The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the Federal 25, 2023 election, Peter Obi has described the current Government of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC as totally uncaring.
Responding to a Journalist’s question at his global press conference on Monday on the controversial supplementary budget presented to the National Assembly by the Tinubu administration, Obi said that channeling supplementary budget to individual elite needs rather than the welfare of the people is the height of insensitivity.
“Supplementary budget is a budget made for very important national welfare needs of the people that is not captured originally in the main budget or does not have adequate funding.
For example, Nigeria today, we read it recently from the United Nations, and World Food Organisation that up to 26.5 million Nigerians will go hungry next year.
Of this number largely from Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara systems, children are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. There is a serious risk of mortality among children attributed to acute malnutrition.
Obi said that it is with serious issues of this nature of national importance that we can go for a supplementary budget.
The House of Representatives has mandated the Committee on National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to intervene in the recurrent crisis in the oil-rich Ogwuaniocha community in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra state, that has led to several deaths, destruction of property and gruelling impact on Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs
It also mandated NEMA to set up an Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camp for the people and provide them with relief materials in order to alleviate their sufferings.
These directives were given on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, following a motion of Urgent Public Importance, moved by member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene.
Ogene, in the motion entitled, “Urgent Need to Rescue Ogwuaniocha Community in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra From Reprisal Attacks and the Jaws of Violent Criminal Gangs”, lamented that criminal gangs have taken over the Ogwuaniocha community, set up camps and sacked residents from their homes and farmlands, resulting to untold hardship, fear and despondency for the people in the community and its environs.
According to him, “Since Monday, November 15, 2021 – no farming activity, no school for the children, no business activities as a result of the occupation of the community by the criminal gangs, who have relocated from other parts of the state and set up camps in and around the community.”
The motion read: “Aware that the security of lives and property is the primary purpose of government;
“Also aware that Ogwuaniocha in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra state is an oil bearing community, (contributing over 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day), which earned the state its oil producing status;
“Alarm that violent gangs have set up camps in and around Ogwuaniocha Community, sacked the residents, kidnapped the traditional ruler (Igwe), killed and maimed many, unchallenged, which is a desecration of the traditional institution and erosion of our cultural values;
“Worried that there is a resurgence of crisis in the community and its environs last week, leading to abduction of over 20 people who are yet to be accounted for, a trend that has kept recurring since November, 2021, without meaningful steps by
the Anambra State Government, aimed at rescuing the Igwe, who is still unaccounted for, or explore any administrative measures to finding solution to the problem;
“Concern that the displaced people of Ogwuaniocha are going through difficult times without any provision for shelter or relief materials as they have no Internally Displaced Persons(IDP) camps;
“Further concern that while oil production goes on seamlessly in Ogwuaniocha, the people have been forced to stay off their community for two years now – since Monday, November 15, 2021 – no farming activity, no school for the children, no business activities as a result of the occupation of the community by the criminal gangs, who have relocated from other parts of the state and set up camps in and around the community;
“House Resolves to:
(i) Direct the Committee on National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to look into the matter, set up an IDP camp for the people and provide them with relief materials; and report back to the House.”
As preparations for the Governorship Election in Bayelsa state peak, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has paid a visit to Bayelsa to engage stakeholders, police officers, and other security agencies in the state.
This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Oluwamuyiwa Adejobe on Tuesday, November 7 on his X handle.
The statement reads: “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, has visited Bayelsa State to engage stakeholders, Police Officers and other security agencies in preparation for the forthcoming guber election in Bayelsa State.
“The IGP met with the governor of Bayelsa State, Sen Douye Diri at the Governor’s Office in Yenegoa, where he promised the people of the state a free, fair, secured, and credible election on 11th November 2023.
“He equally urged the governor as a candidate in the election to charge his supporters to embrace peace in the state. The IGP also met with the traditional rulers at the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers’ Secretariat in Yenagoa.
“He seized the opportunity to discuss many security-related issues with the traditional rulers and urged them to encourage Bayelsans to go out and exercise their franchise during the election, as the Police and other security agencies have placed adequate security for the smooth conduct of the election.
“The IGP later addressed Officers and Men of the Command at the State Headquarters, where he tasked them to discharge their duties without fear or favour and act within the ambit of the law during the Saturday election.
“The IGP warned them to be good ambassadors of the NPF always, even in the aftermath of the November 11 guber polls.”
Hilda Baci, Nigerian Chef and Guinness World Record Longest Cooking Marathon Record Holder, has been dethroned by Alan Fischer, an Irish Chef, who owns a Restaurant in Japan.
Fischer claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) after clocking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes. That is more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.
Alan also claimed the longest baking marathon (individual), with a time of 47 hours 21 minutes. The previous record holder was Wendy Sandner (USA) with a time of 31 hours 16 minutes.
What was more impressive is that Alan took on both attempts back to back, meaning he was at work in the kitchen for over 160 hours with just over a day of rest in between.
During the record attempt, Alan Fisher had to overcome different types of obstacles as time went by. During the longest baking marathon (individual) record attempt, it was his back that caused him trouble. Because Alan was mixing dough by hand, his posture got distorted, and as a result, his back got tight and sore.
Towards the end of the longest cooking marathon (individual) record attempt, Alan had to endure fatigue and sleepiness.
He said: “I peeled roughly 300 kg of potatoes during the cooking marathon. For the first few days, I would look forward to this each evening as it gave me a chance to sit down.”
“Towards the end of the cooking marathon however, as fatigue started to take hold I would find it more and more difficult to stay awake whenever I sat down to start peeling. The rhythm of the peeling would almost hypnotize me. I had one hallucination on the second-to-last day. I turned to ask someone to pass me something, like I would on any normal day only to realize there was no one there.”
Despite the challenges, Alan said it was the people of the town who supported his record attempt who gave him the push to carry on.
“It got to the point where I definitely couldn’t give up. In my mind, I was representing myself, my family, and Irish food, and through these attempts, I was sharing our story. As time went by it became clear that many people in Matsue were also wishing me well. As if I had been adopted into this community over 9,000 km from my home. How could I not persevere? That was the only option.”
After nine days of baking and cooking, Alan had made 357 kg worth of soda bread and 590 kg worth of dishes (3,360 portions consisting of 32 recipes). But it was all worth it when he received his two world record certificates.
In compliance with the directive of the Leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), mediating in the crisis between Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, one of the suits stalling the impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa has been withdrawn.
At a meeting with warring factions in the crisis, the leadership of the APC had advised the Deputy Governor to withdraw suits filed to stop the assembly and parties from impeaching him.
Justice O. Akintan- Osadebay of the Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, on Tuesday struck out an application by Aiyedatiwa, praying the court to restrain the State Chief Judge from setting up an investigative panel as ordered by the state House of Assembly.
The Deputy Governor had brought the application dated 13th October, 2023, asking the high court to interprete section 188 of the 1999 constitution as amended, if the State Chief Judge has power to extend the seven days granted by the law to set up an investigative panel to probe the Assembly’s allegations against the Deputy Governor.
At the resumed hearing of the case, the Counsel to the Deputy Governor, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, moved to withdraw the application, while the Counsel to the State House of Assembly, Femi Emodamori, did not oppose the withdrawal.The presiding judge, Justice Osadebay subsequently struck out the application.
The same State High Court had last week fined Aiyedatiwa a sum of #200,000 to be paid to the respondents, the State House of Assembly, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and others, due to absence of the deputy governor’s legal team in the court.
Senators on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, have decorated to ignore the call by their Party Chairman, Julius Abure, not to partake in the profligate spending, which he described as insensitive and wasteful, of the purchase of Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs.
Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Benin Central Senatorial District under the LP Platform said it is unfair for Nigerians to criticise Labour Party lawmakers for not rejecting the plan by the National Assembly to buy Sport Utility Vehicles allegedly worth N160m for each lawmaker.
Imasuen, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, said the LP lawmakers in the National Assembly are too few to stop the plan by the lawmakers to buy luxury vehicles.
The Lawmaker said LP Members are only eight in the Senate and cannot sway the majority of lawmakers by backing down on the plan to buy luxury vehicles.
He said, “I want to say that I have not received any vehicle and none has been offered to me. However, we are in a democracy where the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say.
“We can only say what we believe is the right thing to do in the parliament; we are just eight senators, amid 109 senators. So, those who have zeroed in on Labour Party Senators, I think it is very unfair.
“Assuming 109 vehicles are given to senators and eight rejected them, can you please tell me what significance that will be to the budget or the overall image of the National Assembly?
“What I can say is that the LP is not the proponent of this and we have made some inquiries and these seem to be the practice every four years.
“What people don’t know is that senators are offered the right of first refusal after their tenure. If they don’t buy the vehicle, it goes back to the Senate.
“It is supposed to be a working vehicle for Senators. If we were to vote on it today, the eight Labour Party senators will vote against it but it doesn’t stop it because the 101 senators will vote yes. Even if we reject it, who takes it, are they going to return them to the manufacturers?”
The Presidency has denied ever blaming Imo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, for the non release of Nnamdi Kanu from custody.
It described as fake news of a report by Sahara Reporters that President Bola Tinubu told Igbo business community on Monday that Uzodimma was blocking the release of Nnamdi Kanu because of Saturday’s governorship election.
The story, however, is not on Sahara Reporters site, meaning that it was fabricated and passed on as coming from the medium.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a statement denied the fake news .
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba said he personally spoke with Bayo Onanuga who categorically denied the story.
Emelumba said Onanuga sent him a message to debunk the story as false.
It reads:
“The President never said anything like this, never met Igbo business men ” Onanuga wrote .
In his reaction, Emelumba commended the Presidency for debunking the fake news which he said was planted by the opposition.
Said he: This is part of the vicious and childish propaganda by the PDP to antagonise Imo voters against Governor Hope Uzodimma. But, as always, it has backfired on them. The PDP is so rattled by their impending humiliation on Saturday that it has become paranoid “,.
Emelumba said the timely intervention of the Presidency which made it clear that President Bola Tinubu never made such a statement has punctured the plan of the PDP and the opposition.
He noted that Uzodimma, along with other Igbo leaders, had been interfacing with the Federal Government for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and, therefore, cannot work against that collective goal.
The Commissioner declared that it has become obvious to the opposition that they would be trounced by Uzodimma and APC in the election, hence their resort to vile propaganda, lies and blackmail.
He insisted that no degree of blackmail by the opposition would dissuade Imo voters from returning Uzodimma to office based on his superlative performance in the last four years.
He called on Imo people to continue to ignore the antics of the opposition and focus on exercising their franchise peacefully on November 11th.
The Anambra state caucus in the House of Representatives, has elected Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency, as its leader.
Ogene, who is Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, was elected on Tuesday, November 7, in a keenly contested election between him and Hon. Paschal Agbodike, who represents Ihiala Federal Constituency.
The Anambra state caucus is made up of 11 members that cut across party lines.
Ogene, in his acceptance speech after the election, pledged to provide credible leadership that would galvanise the Anambra state representatives to work for the common good of the state and their respective constituents.
Speaking further, he said, “Representative democracy benefits from unity of purpose and collaboration with others, either as a bloc, across party lines, region or other interests, because no one, no matter how experienced or connected, can do it alone.
“We in Anambra state caucus, intend to pull our contacts, experiences, creativity and energy together, as a unit, devoid of partisanship, in order to give quality representation to our people in a way that would add value to governance and ultimately reinforce their faith in democracy.”
Ogene, a second term House of Representatives member, is also the Labour Party, LP, caucus leader in the House.
The Director General of the Hope New Media, Dr Paul Ihunanya, has dismissed, as a lie from the pit of hell the story dumped on Imolites and discerning Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu told a group of unnamed Igbo Stakeholders that Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, asked him not to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, from custody.
In a public announcement, Dr Ihunanya drew attention to the plan by unscrupulous opposition to flood the State with series of propaganda against the Governor in the days leading to the November 11 Governorship election.
The story on the Governor, blocking the release of Mazi Kanu, he said, is one of them.
Following, is the full text of the announcement.
BEWARE PROPAGANDA IS BACK IN IMO STATE
“Our attention has been drawn to a series of propaganda stories being circulated by some individuals and groups, which are targeted at discrediting the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma. We wish to state unequivocally that these stories are unfounded, baseless, and without any merit.
“We are aware that these individuals and groups have planned to release several propaganda stories against the Governor which will run successively for until after the election, starting with the alleged manhandle of the NLC president to the current propaganda with the headline “Uzodimma blocking the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kalu- Tinubu”. We wish to state unequivocally that the president never made such statement.
“It is apparent that these political detractors and interlopers are intimidated by the tremendous results of Governor Hope Uzodimma, and the massive support and endorsement of his re-election by the people of Imo State. We urge the public to be wary of these propaganda stories and to disregard them as they are baseless and unfounded.
“The Imo State Government under the shared prosperity leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma is committed to delivering quality governance to the people of the state, and southeast at large and will support any strategic dialogue to see that Mazi Nnamdi Kalu regain his freedom for the betterment of the zone.
“The governor has on several occasions called on Southeast stakeholders to support his strategic dialogue approach for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kalu.
“We, therefore, call on the public to remain calm and vigilant in the face of these propaganda campaigns. The shared prosperity government of Governor Hope Uzodimma will not be distracted from its developmental agenda for the state, and it will continue to work hard to ensure that the people enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Why did it take Peter Obi all of 10 day to speak up? This of course, is the first point to note. In the rise and ebb of historic moments, timing could be everything. Like a surfer, you must catch the wave of events at its crest or lose the moment for good. This is why not a few Nigerians were troubled about Obi’s silence after the Supreme Court “miscarriage” on the last Presidential Election even though he is generally believed to have been robbed of the mandate.
One day passed. One week passed. Many began to see his silence as golden; as the best answer for the pervasive folly of the moment. But the occasion demanded not for silence. It is an exquisite moment in history that must be properly interrogated in order to help history annotate it.
Responding after 10 days may seem rather delayed and could even be construed as an absence of proactive thinking. Remember that the Labour Party, through its chairman, responded same day the judgment was pronounced.
But the delay in the candidate’s response must be viewed from Peter Obi’s patriotic and pacifist nature. Obi-dients are made up largely of Nigerian youths. They are aggrieved and angry. Rightly so. Were Obi to mount the rostrum immediately after the miscarriage, one misconstrued word, an emotion-laden pause or the glimmer of an unshed tear in his eyes could trigger an unintended violence that was bound to lead to loss of lives and property.
Obi is not bound to violence… that is one object lesson he has been trying to teach Nigerians. Ultimately, violence destroys, it never builds, it doesn’t edify. Obi seems to have taken care not to coax angry Obidients onto the streets. Abuja could be reduced to rubbles in a few days if current latent angst is transported onto the streets. Obi has said for umpteenth time that he’s not desperate to be president, he’s desperate to see Nigeria rise to her place of destiny among the comity of states.
Peter Obi
But Obi left a strong word for the judiciary to chew. In the fourth of the 17-paragraph address, he says:
“Setting legal issues aside, the Supreme Court exhibited a disturbing aversion to public opinion just as it abandoned its responsibility as a court of law and policy. It is, therefore, with great dismay that I observe that the court’s decision contradicts the overwhelming evidence of election rigging, false claim of a technical glitch, substantial noncompliance with rules set by INEC itself as well as matters of perjury, identity theft and forgery that have been brought to light in the course of this election matter. These were hefty allegations that should not be treated with levity. More appalling, the Supreme Court judgment wilfully condoned breaches of the constitution relative to established qualifications and parameters for candidates in presidential elections. With this counter-intuitive judgement, the Supreme Court has transferred a heavy moral burden from the courtroom to our national conscience. Our young democracy is ultimately the main victim and casualty of the courtroom drama.”
Disambiguated, this judgment that affirmed a president not qualified to contest in an election ab initio has seared the soul of our nation. While the justices will live with this infamy to the end, they have opened a dark, twisted epoch in Nigeria’s history.
The second point to note is that Obi has lived his talk that we don’t have to pull Nigeria down to build her; all we need to do is dislodge the failed old order of leaders who have captured the state. The old order seeks to push Nigeria into the abyss; unto violence, destruction and even division into tribal enclaves. That is the last stand of the unconscionable old order holding Nigeria and most of Africa hostage. In their megalomaniacal grip of their various countries they never let go until they have cannibalised the polity and rendered it not fit for human habitation. Obi is not a warlord fighting for an enclave to rule over. He is a believer in the Nigerian state; he believes Nigeria can be built to become among the greatest country in the world. He believes Nigeria’s problem is not her geography nor her numerous tribes. He knows that Nigeria’s problems are located among the worst kind on leaders who have seized her space.
Obi knows that the dampened spirit and disappointment occasioned by bankrupt institutions, especially the electoral body and the judiciary may well present an opportunity for a violent change, but of course there’s always an alternative in every situation.
“ The revolution is postponed, “ Obi profoundly proclaimed to Nigerians yesterday. “This is not the end of the journey,” he added, it’s indeed the beginning.
His believe in a new Nigeria remains unshaken, he said and that New Nigeria is not a journey, but a destination.
“We are now effectively an opposition,” he said. And this must be the crux of his address. Opposition politics had long become extinct in Nigeria. Politicians over time only canvass their stomach and therefore, only seek opportunity to join the gravy train of the ruling party. Obi’s Labour Party has plaintively declared to stand in the gap for Nigerians; to provide the guiding lights for true opposition in Nigeria’s political space.
There’s a compelling need for a strong opposition, he said, LP will provide an anchor for all Nigerians left behind by the present system. It will provide checks and balances, “we will carry our messages to all nooks and cranny of Nigeria,” he averred.
He noted that the nation has heard Labour Party loud and clear and that the party will not drop the gauntlet. “We will continue to canvass good governance, transparency, rule or law, and aggressive production to drive poverty reduction… and most important, Labour Party will participate robustly in coming elections.
Finally, though the speech could have enjoyed more elegance and grandiloquent crafting, the thoughts are noble and indeed, statesmanly. It may now be said that here cones a true patriot, the type never seen before on these shores…
Osuji, an accomplished Journalist and Columnist, was the Media Adviser to former Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State
