APC Candidate’s Victory Inevitable, Bayelsa ICC Boss Tells Kinsmen
The Coordinator of the Independent Campaign Council (ICC) for Tinubu-Shettima, Prince Preye Aganaba, has told his kinsmen in Odi, Bayelsa State, that the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is inevitable.
While celebrating the Yuletide with his kinsmen at the famous Odi Kingdom in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, Aganaba dismissed any possible runoff.
He said the former Lagos State governor would win by landslide.
The coordinator, who threw a party for his kinsmen with an Ijaw music maestro, Junior Barrister and his live band to thrill them, recalled that he predicted APC’s victory in 2015.
Aganaba said: “The victory of the presidential candidate of the APC, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is inevitable. The 2023 election will be won by the APC and that trajectory is inevitable.”
PDP Inaugurates Presidential Campaign Council in Ekiti
The People’s Democratic Party PDP) inaugurated its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in Ekiti on Tuesday, with a call for massive votes for the party’s candidates all over the country in the 2023 general elections.
Inaugurating the council in Ado-Ekiti, Mr Eddy Olafeso, the Former Zonal chairman, South West PDP, urged PDP members in the state to close ranks and work for the victory of the party in the coming election.
Olafeso said Nigerians had witnessed the worst Christmas ever in Nigeria’s history and charged the electorates to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote for Atiku and Okowa, the Presidential candidates of the party, in order to effect the desired change.
Olafeso, who equally inaugurated the state Campaign Manager Committee, condemned the leadership style of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that Nigeria had been plunged into numerous problems without solutions.
Arabambi Faults Appointment of Oshuntokun as LP PCC DG
The erstwhile acting Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Dr Abayomi Arabambi has faulted the announcement of Mr. Akin Oshuntokun as the Director General of Peter Obi/ Ahmed Datti Presidential Campaign Council Director General.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Arabambi said Osuntokun cannot be trusted with such a position because of many factors which included, divided loyalty, deliberate falsehood and political infraction.
According to him, facts show that Oshuntokun is the Senatorial Candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), representing Ekiti Central Senatorial district, whose presidential candidate is Bar Dan Nwayanwu who also double as Zenith Labour party National Chairman.
FG’ll Soon Make Pronouncement on Salary Increase — Ngige
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has disclosed that the
Federal Government would soon make a pronouncement on salary increase for the civil and public servants to cushion the effect of high inflation on the workers.
According to him, the government the Presidential Committee on Salaries is already doing a review and expected to come up with salary adjustment in the new year.
The Minister made this disclosure to State House Correspondents after he had a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ngige, who said that he was at the seat of power to discus exhaustively, issues concerning his ministry, including employment and productivity, described 2022 as a year of industrial dispute.
Asked whether he discussed the issue of salary increase with the President considering the rising inflation, he said: ”Yes, that’s what I am saying that the Presidential Committee on Salaries is working hand-in-hand with the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission. The commission is mandated by the Act establishing it to fix salaries, wages, and emoluments in not only the public service.”
Nigeria is an IDP camp — Peter Obi
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has said for as long as there were Nigerians, who are forced to leave their homes to live in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camp, Nigeria remains an IDP camp.
While answering questions from journalists after the unveiling of the new Director General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Prof. Akin Osuntokun, in Abuja, yesterday, Obi explained that his aspiration was built on his conviction that Nigerians deserve better in terms of leadership than what they were getting at the moment.
Tinubu, Wike’s Camps Meet To Finalise Deal On 2023
In a resolved to finalise the deal on the 2023 presidency, five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to meet with the Presidential Candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
A reliable source close to the former Lagos State governor, said barring any last-minute change, the meeting will hold in one of the European countries this week.
The source said the G-5 governors, comprising Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) would after the meeting make their preferred presidential candidate known to the public.
The governors, it was gathered are already in the United Kingdom ahead of the meeting.
Gbajabiamila Didn’t Promise Payment of Salary Arrears to ASUU – Reps
In response to the allegation by the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, that the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila deceived the union to call off the strike, the spokesperson of the House, Ben Kalu, in a statement on Wednesday, said the speaker never promised the lecturers payment of arrears.
It would be recalled that the intervention by the House had led to the call-off of the eight months strike by the lecturers.
In addition, the National Industrial Court had mandated ASUU to suspend the strike. And the government also insisted on the no-work-no-pay policy.
Prof Osodeke had, during an interview on Tuesday, said Gbajabiamila failed to keep to the agreement reached with the union.
Senate Approves N819.54bn Fresh Domestic Loan for Capital Projects
The Senate has approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request of N819.54bn domestic loan meant to fix the infrastructure destroyed by floods across the country.
President Buhari had through an executive communication last week, sought the approval of the National Assembly for N819.54bn supplementary budget.
Provisions of clause 12 of the Appropriation Act and section 318 of the 1999 constitution stipulate 12 calendar months for implementation of budget in any fiscal year. In line with this provision, 2022 budget which started on January 1, is supposed to have ended on December 31,2022.
In a letter read in plenary last week Wednesday by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan President Buhari sought the amendment on the Act for extension of the implementation period.
But President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter read in plenary last week Wednesday, sought the amendment on the Act for extension of the implementation period.
APGA to Flag Off Campaign in Awka on January 14
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has said it will formally commence the national campaign for the 2023 general elections on January 14, 2023 at Awka in Anambra State.
According to the National Organising Secretary of APGA, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, the campaign flag-off will be performed by the Anambra state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo at the Ekwueme Square, Awka.
The party said that APGA flags would be presented to all candidates on the occasion.
In a press statement issued after a meeting of party members and stakeholders in Katsina state last weekend, the party chieftain said the party is “a united and indivisible entity with Oye as it’s national chairman”.
Meanwhile, the National Financial Secretary of the APGA, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Carefor, has expressed happiness with efforts and achievements made to reposition the party by Oye.
Senate in a Rowdy Session Over Buhari’s Request for N23.7tn Loan
The Senate was thrown into a rowdy session over the request by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to approve Ways and Means Advances restructuring to the tune of N23.7 trillion.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, read out Buhari’s request to members of the respective chambers at the plenary on Wednesday.
In the request titled, ‘Restructuring of Ways and Means Advances,’ the President wrote, “The Ways and Means Advance by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Federal Government has been a funding option to the Federal Government to cater for short-term or emergency finance to fund delayed government expected cash receipt of fiscal deficit.”
However, drama ensued at the plenary when the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola, was reporting the committee’s finding on the Ways and Means when the lawmaker representing Rivers West, Senator Betty Apiafi, stood up to counter the new borrowing and the Senate President shouted her down.
Events took another dimension as senators began to shout, standing up and shouting with aggression.
Different lawmakers such as Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West), and George Sekibo (PDP Rivers) raised a motion in support of Apiafi that the Senate President had no power to shout down a senator while speaking.
As the tension kept increasing at the plenary, Lawan quickly called for a closed-door session.
NABTEB Results Valid for Admission into Tertiary Institutions — Minister
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has said that the National Business and Technical Examinations Board General Certificate of Education Advance Level results for 2015 to 2021 are valid.
According to the information obtained from the JAMBulletin, the official bulletin of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Vol. 3 No. 7 dated December 19, 2022, the minister said the results are not only valid but also usable for admission to tertiary institutions.
In the Bulletin, JAMB reminded all institutions that the results were valid and usable for admission.
With the approval, according to the information titled, ‘NABTEB GCE A’Level Results from 2015 – 2021 Acceptable to JAMB’, candidates who had used the NABTEB GCE A’ Level results of 2015 to 2021 to secure admission to higher institutions of learning are to continue with their studies as the certificates issued are valid.
JAMB, which said the reminder was for the guidance of the concerned institutions, added that the comprehensive list of such candidates was available for verification with the Board at no cost.
Meanwhile, the Director, Registrar’s Office, NABTEB, Olugbenga Ojogbede, has urged all stakeholders, particularly NABTEB GCE A’ Level certificate holders, to take advantage of this window of opportunity to make good use of their certificates.
I have no rift with Bello — Onoja
Speaking during the thanksgiving service of Emonyoku family Thanksgiving Day held at Emonyoku-Ogugu in the Olamaboro Local Government Area, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, said there is no rift between him and his boss, Governor Yahaya Bello.
At the event, Onoja announced that Governor Yahaya Bello donated Honda vehicle to the Pastor of the United Evangelical Church, Emanyoku; Peugeot 406 to the National President of the Emanyoku family union; and a 32-seater bus to the Emanyoku Community Secondary School.
He therefore called on Kogi people to continue to support the new direction of the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello.
“I thank God Almighty who elevated Governor Bello to the position of Kogi State Governor and would have no reason whatsoever to be in any rift with him” the deputy governor said.
