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Tag: Ifeanyi Okowa

  • Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (3) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (3) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    The Northern Leaders Consultative Forum’s endorsement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the February 25, 2023, presidential election comes as a shot in the arm for the Peoples Democratic Party.

    The PDP’s been divided since the Atiku-Okowa ticket emerged, with five governors of Abia, Benue, Enugu, Oyo and Rivers shunning the Presidential Campaign Council and its campaigns.

    So, the December 2, 2022, adoption by some leaders in Northern Nigeria’s 19 States and the FCT is a turnaround for the PDP that its PCC spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan, attributes to a Nigerian consensus.

    “This adoption conforms with the consensus by the larger majority of Nigerians that all options weighed and considered, Atiku is the best among those seeking to govern Nigeria,” Ologbodiyan said.

    But for other leading parties – the All Progressives Congress, Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party – which the Forum also vetted their tickets, the leaders’ endorsement is self-serving and hypocritical.

    Recall that leaders in the Christian community, particularly in the North, have rejected the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket of former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima.

    Accordingly, a section of the polity had expected that with the agitation for a Southern president, the Northern leaders would adopt the LP ticket of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and former Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

    But that didn’t happen, and the reactions were scathing, with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babacir Lawal, describing the Atiku-Okowa ticket as “the worst form of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.”

    Lawal, who endorses the Obi-Datti ticket, notes that the Atiku-Okowa ticket amounts to “a transition from one Muslim Fulani president (Muhammadu Buhari) to another Muslim Fulani president (Atiku),” and that an Atiku predidency “would represent ethnic domination by one ethnic group over others.”

    Lawal also talks about his yearly battles with Fulani herdsmen determined to have their animals invade his farms and eat up his crops, and take over his kinsmen’s ancestral farmlands, “as everywhere in the North,” he said, “while their elite kinsmen dominant in the government keep mute.”

    Saying he “remains a Peter Obi diehard,” and “any news to the contrary is fake news,” Lawal reaffirms his commitment to actualising Obi’s ambition in the 2023 elections.

    To the Obi-Datti campaign, former Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who joined Lawal as arrowheads of the anti-APC ticket, bears the blame for the Northern leaders’ adoption of the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket.

    (Perhaps for “a job well done,” Atiku’s appointed Dogara as a member of the PDP PCC, as announced on December 4 by the council’s Director-General and Sokoko Governor Aminu Tambuwal)

    The campaign’s position: “We in the Obi-Datti Media see Hon Dogara’s unpopular stand as a clear measure of double standard and a grave error in seeing same faith ticket in his party as wrong but jump to embrace another injustice of a party that refuses to follow its own constitution and respect for political fairness and accommodation.

    “Clearly, the former Speaker knows that he is swimming against the tide by his unpopular decision, which amounts to running from frying pan to fire; from one injustice to another, and claiming to be acting on behalf of his people whose anger for the two wrongs of the two main political parties (APC and PDP) are glaring.

    “Hon Dogara knows as a fact that his position does not reflect the heart and mind of majority of Nigerian populace who are already on the (LP) moving train to take back the country from primeval political thinkers like him.

    “The former Speaker knows as a fact that his choice is against the tide, as the country stands on two prongs today ahead of 2023; justice and equity on one hand and capacity and competence on the other and not on primordial interest of political party lines.

    “The Obi-Datti Media Office, therefore, sympathizes with Hon. Dogara for failing woefully to grab the ample opportunity that every politician looks forward to, standing for their people at a critical time of their abandonment.

    “History will certainly place him as a leader who turned his back on his people when they rose against injustice and oppression.”

    The APC and Tinubu-Shettima campaign have laughed off the Northern leaders’ action as a huge joke of “PDP endorsing PDP” – a snide reference to the Forum’s many PDP members reportedly loyal to Atiku.

    Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment and chief spokesman for the APC PCC, says the Dogara-led action hasn’t altered any political permutation.

    His words: “My very good and amiable friend and classmate, Yakubu Dogara, should have spared us all the drama. From PDP and back to PDP, nothing has changed; no alteration of political permutations. They were not with us in 2019 when we won. Wishing them all the best, except victory in 2023!

    “It is just a case of PDP adopting PDP. A group of PDP members, supporters and sympathisers sat down and purportedly adopted PDP as ‘their best option.’

    “That is, PDP adopting PDP, yet trying to pass it off as if there is some major shift in political alignment. All drama, no real content; all motion, no real movement.”

    Also reacting, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who heads the rebellious “Integrity Group” of five governors of the PDP (PDP-G5), blasts Dogara as an unstable character that can’t be pinned down to principles.

    Wike claims that Dogara had insisted on the presidency returning to Southern Nigeria, and yet reversed and adopted the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket.

    “What I don’t like in life is people that don’t have character. I can’t stand it,” Wike said, adding, “at the appropriate time, I will challenge them to a debate.”

    In a manner of mockery, Wike said: “Ask Dogara: What made you leave PDP? Dogara was to see me (but) unknown to me, he gave me an excuse. And (thereafter) I was watching Dogara on TV being received by President Muhammadu Buhari that he has gone (back) to APC. I say, ‘Okay, no problem.’

    “The same Dogara said the presidency should be zoned to southern Nigeria for there to be peace. Now, I hear about the same Dogara (backing Atiku from northern Nigeria). Is that how you do things? Can’t you say something and stand by it?”

    Similarly, the NNPP, running with the former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Bishop Isaac Idahosa ticket, has expressed disappointment, but not surprise at the Northern leaders’ adoption of the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket.

    The NNPP national chairman, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, says the party “will respond decisively” to the Northern leaders’ action.

    “We just received the story and the communique by the group,” Alkali said. “We are disappointed but not surprised at what Yakubu Dogara and his co-travellers said. We are going to respond to them decisively in the language they will understand.”

    In summary, what the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket regard as a major boost may be minimal due to split in the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum, and the presidential campaigns boycott by the PDP-G5 membes for the February 25, 2023, poll.

     

    *Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

  • Christmas: Okowa urges prayer for a peaceful nation

    Christmas: Okowa urges prayer for a peaceful nation

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has urged Nigerians to pray for the peace of the nation as the elections draw close.

    The governor gave the charge in his Christmas message through his Chief Press  Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, as Christians across the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

    Okowa reassured Nigerians and the people of the state that the mission to recover Nigeria was on course and would be realised.

    He called on Christians to continue in their prayers for a peaceful nation, especially as the elections were close.

    He said that the 2023 polls would usher in a new and positive life for Nigerians.

    Okowa reminded citizens that Christmas was a season of love and care for one another as Jesus Christ came with joy and peace to save the world.

    He, therefore, urged everyone to use the opportunity of the season to promote peaceful co-existence across the country.

    He lauded security agencies for their commitment towards stamping out insecurity in the country and urged them not to lower their guards.

    ”As the world celebrates Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, I call on all Christians; and indeed, all people of Delta and Nigerians, to reflect on the virtues and teachings of Jesus Christ in their lives and activities so that Nigeria and the world will be a better place for all of us.

    “While I congratulate all Christians for another Christmas season, I advise all to use the festive period for sober reflections and total spiritual renewal and devotion towards living in peace and harmony with adherents of other religions.

    “Let me emphasis that there is hope for the rebuilding of this country as we are about entering the year of transition, and as Christians, we are admonished to pray for the greater good of the nation,’’ Okowa said.

    He said that Christmas offered the people the opportunity to reach out to the less-privileged in the society in adherence to the wish and teachings of Christ.

    “The period presents opportunity for us to return to God and be steadfast in promoting the virtues of Christ, which are love, peace and harmony in all our endeavours,” the governor said.

    He urged Nigerians to unite and pray for peace and co-existence, and eschew bitterness and hatred on the basis of faith, ethnicity or political persuasions.

    “I thank our Christian leaders and their counterparts of other faiths in the state and country for conducting themselves peacefully in their religious activities and for joining government in promoting religious and ethnic harmony among Nigerians.

    “I urge all religious leaders not to relent in their prayers for the state and country.

    “As a state, we have taken measures to ensure that we have a wonderful and very peaceful Christmas celebration across our communities,” he said.

    He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to completing landmark projects and people-oriented policies and programmes, which had direct impact on the lives of the people.

    “It is my sincere hope and assurance that the New Year, 2023, will usher in more progress, greater prosperity and enduring fulfillment for all Nigerians.

    “As a state and country, we have faced several challenges but because we didn’t give up, we surmounted them and I believe that we can all look forward to 2023 and beyond with greater optimism and hope as my administration works towards finishing strong,” he said.

    Okowa wished people and all Nigerians, a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year and prayed for the warmth of God’s love to fill every heart and home in the yuletide.

  • 2023: Atiku will ensure PIA host community fund provision – Okowa

    2023: Atiku will ensure PIA host community fund provision – Okowa

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will enforce the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) including the provision on host communities’ fund, if elected.

    Okowa also the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the PDP said this during the launch of the state PDP governorship campaign in Warri South and Uvwie Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state on Thursday.

    He said that so much fund was needed for the development of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.

    Okowa assured that when elected, Atiku-Okowa administration would change the poor conditions in the oil-bearing areas through full implementation of the Act.

    He said that the people of Delta were fortunate to have one of their own selected to become Vice-President in the next dispensation.

    Okowa urged the people of Delta to rise and collectively support PDP, saying “we must work hard to ensure victory for the party”.

    The governor said that Atiku-Okowa ticket would take care of some of the teething problems facing the nation.

    “We have resolved to ensure that our people are taken care of, particularly the oil bearing communities.

    “There is a provision in the PIA, that is the Host Communities Fund and we will ensure its full implementation for the benefit of the oil-bearing communities,” Okowa said.

    On how the party intended to tackle insecurity in the country, Okowa said that Abubakar would engage relevant stakeholders to ensure constitutional amendment to legalise state police.

    “We have observed that the Federal Police is grossly inadequate to secure Nigerians and therefore, we are advocating the establishment of state police to enable every state have its own police to handle peculiar security challenges.

    “Aside the state police, we will recruit more hands into federal police, procure more weapons and provide adequate logistics and intelligence gathering devices for effective policing,” he said.

    Okowa said that renovation of Warri Township Stadium would begin shortly, and disclosed that contract for the project worth N2.9 billion had already been awarded.

    He said the renovation would include the changing of the tartan tracks, the chairs as well as internal drainages within the stadium.

    “We did not commence the renovation earlier because of the storm drainages we are constructing in Warri.

    “But now that we have done over 70 per cent of the storm drainage project, we are about to start the Warri Stadium project.

    “We will do a comprehensive renovation of the stadium and I thank you all for your patience and understanding over the years.

    “After completion of the drainage, we will start construction of the roads to enable them last longer,” Okowa said.

    The state PDP governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, said Warri and Uvwie people were happy and anxiously waiting to have him, a “Warri boy”, as governor.

    He assured that the development of the twin cities would receive massive boost if elected.

    Oborevwori said that the Uvwie, Okpe and Sapele Federal Constituency was grateful to governor Okowa for ensuring that the area produced the next governor of the state.

    “I am glad with the crowd here today and I can assure you that when we come into office, with the power of God and by your support, we will revive infrastructure in the twin cities of Warri, Effurun and environs,” Oborevwori stated.

    The state PDP Chairman, Chief Kingsley Esiso, said that the people of Delta had since resolved to vote for the party in 2023.

    He said that the Presidential Campaign train would be in Asaba on Jan. 24 and urged the people to turn out enmasse to welcome Abubakar and his entourage.

  • Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (2) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (2) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    As noted under this heading of December 12, 2022, the religion-inspired Northern Leaders Consultative Forum had set up a Technical Criteria Committee to achieve three main goals:

    To rubber-stamp a “rejection” of the All Progressives Congress Muslim-Muslim ticket by Christians; search for excuses to deny support for the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Labour Party tickets; and return the Peoples Democratic Party and its ticket as the favourites for the February 2023 presidential poll.

    The leaders from the North’s 19 States and the FCT stated that the committee “was necessitated by the rejection of the same faith Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC,” and thus dismissed the ticket as “excluding a large demography of Christians, who do not feel represented by the ticket.”

    The leaders’ words: “The APC presidential ticket does not promote inclusiveness, unity, religious harmony and cohesion. A large population of Muslims have also expressed reservations to this ticket and have called for fairness and inclusivity.

    “Consequently, this (APC) ticket is outrightly rejected by the Forum and the Forum calls on all lovers of democracy, peaceful coexistence, unity and religious harmony to reject the ticket in its entirety,” the leaders said.

    Having dispensed with the APC and its ticket holders: Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, it’s the turn of the NNPP and LP to be placed on the leaders’ crucible.

    While affirming the two tickets as “inclusive, representing our religious diversity as a country populated by a dominant population of Muslims and Christians,” the leaders expressed inability to assess both parties without a “Strategic Policy Plan for Nigerians to interrogate.”

    “It is safe to say that no one except the two parties know the direction in which they intend to take the country,” the leaders said. “Nigerians cannot go into an election blind-folded, especially in view of the myriad of problems bedevilling the nation.”

    The leaders noted that based on INEC’s final list of candidates for the 2023 polls, “the NNPP could not field in all the seats for the office of Governor and House of Representatives.”

    Similarly, “the LP could not field in all the candidates at the levels of Governor, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly.”

    The leaders claimed the NNPP and LP “lack all-round grassroots structures required of a political party seeking the highest office in the country, (and) a reasonable presence of its members in positions of governance at national, state and local government levels.”

    They said the few NNPP and LP’s members in government “have only recently decamped to the parties,” adding, “There seems to be a dearth of experienced hands within their parties to pilot the affairs of state.”

    As the leaders surmised, if the NNPP or LP wins the poll, “they cannot smoothly run the government as they will not have the required parliamentary majority to successfully pilot the affairs of government.”

    Surely, the leaders’ takedown of the NNPP and LP was primed to deny their tickets: the NNPP’s Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Bishop Isaac Idahosa; and LP’s Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

    Very instructive is the leaders’ snubbing of the Obi-Datti ticket which’s backed by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babacir Lawal.

    It’s Lawal and former Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara who instigated a backlash against the APC same-faith ticket among Christians in Northern Nigeria.

    Lawal’s later to declare adoption of the LP and Obi-Datti ticket, a claim Dogara and some of the leaders denied, promting the December 2 gathering in Kaduna.

    The leaders, who met in the Atiku Abubakar Hall of the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Kaduna, adopted the technical criteria committee’s report, and issued a communiqué therefrom.

    Recall that an item in the terms of reference asked the committee “to pick a candidate with presidential experience,” and only Atiku, as a former Vice President (1999 -2007), has that “experience” among the candidates.

    So, the leaders proclaimed Atiku as “having the knowledge and experience of managing the country at the presidential level… This gives him the advantage to set the ball rolling from day one.”

    The leaders held that Atiku “has a track record of working harmoniously with all classes of people across religious and ethnic divides,” and… the “capacity to hunt highly-experienced talents across different sectors and bring them into government.”

    They said “Nigeria needs highly-talented people at this critical time to pull it out of the doldrums and bring it back to the path of stability, security and prosperity.”

    Hence the leaders adopted the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket as “the right ticket to support in the 2023 presidential election, as it addresses all the concerns of inclusiveness, fairness and national cohesion.”

    “The Forum recommends for support the Atiku Abubakar-Ifeanyi Okowa presidential ticket to all well-meaning Nigerians across the ethnic, sectional and religious diversities, in order to foster unity, peace, development and progress,” the Northern leaders said.

    You wonder why these sectional leaders took Nigerians through a vetting “smokescreen” rather than endorse – without much ado – the PDP and the Atiku-Okowa ticket from the get go!

    Next week: Atiku, Lawal, the APC, LP and Wike react to the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum’s adoption of the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket for 2023.

     

    *Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

  • (Opinion) 2023: Why Atiku/Okowa ticket is ‘Numero Uno’

    (Opinion) 2023: Why Atiku/Okowa ticket is ‘Numero Uno’

     

    By Law Mefor

     

    As the 2023 presidential race gains final traction, it is now ripe to take a critical look and confirm one’s position on the ticket best placed to deliver out of the 18 political parties jostling for president of Nigeria. Out of this rather unwieldy number, only three or four have what it takes to brace the tape in this historical race, which, if the nation fails to get right, may lead to irreversible implosion with cataclysmic consequences.

    Since the buildup started months ago, it was somewhat obvious that the only political parties with the capacity to make an impact are the incumbent ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). These are indeed the two political parties that parade gladiators both appointed and elected and with tried and tested party structures and requisite resources. The presidential election in Nigeria is a multi-billion naira venture and therefore not for rookies.

    Starting with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP who is riding on his Kwankwasiyya Movement, it has to be granted that he has pulled some weight worthy of some honourable mention. But it is also obvious that he lacks the spread needed to win. Kwankwaso has however succeeded in making himself the beautiful bride of the 2023 presidential race. He can swing the election before and after by declaring support for any of the leading presidential candidates. He may also become a decider in the unlikely event that the race ends in a runoff.

    Until the emergence of Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, nobody thought a 3rd Force was still possible. Peter Obi proved the pundits wrong since his grand entry into the race and the phenomenal following he has garnered so far. Though his party is yet to hit the levels of the APC and the PDP, which are so entrenched in the polity, Obi has deservedly claimed a place among the frontrunners. Dislodging and toppling the behemoth ruling and main opposition political parties is quite a herculean task and the weight of that burden is quite huge. Labour still appears weak and has left almost the entire task to Peter Obi and his supporters to the point that the Party could not field candidates, fully or partially, in about 20 out of 36 states of the federation. This had denied Obi drawdown candidates to share the burden with.

    Determining Peter Obi’s chances is therefore rather difficult. His popularity, especially among the youths, is indicative of a dark horse (an unlikely winner that emerges nonetheless). But weighed against the domineering influence of party structure, which the Labour Party and its candidate have continued to dismiss as a non-issue, Obi’s chances appear quite uncertain. Confirmatory of this is that only a few days ago, the Labour Party’s frantic calls for Local Governments, Wards, and Polling Units Coordinators surfaced online. This is aside from the massive vote suppression ongoing in the South-East created by rising terror.

     

    The Local Governments in Nigeria are only 774 and parties ready to contest creditably at the presidential level ought to have core and experienced party members as coordinators up to the polling units’ months before. The Wards are 8,818. If Labour Party hasn’t fully taken care of LGs by now, it is obvious that the party does not have a significant number of Ward coordinators yet, to say nothing of coordinators for the over 176,000 polling units that must be manned by eagle-eyed party faithful on Election Day. Any political party that cannot mobilize 200,000 members as representatives on Election Day, to have at least one person in each of the 176,000 polling units, is not ready. The presidential race in Nigeria is fraught with so many manipulations, and outright rigging. More importantly, politics is neither a moral nor emotional game. It is a game of cold calculations and concentric circles of conspiracies.

    Yes BVAS is expected to help in reducing rigging and manipulation of results. Unfortunately, BVAS cannot stop vote trade and vote suppression before and during the election. Analysis of how BVAS can still be used to rig elections will be taken up in a separate article.

    The APC is fielding Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, both Muslims. It is a daring ticket that speaks to the political psychology of Nigerians and the dominant role still played by primordial sentiments in recruiting Nigerian leaders. Tinubu himself is a shadowy figure who is yet to come clean with Nigerians on several issues. This has cast long shadows over his dependability as president. That Tinubu is integrity challenged has been a major subject for discussion and controversy also. He also appears too sick and too old (his actual age is also a subject of intense controversy).

    His words of late verge into what clinical psychologists call neologism ( new and strange words) and word salad, all combining to present Tinubu to Nigerians with a strong possibility that his own is going to be yet another outsourced presidency. One or two governors of the APC have equally voiced their concern, as well as many prominent Nigerians, who ask if Tinubu is not a monumental and disastrous mistake.

    The Tinubu/Shettima ticket has also lost the Northern Christians believed to be well over 30% of the northern voting population, which is now split between Atiku and Peter Obi with former SGF Babachir Lawal and former Speaker House of Reps Yakubu Dogara leading the divides.

    Tinubu’s life wires seem to be APC governors and his hope to harvest President Buhari’s voting followers. These life wires are weak. The president is determined to have a free and fair election and evidence of his reluctance to campaign for Tinubu emerged in Jos during the flag-off of the APC presidential campaign, where Buhari sat it out without uttering a word in support of his party’s candidate, Tinubu.

    What is more, many APC governors are now doubtful. If the two grounds upon which Tinubu has erected his hope of victory cannot stand the test, it means Atiku is very likely to have unfettered dominance in the Northern votes.

    Atiku has a lot more going for him that is predicting a clearer pathway to victory. There are strong indications that Wike and the rest of G5 will mellow down and return fully to the fold in good time, and the Kwankwaso factor may also be resolved by northern political power brokers in favour of the Atiku/Okowa ticket.

    Apart from holding a clearer pathway to victory foreseeable in the trajectory, Atiku’s manifesto is also the best amongst the three for prescribing restructuring and a private sector-driven economy for Nigeria among other things. Yes, the main issue before Nigeria today is restructuring the polity, which simply means returning the powers enjoined by the regions in the First Republic to states.

    Many have argued that Atiku is harping on restructuring as a vote-winning gambit. But Atiku has always talked about restructuring before now, unlike Obi and Tinubu who have never made a case for restructuring and could only mention it in their manifestos in passing and as a secondary concern. Again, restructuring has become inevitable to avert Nigeria’s implosion and possible disintegration. Atiku knows it and thus made restructuring one of the 5 cardinal issues in his manifesto and campaign. No other viable candidate did.

    Surprisingly, the clamor for restructuring has died down in the country. It is expected that those who have relentlessly fought for restructuring should seize this historic moment to negotiate with the leading candidates and commit them to restructuring.

     

    Atiku provided his reasons for believing in restructuring in his manifesto: “Nigeria has continued to operate a faulty, complex federal structure with a high degree of centralization at the centre… We must adopt a new economic management model that will cure all the federating units of this addiction to oil revenues… establish a new political structure that reinforces the concept of ‘true federalism’ by conceding unfettered autonomy to the subordinating units. ”

     

    The Atiku/Okowa ticket is therefore the real deal for making restructuring the main issue of this campaign and for the ticket’s clarity of vision and the most possible pathway to victory.

     

    • Dr Law Mefor, a Forensic/Social Psychologist, is a Fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought and can be reached via Tel.+234- 913-033-5723; Twitter: @DrLawMefor; email: drlawmefor@gmail.com.

  • Gov Okowa assents Delta’s 2023 Appropriation Bill of N571.6bn

    Gov Okowa assents Delta’s 2023 Appropriation Bill of N571.6bn

    Governor of Delta State, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Friday in Asaba, signed the state’s 2023 Appropriation Bill of N571.64 billion.

    The budget, which is the last to be signed by Okowa as Governor of the state, comprises N235.5 billion for recurrent expenditure and N336.1billion as capital expenditure.

    The governor also signed assented to nine other Bills – The Delta State Manufacturing and Use of Cotonou Boats Bill, 2022; Delta State Public Finance Management Bill, 2022; Delta State HIV/AIDs Anti-discrimination, Prevention and Protection Bill, 2022; Delta State Waterways Tax, Control and Licensing of Boats (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2022.

    Others are Delta State Forfeiture of Property Bill, 2022; Delta State Maternal and Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response Bill, 2020; Delta State Passenger Welfare Scheme Repeal Bill, 2022; Delta State Administrative Procedure Bill, 2022 and the Delta State Transportation Data Management Bill, 2022.

    In his remarks after signing the Bills, Okowa assured Deltans that the state would strive to implement capital projects embedded in the 2023 Budget as well as endeavour to complete ongoing projects before the end of his tenure.

    He commended the House of Assembly for its cooperation over the years, adding that his administration couldn’t have achieved the much it did without the strong support of the Assembly and Deltans.

    “To have found time to work through these bills in spite of the electoral campaigns shows that you have stayed committed to our people who voted you into office.

    “We will continue to remember you in the course of history because a lot has been done over the past seven and half years during which we have truly impacted on our people.

    “We could have done better if we had a better security because we need a secured country for us to be able to impact more meaningfully to the people.

    “But under the circumstances we have found ourselves, working with our people we have delivered the dividends of democracy to the best of our ability.

    “Until May 28, 2023, we will remain functional and continue to impact on the lives of our people, including the youths to make them get entrepreneurial skills that will ultimately make them self-reliant,” Okowa stated.

    On the other Bills signed into law, he said they would contribute to the socio-economic development of the state and thanked the lawnakers for their commitment to duty.

    Presenting the Bills earlier, the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Sherrif Oborevwori, said that the Bills went through all legislative process before being passed.

    He expressed appreciation to the Governor and members of the House for their support and cooperation over the years he served as the longest serving Speaker of the House of Assembly.

    “I wish to express our profound gratitude to you for the cordial working relationship and synergy existing between the House and the Executive.

    “This has not only brought stability to the House but also prosperity to Deltans and development across the State.

    “God has indeed been gracious to Delta State and the House of Assembly in particular. We have enjoyed peace and harmony which have resulted in the excellent working relationship among the members.

    “As you remarked during the presentation of the 2023 Budget on the floor of the House that this is the last Budget you will be laying before the honourable House, this will also be the last Budget I will be presenting to His Excellency, the Governor for assent as a Speaker of the House of Assembly,” Oborevwori stated.

  • What PDP said about Gov Wike on his 55th birthday anniversary

    What PDP said about Gov Wike on his 55th birthday anniversary

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) set aside the crisis currently rocking the party to celebrate with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on his birthday anniversary.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Wike turned 55 on 13 December.

    PDP in a statement released its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba described Wike as a courageous, passionate and visionary leader; and a very resourceful administrator and statesman.

    The party prayed to the Almighty God to bless the Rivers State Governor with many more years in good health.

    The statement reads in full: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congratulates the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike as he celebrates his birthday today.

    “Governor Wike is a courageous, passionate and visionary leader; very resourceful administrator and statesman who remains committed in his roles towards the development of our dear nation, Nigeria.

    “As a committed member of our great Party, the PDP, Governor Wike continues to excel in delivery of landmark and legacy projects in citizen empowerment, human capital and infrastructural development in line with the manifesto, policies and programmes of the PDP, for which he is celebrated across our country and beyond as ‘Mr. Project”.

    “Our Party notes with pride how Governor Wike repositioned Rivers State with exceptional achievements in critical sectors including road development, electricity, oil and gas, transportation, education, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, security among others for which the Federal Government bestowed on him, the Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery at the 2022 Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award.

    “The PDP celebrates Governor Wike on this special day and prays to the Almighty God to bless him with many more years in good health in the service of our country and humanity at large. Happy birthday, Your Excellency!”

    Similarly, despite their political differences, the candidate of the PDP for the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, and his vice, Ifeanyi Okowa rejoiced with Governor Wike as he marked his birthday.

    In his birthday wishes for Wike shared via Twitter, Atiku left it short and straight to the point.

    “As you turn 55 today, I pray that all lines fall in pleasant places for you. Enjoy your special day,” Atiku tweeted with graphics specially designed for the Rivers State Governor to mark the birthday.

     

    Meanwhile, Okowa’s birthday wishes for Governor Wike were contained in a statement released by his spokesperson, Olisa Ifeajika.

    The statement reads: “The people of your state, the South-South and Nigerians are proud of your sterling and laudable accomplishments in the administration of Rivers.

    “As you celebrate this year’s anniversary of your birth, it is my prayer and that of the government and people of Delta that God grants you greater wisdom and good health to continue rendering service to Him and mankind”.

    Recall that Wike is having a running battle with Atiku and Okowa as well as the national leadership of the PDP in aftermath of the party’s presidential primary election.

    Since the Rivers Governor lost the PDP presidential primary in May and subsequently lost the vice presidential candidate slot as well, he has relentlessly attacked the integrity of both men, including the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

    Wike’s bitterness, from his several remarks, is that the next Nigerian president ought to come from the southern region, where he comes from since President Muhammadu Buhari is from the north.

    Since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria on 29 May 1999, the choice of who becomes the country’s president has been alternating between the North and the South.

  • For Okowa, Ibori and Uduaghan: the war can’t but end now – By Mideno Bayagbon

    For Okowa, Ibori and Uduaghan: the war can’t but end now – By Mideno Bayagbon

    By Mideno Bayagbon

    Recently l had a flying visit to Delta State and toured the state incognito. I even attended a few of the campaign rallies where I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. From Asaba, Agbor, Abraka, Eku, Warri, Effurun, Sapele, Idjere and so on, I slept in villages without light and without telecommunication supply. I spoke to the ordinary people on the streets, and in the villages. In all, I tried to get a feel of the political vibrations on ground.

    I wanted to get to know, first hand, what the people think about the Okowa government and where the political pendulum is swinging. I wanted an educated-eye-view of the politics of Delta. What I found was truly dumbfounding, confounding but elating. But I will come to that.

    Toured Delta North, starting from Asaba, Okpanam, Igbuzor, Oshimili, Umunede all the way to the two Agbors; yes,two Agbors or more properly the two Ika local government areas of Delta State, split by the major road, now properly tarred and decorated by the Governor Okowa administration, with streetlights, which runs through them.

    On one side is Agbor proper (local government headquarters of Ika South) and on the opposite side, Owa Oyibu, Ika North East). There seems to be no unasphalted road on either sides of the two Agbors.

    Taking a detour and driving through the DDPA Estate where Jim Ovia, General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff and other notable sons of Agbor have their sprawling mansions, is a delightful sight of lush concrete wonders and unending tributaries of well asphalted roads. It could pass as one of the most luxurious estates in Nigeria. In Delta, it is second only to what has happened in Asaba where eye popping, state of the art, luxuriously humongous mansions make houses in Europe look so archaic. That is a story for another day.

    At Ethiope East, I chanced on the unique, first ward-to-ward local government campaign of the Governorship candidate of the PDP. I was there, at the background, when Erhiatake Ibori and Olorogun Ighoyota Amori, publicly, for the first time, endorsed the candidature of the Right Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, to a few raised eyebrows and a tumult of joy rippling through the campaign grounds.

    There is apparently a campaign to return all the House of Assembly, House of Representative, Senate, Governorship and Presidential candidates of the PDP, in the state, in what they describe as 5/5.

    I left the rally, thereafter, and went on my mission to other towns and villages, ending up through Effurun to Ekpan, my Camp David of sorts for a few days.

    It is while there that I became one of the first persons to notice a change in the tide of the political imbroglio bedevilling the PDP in the state. I was one of the first to know of the curious invitation by the former Governor of Delta State, the one I call “Bros”, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, to all the major political actors and leaders of Delta South senatorial district, to a meeting at his Warri home. From inside the meeting, messages came from my sources: “Uduaghan don change o. He don dey stand for Sheriff back o.”

    Dr Uduaghan, who with the acclaimed leader of the party in the state, James Ibori were the pillar of David Edevbie’s claim to the gubernatorial candidacy of the PDP in Delta?

    A digression. A few days earlier, the camp of David Edevbie who had lost all the way to the Supreme Court in trying to quash the eligibility of Sheriff Oborevwori as flag bearer of the party, had held a meeting of their group where they resolved that the fight for the recognition of Edevbie as the candidate of the party was still on.

    This is despite the hand of amity which Edevbie had earlier extended to Oborevwori who the Supreme Court ruled was the candidate of the PDP. This, observers had noted, was ostensibly in continuation of the disagreement between Chief Ibori and Governor Okowa, on who should nominate the successor to the current governor. It has been a very major fight by two close friends; three, if you add Dr Uduaghan who sided with Chief Ibori, and political associates.

    People had thought that the fight had become a do-or-die affair for both sides as they strategised to have the upper hand. For reasons, only a few, including myself know, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, is vehemently against the choice of David Edevbie as his successor.

    This was seen as an affront on the leadership of Chief Ibori, who until then had the major say in PDP matters in Delta State. Okowa’s insistence was interpreted as an attempt to retire Chief Ibori from the politics of Delta State and ridicule someone who has been his major benefactor. That has been the basis of the war, in what turned out to be two factions of the party, in the state, going forward.

    Journalistic instincts kicked in on hearing the news from the Dr Uduaghan Delta South PDP leaders meeting. A quick call to the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori and to his opponent in the PDP race, David Edevbie. “Bros, na wetin me sef dey hear o”, Oborevwori replied. But as usual, Edevbie, was his usual self, aloof, incommunicado. My next call, just after the meeting ended was to ex Governor Uduaghan. He not only confirmed the news but went further to give me reasons why he, as a major leader of the party in the state and Nigeria, had to take a step back and support the party and its candidates.

    His reasons accord with those of mine and Chief Ibori’s mutual friend, a former governor of a neighbouring state. Hearing that I was around, he decided to invite me to visit him in his state. In our discussing the Delta State PDP, he proffered a way forward. Both Governor Okowa, an out-going Governor of the State and now the Vice Presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 elections and Chief Ibori, the undisputed leader of the party in the state, who happens to be a personal friend of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as well as being one of the national leaders of the party, knows that if they don’t resolve their disagreement, they both stand to lose massively.

    The All Progressives Congress candidate, also an Ibori associate is standing in the wings to harvest the fall outs of the fight in the PDP. Ibori moving his support to Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC is a two edged sword which could come back to hunt him, badly. Okowa too, if unrelenting, and toeing the part of war could also pay a costly price, losing votes which should naturally accrue to the PDP in the state.

    This is especially so, from my findings in the state, when it is realised that for the presidential elections, PDP needs all hands on deck to confront the new monster, called Peter Obi, who is gaining grounds among the young people of the state. For if the presidential elections were to hold today, APC will come a poor third, not hitting the 25 percent votes needed by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The same cannot be said of the Labour Party candidate. From my findings, he is likely to get more than the 25 percent of the votes if the Okowa and Ibori camps don’t resolve their quarrel quickly and join hands.

    True, a counter to the Peter Obi phenomenon is on going in the state. The first phase, the ward-to-ward local government campaigns have just ended. It has been a major mobilisation tool as all the PDP leaders, political appointees, legislators, and aspiring candidates have all relocated to their villages and local government areas. A house to house vote canvassing is on. Which is good for them.

    That is why the initiative by former Governor Uduaghan in spearheading a reconciliation and going all out to not just unite the camps but also in stomping the streets for Sheriff Oborevwori is most critical at this time. The governor and the candidate must reach out to Ibori with the necessary assurances. Both sides need each other. That, at least, is what I found on the ground as one, as Rt Hon Oborevwori is fond of saying, who also has a lot of local content in the political affairs of Delta State.

     

    Mideno Bayagbon
    (mideno@thenewsguru.ng)

  • Asaba 2022: Five major talking points of the National Sports Festival

    Asaba 2022: Five major talking points of the National Sports Festival

    The 21st National Sports Festival has come and gone but the two-week event  leaves some unforgettable moments in the minds of sports loving Nigerians.

    Adjudged as one of the best sports festival ever, Asaba the Delta state capital provided some savoury moments, during the course of the games, writes Abimbola Fabunmi.

    Delta State hosted to win

    Apart from being the host, Delta  state had the capacity and the wherewithal to host and also win. The preparation and the resources (Human and Material) put together before and during the competition put them in good stead to win.

    They had already won the previous 6 editions in a row but none was as successful as the Asaba 2022 edition where they ammased a total of 648 medals comprising of 320 gold, 200 silver, and 128 Bronze medal.

    Bayelsa finished a distant second with 132 gold, 115 silver, and 90 Bronze medal while Edo state finished in third place with 78 gold medal, 94 silver, and 167 bronze medal.

    According to the commissioner of information in Delta state, Charles Aniagwu, Delta state is an indigene of sports while others are visitors, saying that explains why they always win whether as host or visiting team.

    Aniagwu revealed that the amount of resources pumped into sports in the state will always put it miles ahead of others.

    Meanwhile, Delta state has always produced top athletes who has gone ahead to give the country great representation in international competitions. The likes of Ese Brume, Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru among many others.

    Hospitality at its best

    Delta state is among the very peaceful state in the country and this also helped in the successful hosting of the competition.

    The  near perfect transportation system in the city and the hotels situated  in Asaba and environs also contributed to the success of the event.

    There are no bikes plying the road and as such reduced the level of crime in the city. Blue and white buses and tricycles were seen plying their roads with comportment and coordination. Meanwhile, transportation was also readily available and affordable.

    The people of Asaba are very accommodating and hospitable, they also have good food and embraced everyone who came for the event.

    The death of an Imo  boxer

    Late Imo boxer, Chukwuemeka Igboanugo  died representing his state at the event. The boxer died a patriotic hero.

    According to the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, the boxer was tested  days before his match by the medics and was diagnosed of high Blood pressure, he was told to come back days after for another round of check-up and he had stabilized and certified fit to fight.

    But in the course of his fight, the medics noticed that he wasn’t coordinated and asked that  the match be stopped but he insisted on representing his state with the assurance that he could carry on but unfortunately he slumped and died, while rushing him to the Federal Medical Centre Asaba.

    Massive Media Coverage

    The Asaba 2022 National Sports Festival enjoyed massive media coverage, and the practitioners on ground did a yeoman’s job.

    Journalists came from all the nooks and crannies of the country and did justice to the assignment with their pen.

    Africa Independent Television ran  live coverage of the event in conjunction with 33 productions another media company that won the bid to cover the event.

    Other media houses like, TheNewsGuru (TNG), Punch, DailyTrust, NAN, Vanguard, Channels, TVC  and many others were ably represented at the event.

    In all, about 400 journalists from across the country came to give the event a massive coverage.

    Colourful opening & closing ceremony  

    Asaba, came alive on Wednesday December 1st  when the curtain was raised for the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF) with a colourful opening ceremony performances at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

    The performers thrilled the spectators with dance, music, calisthenics display, and fireworks in what could be described as one of the best spots festival opening ceremonies in recent times.

    Meanwhile, Delta state ended the 21st edition of the National Sports Festival with a powerful and colourful colourful closing ceremony too at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on Saturday, December 10th.

     

    The 10-day event saw athletes from different states of the federation competing for honour in different events from athletics to boxing to weightlifting among other sports.

    The Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare thanked everyone and most especially the Governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa for putting up a good showing as the number one host.

    Apart from the established stars who have dominated the festival for years, new stars emerged among which were Stella Ayanleke in the women 400m race and Tima Godbless, who won three medals also in athletics.

    Indigenous rap artiste Erigga and singer Zlatan thrilled fans to fun-filled atmosphere at the stadium.

    Ogun state was declared the host of the 22nd edition in 2024, However, Oyo state was put on standby incase Ogun state  will not be able to host.

  • Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (1) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Interrogating Northern leaders’ pick of Atiku-Okowa ticket (1) – By Ehichioya Ezomon

    On December 2, Nigerians were told about the adoption of the presidential ticket of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the General Election slated for February 25, 2023.

    The endorsement by a Northern Leaders Consultative Forum wasn’t the usual “Breaking news,” as it’s long-expected, given the antics and theatrics of the promoters.

    The members, baying for a backlash since a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket emerged, set up a Technical Criteria Committee “to recommend a pan-Nigerian platform to adopt in the 2023 presidential election.”

    Former Lagos State governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, provided the oxygen for the Forum when he chose former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.

    The ticket particularly caused a stir in the North, with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babacir Lawal, and former Reps Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, vowing to mobilise against it in the region.

    Fiercely pushing the agenda, Lawal and Dogara found supports among the Christian and Muslim leaders in North’s 19 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Yet, Lawal, seeming to break rank, later declared the Forum’s adoption of the ticket of former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

    It’s unclear if Lawal’s trying to pre-empt or prevent the report of the technical committee, which he probably viewed as going against his preferred LP candidate Obi.

    But some members quickly denied Lawal’s solo run, and promised “to unveil the true position soon,” which they did on December 2 in Kaduna by adopting the Peoples Democratic Party and the Atiku-Okowa ticket for 2023.

    Surprisingly, most Nigerians have scant details about how the Northern leaders – exploiting religious sentiments – arrived at adopting the PDP and the Atiku-Okowa ticket.

    Those details are contained in a communiqué, signed by Prof. Doknan DD Sheni and Mr Mukhtari Shehu Shagari, that the Forum issued at a meeting on December 2, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Kaduna – and specifically held in the centre’s Atiku Abubakar Hall, named after the Northern leaders’ eventual shoo-in candidate.

    The leaders had mandated the technical committee to “recommend, among the leading political parties and their presidential candidates, the ticket that represents our religious, ethnic and geographical diversities, capable of bringing about peace, unity, cohesion and inclusiveness.”

    At the meeting, Dogara issued a statement, even as the committee presented its report – with both statements expressing bias against the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket.

    Dogara said the APC’s adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket “doesn’t align with the vision of a united Nigeria, nor does it promote a collective sense of belonging,” adding, “what will destroy Nigeria is not ethnicity but religion.”

    The committee’s report, signed by its chairman, Hon. Mohammed Kumaila and secretary, Nunghe Kele (SAN), and presented by former Kogi State Deputy Governor Simon Achuba, explained some of the criteria used in picking the party and candidate to endorse for 2023.

    The parameters, weighted in a 15-point maximum score, are: presidential experience; requisite track record in public service, business and education; evidence of national penetration; religious and ethnic balance; reasonable popularity; and physical fitness.

    Going by the report, Atiku of the PDP scored all 15 points; Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP scored 10 points; while APC’s Tinubu and LP’s Obi got nine points each.

    Not surprising, the report singled out the APC for excoriation. It said: “It is evident that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is heading for implosion and extinction; hence, it cannot be the party for now and in the future, because of its rejection to embrace inclusiveness in a diverse country like Nigeria.

    “After the 2023 elections, APC may be dead and buried as a political party. While the duo (NNPP and LP) may emerge as strong contenders in the political arena in the future. From all indications, PDP appears to be the best option to adopt and support.”

    As an afterthought, the report added a caveat: “The endorsement (of the PDP and the Atiku-Okowa ticket) is subject to assurance from the party to run an all-inclusive government” if it wins the February 25, 2023 poll.

    So, displaying no qualms, the leaders bought wholesale the report of the committee – indicating unmistakably that they’d made up their minds on the party and ticket they desire and the one(s) to reject and denigrate.

    For instance, the leaders didn’t cloak the real purpose for empaneling the committee, as its brief was to return a verdict of total rejection of the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket by northern Muslims and Christians.

    The committee was asked “to consult among all strata of people in Northern Nigeria with a view to identifying the political party to support for the 2023 presidential elections. This was necessitated by the rejection of the same faith Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.”

    Hence the leaders dismissed APC’s same faith (Muslim-Muslim) ticket for excluding “a large demography of Christians, who do not feel represented by the ticket.”

    The leaders’ words: “The APC presidential ticket does not promote inclusiveness, unity, religious harmony and cohesion. A large population of Muslims have also expressed reservations to this ticket and have called for fairness and inclusivity.

    “Consequently, this ticket is outrightly rejected by the Forum and the Forum hereby calls on all lovers of democracy, peaceful coexistence, unity and religious harmony to reject the ticket in its entirety.”

    Undoubtably, the leaders’ aim was two-fold: Return a verdict of rejection of the APC presidential ticket by northern Muslims and Christians; and search for untenable excuses not to also support the NNPP and LP tickets.

    And that leaves on the plate only the PDP and the Atiku-Okowa ticket! So, the leaders could’ve spared Nigerians the rigmarole of a “smokescreen” and straightaway endorse the PDP and its presidential ticket.

    Next week: The communiqué by the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum, exposing how the members – after outrightly dismissing the APC and its Muslim-Muslim ticket – fished for flimsy excuses to eliminate the candidates of the NNPP and LP, and adopt and recommend the PDP and Atiku-Okowa ticket to Nigerians for the February 25 poll!

     

    *Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.