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6 WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 • THISDAY PAGE SIX IN RENEWED OFFENSIVES, BOKO HARAM KILLS 22 PERSONS, INJURES MANY IN ADAMAWA a bomb at the weekly cattle market in Garkida town resulting in the killing of 10 persons on the spot and injuring several others who had been taken to the hospital for treatment. The eyewitness said that the bomb blast had caused serious apprehension as many feared that more of such attacks might be underway. He said he believed that the Boko Haram insurgents had regrouped and recruited a large number of suicide bombers to carry out future attacks on the state. There are however varying accounts of the attack. While some said a suicide bomber pretending to be a potential customer at the market detonated the bomb, another version had it that the bomb was actually planted at the gate of the market. Another eyewitness said that the incident took place at about 2pm when the market was at the peak of activities leading to high casualties. Adama Mohammed, a resident of the town who narrowly escaped the blast, said that many of the victims including the dead and the injured had been evacuated to hospitals as activities in the market had come to a standstill. Confirming the incident, the factional Speaker of Adamawa State House of Assembly, Jerry Kumdisi, who hails from the area, noted that many persons had lost their lives in the attack. Gombi was one of the seven local government areas overrun by the Boko Haram insurgents in Adamawa State last year. It was in Gombi town that a German working with the state government's vocational school was abducted before he was finally rescued early this year. Efforts to get the Army Public Relations Officer of the 23rd Army Brigade, Captain Nuhu Jafaru, proved abortive as at the time of filing this report although some military sources confirmed the attack. However, the state police command confirmed that seven people were killed from the bomb blast detonated by a suicide bomber in Garkida town. The state command's Police Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Othman, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), disclosed that a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the Garkida cattle market in Garkida town which resulted in the death of seven persons including the suicide bomber. He said many people sustained different degrees of injuries from the blast as some of them were said to be in critical condition. And in what appears as a renewed wave of attacks, about 12 persons have been reportedly killed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Ajiya Wagga town of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Reports indicate that the insurgents were determined to stage a comeback in their struggles to take control of the area as they continued their onslaught on villages and towns of Madagali Local Government area of the state. According to the reports, the insurgents started by launching an attack on Sabongari town of Madagali leading to the death of one person, while six women were abducted on Saturday and immediately advanced to attack Ajiya Wagga town, same night which resulted in the killing of 12 persons, while many sustained varying degrees of injury as they scampered for safety. A fleeing resident of Ajiya Wagga, Mr. Warga Sunday, said the gunmen struck the town in the middle of the night on Saturday while most of the residents had gone to bed and started shooting sporadically and in the process killing many. "I saw many dead bodies lying as I fled into nearby bush to escape from the insurgents, who were advancing in full force. "Many people are still in the bush as they fear another attack by the gunmen even as some fled to neighbouring villages," Sunday said. He however called on government to expedite action that can crush the insurgents. He noted that many of the villagers were just returning from their place of refuge having been chased out of the town last year by the insurgents. Another resident, who identified himself as Musa, said many villagers have sustained various degrees of injury and are being evacuated to hospitals for proper medical attention. He noted that the insurgents stormed the village around midnight on Saturday and started killing innocent people leading to the death of about 12 people. Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the local council, Maina Ularamu, called on government to provide more security in the area in order to prevent the influx of fleeing insurgents to the area. However when contacted, spokesman of the Adamawa State Police Command, Othman Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the police were yet to receive an official report of the incident. The insurgents had last weekend, recaptured Marte town in northern Borno State, just as a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the Damaturu motor park killing seven persons. The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, had last Monday expressed dissatisfaction that the army had not been able to crush the Boko Haram insurgency, remarking that the recent gain of routing them (terrorists) was with the aid of South African mercenaries. He declared that it is as shameful as it was unacceptable. He has nine days to assume office as the Commander-in- Chief and take charge. GOVS, OKONJO-IWEALA DISAGREE ON EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT This is the first joint meeting of all the governors since May 24, 2013, when the governors’ crisis broke out, following the election that produced the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, with 19 votes to beat Jonah Jang of Plateau State who polled 16 votes. Reading the resolution of the meeting at about 1.08 am, the Chairman of the forum, Governor Amaechi, said: "In the light of the fact that funds in the Excess Crude Account were last disbursed in May 2013, there is need for the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to provide explanation for accruals to the account from June 2013 to April 2015, which is estimated at over $20 billion." The governors in the communiqué said: "We are hereby reconciled and united as a single united umbrella association of the 36 state governors of Nigeria regardless of party or region." In view of this, Amaechi said in the communiqué that Governor Abdullazeez Yari of Zamfara State has been elected as the Chairman of the NGF by consensus for one year period of May 2015 to May 2016. The governors also congratulated the Presidentelect, Muhammadu Buhari, and commended the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat. Amaechi announced that there would be a retreat in June for the incoming governors, adding that it is aimed at equipping the new and returning governors with knowledge of global best practices for running their offices. The communiqué further said that the NGF would establish an academy to be known as the "NGF Leadership Academy", which would be responsible for capacity building for governors and other officials holding public office. The academy will be overseen by the NGF secretariat. In her response to the demand for an explanation on the $20 billion accruals to the Excess Crude Account, Okonjo-Iweala described as strange demands by the governors for an explanation on alleged missing $20 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA). In a statement issued last night by her Special Adviser, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, the minister affirmed that the governors’ allegation was totally strange because the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meets every month “and the ECA is discussed at every session with all the state commissioners of finance present”. “Nothing is hidden. At these meetings, the Honourable Minister of State, who is the Chair of FAAC announces the balance in the ECA, which is then discussed. So governors who want any information about the ECA should ask for details from their commissioners who should have the records of what was discussed and agreed upon,” Okonjo-Iweala stressed. According to her, details of the ECA are also published every month along with the allocations to the three tiers of government. “The reference to June 2013 in the statement is probably because the National Economic Council last met in May 2013. But this is immaterial because the FAAC meetings during which the ECA and similar issues are discussed have generally held regularly every month. “It is interesting that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who was reported to have read the communique on behalf of the governors made a similar unsubstantiated allegation in November 2013 that $5 billion was missing from the ECA. “We subsequently showed with facts that not only was the amount not missing, Rivers State received N257.6 billion from the Federation Account between January and October 2013, the second highest among the states, of which N56.2 billion from the Excess Crude Account was a part. “In the interest of transparency and accountability, and to throw more light on this issue, the Federal Ministry of Finance will publish details of the Continued on page 7 CBN RETAINS INTEREST RATE AT 13%, HARMONISES CRR AT 31% factors were largely transient and outside the purview of monetary policy. The need to maintain uniformity caused the MPC to also harmonise the CRR of the public and private sectors. In the past, while the private sector CRR was at 20 per cent, the CRR on public sector funds was at 75 per cent. The latest MPC decision means that both CRR have been unified at 31 TOP GAINERS NGN NGN % BETAGLASS 3.38 36.38 10.2 SKYEBANK 0.23 2.61 9.6 VONO 0.08 0.98 8.8 MAYBAKER 0.10 1.78 5.9 WEMABANK 0.05 1.05 4.5 TOP LOSERS NGN NGN % CAVERTON 0.35 3.35 9.4 AGLEVENTIS 0.08 1.54 4.9 PORTPAINTS 0.17 3.47 4.6 RTBRISCORP 0.04 0.88 4.3 TOTAL 6.39 150.51 4.1 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦905.02 Volume: 356.234 million shares Value: N4.149 billion Deals: 4,700 As at yesterday 19/05/15 See details on Page 48 per cent. Some economists and financial market operators anticipate that the MPC decision would help inject some liquidity back into the banking system, even as they noted that banks that are more reliant on public sector deposits would be the key beneficiaries of this additional injection of liquidity. Addressing journalists at the end MPC meeting in Abuja, Mr. Emefiele explained that the 31 per cent CRR is just a composite rate. Emefiele said the action would enable the central bank achieve the efficacy of the CRR rate regime. He said the MPC members considered that the current discriminatory CRR on public and private sector deposits had not only constrained the policy space but could inspire moral hazard by private market participants. Consequently, he said they noted that while additional tightening measures may not be appropriate now to avoid overheating the economy, the harmonisation of the CRR was imperative in order to curb abuses and improve the efficacy of monetary policy. "What we've done is to just have a composite rate so there's no need for us to have CRR for both private and public sector deposits. The 31 per cent is just a composite rate which just brings it together and there's no need for anybody to continue to wonder if they are taking CRR based on public sector or on private sector," he said. Furthermore, the significant rising trend in credit to government was regarded as potential headwinds to growth with negative spillovers to the already elevated lending rates, credit to the private sector and aggregate domestic investment including inflationary pressures.The committee expressed deep concern over the lackluster performance of the external sector arising from a number of significant global shocks." Continuing, Emefiele pointed out that the continued glut in crude oil supplies amidst softening prices, anchored by sluggish global output expansion could further threaten foreign exchange earnings and accretion to external reserves over a much longer period. He noted that a near- term rally in oil prices was further undermined by the diminishing market power of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). "In the light of these developments, therefore, the committee stressed the need for proactive measures to protect the reserve buffer to safeguard the value of the domestic currency and engender overall stability of the banking system. It was, however, noted that monetary policy is gradually approaching the limits of tightening and would, therefore, require complementary fiscal and structural policies," he added. Responding to questions from journalists on insinuation that the central bank had restricted forex transactions, he said: "Let me say that there isn't really any forex restriction. What we've done based on what had happened in the market in the last couple of months is to eliminate the activities of round trippers or people who are front-loading the foreign exchange demand and this has culminated in a couple of policy circulars that were released by the CBN to Nigerian banks about the way they should operate in the foreign exchange market. "Some of those measures, as I keep saying were because of the current situation which we found ourselves, and the vulnerabilities we have been exposed to as a result of the drop in crude prices, we would continue to monitor some of those policies that were put in place and as we see that things are moderating and things are getting better-naturally what we would do is to revisit them, review them so the market can operate even better than it is right now." Speaking in a telephone interview with THISDAY, an Executive Director at Diamond Bank Plc, Mr. Abdulrahman Yinusa said the harmonisation of the CRR would help in simplifying cash reserve requirement computation by banks. He however argued that the monetary policy action would "discourage private sector initiative because it doesn't matter again whether it is private or public sector fund." On her part, the Head of Research/Chief Economist Africa, at Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan, argued that the MPC decision would result in "an eventual tightening, the immediate impact on market liquidity will depend on the ratio of private sector to public sector deposits in the Nigerian banking system." "Our calculations – based on data available from February, suggests a rough 73:27 ratio of private sector deposits to public sector deposits. If this still holds true, (and a lot has changed since February) we expect to see the injection of some liquidity back into the banking system. Banks that are more reliant on public sector deposits will be the key beneficiaries of this additional injection of liquidity," Khan added. Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rwane, said the MPC members acknowledged that they had reached the peak of its monetary policy tightening. He urged the fiscal authorities, especially the incoming government to initiate policies that would engender job creation and inclusive growth necessary to complement the monetary policy stance. Similarly, the Executive Director of Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman, said the process of managing the cash reserves ratio previously was very confusing, adding that a unified rate makes a lot sense. He described the move as a tactical easing. He noted that the central bank had done a lot in protecting forex reserves so as to encourage foreign direct investments.
8 THISDAY • WEDNESDAY, MAY , Buhari Appoints Femi Adesina Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Roland Ogbonnaya Less than 10 days to the inauguration of his administration, the Presidentelect, Muhammadu Buhari, may have made his first official appointment by naming the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers, Mr. Femi Adesina, as his Special Adviser (SA) on Media and Publicity. Adesina's appointment, though yet to be formally announced, is said to have been concluded but merely waiting for some formality before the official announcement. Already, the management of The Sun Newspaper, it was gathered, is concluding plans to re-organise its management structure following Adesina's impending departure. Adesina was recently re-elected as the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) for another term of two years. The NGE president was returned unopposed at the 2015 bi-ennial convention of the Guild which held in Lagos by his colleagues, most of whom described his tenure as the “best the Guild has ever had.” With his new appointment, Adesina also becomes the second person to be so appointed while serving as the president of the Guild of Editors. The first person was the late Mrs. Remi Oyo, Adesina Okonjo-Iweala Bags Yale Varsity’s Honorary Doctoral Degree Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has bagged an honorary doctorate at Yale University, one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the United States of America. The minister was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters at Yale’s 2015 Commencement Ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut on Monday. By this honour, she becomes the second Nigerian in the university’s 314-year history to receive its highest honour after Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who received an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1980. Conferring the award, the President of the university, Prof. Peter Salovey, described Okonjo-Iweala as “a brilliant reformer and dedicated public servant.” The minister, he added, “has spearheaded efforts to stabilise and grow Nigeria’s economy, battling widespread government corruption and creating greater fiscal transparency and discipline.” Yale’s honorary doctoral degree is seen globally as a very important honour. According to the institution, “Those who have received honorary degree who was the SA, Media and Publicity to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. A prolific writer and tested journalist, Adesina started his career at the Vanguard Newspapers as a features writer before later moving to the defunct National Concord Newspapers. He is a pioneer staff of The Sun newspaper where he became the editor, and later the managing director and editor-in-chief, a position he will be quitting for the are scholars, public servants, Nobel Prize winners and heads of states. “Collectively, they represent the aspirations of this institution. Yale honorary degree recipients serve as models of excellence and service to our students, to our graduates, to our community and to the world.” Okonjo-Iweala was honoured alongside the Chair of the Board of Governors of US Federal Reserve System Janet Yellen; world renowned Beninoise singer and songwriter, Angelique Kidjo; University Professor and founding member of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University, Gayatari Chakravorty Spivak; Professor and Director of the Starr Center for Human Genetics at Rockefeller University, Jeffrey Michael Friedman; inventors and entrepreneurs, Elon Musk and Dean Kamen, among others. Yale had in the past honoured a handful of other Africans such as Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. As Finance Minister in 2004, Okonjo- Iweala and the economic team that she led, helped Nigeria obtain debt relief, wiping out $30 billion of Paris Club debt, leading to a tripling of the growth rates. In her second coming as the GOVS, OKONJO-IWEALA DISAGREE ON EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT ECA for the last four years within the next few days,” the statement concluded. Speaking about the new aura of reconciliation in the NGF, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, described the peaceful resolution of the NGF crisis and the election of a new leadership for the body as a victory for democracy. Governor Ahmed made this known in a congratulatory message to the new chairman of the forum and Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Yari, and the new Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima. Ahmed noted that Nigerian governors have displayed a high level of political maturity in resolving the crisis which almost set the body into irrelevance in the national politics. The governor, in a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahaab Oba, yesterday in Ilorin, said with the elections and peaceful resolution of the needless polarisation of the body, the NGF has now repositioned itself for the immeasurable benefits of a peer review body. The governor charged his colleagues to remain focused in sustaining the ideals which gave birth to the union for it to remain as the bastion of good governance and leadership in the country. Governors from both factions in attendance at the Monday new assignment. As the president, Guild of Editors, Adesina fought for the rights and protection of journalists at every event or fora. In one of such events was a lecture organised by the Bank of Industry (BoI) where he advised the bank to find ways of encouraging media practitioners by giving them loans for the purpose of establishing businesses after retirement, pointing out that the media industry cannot afford to have more ‘veteran’ journalists. Adesina in his presentation at the event titled: ‘‘The Media and BOI: Working Together’’ admonished Bol to patronise media houses, saying that they are not charitable organisations. ‘‘When you therefore have businesses, patronise them. If they are good enough for your press releases and other editorial items, they must also be good enough for your advertisements. Build a mutually rewarding relationship, including rendering investment support, as the journalists may require," he said. A seasoned and renowned journalist with over 28 years of experience in the industry, Adesina took The Sun to a new height. Under his leadership, the newspaper won several reputable awards. In 2007, he was named the Editor of the Year by the Nigeria Media Merit Award. Okonjo-Iweala Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister since August 2011, Okonjo-Iweala has focused on building strong foundations and institutions critical for the survival and sustenance of the economy. She bravely fought corruption in government with fierce dedication and unflagging energy. reconciliation meeting included Shettima of Borno, Amaechi of Rivers, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Deputy Governor of Imo State Eze Madumere, Abdulrahaman Yero of Kaduna, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Deputy Governor of Kano, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Idris Wada of Kogi, the Governor-elect of Akwa Ibom State Emmanuel Udom and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. Others in attendance were Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Babangida Muazu of Niger State, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdulaziiz Yari of Zamfara, Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi, Ahmed of Kwara State and Gabriel Suswam of Benue State. STARTERS Two-Minute Briefing NEWS PDP Crisis Deepens as Fani-Kayode Calls NWC Members Cowards, Traitors The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took a new dimension as the Director of Media and Publicity of the party’s presidential campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode... Page 8 EDITORIAL Whither the Victims Support Fund? Due to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-eastern part of the country, the federal government last year set up the Victims Support Fund which is aimed at ameliorating the suffering of those at the receiving end of the menace. Page 15 POLITICS From This Day Shall So Ye Know Them Although reservations still abound, it is evident that the “CHANGE” being offered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have truly begun to dawn on the system and indeed, in all spheres of her body polity. Page 16 FEATURES Building Cross River’s Silicon Valley Ugep, a community in Cross River State may not be on the global map yet, just the same way it took time for the the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States to move from its agriculture-related and food production companies to high concentration of high-tech companies. Page 20 BUSINESS New Task for SEC as Unclaimed Dividends Rise to N55 Billion The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) needs to move faster in the implementation of strategies to reduce unclaimed dividends in the nation’s capital market, as the amount of unclaimed dividends rose by . per cent in . Page 23 CITYSTRINGS Bailing out Nigeria With the tumbling oil prices and the resultant measures by government to be less dependent on the dwindling revenue from the sector, experts say that there is other time than now for Nigeria to embrace agriculture for her food security and foreign exchange earning. Page 38 INTERNATIONAL Egypt’s Death Sentences Worry UN, Turkey United Nations and Turkey have expressed deep concern about the death sentences handed down in Egypt to former President Mohamed Mursi and other Islamists, while Turkey warned of Middle East turmoil if they are carried out. Page F SPORTS Danagogo: Nigeria Cannot Afford a Foreign Coach Now Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, has admitted that government opted to reappoint Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles coach because the country was not in a position to hire a foreign coach. Page 52 7 NEWS News Editor Davidson Iriekpen PDP Crisis Deepens as Fani-Kayode Calls NWC Members Cowards, Traitors Chuks Okocha in Abuja The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took a new dimension as the Director of Media and Publicity of the party’s presidential campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, described some members of the National Working Commi tee (NWC) of the party as traitors, ingrate and cowards not deserving of their o fices. Fani-Kayode dismi sed the a legations of hate campaigns allegedly orchestrated by the campaign directorate as one of the reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan lost the presidential election and ind ed PDP losing the general election. He called on the NWC members to resign if they have any modicum of dignity as some Labour leaders did after losing elections in the United Kingdom. Fani-Kayode also accused the NWC of using hate campaigns against the All Progre sives Congress (APC) as it described APC as a ‘Janjaweed’ and Taliban party. The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, had last w ek said President Jonathan los the presidential election because of the hate campaigns introduced by the presidential campaign organisation of the party. But reacting yesterday, Fani- Kayode dismissed the a legation, saying: “The truth is that their a legations are not only basele s Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Labour Party (LP) has asked both President Goodluck Jonathan and the president-elect, Muhammodu Buhari, to factor the welfare of workers, especialy those being owed salaries by some state governments, into their transition plans. The party frowned at the apparent lack of concern for workers’ condition by the powers that be, wondering whether it is the federal government or the states that are to blame for the ugly state of a fairs in the economy. This is contained in a statement i sued yesterday by the National Secretary of the LP, Kayode Ajulo. “A situation where some state governments owe workers’ salaries up to seven months is not only una ceptable but shameful. It is most despicable that instead of addre sing the i sue of workers’ welfare, an atmosphere of criminal silence pervades the political arena, while due ling on ministeria lists and pe ty inner party squabbles. “It is our belief in the LP that the Jonathan administration, although left with only very few days in o fice, sti l owes Nigerians explanation whether the government sti l owes states a locations? Has there been a change in the percentages Says they sabotaged Jonathan Labour Party Tasks Jonathan, Buhari on Unpaid Workers’ Salaries WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015 • T H I S DAY Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com but it is also unadulterated rubbish the logic and style of those of us and appreciate is that we wi l did an excellent job but we also Janjaw ed and Taliban party and those who made them are who did it. not sit by idly and allow them fought a damn good fight. We and labe led the APC as the nothing but ingrates, cowards “Their arrogance was re-write history or make us the fall fought a be ter fight than any other Janjaw ed and Taliban party? No, and traitors who know nothing insu ferable, they were an guys. The only reason we have organ of the party had fought it was not. It was nobody in our about politics, political campaigns, unmitigate disaster and their not opened up on them is out of over the las two or thr e years campaign organisation rather it inte lectual discourse or political leadership style was abysmal. respect for President Jonathan and against a relentle s, well-funded, wa somebody in the NWC of engagement. It sti l is. If any group of people because we wan to ensure that wel-motivated and well-organised the PDP. Is that not what you ca l “They are simply trying to were responsible for our loss, it our party remains united. That opposition. Before the presidential a campaign of hatred? “ revise and re-write history in was them. They were envious of does not however mean that we campaign orgaisation came into He accused the NWC members order to cover up their treachery, the PDP presidential campaign are fools or that we will a low being, the PDP had virtually lost of doing underhand deal with the weakne ses and inadequacies. They organisation and its high profile ourselves to be turned into sitting its voice and those who do not aspirants in the primary elections. are fuelled by hate and envy and and they are nothing but a bunch ducks or someone’s punching bag. recognise this have obviously “Instead of leading the party worse of a l, right from the start, of bi ter and treacherous ingrates “That does not mean that we lost touch with reality. Those that these few individuals in the NWC they had no interest in fighting who have no business leading a will a low them to treat us as soft attack us and cast aspersion on were busy doing deals with the for our leader and presidential political party.” targets or that we are incapable of our character and blame us for APC secretly. We in the Campaign candidate, President Jonathan, or However, he exonerated some hi ting back. The lies, falsehood, the failure of our party and our Organisation were not like others in ensuring that he won the election.” of the NWC members, explaining innuendos and te rible stories presiden to win the election are that were collecting monies from According the PDP presidential that: “It is important to note that tha they are bandying around not s eing things clearly. a l the various PDP aspirants in campaign spokesman, the NWC not al of them were bad. Some of about us are just despicable and if “They are hopele sly confused the states and promising them of the party were envious of the them like Uche Secondus, Kema they do not stop, they wi l divide and they have no idea how political the party’s nomination and ticket. campaign council, saying: “From Chikwe, Jalo, Wale Oladipo, the the party and u terly destroy it. campaigns are conducted in the “This led to a lot of problems day one, al they did was sulk about National Youth Leader and a That is the sad and bitter truth. civilised world. Their a cusations within the party because in the end the fact that a presidential campaign few others did very best and In playing this game blame and are not only basele s, but they are they did not give those aspirants organisation had b en set up and supported the president as best pointing fingers at others, they also self serving,” he said. wha they asked for and what that they would not be able to have as they could but the majority of are biting o f far more than they Fani-Kayode said: “Again they promised. Consequently control of the campaign themselves them were te rible.” can chew. looking inwards, was it the many of those aspirants rebe led or have a ce s to the resources that A cording to Fani-Kayode, “The fact is that the presidential presidential campaign organisation and worked against us during we were given. At every point, they “Wha they n ed to understand campaign organisation not only that first coined the phrase the elections,” Fani-Kayode said tried to undermine our efforts and sabotage us but we ignored them and remained focused on doing our job despite their provocations. “From day one, a l they were interested in was controling others and telling them what to do. They were not in the fray, they refused to enter the heat of ba tle and al they did was moan and bicker from the side walk like li tle children. “What we were doing and attempting to do was lost on them because they had never taken anything seriously and they found it hard to comprehend a located to the states? Or has the federal government short-changed the states in anyway, leading to their dwindling fortunes? Who realy is responsible for this me s?” President Jonathan’s government needs to set the record straight. “Likewise, for the incoming administration, which rode to power on the promise of turning things around and mouthing the ‘change’ mantra, it is appa ling that nothing is being said abou the working people and their plight. In any country, the working cla s and the downtrodden constitute the goose that lay the golden egg. “There is no way any country can prosper without taking cognisance of the special place of workers and ensuring that their wages are paid promptly. Those who promise change but preside in states where workers are owed for several months and show no remorse are clearly profiteers on the popular psyche and quest,” he said. The statement went further to upbraid the incoming administration, pointing out that: “It is equaly untenable that just a few days to handover, the ‘change agents’ have not bothered to come forward with a clear programme to addre s the plight of Nigeria’s downtrodden. ECOWAS NIGHT OUT L-R: Wife of the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Dr. Nwanneka Ekweremadu; Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) awardee, Mrs. Isioma Ukwa; and the special guest of honour and wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Helen Mark, at the ECOFEPA award night in Abuja .yesterday Julius Atoi G-5 Governors Made APC’s Victory Possible, Say Atiku, Okorocha Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja performances and the fact that historic victory of an opposition courageous effort in working for they were close to the people. party over the ruling party in the the victory of the party, sounded Former Vice-President, Atiku He said the governors have country. a note of caution on the n ed for Abubakar and the Imo State made significant impact in “Make no mistake about it, them to help safeguard the victory Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, governance and through their withou the five governors that by ensuring good governance. have a tributed the victory of the sacrifices made momentous joined the APC in 2013, we wi l He said the party made a Al Progre sives Congre s (APC) to contributions towards the victory not here today. Anyone who promise that there wi l be change the courageous decision of the five of APC at the presidential election. understands the power and and said the governors are going former governors of the Peoples “This is why the people of their might of the federal government, to be the standard bearers of the Democratic Party (PDP) to dump states love them and Nigerians especially under a vindictive change that the party is preaching. their party and t em up with the also love them. It is because of leadership, knows the enormous Commenting on the outgoing opposition party. this that the exit of thr e of these risks taken by Governors Rabiu governors, Oyegun said each of them Speaking during a special governors from the PDP amongst Musa Kwankwaso, Aliyu exc eded the standard benchmark dinner held for the out going others and their joining of the APC Magatarda Wammako, Abdulfatah of performance in governance. and incoming governors of the contributed significantly to our Ahmed and the lion-heart Rotimi “I want to appeal to everyone APC under the auspices of the victory in recent po ls,” he said. Amaechi. What happened to our here that we have scored a signal victory Progre sives Governors Forum While addre sing the colleague, Murtala Nyako could and that the way things are done (PGF), Atiku said the reasons why gathering, Okorocha described have happened to anyone of henceforth must be di ferent. The the five governors who joined the the contributions of the out going them,“ he said. whole world wi l be watching us APC made victory possible for the governors, especia ly those that But the National Chairman from Nay 29 when the reigns of party and ensured the defeat of defected from the PDP as very of the APC, while commending power is handed over to us,” he PDP was due to their outstanding key to the revolution that saw the the governors for their bold and said.
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