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Atiku
Mobilises for AC Convention
Leader of Action Congress
Party (AC) and former
Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar, has started
touring some states in
preparation for the
forth-coming National
Convention of the party in
Lagos.
A press statement issued in
Abuja by the National
Publicity secretary of the
party, Lai Muhammed,
indicates that Alhaji Atiku
visited Rivers State last
week to mobilize members of
the party for convention.
The visit afforded the
former Vice-President the
opportunity to commission
the AC Rivers State new
secretariat: The Secretariat
that is equipped with the
state-of-the-art
communication equipment,
will ease the party’s
activities.
Alhaji Atiku, who held
consultative meetings with
leaders and members of the
party in Rivers State,
stated that AC was prepared
to face the challenges of
politicking in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Rivers State AC
Publicity Secretary, Chief
Eze Chukwumeka, disclosed
that the new party
Secretariat was donated by
Prime Tonye Princewill.
Lawmaker
Moves Motion on Severance
Allowance
Kogi State House of Assembly
member representing Yagba
East Constituency, Hon.
Ganiyu Salaudeen, has called
on the House to put
necessary machinery in place
to defray huge sums of money
owed past political office
holders at the Local
Government level.
Hon. Salaudeen made the call
in a motion he presented to
the House at the state
legislative chamber in
Lokoja.
According to him, “both the
federal and state
governments have lived up to
expectation in the payment
of severance allowance to
past political office
holders”, adding that “local
government administrators on
the other hand have failed
in that direction”.
Hon. Salaudeen wondered how
some local government
Chairmen would stoop so low
to pay past political office
holders a paltry sum of N20,
000. He maintained that some
local governments are not
even consistent in the
payment of severance
allowances.
The legislator called on
members of the House to
create an enabling
environment for deduction of
severance allowance from
local government allocation
to offset the back log of
arrears. He added that if
the council chairmen could
set aside N30m, they can
settle the arrears.
While ruling on the motion,
the Speaker of the Assembly,
Rt. (Hon.) Clarence Olafemi,
called on the House
Committee on Public Accounts
to furnish the House with
the list of Council Chairmen
that are defaulting form the
payment of severance
allowance to past political
office holders. -Bilqis
Mohammed
Group
Berates Call for President’s
Resignator
Kogi State Cordinator of
Yar’Adua for New Nigeria,
Hon. Abdullahi Bello, has
adduced selfishness as the
motive for those calling for
President Umaru Yar’Adua’s
resignation on ground of
ill-health.
Addressing journalists and
members of the group drawn
from the 21 local government
areas of the state at the
Nigerian Union of Journalist
Secretariat, Lokoja, during
a prayer session for the
President’s quick recovery;
Hon. Bello said the call is
anti-people as it was
“callous, selfish and
mischievous”.
According to him, “Yar’Adua
for New Nigeria, like every
other patriotic group, is
not in support of such
negative calls which might
reverse the country’s march
to greatness.
Yar’Adua for New Nigeria, he
said is a convergence of
people irrespective of their
political, ethnic and
religious affiliations.
“We should change our
attitudes and mentalities as
Nigerians to engender a
greater nation for the
benefit of all”, he
emphasized.
At the occasion, prayers
were offered for the
President’s quick recovery
by pastor Mamman Eri, Imam
Ibrahim Nyas Yusuf and Hon.
Kasim Imam Mohammed.
Meanwhile, sons-in-laws of
ailing President Umar
Yar’Adua are not leaving any
stone unturned in ensuring
that the family of the
President in Abuja does not
suffer loneliness.
Our correspondent in Yola
reports that Governor Isah
Yuguda of Bauchi State, who
is an in-law to the
President, has kept
shuttling between Bauchi and
Abuja since the President
left for medical treatment
in Saudi Arabia while his
Kebbi State council has
taken solace in prayers.
- Nathaniel Drisu
PDP Legal
Adviser Counsels on 2011
Elections
Individuals seeking
political offices in the
2011 general elections have
been advised to avoid
heating the polity through
inflammatory political
statements.
The North Central Legal
Adviser of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP),
Barrister Kabiru Usman, gave
the advice in a chat with
The Graphic in Ankpa.
Barrister Usman said
politics was the only
platform which the
electorate can use in
electing or choosing their
leaders. He said people
should not therefore toy
with such opportunities.
The Legal Adviser also
called on PDP members in
Kogi State to close ranks.
He said it was only through
the unity of purpose that
the party can remain at the
top.
Barrister Usman also advised
Kogi youths to shun thuggery,
pointing out that it was
counter productive to coerce
people into parties that are
not their choice.
According to him, “the next
general election is another
opportunity for Nigerians to
consolidate democracy”. He
added, “our people must not
forget that the worst
democracy is better than
military dictatorship”.
More
Aspirant on Ogori/Magongo LG
Seat
A grassroots mobilizer in
Ogori/Magongo Local
Government Area, Hon. Julius
Akerejola, has declared his
intention to contest for the
Chairmanship slot of the
area.
Hon. Akerejola, who
disclosed that his decision
to vie for the position is
drawn from the people’s call
for him to serve them, made
this known while charting
with The Graphic in Lokoja
recently.
While praising the incumbent
Chairman of the Local
Government, Hon. Gabriel
Odaudu, for his landmark
achievements in revenue
generation, infrastructure
and human development, Hon.
Akerejola promised to
continue anywhere he stops
if elected.
The aspirant explained his
mission to include improving
educational, agricultural,
health and infrastructural
facilities, revenue
generation and investment,
stressing that, “I will
continue from where Hon.
Odaudu stops”.
“We intend to touch the
lives of all indigenes of
Ogori/Magongo by making them
comfortable no matter what
happens”, he promised.
He said his administration
will encourage ritirees of
the local government from
top organization to put in
their wisdom and experience
into his government in order
to bring more dividends of
democracy to the people at
the grassroots.
Speaking on the dwindling
fortunes of the local
governments, Hon. Akerejola
disclosed that his
administration will
diversify its activities by
establishing industries to
increase the council’s
revenue generation.
Hon. Akerejola, who noted
that he would not need any
godfather to support him
since the people called him
to serve them disclosed that
his godfathers are God and
the electorate.
The aspirant hinted that he
is aspiring under the
platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP),
adding that he was sure he
will win at the primaries
when the time comes.
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