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My First 100 Days As Governor of Lagos – Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

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The Source
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Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

I have a vision for a new Lagos

Here is my action plan for the first 100 Days in office.

1.0

Increase Minimum Wage to N60,000 on Day 1 in Office, the salary of Civil Servants will be increased by 100% to N60,000 monthly. The target is to reach N100,000 as soon as possible. This will cover everybody including street sweepers.

2.0

Moral suasion to persuade the Organised Private Sector to follow Govt’s lead by stopping casualisation and also increase their minimum wage to a living wage. Banks, telcos, oil companies, multinationals, large national corporates, etc will be incentivised with PAYE tax credits to stop casualisation and index their minimum wage to their capacity to pay rather than current market wage rates which are suppressed by high unemployment. A first step for a Lagos where every worker has health care, pensions and similar benefits.

3.0

Cancel Alpha Beta’s Contract which costs the State N5bn monthly.

4.0

Use the savings from the cancellation of Alpha Beta contract to set up a grand Loan Scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. Ensure at least 10,000 beneficiaries in the first 100 Days. We expect the scheme to benefit up to 1m beneficiaries in 4 years.

5.0

Establish a portal for publishing costs of all government projects and compare them to World Bank standards to eliminate waste and corruption.

6.0

Issue a 10-year order for 10,000 vehicles to an auto manufacturer that commits to building an auto assembly in Lagos with a credible plan to achieve 50% value added within 5 years.

7.0

Pull down all toll gates in the Lekki Ajah axis and Ikoyi link bridge.

8.0

Build a monument in memory of our slain sons and daughters at the old Lekki Toll Gate.

9.0

Advertise for the employment of 10,000 teachers with outstanding grades (First Class and Second Upper or Upper Credit) to start a process of repositioning teaching as a middle-class career.

10.0

Execute a Memorandum of Understanding with all Road Transport Unions for the implementation of a rehabilitation and retraining program, and take Agberos off our roads.

11.0

Invite bids for the design and construction of 100 km of rail across Lagos.

12.0

Host an education summit with all stakeholders to get buy-in into GRV’s plan for partnerships to upscale public schools to the standards of the best private school.

13.0

Host a health summit with all stakeholders to get buy-in for partnerships to upscale services at Primary Health Centres to best-in-class, laying the foundation for an effective referral system.

14.0

A summit for various artisan associations such as bricklayers, plumbers, mechanics, welders, carpenters, tailors and other technicians with the objective of creating a process for their certification and access to small-scale loans.

15.0

Working with my Party, the Labour Party, appoint first-class caretaker Chairmen for each Local Govt,

each appointee being skilled enough to be a potential Governor.

16.0

Set a date for Local Government elections.

17.0

Issue Guidelines to open up the BRT routes to all investors who meet the minimum standards. Create a program for widespread investment in public transport by all willing Lagosians and investors.

18.0

Issue Guidelines for markets to operate autonomously and appoint their own Iyalojas and Babalojas.

19.0

Release Guidelines for a new waste management system for separating waste to paper, plastic and organic from homes; a first step towards a world class system for turning waste into biogas and fertilizer.

20.0

Emergency rehabilitation of buildings and facilities in 100 primary and secondary schools pending comprehensive reconstruction.

21.0

Enumeration of all apartments that have been vacant for more than 180 days, and commencement of a program to ensure occupancy by 31st Dec. At least 100 such apartments are to be occupied in the first 100 days.

22.0

The commencement of the rehabilitation of 100 inner roads spread across all Local Governments in Lagos.

I am determined to set Lagos on course to become First World in 30 years.

Hold me accountable after the first 100 Days.

Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party Candidate for Governor of Lagos State

Obidient Fever Grips Opponents As Obi Whistle-Stops In Delta, Edo States

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The Source
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Peter Obi in Delta and Edo State

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi continues his dash moves in some states to thank and show solidarity and unanimity with Labour party candidates ahead of March 18, 2023, gubernatorial and state Assembly elections.

Obi who was in Enugu and Abia states on Friday passed through the two South-South states of Delta and Edo on Saturday.

As is usual of the LP flag bearer, the Obidient family comprising mostly of youths and women trooped out in their numbers jubilating and cheering him up with their movement’s patent song, “Obi kerereke”

While the Labour Party candidates in these states rejoice and welcome their hero and principal, candidates and leaders of the other parties were panicking and bemoaning wondering about the effect of such a visit on their aspirations.

Obi’s dash stop in Delta and Edo States was tumultuous and electrifying as he waved and thanked them for their extraordinary support on February 25, 2023, assuring that a new Nigeria is still possible and a repeat of their voting pattern next week will help.

In a short tweet from Delta state, Obi said “I am passing through Delta state- propitious moment to say a big thank you to the delta Obidients for remaining steadfast”

And in Edo state, the Presidential candidate said “I passed through Edo today. I stopped by briefly to express my profound gratitude to the Obidients for their support and asked them to extend the same to the State House of Assembly candidates”

How Nine Residents Of Abuja Estate Were Abducted By Gunmen

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Police in Abuja has confirmed late night abduction of some residents  in an Estate located at the suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).

Some of the residents of the Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubuwa area of the FCT revealed that nine members of the Estate, including children were abducted Friday night by unidentified gunmen.

The gunmen numbering about 20 stormed the Estate around 11:30 pm on Friday.

A resident of the community who identified himself simply as Hassan explained that the victims were captured from two separate apartments in the estate.

Acvording to him, “Yesterday, at about 11:30 pm some gunmen in their large numbers came to carry out an operation at Grow homes estate along Kuchibiyi.

“We heard the sounds of gunshots, there was panic in the entire community as a result of the incident.

“This morning, we went to the Estate and we learnt those gunmen were about 20. They moved from one apartment to the other dispossessing residents of their belongings.

“They also kidnapped at least nine persons including children and women from two apartments in the estate.

“They escaped through the bush which linked the community to Paze village.

The police and the estate security have been searching the bush since morning to see if they can rescue the kidnapped residents.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Abuja Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident.

She added that the Police and the Estate Security are combing the bushes in the area to ensure the victims are rescued.

“Upon receipt of the distress call, we immediately deployed our men to the scene. The suspects however abruptly suspended their operations and took some victims with them into the bush.

“Operatives of the Police and the estate security are still combing the bushes in the area to ensure they are rescued unhurt.”

“We urge the residents to remain calm and assist with useful information that could lead to the swift arrest of these criminals.”

Peter Obi’s Call To Vote LP Candidates In Anambra Assembly Deceitful – Soludo; Threatens Communities

By
Ayodele Oni
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Peter Obi and Charles Soludo

By Ayodele Oni

The 18th March, 2023, Governorship/House of Assembly election in Anambra state will again be a test of might between Governor Soludo and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) Peter Obi.

Obi had roundly defeated Soludo in the Presidential/National Assembly election with LP winning about 92 percent of votes and producing most House of Representatives Members and Senators.

On Friday, in continuation of his thank you and solidarity visit with supporters and candidates of the party and a meeting with the Anambra State House of Assembly ticket holders for the March 18, 2023 election, Obi urged them to vote massively for LP Candidates.

The LP standard bearer charged the candidates to give in their best and get the desired victory because a new Nigeria is possible and is indeed here.

Anambra state Governorship election holds differently following a landmark judicial victory by Obi who sought and obtained positive tenure interpretation in 2007, changing the gubernatorial elections in the state at different dates.

Six other States, Edo, Osun, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Kogi, and Imo states were to follow in Anambra pioneered governorship tenure differential.

At the meeting with the flag bearers in his State, strategies were fine-tuned for their victory next Saturday, March 18, 2023.

In a tweet announcing the meeting, Obi said, “This night, I shared great moments with all the candidates of our great party, LP, in Anambra State, both at the Federal and State levels.

“I reminded them that at the center of our campaigns will be a strong desire for service to the people and a firm commitment to nation-building. We must build a better nation for ourselves and future generations.

While congratulating those who already won the National Assembly election on the platform of the party, Obi encouraged those contesting at the State level to give in their best. “I listened to their challenges and wished them well. They shall succeed. A New Nigeria is here”

Earlier in the day he visited Enugu and Abia states to show solidarity with the Governorship and State Assembly candidates in the two states. Hon Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and Dr. Alex Otti are the gubernatorial flagbearers for Enugu and Abia respectively.

But on Saturday, Governor Soludo reacted to the calls by the LP presidential candidate, for the people of the state to vote massively for his party’s House of Assembly candidates.

In a statement signed by his Press secretary, Mr Chris Aburime, Soludo said the call by Obi  was  deceptive, and meant to lay landmines for him.

Said the statement in part: “That call was meant to deceive Anambra people. Obi can not be talking about development in Anambra and also be talking about asking Anambra people to elect lawmakers from the opposition party to work with Soludo.

“He worked with a legislature that was dominated by lawmakers from the PDP, when he first came in as governor, and he knows that it was not easy for him.

“He even suffered impeachment because of that, and we hope it is not the same thing he wants to set Soludo up for.

“Anambra people should go all out next Saturday and vote for APGA, if they want the developmental strides of Mr Governor to continue.

“You can not be talking of development and at the same time talking of electing opposition politicians into the House of Assembly, it is not done. It is deceit.

“Anambra people supported Obi during the Presidential Election, and besides, Soludo refused to interfere as the people trooped out to vote for Labour Party, and that was even before Soludo made the environment conducive for people to come out and vote.

“We have voted Labour Party in the presidential election, but for the House of Assembly election, we are voting for APGA, and we want Anambra people to know so.”

In a bid to win, Soludo had threatened Communites which will not vote his APGA Candidates on Saturday. He said there will be no development for them all through his tenure as a Governor, because he would never allow the House of Assembly members from another Party to see him to present their Communities’ challenges.

Soludo and Obi have had a running battle on the choice of lawmakers in the next session of the Anambra House of Assembly.

Though there will be no governorship election in the state, Soludo is fighting to have majority, if not all members of the 30-man assembly.

Also, Obi who is the leader of an emerging strong political force in the country, wants to assert himself by using his influence to cause a higher number of lawmakers in the assembly.

For The Next 16 Years, The Igbo Will Never Be On Presidential Seat – Joe Igbokwe; Says Tinubu Will Hand Over To Northerner

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The Source
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By Gideon Njoku

“The Igbo Will still be children of anger and children of hate, and life goes on.” – Igbokwe

An Anambra-born Igbo son, Joe Igbokwe, has said that the Igbo will be nowhere near the Presidential seat for, at least, the next 16 years. To Igbokwe, they shouldn’t even aspire because it would never get to them. Reason according to him: they don’t play nice politics. They are children of hate and children of anger.

Igbokwe, in response to a troll, said that the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, now President-elect, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will be in power for eight years, after which he would hand over to a Northerner. What Igbokwe is saying is that the Presidential seat is now shared between the North and the South-west.

Igbokwe’s position stemmed from a response by a troll, one Ejike, to Igbokwe’s call on the Igbo Community in Lagos to vote en masse for the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 18, 2023, the day the Governorship election will hold.

In the appeal to the Igbo to vote for Governor Sanwo-Olu, Igbokwe, who is the Special Adviser to Sanwo-Olu on Drainages said: “President-elect, ASIWAJU BAT is a good friend of the Igbo, and he did his best for prominent Igbo businessmen and women in Lagos, including me.

“This is pay back time, and we should do this by voting for GOV SANWO-OLU  en masse on March 18.

But the troll, Ejike, had in response to that told Igbokwe: “Dash him your wife and daughters and enthrone  him as your family deity. That’ll be adequate pay back.”

An obviously angry Igbokwe, in response to Ejike, submitted that Tinubu will be in power for eight years and handover to a Northerner because the Igbo do not know how to play “nice politics.”

His words: “When I see the level of despicable abuses and calling of names coming from the South-east  young people, I run away with the thinking that we did not do our duties as parents. Shame has enveloped me from head to toes.

“Ejike Akunna, jisieike. Mark my words here: Asiwaju from 2023 to 2031 and another Northerner from 2031 to 2039. We will still be children of anger and children of hate, and life goes on. We will be onlookers because we refused to play politics. Dazzol!!!.”

Ogun Guber: INEC Debunks Claim It Delisted Adebutu, Says He Remains Ogun PDP Candidate

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Contrary to reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has delisted Oladipupo Adebutu as the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Ogun State, the electoral umpire says he remains the Candidate.

The Commission disclosed that Adebutu remains the authentic Candidate of the PDP listed for the March 18, 2023, Governorship Election in the State.

The news that the PDP has no Governorship Candidate to hoist its flag at the Polls on March 18th had gone viral on Social Media, before INEC debunked it.

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State were alleged to have been circulating the news that INEC has not recognised Adebutu as the Gubernatorial candidate of the party.

But, the Residence Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye dispelled the rumor, describing it as unfounded.

Ijalaye reacted to the rumor while speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, on Saturday.

“It is a rumor that is not founded, that is all”, Ijalaye said.

The INEC REC emphasized that, Adebutu remained the Governorship candidate of the PDP in the State and called on residents of the State to ignore it.

Ijalaye said, Adebutu would be participating in the election as the authentic Governorship candidate of the PDP.

Imo Labour Crisis: Uzodinma Sacks Ozumba, Commissioner For Labour & Productivity

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The Source
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Chief Ford Ozumba

By Charles Igbo

The misunderstanding between the Imo State Government and the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has cost the State Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Chief Ford Ozumba, his office.

The NLC, led by Comrade Joe Ajaero, National President, had declared a strike action in the State over alleged interference in their election. The Union claims that their Congress was disrupted by Security operatives on the orders of the State Government, and in the process, some workers were injured.

But the Government vehemently denied any such interference and said that Security men were there to maintain peace when a serious misunderstanding broke out between the two contestants to the office of the Chairman of the State NLC.

This led to the declaration of a strike action, without notice, for which the Government accuses Ajaero of ulterior motives.

However, this medium gathered that while the crisis brewed, and almost boiled over, Ozumba was away to Abuja where he accompanied the Senator – elect for Imo West,  Osita Izunaso, for the collection of his Certificate of Return.

No reason was, however, given for the sack of the Commissioner. But in a statement, on Saturday, the Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, confirmed Ozumba’s removal.

The terse statement reads:

“Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has approved the immediate removal of Chief Ford Ozumba, the State Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, from office.

“Accordingly, His Excellency further directs that Chief Ozumba hands over to the  Permanent Secretary of his Ministry with immediate effect.”

Hold INEC Chairman, Not President Buhari, Accountable If Crisis Erupts Over 2023 General Elections

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The Source
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Chief Willy Ezugwu

Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has said that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not President Muhammadu Buhari, should be held responsible if anything go wrong in the country following its alleged inability to follow its own guidelines for the 2023 general elections.

The CNPP, in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, noted that President Buhari has done everything humanly possible to ensure a free, fair, and credible general elections but the failure of INEC to follow its electoral guidelines.

The CNPP spoke while reacting to the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Abuja granting approval to INEC to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the governorship and state house of assembly elections and the eventual postponement of the state elections earlier scheduled for March 11, 2023.

The CNPP noted that “if INEC ends up tampering with the information in the BVAS machines or erases evidence of what actually transpired during the now contentious presidential election, it may lead to a disaster the country should not be allowed to happen to Nigeria and Nigerians.”

According to the CNPP, “INEC should have foreseen the fact that since it the introduced technology in the conduct of the 2023 general elections, litigants would always apply for the inspection of materials used in the conduct of elections.

“For INEC to seek an order of the Court to reconfigure the BVAS machines without due inspection of their raw data and certified true copies (CTC) of them issued to parties wishing to obtain the information is a recipe for avoidable crisis.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has not blame if anything goes wrong as a result of the move by INEC. The chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu should be solely held responsible.

“It is strange that INEC, which failed to upload election results from the polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) would seek to reconfigure the BVAS while litigations are being initiated by disputing political parties that felt cheated by virtue of the failure of the Commission to upload results of the elections in real-time from the polling units”.

On the postponed governorship and state legislative elections, the CNPP wondered why INEC rushed to conduct the presidential and national assembly elections “knowing that it will be unable to upload the results from the polling units.

“We call on Nigerians and the International Community to hold INEC to account for whatever crisis that may emanate from its actions and/or inactions as President Buhari did his part by signing the amended electoral 2022 and deploying all the security agencies to ensure that we held the elections in peaceful environment.

“INEC Chairman’s CHATHAM House lecture expressly assured Nigerians and the International Community of the Commission’s readiness to ensure a free, fair and credible elections but the same INEC has continued to create doubts about its lack of adequate preparations for the 2023 general elections.

“Unfortunately, INEC failed to halt the collation of results of the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections even when Nigerians complained that the result were not being uploaded to the INEC IREV portal in real-time. The commission went ahead to manually collate and announce the results and took a whole week to slowly upload many mutilated results, creating wide suspension that the outcomes were doctored. And to make matters worse, INEC sought to reconfigure the BVAS amid allegations of rigging”, the CNPP stated.

Abia Governorship: Obi Has No Agreement With Governor Ikpeazu

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The Source
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Peter Obi and Okezie Ikpeazu

By Charles Igbo

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has no agreement whatsoever to support Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s handpicked Candidate for the Governorship Election scheduled for March 18, 2023.

In the wake of the trouncing of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-east at the Presidential election of 25th February, 2023, reports emerged that in Abia, Obi had an agreement with Governor Ikpeazu to support him at the Presidential Polls while Obi would reciprocate by supporting the PDP Governorship Candidate. If that is true, it means that Obi would abandon the LP Candidate, Alex Otti, in support of Okey Ahiwe of the PDP.

But not true, said Otti, who emphasised that there was no such agreement between  Ikpeazu and Obi. Otti described Obi as a man of honour who would never enter into such an agreement with anybody.

He went on to mock Ikpeazu for his electoral woes, and asked him how he could claim that he delivered Obi in Abia when he was not capable of delivering himself in his Senatorial Zone.

Ikpeazu had aspired to be a Senator, but he failed woefully at the Polls, and took a distant third position  behind the Candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and that of the LP.

Otti who spoke on Arise Television, Friday morning, warned those carrying and spreading such tales to desist from such as Obi was already set to come to Abia to lead his (Otti’s) Governorship rally.

Otti: “I know for a certainty that there was no such agreement, and I know Peter  Obi very well. I have known him for decades, and I know him as a man of honour and he cannot enter into a fraudulent agreement.

“Let’s assume, without conceding that there was such an agreement with Okezie Ikpeazu, the question to ask is: how well did he implement the agreement because for you to deliver somebody, you must deliver  yourself first. And, in that election he (Ikpeazu) failed. He came third in his Senatorial race. Abaribe came first, my Candidate, Chinedu, came second. By the result declared by INEC, Okezie came a distant third.

“So, if he could not deliver himself, how can he claim that he was the one that delivered Peter Obi? Mr Peter Obi was delivered by Labour Party and the Obidients In Abia. Barring all problems that have to do with his litigations, he will be in Abia and he will campaign for us.

“So, there was no such agreement. Let me ask them, Okezie is a member of the G5, what happened to their leader, (Nyesom Wike) in Rivers State, who he supported. My understanding is that the G5 supported the APC Candidate (Bola Tinubu). So, to that extent, he cannot come to reap where he did not sow.”

All through the Presidential Campaign period, Ikpeazu never uttered a word of support or encouragement for Obi.

“I Will Fight And Bleed To Death ”, Obi did not say so

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The Source
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Peter Obi in Lagos

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi  has again called on the “Obidient” family and all men and women of goodwill to remain calm, prayerful and alert to the events in the country.

Speaking through his Media Adviser, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, Obi urged Nigerians to ignore the news being circulated where he was quoted as saying that he never lost an election; that he would fight and “bleed to death until” his mandate is restored; that he would drag “INEC until there will be no life left in them”;  that he was “looking forward to jailing  all that partook in this scam and fraud called election”, among others.

Obi described the news as not only false, but also mischievous, misleading and out of character.

Obi said that insofar as he believed that the election was gravely flawed,  as being attested to by everybody that was part of the process, that he would continue to pursue the recovery of the stolen mandate through the legal process.

“I have worked through similar paths in the past and was successful. I shall follow the same path without endangering the relative peace in the country, which is actually what those election riggers are striving desperately to upset”, Obi said.

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