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6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 I won’t seek 3rd term in 2023, Buhari declares By Omeiza Ajayi PRESIDENT Muham madu Buhari has denied speculations by critics that he was working towards getting a third term of office, saying he would leave by 2023 in accordance with the Constitution. He gave the assurance Friday in Abuja in his opening remarks at a meeting of the National Executive Council NEC of his ruling All Progressives Congress APC at the National Secretariat. Buhari urged leaders of the party to work towards dominating their constituencies politically, warning that history will not be fair to them should the APC collapse after his tenure in 2023. According to him, any office holder of the party “who fails to maintain the respect of his constituents and is thrown out, that is his problem.” Speaking on whether he will relinquish power in 2023, Buhari said: “I am not going to make the mistake of attempting a third term. Beside the age, I swore by the holy book that I would go by the constitution and the constitution says two terms. I know that I am in my last term and I can afford to be reckless because I am not going to ask for anybody’s vote. “Every member of NEC from today should reposition himself or herself to ensure that you have dominated your constituencies politically. The aim is that history will not be fair to us if outrightly, the APC collapses at the end of this term. “History will be fair to us if APC remains strong and hold the centre and make gains. I want you to read the constitution. I made sure that when the constitution says the election as we did it the last time would start in 18 months time or 20 months time, it was going to be done.” Speaking on his presidency’s relationship with the National Assembly, Buhari said: “On the relationship between the executive and the legislature, I was constrained to tell the caucus meeting yesterday that there was a time I called the Senate President and the leader of the House and told them that to sit on a budget for seven months was not politics and it was not hurting the president whoever it was, but the country. “For that reason I was pleased to mention yesterday that members of the ninth National Assembly, as you can read in the papers, have so much commitment on important issues and we have made a lot of progress. We will try and maintain this relationship, we cannot allow some of the things go public but I assure you that we have made a lot of progress,” the president said. Earlier, the party’s national chairman Comrade Adams •Worst APC candidate better than PDP’s angels —Oshiomhole •President Buhari, (right) Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, (2nd left); APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and others during APC NEC Meeting at Party Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. Oshiomhole, mocked former Senate President Bukola Saraki and fourteen other Senators who left APC in 2018 to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, saying they have all been defeated. Oshiomhole boasted that the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, will next weekend, join the other 15 National Assembly members who rebelled against the party, noting that Nigerians punished the Bukola Saraki-led rebels by retiring them. The party chairman however lamented how in-fighting and internal wrangling denied the party re-election in Bauchi and Adamawa states, even as he assured that APC will reclaim its stolen mandate in Sokoto state. “Mr President, I have chosen to amplify where we lost but we also made some gains that are quite outstanding. I am sure it gladdens the heart of every APC member and even APC well wishers that the man who led rebellion against our party, former Senate President, that the people of Kwara state did not only deny him return to the Senate, they also voted out every element in PDP and today from the governorship we won, Senators we won and of course the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly. “I think our victory in Kwara state for me was most outstanding. I think we now generally refer to Kwara with pride as the Otooge revolution.” The NEC meeting was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC governors and other party leaders. Among those who attended the meeting were: former interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wade, Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, Deputy Senate Leader, Prof. Ajayi Borrofice, Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu and Deputy Senate Whip, Sabi Abdullahi. Also in attendance were governors of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, Borno, Prof. Babagana Zulum, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Katsina, Aminu Masari, Edo, Godwin Obaseki, Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru, etc. Also in attendance were the suspended Edo State APC Chairman, Anslem Ojezua and the suspended Deputy National Chairman North, Lawal Shuiabu. The Speaker, House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, governor of Ogun state Dapo Abiodun were, however, represented by their deputies. Pro, Anti-Oshimhole protesters clash Earlier in the day hundreds of pro and anti-Oshiomhole’s protesters clashed at the secretariat. The anti-Oshiomhole protesters had arrived Blantyre Street in the early hours of Friday, disrupting human and vehicular movements leading to the national secretariat of the party in continuation of the demonstration they started on Thursday morning. The situation soon degenerated to a free for all, save for the intervention of security operatives who checked the rampaging youths. We raked N1.125trn in 10months — CG *Says Nigeria’s borders remain largely porous By Henry Umoru THE Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali, retd has told the Senate that the extant laws of the Service such as the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA were outdated. According to him, the Act which allows the movement of goods into and out of Nigeria by land or inland waters were long overdue for review. He also stressed that the rules and regulations in their operational guidelines no longer meet up with modern day challenges, which has reduced measurably, the accruing revenue against the volume of trade. Disclosing this yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff led by Senator Francis Alimikhena, All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo North to defend the proposed 2020 Budget Estimates, the Customs boss said that the agency raked a total sum of N1.125trillion in ten months from January to October this year. According to him, the Service collected the sum of N207.19 billion as Value Added Tax( VAT) on imports for the period under review, just as he said that despite the antismuggling drive of the Service, Nigeria’s Borders remain largely porous which leads to smuggling activities. Ali said that the gross expected revenue collection with VAT inclusive for 2019 Fiscal year was put at N1.357 trillion. He said, “the revenue target by the Service in 2020 Financial year is set at N1.679 Trillion, consisting of N1.500 trillion for Federation and N178.62 billion for Non- Federation”, adding that when compared with the 2019 Revenue Target, the 2020 Revenue Target was higher by N741.43 billion or 44.17 percent. Tragedy: Family of three found dead in their home By Peter Duru, Makurdi A MIDDLE aged man, Greg Indyer, his wife Linda and son Terpase were Thursday evening found dead in their residence, opposite NASME road, in the North Bank Area of Makurdi the Benue state capital. Saturday Vanguard gathered from residents in the neighbourhood that a two-year-old member of the family was however found alive among his dead parents and sibling. According to a resident who craved anonymity, the deceased family members were late Thursday night found dead by curios neighbours when it was discovered that the doors to their living home were wide opened at late hours and there was no sign of life in the house. He said “It was when a neighbour called out the names of the couple to urge them to shut the door of their home and there was no response that out of curiosity, he entered and saw the lifeless bodies of the couple and their three year old son on the floor. “However their two-year-old son was found alive in the house though he was obviously unaware of what happened to his parents and sibling. At the point neighbours rushed them to North Bank General Hospital hoping that they would survive since there was no sign of cut or injury on their bodies but unfortunately they were all confirmed dead. “As we speak the matter has been reported to the Police who visited the house and have been asking questions in order to find out if they were strangulated or poisoned but we hope that the hospital autopsy will reveal the cause of their death”, the witness added. Meanwhile the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendents, DSP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the incident said the command had commenced investigation into the matter. Appeal Court upholds Tambuwals’ election in Sokoto By Adakole Auke, Sokoto THE Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto on Fri day upheld the election of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the PDP as the winner of the 2019 general elections. This followed the dismissal of an appeal filed before it by the APC and its defeated candidate, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto. The APC had approached the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal shortly after the election challenging the declaration by INEC of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as elected and returned. Having looked into the grounds for the challenge, the Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition filed before it by the APC which led the party to approach the Court of Appeal. ‘Church greatest opposition to family planning in Nigeria’ By Vincent Ujumadu ANAMBRA State coordinator of family planning, Mrs. Stella Ekweozor has accused the church of posing the greatest challenge towards achieving the goals of family planning in the country. In an interview with Saturday Vanguard in Awka, Ekweozor said the resultant effect was that many women embark on unsafe abortion at the risk of their lives. A non-governmental organization, Marie Stopes Nigeria, recently observed that contraception and abortion contributed to high maternal mortality ratio of 451deaths per 100,000 live births, while unsafe abortion contributed over 30% of maternal deaths in Nigeria. At a training programme for journalists, officials of Marie Stopes Nigeria argued that access to safe, voluntary family planning was a human right and a key factor in reducing poverty, adding that having children should be by choice and not by chance. The organization also observed that about 214million women in developing countries, who want to avoid pregnancy, were not using safe and effective family planning methods, for reasons ranging from lack of access to information or lack of support from their partners or communities. Corroborating the position of Marie Stopes, the Anambra State family planning coordinator said the position of the church on the issue was very worrisome. She said: “We have serious opposition from the church on family planning matters. Recently we went to a church forum and once we mentioned family planning, members of the church flared up. “Because some denominations were against the artificial method of family planning, we were always careful with them. We have a scientific method of family planning which we will soon roll out in the state, but unfortunately the church was bringing some people who do not have knowledge of health to teach the women Billings’s method which is a form of natural family planning method. “However, we tell them that they cannot teach family planning methods with their limited knowledge. We try to prove to them that it requires health professionals to impart the knowledge, which can only be found in approved health centres. “Surprisingly, they became hostile and queried why we should refer the women to health centres. To, them, the only thing we should teach the women is the natural way of family planning.
SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 —7 Sowore, Bakare slam N1bn suit against DSS DG, AGF *Demand public apology in 5 dailies By Ikechukwu Nnochiri DETAINED pro-de mocracy activist and convener of the Revolution- Now protest, Omoyele Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare (aka Mandate), have instituted a N1billion suit against the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alleging gross violation of their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights. In separate fundamental rights enforcement suits they filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the duo, maintained that they are entitled to general and aggravated damages of N500million each as a result of violations of their rights to personal liberty, dignity of person, fair hearing, family life, freedom of association and freedom of movement. They are further praying the court to compel the two respondents to issue a public apology to them that will be published in five national dailies within 14 days. The applicants, in the suits they filed through their lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a copy of which was obtained by Vanguard on Friday, chronicled how their rights were sequentially violated from August 2 when they were arrested in Lagos, till date. They argued that their continued detention by the DSS from November 7, in disobedience to the order of the court for their release on bail, was illegal as it violated their fundamental right to liberty guaranteed by section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. In his suit marked FHC/ ABJ /C51409/2019, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last general election and publisher of an online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last general election and publisher of an online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, prayed the court for: “A declaration that the detention of the applicant from November 7, 2019 till date in violation of the order for his release made on November 6, 2019 is illegal as it violates his fundamental right to liberty guaranteed by Section 35 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 6 of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act (CAP A10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. “An order of this court compelling the respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N500,000, 000, 00 ( Five hundred million naira) as general and aggravated damages for the illegal violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association. As well as, “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further violating the applicant’s fundamental rights in any manner whatsoever and however without lawful justification.” The suit was supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit that was deposed to by Abubakar Marshall, a lawyer in Falana’s chamber, and accompanied by a written address. Both Sowore and Bakare are facing a seven-count treasonable felony charge that was preferred against them by the Federal Government. Buhari, APC Governors, others to meet in Jos By Marie-Therese Nanlong PRESIDENT Mu hammadu Buhari will lead a delegation of all Governors from the All Progressives Congress, APC, controlled States for a review on governance on Monday in Jos, the Plateau State capital. The meeting is to create room for them to brainstorm and compare notes on how they could From left: President, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Deputy Secretary of Communist Party, Mr. Chen Sichang; Chairman, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and Secretary of Communist Party (China), Mr. Chen Fenjian; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Managing Director of Overseas Business Department of CRCC, Mr. Cao Boagang during the Governor’s visit to the CRCC Headquarters in Beijing to discuss collaboration on infrastructural development of Lagos State recently. add value to Nigerians and take them to the next level of governance in their respective States. The APC Governors, who would spend two days in Jos for the meeting would exchange ideas on how best the promise of their party to take people out of poverty could be effected. Addressing journalists yesterday in Jos, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Danladi Atu said the agenda of the meeting is such that value would be added to governance in the States. Apart from the President and Governors, the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and 19 ministers would also attend the meeting. According to Atu, “The Governors would under take a peer review of the dividends of democracy they have provided to citizens of the country. Plateau would be hosting over 180 persons in Jos. This is another opportunity to showcase Plateau to the world, and to tell the world that peace has returned to Plateau.” He urged citizens of the State to continue to support Governor Lalong as “the Governor is poised to take Plateau to greater heights.” Edo is prepared for industrialisation, others — Obaseki THE Edo State Gov ernor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration will not relent in transforming the state into a hub for industries, which will improve the economic fortunes of Edo residents. The governor, who was represented by Head, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESI- PO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi said this during a paper presentation at the Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria’s (ELAN) 17th National Lease Conference, themed: ‘Promoting Leasing for Inclusive Growth.’ He said the state government will continue to work to improve the ease of doing business, with Foreign participants at the 2019 International Arts & Crafts Expo (INAC) in Abuja yesterday. INAC 2019 Expo records highest turnout By Osa Amadi, reporting from Abuja SINCE the 2019 and 12th International Arts & Crafts Expo (INAC) opened at the FCT Exhibition Pavilion, Abuja last Wednesday, it has registered an unprecedented number of Nigerians and foreign nationals trooping to the venue to witness the best of art and craft from every continent of the world. At least 30 countries and almost all states of the federation are displaying unique art and crafts besides the attractive components of free skill acquisition and free medical services provided by the National Council for Arts and Culture. The Exhibition Pavilion which has become a beehive of activities since the Expo opened is designed to showcase, entertain and impart skills in four days of non-stop fiesta. Conceptualized by the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe in 2017, this year’s INAC is also featuring special country days in what has become an annual feature aimed at adding extra finesse to the event. Speaking at the cocktail event, Otunba Runsewe said “Nigeria is ready to celebrate the world. I want to thank all the countries exhibiting here today. And always remember, Nigeria is a very hospitable country. We love you, we care for you. We look forward to giving you the best of hospitality.” INAC is one of the flagship programs held annually by the National Council for Arts and Culture in what has become a major Exhibition that seeks to replicate other global trade fair. Upu youths in Lagos fault Okene THE Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Youth wing in Lagos has expressed surprise over the call by one Chief Godwin Okene on the incumbent President General of UPU Worldwide, Olorogun Moses Taiga, not to seek re-election. Reacting to a news story in Vanguard of last Tuesday, the UPU Youth President Lagos Branch, Chief Austin Ojameruaye, described the call as selfish and meant to deceive people and give himself or his sponsors undue advantage in the forthcoming UPU election. Ojemeruaye said Olorogun Taiga was one of Urhobo finest. He wondered why he was advising him not to contest at a time other ethnic nationalities are putting their best forward. “How many men in Urhobo land have the presence, stature and influence of Olorogun Taiga? How can you go for a football match with your second 11 when your first 11 is available,” Ojameruaye queried. He said Okene and his likes are cowered by Olorogun Taiga’s towering stature and feel the only way to stop him from getting re-elected was to engage in a campaign of deceit and calumny. He challenged Okene “to go and pick a nomination form and test his popularity on December 6, 2019,” while urging all Urhobos who are interested in vying for positions to pick nomination forms. policies aimed at creating a conducive and favourable business environment for foreign and local investors. According to him, “In the last three years, Edo State has created an enabling environment to attract investors. The state is Nigeria’s bestkept secret with an allyear-round climate for cultivation of crops, among other endowments. “Edo State is an investment and logistics hub. It is also the second-largest state aside Lagos State with the highest trade volume is secondhand vehicles. Our investment priorities include the Benin Enterprise Park, the Automotive Park and Edo Production Center.
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