Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has told those who said that Nigeria is not ripe for Muslim-Muslim ticket not to also justify and embrace the efforts at retaining the presidency in the North.

Governor Wike spoke on Sunday at the special dedication service for the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 General Election Campaigns Rallies, which held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt .

Governor Wike maintained that those involved in such double-speak and trying to hoodwink some gullible few, know that they are insulting the sensibility of well meaning Nigerians who want a united country that advances national cohesion.

You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for Muslim-Muslim ticket, I agree. But, Nigeria is ripe for presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, just look at the insult. You blow hot and cold.”

Governor Wike urged those people who delightfully condemn the Muslim-Muslim ticket as wrong, should also know that Nigerians are also saying it is wrong to retain the presidency in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari.

Most of you just sit there, you don’t ask yourselves questions. Somebody continues to sell this kind of cheap ideas. You don’t ask the person, I agree with what you are saying but look at what we are saying here.”

He further added, “Your party wants the presidency to go to the same zone where president Muhammadu Buhari is coming from. Who is cheating who?”

The Rivers State governor also spoke reminding the church of the need for it to participate in the voting process. However, he said, it should not get involved to the extent of serving as cannon fodder against any political party or political actor.

Governor Wike pleaded with the church to be careful and resist those politicians who come to mobilise them as if there is a religious war to wage.

“It is not now that politics have come, you want to come and tell the church a different story for your own personal interest. We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because, all of us, for example, we are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that.”

Meanwhile, governor Wike has warned that his administration will not allow those who in the past instigated wanton destruction of lives and property in the State under the guise of politics to repeat same.

Governor Wike appealed to members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the State to resist deliberate attempt by some disgruntled and inconsequential politicians to provoke them ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He described as ludicrous and cheap blackmail the allegation by Abiye Sekibo and some of his associates that the State government recently resent thugs to attack them.

“Some people are saying we sent thugs to attack them. You see, when people see failure, they will begin to plan excuses. These are people all of us know our background and how we have won election in our various local government. I remember one of them during the last election could not even go to his local government. He ran down to Port Harcourt and stayed with me. Instead of you to tell your principal, this will be difficult for me, you are giving excuses.”

The governor who emphatically declared that he has never engaged in any acts of political violence in all his political career, advised those who might be planning to plunge the State into chaos to have a rethink.

Anybody who knows me knows, that I have never been violent. If I am violent, I won’t go to court. But we know those who planted killings in this State when they were Secretary to Government. We know them, but that killing will not happen again in the State. We will not give you the opportunity to try it again.”

Governor Wike explained that the reason Sekibo and his associates were begrudging him is simply because he did not support their ambition to emerge to get the PDP governorship ticket.

On the issue of Executive Order 21 and 22, the governor advised politicians in the State to approach the court rather take the laws into their hands.

He insisted that until the court declares otherwise, the government will ensure full implementation of the orders.

“The Federal Government has come up with so many Executive Orders, we didn’t kill anybody, but we went to court to challenge such others. The Federal Government has done a lot of things that Rivers state had challenged in court, and by the grace of God, we won.

“If there is anything any government has done which you feel you are not comfortable with ,you have to go to court and challenge it, and not just to come out to shout they don’t want you to campaign. Why will anybody not like you to campaign.”

Governor Wike declared that there was nothing wrong with the PDP dragging other political parties to court over their failure to comply with Independent National Electoral Commission electoral guidelines. According to him, litigations are part of Nigeria’s electoral process.

“When I know you have made mistake not to run an election, I should leave you? All we are saying is INEC comply with the law .You made us to comply with the law. Why are these people not complying with the law. Why should you allow us to pass through the process we passed through and you did not allow these other people to pass through that process. We said look, this is what the law says. INEC is like you are being partial . It is like you are applying this law differently to different persons.”

In his sermon, the cathedral archdeacon of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Venerable Obinna Ochulor spoke on the topic; “God our refuge” and exhorted the congregation to acknowledge the infallibility of God always.

He pointed to how people often rush to the altar of God to make vows when they are either experiencing critical situation but would refuse to return to fulfil them when they have triumphed.

While vows are important to be fulfilled, he admonished the congregation and particularly the PDP family to trust in God as their defence and shield so that they can enjoy his protection against all shades of evil.

(Journalist101)

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said he did not understand the Boko Haram phenomenon, lamenting that despite the efforts of the Nigerian Army, the insurgency had not been eliminated.

The former vice president stated this on Sunday during the People’s Town Hall 2023 series aired on Channels TV which was monitored by The PUNCH.

Atiku, who featured with his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, responded to questions on insecurity and was asked about his position on Boko Haram.

He said, “I still cannot understand why we should have Boko Haram. You see, I served in Borno State when it was in the North-East, and as a Customs officer and I was patrolling the entire North-East, so I am very conversant with the vegetation and with the border areas. I still cannot find a place in the Borno areas where anybody can hide and cannot be seen. I cannot understand honestly, the Boko Haram phenomenon.

“Sometimes when returning from Europe, 30 feet above, I could see a man walking in Borno State, so where is the place to hide? To the extent that they say there is a place called Sambisa forest. I have been there. I didn’t see a forest. It is just shrubs here and there.

“So we have deployed the Nigerian military which used to be one of the best in the world. They have fought, you know, a number of the international arena and they have excelled and here we have deployed them with their might and everything and we just could not eliminate Boko Haram. So I am puzzled. So maybe when I get there, I will understand, but honestly, I cannot understand the Boko Haram phenomenon.

“Everything is there. Politics is there, business is there, security, everything. Of course, the solution is leadership, strong leadership to deal with all these interest groups within the military and outside the military.”

When asked about his position on militancy if it arose again in the PDP administration, Okowa said with appropriate leadership, there would not be a recurrence of such in the South-South.

He said, “I believe that once you provide the needed governance, it is unlikely that militancy will return. You first need to ask what led to that. People felt ignored. People felt excluded from governors, they were not seeing the infrastructure. Their children didn’t find the space to get properly educated, to get access to justice.”

Atiku also disclosed his plan to remove subsidy and negotiate with relevant stakeholders to provide palliatives for citizens.

He said, “I have already announced that we are going to remove subsidy and then of course negotiate with all stakeholders on how we can establish palliatives for removing subsidies.

“Whether we decide to remove subsidy or not, based on the Petroleum Industry Act, by June next year, subsidy will have to stop and that is the law that has been passed by the National Assembly. But as far back as last election season, I announced that I was going to remove subsidy.

When I was the Vice President, we were to remove subsidy in four stages. As the Chairman of the Economic Council, I supervised and implemented Phase One and Phase Two. By the time we got to Phase Three, it was suspended. If we had gone with that programme, by the time we left office, there wouldn’t have been any more subsidies for any government to inherit.”

On his part, Okowa said subsidy removal would provide funds for the education and health sectors.

Education is suffering, health service is suffering. These two areas are very critical to the larger majority of Nigerians who are in the poverty area.

“And it is important that we begin to free funds to address issues of education and to address issues of health so that we can provide help to a large majority of our people and provide education for our children and ensure that we’re able to develop every Nigerian to such an extent that they can freely compete for themselves and be able to take care of themselves,” he said.

In his response to the question on how he would tackle the shortage of foreign exchange, Atiku said, “I would direct the Central Bank to stop multiple exchanges so that we close the gap.

“And then of course, secondly, how do we also encourage foreign investors to bring in forex from abroad? I think is very key as far as that challenge is concerned. So basically if you can do that, you will then make it available for as much as possible.

“For most of the industries or factories first of all we will ensure that there is only one exchange rate, not multiple exchange rates as we currently have because the multiple exchange rate regime is corrupted and the people who desire the foreign exchange so I think this is a very serious issue. It is not a question of what role I can bring it but it is a mechanism by the central bank.”

Regarding the moribund refineries in the country, Atiku explained that they should be privatised.

He said, “For the four refineries that don’t work, please, let’s give them to the private sector. I mean, in every great nation in this country, you find that the private sector is the driver of the economy. They provide the jobs, they provide the prosperity, and they do everything. Why should we be different?”

On the country’s healthcare system, Okowa called for the support of the private sector in the development of tertiary health institutions while the government focus on primary healthcare.

He said, “We are encouraging the private sector to develop tertiary health institutions, while we encourage the sub-national governments to ensure that the primary healthcare development service is at its best. Because when you can ensure that you provide basic health services through the primary healthcare centres across the nation, you find that your people are going to progress.

(Punch)

The Centre for the Promotion of Shari’a has rejected Muslim-Muslim ticket of any political party, calling on Nigerians to be committed to the core values of the leading faiths in Nigeria.

Speaking at a consultative meeting of Stakeholders of the Muslim Constituency in Northern Nigeria, the national coordinator, Centre for the Promotion of Shari’a, Aminu Inuwa Muhammad, said they are committed to the Islamic ideals of justice and fairness adding that Nigerians should reject the temptation of voting along religious line.

It is also imperative to task all presidential candidates to commit themselves to meeting the aspirations of Nigerians by guaranteeing peace and security of the country, thereby ensuring prosperity and unity of the citizens.

The Centre for the Promotion of Shari’a is committed to the Islamic ideals of justice and fairness to all. Hence it implores all Nigerians to reaffirm their commitment to the core values of the leading faiths in Nigeria and reject all attempts to discriminate against any presidential ticket based on religious identity.

Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, despite skepticism of a section of the international community, Nigeria has remained consistent in peaceful transfer of power especially in 2007 and 2015.

Nigerians have demonstrated their resilience and commitment in democracy. There have been serious threats to Nigeria’s corporate existence since the first military coup, the civil war and recent secessionists’ activities. Despite catastrophic predictions of a foreign-based organisation, the Nigerian State has survived.

“Like all previous transitions, the politicians have overheated the polity in preparation for 2023 elections. The Centre for the Promotion of Shari’a therefore decided to host a consultative meeting to dispassionately address these issues that are critical to the survival and peaceful co-existence of the country, and particularly as they affect the destiny of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria,” Muhammad said.

(Journalist101)