News

Council Bosses Lament Kidnapping, Illegal Mining in FCT

By Web News 474

19 persons were on Thursday, kidnapped in the Bwari Area Council of Abuja, while no fewer than 30 persons were reported to have died in a landslide caused by activities of illegal miners in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

These were revealed during the maiden meeting between the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the six Area Council Chairmen.

The Minister, who was concerned about the developments, said he would summon the FCT Director of State Services, as well as the Commissioner of Police, to be comprehensively briefed about the kidnap incident and facilitate rescue operations.

While asking the council bosses to set up a surveillance task force in their areas to monitor mining activities, Wike said he would meet with his counterpart in Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to eliminate illegal mining in the FCT.

Speaking on the challenges confronting the councils, Kwali Area Council chairman, Danladi Chiya, appealed to the Wike and the Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, to come to their aid.

He said, “When we heard about your appointment, we were happy because you have been a Council Chairman and therefore, understand our challenges. Our challenges are inadequate funding of the Local Government system.

“We have the major challenge of insecurity across the six Area Councils. Just today (Thursday), about 19 people were kidnapped in the Bwari Area Council. I just received about five people in my council, who were in captivity for about six days.

“The next is the development of satellite towns. The issue of sanitation is one of the major challenges confronting us. There is also no efficient transport facility. The Abuja Urban Mass Transit buses are no longer functional.

“Then, there is the issue of land allocation. You sit in your council and your backyard will be allocated to someone you don’t even know. Graveyards and worship centres would be allocated and all we are saying is that we should be carried along in terms of land allocation.

“The responsibility of primary school teachers is on the Local Governments. The UBE’s payment of salaries lies on the council, which by law is supposed to be 60-40 percent. We are pleading that you help us so that this issue can be looked into.”

The Kuje Area Council Chairman, Abdullahi Sabo, also lamented the menace of illegal miners, saying, “There is the issue of illegal mining in the FCT. Indiscriminate mining licences are given out and this has led to insecurity. They give letters of consent to Chinese people.

“Just a few days ago, there was a landslide that took the lives of 30 people as a result of the activities of illegal miners. We appeal to you to engage the Minister of Mines to stop mining in the FCT.”

“On sanitation, we have a problem. Sanitation is a big issue. It is the duty of the council not just to collect the fees but to dispose of refuse. We have to sit down and work together on this by adopting a common template.”

Responding, Wike said, “On illegal mining, I will talk to the minister. Ordinarily, I would say you should also form your own surveillance taskforce as Chief Security Officers of your councils and make arrests and we will support you. However, I will meet with the minister”.

Punch/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Politics

‘Ayu-must-go’: Wike’s Group Pulls Out of Atiku’s Campaign Team

By Web News 610

The team of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) has pulled out of the campaign Council of the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

Rising from their stormy meeting at the country home of Wike in Obio-Akpor on Wednesday morning, members of the team vowed not to partake in Atiku’s campaign activities pending the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

The members of the party sympathetic to Wike insisted that there would be no deal with Atiku until Ayu vacated his office to allow an acting Chairman from the South lead the campaign of Atiku.

The aggrieved party stalwarts comprising founding members of the party, Governors, former Ministers and other leaders of the party made their position known in a resolution read by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George.

They maintained that their position was not negotiable as the chairmanship of Ayu undermined the unity and constitution of the party.

Present at this defining gathering at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; former Governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Donald Duke of Cross River, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Jonah Jang of Plateau, former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.

Others at the meeting are elder statesmen, Olabode George, Jerry Gana; South-South Chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche; Senator Suleiman Nazif, Nnenna Ukeje, among several others.

After over seven hours of private meeting from 7pm on Tuesday, September 20 to past 2am on Wednesday September 21, they gathered to brief journalists on the outcome, with George stating the shocker.

Reading the resolution, George said: “Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of the Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.

“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu”.

Jang said: “For a National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to go and embrace Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tanbuwal, calling him the hero of the convention meant that there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to shortchange other contestants including Governor Wike.

“Here was a referee, who helped one of his sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians. Therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down”.

They said their support for Wike was neither because he lost the presidential primary nor because he was not chosen as the Vice-presidential running mate but because of equity and justice in the party.

A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, said if the party intended to restructure Nigeria it should have the courage to restructure itself.

“You cannot build on a faulty foundation. This call for the chairman to step down or resign is not because any of us is aggrieved but because we believe it is important to ensure a a just, fair, principled and constitutional structure for the party. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we should have the courage to restructure our party”.

Oyo Governor, Seyi Makinde, said: “We hope that the powers that be listen to the voice of reason and do the needful”.

Olaolu Fawole

Politics

I Am Open to Meeting Wike- Atiku

By Web News 445

Atiku Abubakar presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says he is open to meeting with Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state. 

Abubakar said this while fielding questions from journalists in Osogbo, Osun state capital.

When asked if the party is divided into factions, Abubakar said: “It is a social media drama. There is nothing like a Wike camp or Atiku camp. There is one PDP family.”

Atiku was also asked if there is a plan to meet with Wike for reconciliation, and he responded by saying: “Why not? I am open to that.”

The former vice-president added that the party will surmount its present challenges.

“Some people get angry when things don’t go their way and so on and so forth. We will overcome that. I have every belief that we are going to do that,” he said.

The opposition party has been embroiled in rancour since Abubakar named Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

Some party stakeholders, including Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, had expressed concerns over Atiku’s decision to overlook Wike, who was recommended for the position by the party’s national working committee.

Wike placed second in the party’s presidential primary election which took place in May.

A few days ago, Abubakar had said actions are being taken to address the grievances of party members.

“We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members,” the former vice-president had said.

“The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.”

Cable/Taiwo Akinola

Politics

Wike Makes State Police an Agenda if Elected President

By Web News 406

A Presidential aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says he will embrace restructuring and advance the creation of state police if elected as the president of Nigeria.

He stated this at the Agodi Government House, Ibadan while addressing Oyo State delegates to the national convention of the party slated to hold later this month.

The PDP presidential hopeful while addressing the over 180 delegates, said he had much believe in restructuring, adding that the nation might not survive without state police.

Governor Wike said he was best man for the job, urging the delegates to support people with good character and consistency in order to take Nigeria to greater heights, noting that since 1998 when PDP was formed, he never left the party.

Governor Wike pleaded with all the delegates to support his presidential ambition so as to clinch the ticket of the party during the May 28 party’s convention in Abuja.

He, however, promised that he would not leave the party even he did not win the presidential ticket, maintaining that he would continue to work for PDP.

Another presidential aspirant of PDP in attendance, Ayodele Fayose stated that PDP in the Southwest would go to the convention with one voice.

Mr Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State was optimistic that the delegates in the Southwest would go to the convention with 85% of their votes in one place.

In a remark, the host, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State assured his colleagues vying for presidential ticket of his support in making the dream a reality.

Iyabo Adebisi