Obaseki: Wike Pulls Out Of PDP Reconciliation Committee For Edo Guber Poll

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has pulled of the reconciliation committee set up to resolve the various camps in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of Thursday governorship primary of the party.

Wike also warned the national leadership of the party and governors to handle the crisis that would soon rock the party in the state with care, if not, it will snowball into more dangerous crises than what is happening in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor announced his withdrawal from the reconciliation committee on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He said he had decided to pull out of the committee following accusation that he was behind the court order allegedly restraining Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in the party’s governorship primary slated for Thursday June 25 in Benin.

Wike accused some members of the PDP National Working Committee for allegedly acting like tax collectors and sycophants since the defection of Obaseki to the party.

He said, “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors. They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible.

“I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states know what I have done to resolve the issues. As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement.

The Governor said his integrity matters most on the matter, adding that he has directed his lawyer to write a national daily on a publication allegedly made against him on Tuesday.

Wike said, “They (NWC) are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back.”

“I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State.

“Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience. From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State”, Governor Wike added.

Education ministry presents proposal to NASS on Schools reopening

The Minster of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba on Tuesday presented to the National Assembly a proposed date for the reopening of schools across the country as a post COVID-19 measure.

He made the presentation during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education on the ministry’s plans for pupils who have been forced to stay at home following the outbreak of the COVID – 19 pandemic.

While noting that government had said that schools for some categories of students would be reopened soon, Nwajiuba said that giving a tentative date would result to misrepresentation by the public.

“We said we are going to experiment with some people and these are children from exit classes.

“In the document we have provided, we have suggested how we can move our education sector forward in this pandemic period.

“We don’t want to make it known at this period so that some people will not take our proposal for guidelines for schools reopening.

“This is because people publish fake guidelines every day which I always come on air to debunk. What we have now is a proposal.

“Even if the Senate has not called us, we would have come to you to discuss with you because we have already discussed with the House of Representatives.

“The documents were presented to you so that you can criticise and make inputs as major stakeholders”.

He, however, expressed concern over the decision of Oyo State Government to reopen its primary and secondary schools in spite the current rising cases of Coronavirus infection in the country.

Nwajiuba wondered why the government of Oyo state which was currently battling with increase cases of new infections, should be eager to throw open the gates of its schools when its neighbouring states, were employing caution.

He said, “Why is Oyo state talking of reopening schools when it has just started recording increase cases of Coronavirus infection.

“Just beside Oyo is Ogun which was part of the three states under the FG’s lockdown since April is not talking about schools reopening.”

Vice Chairperson of the Committee, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, who presided over the meeting, expressed the fears that the academic calendar could be distorted in public schools where no visible arrangement was being made to teach the children at home unlike their private schools counterparts.

She said public schools students were made to rely on educational programmes on radio and television stations whereas they tune to stations showing cartoons whenever there was no adult to guide them.

Eyakenyi said that children in public schools had no access to online classes like their counterparts in the private schools.

She noted that the arrangement regarding radio and television stations was not working.

“Even when the students in the cities have access to education programmes on radio and televisions, what of those in the villages? What do we do so that we don’t shut them out?

“If government can give guidelines for the reopening of churches and mosques, stakeholders in the education sector could also hold a meeting with the government to agree on guidelines for schools reopening.

“All we need to do is to come up with measures that would ensure the safety of both the students and their teachers.

“We can design a plan that would make sure that not all the students resume at the same time. We could probably start with the exit classes.

“We could have the numbers of students that would go to school in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

“We have to be innovative in our approach to save our educational sector in this country because nobody knows how long the virus will be with us.” (NAN)

Erelu Bisi Fayemi flags off Ekiti Sexual Assault Referral Centre

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi launched the Ekiti Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Moremi Clinic) today, Tuesday 23rd June, 2020, at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.

Erelu Bisi Fayemi who frowned at  the alarming rate at which young girls and women are being molested sexually of late, said the centre would be a succour for the victims.

"The centre would give emergency treatment and care  for sexual victims, and would offer legal aid for them as well".

"The Centre would also provide  counseling for the victims, psychosocial support and all the necessary support needed.

She urged the public to direct all those who need the services available, to visit the Centre for immediate treatment and counselling.

 Her Excellency stated that the Centre would be replicated across all the sixteen Local Government Areas of the State, for prompt response and treatment.

She promised that the permanent site of the Centre  would be ready before the end of September, to the applause of all present.

The Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Professor Kayode Olabanji, assured the Wife of the Governor, that he would deploy medical personnel with the required passion and drive, to man the Centre.

The Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Aare Muyiwa Olumilua, promised to give the Centre the necessary awareness needed, for the benefit of the victims of such sexual assault.

Other dignitaries who graced the launching are: Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Honourable Wale Fapohunda, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief Mrs. Moji Fafure, Permanent Secretary Ministry Of Health and Human Services, Dr.(Mrs) Folake Olomojobi, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Woman affairs and Social Development, Dr. Mrs. Eunice Oladimeji.

 

Also present was Grip Initiative , a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) pioneered and represented by Barrister (Mrs) Rita Ilevbare.

Oyo spent about N3b in fighting COVID-19, raised N378m cash

Oyo State Government on Tuesday said it has spent N2.779 billion in the ongoing fight against novel coronavirus.

The Government said the N378million cash raised from willing donors including individuals and corporate donors is still intact in the dedicated accounts but that all the expenditures so far are from the state coffers.

The Government gave the update through the State Commissioner of Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo while addressing Newsmen at the Governors’ Office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.

According to Ojo, while N900 million was spent on palliatives and seedlings for affected farmers, about N370 milion was spent on the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo.

Additionally, the commissioner who was flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa said N453million has been spent on security and securing the state borders on the right against covid-19, N156milliin to be paid to healthworkers, including volunteers and medical and health workers as allowances.

Also, he said the sum of N118m was given to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan as support, N321million used in buying ambulances to support the ministry of health and N614 spent on reagents, consumables, tests and cost of treating the patients in the state.

He noted that the state has also got a reassurance of the Federal Government through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for financial support of N100million but which is still been awaited.

Ojo said overall, the cash and materials donations received so far by the state from the various individual and corporate donors currently stands at N1.177billion saying the Coalition Against Covid-19 (CaCovid) alone donated items to the tune of N250milion. (The Nation)

Why we deployed men to APC Secretariat, by Police

The Nigeria Police has said it deployed personnel to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order as the two factions of the party remain at daggers drawn.

According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, the presence of its personnel at the secretariat was not to seal off the place but to prevent any untoward situation within and around the premises.

“Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have been deployed to the National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress, located at Blantyre Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. The deployment is a proactive move by the Force to maintain peace and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order at the Secretariat.

“The presence of police personnel at the Secretariat is not to seal-up the Complex as has been reported in some quarters but rather to prevent any untoward situation within and around the APC National Secretariat.

” Members of the APC as well staff of the Secretariat are therefore at liberty to conduct their legitimate businesses, in and around the Secretariat as always,” the statement read. (The Nation)

Akeredolu wants to impeach me – Deputy Governor

Ondo Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi has raised the alarm over moves by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to impeach him.

Ajayi resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he hopes to contest the governorship election.

Ajayi who insisted on no resigning his position said Governor Akeredolu planned to impeach him through illegal and unconstitutional means.

He said the ‘illegal’ impeachment would be carried out through financial inducement of members of Ondo Assembly to the tune of N10m each.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, Ajayi alleged the Assembly complex has been besieged by men of the Nigeria Police while lawmakers that do not comply were prevented from entering the complex.

According to the statement: “We wish to state that the deputy governor is a tested politician of note, who is not unprepared for this type of kangaroo and infamous move from the desperate and drowning governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu and his group.

“By joining People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi has not committed any impeachable offence. He has only exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides as follows:

“Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any association for the protection of his interests.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that the Governor and his allies do not have and cannot muster the requisite majority in the House of Assembly for the removal of the Deputy Governor under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in any free, fair and transparent process.

“We remain undaunted in the move to throw off the combined weight of those kneeling on the neck of Ondo State. Our state shall not be allowed to suffocate. At the appropriate time, the people of Ondo State shall decide the right person, who will serve as the arrowhead of the bid to save the state from the nepotistic clique kneeling on her neck.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor has directed all his sacked aides to resume duties in private capacity as his personal aides.

He advised them to return all government properties in their possession to the appropriate quarters within 24 hours.

Reacting, Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo described the allegation as the height of perfidy and another pernicious warp from an intellectually challenged and treacherous personality.

“Knowledge cannot be procured, but only be acquired. For anyone to aver that lawmakers have been financially induced is a gross display of emptiness.

“It becomes more laughable when such comes from someone who had boasted about having majority members in the Assembly. Clearly, while the Executive led by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN does not believe in inducement, it is left for our very reputable Legislative Arm to either confirm or debunk this spurious allegation,” he said.

(The Nation)