Peoples Daily, wednesday, july 9, 2014
PAGE 8
Again, Odili denies link with Abuja hospital By Kingsley Chijioke
T
he former governor of Rivers State and a delegate representing Federal Government in the ongoing National Conference, Dr. Peter Odili has once again denied having any link with Abuja biggest private hospital as alleged by a delegate. Odili while responding to a allegation made by Mr. Sidi Ali that a former Rivers State Governor own the biggest private hospital in Abuja, rising on Order 9, Rule 10 which states “that it will be out of order to use offensive and insulting language during sittings either at plenary or in Committees” said that he has no link with the Abuja biggest private hospital as alleged by Sidi Ali. Continuing, Odili said that an illusion made by Sidi Ali was indirectly referring to him since he is a former governor of the state and the only medical doctor that have governed the state, saying that the insinuation that he owns a hospital he knew nothing about has been on for a while. The medical practitioner turned politician however, challenged Ali to name the former governor to clear the air on the allegation which he said has given him concern considering his good works as Rivers State governor. A visibly angry Odili who threatened to sue Sid Ali if he fails to substantiate his allegation maintained that he has no link with any hospital in Abuja. “I am Dr. Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers State. I am rising on Order 9, Rule 10. The last speaker, Sidi Ali made an allusion that the biggest hospital in Abuja is owned by a former governor of Rivers State. There are many former governors of Rivers State, but I am the only medical doctor among them. He should stand up and name the person. My lord I will not hesitate in taking a legal action against him” He said. Senator Sidi Ali had said during the debate on the report of the Committee on Devolution of Power at the plenary that the largest hospital belong to a former governor of Rivers State. Ali who was opposing increment on derivation principle said that it will be immaterial owing to the fact that 13 percent has not been used judiciously. The Chairman of the Conference, Justice Idrsi Kutigi, however, cleared the air by telling Odili that Senator Ali did not call anybody’ s name while making the allegation.
L-R: National Conference delegates, Alhaji Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, and Ambassador Abdulmumuni Abubakar, at the conference, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa
Rotational presidency will give room for sectionalism - Delegate By Kingsley Chijioke
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eactions have continued to trail the adoption of rotational system agreed upon by the ongoing national conference, as another delegate representing the youth, Comrade Abu Clifford, said the process if put in use will give room for sectional leadership, encourage mediocrity, and a divisional leadership. Clifford, who was reacting to the decision yesterday in an interview with journalists, said he opposed the decision hundred per cent. He said, “the issue of power rotational system I think as a youth I strongly kick against it because it will lead to mediocrity, sectional and
divisional aspect of leadership, in the sense that when you are a leader in a particular zone, other zones will be left behind and such leader can only develop their area and leaving other states to suffer. “Though, as regard to presidency, we can rotate it between South and North but not within the six geopolitical zones. And again, if a particular zone is holding a position, mind you before that position will come back to the zone under rotational system, it will take a long time, may be in the next generation and the person who actually have ambition to be something in his father land will not get that opportunity to aspire because somebody has already
occupied such position from his zone, so it will definitely affect many ambitious Nigerians.” When asked whether he considered the argument of some minority lamenting marginalisation, Comrade Clifford, who is also from the minority said “if we are saying we are one Nigeria, we should believe in the unity of Nigeria and what all of us should be praying for and working toward is to ensure good leadership. It does not matter whether you are from minority or majority, it depend on your perception. “Take for example, the women has the highest population in the country but today they are still crying for of marginalisation. The
issue is, let us all put our heads together and ensure we have good leadership across all the level of governments” The delegate emphasized that rotational system should not be enshrined in the Nigeria constitution, saying, even if it is being practice at federal level between North and South, it should not be considered at the state and local level. “The only thing is that within the presidency we can rotate it between the North and the South but within the state the people can as well say let us give so so power to a particular people but not that it will be enshrined in the constitution, it can be a kind of mutual agreement between the leaders and the youths.”