using hate speeches, adding that campaign should be issue-based.
Governor El-rufai reiterated his commitment towards ensuring that whoever was found using the social media to incite the killing of people in Kaduna would be brought to book.
“We are determined and we are doing that vigorously. We do not care about what people said, either you call yourselves Bishop, Imam, Sheikh, Chief or District head, we will bring them to justice.
“We are on the trail of those who have done that, some in Abuja, some in Lagos and we will bring them to Kaduna and charge them for hate speeches and we will not politicise it, because the protection of lives and property should never be politicised,” he explained.
He appealed to politicians to put the people first, saying they should adhere to the tenets of religion, as no religion preaches hatred.

Source: Daily Post
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No mass retirement plans – NNPC

To calm frightened staff, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Wednesday, reiterated that there was no mass retirement plans in the establishment.
Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, gave the assurance, on Wednesday, at a programme tagged ‘CS Connect’, organised by the Corporate Services Autonomous Business Units (ABU) to showcase its products and services to the public.
In a keynote address at the event, the GMD charged the management and staff of the Corporation to go about their duties and continue to give their best to the corporation and ignore the rumors of sack.

He explained that the recent retirement of some staff following the last management promotion exercise was restricted to those who had been performing below par, stressing that “they were a disincentive to those remaining in the system and it was only appropriate to disengage them to allow some fresh air for others to rise”.
Baru harped on the need for staff to be law-abiding, resourceful and disciplined, and urged staff “to come up with innovative ideas and best-in-class practices to reposition the Corporation and sustain our pride of place in the national economy as we strive for global recognition”.
He commended the Corporate Services ABU for being in the forefront of service delivery and for  enhancing  the overall business success of the Corporation, adding that  the CS Connect was aimed at improving current support services with a focus on cost-reduction and greater efficiency.
In his opening remarks, Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Mr. Isa Inuwa, said the occasion was primarily for the Corporate Services Autonomous Business Unit to account for its mandate.
The theme of CS Connect programme which is in its second day is: “Integrate, Automate and Elevate NNPC’s Business to Next Level”.


Source:The Sun

Give me my son corpse for burial, widow tells Police

 

A 49-year old widow, Mrs. Esther Umukoro, has cried out to the State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, to release the body of her late son for proper burial.

Mrs. Esther said her son identified as Samson was killed last month during a protest against the Nigeria Custom Service at Ovbiogie village in Ovia North East local government area.

Residents in the area had last month sacked the NCS station at the former Benin tollgate following the killing of a commercial driver who was carrying three bags of rice.

A vehicle belonging to the NCS was set ablaze.

Esther said her son was hit by an object from the vehicle when it exploded.

She said her late son had gone to look for his younger sister who went to hawk plantain chips at the toll gate area when he was hit by an object from the burning vehicle.

According to her, “I returned from the market where I went to hawk plantain chips and I ask Samson about the sister because of the riot.

“Samson said he was going to look to her. After some minutes, I saw people gathered around my house. They were just looking at me without saying anything.

“It was a little boy that came to tell me that my son is dead. He is an apprentice and did not participate in the protest.

“I have gone to the Ekiadolor Police Station and they keep telling me to go and come back. The police said they are still investigating. They said the Custom people said they are looking for their pistol.

“All I want is to end my grief by burying my son. He is second to the last born.”

Edo Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments.

 

Source: The Nation