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50 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015 • THISDAY NEWSEXTRA Speakership Race: Legislators Clash over Gbajabiamila’s Aspiration Jibrin, North-central members kick Muhammad Bello in Abuja Majority of the legislators of the House of Representatives, both old and new, from the North-west geo-political zone, yesterday threw their weight behind the aspiration of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. This is in spite of the growing cynicism and rejection of such actions credited to members from the North-east and North-central zones. Some elements of the House All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus from the two zones have recently rejected claims made in an advertisement and some stories that they support Gbajabiamila. This is as Hon. Ahmed Rufa’i Chanchangi, from Kaduna, told journalists that the zone supports the bid of Gbajabiamila, given the sacrifices he has made to uphold the interest of the North-west since 2011. By his pronouncement, about 80 federal lawmakers out of the 90 coming from the North-west geo-political zone have lined up to back the candidacy of the Minority Leader, Gbajabiamila, in the race for speakership of the incoming eighth House of Representatives. Chanchangi said: “I think, to me and to the returning members of the House, there is no conflict at all. The only person in the race is Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila”. “Apart from him, I can’t see anybody in the race because when you are talking about someone being in the race, the first thing to be taken into consideration is your home support base. “Look at Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, I can say he is someone who is just trying to bargain with the whole issue because he is from Kano State, I have not seen even a single member behind him. “Let’s go to the other contenders like Hon. Dogara; there have been a lot of noise about Dogara and why I am saying it’s a lot of noise is that, first of all, you have to convince me that your state is behind you. Bauchi State has 11 members and I don’t see any of the 11 members going behind Dogara to campaign along with him, I have not seen anything like that. “So, for me, the only person that is contesting is Hon. Femi. I am from the North-west, we have almost 90 members from the North-west. Kaduna State in particular, we have 16, from Kano we have 24, Katsina we have 15, Jigawa we have 11 and in Sokoto we have 12 members respectively. He added: “What we have is almost one-quarter of the total honourable members of the House. And if you take a look at that statistics, from the 90 honourable members, about 75 to 80 are hundred per cent with Gbajabiamila and this is not because of party affiliation but because of what he did.” “This is someone who has been in the House for the past 12 years, I just joined the House in 2011 but I have seen what he has been doing for the past 12 years as the minority leader. “For someone to lead you from darkness to light, we know he is the right candidate. We don’t have to even start doubting. He led the opposition from minority party in the House now to majority party and he stood on his feet through thick and thin. He dismissed as baseless ,allegation that the outgoing Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, is behind one of the contenders for the position. “Actually, I won’t say Tambuwal is behind any contestant apart from Femi. If he is, he should come out and say ‘I am behind so and so person.’ Once he cannot come out and say this, then we believe it is already ‘dead on arrival’. “Whoever or the supposed candidates that are going about lying that Tambuwal is behind them are playing to the gallery and I don’t believe that such a thing exists at all”, he stressed. Meanwhile, Jibrin observed that recent claims of endorsement of aspirants by different groups of members of the House of Representatives will not ultimately decide who becomes the Speaker of the lower chamber. According to him, the popularity of an aspirant can only be ascertained by the number of votes he garners and not some unclear zonal and state endorsements. He told journalists that “as evident with the outgoing seventh assembly, members of the House of Representatives chose their leaders based on acceptance, not purported endorsement being bandied in the media. I am confident that the eighth Assembly will continue this laudable democratic trend.” “All the endorsement claims and counter claims have ended up as fake and lies. However, the focus should be acceptability not fake endorsements. Secondly, I have concentrated clearly in what I will do if elected, other aspirants are simply struggling to be speaker in a do or die manner. I challenge them (aspirants) to come out with their agenda if they are sure it will be in the new spirit of change!” Jibrin added. He further added that: “With the recent powerful and patriotic statement from the president-elect, the coast has been cleared for competence and merit to determine who becomes Speaker of the 8th Assembly. “It is a known fact that only if I am zoned out, under a free and fair contest I will win with land slide margin the 8th Assembly Speakership election. None of the aspirants can match my popularity or provide the needed compatibility with the incoming President to execute the needed reforms and deliver on our campaign promises like myself.” Orubebe Debunks Plans to Defect to APC, Threatens Legal Action Chiemelie Ezeobi Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, has debunked reports making the rounds that he is planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Orubebe had debunked the news following the uproar that trailed a tweet he supposedly tweeted announcing his decision to join the APC. The uproar was caused by his infamous protest at the collation centre during the just concluded general election where he accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, of rigging in favour of the APC. Tweeting from @ ElderGOrubebe, he supposedly wrote, “I have concluded plans to join my folks in the APC to champion and sustain the movement for a better Niger Delta in the new administration. Details will be released soon. Thank you all.” Following his announcement, all hell was let loose on Twitter with one writer simply identified as Woye, who seemed to have captured the general feeling of almost all Twitter users. Tweeting from @woye he wrote, “This account must have been hacked. Not the Orubebe that I know.” Imam Imam seemed to have agreed as he tweeted from @ imamdimam, “Orubebe’s twitter handle has been hacked. Because it is tweeting responsible things.” Also, one Adebayo Salami tweeting from @Le_Stylo wrote, “Am I seeing clearly? Has this handle been compromised? @ElderGOrubebe to join @ APCNigeria Interesting!” Chuka Chuka tweeting from @chukachuka0984 wrote “For real? Then you must make a big fortune being an actor, cos your role on the vote counting day was amazing!” Adeola Ahmed also wrote, “Elder! Please stay in your party and ensure government delivers public good to the Niger Delta people. “He has constitutional right to do so but does he have moral right? Time will tell.” One David Emzo wrote: “Exactly, now he’s talking about Niger Delta struggle when he was in position what did he do?” To which @teghmulu replied, “Dont mind him, he’s always been a runner to where the grass is greener. He did nothing for us and he still won’t.” Prince Akin Odunsi also wrote “Please Oga Orubebe! Sit down for your party! We don’t need you in APC! Okay? You can’t cope with our Jegamacine here! Stay there biko.” Kayode Ogundamisi tweeting from @ogundamisi wrote, “If it is confirmed that Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe is joining the APC then it is safe to say 99 per cent of Nigerian politicians need psychological help.” Not many however flayed his decision and among them was one Mrs. Yetunde Ogudo who tweeting from @yetundeogudo wrote, “Please do what is best for you and your country to the best of your conscience. Don’t let anyone dictate your life!” Orubebe, who has since come out to debunk any plans to defect, threatened legal actions against the rumours mongers, even as he disclosed that his Twitter handle was hacked by some unknown persons. BRIEFING THE MEDIA L-R: Contractor for Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr. Haida Saidi; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Ezekiel Onyemomi, addressing the press on the completion of the new office building of the ministry in Abuja... yesterday Julius Atoi Kaduna APC Transition Committee Wants Yero Investigated over N2.7bn Sure-P Funds John Shiklam in Kaduna The All Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee in Kaduna State has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over alleged attempts by the outgoing governor of the state, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, to temper with N2.744 billion, being funds that accrued from the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P). It was learnt that Yero had approached the state legislators to approve the disbursement of the funds said to have accrued for the 23 local councils in 2014. In the petition dated May 15, a copy of which was circulated to the media in Kaduna yesterday, the Chairman of the APC Transition Committee, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal, claimed that elaborate steps were being taken by the outgoing state government to legitimise the misappropriation of the funds. “I write to bring to your attention the elaborate steps being taken by the outgoing Kaduna State Government to legitimise the misappropriation of N2.744 billion local government Sure-P funds, and to request that you exercise your responsibility of deterring crime by preventing this last-minute looting of public assets,” the committee stated in the petition. The committee said the state House of Assembly had earlier declined to appropriate the Sure-P funds in the 2015 budget by removing it from the budgets submitted by the 23 local government councils in the state, insisting that the fate of the funds be left to the incoming administration. The committee however alleged that the outgoing governor has been putting the legislature under tremendous pressure to approve his utilisation of 50 per cent of the funds for a road project, while the 23 local government councils would share the balance. “Coming from a government whose tenure expires in less than two weeks, the intensity of the lobby for the money indicates a certain desperation that is clearly not in the public interest. “I wish to therefore request that you (EFCC) urgently investigate whether the Sure-P fund is still intact, or if it has been spent without appropriation thus necessitating a belated approval from the House of Assembly to provide a ‘legal’ means of retiring the funds. “If, as it is widely believed in the state, the monies have already been spent, it is crucial to determine the projects, the contractors and the procurement processes that facilitated such a deliberate hemorrhaging of public funds,” Lawan said. The governor-elect, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, who expressed concern over the issue, has vowed that his administration will punish anyone who misappropriates public funds. El-Rufai in a statement declared that the incoming APC government in the state would punish anyone culpable in the SURE-P funds diversion. “I have been made aware of desperate attempts to secure approval to spend N2.744 billion SURE-P funds. Less than two weeks to its exit, the outgoing government of Kaduna State is seeking to pressure the outgoing House of Assembly to permit it to spend 50 per cent of the money on the Kawo road project, while the 23 local government councils will share the balance. “As governor-elect, it is my duty to caution every official involved in these last-minute deals that the incoming government will ensure that there are consequences for illegal conduct, breach of trust and stealing of public assets. Our government will certainly insist on accountability, and no one should be in any doubt about our resolve, be it the instigators of any impropriety or those who facilitated and executed it,” El-Rufai said.
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015 • THISDAY 51 NEWSEXTRA Bamidele Defects to APC, Praises Buhari, Tinubu for their Sacrifices Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research and former Labour Party chieftain, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, on Monday defected with his teeming party supporters to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he is not returning to the party to flex muscle with its leaders. At a press conference in his Iyin Ekiti country home heralding the return of the LP members to APC, Bamidele said they took the step in a bid to rescue the party from the brink of collapse occasioned by the defeat it suffered to Governor Ayodele Fayose during the June 21 governorship poll. Bamidele praised the national leaders of the party, Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and his successor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for their resolute belief in him despite his defection to LP. Though, Bamidele contested for the governorship poll on the platform of LP, but Fayose had won the election by defeating the then incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the candidate of the APC in all the 16 local government areas of the state. Present at the meeting were the LP deputy governorship candidate in the Ekiti governorship poll, Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade, LP Chairman in the state, Akin Omole, Secretary, Asbiola Olowokere , the DG, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele Campaign organisation, Hon. Ropo Ige, Prof Joseph Oluwasanmi. Others include: senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in the last elections, chairmen of party in the 16 council areas and the 177 ward chairmen of the party. Bamidele, whose political platform; Ekiti Bibire Coalition had defected from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to LP following irreconcilable crisis with ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2013 , stated that he would have defected to the APC with his teeming supporters before March 28 poll, but for the fact that the party had fielded candidates for various elections. He said it would be foolhardy and tantamount to a betrayal of trust for him to have abandoned the candidates and defected to APC to mobilise support for the president elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) in the presidential poll. The federal lawmaker, who counselled the political actors in the state to be wary of their actions in order not to derail the democratic process, described the impeachment hammer dangling on Fayose’s head as a manifestation of injustice that had eluded the state. He said: “By and large, politics, if it is meant to serve the common interest, must be a dynamic aspect of human endeavour that embodies a whole process of expression, competition and reconciliation of personal interests for the ultimate benefit of the people. “Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that my decision to contest for the governorship of Ekiti State is borne out of my innate conviction and that of many like-minds of mine, most of whom are illustrious sons and daughters of this great state, that though the ACN-led administration then was doing its best, however, its best was not enough for our much expectant but highly disillusioned people. “Invariably, I would have loved to stand in for the gubernatorial race on the platform of the ACN as a vision-driven progressive party under the leadership of an equally dynamic leader, benefactor and mentor of mine, Tinubu. “But when it became apparent that party primaries for candidate selection was not likely to hold in the Ekiti chapter of the ACN/ APC, I had no choice at some point in the course of expressing my intent to offer our people a better leadership, than to move to another suitable party where I could be offered the ticket to contest in the ensuing governorship election. “All of us the candidates contested on different platforms for the number of seat in the state. But as we all know in any contest, someone must emerge the winner. Whether or not the contest was fair, posterity and the court of law shall judge. That is not the bone of contention for today’s press briefing. I sincerely urge you to let us defer that to another day. “Today, by the special leading of Almighty God and after the due consultation with my immediate family, friends, confidants and political associates within and outside Ekiti State, I, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, the federal lawmaker representing Ado/ Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal Constituency hereby wish to declare my intent to decamp to the APC as from today, Tuesday, May 19, 2015,” he said. Commenting further on his belief in progressive politicking, Bamidele said: “This was the more reason I felt comfortable to be part of the movement for the realization of the Buhari/Osinbajo project despite my membership of the Labour Party then. “It was an age-long vision of the progressives in the southern part of the country to join forces with equally visionary and progressive politicians in the North to rescue our nation from bad leadership and its attendant hydra-headed manifestations that have come to characterise Nigeria in recent history: corruption, poverty and insecurity,” he concluded. FG, Japan, Switzerland Sign $1.5m Support against Crime James Emejo in Abuja The federal government, Japanese and Swiss governments have signed three new projects to bolster Nigeria’s fight against organised criminal activities in the country. The projects include a Japanese government funded fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) in Nigeria as well as strengthening national response to security threats through enhanced border control The Swiss support is in the area of capacity building to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (TIP). The three projects will be implemented through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC). Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, who signed on behalf of the federal government, expressed government’s appreciation for the supports, promising that the projects would provide necessary support to the government of Nigeria in the area of enhanced criminal justice, responses to curb terrorism and human trafficking in the country. The Japanese and Swiss governments were respectively represented by Mr. Masaya Otsuka, the Charge’ d’ Affaires Ad Interim and Mr. Daniel Cavegen, Charge’ Enwefah Passes on The Enwefah family of Aragba- Orogun in Ughelli North Local Government Area in Delta State has announced the death of their matriarch, Madam Udodor Enwefah (nee Wanogho) at the age of 115. Enwefah passed away on March 29, 2015, having been the oldest living child of the legendary Chief Wanogho, a famous Okpara-Uku of Orogun clan. She is survived by six children, 38 grand children, 47 great grand children and four great-great d’ affaires Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria. The minister noted that the country has been faced with insurgency in the last five years stressing that that lately efforts of President Good luck Jonathan led government have yielded positive result in curbing the insurgency menace in the country. He said: “As we all aware, Nigeria has been faced with insurgency especially in the last five years with particular concentration in the North-eastern part of the country. We thank God that the present administration under the leadership of President dedluck Jonathan has been working tirelessness to root out the insurgents and the efforts have yielded tremendous positive results lately. Many hostages including women and girls have been freed in the process.” In a statement by the Head of Media, NPC, Mr. Salisu Haiba, he said the present government was addressing the issue of the resettlement of the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) both in the North and Nigerians from the neighbouring countries, as well as making tremendous efforts in bringing back normalcy to the insurgency affected areas, especially the north Eastern region and restoration of their local market. grand children. In a statement, the deceased family said: “Mama who was a devout Christian and a renowned trader will begin her homeward journey on May 21 with a vigil mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Aragba-Orogun to be followed with a requiem mass on May 22 at the same Church. Interment will take place at Orogun main town.” The statement added that a thanksgiving service would round off the rites on May 24 at Aragba-Orogun. OVER TO YOU SIR Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam (left), receiving a report on the condcut of the 2014 Hajj exercise from the Amirul Hajj and leader of the state delegation and Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman in Damaturu...yesterday Gates Foundation, Dangote Group, MTN Set for Lagos International HR Conference Sunday Okobi The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dangote Group, MTN, GTBank, among others will join an array of more than 20 leadership experts across the world at the upcoming Human Resources (HR) Leaders Africa 2015 Conference in Lagos from June 8 to 11. According to the organisers, the conference is to share insights on unlocking the potential of human capital in Africa. They said the Deputy Director of Employee Communications of the Bill and Melinder Gates Foundation, Rodney Jordan, will specifically join to discuss rethinking HR and how internal communications can drive employee engagement. A statement issued yesterday which was made available to THISDAY by the Operations Director, Dr. Adewale Balogun, noted that in addition to Jordan, the fourth edition of the four-day conference will also feature the ultimate gathering of HR leaders across Africa including HR directors at Shell, Arcelormittal, Dangote Group, GlaxoSmithKline, Chevron, Vodafone Ghana, MTN, Flour Mill Group, British American Tobacco, GTBank and Stanbic among others to speak at the landmark conference. “The conference therefore represents the ultimate think-tank gathering of HR leaders in the region to elevate human capital practices in Africa and develop talent across Africa,” the statement said. One of the organisers of the event, Kenneth Mukasa, who is the Programme Director of HR Leaders Africa said: “With Africa’s economies registering growth rates of over five percent for the last decade, Africa is shedding its skin and adopting a challenger mindset to achieve parity with global competitors. Adopting a strategic approach to HR and building Africa’s workforce capability to compete globally will be the key to unlocking Africa’s potential.” The statement said a flagship study conducted by Informa of 85 leaders in the run-up to the HR Leaders Africa conference shows that transforming HR into a strategic partner of the business and implementing talent retention strategies are the two emerging themes in Africa. 47 per cent of survey respondents cited transforming HR into a strategic business partner as a top priority. The HR Director of Sahara Group, Ibiene Okeleke, said: “In the last five years, HR experts in Africa have become more strategic especially because organisation have realised the critical role that HR has to play in delivering the people agenda.” As for implementing talent retention strategies, up to 44 percent of organisations said its one of their top priorities. “Some of the key drivers for retaining top talent include a competitive pay/welfare package, excellent work environment, a company culture that respects the individual/ diversity, provides growth opportunities and allows people to express themselves,” Director of HR and Medical, Chevron Nigeria, Ihuoma Onyearugha, said. In the statement, it was learnt that four in-depth workshops organised with academic partner, George Washington University will focus on the potential strategic advantage that organisations can gain through best practice and high performance HR.
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