A 47- year-old Presidential aspirant on the platform of National Conscience Party (NCP), Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, has dumped the party after accusing its functionaries of demanding what he called an unconstitutional fee of N7.4 million from each aspirant.
Thomas-Wilson told journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital today, Monday, that he was renouncing his membership as well as presidential aspiration on the platform of NCP over an alleged unconstitutional act on the part of the party’s leadership.
He explained that the national chairman and secretary of the party were demanding N7.4 million from each aspirant, which according to him contradict its constitution.
NCP was founded by the late legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi.
“I am no longer NCP presidential aspirant due to the action of the national chairman and secretary of the party who mandated each aspirant to pay a sum of N7.4 million to secure the party’s ticket.
“This is totally contradictory to the party’s constitution which stipulates that intending candidates of the party should run without paying a dime.
“Majority are not happy with the way the party is being run. It is a total deviation from the dreams of the founding members.”
The runaway aspirant said that no fewer than 12 different political parties have approached him to form a coalition in order to oust the ruling party from power, adding that the planned coalition would be able to create the dream of a new Nigeria.
The Nigerian Police Force has said that the Senate, whose members invited the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim over series of killings across the country, is either ignorant of the global security practice or mischievous.
The NPF, in reaction to a media publication credited to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi, that the Inspector General of Police should stop holding on to the straw on why he refused to comply with the invitation of the Senate for him to come, said that the Senate is misleading Nigerians.
In a series of tweets, the NPF said: “if the Senate is sincerely interested in knowing the strategies adopted by the Police in tackling the killings in the affected States, they would not have invited the IGP to speak on the strategies of the Force on National Television.
“The Senate’s action to cover the appearance of the IGP on National Television is against National Security, unconventional and it negates global security practice.
“Over Five Thousand (5000) prohibited firearms have been recovered from wrong hands across the Federation on the directives of the IGP in the mop-up operations currently ongoing throughout the Country.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with Pastor Tunde Bakare on the death of his mother, Mrs. Abigail Eebudola Bakare.
In a telephone call to his friend and one time running mate, the General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, President Buhari asked the cleric and the Bakare family to take solace in the fact that the late Mrs. Bakare lived long enough to witness the enormous successes achieved by her children.
The President called on the bereaved family to uphold the cherished ideals of community service, kindness and generosity associated with the matriarch of the Bakare family, who died on May 5 at the age of 108.
We must let the world know that the Health Workers are seeking for redress against injustice and not seeking equality in remuneration.
We are questioning where in the world does a first degree holder under the disguise of MBBS enter into service at GL12?
We are questioning the rationality of an employed graduate Pharmacist, Physiotherapist, Medical Lab Scientist, Nurse etc spending about 10 years in service before catching up with an MBBS graduate at his/her point of entry!
Where is it in all the guidelines for employment into the public or civil service? Where is the Head of Service of the Federation? Where is the Secretary To The Government Of The Federation? Where is the Chairman Salaries and Wages Commission? Where are the Heads of Establishments in The Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of The Accountant General and Auditor General of and for the Federation? Where are they?
Where is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice? Where are the Law Makers in the Hallowed Chambers of National Assembly? Where is the Vice President a revered Professor of Law? Indeed, Where is Mr President, the shining example of integrity, accountability, equity and justice?
Where are all these authorities when Health Workers in Nigeria are being subjugated and oppressed by a microscopic few that arrogate to themselves the power to determine who gets what, when and how?
Let the public know that right in our current salary table (CONHESS) is a design to truncate our career progression for a period of four years.
On the table, there is no provision for Deputy Director despite the fact that health workers get promoted to that rank after spending at least four years in the rank of an Assistant Director.
One of our demands is the implementation of the adjusted CONHESS table from 15 to 16 to accommodate Deputy Director on CONHESS 15 and scale up the Director to CONHESS 16.
Other demands such as adjustment in retirement age from 60 to 65years cut across all categories of staff in the Health Sector including the so-called Medical Staff.
I want to use this opportunity to call on all well meaning Nigerians, Traditional, Religious leaders and Leaders of thought to prevail on Government to address the question of inequality and illegalities pervading the health sector.
Health Workers are not worried that the Medical Doctors in Nigeria are jumping scale without any enabling circular from Establishment. They are enjoying skipping with arrears without any appropriation. They were paid CONTISS Arrears running into billions sometimes in 2004 or thereabout even when they weren’t on CONTISS Scale. We can go on and on, but these haven’t been part of our demands despite being our civic duty to point out.
For peace to return and sustained, Government should mutter the desired courage to address our concerns for the benefits of the downtrodden masses of this country that doesn’t have the means to afford the throat cutting prices charged at Private Clinics predominantly owned by the Medical Doctors.”
Stephen Chubiyojo, a Pharmacist and Abubakar Umar (Saraki)PhD, wrote in from Abuja. [myad]
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State made a surprise stopover in front of the shop of an old customer, Mrs. Funmilayo Osunla, popularly called Iya Dare Onigbin at Owena, Igbaraoke in Ifedore local government area, to buy his usual delicacy.
Governor Akeredolu, whose long convoy pulled up at Iya Dare’s stall after a long break, was warmly embraced by the surprised Funmilayo.
Eye witness account described the meeting of the snail seller and the governor in such a circumstance as an event that would for a long time, remain unforgettable in the memory of the former. [myad]
Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked his predecessor, Kayode Fayemi who has just emerged as Flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the July 14 Ekiti gubernatorial elections to expect the worse defeat.
In a tweet on Saturday, Fayose, said: He (Fayemi) should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 2014.”
He thanked the APC for giving Ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. Fayemi should not celebrate this pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on July 14.[myad]
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flag bearer in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said that his second coming will aim at rescuing the state from bad governance, poverty among the people and desecration of the values for which the people of the State are known.
Dr. Fayemi, in his acceptance speech after winning the APC governorship primaries, beating 31 other contestants at a keenly-contested battle for the party’s ticket at Damlek Event Centre, Oke Ila, Ado-Ekiti, Saturday night, said that his victory signaled the beginning of the battle to rescue the state from bad governance, poverty and desecration of Ekiti values wrecked by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration.
The APC candidate, who was joined by fellow aspirants on the podium, said that his desire to seek Ekiti people’s votes again was hinged on an unfinished business to make their lives better.
He advised party members and supporters to let go of all grievances in the course of the struggle for the governorship ticket and urged fellow party faithful to set aside differences and face the election as a united family.
“Let me say this to Ekiti people who will wake up in the morning to hear the news of the result of my being the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the July 14 election, I want you, Ekiti people, to be rest assured that I am not on any vengeance mission. In accepting this onerous responsibility, I have a profound sense of unfinished business in making poverty history in this land.
“In the course of my previous service in this state, there are certainly acts of omission and commission in our quest to rapidly develop our state.
“This is an opportunity to apologize to those who might have been offended by our policies and programmes. Together, we will take our state to greater heights.”
Fayemi hailed fellow aspirants for providing the stiff competition that enriched the race for the APC ticket, stressing that “all of them are eminently qualified to be governor of Ekiti State and will do better than characters presently at the helm.”
He announced that he was immediately setting up a Candidate Advisory Council, comprising all the co-aspirants to share experience, plan ahead and ensure victory for the party at the governorship poll.
“In all electoral contests, tempers often rise and nerves are frayed. I therefore humbly appeal to all my supporters, and to my co-contestants and their supporters, to let go of past differences as we forge ahead to a new dawn.
“The first major step is the immediate setting up of the candidate advisory council, comprising all the co-aspirants.
“But the battle has only just begun – the contest to reclaim our land and restore our values. The fight to ensure our great party comes out victorious in the July 14, 2018 general election.
“Without a doubt, Ekiti is in critical need of rescue. It is imperative that we urgently commence the task of purging ourselves of the bad reputation we have earned in recent years and restore good governance to the state.
“In my valedictory address in 2014, I said that future administrations would be judged by the standards we set during our time in office.
“It should be clear to any observer that over the past four years, Ekiti has retreated from the progressive values that we espoused in office and our grand ideals of human development.
“We have seen the entrenchment of the disdain for elders, traditional institutions, and all forms of constituted authorities.
“Instead of continuing the quest for freedom from ignorance, disease and want, what we have seen is a paradigm that deepens captivity to these ills.
“In short, the last four years has called into question all that we stand for as a people. The timeless values of honour, dignity, nobility and civility encapsulated in the Omoluabi ethos have been eroded.”
Fayemi, who is current minister of mine and solid minerals, was declared winner by the Ekiti State APC Governorship Primary Electoral Committee Chairman, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, who commended all stakeholders for their contribution to the success of the primary election. He handed Fayemi the Certificate of Return as the APC candidate for the July 14 poll. [myad]
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will emerged stronger from the tension it went into during the state congresses of the party last weekend.
Professor Osinbajo who fielded questions from newsmen shortly after attending the inauguration of President Maada Bio as the new President of Sierra Leone in Freetown, the nation’s federal capital, said: “in politics, as you know, there will always be tensions. But the party is strong and the leadership and membership of the party are committed to ensuring that the party remains strong and continues to offer the hope and promise it has always offered and given to the people.”
He was sure that a lot of the issues will be resolved in due course, stressing that the tension is the normal order of thing.
“There will be some disagreements; there will be those who may feel that they need certain preferences or certain things which may not have been done earlier on. I don’t think there is any major problem.” this was even as President Muhammadu Buhari described the successful completion of the APC primaries in Ekiti State where over 30 aspirants contested to fly the flag of the party as the governorship candidate as having further validated its credentials of true internal democracy.
Congratulating Dr. Kayode Fayemi, current minister of mine solid minerals, who emerged as the governorship candidate, President Buhari said that the APC is fully prepared to the country to another level of development.
President Buhari commended all the participants in the keenly contested position, who passionately worked hard to serve the state as governors, even as he advised them to keep upholding the values and philosophy of the party by supporting the APC candidate in the forthcoming elections.
President Buhari believes that Fayemi’s track record in the state as a reformist, with a penchant for building educational infrastructure and promoting the welfare of the ordinary people, will bolster his chances at the forthcoming polls. [myad]
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiite, has launched attack on former American Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell over a write up he posted on the website of the American think-tank organization, titled: “Nigeria’s Treatment of Shia Minority Recalls That of Boko Haram.”
In a statement by its spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, the Shiite expressed displeasure with Ambassador Campbell for drawing similarities between the dreaded Boko Haram and the Islamic Movement, “under the able leadership of our illegally detained Leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.”
Describing the Ambassador’s write up as a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting and mischief, the Shiite spokesman said: “the assertion that there are striking ideological similarities between IMN and Boko Haram, at least for outside observers is most unfortunate.
“His claim that both see the secular state as evil, both want an Islamic state based on Islamic law, and both want the end to Western influence, including in education is grossly misleading.
“Equally mischievous was his summation that both also seek the end of northern Nigeria’s traditional political and religious elite. For IMN, the model appears to be the aspirations of the post-revolutionary Iranian Islamic state. Boko Haram’s vision appears more nebulous and less developed, but both try to function as a state-within-state.”
“For the records, we and Boko Haram are clearly poles apart. As Sheikh Zakzaky himself repeatedly pointed out, Boko Haram is the creation of the oil hungry west; a claim Ambassador Campbell erroneously claimed is implausible. However, it is on record that the equally dreaded ISIS organization wreaking havoc in the Middle East, to which Boko Haram gives its allegiance, is the creation of the US.
“Hence to claim that Boko Haram wants, “an Islamic state based on Islamic law,” and the end to Western influence, including in education and also seek the end of northern Nigeria’s traditional political and religious elite, is superfluous to say the least. It is however clear to all that Islam as a state religion was not established by the holy Prophet Muhammad through terroristic activities to which all these western created groups are known today.
“Boko Haram simply sprang up, hitherto unknown to anybody as to its teachings, schools and media and started terrorizing people. On the contrary, the Islamic Movement is a mass movement and its leader, Sheikh Zakzaky has been calling for inter and intra-faith unity, tolerance and peace for decades. He is reputed to have sheltered and protected Christians in Gyallesu, Zaria during post 2011 election violence. He always adds his voice for the oppressed irrespective of their religion or region or any other geographical or social divisions whatsoever!
“We therefore view any attempt to compare the Islamic Movement, which has been in existence for the past four decades, with Boko Haram as a subtle but malicious attempt to tarnish our image and pave way for further violent suppression against us.
“The former Ambassador should have stated the whole truth. The naked truth is that the federal government decided to suppress the Islamic Movement on the behest of Saudi Arabia, an agent and ally of the West, killing over a thousand civilian souls and destroying properties worth billions of Naira in its wreak.
“The Islamic Movement is rightly demanding for justice to the victims of these state sponsored terrorism, starting with the unconditional release of Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife and all the others under detention since the Zaria pogrom of December 2015.
“On these we will not blink, nor falter. The general public and the international community should particularly note that we have been unduly oppressed by this Buhari regime like none before it, and must be made to take responsibility for its actions. It is now 882 days that our leader has been languishing in detention despite a valid court order to free him, and everybody knows justice delayed is justice denied.” [myad]
The Administrator of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Nigeria’s foremost ICT capacity building institute, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, has appealed to governments at all levels to invest more in the development of ICT knowledge and skill.
According to the boss of the DBI, which is an arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), investing more in the ICT capacity building, is the only way the country will maximize its investments in ICT infrastructure.
Speaking during a brief engagement with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Dr. Ikechuchwu made it clear that without much investment in skills and training, the nation cannot optimally harness the possibilities and potentials that are inherent in the deployment of infrastructure across the country.
He noted that so far, emphasis has been on funding of ICT hardware procurement, without much attention paid to ICT funding that should be spread across hardware, software and skills acquisition.
“There are two ways to funding ICT: infrastructure side and soft side (skills and knowledge). On the hard side which is the infrastructure side, it is easy to perceive the investment that is being made and often times that’s what the government talks about (buying computers, equipment, installing gadgets etc.), but the most important part is the skills and the knowledge that people need to harness the potential in those hardware investments.
“We had made a case sometime in 2016 at the capacity building symposium organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that the investments in USPF (universal service provision fund) across Africa instead of being channelled wholly and exclusively to ICT infrastructure should be dedicated to ICT skills development, in that if someone is investing $10million in ICT infrastructure, 10 per cent of the money should go for ICT skills development especially targeted at the youths now commonly called the millennials.
“They are the ones who will use the infrastructure to innovate, create and develop the things that will make the future happen, but as long as we don’t make that investment then it means that you’ll put a piece of ICT equipment in an office and nobody is using it because the skills are not there.
“A typical phone, for example, can do a lot for us but because the knowledge of the use of the phone is not available, meanwhile we’ve invested a lot of money buying this device, we limit ourselves to just making calls and sending text messages.” [myad]
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