Ahead of gubernatorial election in Edo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Ahead of the September 19, 2020, gubernatorial election in Edo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday received more defectors from the ADP and Labour Party (LP).

Leading the decampees, the State Organising Secretary of the ADP, Oshodin Izedomwen, said they were pitching a tent with the PDP because of its capacity and the performance of the party’s standard-bearer, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The state PDP chairman, Dr. Tony Azegbemi, praised Izedomwen and his co-voyagers for their enthusiasm and trust, assuring them of their full integration into the mainstream of the political grouping.

Also, LP members, led by their candidate in the 2016 poll and United Kingdom-based legal practitioner, Nosa Kings Erhunmwumsee, identified with the APC, pledging support for its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, “to change the narrative of governance with his lofty ideals.”

However, the PDP has said the admission by Ize-Iyamu that he was allegedly expelled from the university at a point in time had “further validated the position by his party’s former national chairman that he is unfit to hold office as governor of the state.”

Also yesterday, a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City ordered the APC candidate to appear before it on July 14, 2020, in respect of the alleged N700 million fraud case preferred against him and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Garba gave the order following the absence of Ize-Iyamu in court on health grounds.

But the judge held that the hearing of the pending motions, challenging the jurisdiction of the court, would hold on that date after rejecting the oral request for a prolonged adjournment by counsel to the first defendant (Ize-Iyamu), Charles Edosomwan, who had argued that his client would not disobey the order of the court.

Other accused persons, including former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen and Mr. Efe Erimuoghae-Anthony, are facing an eight-count charge of money laundering of the above sum to prosecute the 2015 general elections.

EFCC lawyer, Ahmed Imoovba, and attorney to the second defendant, Pascal Ugbome, also confirmed that the suit was adjourned on account of Ize-Iyamu’s absence.

In a related development, the same court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba, also yesterday adjourned the suit to determine the mode of the state APC governorship primary to July 23, 2020, pending the determination of the pending appeal at the Supreme Court in Abuja.

The court postponed the case following an application of stay of execution by the counsel to APC, Chief Henry Ogbodu (SAN), at the resumed hearing of the matter

Nigerianewslite

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts,

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, on Tuesday, grilled the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, and a former acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs Amina Zakari, over the approval and disbursement of additional N73bn for the conduct of the 2015 general elections.

The committee queried the powers of the accountant-general to approve N107.7bn for INEC for the conduct of the polls against the N45bn threshold approved for such by the Budget Office of the Federation.

The lawmakers also asked the AcGF to provide a balance of N16.9bn from another N36.9bn approved for INEC by the Presidency, out of which only N10bn was paid to the commission by his office for the elections.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Wole Oke, and some members stated that the approval of N107.7bn and the disbursement of the additional N73bn, against the N45bn budget of the commission, which the lawmakers described as a gross abuse of the Office of the Accountant-General, who is in charge of public treasury.

Oke said, “The accountant-general should explain the direct deduction of the fund from the Federal Government’s account.”

The AcGF, who was represented by the Director of Accounts, Mr Emma Olawale, however, told the committee that the funds were released to INEC with the approval of the then President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

Olawale said the OAGF wrote to the Presidency and the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and got the approval to release the fund to INEC.

Zakari also told the committee that the commission wrote to the Presidency and the Accountant-General’s office, and got approval for the funds.

She said the electoral umpire was not mandated by any law to refund any money already approved for election purposes.

Meanwhile, the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col Ahmed Ali (retd.), on Tuesday faulted the claim by the Accountant-General of the Federation that the N38.6bn released to the service in 2014 was a loan.

INSPIRE MY WOULD

INSPIRE MY WOULD

GOOD MORNING 

AND welcome to today's morning boast..

  Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

-Christian D. Larson

  Optimum Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

-Robert Collie.

  The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.

Fail from the beginning is not failing off.

Consistency is the catchment to success.

-UbiQuotes.

  The successful people of this world take life as it comes. They just go out and deal with the world as it is.

-UbiQuotes

  Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

-Joshua J. Marine

Your SUCCESS, is our SUCCESS...

Anambra 2021: It’s battle royale for Awka Government House 8th June 2020 Anambra 2021: It’s battle royale for Awka Government House 0 SHARES

Anambra 2021: It’s battle royale for Awka Government House

8th June 2020

Anambra 2021: It’s battle royale  for Awka Government House

SHARES

 

 

Obinna Odogwu, Awka

As the day breaks each day, the gradual journey to the year 2021 governorship election in Anambra State draws closer. Already, some aspirants have started taking bold steps to register their interests to run for the prized position through different means. Some, merely by their body languages, have revealed that they might be throwing their hat in the ring whenever they consider the time ripe.

In fact, save for the coronavirus pandemic which has literally shaken the world to its foundation, activities that would lead to the next year’s governorship election in the state would have started taking shape by now.

 

Across party lines, a number of eminent figures have become very visible for the political game and are strategising on the smartest ways to clinch their parties’  primaries.

Some of the names being bandied about as preparing for the poll are: the senators representing Anambra Central and South Senatorial Districts in the National Assembly, Senators Uche Ekwunife and Ifeanyi Ubah; former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo; and a political economist, Dr Obiora Okonkwo.

Others are: a United States of America-based medical practitioner, Dr Godwin Mmaduka, immediate past President and Group Chief Executive Officer of TRANSCORP Plc, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, a renowned businessman, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, and the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu.

 

Also expected in the political ring are: the member representing Nnewi North, South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Chris Azubuogu; ex-NASS member for Anambra East and West Federal Constituency, Dr Tony Nwoye, and the Managing Director of Wichtech Group, Dr Chidozie Nwankwo.

Others are Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, a philanthropist, Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, Chief Ugochukwu Okeke, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, former senator for Anambra South Senatorial zone, Senator Andy Uba; former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mr Oseloka Obaze, Chairman of Stanel Group, Dr Stanley Uzochukwu and others.

But of all the names being dropped as having interest to contest in the next year’s poll, just a few of them would, at the end of the day emerge candidates of their parties.

Given the prevailing situation, some of these aspirants, based on available information at the moment, can be said to be ready to go to the poll with their hearts.

Senator Uche Ekwunife

Generally described or referred to as a ‘woman with capacity’, Senator Ekwunife has no doubts shown that she possesses some political force that cannot be ignored as far as grassroots politicking is concerned. She has, in a number of occasions, shown that she truly has capacity.

A two-time member of the House of Representatives for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, Ekwunife has established her footprints in the political sands in Anambra.

With scores of visible achievements trailing her path while in the Green Chamber, the lady with Midas touch, without doubts, enjoys massive love and support of her constituents and others.

This she proved after her double trouncing of the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, in 2015 and 2019 to emerge senator for Anambra Central.

Surprisingly, that 2015 election was also contested by the former governor of the state, Senator Chris Ngige, who incidentally was a sitting senator at the time. Ngige, who was the candidate of the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC), ended up with third position.

Ekwunife’s trouncing of the two influential men in an election their supporters, and indeed, every other person had expected one of the men to win became a talk of the town. In fact, some cartoonists celebrated that resounding victory in a very hilarious way.

Although Umeh who came second later fought his way to the senate through the courts, Ekwunife who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in that election trounced him again even as a sitting senator at the 2019 polls. That marked the second time the lady defeated a sitting senator.

Umeh, who is equally popular and very influential especially within the APGA circle was said to have been seriously shocked that a woman whose party was not in power in the state could humiliate him at the poll in the manner she did even though his party, APGA, was in power and controlled more funds.

With that 2019 election victory, Iyom Ekwunife proved to her doubters once again that she was, indeed, a strong force to be reckoned with; an experienced politician that has a functional and coordinated grassroots structure that would get her political victory in any poll in the state.

If given the opportunity to contest the 2021 governorship election, Ekwunife may spring up surprises. However, few factors may constitute themselves as stumbling blocks on her political path.

Igbo society, for now, is patriarchal and it may be very challenging to convince Ndi Anambra to accept a woman as their governor. Ekwunife, though may perform very well as governor as her antecedents both in the Green and Red Chambers suggest, may have to work extra hard to convince Ndi Anambra to accept the headship of a woman.

But with skillful approach, Ekwunife can turn this seemingly odd point to her advantage especially now that the people of the state are seriously seeking a competent governor who can perform very well like former Governor Peter Obi did or even better.

Again, she may not have the financial muscle to execute the election considering the number of multibillionaires that are already said to be preparing for the political race.

Professor Charles Soludo

At the moment, it appears time has come for Professor Soludo to govern the Light of the Nation. Everywhere you go, people talk about the erudite professor.

Although he has not officially declared his interest to run for the poll, many interest groups are drumming support for him. Already, a group of young people led by Dr Nelson Omenugha are spreading the good message of the ex-CBN’s chief on the platform of Youths Earnestly Seek Soludo (YESS) and they are seriously watering the grounds for their man with it.

But Soludo may have some challenges securing the governorship ticket of his party, APGA. Wife of the state governor, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, is said not to be too comfortable with Soludo and was said to be positioning her kinsman, Dr Stanley Uzochukwu, for APGA’s ticket.

Inside sources revealed that the governor’s wife was plotting for a joint ticket of her kinsman and that of her husband’s kinsman, Chief Chinedu Obidigwe, popularly known as Akaoma who incidentally is currently representing Anambra East and West Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

Mrs Obiano is said to believe that Obidigwe who, at the moment, is seen as the de facto National Chairman of APGA would bring his ‘aka oma’ (good hand) to bear in the governorship election.

Stories were told of how the now federal lawmaker determined who got APGA tickets for the 2019 general election in some states across the country where the party has considerable influence, including Anambra.

If Obidigwe can determine or largely influence who would get the governorship ticket of APGA for the next year’s poll; and if he would accommodate Mrs Obiano’s interest which would also largely be beneficial to him, then Soludo would have a lot of homework to do to upturn that plot.

And if Soludo loses the governorship primary on this ground, he may be forced to go to another party which will not likely be PDP or APC to pursue his political ambition. But such move may not bring electoral success as such other party may not have the structure to win the election.

Dr. Obiora Okonkwo

Dr. Okonkwo is well accepted across the senatorial zones of the state as a veritable option for Agu Awka in 2021. Okonkwo is seen as a great political mobiliser, who in the past played persuasive roles in the making of some past governors. He is well at home with the political elite of the state who believe that he has the capacity and credibility to lead the state. He is also the darling of the traditional institution and the church, seen as critical stakeholders in determining where the votes go in 2021.

Dr. Okonkwo is also blazing the trail in philanthropy and job creation. At the moment, he has more than 600 persons employed in all the businesses he had created. He is also making a venture into the aviation industry with the imminent launch of United Nigeria, a company which has already guaranteed jobs for several Anambra youths including pilots.

Not known to play too much to the gallery, Okonkwo who holds a doctorate degree in Political Science from Russia is well liked among youths of the state. His association and promotion of cultural festival of his native Ogidi, has endeared him to culture buffs in the state who believe that with him as governor, the culture of the people will be well promoted to become a money spinner for them. He is also at home with the grassroots and has been able to win their hearts through his philanthropy.

Okonkwo is also a political bridge builder who has been able to build political structures across the senatorial zones of Anambra with strong followership and a solid support base. He is seen as the underdog to beat. Pundits believe that he may cause an upset in the primary election scheduled for August 2021.  There are insinuations from some quarters that the campaign to zone the governorship ticket of the PDP to Anambra south is a plot to stop the likes of Dr. Okonkwo who pundits say is capable of winning the primary election on first ballot.

Regardless, he has continued to power strongly, especially as the party has maintained that its priority is to get a candidate that would win the election for it irrespective of where he/she is from in Anambra State.

Senator Chris Ngige

Former governor of the state and the current Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, according to sources, is contemplating joining the race.

Although he recently denied having interest in the race at a media parley he held in his Alor hometown, sources close to him said that some of his former aides who worked with him while he was governor as well as his political associates were said to be suggesting the move to him.

For them, he stands a good chance of winning the election given his current position as a cabinet minister in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.

They were said to also believe that he would still gain public acceptance at the poll especially considering his good works while he was governor which has sustained his popularity among the people even years after he left office.

For them, with federal might which includes control of the ‘Independent’ National Electoral Commission (INEC), security forces and others at his disposal, he can win the 2021 election with relative comfort.

However, his advisers seemed to have forgotten the 2007 episode allegedly scripted and acted in the state with federal might which collapsed within 17 days.

Again, the APC has not gained wide acceptance in the state and South East by extension. In a free and fair contest, APC may not make an impressive outing in the state except if their candidate is popular as it was with Dr Tony Nwoye who came second in the 2017 governorship.

Audited reports: NNPC still performing below global benchmarks — NNRC

The Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), Monday, disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has consistently and was still under-performing against established global benchmark and also lacking in transparency and good corporate governance.

The Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC),is  a non-profit policy institute, committed to effective natural resource governance in Nigeria.

In a statement in Abuja, Program Coordinator of the NNRC, Ms. Tengi George-Ikoli, commended the NNPC for its commitment to its Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda, and its recent efforts to it by publishing the 2018 audited reports of its subsidiaries, noting, however, that there remains a need for greater transparency and accountability by the NNPC.

She noted that over the years, the NNPC had consistently under-performed against the NNRC’s global best practice benchmark for optimal national oil company performance which prescribes that national oil companies be accountable to their citizens and government, with well-defined mandates and an objective of commercial efficiency.

She said, “Holistic improvements across the National Oil Company (NOC) will ‘require clear and appropriate decisions and role of the NOC and how it is financed, corporate governance systems that limit political interference and allow for efficient oversight, and a commitment to transparency and accountability’.

“It is expected that the NOCs that will succeed in maximizing their potential enterprise value, and thus maximize their revenue contribution to the nation, will be those who succeed at building strong governance along with capital and operational excellence into their culture.”

She bemoaned the huge losses incurred by the country’s refineries, stating that unless NNPC’s refineries operate at a minimum of 90% capacity, they would continue to lose money.

“Comparing Norway’s Equinor and NNPC, performance records show that Equinor’s three refineries averaged 92.8 per cent capacity utilisation in 2018 while NNPC’s three refineries recorded 11.21 per cent. A 2015 comparison of average refinery capacity utilisation in the USA of 90.98 per cent and Nigeria of 4.88 per cent is even worse.

Shake-up in NNPC as top officials redeployed

The management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced the exit of two senior officials and the redeployment of others.

Two officials who recently left the corporation were replaced while other redeployments were also carried out.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 

The Edo State - born top NEPC official is believed to have resigned due to health reasons although no official Excellenc necessary given for his resignation barely one week to the first anniversary of his appointment.

Also, the Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Farouk Said retired last week after decades of service.

On Sunday, the NNPC released a statement announcing Mr Ewubare and Mr Said’s replacements and other redeployments in the state firm.

The Sunday statement was signed by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Kennie Obateru. He said the new appointments and redeployments are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen and reposition NNPC for greater efficiency, transparency and profitability in line with the Next Level agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The NNPC Spokesperson said Adokiye Tombomieye, the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD), has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Upstream while Mohammed Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, following the retirement of Farouk Sa’id, last week.

Adeyemi Adetunji, the Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, was redeployed to the Ventures & Business Development Directorate as COO, the position left by Mr Ewubare.

The top-level staff movement also affected Billy Okoye who has been redeployed from the NNPC Downstream Company, NNPC Retail Limited, as Managing Director, to replace Mr Tombomieye as the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division; while Elizabeth Aliyuda, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing, NNPC Retail Limited, takes over from Mr Okoye as Managing Director.Similarly, Usman Farouk, Executive Director, Asset Management and Technical Services at the NGMC takes over from Mr Ahmed as Managing Director.

The release also explained that President Buhari has accepted the resignation of Mr Ewubare and the retirement of Mr Said.

Speaking on the development, Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Male Kyari, was quoted as saying the new appointments would enable the corporation to live up to the expectation of her shareholders, Nigerians, and give impetus to the ongoing restructuring within the corporation, which, he said, was in line with the corporate vision of Transparency, Accountability & Performance Excellence