Connect with us

Headline

Tinubu, Oshiomhole, Amaechi Slam Obasanjo for Attack on Buhari

Published

on

The All Progressives Congress leaders, including a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday at the presidential rally of the party in Maiduguri, took turns to berate former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his latest attack on President Muhammadu Buhari.

Obasanjo, had in a 16-page statement on Sunday, likened Buhari to the late military dictator, Gen Sani Abacha.

But at the APC rally, Tinubu described Obasanjo as an expired leader, who should not be trusted, adding that Obasanjo’s government was notorious for election rigging.

The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, also lambasted Obasanjo, saying the ex-President was watching when the Peoples Democratic Party government was stealing funds meant for fighting Boko Haram.

The Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, recalled that when he was a governor in Rivers State, the Obasanjo’s government withdrew his security detail.

Obasanjo is an expired leader – Tinubu

Tinubu, who is the APC Campaign Co-Chairman, highlighted the barrage of attacks on Obasanjo, saying the ex-President should  have retired to his farm in Ota and remained quiet.

He said, “It is unfortunate that expired leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo are ranting and lying. Don’t trust him. We are sweeping all the cobwebs of corruption away with broom out of Nigeria. Ota farm should be enough a retirement place for Obasanjo to keep quiet.

“Who among Nigerians will recall how the PDP government under Obasanjo was notorious for rigging elections? No government has upheld the tenets of democracy like the government of President Buhari. We asked for the recognition of June 12 from Obasanjo, he refused, but President Buhari as an honest man with integrity heard our cry and recognised June 12.

“Even if the forum of association of angry old men refuses to vote for Buhari, we will give him 95 per cent votes.”

Tinubu noted that four years ago the APC had promised to take the ship of Nigeria to the right direction. This, he said, the party had done.

Obasanjo is frustrated – Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole said Obasanjo’s attack on Buhari was borne out of frustration.

He said, “The people writing epistle now watched how money meant for security was appropriated by not only the PDP but the generals. Under their watch, over 20 local government areas of Borno State were taken over by the Boko Haram terrorists before the coming of President Buhari.

“Today, no matter what they want to say, there is no local government where Boko Haram is hoisting its flag. All the 27 local government areas of Borno have been liberated by the APC government.”

Amaechi also said under the PDP government his security detail was withdrawn, while he was chased out of the country by Obasanjo.

Obasanjo’s govt drove me into exile, says Amaechi

Amaechi stated, “Sometime in 2006, I was driven out of this country by a PDP-led Federal Government. I went into exile in Ghana. I was in Ghana for 10 months. I was expelled from the party, the PDP until I became a governor. And when I became a governor, I told them I did not want to belong to the PDP again. They met me and apologised and readmitted me into the PDP.”

He urged Nigerians to compare the administration of the PDP with the current government of Buhari and decide which was closer to Abacha’s government.

“I was a governor in 2013, 2014, 2015. I had no security. A PDP-led government had chased my CSO and my ADC away. My ADC ran to London, my CSO was put in an underground cell. A major who was in my convoy was also put in an underground cell. I was left without security.”

Buhari, who addressed the crowd in Hausa, thanked them for their support and restated the commitment of his administration to the fight against corruption and insecurity.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Buhari said his administration had achieved significant progress in the campaign against corruption, economic diversification and improvement of security.

He said, “In 2015; I promised three things namely: security, economy and corruption. We reinvigorated the agricultural sector; provided fertiliser and other support to farmers. I am happy that we recorded bumper harvest in the past two seasons.

“On security, our achievements are glaring and I remain committed to the protection of lives and property of the people as well as safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity.”

He called on the electorate to vote for the APC and all its candidates to enable them to continue with their policies.

The Punch

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Headline

Fuel Subsidy Removal: FG, Labour Meeting Ends in Deadlock

Published

on

By

Talks between the Federal Government and organised labour over the removal of fuel subsidy ended in a deadlock on Wednesday as they failed to reach a consensus following the hike in petrol pump prices to over N700 from N195 per litre by oil marketers.

The hours-long meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa was to, among other things, prevent a labour crisis following the recent increase in the petrol pump price occasioned by the discontinuance of petroleum subsidy.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited said it had adjusted the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit to reflect the market realities. The agency, however, failed to state the new prices of petrol.

However, several retails outlets sold the product between 600 and N800 in Lagos, Abuja , Ogun and some other states.

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, pointed out that the hike in the cost of PMS would trigger galloping inflation in the country, stressing that some outlets in the South-East were currently dispensing the product at N1,200/l.

Ukadike stated, “Once NNPCL retail stations have adjusted their pumps to reflect the new price, there is nothing you can do about it; that is the new price. As I speak with you, all of them are now selling at the new prices. The situation is so bad, that somewhere in Ebonyi State our members informed us that it is now N1,200/litre.

“We thought the President would remove the subsidy through a seamless means because the source of this petrol is the NNPCL. They are the ones subsidising petroleum products, they are the people who use their revenue to subsidise this product.’’

The IPMAN spokesperson expressed worry over the rate of increase in inflation and hardship that would come as a result of the latest hike in petrol price.

“This hike in petrol price will definitely lead to galloping inflation and will worsen the hardship already being faced by the Nigerian masses. It is not something to cheer about. It came as a surprise and in the coming days, we will see the very harsh ripple effects,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ukadike has called on the Federal Government and the NNPCL to give other marketers the opportunity to start importing petrol in order to create competition in the sector.

“The NNPCL is importing and has not given people the opportunity to join them in importing so as to see whether private sector operators can import the product cheaper or not. So there is no competition. In a deregulated regime, there must be competition, everyone with capacity should be allowed to import,” the IPMAN official stated.

When asked whether other marketers could resume imports since the government had finally deregulated petrol prices, Ukadike replied, “Marketers can import, but let me tell you some of the factors militating against this. The first is that there won’t be availability of dollars.

“You will source your dollar from the parallel market and if you are not careful in doing this, and you go into the importation of petroleum products, you might not ‘come out of it alive’ at the end of the day.

“So what we are saying is that those advantages that NNPCL has, should be shared with other major importers of petroleum products. If it is through crude buy-back, they should let us know so that independent players such as IPMAN members can come together and be able to use it in the buy-back model.’’

He added, “For independent marketers, the most important thing is that there should be availability of petroleum products, and the government should open up the space for importers and investors to come in.”

NNPCL, the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria for several years running, confirmed the hike in petrol price in a statement and a new pricing template released to marketers nationwide.

But the move has sparked a groundswell of anger across the nation with the Nigeria Labour Congress demanding an immediate reversal of the decision.

The union also said it would hold an emergency meeting on Friday on the fuel price increase which had triggered hoarding and scarcity across the country with attendant rise in transport fares, goods and services.

The fuel price hike by the oil firm is coming 72 hours after President Bola Tinubu declared in his inaugural address on Monday that the subsidy regime had ended.

To pacify the growing anger over the situation, the FG hastily summoned some labour leaders to a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday evening.

The meeting had in attendance the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Festus Osifo, former NLC President and immediate past governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and others, however, ended in a deadlock as the labour and government teams failed to reach a consensus.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Joe Ajaero, said “As far as labour is concerned, we didn’t have a consensus in this meeting.”

He faulted the NNPCL over an official release published hours earlier reviewing the petrol pump price in its filling stations nationwide.

He said the move puts the labour unions in a difficult position on the negational table.

“That’s the principle of negotiation. You don’t put the partner, ask them to negotiate under gunpoint. The prayer of the NLC is that we go back to the status quo, negotiate, think of alternatives and all the effects and how to manage the effects this action is going to have on the people. If it is an action that must take off.

“The subsidy provision has been made up to the end of June. And before then, conscious people, labour management, and the government should be able to think of what will happen at the end of June. You don’t start it before the time,” Ajaero said.

The Punch

Continue Reading

Headline

Breaking: Founder, DAAR Communications, Raymond Dokpesi is Dead

Published

on

By

By Eric Elezuo

The Founder of DAAR Communications, owners of the foremost radio and television stations in Nigeria, Raypower and African Independent Television (AIT), High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, is dead.

Reliable sources said the High Chief died while exercising on a treadmill on Monday afternoon.

The source said Dopkesi suffered a stroke some weeks ago.

Details soon…

Continue Reading

Headline

I Stand on Rule of Law, with Our Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, PDP, Says Dele Momodu

Published

on

By

By Eric Elezuo

Frontline journalist and Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Council in the just concluded Presidential election, Chief Dele Momodu, had said that he remains a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and will always stand on the side of rule of law, and with the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Momodu made the revelations in a statement he signed himself, noting that the last election, which brought Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to power, was savagely manipulated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He praised the steps Atiku, and the presidential candidate of the Labour candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, have taken in seeking legal redress.

The statement in details:

I STAND ON RULE OF LAW

My position on the state of our country NIGERIA is simple and straightforward. I’m a loyal member of PDP who owes absolute allegiance to Nigeria and its Rule of Law. My political party PDP and others passionately hold the view that the last Presidential election was savagely manipulated by the ruling party APC and the cases are already in courts. Nothing will make me abandon my party on the altar of convenience and profit. Win or lose, I will continue to stand on this principle without any malice or prejudice against those who think otherwise. Democracy is a game of choice and I’m resolutely standing by our candidate, the former Vice President ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR (GCON) who has taken the honorable and peaceful step of going to court to seek redress. This is the only way we can deepen our hard earned Democracy. Sacrifice is not always convenient but painful.

I salute and respect The Wazirin Adamawa and others like my dear friend and Brother, former Governor Peter Obi, the Labor Party Presidential candidate, for promoting the best tenets of Democracy in Nigeria and I’m willing to encourage them rather than discourage their onerous quests…

CHIEF DELE MOMODU

Continue Reading

Trending

%d bloggers like this: