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  • Keyamo, 18 other APC leaders seek cancellation of ward, LG congresses in Delta

    Keyamo, 18 other APC leaders seek cancellation of ward, LG congresses in Delta

    Some party leaders of the Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the Ward and local government congresses conducted in the State.

    The leaders also call on the Mai Mala Buni led Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party to organise fresh and all-inclusive Congresses in the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the decision was part of the outcome of an expanded meeting of the Leaders’ Council of the State Chapter of the Party and majority members of the State Working Committee, held on Wednesday, 6th Oct., 2021.

    The meeting which discussed various issues affecting the party in the State, in a communique signed by 19 leaders of the party lamented the injustice against committed party members in the state by depriving them from the said congresses.

    The communique reads: “The Delta State APC Leaders’ Council is an initiative of the Chief John Oyegun Committee which the Chairman of the Congress and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), H.E. Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State set up to reconcile different tendencies within the Party in the South-South Zone.”

    “The subsequent and repeated endorsement of this initiative by the CECPC Chairman when we met him at his residence in Abuja on two occasions, encouraged and informed the concerted and consensual steps taken by the Council to restore peace, unity, solidarity and progress to our Party in Delta State.

    “These commitments were based on the directives and dispositions of the Chairman of the CECPC. We note however that whilst members of the Council have kept faith with the directives of the CECPC as espoused by the Report of the John Oyegun Committee, by building consensus and unity within the Party, the same CECPC has turned round to support the actions of one person who is bent on foisting his personal agenda on the entire State, through the Party’s congresses.

    “We state here and now that Congresses are not an end in themselves, but an avenue to engender cohesion, inclusiveness and growth in the Party, through the popular election of Party leaders, or the consensual production of its functionaries.

    “The avoidable reverse which the Party recently suffered at the Isoko South State Assembly Constituency by-election (where the party split to two due to the arrogance and impunity of the agent of the CECPC in our State) underscores how this latest farce imposed by the CECPC in Delta State can wrought failure on the party.”

    According to a communique, the meeting resolved that “The purported Ward Congress stand was rejected.”

    It further stated, that “This Council worked for an all inclusive Congress and advised the CECPC accordingly. But the CECPC chose to work with and foist the list of one person on the State. Eight Thousand, six hundred (8,600) of our members across the State paid for the forms and were issued with receipts within time but DELIBERATELY denied forms.

    “Having wilfully deprived and excluded these committed Party faithfuls from the Congresses and having exhausted internal party machinery for redress, we note that they had no option but to proceed to Court.

    “We acknowledge and salute their patience, courage, and steadfastness and state that in the face of brazen provocation and in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is within their Constitutional rights to seek justice through constitutional means.

    “It is the height of provocation, injustice and unbridled arrogance for a party to refuse to follow its own rules, take monies from ordinary Nigerians who are committed party members and refuse to even sell forms to them and then turn around to warn them not to exercise their constitutional rights. That is tantamount to playing God.

    “The so-called party functionaries thrown up from that charade, are not APC officials but the handpicked agents of one. We call on all committed and faithful party members to reject them.”

    The meeting also rejected the appeal committee. “We also reject the so-called Appeal Committee constituted at the behest of the unpopular agent of the CECPC in the State, the agent- provocateur.

    “This is exemplified by the Chair of the Panel, who is his personal attorney, and is also engaged as the opposing counsel in the same suit that the aggrieved persons filed in court. In other words, this individual is the Arbiter outside the court in respect of a complaint by aggrieved persons and then the opposite counsel in court in respect of the same complaint and the same persons! This is an unwholesome and highly unprofessional conduct and may be taken up in due course.

    “However, this is the kind of outrageous injustice foisted on the party faithfuls in Delta State. It is an attempt by one person to appropriate an entire party in the State with the active connivance of the CECPC. It will not stand.

    “It should be recalled that a Court of competent jurisdiction suspended not only the so-called Ward Congress but also certain State Officers of the Party, including the suspended Acting State Chairman. The Ward Congress, being invalid and illegitimate, could not be the basis of the alleged LGA Congress or any other Congress. Something cannot be built on nothing. Thus, the purported Ward and LGA Congresses are exercises in futility that cannot stand.

    “Zoning has become an acceptable political imperative buoyed by the letters of Nigeria’s Constitution and the spirit of our Party’s Constitution.

    “However, zoning must be based on a clear understanding of the polity and firm endorsement of the relevant party leadership. It is the height of arbitrariness and didactic arrogance for one person, in connivance with the suspended Acting State Party Chairman, to

    the exclusion of the Executives and leaders of the Party, to claim to have zoned the Party positions for the whole State, ahead of the State Congress.

    “Expectedly, this was outrightly and overwhelmingly rejected. To carry the insult further, the same person, in acknowledgement of the pervasive rejection of his vexatious proposal, subsequently claimed to have personally set up a committee to review his own obnoxious proposal. This clique of personal loyalists and errand boys he calls a Review Committee is only meant to perfect his premeditated agenda of foisting a leadership on the State. We reject all these in their entirety.

    “We state and affirm here that there was no acceptable congress in Delta APC. We have previously heard through the grapevine that the entire State structure would be taken by an agent of the CECPC and that we can complain to the CECPC or go to court.

    “The reasons for such grandstanding and boastfulness are now clear for all to see. The CECPC may have been misled but we believe that justice will eventually prevail and they cannot befuddle the people of Delta State. Delta State APC is not the personal property of one person, and it will never be. Let all be reminded that the foundation and fulcrum of our Party were laid and built on integrity and progressive politics, epitomised by President Buhari

    “The CECPC cannot divorce itself from these tenets of democracy.

    “Accordingly, we call on the CECPC to annul whatever he or the CECPC may be regarding as Ward and LGA congresses in Delta State, and organise fresh, all-inclusive Congresses. This is the irreducible minimum for the teeming members of our Party to work with the CECPC to take our Party forward.”

    The party leaders also call on all party faithfuls to remain steadfast and patient “in the face of these brazen acts of injustice, provocation and undemocratic practices as we shall work relentlessly to enthrone justice and fairness in DELTA APC.”

    The communique was signed by Festus Keyamo, (Chairman, Leaders’ Council and Hon. Minister), Dr. Alex Ideh (Co-Chairman, Delta APC Leaders’ Council), Rt. Hon. Cairo Ojougboh (Secretary, Delta APC Leaders’ Council and former ED, NDDC), Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru (2019 APC Governorship Candidate, Delta State), Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei (Former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly and ED, NIMASA), Dr. Mrs Mariam Ali (Foremost Female Leader of the party in Delta State and one-time Senatorial Candidate) and Rt. Hon. Chief Monday Ovwigho Igbuya (Former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly)

    Others are Chief Sir Richard Odibo (Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission), AVM (Rtd) Terry Okorodudu (Leader Delta South APC), Dr. Eugene Okolocha (Leader APC Ndokwa Nation), Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Leader APC Isoko Nation, former Isoko House of Reps Candidate, former Council Chairman, Isoko South LGA and former Chairman Delta State Board of Internal Revenue), Elvis O. Ayomanor (Ag) State Chairman, Delta APC Caretaker Committee; Comr. Chidi Okoji (State Secretary, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); Mr. Tosan Awani (State Vice Chairman, Delta South, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); Sir. A. S. Mene (State Organising Secretary, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); Mr. Felix O. Okpako (State Publicity Secretary, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); Dr. Mrs. Janet Oyubu (State Women Leader, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); Comr. Christopher Agali (State Youth Leader, Delta APC Caretaker Committee); and Hon. Denbo Denbofa Oweikpodor (Special Leader, Delta APC Caretaker Committee).

  • ‘He actively participated in my ousting’, Oshiomhole rubbishes claims Keyamo working to reinstate him as APC National chairman

    ‘He actively participated in my ousting’, Oshiomhole rubbishes claims Keyamo working to reinstate him as APC National chairman

    Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has denied plotting to return to office.

    He distanced himself from the leadership crisis rocking the ruling party.

    Oshiomhole, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by his media aide, Victor Oshioke, described the speculation as false.

    He reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC under the leadership of Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

    The former Edo Governor dissociated himself from a statement credited to Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a self-styled aide of a Minister from the South-South quoted to have said Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and others were plotting to return Oshiomhole to office.

    The former APC Chairman said the statement was far from the truth, recalling the role Keyamo played in the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) in 2020.

    Oshiomhole said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is now a member of the APC and self-styled aide of Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.

    “In the said statement widely reported in the media, Chief Eze was quoted as saying that Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment and others were plotting to bring back Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman of the APC.

    “Ordinarily we would have ignored this nonsensical suggestion. However, it is pertinent to set the records straight and put to rest this ridiculous falsehood being marketed by Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.”

    Oshiomhole recalled Keyamo was in the forefront and provided legal support through his legal assistants in court and argued on behalf of those that filed cases for his removal.

    “Keyamo also offered legal advice on the legality of the NEC that was convened for the dissolution of the Oshiomhole led National Working Committee of APC and emergence of the Governor Mai-Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee.

    “It is therefore frivolous for any right-thinking person to assume that Keyamo who actively supported the removal of the National chairman elected by over 6, 500 party delegates from across the 36 states and the FCT because 8 out of 27 Ward executive members purportedly suspended a national party chairman, would now plot to bring the same Oshiomhole back to the office.”

    The former chairman said he will not be part of any plot to destabilise or ridicule the party in any way or for any reason.

    He stressed he took serious exemptions to his name being dragged into an issue that he has no hand in.

    “This is an opportunity to further reaffirm Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s loyalty to the APC under the able leadership of His Excellency, Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

    “Oshiomhole’s position is that all hands should be on deck to support the Governor Mai-Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee to complete its assignment rather than creating distractions that are counterproductive to the mandate of the committee.

    “He congratulates Governor Mai Mala Buni and the entire members of the Caretaker Committee for their efforts in depleting the ranks of Governors of the PDP by winning three of them into the APC fold.”

  • APC snubs Festus Keyamo’s warning, insists no change of leadership, nationwide congresses will hold as scheduled

    APC snubs Festus Keyamo’s warning, insists no change of leadership, nationwide congresses will hold as scheduled

    The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, has disclosed that the nationwide ward congress to elect party executives will still hold as scheduled on July 31, 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo (SAN) had in a statement on Wednesday urged the party to shelve its planned congresses and national convention to avoid a ‘top to bottom’ destruction from the judiciary.

    Keyamo was reacting to the Supreme Court judgement of Wednesday, July 28, 2021 that narrowly upheld the election of the incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu in a suit filed by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his major opponent in the 2020 governorship election in the state, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).

    The senior advocate, who said he was offering his “professional bit to the party,” explained that: “The little technical point that saved Governor Akeredolu was that Jegede failed to join Mai Mala Buni in the suit.”

    He added: “Jegede was challenging the competence of Buni as a sitting governor to run the affairs of the APC as chairman of the caretaker committee. He contends that this is against Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that a sitting governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever. In other words, had Buni been joined in the suit, the story may have been different today as we would have lost Ondo State to the PDP.”

    He then warned: “Any other person affected by the actions of the Buni-led Committee will henceforth, not fail to join him in any subsequent case in court. These include any subsequent election matter in any part of this country and all the APC congresses that are about to hold. The Supreme Court has just weaponised all those that would be aggrieved by the APC Congresses to proceed to court to challenge the competence of the Buni-led CECPC to organise the Congresses and national convention.”

    Keyamo said the APC should terminate the plans to hold its ward congresses on Saturday.

    However, in a statement by the National Secretary of the party’s caretaker committee, Sen. Akpanudoedehe, ward Congress Committees of the Party has already been inaugurated and delegated with the responsibility of conducting, supervising, monitoring the scheduled Ward Congresses.

    He said the clarification is against the backdrop of personal opinions being expressed by some individuals on the status of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and its capacity to conduct the Congresses.

    “While it is not our intention to join issues with these commentators, the Supreme Court’s Wednesday judgement affirming the Election victory of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) had no bearing on the CECPC’s status and its membership.

    “Party members and aspirants should therefore come out en masse and peacefully to participate in the ward Congresses, come Saturday”, he added.

  • Akeredolu vs Jegede: APC risks being destroyed from “from top to bottom” if… – Keyamo raises alarm

    Akeredolu vs Jegede: APC risks being destroyed from “from top to bottom” if… – Keyamo raises alarm

    Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has raised the alarm over a looming destruction that might hit the structure of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from top to bottom if something drastic is not done.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Supreme Court judgement which upheld Governor Rotimim Akeredolu’s election as governor of Ondo State has thrown up a major controversy over the legitimacy of Governor Mai Mala Buni as the All Progressives Congress (APC) national caretaker chairman of the party.

    The Yobe governor was appointed after the removal of elected Chairman Adams Oshiomhole on June 16, last year for an initial six month period, which has been renewed indefinitely.

    Three justices of the Supreme Court – Justice Mary Peter-Odili, Justice Ejembi Eko and Justice Muhammed Saulawa, endorsed a minority judgment.

    The dissenting judgment was read by Justice Peter-Odili: “I do not agree with the majority judgment,”she said, noting that the APC, by Article 17(4) of its constitution has provided for how its affairs should be managed and what offices its members could occupy at a time.

    Justice Peter-Odili added: “This Article draws strength from Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution. Therefore, when the second respondent (APC) put up a person not qualified to author its nomination by virtue of the provision of Article 1z(4) of its constitution and Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution to do so, that document has no validity, and thereby void.

    However, in a swift reaction to the judgement, Keyamo said the party risked being destroyed “from top to bottom” by the judiciary, if it ignored what the Justices said.

    “We cannot gamble with this delicate issue. The time to act is now,” he added.

    The senior advocate, who said he was offering his “professional bit to the party,” explained that: “The little technical point that saved Governor Akeredolu was that Jegede failed to join Mai Mala Buni in the suit.”

    He added: “Jegede was challenging the competence of Buni as a sitting governor to run the affairs of the APC as chairman of the caretaker committee. He contends that this is against Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that a sitting governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever. In other words, had Buni been joined in the suit, the story may have been different today as we would have lost Ondo State to the PDP.”

    He then warned: “Any other person affected by the actions of the Buni-led Committee will henceforth, not fail to join him in any subsequent case in court. These include any subsequent election matter in any part of this country and all the APC congresses that are about to hold. The Supreme Court has just weaponised all those that would be aggrieved by the APC Congresses to proceed to court to challenge the competence of the Buni-led CECPC to organise the Congresses and national convention.”

    Keyamo said the APC should terminate the plans to hold its ward congresses on Saturday.

    In recommending what to do, he advocated the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC should meet urgently and reconstitute the caretaker committee to exclude those holding executive positions.

    He said since “we cannot vouch for the legality of any NEC meeting called by Buni now,” the safest is to get two-thirds of NEC members to sign an invitation to summon a NEC meeting”.

    The alternative, according to him, is for the Board of Trustees, which includes the President, to be activated to organize a national convention in line with Article 13 of the APC Constitution.”

  • Defection: Why PDP’s argument against Gov Matawalle is illogical – Keyamo

    Defection: Why PDP’s argument against Gov Matawalle is illogical – Keyamo

    The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has described the position of the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (PDP) in respect of the Governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Bello Matawale, as absolutely illogical.

    Keyamo, in a statement that was issued yesterday’s night, said that the PDP’s argument is baseless and mischievous without any constitutional backing.

    He spoke in reaction to a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, that cautioned banks and other financial institutions to be wary of financial transactions with Governor Matawalle who was alleged to have ‘vacated’ the office of the governor of Zamfara State following his defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Keyamo said that the PDP also stated in very clear terms that the Deputy Governor, Mr. Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, now holds the Zamfara State’s governorship mandate and ought to be accorded the protection and privileges due the office of governor as the formal process for his official declaration as substantive governor of Zamfara State has commenced at the Federal High Court.

    He argued that the PDP erroneously relied on Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the judgment of the Supreme Court in Faleke v. INEC.

    He said: “Unfortunately for the PDP, the Supreme Court decision in Faleke v. INEC does not relate to the consequence of the defection of a governor from one political party to the other. A more apt instance will be the Atiku Abubakar scenario wherein Atiku Abubakar as Vice President, elected under the PDP, defected to the then Action Congress.

    “President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to declare his office vacant in circumstances similar to the Zamfara scenario and the dispute ended in the court.

    “The position of the Supreme Court was reported as Attorney General of the Federation V. Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR (part 1041) 1. At page 124 of the report, Justice Onnoghen set down the position thus:

    “There is nowhere in the 1999 Constitution where it is stated that the President or Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be removed or is removable from that office if he defects from the political party on whose platform he was elected to that office and joins another political party.”

    Keyamo said that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution does not avail the PDP any protection and is not remotely applicable to the present situation in Zamfara State, adding that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution merely deals with the prohibition of political activities by associations other than political parties.

  • #TwitterBan: ‘Show us proofs’, Keyamo denies APC used social media to ‘set country ablaze’ as opposition

    #TwitterBan: ‘Show us proofs’, Keyamo denies APC used social media to ‘set country ablaze’ as opposition

    The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) on Tuesday denied that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) used the social media as opposition to promote content capable of setting the country ablaze.

    He said some Nigerians are taking undue advantage of the #TwitterBan in the country to blackmail the Federal Government.

    Keyamo who spoke on a monitored Channels Television programme said the goal of the government with the #TwitterBan was not to stifle free speech.

    “As a political party APC, can you tell us examples when we tried to use social media platforms to set the country ablaze?,” Keyamo asked, adding “we should not be blackmailed into a corner and behave as if we are acting against our own principles.

    “We are not talking about stifling free speech. People have been using this as a blackmail weapon that we rode to power using social media. That is blackmail because we need to set specific examples where we use social media to undermine the territorial integrity and peace and unity of Nigeria,”

    “Nobody is saying that people should not use social media platforms, nobody is saying that we should not call government officials to question. Nobody is saying that you should not even abuse us but is it right for you to go to social media and promote false stories that are capable of turning one part of the country against another?” he added.

    The Federal Government has since come under fire for its decision to ban the social media platform in the country both from citizens and the international community.

    Beyond the ban, the Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, had also announced that anyone found still using the app would be prosecuted.

    But on Tuesday, the ECOWAS Court of Justice joined the call to condemn the decisions.

    The court restrained the Federal Government from imposing sanctions or harassing, intimidating, arresting, or prosecuting Twitter.

    It also restricted the government from carrying out such actions against any other social media service provider, as well as media houses, pending the hearing and determination of a suit challenging the government’s suspension of Twitter operations in the country.

    However, reacting to this, Keyamo said “I have not seen anywhere where they said the ECOWAS court is the moral thermometer or barometer to decide whether Nigeria’s image is bad or not”.

  • Special Public Works : FG pays N20,000 stipends to 394,433 beneficiaries of 774,000 jobs

    Special Public Works : FG pays N20,000 stipends to 394,433 beneficiaries of 774,000 jobs

    Three hundred and ninety – four thousand four hundred and thirty- three (394, 433) participants of the Federal Government’s Extended Special Public Works Programme have so far been paid as of Friday, 18, 2021, document showed last night.

    In the document shared by Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, 639, 947 participants registered for the programme meant to provide a stop- gap three month jobs to mainly artisans to earn N20, 000 monthly doing public works.

    The document showed that 463, 742 participants have so far been verified and are ready for payment by their various banks.

    According to the document, Fidelity Bank has paid 92, 394 participants of the 104, 596 that registered with the bank while UBA has paid 73, 531 participants of the 100, 800 that registered with the bank and Heritage Bank has paid 61, 800 participants of the 102, 800 that registered with the bank.

    Also, Zenith Bank has paid 58, 732 participants of the 92, 700 that registered with the bank while Access Bank has paid 58, 638 participants of the 105, 000 that registered with the bank and FCMB has paid 32, 696 participants of the 118, 209 that registered with the bank.

    And Yobe MFB has paid 16, 642 participants of the 16, 642 that registered with the bank.

    The programme, which was flagged off in January by Keyamo, has come under scrutiny with participants complaining of non – payment of their N20, 000 stipends after competing their assignments.

    But on Monday, officials from the National Directorate of Employment, participating banks and the Minister’s office, met at the Minister’s conference room to review the progress so far made in the execution of the programme.

    Those present at the meeting on Monday included: Olua Davidson; Faniyi Fatogun; and Christopher Omoaghe (Representatives of the Minister); Olaomi Roseline Silvia; Dauda Idris; Samaila B Mamman (Rep of NDE) and representatives of banks)

    At the end of the meeting, all parties affirmed that they will continue the rigorous process of registering and verifying all the participants before payments in order to avoid wide-scale fraud in the programme.

    The meeting also agreed that those who have already been selected for the ESPW programme and have issues should approach their various banks to regularise their registration.

    The document reads: “All parties affirm that they will continue the rigorous process of registering and verifying all the participants before payments in order to avoid wide-scale fraud in the programme. The banks will continue the role of registering and verifying the participants from their local branches in different LGAs in order to ensure that most of the participants are resident in those LGAs to achieve the aim and design of the programme of empowering 1,000 Nigerians in each of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.

    “The meeting agreed that those who have already been selected for the ESPW programme and have issues should approach their various banks to regularize their registration. The Bank branches are directed to attend to all participants duly selected using https://banks.specialpublicworks.gov.ng. On no account should they be turned back.

    “Those who have been duly captured by the banks but with incorrect or inconsistent BVNs are advised to go back to their banks to rectify the inconsistencies. A link will be provided on the ESPW and NDE websites (www.specialpublicworks.gov.ng and www.nde.gov.ng) for participants to check their BVN status. For those who cannot use the internet they should go to the State NDE offices, Liaison Officers of the NDE in their various LGAs or approach the Chairman of their State Selection Committee to avail them the list of those with issues with their BVNs.

    “For those who do not have problems with their BVNs but have not received payments, they should go to the banks that registered them to clarify the issues.

    “The banks are mandated to issue ATM cards to all participants. Participants are therefore encouraged to collect their ATM cards from the banks so that they can access their payments from various cash points without necessarily going to the banks.

    “Participants are assured that their stipends would be paid as soon as all issues are resolved.

    “The meeting agreed that banks are no longer restricted to their initially allotted Local Governments. Consequently, selected participants are at liberty to approach any of the seven selected banks nearest to the Local Government where they were selected. The Banks are namely Access, FCMB, Fidelity, Heritage, UBA, Yobe MFB and Zenith.

    “So far, the NDE has authorized the payments of one-month stipends to all those that have been verified. As shown above, all parties are making strenuous efforts to resolve issues of those yet to receive the first month stipends before the commencement of the second tranche of payments.”

    The SPW is an adhoc programme designed by the federal government to provide a stop – gap three month jobs to mainly artisans to earn N20, 000 monthly doing public works.

    1,000 youths were hired from each of the 774 local government areas in the country as beneficiaries, bringing the figure to 774, 000 councils.

    N52 billion has been earmarked for the programme expected to last for three months, with the monies used for the purchase of equipment, payment of salaries and other logistics.

    But only N26 billion has been released for the programme.

  • We are embarrassed by falsity of report that Keyamo was booed-Students

    We are embarrassed by falsity of report that Keyamo was booed-Students

    Nile University Ph.D students have reacted to a trending report online about the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo being embarrassed at the University during a lecture he delivered.

    The circulated report stated that Keyamo blamed the worsening insecurity in Nigeria on the disbandment of SARS.It further claimed that the Minister said he was sure that Nigerians will be the ones calling and begging for SARS to come back.

    In a statement obtained by TheNewsGuru, Chubado Babbi Tijjani, a representative of Ph.D students of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Nile University said the claims are false.

     

    Read the statement below:

    “Our attention have been drawn to an online publication by Saharareporters with the above caption which was widely circulated yesterday.

     

    As organizers of the lecture we are totally embarrassed by the falsity of this report that the Minister was booed by students during the said lecture. Even the attached video by SaharaReporters did not support the story. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing like that or even close to that happened.

     

    For the records, the Minister was invited to deliver a paper on “Challenges of Global Security and the Implications for International Human Rights Law: An African Perspective.” Part of the points he made during the lecture was that the recent upsurge of crimes recorded in some parts Nigeria is not unconnected with the disbandment of SARS without a READY replacement and the release of hardened criminals in Correctional Centres in some parts of the country. He went further to say, that what we needed to do as a nation was to insist on punishment for the erring SARS operatives and not a disbandment of the Unit. He cited examples of the wave of robberies in the country during the eras of Armed Robbers like Lawrence Anini and Ishola Oyenusi and other similar incidents that led to the birth of SARS. He feared that we may be returning to that era because we threw the baby away with the bath water.

     

    He noted how some Police officers in the US have also been involved in extra judicial killings of Blacks, but nobody, including the Blacks that protested, called for the disbandment of those patrol units or any other unit of the US Police as a solution to this. They have always insisted on bringing the erring officers to book. It was in this context he submitted that it may reach a point when we may begin to clamour for the return of SARS to help fight these violent crimes that are returning to our society as the regular Police is neither equipped nor trained to fight these dare-devil robbers. The lecture was thought-provoking and intellectual.

     

    The hall for the lecture was filled with about 300 students that attended alongside the Vice-Chancellor and many Professors. There was occasional applause throughout the lecture and no single person booed the Minister. Very many students had their phones out and were recording THROUGHOUT the lecture and if any such incident happened, you can be sure the video of the boos would have been trending by now. We challenge SaharaReporters to produce any such video from the lecture. Many students took photographs with the Minister after the lecture before he departed.

     

    As a citadel of learning, we welcome all shades of ideas and opinions in our environment and we are not skewed towards any particular kind of politics or opinions. That is the beauty of education.

     

    Saharareporters should go and play its politics elsewhere (if any) and leave us to entertain all shades of opinions on our campus without deriding anyone with a particular opinion.

     

    We do not know where and how the story-teller who fed SaharaReporters the story came up with those tales by moonlight”.

     

     

  • Keyamo tackles Nigerians who criticised Buhari’s zero tolerance for rebels

    Keyamo tackles Nigerians who criticised Buhari’s zero tolerance for rebels

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus keyamo has lambasted critics who are against President Muhammadu Buhari’s order of a fierce crackdown on rising violence in the southeast that has included arson attacks on police station and electoral offices.

    Keyamo said elites who were silent when their region was “on fire” are not fit to teach President Muhammadu Buhari how to do his job.

    Recall the president had on Monday, said persons behind the attacks on public facilities will “soon have the shock of their lives”.

    He had also said those “misbehaving in certain parts of the country” are oblivious of the destruction and tragedy that came in the wake of the Nigerian Civil War, adding that “those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

    The president’s statement was trailed by mixed reactions, but Keyamo in a series of tweets backed Buhari’s threats to rebels, saying those against the stance of the federal government were happy about the destruction of public structures.

    “I hope some elites who couldn’t find their voices to rein in their wards when their region burnt, will not suddenly find their voices against Mr. President! Those who screamed that it’s Mr. The President’s duty to maintain law & order should NOT try to teach him how to do his job now,” Keyamo tweeted, attaching the president’s statement.

    “The anger some are displaying against the President’s resolve to be decisive in dealing with these scoundrels is an indication of their support for the destruction of public infrastructure because they want to cripple Govt. A pure case of cutting your nose to spite your face!

    “A very unfortunate reasoning you read is that because insurgency is still prevalent in some other parts of the country, the President should just allow some villains destroy another region. It’s like a competition to bring the insecurity in one region at par with other regions!

  • Defection: South South APC bigwigs; Keyamo, Ndoma-Egba, others hail Ayade for joining APC

    Defection: South South APC bigwigs; Keyamo, Ndoma-Egba, others hail Ayade for joining APC

    Politicians from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), South South region have hailed the decision of the Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade to officially dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the party.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Ayade declared for the APC on Thursday at Government House in Cross River.

    Reacting to the governor’s move to the ruling party, Minister of State for Labour and Productivity Festus Keyamo(SAN) in his official Twitter handle described Ayade as an enlightened and accomplished Governor.

    “I welcome one of the most cerebral, the most progressive, the most enlightened and the most accomplished Govs, Professor Ben Ayade to the fold of the progressives. As my elder brother and friend from the South South region, this is the day we have been waiting for”

    Similarly, former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba has also congratulated governor Ayade on his defection to the APC, describing the defection as a well thought out decision that will be of huge benefit to Cross River State.

    In a congratulatory message to the governor, the former Senate Leader said the APC family in Cross River State welcome the Governor with open arms.

    “Your Excellency will recall that Cross River State has always been in the mainstream of Nigeria politics. There is no gainsaying the fact that the past six years of being in the opposition has impacted the State negatively, even though you have consciously navigated the ship of governance in sync with the APC-led Federal Government.

    “As a State, we can ill afford to remain in the opposition. I commend you for recognizing this fact and doing the needful for the good of our dear State. As you join us in the Progressives fold, my expectation is that your coming will enrich our internal democracy and I enjoin you to be consultative, inclusive, democratic, transparent and accountable because these are the hallmarks of the All Progressives Congress family.

    “I also expect that your presence in the APC will further strengthen the party and improve our electoral fortunes in Cross River State. I have no doubts that the APC family in the State has received you with open arms and will work with you to reposition our dear State on the path of unprecedented socioeconomic and sociopolitical development”, he said

    On his part, a former Presidential aide and chieftain of the APC, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla expressed excitement at the defection of Governor Ayade. “He has done his best for Cross River State, and he is still doing his best. Cross River State has a huge debt profile which Governor Ayade inherited, but Governor Ayade has managed the State’s economy excellently, paying salary and doing projects. I salute him. He is a man of sagacity and courage”, Obla said on his Facebook page.

    For the APC governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Senator Owan Eno, “We waited with baited breath and measured anticipation.

    I am enthused today, that finally, the rumour has now become a reality.

    “The historic nature of your entry into our party is not lost on every well meaning Cross Riverian.It evinces hope and has lit the light of unbridled optimism in the minds of party members and the teeming supporters of our great party in the state and across the nation.

    “Your entry into our party at this auspicious time in nation building,a period of profound challenges confronting the nation is remarkable”