sat 15062019 I would Have Overthown Abacha If

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4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2019
SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 15, 2019 — 5 REVEALED: Osinbajo, El-rufai, Oshiomhole playing key roles in ministerial appointments *Fashola, Amaechi, Bala-Usman, Sirika to make list SATURDAY Vanguard has reliably gathered that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-rufai and the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole are currently playing key roles in the selection of ministerial nominees to ensure that competent party members are appointed. It was gathered that the three strong men have the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari in his determination to appoint people, who <strong>would</strong> truly deliver in their respective portfolios. “But he (the President) is doing that separately and not as a team, so each of them may not know what the other is suggesting,” a source close to the Presidency said. Multiple sources told Saturday Vanguard that the President was not only concentrating on competent party members but also on credible people in the private sector, who <strong>would</strong> drive the implementation of propeople policies to be formulated. One of the sources said the trio has identified some party members among who are the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman, immediate past Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, among others. The source said: “President Muhammadu Buhari is considering merit this time because he wants results from his ministers. That was why he is listening to the Vice President, APC party chairman, and Governor Nasir El-rufai to assist in choosing competent hands among party members and from the private sector. He does not want noise makers but those who can do the job. The Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman and Rotimi Amaechi may make the list because they possess the qualities needed. Another person is Fashola.” Saturday Vanguard had reported that unlike the usual practice of placing party and other considerations above merit in the appointment of ministers, President Buhari’s cabinet members could emerge strictly on competence. The development was informed by the perception of underperformance by most of the immediate past ministers, especially heads of key ministries, and in-fighting among junior and senior ministers which characterised the activities of the ministers. These resulted in the absence of synergy that could have emanated from interministerial interface. The situation informed sustained calls from the public for the rejigging of the cabinet and even outright sack of some ministers. Such calls were not heeded by Buhari, who only witnessed the resignation of five ministers and the death of one. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba Ibrahim, had resigned on February 16, 2019, to run for an elective office in Damaturu/Tarmuwa/Gujba/Gulani Federal Constituency of Yobe State. Alhaji Ibrahim Jubiril also resigned his appointment as Minister of State for Environment following his declaration as an Emir. Hajiya Amina Mohammed, on February 24, 2017, resigned as Minister of Environment following her appointment at the United Nations as Deputy Secretary- General. The incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi also resigned on May 30, 2018, to contest for the governorship position of his state. Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Alhassan, also known as Mama Taraba, resigned from the cabinet and from the APC, hinging her resignation on her disqualification in the screening for the 2019 Taraba State governorship election by the party’s National Working Committee. In September 2018, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun resigned as the Minister of Finance as a result of allegations that she falsified her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Exemption Certificate. In March 2016, Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr. James Ocholi ,SAN, died in a road crash that occurred at Kilometre 57, along Kaduna-Abuja highway. Some ministers gave a bad face to the President’s anti-corruption fight. But they survived. There were ministers who were even so petty that they applied and collected estacodes of aides for trips the aides never made. There were some who collected full estacodes and paid their aides half or even less. One aide even went public with corrupt activities in his ministry. There were also some the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC simply failed to investigate allegations brought against them. They all survived a Buhari administration that allowed the ministers so much freedom and didn’t do enough to monitor them. All that, we gathered, may change in this second coming they have tagged The Next Level even as some ministers may be retained while some may be re-assigned to other ministries. •Why appointing Akpabio will be counter-productive — Akwa APC elders *No such group in our party –A/Ibom APC By Clifford Ndujihe AS President Muham madu Buhari compiles the list of his ministerial nominees, the Ibom Integrity and Servant Leadership Culture Initiative, IISLCI, a group of elders in Akwa Ibom All Progressives Congress, APC, has advised him against nominating immediate past governor of the state and former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Executive Vice President of the elders, Dr. Asuquo Edidem Etim, said appointing Akpabio as minister could hurt President Buhari’s next level agenda and create instability in Akwa Ibom State. The Akwa Ibom State Working Committee, SWC of the APC has however, distanced itself from the Dr Etim-led group, saying it does not exist Ȧ statement by Nkereuwem Enyongekere, publicity secretary, said: ‘’The State working Committee of the APC Akwa Ibom State has observed with utter dismay one faceless Elders’ group-Ibom Integrity & Servant Leadership Culture Initiative parading and arrogating to itself the power of condemnation and recommendation as quite worrisome, embarrassing and unacceptable. We hereby confirm that the self acclaimed leader of the group, Dr Asuquo Edidem Etim is a disclaimer and not an APC member and we have no such group in our APC groups’ Registration Register in Akwa Ibom State.” However, Dr Etim in a letter to the president said they From left: Engr. Dideolu Falobi, chairman, Board of Fellows, Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers; Senator Iyiola Omisore, Engr. Chima Ibeneche, special guest of honour; Engr. Babagana Mohammed, Deputy President, Nigerian Society of Engineers; and Engr. Adeyemi Oyedepo, national chairman, during the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, 2019 safety lecture, dinner and conferment of fellowship, held in Lagos, yesterday. Photo:Kehinde Shonola. are ‘’a core group of believers in Mr. President’s leadership philosophy that is rooted in integrity, transparency and servant leadership. And we believe it is incumbent on us to help our leader achieve an enhanced performance in his second and final term of office as president of our great nation.” To succeed in his second term, the group said President Buhari should select his ministers in ‘’a manner that will ensure that they do not become liabilities to your government or dent your impeccable image. Characters with known corruption allegations or propensity for pettiness, mischief, treachery, profligacy and vendetta, should be avoided.” Recalling how Akpabio ran Akwa Ibom as governor for eight years, his stint as senate minority leader, his defection to the APC and effect on the electoral fortunes of the party in Akwa Ibom, the elders said making him a minister could be toxic for the next level project. Apapa gridlock: Presidency renews directive as taskteam fails to clear tankers By Johnbosco Agbakwuru FOLLOWING the failure of the Presidential Taskteam to accomplish President Muhamadu Buhari’s initial order to clear the Apapa traffic gridlock within two weeks, the presidency has renewed the directive for another two weeks. The president had on May 21, given the Taskteam headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo two weeks to remove trucks on bridges and roads in Apapa as well as restore law and order in the area. The gridlock however appears to have defiled the efforts of the taskteam as residents and commuters continue to suffer untold hardship. Although there have been little improvements in some areas, some axis remain impassable as heavy trucks continue to occupy large portions of the road. In an apparent admission of failure to accomplish the president’s initial order, the taskteam earlier this week made a formal request for extension of time to accomplish the task. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, approved the extension at a meeting of the Presidential Taskteam with stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, earlier in the week. According to the Vice President at the meeting held on Tuesday “we will extend the tenure of the taskforce by two weeks and we must all work together to be able to resolve all the issues raised here today.” Speaking on steps to be taken to find lasting solutions to the problem, Prof. Osinbajo added that “it will take both medium and long term solutions to ultimately enable us present to the users an efficient port environment for the economy and businesses to thrive.” He warned that “we will not allow any interests to undermine our nation’s economy”. The Vice President directed the NPA and other stakeholders to expedite action on the opening of additional truck parks and parking bays around Lagos as well as the commencement of the electronic call-up system at the Port. In his presentation, Opeifa, the Executive Vice Chairman of the taskteam, said efforts were ongoing to open new parking bays for trucks around the port area and in other parts of Lagos, preparatory to the commencement of the electronic call-up system at the port– one of the measures proposed to ameliorate the hardship at the port area. Meanwhile, since Monday June 10, residents and motorists have been subjected to harrowing experiences as trucks and articulated vehicles completelyshut down traffic on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. Residents and workers in the area have had to abandon their vehicles and resorted to patronizing commercial motorcycles, popularly called “Okoda” as the entire area remained blocked for vehicular movement. A check by Saturday Vanguard, saw men of the Presidential task team, around Trinity, Apapa- Oshodi bound road by Trinity Bus stop trying to manage the chaotic traffic in the axis. When our correspondent visited some areas an Army officer was asked to leave the area immediately by the Commissioner of Police, CP, Hakeem Odumusu Further investigation revealed that the task team had been having it tough, owing to the activities of army officers who have refused to vacate the area in apparent defiance of the presidential order. Commenting on the situation, Opeifa, appealed to residents and motorists to exercise patience, saying the team has practically moved operation to Oshodi- Apapa Expressway to ensure smooth traffic within the next three days. According to him, “We have commenced palliative work on some part of the road so that we can have access road to push some trucks away from the road and have access to various designated truck terminals. “By Monday, next week we should have a good situation along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. Our efforts are being undermined by some unscrupoulous military officers and their cohorts. “Therefore, we are appealing to residents and motorists to be a little bit patient with us, we are committed to ensuring total sanity in Apapa and environs.” Opeifa also blamed the slow pace of the team to the activity of truck drivers who drive against traffic thereby creating heavy gridlock on the road with attendant difficult task of clearing the mess.
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sat 15062019 I would Have Overthown Abacha If

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