Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum has emerged the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), replacing Senator Iyorchia Ayu who just stepped down.
Ambassador Damagum, who was the Deputy National Chairman (North), will occupy the seat in an acting capacity pending the determination of the substantive suit restraining Ayu from parading himself as National Chairman.
It could be recalled that a high court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, had granted an ex-parte order stopping the Ayu from parading himself as the PDP National Chairman.
Consequently, Ayu stepped aside following the suit filed by his Igyorov Council Ward in Gboko local government area, Benue State.
The Ward Executive Committee suspended Ayu for alleged anti-party activities and failing to pay his membership dues.
Ayu stepped down on Tuesday afternoon paving the way for the deputy national chairman, Damagun, to wear the big shoe.
Damagun, on his part, addressed the media at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja and confirmed that he has stepped in as the Acting chairman.
The National Population Commission (NPC) has clarified that people do not need to return to their state of origin to have their data captured during the 2023 census exercise.
The commission said it had put up measures to guard against all malpractices ahead of the forthcoming population and housing census.
Addressing newsmen on Monday, March 27, the spokesperson for the commission, Isiaka Yahaya, stressed that citizens would be enumerated at their places of residence and that those living away from their states of origin do not need to travel home for the exercise.
“People should stay where they are to be counted. They are not to move to their states of origin. It is totally against the essence of the census. You have to be counted where you reside because that’s where you enjoy the social facilities like education and health, among others.
“Apart from this, when the time comes for people to be provided with infrastructure and other things, you will not allow the planners to have accurate figures. People are not to move,” Yahaya told our Reporter
Speaking on measures to check malpractices, the NPC spokesman added: “This is a de facto census. We are asking practical questions about those living, not those yet to be born. We have not trained our enumerator to count people who are not yet born. We have a system in place to guard against all the malpractices that we have envisaged.
“Also, people can only be counted in their houses. This is to discourage people from moving from one place to another after being counted. You can only be counted in one place. There’s will nothing to lie about. When we get to your house, the enumerators will see whatever you say you have, and we are not asking for the owner of the house; why will anybody lie?”
Yahaya said the commission had not finished the recruitment process for enumerators.
he Delta State Government has suspended the collection of all forms of levies from tricycle and motorcycle riders in the state under any guise till further notice.
A government statement issued on Friday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Patrick Ukah, advised tricycle and motorcycle riders in the state not to pay any form of levies to any person or group of persons until the ongoing review of existing levies and fees is concluded.
The statement added that any person caught violating the directive would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
In the life of every nation, there is a turning point. For Nigeria, that time is now; a time to save Nigeria, save our democracy and give the Nigerian youths hope. The OBIdient Movement has been the arrowhead in the take back Nigeria mission.
My role in the Movement is that of a Focal Point. As I’ve always stressed, Nigeria remains a secular state. As such, the movement is not about my tribe or my religion, and it is not an Igbo agenda or in any way, to Christianize Nigeria.
My aspiration is for a new Nigeria, where the children of a nobody will become somebody. A nation anchored on national interests, and not sectional interests; where the entire youths from the six geopolitical zones will have a sense of belonging in the affairs of their country.
No one should ascribe ethnic or religious colouration to the OBIdient Movement. Nigeria is one and my ambition is to become the President of a United and Indivisible Nigeria.
2023 National Population and Housing Census is to commence on May 3, the Federal Government has confirmed.
Dr Garba Abari, a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on 2023 National Population and Housing Census, confirmed this on Sunday in Abuja when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.
He said that the three-day exercise would commence May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.
Abari, who is the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the census exercise would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.
According to him, the change in the date was due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise,” he said.
He described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other.
“The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.
“There are two things that informed the shift in date. First, in the course of our planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its own electoral timetable.
“The gubernatorial election, as you are aware, had to be shifted by one week. This had a telling effect on the date of commencement of the census.
“Just like election, the Census is also a very long process, from the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading uptill the very day of the actual house listing and numbering.
“These will then be followed by the actual capture of the population.”
On the level of preparedness, the NOA boss assured the nation that the National Population Commission was ready to embark on the exercise.
He described the exercise as a significant event that would aid national planning and execution of developmental projects.
He said: “Most of the information that have gone out to the public about the census like the awareness creation, sensitisation, enlightenment, advocacy around the census have all been taking place.
“Perhaps, not on a scale that will make us feel comfortable to say every Nigerian is now census conscious, census aware, in spite of the very significant role that it has to play in our national life.
“But, clearly, the census is absolutely important because it is for development, planning, security, infrastructure development, educational, health and other demographic considerations all encapsulating in one.’’
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made clarification on viral reports that it has suspended accounts of some Fintech companies like OPAY and PALMPAY.
The apex bank refuted the reports, describing it as fake news.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this was made known by the Acting Director, of Corporate Communications of CBN, Mr. Isa AbdulMumin, on Friday, March 24, 2023, in Abuja, where he said that the viral news “is simply fake’’
The viral news credited to AbdulMumin claimed that the CBN was about to suspend accounts of the Fintech companies because they were being used to perpetrate fraud.
The CBN is about suspending their accounts because these apps are being used to perpetrate fraud.’’
Similarly, OPAY and PALMPAY had in separate social media messages denied being under the radar of the CBN.
OPAY had stated that, “the post mentioning the CBN shutting down our operations is false and misleading to the general public.’’
PALMPAY also posted a similar disclaimer stating that “We are aware of news currently being spread on social media about CBN shutting down the operations of PALMPAY.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned the “persistent” aversion to people of southeastern extraction, which he describes as Igbophobia.
Speaking at an event in Anambra State to commemorate Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s one year in office, Obasanjo recalled his work with the professor of economics as well as the current Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
In Obasanjo’s administration which spanned 1999 to 2007, Soludo served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while Okonjo-Iweala was the Minister of Finance.
The former president stated that Soludo, who worked closely with him as an economic adviser, “never misadvised me”, and the economist’s performance impressed him so much so that he was asked to lead the apex bank.
According to the 85-year-old statesman, Soludo was the second Nigerian CBN governor who was not a commercial banker of some sort.
According to the 85-year-old statesman, Soludo was the second Nigerian CBN governor who was not a commercial banker of some sort.
Somebody came to me and said, ‘Wow! You have ruined the economy of Nigeria.’ I said, ‘How?’ He said, ‘An Igbo woman, Minister of Finance; an Igbo man, Governor of the Central Bank? Then you have clearly completed the task of ruining the economy of Nigeria.’
“I don’t know why he said that, except for what I can call Igbophobia, and I don’t take that lightly. It remains, it persists. But when you have that type of thing that was said to me and the type of thing that you know is going on, as I have just called it, what do we do with it?
I believe we have to go back to the scripture, which says we must conquer evil with good. And whoever you are, wherever people are afraid of you, you must make yourself friendly to those who are afraid of you and earn their friendship by being good to them, and that is what we have to do,” Obasanjo said.
The former president noted from his personal experience, nothing wins friendship like one being friendly.
He added that the appointments of Okonjo-Iweala and Soludo were “probably the best of the appointments that I made when I was president”.
Government creates economic prosperity by inducing consumption, savings and investment. When people are happy as a result of Government actions , the society progresses and Government share of the dividend comes in form of tax .
Dr Alex Otti captures GGM position when he said that increasing State internal generated revenue doesn’t mean increasing tax and chasing Keke and bike drivers around , it requires advancing the standard of living of citizens . Government gives hope to the generality of people by providing affordable housing,access to good health, quality and affordable education , modern market ,modern and mechanized mechanic villages,farm settlements,good road among others. With people on the side of their Government,they can build modern society without Abuja handouts .
Accordingly,people will happily pay tax when they are making income . This is where Prof Soludo fails and that is why he has lost goodwill to inspire the people . Ndubuisi
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The apex court made the pronouncement in a judgement on an application by Njoku, where he sought the regularisation of the amended judgment of Justice Mary Peter Odili delivered on May 9, 2022.
Njoku’s motion also followed a letter of the Supreme Court to him on January 19, 2023, wherein the apex court had addressed him as the national chairman of APGA and advised him to approach the court by way of a motion to correct the slip.
The accidental slip which was corrected by the Supreme Court has restored Njoku as the actual national chairman of the party that was wrongfully removed by a Jigawa High Court.
In a lead Judgment, Justice Garba Lawal held that it was Edozie Njoku that was wrongly removed at Jigawa without being joined as a party.
Justice Lawal Subsequently, stated that Njoku’s application was meritorious and consequently granted it as prayed.
Reacting to the judgement, Njoku appealed to the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo to make himself available for a discussion on the way forward for the party.
He said he will also do everything possible to bring stability to the party.
National Publicity Secretary, Obidient Movements worldwide, Dr. Ahmed Rabiu, has lampooned Mr.Festus Keyamo over the petition written against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, and his running mate Dr. Ahmed Datti.
Rabiu, who vowed that Obidients will occupy all DSS detention room if Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. AhmedDatti is detained.
Reacting to Keyamo’s petition to the Department of State Security, DSS, Rabiu said: “Mr. Keyamo, we have been anticipating a day like this when your desperation to cover up all APC’s inhuman and evil deeds will lead you to doom.
Be rest assured that all Obidients will occupy every space in that DSS detention room. We are bound together and not even evil corrupt entities of your type can change Obi’s mandate.
Labour Party’s wins in 2023 general elections
“In all your fruitless effort, this will certainly mark the end of you and your APC’s dictatorial leadership in Nigeria.”
