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PDP gives reasons INEC should Proscribe APC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday demanded an immediate proscription of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly financing President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 campaign with looted funds.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP also gave the Buhari-led presidency a three-day ultimatum to respond to allegations that it was elected with looted funds or find itself top on the list of confirmed looters.
“Instead of the presidency and the APC to come out with a response on how Buhari’s 2015 campaign was funded with looted sums, they are busy hallucinating about names of individuals whose matters are before the courts of competent jurisdiction.”
The party claimed that the APC, the Federal Government and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were running away from the issue of how they raised money to install Buhari as president.
“They have pressed the panic button and resorted to unfounded allegations against PDP members just to divert the attention of Nigerians and the international community from their atrocious government and its manifold failures of leadership.”
The PDP said it would not join “the panicky APC and the Federal Government in their resort to engage in matters that are sub judice because we believe and respect the rule of law, particularly, as it concerns the rights of every citizen.
“We know those in the APC and Buhari’s cabinet who as champions of looting, plundered the resources of their various states and handed the same over for the very expensive electioneering campaign of President Buhari, who had earlier confessed of his insolvency.
“We have challenged the APC and the presidency to declare the sources of these funds and how they were used since they have been proven to come from public coffers.
“Now that the APC, the Federal Government, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Buhari Presidency have chosen a loud silence rather than accepting that looted funds were used to install Buhari as President in 2015, we charge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the process for the proscription of the APC as a political party.”
A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, released a list of alleged looters of public funds who are members of the ruling party.
In a statement, he said: “I have taken the pains to produce a ‘teaser’ looters list of APC members who are collectively alleged to have looted over $2 billion (current value of what they allegedly looted at the time they committed the crime).
“I challenge President Buhari and Lai Mohammed to explain why these men did not feature on their list and why they continue to remain in this APC government where they wield immense powers and influence, even over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that is meant to prosecute them.”
Omokri claimed that Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser, is not in jail for a crime he committed in 2015 but he is rather being persecuted for a ‘crime’ he committed in 1985.
“I further challenge President Buhari and Lai Mohammed to explain why they failed to reveal to Nigerians that President Buhari himself is a major beneficiary of the funds that Dasuki, received from the treasury for the security of Nigerians.”
Omokri said his list of looters was just a teaser and he could release more names depending on the reaction of the Buhari-led government.
Those listed are:
“•Rotimi Amaechi: Indicted by the Justice George Omeregi-led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry for looting ₦97 billion along with co-indictees including a former army general;
“•Saminu Turaki alleged to have looted ₦36 billion. First charged before Justice Sabi’u Yahuza of the Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State but currently facing trial before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba at the FCT High Court;
“•Timipre Sylva, a well-known financier and supporter of the APC administration of President Buhari. Alleged to have looted ₦19.7 billion. Was facing trial before Justice A. Y. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja. However, two days after President Buhari was sworn in, the new APC government withdrew the charges preferred against Sylva on June 1, 2015, and on October 3, 2018, the EFCC returned to Sylva, 48 houses seized from him during the administration of former President Jonathan in 2013;
“•Murtala Nyako alleged to have looted ₦29 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja;
“•Senator Danjuma Goje alleged to have looted ₦25 billion. Currently facing trial before the Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State;
“•Senator Abdullahi Adamu alleged to have looted ₦15 billion with the help of 18 co- accused. Charged on March 3, 2010. The case continues to linger in court;
“•Orji Kalu alleged to have looted ₦3.2 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos;
“•Kayode Fayemi indicted by the Ekiti Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by former Ekiti State chief judge and the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Ademola Ajakaiye, of sundry financial malfeasance totalling over ₦2 billion;
“•Senator Joshua Dariye alleged to have looted ₦1.2 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Adebukola Banjoko at an FCT High Court; and
“•Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, allegedly gave a ₦200 million contract to his own company from monies meant to look after Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Has been sacked after protest by the opposition and civil society. Has still not been charged. Was allowed to be replaced by his own cousin.
“By the omission of these names, the Buhari-led Federal Government has vindicated Transparency International which alleged that Nigeria is more corrupt today under Buhari than at any other time since it started keeping records.”
(The Guardian).
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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