BREAKING: APC Nullifies Suspension Of Fayemi, Others

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September 25, 2020

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Judiciary workers, under the aegis of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, have said they would shut down courts nationwide on Monday in compliance with the directive by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union to embark on strike

The NLC and the TUC had jointly declared the industrial action to press for the reversal of the recent hike in petrol pump price and electricity tariff.

The President of JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, told our correspondent on Friday that as an affiliate of NLC, the union of judiciary workers was bound by the umbrella body’s directive to Nigerian workers to proceed on strike from Monday.

“The strike is not JUSUN strike. It is NLC strike. As an affiliate of NLC, we are bound by the strike declaration. So, we are joining the strike,” Adamu said.

Asked if the Wedneasay’s order issued by the National Industrial Court in Abuja stopping the planned strike would not be complied with, Adamu said, “the order has not been served on us, so the strike is going on”.

Adamu confirmed that the notice for the strike had been circulated in various courts and judiciary institutions across the country.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Sen. Kalu Takes Empowerment To Isuikwuato, Distributes 350 Motorcycles, 200 Sewing Machines

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September 25, 2020

The Senator representing Abia North, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu on Thursday distributed another 350 motorcycles, 200 sewing machines and other empowerment kits to Isuikwuato local government area of Abia North Senatorial district.

ABN TV reports that this is coming barely a month after Kalu distributed 400 motorcycles and 150 generators to his Umunneochi local government area constituents.

The Abia North Senator has extended several empowerments to his constituents ranging from huge capital resources to motorcycles and sewing machines.

Kalu, a former Abia governor while distributing the items to the beneficiaries in Isuikwuato said the empowerment is in line and continuation of what he did in Umunneochi local government area of Abia State.

He restated that the gesture was part of efforts to fulfil his campaign promises of providing an improved living standard to the people of Abia North especially.

He said the remaining local governments will receive theirs in no distant time.

Kalu, Chief Whip of the Senate, also maintained that part of the idea behind the empowerment was to support the mobility of the youths and give them motivations in their farming activities.

The senator resounded that such motivations will reduce the rate of unemployment and over-dependence among youths, hoping that such motivations will encourage productivity in the communities.

BREAKING! Confusion As APC Denies Suspending Fayemi

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September 25, 2020

The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied the “suspension” of the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

Reacting, the party in a statement by Yekini Nabena, Deputy National Publicity Secretary APC, said the actions are a nullity as the Party’s National Secretariat is yet to receive communication from the state chapter on the purported “suspensions”.

It, therefore, strongly advised all members to adhere to the Party’s constitution.

“Governor Kayode Fayemi remains the leader of the party in Ekiti State.

“In line with the mandate of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee and

“The President’s admonition to party members to ensure and support ongoing amicable and rancour-free settlement of internal party disputes, we call on our esteemed party members and leaders in Ekiti State to be duly guided.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Architect Paul Omotosho-chaired APC Ekiti State Working Committee is the authentic, valid and duly recognised Executive as no factions or divisions exist in the State Chapter.”

PDP, APC In War Of Words Over Failure To Restructure Nigeria Since 1999

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September 25, 2020

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday locked horns over the failure of the Federal Government to restructure the country since the return of democratic governance in 1999.

Firing the first salvo, the PDP, through Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, said despite riding to office in 2015 on the promise to restructure the country, the APC had failed to do so five years after, and had even rejected the report of the 2014 national conference which would have greatly helped in repositioning the country.

Speaking further, he said Nigerians should ask President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC why it had failed to act on the Governor Nasir el-Rufai-led committee on True Federalism which has submitted its report to the National Working Committee of the APC since January 2018.

Ologbondiyan said: “For us in the PDP, we did not, for one day, take the El-Rufai committee on restructuring seriously. Part of the campaign that was made by the APC in 2015 was restructuring”.

“They have not, by any effort, come close to their own promise. In whatever way you look at the administration, it has manifestly failed”.

“If you make promises, even if you can’t fulfil all, you can still walk around part of the promises and provide hope that even after you have left office, any officeholder that is coming after you will be able to do part of what you have left behind. The reality is that this APC government is not prepared for restructuring.

“They cannot deal with it and they cannot fulfil any promise. In a tenure of eight years, we have had this government for five years.

By next year, politics will be in full swing while governance will take the backseat. So, what is left for them to do?”

Also reacting to the September edition of the in-house monthly magazine of the APC, The Progressives, titled ‘Calm Down! Restructuring Has Begun’, Ologbondiyan said the APC should disclose to Nigerians in which area it had restructured the country.

He said: “When you talk about restructuring, it appears to different people from different angles. There are those who believe in the devolution of power as restructuring. To these ones, to restructure Nigeria, power must be taken from the centre and given to states and local governments.

“There are others who believe that the 36 states and FCT are not working and, as such, we must go back to regionalism; that is also restructuring.

“There are those who believe that a bicameral legislature is too expensive and that we should go back to a unicameral legislature; that is also restructuring”.

“There are those who believe that the states should be allowed to have their own police while there are others who believe that even the local councils should have their own police, it is still restructuring.

“There are those who believe that traditional rulers should be given roles in the constitution in such a manner that they can look over their domains; it is also restructuring.

“There are those who also believe that each state should be allowed to manage its resources and return a percentage of those resources to the centre, in order to enable the centre to run its affairs. That is also restructuring.

“So, there are various ways of restructuring that Nigerians have expectations. In all these angles of restructuring that I have explained, which one can you point to that the Buhari administration has attempted to implement? None!”

“So, as far as we are concerned in the PDP, we have seen the eight years of President Buhari as a passer-by years. We do not know in concrete terms what Nigerians will be able to point to after the eight years of his administration.”

However, Yekini Nabena, deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, admonished the PDP to explain to Nigerians why it failed to restructure Nigeria during its 16 years rule.

Accusing the PDP of still being bitter because of its defeat in the 2019 presidential election, the party wondered why the PDP suddenly woke up to realise that Nigeria needed to be restructured but failed to do so while it was in power between 1999 and 2015.

“The PDP was in power for 16 years, why didn’t they restructure the country if they knew it was very important to do so? That is the question Nigerians should ask them.

“The situation we have now is that those who have been defeated and forgotten are now seeking political relevance by making noise about restructuring.You have the pot of soup in your custody for 16 years but you refused to dish out the meal because it was to your benefit.

“I think the PDP is just being hypocritical and they do not have the love of the country at heart. After spending that humongous amount of money to set up the 2014 national confab, why did they fail to implement it? Who is fooling who?

“They should first answer that question before we proceed to the next.”

“Disband Market Unions That Observes Sit-At-Home ” – Ohanaeze Tells South-East Gov

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September 25, 2020

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, OYC, has berated the call by the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, asking the people of South-East zone to observe a sit-at-home on October 1st Nigeria independence Anniversary.

Ohanaeze called on governors of the south-east to disband any Market Unions in the region that adhere to the sit-at-home directive of the Pro-Biafra group.

OYC, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and forwarded to on Thursday, distanced the Igbo youths from the IPOB directive and reiterated its stand on indivisible Nigeria.

The socio-cultural organization also warned security agencies on extrajudicial killings of innocent Igbo youths in whatever guise and further urged agitating youths not to take laws into their hands by challenging armed security agents.

It would be recalled that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday called on Nigerians from the Southeast to observe a sit-at-home on October 1, 2020.

IPOB said the sit-at-home order was aimed at expressing displeasure over the bad governance being experienced in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the group called for total lockdown on October 1.

However, the Presidency through its spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Thursday, accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of embarking on a global campaign against Nigeria.

But, OYC, in its terse statement, “OYC urge the people of South-East geopolitical zone to ignore IPOB directive and go about their normal businesses. The pro-Biafra group’s directive does not reflect the wishes of the Igbo nation, we distance the Igbo youths from the sit-at-home.

“The apex Igbo youth group call on South-East Governors to disband any Market Unions especially in Ariaria, Ogbete, Onitsha and others that comply with the directive of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, because, it would amount to sabotage to the cause of the Igbo nation”.

Ohanaeze youths further berated the tour of south-east states by a chieftain of the apex Igbo organization, Chief Nnia Nwodo and urged governors of the region to be wary of Nwodo’s machination.

The Igbo youths asserted that the activities of Nwodo and cohorts have deepened the teething challenges facing the zone and insisted that the Ohanaeze Stalwart had ceased to speak on behalf of Igbo nation.

Nobody Can Say PDP Is Not Doing Well In Rivers – Wike

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September 25, 2020

River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has boasted that nobody can challenge the developmental strides of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government in the state.

The Governor said that anyone who decides to leave the PDP in the state would not do so because of his inability to fulfil campaign promises.

Wike spoke when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.

“Tell me one reason anyone in Rivers State will say, ‘PDP, you made promises to us and did not fulfil it’ tell me one,’ he said.

“Tell me one reason in Rivers State anybody will say, ‘We’re tired of promises.’ Tell me one. My tenure has not ended. I still have time and I’m fulfilling all the promises I made.

“So it would be difficult for anyone to say ‘I’m leaving PDP based on the fact that the Governor made promises and cannot fulfil them.’

“But you can leave PDP if the person has an ambition and cannot actualize such ambition in PDP and says ‘let me go to so so party and see if they’ll give me the ticket,’ not that PDP is not doing well in Rivers State. Nobody can say that.

“Even the opposition knows that they cannot in all sincerity come out to say that the PDP is not doing well in Rivers State, therefore, we must change the government of Rivers State, nobody can say that.”

Abducted Officials Paid N6m Ransom Each – FRSC

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September 25, 2020

THE six Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials who were recently released from their abductors have said that no security agency rescued them.

They said that each of them paid N6m to the kidnappers before they were freed.

Police spokesman Ramham Nansel said no ramson was paid for their release.

“They were rescued by the security agencies comprising police and soldiers supported by vigilante groups and hunters,” he said.

But the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to BBC Hausa Service, said the police lied.

One of them said, “What the police are saying is a big lie, there is no element of truth in it, the kidnappers established contact with our relatives, the money was withdrawn in Nasarawa town.

“They instructed that only the driver should come with the money; when the driver brought the money, they kept us aside and counted it to ensure it was complete, but because it was getting dark, they did not finish and asked the driver to go with us while they also proceeded into the bush shooting in the air.”

Another victim whose leg was amputated as a result of the gunshot from the incident said, “We paid ransom through our relatives before we were released; some paid N5m, others N6m.”

Woman Chops Off Her Niece’s Finger In Onitsha (Photos)

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September 25, 2020

A woman reportedly chopped off her niece’s finger as punishment for an undisclosed offence in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Details about the incident, are still sketchy but the Facebook user who posted the photos on Wednesday, September 23, said that the ‘devil woman’ hails from Enugu State.

The lady has been arrested by the police for allegedly cutting off one of the fingers of her niece living with her in Onitsha.

The suspect, known for always assaulting the child for bad behaviour.

However, the physical abuse took the drastic turn as she chopped off the girl’s finger because the victim failed to do some chores.

“U people should come and see Ekwensu Nwanyi ooooo An Onitsha based Enugu state woman cuts off the finger of her niece living with her”

See What Facebook User Wrote:

U people should come and see Ekwensu Nwanyi ooooo ��

An onitsha based Enugu state woman cuts off the finger of her niece living with her��

Fayemi’s Suspension, A Joke Taken Too Far – Yinka Oyebode

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September 25, 2020

In his reaction to the purported suspension of Governor Kayode Fayemi by an unknown group, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, described it as a joke taken too far.

Oyebode said the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party is governed by laws, adding that members of the group cannot hide under their recent suspension to announce a dubious suspension they lack the locus to handle.

While one would have dismissed their claims as another failed attempt to polarise the party in the state, it is also important to put it on record that the action of the group smacks of criminal impersonation as none of those who signed the purported suspension letter was executive members of the party at ward, Local government or state level.

The action is but a joke taken too far as they never had such power they want to arrogate to themselves while they were members of the party, much less now that they have been suspended.

Governor Fayemi, however, remains unperturbed by this antics of suspended members.

Well-meaning members of the public, as well as members of APC, are urged to disregard the news of the purported suspension as it only exists in the imagination of members of the group.

Dr Kayode Fayemi remains the indisputable leader of the APC in Ekiti State.