10042018 - Why I'm seeking a 2nd term — BUHARI

Vanguard, TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2018—5
POCKET CARTOON
VISIT—From left: Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Founder/Chairman,
African Initiative for Governance (AIG); Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), and Herbert Wigwe, Group
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, during a visit
of the team from AIG and OHCSF to Access Bank Head Office in Lagos,
yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.
Why I'm seeking a 2nd
term — BUHARI
Continues from Page 1
following
a
recommendation by a
committee of the party
that could open the way
for the extension of the
tenure of the Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun-led
National Working
Committee, NWC.
The committee led by
Governor Simon Lalong
of Plateau State had
been constituted upon
President Buhari’s
observations that an
extension of tenure of
the party executives was
illegal.
In its recommendations
adopted by NEC,
yesterday, it was
recommended that the
party goes ahead and
conducts congresses and
a national convention
but that where it was
impossible to do so, that
the party should fall back
on the extension of
tenure for all party
officers across board as
originally conceived at
the NEC meeting in
February.
President Buhari’s
declaration was received
with rapturous approval
at the NEC meeting.
However, outside, critics
and political rivals
expressed dismay upon
claims of a mixed
performance in his first
term. Special Adviser to
the President on Media
and Publicity, in a
reaction, charged every
other contender to run
away.
At the crowded, closeddoor
NEC meeting, the
President said that
having made wide
consultations and
conscious of the need to
consolidate on his
achievements in office,
he had decided to stand
for re-election. His
declaration was greeted
with a standing ovation.
The president, who
came under “Any Other
Business, AOB,” said he
had been under
tremendous pressure to
make the declaration,
adding that he felt it was
courteous to first inform
the NEC before going to
town with it.
Apart from hordes of
presidential aides,
others at the meeting
which was also attended
by Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo, were the
caucuses of the National
Assembly, led by Senate
President, Bukola
Saraki; Speaker Yakubu
Dogara, governors of
Zamfara, Imo, Oyo,
Ogun, Benue, Plateau,
Bauchi, Kebbi and
Jigawa states. Others
were those of Kaduna,
Kogi, Borno, Sokoto,
Adamawa, Lagos, Ondo,
Nasarawa, Kano, Osun
and the deputy
governors of Katsina,
Edo, Yobe and Niger
states as well as other
NEC members.
Addressing journalists
at a post-NEC briefing,
both the Plateau State
governor, Simon Bako
Lalong, and the National
Publicity Secretary of the
APC, Mallam Bolaji
Abdullahi, confirmed the
president’s declaration.
Lalong, who also spoke
on the report of the
technical committee
which he headed, said:
“Everybody’s interest
was considered in the
report and it was a
unanimous vote and
adoption of the
recommendations that
were made.
“The President felt so
happy and excited
because of this unity in
the party; he will now
consider and also accept
the appeal by several
members of the society,
party and everybody that
he will contest the 2019
election.
“He has accepted that
he is going to contest
again the position of
President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria,” the
governor confirmed.
Oyegun’s NWC
might have tenure
extended if....
However, the last may
not have been heard of the
issue of tenure elongation
for party executives as the
Lalong committee in its
recommendations sighted
by Vanguard, stated that
the party might have to fall
back on its earlier
resolution extending the
tenure of the executives.
It premised its decision
on the inability of the
party to fulfill all legal
conditions necessary for a
convention and
congresses.
“If for reasons of inability
to fulfil constitutional and/
or legal conditions
requisite for the conduct
of a valid elective
congress or convention,
then the party may as a
last resort leverage on the
NEC resolution of
February 27, 2018, which
in our view is lawful in the
circumstances. Finally,
the committee
recommended that a NEC
meeting be convened to
consider the report."
According to the
committee, “although the
Continues on Page 49
By Bose Adelaja, Ebun
Sessou & Frederick Okopie
On rising food prices in Nigeria (2)
THE Federal Govern
ment should begin to look
into the factors responsible
for the high cost of
fertilizer, high cost of
transportation, excessive
importation, crop
diseases, extortion when
transporting farm
produce and bad roads. If
these challenges are
addressed, I believe the
prices of food items would
reduce.
*Azeez Olateru, worker
IN Nigeria, traders de
termine the prices of
foodstuffs whether they are
produced locally or not.
Prices are supposed to be
determined by the forces of
demand and supply. The
reason prices of food items
are on the increase is
because the government is
not interested in our
markets. When the price of
any item goes up, it hardly
drops because of greed.
The only way government
can assist is by reducing
taxes, making the roads
motorable, and ensuring
that transportation is
affordable.
*Comrade Florence
Eghagara, Caterer
THE situation is be
yond my imagination. I
never imagined that things
would be this difficult in
Nigeria. Whenever I think
of the rising prices of food
items, I begin to doubt the
back to farm noise being
made. The noise about
agriculture has not resulted
in food sufficiency in the
country.
*John Idani Upah,
Analyst
SINCE the minimum
wage has not been
increased, the poor are
the people feeling the
impact. Every home is
experiencing this
hardship and Nigerian
government is watching
without making any
meaningful intervention.
I hope this issue would be
addressed as soon as
possible because things
are really tough.
*Bukola Aderemi
Ladigbolu, Activist
THE situation demands
urgent attention from the
government because it
can make a difference.
Food is supposed to be
cheap in Nigeria but
what we have been
experiencing since 2015,
is disappointing. The
government should
address those things
responsible for inflation.
*Philips Adefioye,
Journalist
The market prices have
been fluctuating since this
government came on
board. The price of an item
can change within two
days. Prices have reduced
from the rooftop level of last
year, but traders have
refused to reduce their
prices. What goes up in
Nigeria never comes down.
That is why we are where
we are today and that is the
reason the government
should intervene.
*Josephine Bathlomew,
Interior Decorator