The Federal Government is currently making arrangement to put the Transmission Company of Nigeria, up for sale.
The fresh quiet move comes on the heels of stalled negotiations between the Federal Government and the National Union of Electricity Employees as the latter threatens to shut down the economy.
A source close to the matter, on Thursday, told The PUNCH, on condition of anonymity, that talks to resolve pending disputes between the workers and the Federal Government had hit the rocks, and was “currently not yielding the desired results.”
The Federal Government is quietly negotiating with buyers to sell the TCN. The process will be announced soon,” the source had said.
The workers have, for the second time, threatened to shut down the national grid over unmet demands by the Federal Government.
According to the Zonal Organising Secretary, North-West, NUEE, Comrade Dukat Ayuba, while briefing newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, explained that although negotiation was still ongoing, the group would embark on a fresh strike.
He described the privatisation process as a scam.
He added, “That was why we kicked against privitasing the distribution sector, because the investors don’t have the capacity and expertise. As committed Nigerians, we advised the government against it. But the government was hellbent on doing so.”
According to him, investors were still operating with obsolete equipment dating back to 35, 40, and 50 years, stating that one would expect that with their coming, they would replace the obsolete equipment but nothing had been done.
He regretted that the nation still generated 5,000 megawatts of electricity, saying that it was the same old 5,000 megawatts, with no benefit from privatisation.
General Secretary, NUEE, Joe Ajaero, who confirmed findings about stalled negotiations, said no agreement had been reached.
“No agreement yet. They are playing pranks. To compute the money they owe, they said their database is corrupted. Even the meeting of today has been put off,” he said.
Following weeks of anxiety and serial postponements, the presidential campaign council list of the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was released with several notable names of party chieftains missing.
The 422-man list has names of political heavyweights including APC governors, ministers, lawmakers, ambassadors as well as serving and past public office holders.
In the latest list released by the Presidential Campaign Council Secretary, James Faleke, in Abuja on Friday night, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, retained his position as Director-General just as Deputy Director-General (Operations), Adams Oshiomhole, and Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.
However, there are shocking omission of party stalwarts, many of whom have been at loggerheads or engaged in cold war with Tinubu over his preference for the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket.
They include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and one of Tinubu’s sweat merchant, Adebayo Shittu, who heads one of his biggest support groups — Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance.
While the camp of Osinbajo had distanced itself from the former Lagos governor after his emergence as winner of the APC presidential ticket, the duo of Dogara and Lawal had remained a perennial thorn in Tinubu’s flesh for selecting ex-Borno Governor Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as running mate.
Dogara had predicted on Tuesday that the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a fruitless political effort that was “doomed to end in spectacular failure.”
The ex-speaker made the statement while delivering his keynote address at a summit tagged ‘Meet The Church,’ organised by the Nigeria National Christian Coalition.
Lawal, on the other hand, vowed that the introduction of a same-faith ticket by the APC was a deliberate plan to further create divisions in the north.
The disgruntled former SGF, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television, declared that he was working with about 40 Christian leaders in the north to ensure that the contentious APC ticket failed.
Despite defending his principal stoutly on all fronts including live political television programmes, Shittu’s sin remained largely unknown.
However, The PUNCH gathered that loyalists of the APC national leader have always seen the former Minister of Communications as an outsider because he “found his way into the party” through Congress for Progressive Change, one of the few political platforms that merged to form the current All Progressives Congress.
Shittu had told our correspondent in a recent interview that, “Why I think people often regard me as an outsider was probably because I was never a member of Alliance for Democracy, Action Congress or Action Congress of Nigeria. Besides, it has not been on record that I have a fight with Tinubu, even though critics who are jealous of my current achievements in the struggle to ensure success for him, out of pettiness and rivalry, have been trying to paint me black and blackmail me with the same slogan of ‘I am one of Tinubu’s enemies.’
But I am happy and proud to say that Tinubu, as an experienced politician who knows his onions, has always maintained that Shittu is not an enemy. The fact that we never worked together in the past does not translate to being an enemy. In any case, he is also somebody who appreciates what I have been doing.”
The inclusion of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who have been indicted of alleged anti-party activities in the last month has come as a surprise.
While Amaechi had subtly accused Tinubu of financially inducing delegates for votes at the last Convention, Aregbesola was believed to have worked for the victory of the governor-elect of Osun State , Ademola Adeleke, at the expense of the incumbent and fellow party member, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Faleke’s statement on Friday read, “We are pleased to announce the nominees of the leadership of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, as per enclosed. All nominees are kindly advised to pick their appointment letters from the undersigned on Monday, 26th September, 2022 at 12noon.
“The venue is Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council on Plot 781, Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Area Abuja. All other members will be contacted by the leaders of their respective directorates.”
Entertainer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has provided his reason for joining the ‘Obidient’ movement ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to the 72-year-old activist, who spoke to Akelicious during the week, the current administration has failed Nigerians and has given no hope for the common man. hence the search for change.
Charly boy believes strongly that Peter Obi, a former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, would bring about the socio-economic changes the country requires to move from where it is now.
It is about bad governance and how to change that equation and status quo,” the veteran entertainer told Akelicious in an interview.
Charly Boy further stated that Nigerians must change their mindsets towards those they elect into power, insisting that one of the biggest problems is that the people remove themselves from governance and feel it is not their business and do not mount pressure on their leaders to do the right thing.
He also said that nothing would change if Peter Obi goes in there and Nigerians still maintain the ‘nothing concern me’ mindset.
“You know when you get to a certain position, you need a certain discipline and know how to guide yourself; if not, you are hijacked by psychopaths and these psychopaths know the game and will cage you and hold you to ransom.
“I believe this country lies in the hands of the youth and they have to fight.
There’s this mindset of ‘my thief is better than your own thief; as far my thief is in government it is ok’.
When I am not benefiting it becomes a problem and we start attacking ourselves. That is why they play their game so well in the sense of using tribal sentiment, religious bigotry to further divide us.
We have to do what we have to do. I will tell the young people that they are gaining momentum and they have the population. That is the strength. They are technically savvy although these criminals are using the same young people
“When we have more people on the side of the truth, maybe something will happen.
“Nigerian youths understand the situation and are dealing with it. The rigging I hear some people are planning.
“I hear there is a plan going on, which is vote buying. Some people intend to collect the money and vote their conscience. The only place we have a major problem is the rigging.”
Peter Obi is not running a campaign. He is leading a movement.
Let me tell you the difference in case you don’t know.
1. Campaigns end as soon as the results of elections are announced. Movements continue thereafter.
2. Campaigns are driven by politicians while movements are driven by the people.
4. Campaigns are driven by interest while movements are driven by convictions
4. In Campaigns people follow a politician selfishly because they believe he/ she will win but in movements, the people follow selflessly because they believe the people will win.
5. In campaigns ,people follow a person while in a movement people follow ideology.
6. In campaigns politicians tell the people what they will do but in a movement the people know what the person they are following will do.
7. In a campaign, people who cast their vote believe they are doing a politician a favour but in a movement they know they are doing themselves a favour.
8. In a campaign, politicians build structures but in a movement the people build the structure and infact,everyone is a structure.
9. In campaigns we rely on politicians to convince us to get involved,we have people with apathy but in a movement people find motivation from within. Everyone is bold.
10. Campaigns come with a plan from day one but Movements don’t. They are spontaneous. They build momentum that becomes the plan.
11. Campaigns are like T.V advertisement politicians pay to get people in, but a movement is like a premiership match,the people pay to get in at their own expenses.
12. In a campaign people who oppose you or make a caricature of your campaign are usually confident but in a movement,people who oppose you or make caricature of the movement are scared of it.
PETER OBI IS A MOVEMENT. I AM PART OF THAT MOVEMENT. BE ALSO A PART OF THE MOVEMENT.
NOW IS THE TIME. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED .”
Thegovernor made the allegation during a media chat on Friday.
He said Ayu is corrupt, and that the chairman cannot deny that he received the money but refused to remit it to theparty’s account.
“Ayu is very corrupt. I’m totally informed. Ayu has theopportunity to challenge me, I will name,” he said.
Some ofthe governors can tell you. Will he deny thefact that he didn’t collect N1 billion from Lagos? Let him deny it, I will tell him who gave him the money not from theLagosstategovernment, the money was given to him in Lagos.
“He met one ofthepresidential candidates and told him that he’s not sure these governors may want to sponsor theparty.
That money did not enter into the account of PDP, but we are not attacking Ayu on that basis.”
Other hopefuls in the primaries were Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor; Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom governor; Pius Anyim, Sam Ohuabunwa, Ayodele Fayose, and Dele Momodu.
Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto governor, withdrew from therace and asked his supporters to vote for Atiku
Governor Nyesom Wike of River State has revealed that there was nothing that the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP Senator Iyorchia Ayu did not do for him not to emerge as the presidential candidate of the party.
There’s nothing Ayu did not do for me not to emerge as the PDP candidate. Ayu did everything to manipulate the system to ensure that all the numbers did not add up,” he said. The PDP held its presidential primaries in May, which produced Abubakar Atiku as the party’s flag bearer for 2023.
Recall that Wike had earlier said he has no reason to leave the PDP, no matter the situations threatening unity of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections. Wike at a Rivers PDP stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt Thursday, the first of such since the rancorous presidential primaries and picking of running mate had said he would tell his own side of the story on Friday. The governor said that he was interested in preserving the sanity of the party and will stay back to fight for the enthronement of unity, inclusivity, equity and peace in the PDP.
Wike said, “I have always told people, if anybody is thinking we will leave PDP, foul. We will fight at the party. We are not like them, when in 2014 they walked out from Eagle Square. They’ve forgotten. They walked out and joined APC. Is it not correct? “Did they remain to fight inside the party? But we remained, they ran away. Now, there is a fight in the party, we will not run. We will fight it in this party. Those who run away from fight are weak people. We will not. So everybody should know this is the state where we are. So that nobody tells you all kinds of stories.”
The governor noted that the party constitution clearly stating that elective and party offices must be zoned should be respected, wondering why former PDP Board of Trustee (BOT) Chairman would be pressured to resign and while national chairman, Sen Iyorchia Ayu excuses self from doing what is right.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has revealed that he was aware of the underground moves of the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to become the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections.
Speaking during a media chat on Friday, Wike said that though he was aware, he expected good sense to prevail in the party.
One of the journalists interviewing him, Gbenga Aruleba, pointed out that perhaps, he (Wike) had not been observing the patterns as Okowa was the only South South governor who didn’t buy a nomination form to vie for the presidency or a senatorial seat and that might have been a pointer to his undeclared ambition.
Wike responded, “That he (Atiku) was going to run with Okowa. That Okowa supported him. We were all aware. It is not that we didn’t see. Take for instance the United States of America, (Joe) Biden ran and the current vice president of America, Kamala Harris, gave Biden serious problem. When they wanted to pick the Vice President, Biden said this woman gave me serious problem, I cannot pick this woman, but those in Biden’s camp, who meant well for him told him, ‘If you want to win this election, you must pick Kamala Harris.’ And look at the support (for Biden) today.
“The problem with some of our leaders is that there are so many rent-seekers around them. They (rent-seekers) have not been in power for years. So they are all looking for how to bounce back. They are people who have no value to add.”
The governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to suspend him over alleged anti-party activities.
The Rivers State Governor made the challenge on Friday while fielding questions from journalists in the just concluded media chat in Port Harcourt.
Wike said they won’t dare that because they know what he can do, adding that those that left the party can’t suspend.
“I beg them to call for a NEC meeting today and say Governor of Rivers State you’re hereby suspended from the party. Anything yiu see, you take. They know what I will do. Pikin that said him mama no go sleep, won’t sleep too. Nobody has the monopoly of causing problem.
Asked if he’s not engaged in anti-party activities, he said the insinuation isn’t correct adding that other parties are visiting him because they want to win Rivers asking “who doesn’t want to win Rivers State?”
Presidential candidates from other political parties have met with the Rivers Governor to woo him into supporting them in the 2023 general election.
He said even their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is talking to other party members to support him.
BVI Channel 1 Online published the above news report as forwarded by Hon Arinze Awogu. Reactions have been hitting our news desk since the publication. One of the Readers challenged Hon Awogu for a radio live program on the issue.
However ,it is important to set the record straight; earning 13% derivation is as a result of the combined efforts of members of Anambra state Oil and Gas Committee, Special Adviser Legal Matters and Petroleum Resources under former Governor Obiano and present relevant Ministry in Prof. Soludo government. We can also confirm that Anambra State has earned over N1 billion in 13 % derivation since July 2022.
The 1st oil from OML 143 was reported on 27th November, 2021.
Being an oil producing state does not automatically confer membership of NDDC. Efforts are ongoing to amend the NDDC act to admit Anambra State as an NDDC member state.
Founder, 40million Ballots Movement and humanitarian activist Comrade Kennedy Iyere has described as lies the reports by National Publicity Secretary of the Obiozor-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, in the sinister attempt to cover up what he described as shameful conduct against him.
Iyere alleged that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo compelled him to pay money to the Chairmen of Ohanaeze Ndigbo representing Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Delta and Rivers in September 2020 in Awka, Anambra State where Chief Damian Okeke, Anambra Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Alex Ogbonnia, the then Ohanaeze Chairman of Enugu State, demanded that I pay them money.
Iyere further alleged that, “These two men conditionally demanded of me to pay money to the Chairmen of Ohanaeze Ndigbo representing the above-indicated seven States and threatened to exclude Ohanaeze Ndigbo from my Advocacy Project for 2023 Igbo Presidency unless they are paid to be part of it.
“These men got paid by me but did not get involved, rather they chose to use Ohanaeze Ndigbo to fight my high-level advocacy for 2023 Igbo Presidency, which I anchored through the support of Afenifere, PANDEF and Middle Belt Forum.
“Today, I am like a son to the leaders of Afenifere, PANDEF and the Middle Belt Forum because of what I have done to push for the actualization of Igbo Presidency in 2023, while the Obiozor-led Ohanaeze executive members have continued their attempts to frustrate my efforts just the same way they have done over the past two years.
Comrade Iyere buttressed that the pro-Igbo advocacy for the actualization of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction was unveiled in Awka under the name of Global Movement for Igbo Presidency (GLOMIP 2023). The unveiling was conducted on the 6th of October 2020 by His Excellency, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CFR (Okwadike), former Governor of Anambra State.
Today, our efforts have paid off as Peter Obi is now widely celebrated as the best and favourite candidate among the available options for the 2023 presidential election but Ohanaeze should realize the fact that they fought me secretly just to hinder the struggle for Igbo Presidency in 2023.
“Thank God for people like Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark, Dr Pogu Bitrus, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife (Okwadike), Prof Ihechukwu Madubuike, Chief Simon Okeke, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Alex Iheke, General Ihekire (Rtd), Chief (Mrs) Chika, Rtd Comptroller Ihagh, Comrade Kenneth Robinson, Barrister Sola Ebisieni, Comrade Ajayi , among others. They are the reasons we have Peter Obi today.
“I worked with all of these great and prominent Nigerians for fighting for the actualization of Igbo Presidency in 2023.
