01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 •Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi inspecting ongoing work at one of the rails By Evelyn Usman They drove in silence with each lost in thought as concentration centered on their divergent imaginations. Some of them had slept off, leaving the driver whose eyes were wide open to relish the rhythm of the music from the car stereo, as he sang along with the unknown artist. Then all of a sudden, an incident which changed the course of the journey occurred, following the unprecedented appearance of fierce looking armed men ahead, with the road barricaded. Time was 8am, on April 15, 2019. The travelers were plying the Lokoja-Kabba road, Kogi state and destination was Lokoja. But the journey was aborted at Obajana – Kabba road, by the uninvited visitors who turned out to be kidnappers. The 14 passengers were ordered out of the vehicle and whisked into the bush, with ransom demanded for their release. Kidnappers have virtually taken over major highways in Nigeria. In Kogi state for instance, particularly, the Lokoja-Abuja road, Okene- Lokoja road, Obajana-Kabba road and Itobe- Anyigba, they carry out their nefarious activities both during the day and at night, with helpless and defenceless Nigerians as targets. While those who were able to pay ransom were released, others who could not, were killed. Other expressways in the country where Nigerians suffer untold emotional and psychological torture in the hands of kidnappers and robbers alike, include; Lagos/ Ibadan expressway, Otukpo-Enugu road, where the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, was kidnapped and his decomposing body found three months later. The ever- busy Abuja-Keffi expressway, where the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was shot dead , last December , is not spared in the list of dangerous highways in the country. The Benin-Lagos highway is also among. But the scariest and one of the seven most dangerous highways in Nigeria is the Abuja-Kanuna road, where robbers and kidnappers alike operate on daily basis. Just last month, Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s convoy, foiled an attempted abduction of motorists along that route, while on his way to Abuja, as security operatives attached to him, forced the criminals to run into the bush, to the relief of motorists some of who had parked, on hearing that the criminals were operating ahead. Daily, the print, electronics and social media are awash with shocking and alarming occurrences along these corridors. Railway line to the rescue Recently, the Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Adamu launched Operation Puff Adder to tackle kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities along the Kaduna- Abuja expressway and adjourning communities extending to Kogi, Niger and Zamfara states. Several arrests have been made with the recovery of ammunitions, including a rocket launcher from suspects since its launch. To sustain the tempo, the operation was extended to other states of the Federation. The Benin-Lagos highway is also among. But the scariest and one of the seven most dangerous highways in Nigeria is the Abuja- Kanuna road, where robbers and kidnappers alike operate on daily basis Rail system to make life easier, better for Nigerians — Amaechi However, in a move to put paid to the horrendous experience motorists go through in the hands of criminally minded persons on the nation’s highways, as well as the bad roads resulting in perennial gridlocks which further enhance hoodlums chances of attack, the previous administration under Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, resuscitated the collapsed rail system, while the present administration is on the verge of raising the bar with to measure up to its counterparts worldwide , where rail transportation is a major mode of transportation. To this effect, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, often undertakes rail inspection across the country to ensure an inter connectivity from one state to another. An attestation to the Ameachi’s avowed goal to take rail transportation to another level, was the recent directive for double track rail lines in all rails in the North . Working rails One of the rails that has received notable face lift is the Itakpe-Warri lane, which was abandoned for over three decades. The rail takes 20 minutes from Itakpe to Lokoja, which major benefit is to connect the two steel communities in the country— Delta Steel Company, DSC Ovwian, Aladja, in Delta State and Ajaokuta Steel Company, in Kogi State Another, is the Rail Village in Agbor, Delta State, which was burnt. Owing to its years of abandonment, its equipments were stolen, leaving it skeletally bare, until its rehabilitation which gulped about $200 million from the Federal government. At the moment, the Itakpe- Warri conveys 100 passengers per trip, daily. Amaechi had informed that the Warri-Itakpe Standard Gauge line had commenced operation for passenger, commercial and freight services. The train corridors involved Itakpe in Kogi, Aghenebode in Edo and Agbhor in Delta with 12 railway stations along the corridors. He also informed of plans to link the Itakpe Rail to Abuja axis, a project he said would cost the government $3 billion, adding that if done, it would include a seaport in Warri. The Minister said that “it is one rail project that we did not borrow a dime to complete”, adding that “President Muhammadu Buhari was and is still enthusiastic in driving the rail project in Nigeria as a way of improving the nation’s economy”. Commenting on the progress the rail is bringing to the area, a traditional ruler in the area, Chief Madu Agboifo, remarked during the recent rail inspection project in the area that “life is bound to pick up again in this area when the rail becomes fully operational. Already, some of our boys are being offered some jobs at the Railway yard and at the Railway village. So, we are looking forward to a round of robust economy again. We cannot wait to start enjoying the full benefits of railway transportation”. Another operational rail is the Lagos - Abeokuta Rail, which was completed three months ago, with its operational cost pegged at $1.6 billion. Also, the Abuja-Kaduna Rail has been completed with $500million loan and has since been running. Lagos-Ibadan Rail Very soon, people living in the South West states will have no reason to be trapped in the gridlock when coming into or going out of Lagos, as preparations according to Amaechi , were on to complete the Lagos- Ibadan rail. The ongoing work on the rail which is being executed at the cost of $1.6 billion and funded from the loan from the Chinese government,is put at 70%. The Minister, has assured that by next month , the laying of tracks is expected to be completed, while the entire rail would start running from Lagos to Ibadan by December. The Ibadan-Kano Rail, which will cost $5.3billion, is however yet to commence Aside addressing the menace of kidnapping, robbery and other attacks on motorists, the rail project , when completed will also address the incidents of road mishaps which have sent thousands of Nigerians to early graves. It is also expected to address the menace of gridlocks in major cities, as one significant feature of the project is that rail lines will be extended to seaports across the country, from where trucks laden with containers will ply ,thereby bringing to an end, the nightmare of containers falling off trucks and landing on unsuspecting road users as witnessed several times in Lagos State. A vivid instance was two weeks ago, at Ilasamaja, along the Oshodi- Apapa expressway, Lagos, where an empty container which fell off its truck, landed on the motor boy, in his attempt to jump out of the truck. The Minister of Transport has repeatedly emphasized that the only viable solution to end the gridlock along the Apapa- Oshodi expressway, orchestrated by the total take over of the major expressway which leads to the nation’s number one sea port, was an efficient rail line along that corridor. Speaking during one of the meetings between the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and stakeholders, on ways to proffer a lasting solution to the traffic situation in Lagos, particularly the Oshodi Apapa expressway, Ameachi, said, “the problem at the Lagos seaports is not clearing. This is because goods are cleared on time. The problem is movement of those goods out of the port. “Part of the solution to Lagos seaport is an efficient rail line. You can argue that the narrow gauge is there but it is not efficient. The moment we fix this, those goods will be transferred to the rail and the logjam will disappear”. On how this will be possible, he said that the Lagos-Ibadan rail line would be extended to the port once the Iju section in Lagos was completed, assuring that once that was done, he would push them to go to the seaport. Challenges As the federal government tries to emplace a rail system in the country, the already established ones are begging for more coaches to take the number of passengers who throng the stations daily. As part of measures to address the situation which leaves the stations crowded , Amechi said plans were under way to move two additional coaches from the Itakpe Warri railway corridor to decongest the mounting pressure on the Abuja-Kaduna train service. He also admitted during an inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line, to being aware of the ongoing racketeering at the Idu and Rigasa stations where coaches that usually took 200 passengers now carried 500 persons. About this he said: “We also discovered that some people will buy tickets and resell to the public. Even if you put policemen there, that won’t solve the problem. The queue is because the coaches are not enough; people are standing. The reason for which we bought those coaches was for people to sit down. So, I have directed that they should move two coaches from Itakpe-Warri to Abuja-Kaduna.” A major significance of railway, is its economy advantage such as creation of jobs. At the Lagos-Ibadan railway for instance , thousands of Nigerians have gained employment since it was established. It has also reduced poverty level in some homes as food vendors and other petty traders who attend to the daily yearnings of passengers and workers at the station have means of feeding their families. Commenting on the economic advantage of rails, Amaechi said, “with the coming of the rail, there is bound to be improved economy for those around the rail stations as there will be food vendors, shop operators at the train stations, motor parks to offer connecting road transport service for train passengers, as well as opening up several other business corridors in the Nigerian economy. And if the promise of the Minister of transportation, that his commitment to the full takeoff of rail transportation in Nigeria is aimed at making life easier and better for Nigerians, is anything to go by, then, Nigerians, irrespective of their status in the society, will one day look back to this administration, with gratitude and smiles of satisfaction on their faces.
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019—15 We lost so much money in Zamfara – APC I lost count of money we spent, says former governor-elect By Nasir Muhammad Gusau When the political fire of 1999 started crackling as Nigeria returned to Democratic dispensation, Zamfara State was only two years old. The battle for governorship seat was fought by only two major strong contenders, Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura and Ambassador Muhammad Z. Anka. The former contested under the platform of All People’s Party (APP) while the latter contested under the umbrella of People Democratic Party (PDP) Yariman Bakura who was strongly supported by the masses eventually defeated the elites candidate MZ Anka and he ruled the state for eight years before handing over to his Deputy, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi. Shortly after assuming the mantle of leadership in 2007, Shinkafi cross carpeted to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of internal strife between him and his political god father, Alhaji Sani Yariman Bakura. In 2011 Yarima engaged Shinkafi in fierce political battle after anointing his other political god son, Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar who was then a member House of Representatives. However, Yarima wrestled power from PDP after he eventually defeated the incumbent governor and installed Yari under the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party ANPP. Yari on the other hand, came back to win election for the second time and consequently ruled the state for eight years at the stretch. Unlike Yarima, who appeared a compassionate governor, Yari ruled the state with an iron fist. His administration was marred with high handedness, retrenchment of civil servants, and above all insecurity. Towards the end of his tenure, he faced many enemies within the party. He frequently fought with some top notch party members, particularly Senator Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara central over issues of insecurity. Yari’s decision to pick his commissioner of finance Alhaji Mukhtar Idris Gusau to contest for governorship seat during just concluded 2019 general elections and abandoned bigwig politicians including his loyal Deputy, Malam Ibrahim Muhammad Wakkala could be seen as contributing to both the remote and immediate factors that led to the APC woes in the state. In an effort to challenge Yari’s excesses the aggrieved party members, united and formed what is called Group of Eight, popularly known as G8. The political fiasco between the factions, was so fierce to the extent that the party could not even conduct primaries within the stipulated time. But Yari, desperately went and secured a court injunction at the State higher Court that primaries were conducted in state. The group appealed the decision of the higher Court to Appeal Court Sokoto division where it upheld that primaries were not conducted. However, in reaction to Appeal Court judgement, Abdul’aziz Yari surreptitiously, ran to the Supreme Court but it eventually passed its judgement on 24 May 2019, voiding all votes cast for APC in the 2019 general elections in the state and declared that the second party with the highest votes and which had required spread votes as the winner of the election. Therefore, the Independent National Electoral Commission, declared People’s Democratic party PDP candidates as winner of Zamfara 2019 general elections. Different narratives gathered by Saturday Vanguard revealed that members of the APC have spent colossal amount of money, resources and energy during the saga. When he was asked to react on the calamitous situation, APC gubernatorial candidate who was purportedly declared winner by INEC before the Supreme Court Judgement, Alhaji Mukhtar Idris Gusau, stated that, he had lost count of the total amount spent during the campaigns. But he admitted that the money was enormous. He described the situation as wretched, fatal, disastrous and extremely unfortunate. Adding that, they have done everything possible to ensure that APC continued to rule the state. Gusau maintained that he believed in the Islamic injunction that what will be will be and therefore, Allah the most powerful and all knower already planned OYO: The tasks before the oil magnate By Ola Ajayi FTER losing serially in previous A elections, Engineer Abiodun Seyi Makinde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the March 9 election recorded an overwhelming victory against his All Progressives Congress, APC, counterpart, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. His victory at the poll did not come as a surprise to many residents in the state. Engineer Seyi Makinde, born at Aigbofa Compound on 25th December, 1967 in Oja’ba, Ibadan, who is popularly called ‘Omi titun’ (fresh water) has paid his dues in the politics of the state. Though, some negligible number of people may see him as a green horn in politics; careful reflection on his past efforts at clinching the most coveted seat in the state, would surely indicate that at every loss he suffered before his eventual victory, he was preparing himself for the office. Unlike other politicians who would like to start from the cradle, he refused to join the bandwagon. He knew exactly what he wanted and he pursed it with vigour. A very close associate of the new governor once told Vanguard that he was offered a senatorial ticket sometime in 2015 but he politely declined it. Like most politicians, he had joined and decamped from parties that did not share his gubernatorial vision. He was in the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP with Senator Abiola Ajimobi, PDP and later Social Democratic Party, SDP from where he rejoined the PDP. After the former Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, late Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao, no other person in the Pacesetter State can rub shoulder with Engr Makinde when it comes to his philanthropic gestures. This singular virtue has endeared him to thousands of eligible voters in the state. An impeccable source told Vanguard that he spent billions of naira in his failed attempt to govern the state in 2015. When campaign for the election started, he showed to everyone that he meant business this time around. Unlike other candidates, he made available all logistics for his loyalists. Education After his secondary education at Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan, he gained admission to the University of Lagos in he was enrolled to Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan for his secondary education. After his secondary school education, he gained admission in 1985 to the University of Lagos where he studied Electrical Engineering. After his compulsory NYSC scheme with Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria, he was employed as a pupil engineer and later rose to the position of a field Manager at Rebold International Limited. Having assumed, people of the state expect much from him. It is no doubt that former Governor Abiola Ajimobi had raised the bar of governance in the state •Alhaji Mukhtar Idris Gusau and destined this to happen the way it has happened. Anas Hamisu, Zamfara state House of Assembly candidate under the platform of APC, explained that, they have suffered a lot and that so much energy and resources have been wasted. He pointed out that what happened to them in Zamfara was unfortunate and they now have no option than to pray Allah to give winners the wisdom to move the state forward. In his own reaction, the former speaker, Zamfara State House of Assembly and APC House of Representative candidate, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, said that he was not disturbed about what transpired in the state. He said that they did well for APC but enemies of the party truncated their efforts. and for anyone who wants to succeed him, much is required from him. Tasks before Makinde The challenges before the new governor are enormous. Since he secured victory with the help of the coalition, pressure will be much on him to ‘pay back’. Already, some people are beginning to grumble about the sharing formula of political offices. A source, who spoke with Vanguard, said they are waiting to see the first four appointments of the new governor. The person who is from one of the parties that teamed up to defeat APC noted with concern that some people already have their claws on Engr Makinde and he may find it difficult to free himself from them because they believe that without their cooperation, he would not have become the governor of the state. The politician who preferred anonymity said a senator who is close to the new governor appears to be dictating too much to the chagrin of others.
Page 2 and 3: 2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 20
Page 4 and 5: 4—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
Page 8 and 9: 8— SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 201
Page 12 and 13: Nigeria's disinte 12—SATURDAY Van
Page 24 and 25: 24 —SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 20
Page 30 and 31: 30—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, , 2
Page 32 and 33: C M Y K 32—SATURDAY Vanguard,JUNE
Page 36 and 37: 5yr old girl loses 36—SATURDAY Va
Page 48: C M Y K SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1,

01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?