06032018 - Charge any Fulani man with AK-47 to court—BUHARI

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 6,2018
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
No one person owns
PDP—Dickson
....Insists Gana, Adeniran, others must be
wooed back to PDP
GOVERNOR
of
Bayelsa State, Mr
Seriake Dickson has said
that the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, was a national
asset owned by all
Nigerians and not by any
individual.
Dickson in a statement by
his Chief Press Secretary,
Francis Ottah Agbo in
Yenagoa, also described
Professors Jerry Gana and
Tunde Adeniran as icons of
democracy and leaders of
progressive politics in the
PDP and the country,
stressing that they must be
wooed back to the PDP fold.
Dickson who is also the
Chairman of PDP
Reconciliation Committee,
said while the leaders of the
party are important
stakeholders in the scheme
of things that the real
stakeholders of PDP are the
ordinary Nigerians in
whom sovereignty lies.
He said, “No one
governor, no one lawmaker
or leader of PDP can own
PDP or singlehandedly
produce a presidential
candidate. Therefore, what
is required of PDP leaders
now is to work with all
parties including those
who have left the PDP to
produce a credible
candidate that is acceptable
to the generality of
Nigerians on the platform
of PDP to defeat the APC
in 2019.”
The governor said his
Reconciliation Committee
will continuously engage
aggrieved party members
including those who have
left PDP to return to the
party, stressing that “We
must be together to save
our party and country from
collapse. “
He said with less than
one year to the 2019
general election, time was
of essence and the right
thing to do now was for all
men of good will to come
together to challenge the
APC.
Give us more legislative
responsibilties, Rivers assembly
begs NASS
By Egufe
Yafugborhi &
Davies
Iheamnachor
P ORT-HARCOURT—
RIVERS State House of
Assembly yesterday,
begged the National
Assembly to relinquish
more legislative
responsibilities to state
houses of assembly,
expressing worries that
much power was
concentrated in the
national lawmaking body.
This came as the state
Assembly approved six
alterations in the on going
1999 Constitution Fourth
Alteration Bill, 2017 and
rejected four of the 15
alterations sent to it by the
National Assembly.
The House in a voting
system coordinated by its
Speaker, Ikuinyi Owaji-
Ibani, approved the fourth
alteration 24, which
outlines the process for the
amendment of the
Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, where
the President withholds his
assent.
The Assembly okayed
alteration Number 27
which provides for the
reduction of age for
qualification to contest the
position of President,
Governor, national and
state assembly seats to give
opportunity for more
youths, approved alteration
eight, which permits
immunity for legislators
during sitting and to
strengthen the legislative
process.
The House also favoured
alteration 28, which
specifies the period within
which the President or state
governor must present an
appropriation bill to the
legislature for consideration
and okayed alteration
number four, which confers
financial autonomy on state
Assemblies and alteration
number two, which
reduces the period that the
President or state governor
can spend money before
the passage of the next
budget from six months to
three months.
The state lawmakers,
ORAL HEALTH DAY: Bidemi Ademola, Unilever Legal Director, Ghana-Nigeria; Toluwaleke
Salu, Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever; Dr. Bode Ijarogbe, President, Nigerian Dental
Association; Bunmi Adeniba, Unilever Marketing Director, Ghana-Nigeria; and Dr. Bola Alonge,
Director/Head of Dentistry, Federal Ministry of Health at the Pepsodent World Oral Health
Day press conference in Lagos.
FG approves upgrade of Benin Airport
appreciation to the Federal
to int’l standard Government for the effort to
B ENIN-CITY—THE
Minister of State for
Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika,
has said that the Federal
Government has approved
the upgrade of the Benin
Airport to international
standard with a cargo
terminal.
The minister disclosed
this during his courtesy
visit to the governor at the
Government House in
Benin City, Edo State,
yesterday.
Sirika said the approval
was due to the fact that the
Benin Airport was one of
the oldest airports in
Nigeria and that the zone
needs a standard
international airport to
serve its growing economic
interests.
He added that the airport
will be fitted with necessary
facilities within 12-months,
as part of the plans to
upgrade it to an
international standard.
He said that “Plans had
been concluded to upgrade
landing system with
adequate radio equipment
that will enable the airport
handle both day and
night operations, even in
adverse weather
conditions.
“There are plans to also
extend the runway at the
Benin Airport to enable it
handle high volume of
traffic with capacity to
accommodate cargo
planes.
“Aviation connects
businesses, trade, cultures,
nations and people. With
a standard airport in place,
it becomes easy to achieve
economic growth and
development. We will work
with Edo State Government
to ensure that within the
next 12 months, Benin
Airport will become an
international standard
airport with all the
necessary aviation
equipment in place.”
Governor Obaseki at the
event, expressed
make the Benin Airport an
international airport,
noting, “This is the most
astonishing news I have
heard as a governor this
year.”
He said the Federal
Government has shown
commitment to support
efforts to industrialise the
state.
According to him, “Our
hope is that all the
economic activities that will
be generated from this
critical investment will drive
commerce across the state
and the country.”
He said his
administration has taken
giant stride to establish
Benin Industrial Park,
Gelegele Sea Port and
other laudable investments.
Obaseki swears in 18 newly
elected council chairmen
...says his govt has saved N2bn for councils
By Simon
Ebegbulem
BENIN CITY—THE
18 newly elected local
government chairmen in
Edo State, have been
sworn-in by Governor
Godwin Obaseki, who
tasked them on prudent
management of resources.
Speaking at the
swearing-in ceremony at
the Government House, in
Benin City, Obaseki
charged the new heads of
the councils to be
accountable, responsive
and responsible in
administering the affairs of
their councils.
He said, “My
Edo PDP petitions police over
statements against leaders
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BState ENIN-CITY—EDO
chapter of the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, has asked the state
Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Johnson Kokumo to
probe the alleged criminal
incitement of the public
against its leaders by some
aides of Governor Godwin
Obaseki.
A statement by the state
Publicity Secretary of the
party, Mr. Chris Nehikhare
in Benin City, yesterday,
said that Police
investigation into the issue
becomes necessary to
ensure that those behind
these criminal incitements
were brought to book.
He said, “The
Commissioner for
Communication and
Orientation, Mr Paul
Ohonbamu and the Media
Aide to the Governor,
Crusoe Osagie were
alleged to have consistently
and severally issued
statements widely
published in print,
electronic and social media
where they made
statements designed to
incite the public against
PDP’s members and
leadership."
administration has set aside
N2 billion saved from the
Paris Club refunds in the
councils’ treasury for the
new executives to
commence activities.
“You are not coming to
meet an empty treasury. I
have saved your Paris
refund in excess of N2
billion and some of you
have savings in excess of
N2 billion.
“So, you will be coming
into office with some
reserves and savings, but
you have to focus on
enduring projects.”
The Minister of Labour
and Employment, Dr. Chris
Ngige, who witnessed the
swearing-in ceremony,
commended Obaseki for
saving up funds for the
chairmen to kick-start their
activities.
In his vote of thanks on
behalf of other
chairpersons, Mr Jenkins
Osunde, Oredo council
chairman, thanked the
people of the state for
finding them worthy to
pilot the affairs of the
councils.