News

It’s Fair North Concedes Senate Presidency To South -Shettima

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2023

Ahead of tomorrow’s inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that he was prepared to go and beg other Senators to support the aspiration of former Senate Minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jibrin Barau for the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.
The Vice President said this at a dinner organized for supporters of the Akpabio-Barau ticket by the Stability Group, led by former Governor of Ebonyi State and Senator-elect Dave Umahi.
Shettima’s meeting with Senators may not be unconnected with those who are being swayed by Abdulaziz
Yari’s narrative of marginalisation of the North that voted overwhelmingly for Bola Tinubu.
According to Shettima, with President Bola Tinubu as the President of the country and him being the Vice President as Muslims, justice and equity demand that the number three person must be a Christian as Nigeria must work towards achieving inclusivity.
Speaking at the event, the Vice President reiterated the commitment and strong support of President Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) to the candidature of Senators Akpabio and Barau for the leadership of the 10th Senate.
According to the geoup, over 70 Senators attended the meeting alongside Shettima, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, Senators-elect across party lines, among others.
The Vice President said, “We are all in support of the emergence of Senators Akpabio and Barau as President of the 10th Senate and Deputy respectively. This support is intended to further engender unity and stability of the country.
‘’Apart from the religious angle, Senator Akpabio is very competent and he has the capacity to lead the 10th National Assembly. At the same time, he is from a very important zone and he is also a man of Christian faith. So, in line with the Constitution of our country and in conformity with the plurality of our union, the party and indeed, the President, thought it fit to support him.”
Speaking on what should be done to ensure that the country would be together as one indivisible entity, Shettima said, ‘’Personally, my Chief Security Officer (CSO) is an Igbo man, who had worked with me when I was governor. He has been a dedicated and loyal officer, even in the heat of the Boko Haram attacks in Borno.
“My ADC is a Christian from the North, who has been with me for a very long time. When I appointed him, they said he is too junior by rank to be my ADC, but I insisted and even told them to make him my acting ADC pending when he would be promoted to the rank, he stressed”.
The Vice President assured the Senators-elect of his readiness to continue to work for the success and aspirations of the group by talking to those who were yet to join the group which he described as the “winning team”.
He further said, “ I have been campaigning privately for Senators Akpabio and Barau and I will continue to do that till we diliver them on Tuesday. I will be leaving this dinner for another meeting with some senators who are yet to register their support.”
Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the Stability Group, Dave Umahi, thanked the Vice President and the SGF for attending and solidarising with the group, assuring them of the readiness of the Senators-elect to work for Nigerians and support the Renewed Hope agenda of the President for the benefit of Nigerians.
In his remarks, Senator Akume, disclosed that even before his appointment as the SGF, he was already drumming support for the Akpabio-Barau ticket.
He described the Stability Group as where to be, because the Tinubu-led administration needs all forms of support to kick-off on a very sound note.
On his part, Senator Akpabio who expressed their happiness for the support their aspirations have garnered from their colleagues, when their endorsement was made public by the President and the leadership of the party, said that the SGF has been having meetings with the group, even before the Vice President were sworn in.
He said, “This group is across party lines, we will continue to bond together. This is a group of friends, brothers and sisters. We have one thing in mind, stability of Nigeria. We want to assure you that this is the way to go. I want to assure us that we shall succeed on Tuesday.”
On his part, Senator-elect, Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North, explained that the purpose of support for Akpabio-Barau ticket is to restate that bonding and assure ourselves that we are together.
Also speaking at the event, the candidate for the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau said, “ Your commitment is not to us as a person, but for stability, peace and progress of this country.
“We have seen your commitment to this party. You and Asiwaju want stability and progress. In no distant future, you will reap your efforts”.

News

Tinubu Appoints Four Nominees Into NCDMB Governing Council

Published

5 days ago

March 28, 2025

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.

The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.

Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.

“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.

“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”

News

NDDC To Construct Hostels, Roads In UNIPORT – Ogbuku

Published

5 days ago

March 28, 2025

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).

NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.

Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.

According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.

“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.

“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.

Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.

“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.

He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.

Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.

He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.

“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.

“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.

The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.

News

Senate Rejects Motion To Rename INEC Headquarters After Humphrey Nwosu

Published

5 days ago

March 28, 2025

The Tide

The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.

Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.

The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.

Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.

However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.

Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.

He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”

Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.

On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.

Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.

“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.

Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.

“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.

After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.

They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.