Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
In a letter, dated August 8, 2022, which Tinubu personally signed and addressed to the Governor, he acknowledged the impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership which Bello had demonstrated as governor of his state and as a party member.
The Presidential candidate expressed confidence that the governor would do his best in the new responsibility given him to ensure the party run an effective and message-driven campaign that would lead to its victory in the 2023 presidential election.
The letter titled: “Appointment as National Youth Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council,” read, “By way of this letter, we are pleased to formally convey your appointment as National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
“This appointment is fitting and appropriate, given your impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership you have demonstrated as governor of your state and as a party member. We are grateful that you have joined our campaign team. We know you will do your utmost in this new responsibility, so we conduct an effective, message-driven campaign leading us to victory in the 2023 presidential election.
“Together, not only can we ensure victory for our party in the February 2023 election, but we shall also move Nigeria along the path of national greatness by building on the achievements of our party and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in providing progressive good governance to Nigerians. We wish you God’s speed and guidance.
“Congratulations. Please, accept the assurances of our highest respect and regards always.”
In his acceptance letter, Governor Bello pledged to deploy all in his capacity, working alongside the presidential candidate, to ensure victory for the APC.
“Your Excellency is one great Nigerian I know, who not only exemplifies but abundantly demonstrates, through transformational leadership and good governance, my own aspirations for a Nigeria that is secure, united, and prosperous.”
Governor Yahaya Bello was an aspirant in the party’s presidential primary, in which Tinubu emerged winner.
I made special effort to attentively watch the Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi’s interview live on CNN to the end. I have also objectively watched the recorded video at least 4 times since last night and it has only left a bitter taste in my mouth.
First, surprisingly I am less miffed at Mr Peter Obi than I am at the anchor, Zain Asher who is; as she said Nigerian, Igbo and from the South East; even though I know she only throws in those identities whenever she thinks it serves the purpose of her career at CNN or her preferred narrative.
That interview clearly showed that Zain is not very current on issues concerning the country she calls her own. Apart from ignorantly or deliberately over exaggerating or misrepresentating the true state of things in Nigeria, she obviously knew her interviewee well and was conscious to feed him red meat to further the narrative she wanted to sell about Nigeria and he; as expected lapped it all up, mindless of the fact that it is the same country he seeks to lead.
Agreed that a politician will say anything to help his or her ambition but to essentially throw your nation under the bus on an international media; especially with lies, half truths and exaggerations is as unpatriotic as it is unintelligent.
Whatever I might think about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he would have had enough maturity, experience and emotional intelligence to know how to answer those questions without throwing the nation under the bus. Not to talk of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the master of emotional intelligence himself.
It is okay to rail against the incumbent government, its policies and programs and then state your own policies and programs, what you would do differently and HOW; to draw a constrast. I mean that is what America politicians do; especially when speaking to an international audience.
That someone always comes across behaving like a foreigner or a non Nigerian who has not been part of whatever has been of Nigeria; good and bad; trying to present himself as the only saint and a messiah coming from outside of Nigeria and the Nigerian system to salvage Nigeria is as laughable and insulting as it should be a cause for concern to all patriotic and well meaning Nigerians.
Even as I lowered the bar on my expectations from the interviewee; having listened to him on sundry issues; including on climate change, ASUU strike, insecurity, infrastructure, power, economy etc, I must confess that he managed to take ‘no-show’ a notch higher in that interview.
First, his penchant for taking the ‘third person’ approach to questions. For a direct question of ‘what would you do’?, he would answer “You do …”, when it should be ‘I will do …’. Then he does not say what he would do and how. Fortunately or deliberately, he has been picking interviewers who deliberately won’t or can’t take him to task. So he gets away with that.
Then, listen to his submissions or responses on some of the specific issues that arose in that CNN interview.
“You have to deal decisively with the issue of security …”. HOW?
“You have to start pulling people out of poverty as quickly as possible …”. HOW?
“You have to reduce aggressively cost of governance and then deal with the issue of corruption …”. HOW?
“What is your plan to transform Nigeria from a consumption economy to a production economy”? In view of the fact that Nigeria has being a net importer of petroleum products inspite of being Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
He answers: “.. there’s no reason why our refineries cannot work .., … there’s no reason why we should not encourage private sector to build refineries and operate them and they are not rocket science. It can be done as quickly as possible. You can use today to decide to remove the fuel subsidy, use the resources to support critical areas of production, from critical infrastructure, to education, supporting investments in refinery which will be like I said done within a shortest possible time”. Tell me something I don’t know please.
What Exactly Have We Been Doing In The Last 7 years?
The Dangote Refinery is a private refinery being built in Nigeria right before our eyes and we know how it has progressed and the speed; even with maximum commitment and concerted attention being given to it by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Dangote Group and the Nigerian government. That is actually the “shortest possible time”; if you are not living in a make believe world like Mr Peter, that is.
Mr Peter Obi has access to Aliko Dangote as a fellow millionaire and Nigeria elite (never mind the pretence) that most of us do not have. How difficult is it for him to approach Dangote for a free lecture?
Furthermore, in the last seven and half years, Nigeria has more private Modular Refineries in building than at any other time in Nigeria’s history; all with the Buhari government’s full support. The licenses for most of those refineries were issued and the fees collected by past administrations but none was built. Indeed the 10,000bpd Duport Modular Refinery in Edo state is being facilitated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), a Federal Government Agency.
Then ‘”you can decide today to remove fuel subsidy ..”. Like seriously? How? Without the appropriate measures in place like completing the ongoing holistic repair of our state owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery as well as the Modular Refineries being built? Not to mention the Petroleum Industry Act which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari to give legal, structural and administrative framework and teeth to all that needs to be in place before sustainably and realistically removing fuel subsidy; bearing the average Nigerian in mind.
If serious governance and re-building Nigeria out of the rot it has being in for decades were are as simplistic and kindergarten as Mr Obi keeps presenting, then why do we need a messiah? Anyone would have done it.
Mr Peter Obi said, past Nigerian leaders have always been elected “based on ethnicity, religion, my turn, connection or one form of bias or the other, … or structure which always says structure of criminality …”. Interesting. It is left for objective Nigerians to say which of these that he mentioned that he has not exploited as a Governor and in his current quest to become President of Nigeria.
He further says; in his usual apocalyptic and messianic manner that Nigeria is next to “collapse” and postures himself as the only messiah without who Nigeria will be buried. He then dwells on insecurity in and the plight of the North while conveniently forgetting that his South East; including his home state Anambra is even more unsafe and under developed today than many places in the North.
Sincerely, all these would have been fantastic if we were looking for a philosopher, an impressionist or a chronicler-in-chief of our woes and not a President and Commander-in-Chief.
These are some of the reasons that I remain convinced; even after this un-disappointing CNN outing that the combination of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima; without any primordial sentiments are better for Nigeria going forward.
The more I objectively listen to Mr Peter Obi and look at my check list, the more I realise that most of the things he merely talks about without any how-to-dos; security, production, economy, agriculture, power, re-equipping the security agencies, security architecture, education, health, infrastructure, oil and gas etc are already being tackled verifiably by the Buhari administration.
So no better persons out of what we have on offer to take those forward than two people who not only know and acknowledge those realities and verified efforts but who equally have the “commitment, integrity, competence, commitment and track record” and I dare add patriotism and belief in Nigeria to build on them going by “what they have done in the past” viz Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Mustapha.
In all, I am glad that the Labour Party candidate pointed out that Nigeria needs a leader that you can “… look at what he has done in the past …”, with “character, competence, capacity and commitment to do the right thing …”.
These indeed are the crux of the matter and I urge Nigerians to listen to him and do the needful; devoid of primordial sentiments and emotions. In the end; beyond the semantics and noise, it is our collective lives and future that are at stake in next year’s election.
Finally, back to our sister Zain Asher, I will not blame her or CNN too much for not knowing the exact situation of things with Nigeria today beyond what they see on social media and from fifth columnists. What has the Nigerian government done in recent times to tell our real story and trajectory to the world? How many features have we had on CNN in the last 7 years?
Will we send someone like Ajuri Ngelale or Festus Keyamo SAN (forget people like me) to go on CNN and factually counter the many lies, half truths and mischaracterisation of Nigeria bandied in that interview? Even if we have to pay for it? It is a matter of national truth, pride and honor; beyond partisan politics and election.
Patriotic Nigerians, the ball remains in our court. We have been served.
Nigerian government, in collaboration with the Africa Business Roundtable, is organizing the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), a global economic investment platform, in New York, the United States.
A statement today, September 18 by a Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu said that the investment forum is being held to further open up the country’s economy to international capital and attract foreign investment.
The Forum, he said, is scheduled for September 22, on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly taking place in the American city.
He said that the NIEPF is expected to draw the presence of world leaders in politics, economy, media as well as Civil Society Oganisations and international media to focus on the vast economic potentials of Nigeria and Africa’s leading economy.
According to Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari will deliver the keynote address at the event and will also host a High-Level Presidential Session with fellow Presidents and Heads of delegations on Issues That Need Joint Action for African Countries on the Development Drive, such as the Post COVID-19 recovery and financing priorities; Africa’s Investment Climate and Market as well as De-risking the Continent.
“The NIEPF will bring together top Nigerian government functionaries as well as renowned and highly respected global public and private sector players rubbing minds on Nigeria’s Economic Outlook, focusing on Nigeria in The Global Economy; and International Partnership for Nigeria on The Development Drive.
“In view of the wide spectrum of personalities attending the forum, there will be cluster thematic sessions on: (i) Growing Nigeria’s Agriculture for Food Security & Access to Export Market with special focus on Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War which presents opportunities for G7/G20-Nigeria Partnerships in Agriculture; (ii) Scaling Up International Resources for Financing Education in Africa with emphasis on Making facilities to Link Government, Deal Sponsors and International Pools of Capital in Education; and (iii) Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: Reforms, Results and the Road focusing on Scaling Up Investment into the Gas Market—Plants, Parks, Cylinders, Reinjection.
Other issues slated for discussion include: Scaling Up International Resources for Healthcare in Africa bordering on: Upgrading and expanding Nigeria’s Healthcare Infrastructure towards making Nigeria the “healthcare hub” for Africa; Climate Change and Paths to Clean Environment with emphasis on Paths to Clean Economy, Clean Energy and Clean Development; and Financing Nigeria’s Infrastructure with emphasis on Developing infrastructures such as Farm to market corridor, Farm to ports corridor, Export transport corridor, Railway network, Road network upgrade and expansion, Airport upgrade, including dedicated airports for exports, Power generation, transmission and distribution.”
Garva Shehu said that speakers and panelists at the event will include Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group; Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Satya Nadella, Chairman Business Council of the United States and Chief Executive Officer Microsoft Corp, Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States, Florie Liser, President of the Corporate Council on Africa, and Members of the Business Council of International Understanding, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; and Abdul Samad Rabiu, Executive Chairman of BUA Group, who is also the President of the France-Nigeria Business Council.
Others are Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank and Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to mention but a few.
This weekend, Presidential villa will be without President Muhammadu Buhari as he travelled to the United State of America to attend the annual meeting of world leaders, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77).
The Vice President too, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, would take off to London to represent Nigeria in the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, who died recently.
A statement from a presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina said that Buhari would depart Abuja today, September 18, for New York, United for UNGA77, whose theme this year is: “A watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges.”
The statement said that the key topics of discussion would the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, climate action, ending the COVID-19 pandemic, and a special Transforming Education Summit.
It said that President Buhari will take his turn to deliver the National Statement on the second day of the General Debates on Wednesday, September 21.
It said that the President will also participate in High Level meetings and side events including the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), convened by Nigeria in partnership with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU); Strengthening Coordination through National Humanitarian Development Peace (NHDP) Framework: A practical approach to sustainable durable solutions to ensure no one is left behind, organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; and the EFCC-NEPAD Programme on combating Illicit Financial Flows.
“President Buhari will also hold strategic bilateral meetings with World Leaders, renowned investors and heads of multinational organisations while in New York.”
The statement said that the President is being accompanied by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, some Governors, Ministers and top government officials.
The President is expected back in the country on September 26.
Also, a statement from Laolu Akande, the spokesman of the Vice President said that Professor Osinbajo would depart Abuja today, September 18 to join members of the Royal Family, world leaders – including members of the Commonwealth, Heads of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, and foreign royal families – at the ceremonies, including the funeral service scheduled to hold at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
The mother of the 23-year-old Nigerian lady who was killed by her Chinese lover, has narrated how her daughter met the lover and the circumstances that resulted in killing her with knife.
According to reports, the victim, Ummakulsum Sani Buhari, was killed at Janbulo Quarters in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State on Friday night.
The deceased, who was popularly known as ‘Ummita’ attended Kano School of Nursing and Midwifery.
She was buried about 10am today, September 17 according to Islamic rites.
Speaking on the unfortunate incident, the bereaved mother said: “She was my daughter; he (the Chinese man) always comes around wanting to see her and she has been refusing. This time around when he came, he kept knocking on the door.
When I was fed up of him hitting the door loudly, I opened the door and he pushed me aside and got in and started stabbing her with a knife.
“I started shouting and people came running. We rushed her to the hospital but before we arrived, she was dead. It happened around 9.30pm.
We were at home with her two younger sisters when it happened. Her brother was out and her father is dead. It was raining then, people were indoors and couldn’t hear me shouting until when someone came and tried going in through the window.
“I want the authorities to see to this criminal act. It was long since their love affair ended. She got married and later got divorced. That was when he came back to her life, pressing that he must see her.
“The man that came to her aid and went through the window; he was the one who caught him and brought him out.
He ran off and they chased him and brought him back. He is now with the police. She was my eldest daughter but she has two elder brothers.
“He understands that she doesn’t want to see him. When he calls, she doesn’t pick up. That’s when he decided to invade.
He knocked at the door for almost an hour. She was the one who asked me to go and send him away after which he pushed me away upon opening the gate.
“He went straight to her room. He knows where the room is because he used to come in. In most cases, it’s her brother that used to send him away.
They first met at Shoprite when she went to buy perfume and they exchanged phone numbers. That’s how they started making out on calls.
“When she got married, they separated until when she was divorced. Her husband suspects they were chatting with him on phone although that was not what led to the failure of her marriage. Of course, she told him that she was going to marry him, but because her paternal uncles saw issues coming, they refused and I agreed with them.”
The Ebonyi State government has explained why police had to wade in to stop the lawlessness displayed by the supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who stage a solidarity march for him today in Abakaliki, the State capital.
Special Assistant to the state governor on Media and Strategy, Chooks Okoh, said that the organisers of the solidarity march did not pay the required fees to stage the march.
“For record purposes, the relevant government agencies had approved the use of Abakaliki Township Stadium for a rally by the Labour Party subject to the payment of some specified fees. “Rather than pay the fees, it was gathered, the organisers chose to empty into the streets causing some untold hardships on the hapless citizens going about their daily pursuits.
“The police, we are told, had to step in to restore law and order. The Governor appeals to all citizens to always abide by the dictates of the law and decent living so that law and order will always reign supreme.
The full statement goes thus:
“The attention of the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State has been drawn to some online publications and rumours making the rounds that he ordered the disruption of a gathering in support of one of the presidential candidates in the 2023 elections. This is not true.
“The Executive Governor of Ebonyi state is certainly not aware of any disruption of any gathering as he didn’t order any.
“He is a democrat who believes firmly in the rule of law. He wishes every contending politician the very best and will insist on a level playing ground for all. If it is true that the police dispersed people, the answer will surely rest with the police.
“For record purposes, the relevant government agencies had approved the use of Abakaliki Township Stadium for a rally by the Labour Party subject to the payment of some specified fees. Rather than pay the fees, it was gathered, the organisers chose to empty into the streets causing some untold hardships on the hapless citizens going about their daily pursuits.
“The police, we are told, had to step in to restore law and order. The Governor appeals to all citizens to always abide by the dictates of the law and decent living so that law and order will always reign supreme.
“He wishes all political parties and their candidates well and enjoins all to play the game by the rules.”
Also, Ebonyi Police Command has said that it acted base on the Rules of Engagement, reiterating that organisers of the rally did not pay the specific fees, as directed by the State Government.
The statement read: “Several unfounded allegations of Police high-handedness have been renting the air with regards to the One-Million-Man-Rally organised by the Labour Party and other loyalists of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in Ebonyi State.
“It is pertinent to put the records straight in spite of all false allegations and the Press release from the State Government.
“Granted that the organisers of the rally had a brief meeting with the Police Command authority represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, it was expected that the group should abide by the outcome of the meeting and the requisite conditions given by the State Government which includes payment of a certain amount of money for the use of the Stadium as a take-off point as well as another refundable sum of money as a collateral in case of any damage to Government property/infrastructures.
“It was, therefore, unfortunate when the Command got wind of the fact that the organisers of the rally failed to meet up with the obligations and threatened to go ahead and conduct the rally threatening that nobody, not even the State Government would stop them from going on, against the decision of the State’s Gubernatorial candidate for Labor Party, Dr Edward Nnwegu’s decision to stop the rally in order to avoid the looming catastrophe.
“Armed with credible intelligence, the State Police Command sensing that if not checked, the rally will become turbulent and create a state of insecurity in the State, decided to nip it at the bud.
“So in a bid to proactively curb the impending turbulence, police men were despatched to the newly proposed take-off venue, Pastorial Center for the purpose of maintaining law and order.
“Unfortunately, while the Police men were properly deployed to ensure that there was no breakdown of the law, the radicals and mischief-makers among the rallyists became violent and started hauling missiles on the police operatives, uttering all manners of imprintable statements on the Police and the Government. Many of them even went physical to assault and attack the police men.
“So in response, and guided by the Presidential pronouncements/order at the era of the unpopular END-SARS protests, the police personnel on duty rose to the occasion to dislodge the violent and criminally oriented attackers.
“After taking control of the situation, the rally continued and ended up peacefully. This is even depicted in the video clips captured during the peaceful rally.
“I, therefore, on behalf of CP Aliyu Garba psc(+), the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State, state that the Police in Ebonyi State acted professionally and within the rules of engagement in order to ensure that peace and order prevails in Ebonyi State.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made it clear that its support for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter has not changed its position on petroleum subsidy removal.
“The NLC, Organized Labour, and Labour Party position has not changed. It only got amplified!”
The NLC, which had consistently opposed attempts by the government to remove subsidies without first repairing the nation’s refineries to work effectively, was reacting to the statement by the spokesman of the APC Campaign Organization, Festus Keyamo.
The statement by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba read:
“The attention of the Nigeria Labour Congress has been drawn to a media statement by Olorogun Festus Keyamo, the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment and the Campaign Spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign of All Progressive Congress (APC).
“In the statement, the APC challenged the Nigeria Labour Congress over its seeming support for the position of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi on the heated issue of the removal of petrol subsidies.
“First, we wish to commend the Honourable Minister of State for responding positively to earlier calls by the Nigeria Labour Congress that political parties must focus their engagement on the current electoral cycle campaigns on issues-based politics.
“We believe that an issues-based campaign will help sieve the facts from fiction, address burning national issues, review the performance of those in government at all levels, especially on the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals, improve Nigeria’s public accountability frameworks, prepare voters behaviour on Election Day away from the destructive lines of ethnoreligious divide and defuse the looming political tension.
“Second, in furtherance of the avowed position of the Nigeria Labour Congress on issues-based campaign in the run-up to the 2023 general election, we wish to state that Nigerian workers through a number of painstaking processes have been able to articulate a Nigerian Workers’ Charter of Demands which the NLC and TUC are using to engage the political process.
“A major demand in the Nigerian Workers Charter of Demands is that our local public refineries must work. We have also demanded that we must stop 100% importation of refined petroleum products.
“The NLC and indeed the Labour movement in Nigeria has over many decades been vehemently consistent that the only way to address the issue of the so-called petrol subsidies is to get our refineries to work.
“The logic is very simple: it is atrocious to buy from abroad at very expensive prices a
product that a country like ours can easily produce at home.
“At the heart of our demand on the management of Nigeria’s mineral resources especially our downstream petroleum subsector is the issue of Production Economy. We believe that the rescue of Nigeria from the current ruinous path of Consumption Economy to Production Economy is the only way to resolve Nigeria’s economic nightmares of massive depletion of scarce foreign exchange reserve; continuous devaluation of the Naira; significant jobs haemorrhage and destruction, deepening of poverty and downturn in the living standards of our people.
“In a determined effort to popularise the positions in the Nigerian Workers Charter of Demands, the NLC and TUC at the behest of the Labour Party on September 12 – 13, 2022 hosted a National Retreat of the leadership cadres in our movement.
“At the retreat, the Labour Party and Organized Labour in Nigeria adopted and mainstreamed the Workers Charter of Demands into the Manifesto of the Labour Party.
“This is in line with our persuasion that issue-based campaigns anchored on the manifesto of political parties should drive Nigeria’s political process.
“If any political party goes around saying that they plan to sell our refineries, remove subsidies, and further oppress long-suffering Nigerians, they should be ready to defend such stance to Nigerians at the campaigns.
Peter Obi had promised to stop payment of petrol subsidy if he emerges the president, vowing to make the country a production country and not a consumption nation.
But Festus Keyamo of the APC Campaign Organization and minister of Labour and Productivity criticized the NLC for supporting the LP Presidential candidate on removal of petrol subsidy.
Supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi today, September 17, staged a solidarity march in the capital city of Anambra State, Awka.
Information reaching us said that the supporters, who are members of a coalition of support groups in Anambra State drumming support for the former governor, carried different placards and banners.
The supporters marched from Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka through major roads in the city, including Aroma, Eke-Awka road, Kwata road, and the Enugu/ Onitsha Expressway carrying placards with inscriptions that read: “Obi-Datti for Presidency 2023″, Obi is the one to unify Nigeria”, “Peter Obi will create jobs and wealth for Nigerians” and “There is no polling unit on social media, Get Involved “.
Other inscriptions read: “Nigerians wake up and vote wisely”, “it is Peter Obi or Nothing”, “Go collect your PVC and Vote Obi-Datti”, “Peter Obi will rescue Nigeria”, among others.
The solidarity march was organised by over 60 groups.
The Anambra State lead coordinator, Chidi Nzekwe, said that the rally was to sensitise residents on the need to be involved in the electoral process to achieve a desired change in the country.
“We want to sensitise the people on the need to get their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and be well mobilised concerning voting ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“The crowd, especially the youths, that came out for this solidarity march today, is an indication that we need a disruptive system to drive good governance, and we believe Peter Obi is the right candidate.
“He is capable and competent to lead Nigeria to the promised land and we urge electorate to come out en masse and vote wisely for a better Nigeria.
“We also urge the electoral umpire to ensure they conduct a free, fair, transparent and credible general elections in 2023.”
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo flew to London, United Kingdom, today, September 17 as representative of Nigeria at the state funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth ll, scheduled for Monday, September 19.
A statement today, September 17, by Laolu Akande, spokesman of the Vice President, said that Osinbajo would join members of the Royal Family and other world leaders at a number of events lined up for funeral.
The statement said that members of the Commonwealth, Heads of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, and foreign royal families will be at the ceremonies, including the funeral service scheduled to hold at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
It said that Ahead of the service, the vice-president will be among guests and dignitaries to be received by King Charles lll and Queen Consort Camilla, at a reception in Buckingham Palace, on Sunday.
The statement said that vice president Osinbajo will hold a bilateral meeting with the UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly earlier on that day.
Queen Elizabeth ll was the Head of the Commonwealth and the longest serving British monarch. She passed on at 96 on September 8 at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The vice-president is expected back in Nigeria after the state funeral on Monday.
Spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on which platform Peter Obi was picked as the Presidential candidate to explain to Nigerians if it had abandoned its fight against the removal of fuel subsidy.
Peter Obi is the Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP).
In a statement today, September 17, Keyamo, who doubles as minister of State for Labour and Productivity in the current Federal Government, said that Peter Obi’s declaration to remove fuel subsidy if he is elected President in 2023, is coming against the backdrop pf position of the leadership of the organized labour under the aegis of the NLC, which fought successive governments to keep it alive.
He wondered if Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, discussed with the leadership of his party and the NLC to know their policies before making the statement to ‘excite his Obidient supporters.
The statement read: “We note that the leadership of the organized labour under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday, September 13, 2022, at a national retreat of the Labour Party in Abuja, promised to mobilise its members across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, to ensure victory for Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, in next year’s presidential election.
“We also note that in several interviews he granted in the last few months and weeks, Obi has vowed to totally remove subsidy on petrol if elected President. We also note NLC’s long-standing opposition to total removal of fuel subsidy. Other left-leaning supporters of the Labour Party were also present at the event to cheer Obi.
“Consequently, the following questions are urgently begging for answers by the leadership of the NLC. Before adopting Obi as its candidate, did the leadership of the NLC have a discussion with him on the issue of removal of fuel subsidy? If they did have that discussion, did Obi agree to back down on the issue of subsidy removal? Was that a basis for supporting him? If he did not back down on the issue, did the organised labour agree with him?”
The Minister of State for Labour, Productivity and Employment, noted that it would be reckless of the NLC to adopt a candidate without thoroughly interrogating him on his policies as they affect the Nigerian workers or the masses if no subsidy removal discussion held.
This is even as he admonished the leadership of the NLC to come clean by making a public statement unless it has changed its earlier stance and now fully supports the removal of fuel subsidy.
“If the excuse is that Obi has said that the money saved will be used in other critical areas of the economy, how is that different from what the Buhari government is also saying?
“These questions have become necessary because Nigerians deserve to know whether organised labour’s adopted party, which is the Labour Party, supports and promotes a policy that the leadership of labour opposes in another breath, when it is adopted by the government of the day. They cannot be blowing hot and cold.
“As our Council stands for issue-based campaigns, we call on all members of the 4th Estate of the Realm not to sweep this point under the carpet and to thoroughly interrogate the NLC and the Labour Party on the one hand; and the seemingly right-leaning supporters of the Labour Party and Mr. Peter Obi on the other, on this issue so that they will come clean before Nigerians.”
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Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
Nigerian government, in collaboration with the Africa Business Roundtable, is organizing the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), a global economic investment platform, in New York, the United States.
The mother of the 23-year-old Nigerian lady who was killed by her Chinese lover, has narrated how her daughter met the lover and the circumstances that resulted in killing her with knife.
The Ebonyi State government has explained why police had to wade in to stop the lawlessness displayed by the supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who stage a solidarity march for him today in Abakaliki, the State capital.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made it clear that its support for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter has not changed its position on petroleum subsidy removal.
Supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi today, September 17, staged a solidarity march in the capital city of Anambra State, Awka.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo flew to London, United Kingdom, today, September 17 as representative of Nigeria at the state funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth ll, scheduled for Monday, September 19.
That Peter Obi’s Interview On CNN, By Dr. Uche Diala
First, surprisingly I am less miffed at Mr Peter Obi than I am at the anchor, Zain Asher who is; as she said Nigerian, Igbo and from the South East; even though I know she only throws in those identities whenever she thinks it serves the purpose of her career at CNN or her preferred narrative.
That interview clearly showed that Zain is not very current on issues concerning the country she calls her own. Apart from ignorantly or deliberately over exaggerating or misrepresentating the true state of things in Nigeria, she obviously knew her interviewee well and was conscious to feed him red meat to further the narrative she wanted to sell about Nigeria and he; as expected lapped it all up, mindless of the fact that it is the same country he seeks to lead.
Agreed that a politician will say anything to help his or her ambition but to essentially throw your nation under the bus on an international media; especially with lies, half truths and exaggerations is as unpatriotic as it is unintelligent.
Whatever I might think about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he would have had enough maturity, experience and emotional intelligence to know how to answer those questions without throwing the nation under the bus. Not to talk of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the master of emotional intelligence himself.
It is okay to rail against the incumbent government, its policies and programs and then state your own policies and programs, what you would do differently and HOW; to draw a constrast. I mean that is what America politicians do; especially when speaking to an international audience.
That someone always comes across behaving like a foreigner or a non Nigerian who has not been part of whatever has been of Nigeria; good and bad; trying to present himself as the only saint and a messiah coming from outside of Nigeria and the Nigerian system to salvage Nigeria is as laughable and insulting as it should be a cause for concern to all patriotic and well meaning Nigerians.
Even as I lowered the bar on my expectations from the interviewee; having listened to him on sundry issues; including on climate change, ASUU strike, insecurity, infrastructure, power, economy etc, I must confess that he managed to take ‘no-show’ a notch higher in that interview.
First, his penchant for taking the ‘third person’ approach to questions. For a direct question of ‘what would you do’?, he would answer “You do …”, when it should be ‘I will do …’. Then he does not say what he would do and how. Fortunately or deliberately, he has been picking interviewers who deliberately won’t or can’t take him to task. So he gets away with that.
Then, listen to his submissions or responses on some of the specific issues that arose in that CNN interview.
“You have to deal decisively with the issue of security …”. HOW?
“You have to start pulling people out of poverty as quickly as possible …”. HOW?
“You have to reduce aggressively cost of governance and then deal with the issue of corruption …”. HOW?
“What is your plan to transform Nigeria from a consumption economy to a production economy”? In view of the fact that Nigeria has being a net importer of petroleum products inspite of being Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
He answers: “.. there’s no reason why our refineries cannot work .., … there’s no reason why we should not encourage private sector to build refineries and operate them and they are not rocket science. It can be done as quickly as possible. You can use today to decide to remove the fuel subsidy, use the resources to support critical areas of production, from critical infrastructure, to education, supporting investments in refinery which will be like I said done within a shortest possible time”. Tell me something I don’t know please.
What Exactly Have We Been Doing In The Last 7 years?
The Dangote Refinery is a private refinery being built in Nigeria right before our eyes and we know how it has progressed and the speed; even with maximum commitment and concerted attention being given to it by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Dangote Group and the Nigerian government. That is actually the “shortest possible time”; if you are not living in a make believe world like Mr Peter, that is.
Mr Peter Obi has access to Aliko Dangote as a fellow millionaire and Nigeria elite (never mind the pretence) that most of us do not have. How difficult is it for him to approach Dangote for a free lecture?
Furthermore, in the last seven and half years, Nigeria has more private Modular Refineries in building than at any other time in Nigeria’s history; all with the Buhari government’s full support. The licenses for most of those refineries were issued and the fees collected by past administrations but none was built. Indeed the 10,000bpd Duport Modular Refinery in Edo state is being facilitated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), a Federal Government Agency.
Then ‘”you can decide today to remove fuel subsidy ..”. Like seriously? How? Without the appropriate measures in place like completing the ongoing holistic repair of our state owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery as well as the Modular Refineries being built? Not to mention the Petroleum Industry Act which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari to give legal, structural and administrative framework and teeth to all that needs to be in place before sustainably and realistically removing fuel subsidy; bearing the average Nigerian in mind.
If serious governance and re-building Nigeria out of the rot it has being in for decades were are as simplistic and kindergarten as Mr Obi keeps presenting, then why do we need a messiah? Anyone would have done it.
Mr Peter Obi said, past Nigerian leaders have always been elected “based on ethnicity, religion, my turn, connection or one form of bias or the other, … or structure which always says structure of criminality …”. Interesting. It is left for objective Nigerians to say which of these that he mentioned that he has not exploited as a Governor and in his current quest to become President of Nigeria.
He further says; in his usual apocalyptic and messianic manner that Nigeria is next to “collapse” and postures himself as the only messiah without who Nigeria will be buried. He then dwells on insecurity in and the plight of the North while conveniently forgetting that his South East; including his home state Anambra is even more unsafe and under developed today than many places in the North.
Sincerely, all these would have been fantastic if we were looking for a philosopher, an impressionist or a chronicler-in-chief of our woes and not a President and Commander-in-Chief.
These are some of the reasons that I remain convinced; even after this un-disappointing CNN outing that the combination of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima; without any primordial sentiments are better for Nigeria going forward.
The more I objectively listen to Mr Peter Obi and look at my check list, the more I realise that most of the things he merely talks about without any how-to-dos; security, production, economy, agriculture, power, re-equipping the security agencies, security architecture, education, health, infrastructure, oil and gas etc are already being tackled verifiably by the Buhari administration.
So no better persons out of what we have on offer to take those forward than two people who not only know and acknowledge those realities and verified efforts but who equally have the “commitment, integrity, competence, commitment and track record” and I dare add patriotism and belief in Nigeria to build on them going by “what they have done in the past” viz Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Mustapha.
In all, I am glad that the Labour Party candidate pointed out that Nigeria needs a leader that you can “… look at what he has done in the past …”, with “character, competence, capacity and commitment to do the right thing …”.
These indeed are the crux of the matter and I urge Nigerians to listen to him and do the needful; devoid of primordial sentiments and emotions. In the end; beyond the semantics and noise, it is our collective lives and future that are at stake in next year’s election.
Finally, back to our sister Zain Asher, I will not blame her or CNN too much for not knowing the exact situation of things with Nigeria today beyond what they see on social media and from fifth columnists. What has the Nigerian government done in recent times to tell our real story and trajectory to the world? How many features have we had on CNN in the last 7 years?
Will we send someone like Ajuri Ngelale or Festus Keyamo SAN (forget people like me) to go on CNN and factually counter the many lies, half truths and mischaracterisation of Nigeria bandied in that interview? Even if we have to pay for it? It is a matter of national truth, pride and honor; beyond partisan politics and election.
Patriotic Nigerians, the ball remains in our court. We have been served.
#GodBlessNigeria
@Uche Diala