03082019 - Worsening Insecurity: Suspected herdsmen kill Catholic priest in Enugu

SATURDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 3, 2019 — 3
Omo-Agege is a principled political
leader — Senate President
•As Lawan felicitates with his deputy at 56
By Henry Umoru
PRESIDENT of the
Senate, Senator
Ahmad Lawan, has
described his deputy,
Senator Ovie Omo-
Agege, as someone who
has demonstrated courage
of conviction and
distinguished him as a
principled political leader
and a beacon of hope.
Lawan who felicitated
with the family, friends and
political associates of the
Deputy Senate President,
as he marks his 56th
birthday today,
commended him for his
zeal and uncompromising
commitment to the
principles of participatory
democracy, justice and
equity.
In a statement yesterday
by his Special Adviser,
Media, Ola Awoniyi, the
President of the Senate on
behalf of himself and the
entire Senate congratulated
Senator Omo-Agege on
the auspicious occasion and
wished him many more
years of meritorious service
to Nigerians at the Senate
and in other capacities that
the Almighty God may take
him in the future.
According to the
statement, “Omo-Agege
has consistently
demonstrated his family
heritage of trustworthiness
in service and leadership
in his professional and
public service career as a
legal practitioner,
commissioner, Secretary to
the Government of Delta
State and Senator. He has
also demonstrated courage
of conviction and
distinguished himself as a
principled political leader
and a beacon of hope,
especially in this epoch
when Nigerians are
patiently laying the
building blocks of a
democratic, peaceful and
prosperous nation.
“Lawan looks forward to
a lasting warm and fruitful
working relationship with
Omo-Agege in the
leadership of the Senate
and the National Assembly.
Kogi 2019: Aspirant seeks collective battle
to oust Gov Bello
By Boluwaji Obahopo
A
renowned economist
and governorship
aspirant on the platform of
the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP), in Kogi state,
Dr. Victor Adoji has vowed
to give his support to
whoever emerges the
party’s flagbearer in the
event that he fails in his
ambition to pick the ticket
of the party for the
November 16 guber
election.
Adoji, formerly Executive
Director, Public Affairs with
Zenith Bank, PLC affirmed
that the woeful
administration of the ruling
All Progressives Congress
(APC) under the
leadership of the
incumbent governor,
Yahaya Bello deserves a
joint struggle to flush him
Tallen’s nomination tears Plateau
APC apart
By Marie-Therese
Nanlong
Mixed
reactions
have trailed the
nomination of one time
Minister of State, Science
and Technology and
former Deputy Governor
of Plateau State, Dame
Pauline Tallen as minister
by
President
Muhammadu Buhari
Immediately her
nomination was made
public, a section of
Plateau residents, mostly
women from different
groups went into
celebration and sending
congratulatory messages.
Those who were opposed
to the nomination were
said to have made
preparation to ferry some
youths for a protest in
Abuja.
Among those
mentioned as sponsors
for the proposed protest
was the State Chairman
of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Mr.
Letep Dabang who was
interested in being
out of Lugard House.
Addressing journalists in
Lokoja yesterday at a
Media Parley organized by
the Kogi NUJ, Adoji
expressed worry over the
maladministration of
Governor Bello saying that
his ambition has nothing to
do with desperation but a
collective fight to push him
out irrespective of political
and ethnic affiliations.
He however said if he
emerged candidate and
eventually win the poll, he
will give priority to
agriculture, food security,
employment generation as
well as change the state
from civil service state to an
industrialized one.
Adoji admonished
political gladiators in the
state not to see politics as a
do or die affair but as a
game that should be
centred on making their
appointed a Minister.
Dabang had since
denounced the allegation
saying he knew nothing
about it. Dr. Jophia
Gupar, a coordinator of a
women group, (W4W,
he4she) had raised an
alarm saying, “Our
attention has been drawn
to a shameful plan by
some individuals to hire
our young people to come
to Abuja to protest against
the nomination of Dame
Pauline Tallen as a
ministerial nominee for
Plateau State. What a
shameful act, what a
disgrace to Plateau state.
Plateau is a state known
for peace, love, unity and
hospitality.
“I am sending this piece
of information because
people’s children are
going to be used to cause
unrest in Plateau state
while their own children
are secured somewhere.
Please mothers arise and
do something because
this is our future, this is
our state that holds
immediate community a
better place for citizens and
even generations yet
unborn.
According to him, “I
decided to pick my
nomination form on the
closing date. If I had picked
my form earlier, others
would have backed out. I
am the biggest
masquerade of them all
and cannot be intimidated”
Speaking further he said
“my political aspiration is
driven by sheer passion for
service and the need to
provide credible and
people oriented leadership
which has eluded our state
and people since our return
to democracy. I am not in
the race for personal gains,
but to offer myself as an
instrument for community
service. Our goal is to
improve the living
condition of our people
through innovative and
pragrammatic governance.
Nigeria together. My
heart bleeds with pains
this morning”.
In a swift reaction,
Mulak Wesley, the
Personal Assistant to
Dabang however said,
“the attention of the
Plateau State Chairman
of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Hon
Chief Letep Dabang has
been drawn to a false and
malicious online
publication purportedly
linking a faceless group
and a so-called planned
protest to his person. To
the APC Chairman, this
is the highest level of
mischief aimed at
tarnishing the image of
the Party in the State and
not only his person. For
the avoidance of doubt the
APC Chairman is one
who absolutely believes in
destiny as planned by
God, as such a ministerial
position cannot be what
will draw him into enmity
with any human talk more
of a personality he has
had a very cordial
relationship with.”