4,000 APC Members Defect To PDP In Nasarawa

More than 4,000 members of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday
defected to the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in Keffi and Kokona local
government areas of Nasarawa State.
A correspondent report that the defectors
were formally received into the PDP fold
at Keffi and Garaku, the headquarters of
Keffi and Kokona local government areas,
respectively by the state’s Chairman of
the party, Mr Yunana Iliya.
Speaking while receiving the defectors,
Iliya commended their decision to join
the PDP and urged members of other
political parties in the state to also join
the party.
He commended their courage of the
defectors and urged party loyalists to
embrace the new entrants.
The PDP state chairman assured that the
party would continue to initiate
programmes aimed at bringing
development to the people.
Iliya appealed to the electorate to vote
for PDP candidates in the upcoming local
government elections in the state as as
well as in subsequent elections.
He said that, if elected, the party would
embark on massive construction of rural
roads to open up the rural areas in the
state.
Iliya said that the plight of women,
children, persons with disabilities as well
as other vulnerable groups would be also
given top priority by the party.
While appreciating the people for
sustaining peace in the two council areas,
Iliya urged them to sustain the culture of
tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
He also called on the public to support
the efforts of security agencies in
maintaining peace in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mr
Ibrahim Anfani, said that their decision to
join the PDP was informed by the
leadership style of those elected under
the party’s platform across the state
Anfani said that most of the people
elected under the platform of the PDP had
carried everybody along irrespective of
tribal, religious and political inclination in
the state .
Also speaking, a member of the state
assembly (PDP- Kokona West), Mr Danladi
Jatau, assured 100 per cent victory of the
party in the upcoming council poll.
NAN reports that the party is currently on
a state-wide sensitisation of its supporters
ahead of the forthcoming local
government elections in the state. (NAN)

Edo Assembly Suspends LG Boss Over Illegal Trip Abroad

The Edo State House of Assembly
yesterday suspended the Chairman of
Orhionmwon Local Government Area of
the state, Chief Roland Ibierutowhen, for
allegedly using the council’s fund to
junket his family and 12 counsellors to
Italy.
In a move that signaled the anti-
corruption and no-nonsense attitude of
Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s
administra-tion, the lawmakers also
announced the suspension of the
Chairman of Uhunmwode Local
Government Area, Mr. Roland Alari. Alari
was alleged to have assaulted a councillor
for some undisclosed disagreement at the
council secretariat.
The legislative House acted on a petition
letter sent to it by the Orhionmwon Youth
Congress (OYC) in which it accused
Ibierutowhen of junketing all over Italy
with his wife and daughter as well as with
the 12 councillors on public expense. The
youths had taken their anger to the
Benin- Onitsha Highway, protesting what
they described as the inappropriate trip.
The placards-carrying protesters with
various inscriptions such as “Stop looting
Orhionmwon treasury,” “Develop Abudu
with our money,” and “Probe
Ibierutowhen now,” said their action was
informed by the information at their
disposal that Ibierutowhen, who was
supposed to be at his duty post at Abudu,
went frolicking in Italy with his family and
others at public expense.
They, therefore, called on Governor
Oshiomhole, the Assembly and the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to probe the council
chairman for prosecution.

Nigeria Grants Citizenship To 174 Foreigners

The Federal Government on Wednesday
granted Nigerian citizenship to 174
foreigners.
Briefing journalists after the weekly
meeting of the Executive Council of the
Federation, FEC, chaired by President
Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, the
Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said a
breakdown of the applications submitted
included those from 45 ‘Niger
Wives’ (foreigners married to Nigerians), and
129 from persons that were born by
naturalised Nigerians.
Mr. Moro said another 27 applications were
rejected and were not approved by FEC
because “they did not meet the basic
requirements of tax payment and ability to
live their lives in Nigeria without being
economic burdens and security problems”.
“A series of factors were taken into
consideration, but much more importantly
the issue of security that have become very
serious consideration especially when
foreigners from countries that are prone to
violence such as Lebanon and Syria apply to
become Nigerian citizens,” the minister
said.
The minister also criticised Nigerians who
were losing faith in the country.
“We are in this country losing some level of
faith in the viability of Nigeria, on the
brightness of the future of Nigeria given
the level of potential that we have in this
country today by some Nigerians and cynics,
especially opposition political parties or
persons creating an impression that Nigeria
is gravitating towards a failed state.
“Yet we have foreigners who have very
serious economic interest in Nigeria who
have lived in this country, some since
independence who are eager to become
Nigerian citizens by taking into
consideration the economic viability and
potential of Nigeria and hoping that their
lives can better be lived in this country as
Nigerian citizens than citizens of their
countries,” he said.
Mr. Moro said the applicants were from
diverse countries as Venezuela, Mexico,
Thailand, South Korea, Cameroun, Syria,
Lebanon, Greece, India, and Singapore.
According to a working document of the
FEC, the Interior Minister had presented a
memo to Council seeking approval for the
report of the cabinet committee to review
the recommendations of the Advisory
Committee on Nigerian Citizenship (ACNC)
for the grant of Nigerian citizenship to
foreign applicants.
The council had inaugurated a seven-
member committee to review the
recommendations for the ACNC on the
grant of the Nigerian citizenship. The
committee then concluded its assignment
with a report to council.
The EFCC also submitted its report on the
79 applicants referred to it in 2012; and
recommended only 51 out of the 79
applicants for citizenship.

Tonye Okio: President Jonathan’s Critic Has Been Arrested

Sir Tonye Okio, a noted critic of President
Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Henry
Dickson of Bayelsa State, has been arrested.
According to publicly available information,
Mr. Okio was arrested on Saturday April 28,
by officials of the Special Investigation
Bureau (SIB) of the Nigeria Police and
summarily taken to Yenagoa, where he is
being detained in solitary confinement
over his comments --- comments deemed
critical of poor governance, corruption, and
the hubris and excesses of government
officials.
On Facebook and other social media, Tonye
Okio wrote extensively about the need for
moderation, accountability, and the human
and infrastructural development of the
country.
He was also very active on the Ijaw Nation
Forum (a forum for Ijaw worldwide) where
he championed the plight of the
downtrodden and vigorously condemned
the searing poverty and underdevelopment
of the Niger Delta.
What brought him to the attention of the
Police, the State Security Service (SSS) and
other security and intelligence services, was
his constant but honest criticism of President
Jonathan and Governor Dickson.
That he is from the same region/state with
the President did not dissuade him from
speaking the truth, or be less critical of
wrongs and the rut that has come to
characterize his home state and country.
In addition to being a torn on the flesh of the
President, many see his arrest as part of the
“house-cleaning exercise” by the Goodluck
Jonathan camp. This argument is plausible
because Mr. Okio is an ally of Governor
Timipre Sylva. In today’s Bayelsa State, many
known allies and supporters of Chief Sylva are
being persecuted.
According to the information found on the
pages of the Nigerian Current website, this is
the chronology of events as they happened:
On Saturday, October 26, about 15 men,
including plain-clothes Special Investigation
Bureau (SIB) officials and those attached to
the Police Mobile Force (otherwise known as
kill-and-go Police), invaded the Abuja
residence of Tonye Okio in three vehicles (one
Prado Jeep and two Police Escort vans) and
forcefully seized him. Thereafter, they took
his iPad and the mobile phones of himself and
his younger sister;
After getting their target, he was taken to the
headquarters of the Abuja Command of the
Nigeria Police. He stayed with his abductors
who claimed they were trying to arrange a
flight to take him to Yenagoa via Port
Harcourt International Airport.
When the flight arrangement failed, the police
decided to take Tonye by road. They left Abuja
about 4:00 pm Saturday and arrived Yenagoa
about 1:00 am on Sunday, October 27. He
was taken straight to the State Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) of the Nigeria
Police where he is being detained illegally;
The Police authorities claim that Tonye Okio
will be charged for allegedly writing on his
Facebook page recently that an unnamed
South-South Governor was recently caught in
the US with 5 million USD. Tonye denies the
charge;
Since his detention, Sir Okio has been
denied access to visitors. Police sources
say they have been given stern
instructions by the Bayelsa State Police
Commissioner Hillary Opara, to deny that
Tonye Okio is at the State CID;
In addition to the regular police that man the
gates of the State CID, the surroundings have
been taken over by Mobile Police men,
numbering about 10, apparently because of
the high value detainee;
In the recent past, Professor Okey Ndibe, a
noted public intellectual was detained in
Nigeria for doing what democracy, decency
and patriotism demands of him. Since Okey
Ndibe was first harassed, many critics and
public intellectuals have been warned to
desist in their criticism of President
Jonathan and his administration.
We also know this to be the case in
Bayelsa State where Governor Henry
Seriake Dickson, Jonathan’s surrogate and
apologist, have been harassing and
tormenting critics and opponents. This is a
state where everyone must toe the line.
Dissension is not allowed. Critics and
criticism are not welcomed.
President Jonathan and Governor Henry
Dickson must stop this idea that “You are
either for us or against us.” Persecuting
and prosecuting critics must stop. Sending
“attack dogs” after opponents must stop.
Investigating and spreading lies against
perceived opponents and critics must also
stop. In other words, private and public
witch-hunting by government and its
agents must stop.
If Tonye Okio abridged the law, then, charge
and prosecute him before a legally constituted
court of law. Even so, the rule of law must
not be personalized. We are however
confident – very confident -- that he is being
intimidated and terrorized because of his
politics.
Power is fleeting, it is transient. It is
therefore futile and reckless to get drunk on
power. And so we call on President Jonathan
and Governor Dickson to commence the
immediate release of Sir Tonye Okio. If law
abiding citizens like Mr. Okio are being
harassed and illegally detained, then, no one
can be safe from the tyranny and ruthlessness
of the state and or federal government.

Aliyu Denies Leaving New PDP by Usbeel

Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu
Babangida Aliyu has denied the lead report
in the Daily Trust of Tuesday October 29,
2013, that he pulled out of the group of
seven ( G-7) governors and the new PDP,
saying he remains the leader of the G-7.
The Daily Trust yesterday carried a report
quoting an unnamed source close to the
governor as revealing that the governor has
chosen to leave the fold of the new PDP
quietly to return to the Bamanga Tukur-led
PDP.
Following yesterday’s denial by the governor
which claimed that the Daily Trust report
was a lie, the paper has revealed that the
information contained in its lead report of
Tuesday was actually from the media aide to
the governor, Danladi Ndayebo, who on
Monday told our reporter with express
approval that it should be reported that the
governor is leaving the fold of the new PDP.
Daily Trust had reported the story based on
the reliability of the source, supposing that
such a revelation could not only be
authentic and true but can only be given out
with the full consent of the governor.
Ndayebo reliably informed our
correspondent that Gov. Aliyu had pulled out
of the new PDP saying the governor had
succumbed to pressure from PDP
stakeholders and in order to save his
political career which was being threatened
by the adventure with the leadership of the
nPDP. The spokesman said that the governor
has been under pressure from stalwarts of
the ruling party, including the Chairman of
the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony
Anenih, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and one-
time Director General of the Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA), Mr Ben Bruce
who met him at different times to plead with
him to return to the party.
Governor Aliyu yesterday while playing host
to the national president and other leaders
of the Nigeria Civil Service Union in his
office in Minna, described the Daily Trust
report as an enemy action sponsored to
break the ranks of the G-7 governors.
He said: “I woke up this morning with a rude
shock that a newspaper that can call me at
anytime to confirm a report would file such
a report because I was not in a meeting. The
paper went to town saying I have pulled out
of G-7.
“The truth of the matter is that Babangida
Aliyu is still a member and in fact, I am the
leader of G-7.
“I regard that write-up as an enemy action.
It was planted by people who are interested
in breaking our ranks and who try to input
motives where there are none. I see the
hands of some people I can identify to have
sponsored this article. I urge people not to
make policies relating to all they read in the
papers as some of these articles are
sponsored.”
Aliyu said his absence from the Sunday
meeting of the G-7 was not intentional and
explained that he was absent partly because
of the shift of the time of the meeting and
his ill-health and that his colleagues were
adequately informed and apologies sent
through three governors and wondered why
his absence at the meeting could be
misconstrued to mean he is pulling out of
the group.
“On that day, I did not plan to leave Minna
until 2pm since the meeting was slated for
8pm, then I got a call that the Sokoto State
governor had requested a shift in time
because he had a programme the next day
on the opening of the state university and he
requested that the meeting is shifted from
8pm to 2pm.
“So I sent an apology because there was no
way I could meet up with them since I was
still in Minna by 2pm. I spoke to three of my
colleagues and asked them to help me
tender my apologies especially as I was not
feeling too well but I had intended to travel.
When other of my colleagues were not
around, I attended meetings on their behalf,
I don’t see why my absence would be
conjured to mean I have pulled out of the
G7”, Aliyu explained.
He also said: “This is not the time for
anyone to pull out of the party when out of
respect for the office of the President and
the President himself, we are discussing.
There is no way you can wake up and say
you are pulling out when you are already
negotiating. You cannot pull out at this
moment. The time for decision to be taken
will be when we have concluded discussions
with the President.
“After the conclusion and agreement at the
end of the discussions, those who may be
satisfied with the outcome will take their
decision, the same with those not satisfied
with the outcome. Despite anyone’s decision,
we will still remain as Nigerians.

Catholic Church Clears Ngige Over Purported Attack On Priest

The Roman Catholic Church Tuesday gave the
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship
candidate in Anambra State, Sen. Chris Ngige a
clean bill over allegations reported in the
social media that he attacked a Catholic priest
declaring the story to be fiction and the
handiwork of mischief makers.
In an interactive session with journalists at St.
Patrick Catholic Diocese premises in Awka, the
Chancellor,  Rev. Dr. Chudi Peter Akaenyi
affirmed that  neither the church nor  any
priest granted an interview or gave such story
to anyone and described the controversy as
politically  motivated to malign the Senator’s
image.
According to Rev, Akaenyi, ”On that fateful
day anybody knows that we had more than
1,000 people at the funeral ceremony for the
mother of Most  Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafora,
the Catholic Bishop of Awka nd many people
came. So we had a VIP space where we
entertained dignitaries. I was inside the VIP
and did not know what was happening at the
gate”
“Sen. Ngige also came with his people and the
Priest Rev. Fr. Evaristus Ezeokwonu was at the
gate receiving the guests and he told Ngige that
we cannot take all his people which he
accepted. Infact the priest gave Ngige more
number of people and he went into the VIP
before the incident happened”
“Stories came to us that Ngige security aides
attacked the priest and we drew the attention
of Ngige who came out to ask what happened.
Ngige asked for the policemen and we
discovered that the police men were not those
that came with Ngige.
‘’Later the three police men who actually
pushed the gate came to apologize to the priest
and they shook hands and we said ok. Nobody
slapped the priest what people are saying is
absolutely wrong and I can assure you that no
priest would have been attacked. No priest or
the church spoke to anybody.
“We know that during the political era people
would want to do one thing or the other in
order to achieve one or two aims. But we in
the church, we do not get involved in politics
we do not play politics. The allegation is
absolutely false”.
In his reaction to the allegation Ngige said “It
was politically motivated. I am a knight of St.
John of the Catholic Church and as a knight we
are soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ and we
are there to protect the church and the priest.
That is the more reason why I must protect
the priest as knight and the people who
represent Christ on earth are Rev. Fathers by
our Catholic doctrine.
‘’The Bishop is a Rev. Fr. before he became a
bishop and the same with the cardinal and
even the pope was once a Rev. Fr. and he
personify Christ on earth. The person who is
saying that I slapped a Rev. Father is
hallucinating. I can’t even conceive it. I come
from a very strong Catholic family and my
background is totally Catholic”
“I wouldn’t even do that on a clergy man of
Anglican communion or the Pentecostal church
or Methodist because the doctrines  are the
same.
‘’These are anointed people and that is why my
respect for them are undiluted at all. This
season is season of politics and the people in
APGA planted the story. They are clutching at
every straw that they can find as drowning
people. They are drowning, their ship is
sinking and so they have gone into
mudslinging. They are now throwing mud but
if it is a joke I think this is an expensive joke.
If it is mischief I think it is mischief carried
too far and they have crossed the red line and
I have a name to protect
“I have my integrity to protect and those who
know me well know that I am somebody who
cannot dream of a thing like that. So my legal
team is looking at this situation and
appropriate action will be taken in due cause”

Jonathan’s motorcade rescues accident victims.

The advance team of President
Goodluck Jonathan’s entourage, returning from
Ado-Ekiti on Sunday rendered emergency
rescue services to accident victims on the
Lokoja-Abuja highway.
The accident which occurred at Okpu village,
few kilometres after Lokoja, involved two cars,
carrying 11 people.
A Nissan Almera car with registration number
AH 47 KAA going to Lokoja and a Honda
Accord car (Baby Boy) with registration
number BG945BWR en-route Abuja, were
involved in the accident.
The two vehicles had a head-on collision with
serious impact, causing varying degrees of
injury to the occupants of the vehicles.
The accident occurred few minutes before the
presidential motorcade came to the scene.
The security team in the convoy swung into
action by rescuing trapped victims in the two
cars.
The front door of the passenger seat of the
Nissan car was axed before a middle aged
woman, who was trapped inside, could be
rescued.
The medical team, led by Dr Aliyu Usman of
the State House Clinic, rendered emergency
medical treatment to the victims, aided by two
nurses.
A team of Federal Road Safety Commission
(FRSC), led by one Mohammed Haruna, came
to the scene of the accident about 30 minutes
into the rescue operation.
The victims were taken to the Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja in an FRSC rescue van for
further medical attention.
An eye witness, Aliyu Sadiq, said that the
accident was caused by over-speeding,
dangerous driving and the poor state of the
road.
Sadiq appealed to the Federal Government to
expedite action on completing the dualisation
of the Lokoja-Abuja highway.
The eye witness, who is a commercial bus
driver, said he plied the road on daily basis,
adding that “there is a hardly a day that an
accident is not recorded on the road.” (NAN)

ASUUstrike Update: ASUUrejects N600billion offer fromFG

According to THE NATION, the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU has rejected FG’s
latest offer tabled before them in order to
make them end their 4-month-old strike.
SAHARA REPORTERS had yesterday cited an
internal memo by the VC of Federal
University, Otuoke, Prof. Bolaji Aluko saying
FG had pledged to spend N200 billion on the
universities in the 2014 budget and the same
amount annually for the next three to four
years, in addition to the N100 billion already
made available this year.
The government had also, according to the
memo increased to N40 billion, as a first
installment, funds for the payment of earned
allowances to the striking lecturers – an
improvement from the N30 billion previously
released. Universities will be given autonomy
on spending funds to develop their facilities,
the memo added. ASUU was also mandated to
submit a blueprint for revitalising the
universities to the Vice President.
All this, the memo said, was the result of the
meetings held with the Vice President
Mohammed Sambo and others on Sept. 19
and Oct 11.
But the varsity teachers remained
unimpressed and adamant, and last night said
the old strike would go on, despite the
government’s shifting of its position.
ASUU’s National Treasurer Dr. Ademola
Aremu, speaking with THE NATION said the
offer failed to meet the teachers’ expectations
and falls short of the agreement signed with
ASUU by the government.
“Even if the Federal Government made that
promise, it would be a unilateral repudiation
of the 2009 agreement. By now, the
government should have injected N500
billion. That amounts to N100 billion in 2012
and N400 billion in the current year.” He
said.
“As a matter of fact, any new commitment
from the Federal Government is belated.
Implementation of the agreement ought to
have started before this year. I don’t think
there is any way we can trust this
government, going by its past behaviour on
this issue.
“The mandate from our principal as at the last
time we met was that we won’t end the strike
until the agreement is fully implemented.
“We do not need promises again. What we
need now is actual implementation. What if
they do not release the funds again after
making the promise?
“It was this same Mr President that mid-wifed
the agreement in 2009 when he was the Vice
President. The MoU was in his custody. He
studied the agreement well before asking then
President Umaru Yar’Adua to sign it. We can’t
trust this government.”