Leadership
White House does not rule out Haiti request for U.S. troops
The United States is still reviewing a request for troops made by Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to help secure key infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Monday. Psaki said Haiti’s political leadership remains unclear and that it was vital for the country’s leaders to come together to chart a united path forward. Moise was shot dead early on Wednesday at his Port-au-Prince home by what Haitian authorities describe as a unit of assassins formed of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. Haitian police said on Sunday they had arrested another key suspect. The death of the president has plunged the troubled country into deeper turmoil, and U.S. officials traveled there on Sunday to assess the situation and ...
Yahaya Bello: Nigeria deserves the best captain no matter where he comes from
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has said that rather engage on the unconstitutional issue of rotational presidency, what Nigerians should focus on is look for that Nigerian, no matter where he comes, who can be the captain to pilot the country to the promised land. The governor who stated this at the First Annual Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime Correspondents/Editors at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, said that even after 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and another six years of All Progressives Congress (APC), in the country, the problems of the nation has not been solved by the rotational presidency that has taken place over the years. Bello insisted that the political party must not limit the choice of Nigerians to any region...
Anambra election: APGA in marathon race to beat INEC deadline
The deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for all registered political parties interested in participating in the November 2021 Anambra State governorship election elapses in less than 24 hours. The development, newsmen has gathered, has heightened last minute scheming and jostling within the ranks of the Jude Okeke-led leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its candidate in the election, Chuma Umeoji. Recall that according to the election timetable released by INEC, political parties are required to submit the personal particulars and names/list of nominated candidates between July 2 and July 9, 2021. With the development, APGA leadership and Umeoji, who is a current member of the House of Representatives has come under intense pressu...
Mass defection: House member asks PDP national chairman to resign
Rep Rimamnde Shawulu (PDP-Taraba), has urged the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Uche Secondus, to resign following mass defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Shawulu said this a letter addressed to the chairman and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday. He decried the rate at which the party was losing members to the ruling APC in recent times. Shawulu also urged members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to resign. “Today, unexpectedly, four members of the House of Representatives from Zamfara defected from the PDP to APC,” he said. He said unlike before, when leaders of the party at the House usually put up a form of protest, not a whisper was heard or a hand raised in protest against the defection. “Dear...
Minister: Why Nigerian government insists on removing petrol subsidy
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, on Tuesday, reiterated the need to deregulate the downstream petroleum through the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit. According to him, only the wealthy were currently benefiting from the subsidy. The minister spoke during the leadership and governors’ discourse on open government partnership held in Abuja, on Tuesday. He said, “Some will say if you take out fuel subsidies the ordinary man will suffer, how will the ordinary man suffer? Is it in terms of food? Vehicles that are used for moving food are heavy-duty vehicles. And they don’t use PMS, they use diesel and that has since been deregulated. Those that we are actually subsidising are the very rich. “Those who drive the Rolls Royce, the Lamborghinis and other ...
2023: Southern lawmakers back governors call for power shift to South, electronic transmission of election results
The members of the House of Representatives from the 17 Southern states have unanimously and unequivocally endorsed the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) that the next President should emerge from the southern region. They also described the attempt to tamper with the Electoral Act to remove electronic transmission of results as a malicious and unpatriotic act aimed to emasculate the electoral system, undermine democracy and destabilise the country. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Southern Caucus, Hon. Victor Nwokolo in a statement issued Tuesday said the alleged attempt to remove electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act amendment Bill cannot be condoned or justified under any guise whatsoever. The southern lawmakers said the resolution by the ...
PIB: Ijaw leaders reject ‘disgusting, provocative’ bill
The leadership of the Ijaw nation has rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) just passed into law by the National Assembly describing it as disgusting and provocative. The leaders also called on the Minister of State for Petroluem Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to use this opportunity to write his name in gold, and on the side of prosperity by standing firm with the Ijaw people against their oppressors. President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the umbrella body of the Ijaw people, Prof Benjamin Okaba in a packed press conference, he addressed at the Ijaw House, headquarters of INC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, declared that the Ijaw nation rejects in its entirety the 3% and 5% provisions as compensation, the redefinition of host communities and other provisions including the alloca...
CSOs: No to manual transmission of election results
No fewer than 42 civil society organisations have rejected the Electoral Amendment Bill (2021) being proposed by the National Assembly. The CSOs in a statement on Sunday said the manual transmission of election results would be used to manipulate the outcome of polls. Some of the CSOs are Center for Liberty, The Electoral Hub, Yiaga Africa, Raising New Voices, Ready To Lead Africa and Speak Out Africa Initiative, Centre for Development Alternatives Research and Studies, Aspilos Foundation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre and South-South Professional Women Association. “As everyone may be aware, the National Assembly will pass the Electoral Amendment Bill (2021) this week. Barring any last-minute changes, the bill is expected to be passed by both chambers on Thursday. “Som...
PIB: IPMAN commends National Assembly for inclusion of PEF
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has commended the National Assembly for the inclusion of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund in the newly passed Petroleum Industry Bill. The Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Yakubu Suleiman, gave the commendation on Sunday in a statement. Suleiman said the legislative arm of government had demonstrated that it was sensitive to the yearnings of majority of Nigerians for a permanent solution to the energy problems in the country. He said the entire content of the bill as passed by the Senate would serve as a catalyst for the inflow of the much desired foreign direct investment to boost the economy. He said: “The much awaited Petroleum Industry Bill has come to ease Nigerians of the pains that necessitated the call for the Bill in the ...
Comrade Oshiomhole welcomes Governor Matawalle to APC
The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has welcomed the Zamfara State governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle to the ruling party. In a letter he personally signed and made available to journalists by his media aide, Victor Oshioke, the former Edo State governor said it was with great pleasure, relief and deep sense of personal satisfaction that he welcomes Matawalle to the APC . He said it takes a man of courage, conscience, principles and honour to make the long awaited move, which not mary politicians in our clime would have the audacity to undertake, adding that he has absolute confidence all APC stakeholders in Zamfara State will welcome the governor with open arms and accord him his well earned respect that he richly deserves...
APC states to implement Security Trust Fund to address insecurity
In a bid to fight the increasing wave of insecurity in the country, All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled states are to strengthen the legal framework for the implementation of the Security Trust Fund (STF) by member States. This decision was reached at the 12th Quarterly meeting of Secretaries to Government of APC states in conjunction with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital. The communique, jointly signed by the Nasarawa State Secretary to Government, Barr. Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu and the Director-General of PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman, issued at the end of the meeting and released to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday stated that States Chief scribes will continue to mobilize resources for the management of security challenges in the APC-controlled states....
South Africans gather in support of Jacob Zuma — a day before jail deadline
Hundreds of supporters gathered in a show of solidarity for former South African president Jacob Zuma outside his Nkandla homestead Saturday, as the deadline looms for him to hand himself over. In an unprecedented ruling, Zuma was on Tuesday told by the constitutional court to hand himself over by Sunday to start a 15-month jail term for contempt of court. Supporters, mainly members of the African National Congress’s Umkhonto Wesizwe military wing, have for weeks camped outside Zuma’s home in KwaZula-Natal province in solidarity with the former leader. Donning traditional leopard skins and ostrich feathers – wielding spears, shields and clubs known as “knobkerries,” men known as “amaButho,” or Zulu regiments marched in the streets of Nkandla, singing praise songs about Zuma. Bare-breasted ...
