Politics
Women Urged To Fund Female Candidates During Polls
A member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Professor Funmi Para-Mallam, has urged women to unite and fund female political candidates during elections.
Para-Mallam, a specialist in Gender and Development Studies, made the call while summarising commitments by various women groups at the National Women’s Dialogue, tagged the Womanifesto 2019.
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), religious groups, ethnic groups, market women groups and others attended the three-day dialogue.
According to her, women should unite, choose good female representatives that will protect and advocate for their rights, as well as fund the election to enable more women to participate in political elective positions.
She said “We cannot get this done without sacrifices. We have to make sacrifices, put our money where our mouths are. Let’s bring out our widow’s mite,’’ she said.
Chairperson, House Committee on Electoral Reforms, House of Representatives, Mrs Aisha Dukku, called on more women to join political parties to enable them to choose female candidates to represent the party during elections.
She reiterated the need for female political aspirants to be accessible to people at the grassroots, not only during elections, to enable them to emerge victorious.
The Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Ms Nkiruka Onyejiocha, called for more female representation in governance to enable them to implement laws like the Child Rights Act, which would further address issues concerning women and children.
On her part, Senator Abiodun Olujimi advised women to mentor and encourage young women to participate actively in politics.
She said, “The time has come for us to be willing to be mentors, let us drop all the airs and stop running away from women. Let us help each other and it is in doing this that we get to where we are going.”
Wife of Ekiti State Governor and Founder of African Women Development Fund, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, stressed the need for women to speak with one voice to address gender-based violence and discrimination against women.
She said, “We want a Nigeria where girls can reach their full potential, be given appointments without trade by barter, be treated with due respect and not as sex slaves, where they can aspire to be Presidents, Senators and others.”
The Director General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, said that the dialogue was a clear demonstration of women’s commitment toward promoting gender equality and empowerment of women.
She said “It is important for us to reflect as women, what we want, following the poor outcomes for women in the 2019 general elections and representations at all levels of governance.
“This occasion is indeed a time for Nigerian women to set goals for ourselves and with our daughters, who are the emerging generation side-by-side with us to shape a future and a tomorrow where no one is left behind and gender equality is a norm.’’
The Component Manager, Access to Justice for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Rule Of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Project, Mrs Priscilla Ankut, stressed the need to end all forms of gender based violence.
She added that the Nigeria Sexual Offender Register and the Sexual and Gender Based Violence Referal Guidelines would help to address the plight of women and prosecute the perpetrators of the act.
Politics
How Akande Lied Against Me Over Bola Ige’s Case – Ladoja
In a recent interview, Chief Akande also said Senator Ladoja entered a no case submission for the suspects accused of assassinating the ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
But the ex-governor has denied the allegation, saying old age has probably affected the memory of the former Osun State Governor to remember what happened during the period.
Senator Ladoja wondered why Chief Akande, who said he knew many things about the assassination that he would not disclose, did not tell the public what exactly surrounded the killing of the former AGF on December 23, 2001.
Senator Ladoja, next in the hierarchy to the Olubadan of Ibadan, said this when speaking with reporters in his Bodija residence in Ibadan.
Speaking in an interview with Edmund Obilo, Chief Akande suggested that Senator Ladoja might have important information about late Chief Ige’s killing.
He alleged that Chief Ige was killed by the government and described his death as a “state murder” — but never affirmed a specific person who committed the crime.
Chief Akande claimed that Senator Ladoja withdrew a case related to the murder that had initially been pursued by his predecessor, former Governor Lam Adesina.
“I was the chief security officer of Osun State at the time, not Oyo State. Lam Adesina was the chief security officer of Oyo State and he went to court and the governor that took over from him, Ladoja, withdrew the case from court. He might be able to tell you more, he might know more than I do know,” Chief Akande said.
“There are many things that die with people. I know Lam Adesina went to court over the matter, and I also know his successor, (Rashidi) Ladoja, withdrew the case. Ask Ladoja; he would know more about Bola Ige’s death”, he added.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain also expressed regret that ex-governor Adesina had confided in him about certain details he could no longer disclose.
Chief Akande noted that key figures, including the former Oyo state governor, who could have shed more light on the case, had passed away.
“Because there are many things you don’t want to tell the public. I don’t want to tell anybody. Now Bola Ige is dead, and Lam Adesina too is dead, so who will be my witness? Nobody,” he added.
Addressing journalists at his residence in Ibadan, Senator Ladoja described Chief Akande’s claims as false.
He said that the case was pursued up to the Supreme Court during his tenure, and denied ever having withdrawn any charges.
“I didn’t withdraw the case; my government didn’t withdraw any case. The case was even prosecuted till apex court, Chief Akande lied against me. This is not the first time people said he lied; someone like Baba Adebanjo even said he lied in his book.
“We are not all happy as a result of Chief Bola Ige’s death, and we are all concerned about his death. I was very close to Chief Bola Ige while alive”, he said.
In 2016, former President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that the investigation into the murder be reopened, but there has been little progress since.
Politics
Grassroots Governance: Otu Signs Cross River Local Government Amendment Bill Into Law
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has signed into law the amended Cross River Local Government Law, a significant legislative milestone aimed at enhancing grassroots governance and service delivery in the state.
A statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr NSA Gill, said Governor Otu commended the State House of Assembly for its proactive and people-centered legislative work while speaking at the bill signing ceremony which held at his temporary office in Calabar.
The governor emphasized that the amended law would strengthen representation at the grassroots level and drive meaningful development.
“In no distant time, the difference at the grassroots level will be clear,” the governor assured.
Reflecting on the political landscape, Governor Otu expressed satisfaction with the Assembly’s status as a fully All Progressives Congress (APC) legislature.
He noted that with the party now fully in control, unity and collaboration were imperative to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, highlighted the transformative impact of the amendments.
He stated that the revised law would accelerate economic development, encourage broader participation in governance, and enhance service delivery at the grassroots level.
Some of the key amendments to the Principal Law include: Section 4(4) – increases the number of departments from seven to twelve, allowing for a more structured and efficient administration; Section 5(2) – adjustments in percentages of funds allocated to key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enhance effectiveness and efficiency; Section 20(1) – entrusts Vice Chairmen of councils with oversight on humanitarian affairs, peace and conflict resolution, border and boundary matters, as well as sports; Section 21, which mandates that all appointments into Executive Councils must reflect Federal Character, ensuring balanced representation.
Sections 22(3) and 22(6) – enhance the offices of the Secretary of Council and the Clerk of the Legislative Council with additional staff; Sections 22(a) and 22(b) – provide for the statutory appointment of up to 50 persons per council and introduce the role of Ward Relations Officers, who will serve as Special Assistants in each Council Ward; as well as elevation of Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) to now have the same rank as Permanent Secretaries at the state level, recognizing their critical role in local governance.
Politics
Anambra LP Aspirant Advocates Security Details Withdrawal From Politicians
“Knowing this, stakeholders will quickly show commitment to internal security by overhauling the system if they no longer have access to police escorts”.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Mr Amamgbo said the measure would help the government develop the right strategies to tackle insecurity and make the country safe again.
“It’s either we rise together or fall together. It’s either we provide security for everybody, or we cannot have our own mini-army while everybody else dies.
“The security situation in the country currently requires a law that will make it impossible for security agents to be assigned to wealthy people,” he said.
He advocated an upward review of security votes to governors, especially in states “where insecurity has become so pronounced that people now live in fear and hardly run their businesses or sleep in peace.”
Mr Amamgbo added, “Security votes allocated to governors should not be seen as pocket money. A committee made up of well-meaning citizens, who are professionals in their various fields, should be constituted to handle the funds, ensure proper utilisation, and enforce accountability.”
He also mentioned that Anambra South was worse hit by the prevailing state of insecurity in the country such as kiddnapping, cultism and sit-at-home, among others ravaging the state.
According to him, for several years, Anambra South, particularly Ihiala, Nnewi South, and Orumba South, have been under siege by non-state actors.
“They have turned our once-thriving communities into theatres of war and bloodshed. Our people, who are predominantly traders, industrialists, farmers, and professionals, now live in perpetual anxiety, unable to go about their lawful businesses,” Mr Amamgbo lamented.
He stated that the unfortunate development had led to the destruction of businesses, economic downturn and displacement of families from their ancestral homes.
He also said that the security challenge had broken law and order, with security agencies stretched beyond their limits.
Mr Amamgbo, therefore, called on the state government to step up efforts to flush out criminals in Anambra South.
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