Fubara: ‘It’s Madness To Be At War With Everybody – Ex-Gov Omehia Replies Wike

 

Former Governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, on Friday, disclosed that an undying inclination for power is tormenting Minister Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), hence, his display of unstable moments.

He also advised Wike to reduce his propensity for power and greed, so as to allow his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara function at his job.

Omehia disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in response to a media parley which Wike, immediate past Governor of the State hosted in Abuja recently.

Wike on Tuesday, described Uche Secondus, George Sekibo and other PDP leaders in Rivers State as “expired politicians and buccaneers” owing to their support for Fubara.

Reacting, Omehia described Wike’s uncontrolled outbursts as product of a confused mind.

Wike’s anger, he said, was that his ambition of a third tenure has crashed and the people of Rivers State have realized that his quest for power is personal and not for the interest of Rivers State or the South-South at large as claimed.

“The FCT Minister thought that he would continue to control and abuse the resources and governance of the state but God, through the people, resisted the impeachment plot by his members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Wike is notorious for lying against anyone, anytime and disrespects elders at will, so there is no surprise about his outburst and criticism against innocent personalities in Rivers State.

“Wike speaks from both sides of his mouth, he says something today and denies it tomorrow like a clown. I am not a buccaneer and my capacity to contribute to the growth and development of my state and country is not impaired.

“I wonder why he is pained by our support for the Governor and the Federal Government under President Tinubu. Does he want us to perpetually be at political war with everybody, even long after elections are over and governance taken over? Is it not madness?” Omehia queried.

He added that Wike’s excesses, inconsistencies and hallucinations had reached a shameful peak and advised him to face his job in Abuja as the state was not missing his presence and nuisance value.

Ganduje, Wife, Son To Be Arraigned Over Bribery Allegations In Kano

 A High Court sitting in Kano State has fixed April 17, 2024, for the arraignment of the immediate past governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, son, and five others, for alleged bribery.

It was gathered that the former governor and others will be arraigned on eight counts bordering on a $413,000 bribery allegation, diversion, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N1.38bn, among others.

Reports show that the State Government, which initiated the criminal suit against the respondents, in a statement issued by the state Attorney General, Haruna Dederi, declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.

Dederi said: “It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served.

“What he (Ganduje) doesn’t understand is that you cannot run away from the evil day, it will definitely come to you, and this will even serve as a deterrence to all of us that are also in government now.”

“He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences.

“It’s not totally a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that.”

Lagos-Calabar Highway Project: ‘You Can’t Insult Your Way Out Of Every Inquiry’ – Atiku Replies Tinubu

Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration of always insulting its way out of inquiries made into the activities of the government. This stems from a response made by the Tinubu government, which faulted the comments made by Atiku on the construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

Recall that Atiku had, in a statement on Sunday issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said the Bola Tinubu administration is engaged in questionable dealings over the coastal highway construction.

He said Tinubu puts personal business interests before Nigerian infrastructure and there is so much secrecy with the project.

Reacting to Atiku’s comments in an interview with The Punch, the Special Adviser to Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the claims as “erroneous” and “irresponsible.”

Atiku however knocked the Tinubu government, saying it could not continue to keep silent on how much of public funds would be spent on the project at a time Nigeria was still facing dire economic challenges.

Speaking via a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dared Tinubu to disclose the full cost of the Lagos-Calabar highway project and how it got the design, and right of way for the project in seven months.

The former Vice President questioned the Tinubu administration’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without a competitive bidding.

He had also wondered why the Tinubu administration released N1.06tn for the pilot phase or 6% of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The statement read in part, “The Tinubu administration cannot continue to respond to public inquiry with insults. They must come clean on this project because Nigerians deserve to know the truth. I, therefore, present six posers to the administration.

1. How much is the total cost of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway?
2. Why is the project being funded by the Nigerian government despite being a PPP?
3. Why is the project taking off from Chagoury’s Eko Atlantic?
4. Why is N1.06tn being spent on the pilot phase, which is just 47km?
5. Why did the N1.06tn not get the approval of the National Assembly?
6. Why wasn’t there a competitive bidding for the project?
7. Finally, how did the Tinubu administration get the design as well as the right of way in just 7 months, since it claims the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari never touched the project?”

Atiku asked the Tinubu administration to, in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act, respond to the questions line by line instead of taking the mundane and jejune route of “insulting their way out of every inquiry.”

Debt: ‘You Should Be Ashamed Of Your Family’ — Kaduna Politician Blasts El-Rufai’s Son For Attacking Gov Sani

 

Kaduna-based politician, Ibrahim Ahmadu has slammed Bashir, son of the former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai over his “ill-mannered” attack on Governor Uba Sani.

Recall that the Governor, while addressing a town hall meeting in Kaduna on Saturday, revealed that his administration inherited $587 million, N85 billion, and N115 contractual liabilities from the El-Rufai administration.

Sani, however, said the situation had not stopped his administration from meeting its contractual obligations, despite making it difficult for him to pay workers’ salaries.

Reacting, Bashir took to social media to say the Governor was trying to cover his administration’s incompetence and failure in office.

Ahmadu, in defense of Governor Sani, stated that it is reasonable for the governor to disclose the state’s financial situation to the public.

He said in an interview with The Nation on Sunday: “What is wrong is the inability of the former governor’s son to comprehend the rationale behind the disclosure to the public.

“His vituperations are unguarded and unacceptable, especially when the man involved has helped the family during hard times of political waves.

“Was it wrong for Governor Uba Sani to address Kaduna citizens at a town hall meeting where he said he inherited a huge debt burden that was eating deep into the state’s allocation?

“For us as citizens of the state, we cannot accept a situation where N7bn out of the N10bn allocation for the state in March was deducted to service the state’s debt.

“And for a son of a former Governor of state to attack the incumbent Governor is unacceptable in all sense of decorum.

“Bashir should put his head in shame, if Uba Sani opens his mouth to talk about how the state was looted, they will all be in jail.”

“No Regrets Criticising Kaduna Gov” – Suspended APC Women Leader

 Suspended Women Leader of the rulling All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State, Maryam Suleiman, has insisted that she has no regret over her criticisms on Governor Uba Sani.

Suleiman led this out during an interview with PUNCH on Monday, adding that her suspension by APC party for criticising the governor is an act of God.

Recall that the Kaduna State APC had on Sunday knocked Suleiman with indefinite suspension following her criticisms.

It was learnt that Governor Sani, on Saturday, during a Town Hall Meeting, lamented that his predecessor, El-Rufai left him $587m, N85bn and 115 contractual liabilities.

However, the APC women leader while speaking in Hausa language, in a viral video, berated the governor over his remarks.

Meanwhile, the embattled women leader, on Monday, disclosed that she had said spoke the truth.

Suleiman added that she was only aware of her purported suspension on social media, noting that 24 hours after the announcement, she had yet to be served any letter of suspension from her Nasarawa/Malaki Ward.

She said: “I only read of my suspension on social media. I am yet to receive any suspension letter from our party.

“I have no regrets over my criticism of Governor Sani. I thank God for all that happened.

“I only heard of my suspension on social media. I am yet to be served the suspension letter.

“In any case, I stand by what I said about the governor. I have no regrets at all. I remained unruffled by my actions because I stated the obvious.

“As a senator, Governor  Uba Sani is the arrowhead of securing loans by El-Rufai administration. He was deeply involved in that.”

Impeachment: ‘Complete Show Of Shame’ — PDP Slams Rivers Assembly For Threatening Fubara

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, faulted the Rivers State House of Assembly and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for attempting to hury Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of the State to act outside the law.

Recall that the 27 lawmakers believed to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday said they may revisit Fubara’s impeachment as a last resort to enforce their responsibilities and uphold the constitution.

Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, who read a text of a communique to newsmen, accused Fubara of acting unlawfully despite signing the presidential peace agreement in the political crisis in the State, adding that the state was running without an approved budget.

The PDP however described the renewed threat by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara as an “embarrassment” and a ”public nuisance” to the state.

The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Sydney Gbara, said this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt.

Gbara called on the lawmakers, who he said defected from the PDP to the APC without consulting their constituents, to stop disturbing the peace of the state and allow Fubara to concentrate on governance and deliver his mandate to the people.

The state PDP spokesman reminded the Amaewhule-led lawmakers not to forget that the issue of their legitimacy is before the court.

Gbara said the lawmakers have continued to make retrogressive laws and utterances that are inimical to the growth and development of the State.

“Those people were the first beneficiaries of the magnanimity and peaceful disposition of Governor Fubara by signing the lopsided peace accord despite a court of conpetent jurisdiction that recognised Rt.Hon Edison Ehie as the Speaker of the Ribers State House of Assembly, which gave them a live line to still operate, because having defected to APC without any crises in PDP, their seats were vacant constitutionally.

“But to show how ungrateful they are, the several court cases querying their legality, seeking the interpretation of Section 109 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, will settle the dust around them in due course. No matter how long they try to run away from it, justice must be served because they no longer represent their constituencies.

“Their actions are a total embarrassment to Rivers people and a complete show of public shame.

“The people elected them out of their goodwill, but they let those constituents down by pusuing selfish agenda that has further plunged the state into crises.

“The threats of impeachment is empty and and cannot stand. It is selfish and their pursuit of personal aggrandisement which will be resisted by Rivers people.

“If they want to know what Rivers people think about them, they should go to the streets to seek the opinion of the masses.

“As far as we are concerned they (lawmakers) are operating illegally, hence your illegal laws are inconsequential on Rivers people,” the statement read.

He also responded to allegations by the acting Chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, that Fubara has not implemented the eight-point peace accord brokered by President Bola Tinubu, saying the matter is subject to litigation.

“Although we are not holding brief for the state government, but for the records, as a party, let us for the umpteenth time, tell Tony Okocha that Governor Siminialayi Fubara has in his desire to further deepen peace in the state, implemented the leace accord faithfully and in such a manner that is allowed by the Nigerian Constitution.

“As a law-abiding citizen, the governor has implemented that peace accord very religiously and any aspects that are not in tandem with the provisions of the law would not be implemented.

“So your attempt to try to stampede Governor Fubara into taking unconstitutional actions would not work,” he added.