The Labour Party, LP has appointed Mrs Dudu Manuga as the party’s national women leader.
An education and humanitarian expert, Manuga is from Gombe State.
Manuga is the Executive Director at Responsible Citizenship and Humanitarian Development Initiative. She obtained a degree in French and linguistics from the University of Jos.
Manuga’s nomination as women leader was announced by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi on Thursday.
Obi, in a tweet via his verified Twitter handle, made the announcement while he congratulated Manuga.
The tweet reeds, “Congratulations to Mrs Dudu Manuga from Gombe State on her nomination as the National Woman Leader of our great party, Labour Party. -PO.”
Recall that Obi has had a timeline of visits to churches lately.
The Labour Party candidate last Friday trended on social media when he went for a worship service with Dunamis International Gospel Centre headquartered in Abuja.
He was accompanied by Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State and the First Lady of Delta State, Edith Okowa and a pastor, who also prayed for Nigeria.
During the visit to the church, Obi cried to God to deliver Nigeria from insecurity among other challenges currently facing the country.
The Labour Party candidate could be seen holding the Nigerian flag, kneeling down, as he prayed heaped prayer on Nigeria.
“God we have no other country except this one, God deliver us, God heal us, God liberate us, we have no nation except this one, God deliver us,” Obi prayed.
Shortly after his visit, Obi also worshiped at Obi worshiped at Revival Assembly Church Ogba, in Lagos State.
Recall Obi, a former Anambra State Governor, is one of the frontline contenders for the 2023 presidential election.
Obi has enjoyed online patronage and growing acceptance among many youths, especially from the southern part of Nigeria since he emerged as the LP presidential flagbearer.
The other day, Mr. Sam Omatseye – a writer many used to have respect for due to some reasons, including the fluidity of his prose – wrote an article entitled “Obi-nomics”. In the said article, clearly embittered by resentment, he hurled obloquies at Mr. Peter Obi. He saw Obi as a rising sun that must be totally eclipsed. I did a rejoinder to that piece as part of the respected “right to reply”, which readers are supposed to enjoy. I appropriately sent the rejoinder to Mr. Sam Omatseye, who, contrary to the liberality of “The Nation” newspaper refused to present it for publication. Of course, I felt bad. Omatseye may not know that I have come a long way with “The Nation”Newspaper not to be denied such a right. In any case, I was privileged to have written the first letter to the Editor at the birth of “The Nation” (then Comet) Newspaper entitled “The Comet Cometh”. Am I not qualified to be a stakeholder?
A few months after that piece, Omatseye was at it again. On the 1st of August, he wrote another piece entitled “Obi-tuary”, literary wishing Obi dead and buried as the easiest route for his patron to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his recent piece, he pelted Obi with poisoned ink by inventing imaginary flaws in Obi’s character which he served in hot-peppered sauce. It is hard to find, in all records of opinion-writing, a piece more barbarous, stinking, and oozing scalding lava of obscene volcanic words not just about a person, but also about a people – The Igbos. Like a sightless lover whose inexplicable increase in hydraulic pressure drove to a blind erotic hunger that led to rape, Omatseye employed the weapons he is at home with: satire, ridicule, vituperation and crafty distortion of the truth. What are those untruths? We shall see them through the narratives he tried to push through.
The first segment of his venomous vituperation may be summarised through the lines he addressed directly to the Igbos with the aim to injure them in body and spirit: “They have transferred the temperament of their former master into the new. And they have not spared any incoherence, any lack of finesse, and threats and tantrums, any show of rabid, primitive cants, or any ululations. They have abused, cursed, thrown imprecations. They have hugged lies about their candidate. They have pelted lies about others. They have distorted material”. Here, Omatseye simply presented the symptoms of a man who is worried by sleeplessness on account of the popularity of Mr. Peter Obi by trying to make his candidacy an ethnic movement. Just like our Uncle Joe You-Know-Who, would you blame Omatseye for vigorously attacking a man who appears to have made a ship-wreck of their sweet dreams of occupying Aso Rock in 2023?
For the instruction of Omatseye and his admirers, Peter Obi’s candidacy cannot be reduced to an ethnic movement. If there is anybody who has raised the banner of ethnicity, it was the man who gleefully pronounced that it was “his turn”.
Nigeria is bleeding on all fronts. Our leaders of today have plunged the country into hostile halves of the North and the South; the rich and the poor; the haves and the haves-not. Daily, they are guiding Nigeria into anarchy. Today, there is hardly any spot or town where the torch of insurrection does not openly flame. Rather than write responsibly and contribute to extinguishing that fire, Omatseye is bracketing the Igbos as the problem of the country.
To prove to you how depraved Omatseye has descended into, because the “turn” of his master is “challenged”, let us consider some of his words: “Kanu lashes out at Obi as governor and stated what this essayist wrote about him over building a NEXT supermarket while still the governor of Anambra State. The video clip referred to him as a sort of sexual being on the fringe. You can imagine an Aso Rock sweltering with romps of the evil flesh. His so-called Obidients know this. But it counts for little.” The fact is that Next Mall in Abuja was conceived and started long before Peter Obi became a State Governor. Before then, Next already had facilities bigger that the Abuja Mall.
On the issue of sexual perversion, all I can state is that many Obi-watchers are appalled as certainly as most Nigerians are by Omatseye’s ungracious scurrility. I observed some people that called themselves “Batists,” those he is old enough to be their fathers, hailing him with guffaws of applause. Deep inside him, is he happy trying to destroy another man with obvious lies? There should be limits a gentleman should go in tarnishing the image of others simply because he is fighting for a master they place value in his favours than his reputation. I understand he is avoided in “The Nation”Newspaper because of his habitual gossips and snitches to BAT about those that support or do not support him.
No writer has the monopoly of lies and use of empty amplifications, deceptive analogies and rhetorical tricks. The difference is that sometimes it is a matter of choice or being constrained by maturity and objectivity. We have obvious truths about other presidential candidates, which nobody that works closely with Peter Obi has used because it is not his style. Who says we cannot, for example, refer to some candidates thick and dropping under lips, hesitant and incoherent speeches, and hands that twitch spasmodically as evidence that age and narcotics have rendered them unsuitable for the post? Who says we cannot demand from Omatseye the real name of his patron, the clearing of the cloud surrounding his education and the clarification of the fact of having been jailed in the USA once upon a time. We would not write certain things, especially those bordering on the use of diapers as it will amount to disrespect for the aged or the sick. It could be you or I tomorrow. However, our stand does not vitiate the fact that such are factors in governance.
Exhausting the arrows in his quiver, Omatseye wrote confusedly about Obi: “This is Obi, who claimed he saved money, while pensioners were looking desperately at their graves”. The verifiable fact is that pensioners had it best under Mr. Peter Obi in Anambra State. Besides clearing arrears of pensions and gratuities that had accumulated in the State since 1999 till he became Governor – to the tune of over 35 Billion Naira – Obi did not owe any pensioner till he left office. Under him, retirees got their benefits within three months of disengaging from service. Sam Omatseye should know and anyone else can go and verify.
Dourly inflexible and embittered by Peter Obi’s rising profile and elevation to stardom of good governance, Sam Omatseye wrote: “But no economy works in history by saving money. It stifles the economy. He has not been able to tell us how he will do it, and whether he has done it.” Would it be reasonable to think that Omatseye does not have a savings account as a private person? If he could save for any reason, why does he rationally think that States should not save? Could he point at any prodigal State that he knows that expended all their revenues without savings? In any case, Obi is ever ready to explain the rationale behind saving for the State. Here he goes: “I saved N48,629,473,469 in local currency some of which we tied to specific projects like payment of 2-year salary of civil servants we employed for him [his successor, Willie Obiano] not to be encumbered, Agulu and Onitsha Hotel, Awka and Nnewi Malls and some critical roads like the completion of the dualization of the Dual carriage road over which we had got permission to do so and be paid back by the Federal Government. We also left some for him to continue what we were doing aggressively”.
On the US$156 million saved, Peter Obi explained the purpose thus: “After our study of the Chinese phenomenal achievements as we were coming to the end of MDGs, we learned that the Chinese Regional governments were able to attract a number of investments because of the ability to contribute or partner with the investors in setting up productive facilities within their regions.
“For example, some of them effectively made equity contributions of 10-20%, which they were able to achieve due to their robust saving.
“So, our calculation was that if the State would be able to save a particular amount (US$18-20 million) as we did in eight years, up until 2030 at the average interest rate of a little over 6%, we would be able to achieve about a billion Dollars in savings and earnings. We would then use about 50% of this amount to attract investments, considering that the average Chinese Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SME), for example, was set up with about two million Dollars. Our goal was that if we would be able to invest 25% in each enterprise, which is $500,000, we would be able to achieve 1000 SMEs facilities scattered all over Anambran State, which would jump-start aggressive economic growth within the State, especially as income from oil is coming to an end”.
What else do we add to this pragmatic explanation? It is, however, intriguing that a man of the Sam Omatseye’s status is ignorant of this fact or more likely, chose to suppress it.
A few days ago, Mr. Peter Obi visited Dunamis Church in Abuja to commune with the Creator and was warmly received. As usual, those that are feeling hurt by Obi’s candidature as represented by Omatseye had their BP reaching to bursting point. Externalizing his inner feelings, he wrote: “He is therefore using religion as a bait. He is now on a weekly pilgrimage to churches.” The truth which you may verify is that since 2014 when Obi left office, he has been visiting schools and Churches to support what they do towards the good of the society. From Sokoto to Nassarawa States, through Kogi and Anambra States, and elsewhere, he has been donating to schools owned by the Churches in his passion for education. He is also contributing to the upgrade of health facilities nationwide. Peter Obi is not prompted by politics, but by the love for the society and humanity. During COVID-19 pandemics, he donated hundreds of millions to the Federal Government as support; this was besides millions he spent on his own through about 30 hospitals.
Yesterday, while Omatseye’s article was being debated, the usually-frank Nwachukwu Ngige interjected: “The more they attack him, the more they promote him. Poor PR strategy!” As if offering advice to Omatseye and his tribe, he concluded: “Sell your product first.” In Igbo parlance, a child without parents gain when the one with parents is advised. I have taken the advice and will momentarily sell my candidate while challenging Omatseye to sell his with decorum.
Born on the 19th of July, 1961, Mr. Peter Obi had good parents who tried early enough to inoculate him with every virtue. Curiosity and the urge to succeed burned like lava in him. He attended Santa Maria Primary School and Christ the King College (CKC) – both at Onitsha. Thereafter, he graduated with 2nd Class in Philosophy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He has been to some of the best universities in the world on specialised training on leadership and management. His certificates – with names and addresses of issuing institutions – are intact and available for scrutiny or as “Obidients” will say reminding us of logical positivists, for verification.
In all the educational institutions Peter Obi attended, he absorbed knowledge avidly and became the centre of attraction in his class. He has deployed his extensive learning to building the society. What others do with Agbado and Ewedu he does with statistics. Evidently, he possesses the right and agile intellect needed for the governance of Nigeria. When last did you listen to him speak? What a mind he has! – as rapid as an electric spark, and as bright; one could almost hear the crackling of the fire of his thoughts in the incisive sentences of his speech that made his listeners fall into trance of admiration. At Dunamis, even without uttering a word, a rainbow of excitement hung over the congregation that set some commentators crazy with hate. It is not easy to become a living political saint! I suspect it was one of the reasons that provoked Sam Omatseye’s piece – ‘We must stop this man at all costs!’.
For what he habitually does, Omatseye is another example of how not to be a man of letters. You cannot brandish the pen as an instrument of terror and expect to be genuinely respected! Even when the likes of Peter Obi tries everything possible to make others see politics as friendly struggle for power by playing it with the categorical imperative of love, Omatseye and his ilk make it look forbidden.
Peter Obi was recently an object of contumely by his followers when he advised cautious restraint in the use of language. I believe he needs to speak to people like Sam Omatseye on the need to see politics as the contest among brothers (and sisters) rather than enemies. Did you not hear him say that when people show him hatred, he tries to show them love? Sam Omatseye too needs that soothing vaccination. His is obviously a troubled soul and would need a little of Obi’s love to avoid psychic encumbrances.
Faithful to the advice from Dr. Chris Ngige, Omatseye should concentrate on selling his candidate by reasonably-fair means. Winning the Presidency or selling a candidate should not be by the assemblage of over 100,000 youths, buying computers for them and teaching them the propagation of falsehoods. I learnt that some of them that write pure, unadulterated nonsense against Obi are among the resource persons that tutor these youths on all the techniques of spreading falsehoods; thus drawing them into the vortex of worthlessness.
The destructive inclination of Omatseye and his tribe reminds us of Quintus’ disgraceful advice about electioneering. In one of Cicero’s campaigns, his brother, Quintus, drew up for him a manual of electioneering technique. “Be lavish in your promises,” Quintus advised. “Men prefer a false promise to a flat refusal. Continue to get some new scandal aired against your rivals”, Quintus continued, “for crime, corruption, or immorality”. Is this not what Omatseye is doing?
Again listen to one of his lumbering bashful expressions of Pugilism: “The Obi followers accept Biafra but reject Nigeria.” So elders of the West that are supporting him have accepted Biafra? Is this the reason they are trying to buy Nollywood Stars in Nigeria with 5 million Naira each to denounce Obi? Thank God the struggle in the land today is about the future of the country and not about what money can buy. Those hoping that money will do it for them would soon discover that a New Nigeria is gradually evolving from the ashes of the old through peaceful revolution.
What else? Shall we now, being exhausted, jumble together the last phase by way of advice to Omatseye? May we, therefore, commend Sam Omatseye to such writers as Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, Dr. Reuben Abati, Mr. Simon Kolawole for emulation. Despite great learning and reasoning, they are amiable in discourse, cheerful of mood, moderate in controversy, tolerant of opposing views and not letting diversity of politics abate the cordiality of friendships.
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has inaugurated the newly confirmed 21 local government council chairpersons in Anambra State.
They were inaugurated at the state Executive Chambers, Government House, Awka.
Performing the inauguration, Governor Soludo urged them to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties
“I advise you to always put the people first in the management of the scarce resources in your respective councils,” he said.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be called upon to serve and so consider that thousands of people in your LGA who now look up to you to deliver service and change their lives”.
Formally welcoming them as members of the solution team, the Governor thanked the state Assembly for graciously confirming them. He said; “inspite of the troubles, we must deliver. We don’t give excuses as members of this team. We are looking for extraordinary deliverables to meet the needs of the common man on the street, afterall, that’s why government exists which is why you are called to serve. I’m sure you will overcome because you will not be alone. You have the local government, stakeholders to work with.”
“Bear in mind that each one of you have been specially selected. Our expectations are very very high. We are expecting each of you to make a fundamental difference”.
The Governor emphasized that his administration’s manifesto is like the Bible of the government, saying that their job is to drive the vision down to the grassroot.
Said the Governor; “yours is an agenda with a deadline. When you get there, make each hour to count so that at a particular point in time, you can say I passed through this road. Never you forget the contents of the oath of office and allegiance you have just taken
The Governor pointed out that soon review sessions will be held so that they can be able to review from each other, learn and collaborate with each other. “In that way, we can look at people who are performing and those who are underperforming,” the Governor said
Governor further charged them, saying, “The staff and primary school teachers are paid from the pool of resources of the LGA, pension and gratuities inclusive. The pensioners have not received their gratuities since 2018. Part of what you are going to be doing is that with you at the local level, you will be challenged with revenue financing options.”
“But I want to say to you that in every tough situation, there are blessings and opportunities. I think this team will come up with innovations and ideas of how we can go to the next level, so that we will no longer depend on Federal monthly allocations. We will therefore rely heavily on you to drive government policies down to the grassroots. For example, we are going into palm revolution and coconut economy, you will be at the heart of it, together with your counsellors, it will be delivered through the wards”.
Governor Soludo said that the executive and local government councils will agree on minimum standards in planning of Anambra communities, even for roads.
“Look at the markets, most of them are spilling into the roads, causing massive traffic. Erosion, flooding everywhere. We must strive to bring back the master plan of our communities and markets. On security, law and order, we were waiting for you to come, to drill down our security architecture down to the local government. Mobilize the stakeholders in your place, linked to the central one.”
Professor Soludo said that “touting, indiscriminate parking, street lighting, traffic management and many other challenges, will confront them once they get to their respective councils. “I’m looking forward to when we can brainstorm and try to get you to begin to think outside the box.
“In all, i’m just making the point that you have your hands full and at a time when the resources are scarce. I pray that you will be able to make great things to happen in your respective local governments. My ears and eyes are open. I’ll soon be going round” because leaving legacies and touching lives for generations unborn is our consolation.”
And I want to say; “for Anambra to be liveable and prosperous, there must be law and order in place. That’s part of your basic duty. You have something unique to offer Ndi Anambra, go out there and deliver, because the reward for work is more work. I’m sure that as you leave here, you will head to your local governments, because the work begins now, the Governor added.
The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr. Collins Nwabunwanne who expressed confidence in their ability to deliver on the mandate, said that the Governor’s appointments of the Chairmen was achieved through a rigorous interview and clearance process.
Said he; “My promise is that they will deliver on their mandate. The issue of waste management is going to be a thing of the past. All unserviceable vehicles, illegal structures along the road, and others will be a thing of the past.” The Commissioner added that in the Solution team, they strongly believe in maximizing their time and achieving visible results
The occasion was witnessed by the Deputy Governor of Anambra, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Dr Paschal Agbodike, SSG Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Protocol, Hon Chinedu Nwoye (Glamour), Commissioners, Head of Agencies, and many others
Ace comedian, Okey Bakassi, says he is supporting Labour Party’s presidential flagbearer Peter Obi because he wants a working and better Nigeria.
In a tweet on Monday, the Okey Bakassi said he wanted a working Nigeria, where President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress presidential flagbearer Bola Tinubu would not have to travel abroad for medical treatment.
“I don’t want Atiku or Tinubu to fail. I just want Nigeria to succeed. I’ll support and vote for #PeterObi to fix Nigeria, so in their very old age, Buhari and Tinubu won’t be going to London for medical treatment, and Atiku won’t live in Dubai,” Okey Bakassi reasoned.
Since he assumed office in 2015, Mr Buhari has spent over 200 days in a London hospital treating undisclosed ailments at different times. Similarly, Mr Tinubu spent close to three months in a London hospital.
Mr Abubakar, a former vice president and ex-governor-elect of Adamawa, stays in Dubai.
We are living in elites society ,I mean ,political ,economic and religious elites ! They decide how to share scarce resources ,when to share ,where to share and who to benefit. It is animal farm – like situation. The poor and workers are suffering and smiling believing in divine intervention.
It is unfortunate that most people don’t know how to use public policies to touch lives directly. Building infrastructures like roads ,bridges etc are good but they do not have direct impact on the lives of the ordinary people.
Reduction of tax to keke,shuttle drivers,market women etc , access to funding targeted to people in the rural areas,organising value chain with marketing board to ensure that a desired farm produce is profitable among other initiatives touches the lives of households.
In Nigeria situation today,it is only the office of the President and the office of the Governor that can implement public policies that would affect the living standard of majority of the people .
Those we hire to represent us in government must always think of our welfares. We must stop praise-singing them anything they perform their duties.We should be bold enough to remind them that they are our employees .
2023 is around the corner .We have another opportunity to use our votes wisely .
Ndubuisi Anaengwu writes for Good Governance Ministry- GGM
Post ANSEC Media Briefing Held On Monday, 1st August, 2022
1. The Boards and Governing Councils of government departments and agencies have been dissolved with immediate effect. They are hereby directed to hand over to the most senior civil servants in their organizations.
2. The newly confirmed Transition Committee Chairmen will be inaugurated on the 2nd of August, 2022. They will return to the their various LGAs where they will in turn inauguate their various councillors. Arrangement is underway to hold a retreat for the Transition Committee Chairmen and their principal officers.
3. In furtherance of government policy to re-enact the prosperous era of Chief M.I Okpara in the old Eastern region when cash crops were the main source of revenue, ANSEC has constituted a committee drawn from the three Senatorial zones to map out strategies for distributing the millions of coconut and palm seedlings which have been procured.
4. ANSEC formally terminated the contract awarded to Messrs Rockland Development Ltd to construct the Ministry of Housing main office complex at Jerome Udorji Secretariat, Awka. Valued at N33,253,119,66, the contract was cancelled due to lack of execution of the job on the part of the contractor and ANSEC has resolved to take necessary steps to recover the said amount paid to the contractor.
5. The Attorney General of the state presented a memo that seeks to reform major aspects of the dispensation of justice. She called for the building of model Juvenile Delinquent facility in line with international standards. Presently, non of such facility exists in the South East.
She also proposed that the state justice system be digitized for quick dispensation of justice. To this end, she is pushing for the staff of the Ministry of justice and the judiciary to undergo digital training by computer experts. ANSEC was also informed that the Ministry of Justice is working to establish designated courts to expeditiously dispense with sexual related offences.
The Traditional Religious Practitioners’ Association (TRPA) in Nigeria has dragged the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to the Federal High Court in Enugu for the commission’s refusal to register the traditional worshippers as a religious body such as the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA.
In its online application for registration to the CAC in June 2022, the Traditional Religious Practitioners Association, TRPA, led by Dibia Chukwuma Ezeoruonye and two others as the Trustees, requested for the TRPA to be registered as a corporate entity for the promotion of their faith, but the CAC in its reply to the application turned down the request for registration.
The Commission in its reply to the TRPA on July 11 2022 said: “The CAC regrets to inform you that it was unable to approve any of the names(s) submitted for approval…name not registrable as their forms of worship and practices are not publicly available.”
In their application to the court (Suit No FHC/EN/CS/140/2022) through their counsel, Obi K. Odo Esquire, the traditional religious worshippers contend that by the denial for registration, the CAC has discriminated against the plaintiffs on the ground of their religious worship, contrary to the provision of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Other religious groups have been incorporated by the defendants but chose to deny us just because we are traditional worshippers; there is no other way to convince the defendants to go ahead and incorporate us as the Board of Trustee of the Association except by the intervention of this court,” the plaintiffs petitioned.
Joined in the suit as co-defendants are the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
The Plaintiffs are seeking for a declaration that the CAC denial of approval of Traditional Religious Practitioners’Association as a name for the purposes of incorporating them as registered Trustees of TRPA is a breach of their right to freedom of religion/worship and discriminatory contrary to the 1999 constitution as amended; stating also that the refusal under the part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act was ultra vires and unlawful.
They therefore pleaded with the court for an order compelling the CAC to approve the registration; determine if the group is registrable and whether the CAC was right to have denied the approval of the name that does not offend the law.
In his affidavit in support of the originating summon, leader of the TRPA Board of Trustees, Dibia Chukwuma Ezeoruonye stated that the reason given for the denial of the approval does not accord with the circumstances allowed by the law for the CAC to refuse the proposed name and thereby breached their freedom of religion guaranteed in section 38 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria which is a second defendant on the matter.
The process which was filed at the Federal High Court in Enugu on July 21 2022 awaits the resumption of Judges from their annual vacation when the hearing will commence.
Former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has declared that the 2023 elections will be all about religion, started by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lawal spoke at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit Abuja 2022, on Friday.
Absolving Christians from bringing religion into Nigerian politics, Lawal warned that the ruling party should be ready for the consequences of a same faith ticket in 2023.
According to him, blaming Christians and heaping insults on Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will not get APC anywhere.
He said “the PVC and prayers will be our weapon of choice and we will mercifully deploy them in 2023.”
The former SGF said that the agenda of Muslim-Muslim ticket is just unfolding and Christians will resist it.
He said: “We will not give up until we get Justice. I have heard friends and colleagues within and even outside the APC express some shock and even disbelieve over our reaction to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections.
“Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced the Deputy Governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna States. Now it is wholly Muslim-Muslim tickets. It is worth noting that all these are happening in APC-controlled states. They are threatening to do likewise in Gombe, Kogi and Adamawa States.
“It is also now a recurring practice in the north, whereby any Christian traditional ruler that dies is replaced with a Muslim prince albeit from the ruling family even if the most qualified and preferred prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri Chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds.
“Proof of its anti-Christian agenda is that our party itself has completely eliminated northern Christians from its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC). All our protestations as party members have been completely ignored by the party leadership. But as members of the APC, we have the right to continue to express our indignation at these happenings and will not give up until we secure the justice that is due us.
“The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for The APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a longterm political strategy and not a one-off decision. Thus, all these talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.
“One might ask: why is the APC itself mute about our rejection of this Muslim-Muslim ticket? And why has none of the other perpetrators of this crisis reached out to Christians for a dialogue? Why are they instead hiring fake Bishops and take church groups to further embarrass the Church? Why are they embarking on a vicious media war against CAN and the Church instead of seeking reconciliation? Truly, things are not adding up.
“So why are Northern Nigerian Christians in particular against the Muslim-Muslim ticket? I will try to enumerate just a few more reasons in addition to the ones I have already enumerated above:
“We see this ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational, economic and political marginalisation of the Northern Nigerian Christians.”
The former SGF reel out employment data in tertiary institutions based in the North alone, both Federal and State-owned Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education that favours the Muslims more than Christians.
“Federal Colleges of Education Provosts 23. Muslims 22 Christian 1.
“State Colleges of Education Provosts 31. Muslims 24, Christians 7.
“Of course, it goes without saying that employment to all other positions from the Registrar down to the cleaner in these institutions will be replicated in a similar manner.
“This scenario is what we find in all agencies of governments in the north. Therefore, we view this Muslim-Muslim ticket as an extension of this practice of exclusion to the uppermost level of government.
“Christians all over the country see this Muslim-Muslim ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench religion into the politics of this country. This, of course, will lead to further disharmony in the hitherto fragile coexistence of the Nigerian society, disrupt peace and hamper both social and economic development of the country.
“Christians and indeed most enlightened Nigerians are at a loss as to why people that intend to govern a country with our kind of diversity would chose this path to power. This is very divisive and must be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians.
“Implied in this ticket is the insinuation that northern Muslims are not willing to vote for a ticket that has a Christian on it and on which they are not represented. It is our believe that northern Muslims would have seen the Justice in a Muslim-Christian ticket and would have given it their overwhelming support had the party been inclined to do so.
“A corollary to this mindset is that Christians should also not vote for a ticket in which they are not accommodated. Unfortunately, this is the message we get loud and clear from this Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is truly a wake up call for all Nigerian Christians. We didn’t start this religious politics, APC and it’s candidates did; so all of us should take note and act as appropriate.
“So our dear APC colleagues, spare us these sanctimonious lectures on “competence” and the cliche “religion of the candidates do not matter. The truth is that the 2023 presidential election will be all about religion, and sadly, you started it; religion does matter in this context, so be ready for the consequences.
“It is important to reiterate that we Nigerian Christians, want to live in peace and harmony with all practitioners of other religions. We want to enjoy social and economic developments like other parts of the world, but without peace, justice and religious harmony, this is not possible.
“On our part, we neither seek to oppress nor dominate any one or any religion. But we will also resist any one trying to discriminate against us and our religion. We were not the ones that started this fight. The APC started it and must be ready to carry the cross it has created. Blaming Christian’s and heaping insults on CAN will take them nowhere.
“For, how do they expect Christians to keep silent when a northern state governor publicly states that they pressured Tinubu to get a northern Muslim VP because they did not believe him to be a good Muslim? Is the VP going to be the National Deputy Imam? How do they expect us to keep silent when another northern state governor goes to Osun State and urges them to vote for someone just because he is a Muslim? Was he there for election campaign or “dawah”? What can be a better example of religion in politics than demonstrated by these governors?
“Clearly, there is an agenda to politically, religiously, and economically suppress and oppress the Northern Christian. But we are up to the task. We will protect ourselves. The PVC and our prayers will be our weapons of choice and we will massively deploy them in 2023.
“But while we are ready to battle this politics of exclusion and oppression, we are open to discussions with anyone who wants to engage with us in good faith.
“As I always do, want to end with this quotation from Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say in response to these things.
“If God is for us who can be against us?” May God bless and reward all our collective efforts at seeking to live in peace with one another in Nigeria, our blessed country.”
The former Presidential Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 presidential election, Dr. Ogbonnia has disclosed his conclusion to dump his political party affiliation and its 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Bola Tinubu to support the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi.
Ogbonnia said that his endorsement of Obi was because the LP presidential candidate is a ‘Democratic Revolution Whose Time Has Come,’ adding that with every sense of patriotism he was joining the Nigerian masses to endorse Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party as the next president of Nigeria.
“Though I remain a member of All Progressives Congress (APC), I must not support its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The decision to endorse the candidate of an opposition party did not come easy. But there comes a time to say: enough is enough,” Ogbonnia stated.
In a statement he made available to newsmen on Monday, Ogbonnia said that his first disdain for Tinubu was that neither fellow party members nor ordinary Nigerians can claim to know who Ahmed Tinubu truly is.
“Everything about the man is shady—from his name, state of origin, the schools attended, certificates received; his record in America to his true source of income, let alone any true intention of seeking the presidency, apart from an arrogant claim that it is his turn to rule Nigeria.
“Besides the shady background, a series of events also show that Tinubu does not have any good sense of equity, justice, fairness, and patriotism – virtues he claims to promote. The truth is that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is even more insensitive about the Nigerian state and her problems than President Muhammadu Buhari. Further, it is a common knowledge that the APC National Leader no longer possesses the physical fitness to explore the Nigerian presidency, but it has equally become very apparent that he no longer has the mental capacity,” Ogbonnia alleged.
Explaining further, Ogbonnia said that if the truth is told, no conscious and well-meaning Nigerian would wish for an extension of the current national government under APC which Tinubu roundly endorses. He said that the party had far better and younger candidates to fly its presidential ticket but chose to settle for the highest bidder in the ageless Tinubu.
“Even as a candidate, Tinubu’s do-or-die campaign strategy is an existential threat to the Nigerian state. The APC National Leader has made it abundantly clear that he does not mind if the country burns to ashes, insofar he becomes president. Rescuing Nigeria is paramount. Thus, we can no longer hide behind the bogus toga of political parties, tribes, and religions, while a visionless clique continues to dictate our future.
“We can no longer mortgage our conscience while the masses, particularly the youth, continue to wallow in abject poverty and despair. We must not continue to watch Mr. Tinubu and his shameless colleagues deploy our commonwealth to buy private jets, vacation abroad, train their children abroad, receive quality healthcare for themselves and their families abroad, while the masses at home have nowhere to go for their basic welfare.
“I have a conscience. In Peter Obi, I see a true detribalized Nigerian like myself, who is committed to real change. I see a generational visionary who is truly passionate and committed to rescue the country from total collapse and reposition her for greatness. In Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, I see hope for the future.
“In Obi/Baba-Ahmed ticket, I see intellect, character, competence, and capacity; I see integrity and humility. I see patriotism; I see dynamism. I see enviable and verifiable track-record; I see attainable visions; I see hope for the Nigeria of our founding dreams; I see a democratic revolution whose time has come. This move is consistent with my politics. I never allow the mere exigencies of ethnicity, religion, or party affiliation to becloud my judgment. As a member of the National Republican Convention (NRC), I crossed party lines to campaign for MKO Abiola, the flagbearer for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). I saw Abiola as a better candidate than the candidate of my party, Bashir Tofa.
“I was a card-carrying member of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in its thickest state of Enugu. However, after the fraudulent general elections of 2007 where the ruling PDP dictated who won or who lost, I changed course. I vowed to join any movement that could remove PDP from power. I would become a foundation member of the APC and promoted Buhari to victory. I remain proud that we made history by dethroning the PDP–a virally corrupt ruling party that had planned to hold on to power for 60 unbroken years. We demonstrated consequences for bad behavior.
“Unfortunately, today, with Asiwaju Tinubu as its National Leader, the APC does not appear to have any ideological, moral, or ethical difference with the much-discredited PDP. Today, my party has shamelessly become a safe haven for corrupt kingpins indicted while in PDP. To make matters worse, the two presidential candidates of APC and PDP, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, respectively, are two of the most perfidious poster boys for Nigeria’s corrupt oligarchy. In short, neither Atiku nor Tinubu can in good conscience campaign against corruption.
“It is pertinent to note that no Nigerian leader, whether military or civilian, has ever assumed the governance of the country with the degree of mercenary influence cum notoriety commonly equated with Atiku and Tinubu. I have a conscience. I have chosen my country over my party. I have become OBI-dient for the greater good of Nigeria!! I call on other true progressives to do so,” Ogbonnia charged.
Three daring attacks by terrorists within three weeks have raised questions about the security architecture in the nation’s capital.
Regarded as one of the most fortified custodial centres in the country, the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre was on July 5 successfully attacked by members of the Islamic State for West African Province, who freed 443 inmates, including 69 of their members. The terrorists, who were said to be over 100, reportedly operated for more than two hours and overwhelmed a battalion of the Nigerian Army, Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Armed Squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service, among others stationed at the facility.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, were all totally befuddled at the sheer brazenness with which the attack was carried out.
The President and some of his cabinet members, as well as the Senate President, had yet to recover from the shock and were still apprehensive about the Kuje attack and the possibility of the escapees staying back to torment them when they woke up to yet another report of an attack on the Presidential Guards Brigade last Sunday.
The Presidential Guards Brigade, which provides security for the Presidential Villa, the nation’s capital, and neighbouring communities, was ambushed by terrorists, who killed two officers and six soldiers.
Again on Thursday night, some dare-devil terrorists went to a military checkpoint located at Zuma Rock and opened fire on personnel on duty. Although they were repelled, a soldier was killed in that attack while two were injured.
Presently, all institutions of learning in the Federal Capital Territory have been abruptly shut down due to the rising insecurity in the territory.
Before these attacks, there have been pockets of cases leading to the deaths and abductions of some residents in Robochi, Abaji, Kwali, and Kuje, among other neighbouring communities in the FCT.
In March, residents of Chukuku in the Kuje Area Council blocked the Gwagwalada-Kuje express road and made bonfires to protest against the incessant abductions and killings in their community.
As of then, they claimed no fewer than 30 residents had been abducted since the year started.
However, security analysts believe these incidents and the spectre of insecurity witnessed in neighbouring states like Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, and Kaduna should have put the security operatives and the government on red alert and measures capable of averting these attacks should have been emplaced.
Compounding the fears of the residents was the leaked memo from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, which reported a planned attack by terrorists on the FCT.
In addition to this, there has been a litany of messages on social media platforms warning residents to refrain from some places within the territory.
In recent times, the FCT has been experiencing an influx of people from other northern states as a result of the few cases of insecurity recorded in the territory compared to others. The recent attacks by terrorists have, however, put paid to that.
Some of the residents who spoke with our correspondent said they couldn’t go about their normal activities as a result of the current situation in the FCT.
A resident who was recently transferred to the FCT, Mrs. Adebimpe Olayinka, said she did not feel safe at the moment.
She said, “When I got transferred to Abuja, I was not bothered about security as much because the FCT was regarded as one of the safest places to stay in the country. One should not have expected anything less because that is where the seat of power is. With the recent attacks and happenings in the FCT, I feel unsafe. Our community leaders have doubled our security, but I still feel that people that successfully attack Kuje, the Presidential Guard, tell me where they cannot attack. And with the news of strange faces being seen across the FCT, it shows they have surrounded Abuja. I hope and pray it doesn’t get worse.”
A trader at Karimo Market who gave her name as Lauretta said the rising insecurity in the FCT was affecting her business.
The Nigeria Police Force said it had deployed additional assets to strategic locations within the country’s capital to avert imminent attacks.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that the Force Intelligence Bureau has been charged with gathering intelligence.
Similarly, the Guards Brigade has deployed more troops across the city to prevent another security breach.
The FCTA has also met with the governments of neighbouring states in order to rejig security operations. The security operatives in the FCT and their counterparts in contiguous states at the meeting agreed to take the fight to the terrorists’ camps.
Also, the terrified federal lawmakers, besides threatening to impeach the president, had met with the military high command to fashion a way out of the situation in the nation’s capital.
Risk management and security expert, Kabiru Adamu, lamented that despite the early signs, no corresponding measures to avert the attacks were put in place.
He said, “Outside AMAC, there have been constant attacks. If you ask us, the tell-tale sign was there. The Niger State governor had warned, even though his warnings were considered political, because the location he talked about was about 200 kilometres away.
The governor of Kaduna had also warned. All of this points to the fact that these monsters had encircled the FCT and were planning an attack. The corresponding security posture would have limited or prevented the monsters from coming into the FCT. Unfortunately, we didn’t see that. Yes, it would be unfair to say the security department did not do much. They did.
“They carried out raids, which we didn’t see as a coordinated and systematic approach to the issue.” The forests, if you look at the ones that lead to Kaduna, would take you as far as Niger, through Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi. If you look at the one in Niger, there is no way you would carry out a raid and be successful without involving the neighbouring states to block the terrorists from moving around. The result is where we are today.”
He advised that reports about the planned attack on the FCT be handled with caution.
On his part, the former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofo, said the police could not have prepared ahead to avert the attacks because they lacked the required manpower.
He said, “How do you prepare ahead when Police manpower is inadequate, they are ill-equipped and underfunded? That is why people must be involved in security.”
He called on residents to be security conscious and get involved in activities that would secure their communities.
Ejiofo said, “Everybody must not only be security conscious but vigilant. Residents must observe their environment. This is the time to form groups and employ vigilantes to look after the community to strengthen security within their environment. Also, they should ensure they have CCTV in their houses, although, it doesn’t stop crime from happening but it will help the police during its investigation.”
