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Politics
Anambra 2013: PDP sure as Supreme Court hears Ukachukwu’s appeal • Asks Jega to redeploy state INEC boss, Onukogu
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PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES
NOVEMBER 3, 2013 THE AMBIGUITY OF A PARTICULAR REGION HOLDING ON TO POWER
Ominous sign over siege on new PDP
FOR TOO LONG AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER REGIONS IS NOT GOOD AND
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PORTENDS DANGER FOR THE COUNTRY AND HER PEOPLE –CHIEF ISAAC
SHAAHU
Anambra governorship debate
Ngige, Obiano, Ubah go for broke CHARLES OKEKE AWKA
A
head of the Anambra State gubernatorial election fixed for November 16, the trio of Dr Chris Ngige of All Progressives Congress, APC; Dr Willie Obiano, of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, of the Labour Party had on Friday re-enacted their rivalry as they strode the finals of the debate sessions organized by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group led by Aremo Taiwo Alimi. Generally, Obiano and the three other contenders performed very well during the debate; however the event was nearly marred by the very cold relationship which the key participants displayed among each other throughout the proceedings that were watched by their cronies and admirers. The debate proper began after the moderator, Imoni Amaliria and Head of Elections Debate Group, Alimi, had respectively made their opening remarks, outlining the rules and procedures that guided the event. And once it was their turn to speak and respond to questions and issues raised by the panelists, during the proceedings that lasted for about three hours, the three contenders went on the offensive, throwing brickbats at each other and denigrating their individual manifesto, all in the attempt to outwit the one another. The moderator had to wade in and caution them over their contentious utterances, which he deemed as violation of enabling rules. The candidate of Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, who was among the four frontrunners that took part in the final session held at the Women Development Centre, Awka, took a middle course and discreetly avoided making contentious remarks. Each of the candidates was given three minutes to make his opening speech and another three minutes to answer both the main questions and the follow-up questions that consequently arose. No candidate was allowed to read from a prepared note. The question and answer session: The main question thrown at them dealt with the issue of why do they want to rule Anambra State now? The first to respond was Ngige. He said he wants to rule again because the foundation he laid when he first served as governor has been uprooted and destroyed. According to Ngige, “It is a second missionary journey; my blueprint which I left for Obi,
…as troubled PDP features no candidate
Ngige
I want to come back and accomplish them; security of lives and property. I have done it before and we have to wire the state security-wise and install bomb detectors at strategic points to secure the State.” He also said that he is going to change the school system by introducing vocational subjects as well as introduce an agricultural scheme for graduates who cannot get employment. He called for the decentralisation of the Police and retention of immunity clause for governors. Ngige threw brickbats at his colleagues, saying, “For me, I don’t know how to import dual purpose kerosene but I know managerial skills and administration and they don’t have it; they will do four, four years apprentice scheme when they come in and we don’t need such people”. Responding, the APGA candidate, Obiano, said he is contesting because he wants to bring his experience as a world-class banker to bear and bring up Anambra State to the next level. He said he would pursue four pillars of development spread across these sectors: agriculture, education, health, security, infrastructure and youth development. According to Obiano, “We have 14 items which we have put our energy in to researching. As for agriculture, we would mechanise it to create jobs. Oil and gas, we need to improve those areas to create jobs;
Briefly Katsina gets committee on national dialogue Katsina State Government has set up a sixmember committee to produce the state’s position for the national dialogue. This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sani Kabomo, an issued in Katsina yesterday. The statement announced Justice Mamman Nasir, rtd, former President of the Court of Appeal, as chairman of the committee. Other members include Alhaji Sani Lugga; Dr Lawal Musawa, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly; Sen. Ibrahim Ida; Amb. Adamu Sa’idu Daura, and the state’s Head of Service, Alhaji Lawal Aliyu. It also said that Alhaji Hussaini El-Ladan, from the Governor’s Office, would serve as secretary to the committee. The statement said the terms of reference of the committee included public sensitisation on the activities of the National Dialogue Advisory Committee, and the collection and collating of submissions from interested members of the public. The committee is also mandated to prepare a state paper and make any other recommendation as deemed appropriate. It further advised interested members of the public to submit their memoranda to the committee’s secretariat at No. 4 Olusegun Obasanjo Drive, Katsina.
Obiano
we shall pursue industrial clusters and industrialisation. We want to generate more jobs, increase the revenue potentials of the state and boost security through massive job creation and equipping the police and vigilance groups.” He stated that the Nigeria Police as presently constituted is okay; adding that what is important is to equip and retrain its officers effectively. Obiano attacked his contenders, saying, “The business we are here for is not for school certificate holders; my colleagues on this platform cannot support the true federalism we are fighting for because their party is not an Igbo party and cannot therefore represent Igbo interest. And when this government came into being, nothing was on the ground and it has to introduce ANIDS with focus on the millennium development goals and that is why APGA is talking of continuity. Obiano lambasted the key antagonists, stressing, “Before we came in, roads and facilities were moved to peoples’ towns, we will ensure that things will be properly planned and distributed, I will not go against the immunity clause, but, what is important is that we must ensure that people with questionable characters are not allowed to rule us”. When it was the turn of Labour candiCONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Shema
Kwankwaso counsels Imams against partisan politics Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has advised Islamic scholars and imams of Juma’at mosques in the state against engaging in partisan politics. The advice is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press, Malam Halilu Dantiye, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano yesterday. According to the statement, Kwankwaso gave the advice while addressing imams of Juma’at mosques from the 44 local government areas of the state at the Government House. “It is not appropriate for Ulamas and Imams to turn their pulpits into platforms for political comments and inflammatory remarks,’’ the governor counselled. He reminded them that their partisanship could be misunderstood, degenerate into misgivings or even lead to unrest. He therefore urged them to preach peace, tolerance and mutual understanding as leaders of the people. “It is annoying that some Imams use their sermons to blackmail political leaders. They have turned into politicians in disguise and this is not the best for our society,” he lamented. He assured them that his doors would remain open for constructive advice, pointing out that he was bound to make mistakes as a human being. “As religious leaders, you have the right to seek audience with me and I will be ready to listen to you so that together, we can move the state forward,” he said. The governor also enjoined people to avoid rumour mongering in order to ensure that peace and harmony reigned supreme in the state and the country at large