21032019 - PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression — APC

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14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 Again, Buhari declines assent to five more Bills ....Rejected bills now 26 By Henry Umoru Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) A B U J A — (Amendment) Bill, National PRESIDENT Research and Innovation Muhammadu Buhari, has Council (Est.) Bill, National declined assent to five more Institute of Hospitality and bills passed by the National Tourism (Est.) Bill and Assembly and forwarded to National Agricultural Seeds him to sign into law. Council Bill. In separate letters Others are Chattered addressed to the Senate Institute of President, Bukola Saraki Entrepreneurship (Est.) Bill, read at Plenary yesterday, Advance Fee Fraud and President Buhari listed the Other Related Offences latest rejected Bills as (Amendment) Bill, Nigerian Film Corporation Subsidiary Legislation Bill, Immigration (Legislative Scrutiny) Bill, (Amendment) Bill, Climate Nigerian Maritime Change Bill, Chattered Administration and Safety Institute of Pension Agency (Amendment) Bill Practitioners Bill as well as as well as five constitution Digital Rights and Freedom amendment bills. Bill. Also rejected are: National With this development, Transport Commission Bill, the number of passed bills Federal Road Authority in the present 8th Senate (Establishment) Bill, and the president has National Broadcasting refused to sign has risen to Commission Amendment 26. Bill, National Oil Spill In the letter, President Detection and Response Buhari explained that it Agency (NOSDRA) Act became imperative to reject (Amendment) Bill and the Immigration Bill because Federal Polytechnics Act it would have adverse effect (Amendment) Bill. on Nigeria’s position on the Recall that the Senate had Ease of Doing Business earlier set up a Technical ranking, just as he said the Committee on Declined Chattered Institute of Assent to Bills, chaired by Pension Practitioners Bill Senator David Umaru, APC, amounted to duplication of Niger East to look into the functions with an existing rejected bills by the institute. President. Other bills earlier rejected Although the Technical by Buhari since 2015 Committee submitted its include: the Petroleum report in December last year, Industry Governance Bill the report of the David (PIGB), Stamp Duties Umaru-led panel even as at (Amendment) Bill, Electoral yesterday, was yet to be Act (Amendment) Bill, considered. Use re-runs to restore confidence in electoral processes, ULC tells INEC By Victor Young & Maryann Michael UNITED Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, has warned that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, perceived mishandling of the 2019 general elections could worsen Nigerians loss of confidence in elections and electoral processes. The group pleads with INEC to use the 23rd March re-run in the “Inconclusive areas” to rewrite some of the wrongs to restore trust and confidence in Nigeria’s electoral processes. ULC in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, called on critical stakeholders to come together to seek ways of making the nation’s electoral processes more effective and transparent for the integrity of the ballot to be respected. The statement read in part: “One of the most harrowing experiences witnessed in this election is the abusive use of the Military, the Police and other Security agencies in the conduct of the elections. We saw cases of rampant collusion between the military and politicians to manipulate the vote in favour of their chosen candidates, use of military to intimidate opponents and their voters and eventually to force the collation and announcement of results that heavily compromises electoral integrity. Audio and Video evidence are commonplace in the Social media and this we consider despicable. “The heavy militarization of elections in Nigeria as seen in this past elections is not healthy for a nation that seeks to raise the bar of democratic aspirations. It diminishes the institutions of the Army and the others undermining their capacities to effectively fulfill their major task of protecting the nation’s borders against external aggression especially as the nation combats the increasing Boko Haram insurgency. Perhaps, achieving more favourable electoral victories are more important to the government than the job of national security.'' VISIT: Mr Adekunle Adekoya, Deputy Editor, Vanguard Newspapers (4th right) flanked by students of Lagos State Polytechnic during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Media headquarters at Kirikiri Canal, Apapa, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. Buhari, APC planning to scuttle May 29 inauguration in Rivers, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano — CUPP •Asks NJC to sack judges granting orders halting supplementary elections, collation of results By Joseph Erunke A Coalition BUJA—THE of United Political Parties, CUPP, has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, are planning to scuttle May 29 inauguration in Rivers, Bauchi, Kano, and other states where elections were declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The coalition also claimed President Buhari and the APC have concluded arrangements to install sole administrators in the affected states, have various courts granting exparte orders halting collation and conduct of supplementary elections in the affected states. CUPP, in a statement by its spokesman,Ikenga Ugochinyere, yesterday “noted with regret the rate and frequency at which leaders of the All Progressives Congress are rushing to courts, seeking orders to either stop collation of results or stop supplementary elections in states where they are clearly losing. We have witnessed this unfortunate development in states such as Bauchi, Adamawa and Rivers with ongoing move to purchase an order to halt collation in Kano if the APC loses the supplementary election on Saturday. “In all instances, leaders of APC are the ones behind these acts which we view as judicial treason capable of consuming our democracy. This trend clearly poses grave danger to the nation’s democracy especially as Section 87 (10) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) forbids any court process that will stop party primaries or general election or the process thereof. It is only the election petition tribunals that are legally empowered to attend to any grievance arising from election outcome or ongoing election process. “The plan by these leaders of President Muhammadu Buhari’s political party is to plunge these states where they are losing into constitutional crisis by arm-twisting judges to commit this judicial treason. APC have perfected plans to ensure that Rivers, Bauchi, Adamawa and Kano states do not have constitutional leadership and inauguration on 29th of May 2019 to pave way for Buhari APC to appoint party loyalists as Sole Administrators in those states who will lead their party to fresh governorship elections which they intend to win with fake results. “We make bold to say that this party is bastardizing the nation’s judiciary with these black market court orders its leaders are procuring from all angles. We therefore call on the National Judicial Commission to come down hard on judges who have turned themselves into willing tools in the hands of the APC by granting frivolous orders halting supplementary elections and collation in some states. These orders are clearly illegal and act of judicial treason. We also call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ignore such court orders and complete election as demanded by the law. You can’t spend N72m on two cars, Reps tell NIPSS By Emman Ovuakporie A House BUJA—THE of Representatives Committee on Governmental Affairs, yesterday told the Director General of the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Jonathan Jumah, that his agency would not spend N72 million on two cars in 2019. Hussaini Sulaiman Kangiwa (APC, Kebbi), led committee also demanded that both the DG NIPSS and the Executive Secretary of the Administrative Staff of College, ASCON, Mrs Cecilia Gaya, furnished the committee with proofs of payment for all items listed as procured in their 2018 budget performance reports. The lawmakers issued the queries during a budget defence exercise involving the agencies with the lawmakers raising issues on ....Ask NIPSS, ASCON to produce proof of expenditure appropriate accounting reports as well as transparency of revenue generation and expenditure. The lawmakers while examining NIPSS’ documents observed that NPSS intended to spend N72 million on two cars to serve as project vehicles. The DG, in his response, said the mistake was indicating the vehicle type in the document, arguing that the vehicles were meant for project monitoring and that the Institute could decide to change the type and specification to SUVs. Yusuf Adamu Ikara from Kaduna State told the DG that the cost of the vehicle having being specified was exorbitant at the rate of N36million each. This position was again stressed by the chairman, who said: “whatever was received was government money belonging to Nigerians and they need to know how their money is expended. The cost for the vehicle is highly exorbitant because I have not seen anywhere in Nigeria where a Camry car would cost N36million. And we have not seen any Camry product that’s SUV being produced except sedan. No matter the model, it can’t be beyond 2017, 2018 or 2019.” The lawmaker urged the DG to adhere strictly to the principles of federal character in recruiting staff for the Institute, noting that a look at the nominal roll suggested otherwise. The DG, however, responded that many of the resource persons were engaged on contract basis as they came to deliver lectures and got paid instead of permanent employment by the institute.
VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019—15 Ohanaeze to investigate ownership of oil blocs, composition of MDAs By Chioma Gabriel APEX Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it will collect data on all positions and their distributions in all federal ministries, agencies and parastattals with a view to ensuring fair distribution to all parts of the country. The group said it would also investigate the ownership of all oil blocs in Niger Delta to ensure no part of the country dominate the sector. The Spokesman of the group, Chuks Ibegbu advised the Federal Character Commission to ensure fair representation of all sections of the country in the nation’s VISIT: From left— Apostle Dr. Oluwafemi Iroh, General Overseer, Christ Unity Ministry; Bash Ali, renowned boxer; and Mr. Eze Anaba, Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, during Bash Ali's courtesy visit to V a n g u a r d Newspaper's head office in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Shonola. commonwealth without sacrificing merit however. He lauded the recent court ruling for a uniform cut-off point in tertiary schools and federal government colleges admission, lamenting that the unjust disparity hitherto has wrought unfair hardship on students seeking admission to federal institutions from the South East in particular and the South in general. On the issue of Senate Presidency or Speaker of the House of Representatives now raging on , he said: “ What Ndigbo needed most is restructuring of Nigeria and not who occupies what position which only benefits the occupant as in the past. We are not much interested in positions now but what our people, the common Igbo masses benefit from the country in its entirety.” He noted that Ohanaeze leadership will meet very soon to take stock of the last elections and react appropriately, warning anybody purporting to speak on the issue on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to desist from doing so. The Ohanaeze Spokesman also commiserated with the family of late Prophet Chidi Mcjossy, the General Co ordinator of the General Assembly of Igbo Christains GAICON who will be buried at Mbeke, Isiala Mbano, Imo State tomorrow. Prophet Mcjossy was a staunch Imeobi member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and its spiritual advisor. Meantime, an Igbo group Ebube Ndigbo has asked the Federal Government to appoint a credible Igbo man as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The spokesman of the group, Okezie Dick, noted that the position is more befitting to Ndigbo in addition to the Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The group insisted that "President Buhari made tremendous progress in Igbo land in 2019 elections unlike in 2015 and thus the Igbo deserve these positions." Legal war in Imo, as 47 gov candidates head to tribunal By Chinonso Alozie O WERRI—FORTY- S E V E N governorship candidates in Imo State, yesterday disclosed their resolution to head to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the just-concluded gubernatorial election in the state. The candidates and their party chairmen in Owerri, through their spokesperson, the national deputy chairman of Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, Ukadike Chinedu said they were peeved by the report credited to some guber candidates in the state which said the election was free, fair and credible. Vanguard had reported that 10 governorship candidates under the name, Forum of 2019 Governorship Candidates of Political Parties in Imo State, met and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting the most transparent election which produced Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as governor-elect. That declaration has now been punctured by another set of governorship candidates. According to the opposing camp, "Ihedioha did not meet the constitutional requirements to be declared winner of the said election." He said: “What is happening in Imo State is unacceptable and we have decided to address it once and for all. How can someone who did not meet the constitutional requirement of winning an election be declared winner of the election? “We are 47 governorship candidates and our party chairmen are here. We have agreed to go to court. We are going to court individually because it is not a consolidated suit. What we want to achieve is to disabuse the minds of our people in Imo State and Nigeria at large that something is wrong about the governorship election in Imo State. A lot of things have gone wrong and now is the time to correct those things. “We don’t want this to become a precedence in Imo State. We are ready to go to the tribunal to tell the whole world that the election did not follow due process.” Also speaking, the governorship candidate of the Masses Movement of Nigeria, MMN, Chidozie Iheanacho, was of the view that, “What happened on March 9 was a rape of the constitution." NDLEA arrests 3 over production of meth By Dennis Agbo E NUGU—THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has apprehended three persons connected to an illegal laboratory where a banned substance, methamphetamine, was being produced in Enugu. Enugu State commander of NDLEA, Adeyemi Adeofe said their arrests were based on credible intelligence which led to initial arrest of the first two suspects with 100kg of Ephedrine. He gave the names of the suspects as Christopher Eze, Ikechukwu Umah and Paul Eze. One of the principal suspects, Christian Chibuzor said to be residing in South Africa is yet to be arrested. Adeofe said investigation was ongoing to unravel the other members of the syndicate. Anambra: Reps candidate arraigned for forgery, falsification of election results By Nwabueze Okonkwo ONITSHA —A candidate of Accord Party in Orumba North/ South federal constituency in the just concluded National Assembly elections, Mr. Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka has been arrested by the operatives of Anambra State Police Criminal Investigations Department, Awka, for alleged forgery and falsification of election results. Ezeonwuka was arrested following a petition written against him by the legal adviser of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr. Ifebuche Sylvester Ezeokenwa in the state, over alleged connivance with some INEC officials now at large to doctor the results of some polling units of the already announced result of the election to pave way for him in the tribunal. It was gathered that Ezeonwuka, a lawyer who secured fifth position with about 500 votes in the House of Representatives elections held on February 23, 2019 for Orumba North/ South Federal Constituency as declared by INEC on February 24, 2019 allegedly connived with some INEC officials and doctored over 60 polling units which he intended to submit to the election petition tribunal as evidence in his quest to upturn the election of Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo of APGA who actually won the election in the area. In the petition, Ezeokenwa recalled that the suspect had in the same manner, allegedly forged and falsified some documents to steal the mandate of Ben Nwankwo in 2015.It was later discovered upon careful, secret and discreet investigations that the suspect Ezeonwuka of Accord party with the help of some INEC officials who are at large now doctored the original results of over 60 polling units in Orumba north. He was arraigned yesterday in the Ajali Magistrate Court within Orumba North Magisterial District. The presiding Magistrate, F. N Nweke- Onuchukwu granted the suspect bail and adjourned the matter to May 25, 2019 for hearing. Zone Reps speakership to S-East, CSOs tell APC By Dennis Agbo ENUGU—A coalition of South East Civil Societies and Human Rights Organisations has pleaded with the All Progressives Congress, APC, leadership under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to zone the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly to the south east zone. The group also urged all the returning and newly elected members of the House of Representatives to consider Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha of Isukwuato/ Umunneochi federal constituency in Abia state for the position of Speaker of the House. They equally pleaded with women organisations to stand up for their own and support the campaign for gender mainstreaming in key positions of resource allocation in Nigeria polity. The coalition in a second round press conference in Enugu, yesterday, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to support the emergence of Onyejeocha as speaker to douse the impression that he was aversed to Igbo progress in Nigeria polity.
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21032019 - PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression — APC

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