Lai Mohammed Instigate Persecution Of Olisa Metuh – Lagos PDP

The Lagos state chapter of PDP has accused the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed of instigating the persecution of the PDP National Publicity Secretary; Chief Olisa Metuh.

In a press release signed Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, he said that the arrest of the PDP National Publicity Secretary is only being made convenient by the issue of money allegedly involved. Stating that the minister of information who still sits as the National Publicity Secretary of the APC had vowed to clamp down on the PDP publicity office superintended by the now arrested Olisa Metuh.

This trend is dangerous and is the last resort to APC attempts to compromise some of us. We have also been receiving funny calls from unknown numbers of threats to our persons if we continue to expose the APC Governors. 

Unless Olisa Metuh is approached within the Rule of Law and immediately granted administrative bail pending any charge, we shall begin to seek asylum in safe countries. This is no doubt a totalitarian government. And the World should be informed"

According to the PDP; Lai Mohammed also got monumental sums from Lagos state to promote the APC campaigns. It accused the APC of 'pot calling kettle black' as the APC diverted billions of dollars meant for the completion of the now moribund light rail project; ferry jetties; Eko Atlantic project; 20 million Dollars UNESCO grant; and also plunged the state into huge foreign debt of over 3.6 billion dollars in order to capture the Presidency.

The PDP has therefore called on Lai Mohammed to allow intellectual engagements rather than military-like engagements. 

Where Is Our 2016 Budget?

By Prince Deji Adeyanju

It's 7.49am today, the 4th of January, 2016, and I woke up from sleep with the buzzing sound of my phone. I was still half asleep when I reluctantly picked the call with a weak “hello”. The caller on the other end shouted, "Deji, you are still sleeping? Nigeria is going down and you are sleeping. Deji, there's a tyrant in the land and you are sleeping. Are you aware that Buhari withdrew the budget he presented to National Assembly from Saraki, and Saraki gave it to him out of fear? Deji, as I speak to you, the National Assembly does not have the budget any more. Saraki and Dogara are confused. They could not stand up for our democracy against the tyrant. They have failed our nation. Deji, you people need to speak up before this man destroys our nation". 

  

How can a President present a country's budget and take it back? I remember when a dear sister was so happy and optimistic that the 2016 budget was already out before the year started and said "even with 'world class economist' the budget usually came long after the year had started". 

Why is the Senate President mute? 

You will recall that Nigerians started an online campaign tagged #BudgetOfYams immediately the breakdown of the 2016 budget appeared on the internet which was posted by an online organization @BudgItNg and further confirmed by the Budget Office of the Federal Government. 

Suddenly, it appears they have sneaked the budget back to the villa for 'cleansing' and corrections after public outcry by Nigerians in what they termed a budget of waste and recklessness. A budget the PDP has termed a fraud that requires a daily borrowing of N5billion Naira to fund for the next one year. 

When the budget was analyzed and criticized for not being a reflection of the present economic realities, worshippers of president Buhari resorted to name calling and hurling of insults in the cyberspace. They said their god can never do any wrong, that he can never make a mistake and knew every content of the budget even when the president through his media chat had hinted he has no full idea about the contents of the 2016 budget.

The question here is, who wrote that budget for president Buhari and convinced him to go and read it before the National Assembly and the whole world? Can we say president Buhari is truly in-charge of this nation if indeed the 2016 budget was written without his consent and input and given to him to just go and read? What is happening to our nation? Every foreign investor, business owner, stakeholders have the right to be afraid as things stand. Will it be right now to call our genuine concerns on the issue of budget as “wailing”? Now that the truth is out suggesting president Buhari withdrew the budget back because he could not believe some of the contents he was told were in it at the Media Chat, are we still “Wailing Wailers”? 

In a country where even Banks are now struggling to stay afloat, business owners are being forced to close shop, foreign investors are leaving the country, and our economy almost sliding into recession, we need a president who knows the issues and not a president who does not even know the contents of the budget he read before the whole world. 

Where are the human rights activists in Nigeria? Where are all our learned men and women who spoke “big grammar” of “Change” during the elections and challenged every actions and inactions of former president Goodluck Jonathan? How can the president of a democratic nation withdraw a budget he read before all Nigerians at the hallowed chambers of our National Assembly in broad-day light but withdrew same in the middle of the night through the back door? Where is the truth president Buhari claimed to have during the elections? Where is the conscience of our Senate President, Bukola Saraki?

Dear Bukola Saraki and Dogara, where is our budget? Where are those who boasted during Goodluck Jonathan term as president that they were the best lawyers in Nigeria? Where are all the patriots who spoke up for “Change”? Where are those very loud and vocal Nigerians in the international community? Where are those who usually scream impunity during the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan? Here is impunity, tyranny and fiscal irresponsibility all walking on four legs right before all of us, and these arm-chair critics have suddenly disappeared? Where are those people who usually quote the laws and all the sections of constitutions to justify their partisanship on matters of national interest? Who will liberate Nigerians from this tyranny? Have you all gone deaf and dumb that you can no more speak truth to power? 

President Buhari is betraying the oath of office he took in a very painful manner. Worst still is the inability of the leadership of our legislature to stand and protect our democracy. These are sad times for democracy in our nation. 

#WhereIsOurBudget

‘Don’t Kill Metuh" PDP Cries Out

…..Says Arrest Last Straw That May Break Nigeria’s Democracy

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands an immediate release of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who was Tuesday morning invited and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This development, which did not come to us as a surprise given series of threats to our party’s spokesman by the APC and the Federal Government, who are obviously not comfortable with our stance on the confused state of the nation under their watch, is a continuation of APC’s grand design to silence and decimate the PDP.

The arrest of Chief Metuh today underscores the growing political intolerance in our country and the foisting of a police state which was last Wednesday underscored by the President and Commander-in-Chief himself, who defended why a government in a democracy should flout constitutional provision and brazenly disobey court orders.

This onslaught against our spokesman, according to intelligence available to us is part of a larger script by the government to ensure that PDP wings are finally clipped in their mission to install a dictatorial one-party state in the country.

The excesses of security agencies under this government, especially the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) and the EFCC, in abridging the human rights of PDP members have become worrisome and a threat to our  democratic evolution.

Nigerians and the international community will recall that on a number of occasions, the PDP, through its spokesman has been outspoken on some undemocratic proclivities being exhibited by the APC-led Federal Government in the last seven months.

The PDP insists that for whatever reason Chief Metuh was arrested, his rights as a citizen under the law must not be trampled upon. We therefore demand for his immediate release and that due process of investigation and prosecution concerning him should be strictly adhered to.

We state this because we have been made aware of top directives to break Chief Metuh and if possible poison him during his detention by the EFCC.  Chief Metuh, has since his arrest at about 10 am, has been kept incommunicado, with his lawyers denied access to him.

The PDP declares the arrest of our spokesman as the last straw that may break our democracy. We therefore forewarn the Federal Government and its agencies to save our democracy and forthwith release our National Publicity Secretary.

We are also calling on the international community and well-meaning Nigerians to stand up for this democracy, which our party nurtured for 16 years and deepened to a level where the opposition, for the first time in our political history, had the opportunity to win in a general election.

Signed:

Prof. Adewale Oladipo

National Secretary

Olisa Metuh Honours EFCC Invitation

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived the Abuja home of the spokesman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh this morning, inviting him to follow them to the commission’s headquarters.

In a press released by Richard Ihediwa, the  Special Assistant to PDP National Publicity Secretary, he said that the upon enquiry on the reasons for the invitation, the officials stated that he has some issues to clear with the commission.

They also said he was not being arrested but friendly invited. The operatives, four in number, came in a White unmarked Toyota Hiace bus. As at the time of issuing this statement, Chief Metuh is still being kept at the commission’s headquarters and his lawyers were making frantic efforts to reach him.

While details of why Chief Metuh was invited is yet to be made public by the commission, it could be recalled that severally, Chief Metuh, as the mouthpiece of the opposition party had alerted in various press conferences and statements that he has been under threat and that the ruling party and the government have been very uncomfortable with his stance.

The latest being the outburst and threats by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun in reaction to Chief Metuh’s criticisms of President Buhari’s widely criticized response on government’s disobedience of court orders, during the last Wednesday’s Presidential Media chat.

The Office of the National Publicity Secretary will keep the public updated on any development on the issue.

Fire On Buhari!

By Lauretta Onochie

Carol Ajie is a Lawyer. I am not. I am a Lecturer, Carol is not. I took one look at her petition against President Buhari and her call for the respected leader of the most populous black nation to resign and I thought, "Joker, who set her up?". But that's her opinion from the view point of a lawyer. But as a Lecturer, and a layman in law, I would try to teach Carol one or two lessons she missed or even educate her on how not to make herself a laughing stock.

One lesson Carol and all those lawyers who are selective in their "Fight for Justice", must learn first is that lawyers are well respected across the world and Nigeria is not an exception. However, it takes very little for Nigerians to caste anyone from the height of respectability to the abyss of ignominy and notoriety. If Carol was seeking fame and respect, allowing herself to be used by the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode and Oliseh Metuh has obviously done the opposite. She has drawn the ire of Nigerians. This is because many Nigerians can no longer see any line, not even a thin one, between IPOB and PDP.

Another lesson is that President Obama of the United States, although an illustrious son of Africa, is not the Prime Minister of Nigeria nor the General Overseer. Because Pres. Obama did not also register to vote in Nigeria,  President Buhari is not accountable to President Obama. Nigeria is a part of some world bodies like the United Nations but by and large,  Nigeria is a sovereign nation and not answerable to any other nation. President Buhari is not a subject of President Obama of the United States of America. I therefore do not see the need or the point of Carol addressing the nonsense she ignorantly penned to President Obama.

Looking into the Nigerian Lawbooks and the constitution of our land, Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi insists that the power to hear a petition against the President by the National Assembly is non existence. He went on to add that the National Assembly can however, institute impeachment proceedings where there's evidence of a gross misconduct, which till today no law has sufficiently defined what constitutes a "gross misconduct". I believe Carol is aware of this or she is just being mischievous.

Coming to the uninformed and frivolous allegations of meddlesomeness in the judiciary by president Buhari, it's very clear that Carol, does not have a firm grasp of what the laws say in Nigeria. So far, our president has respected the boundaries between the executive and the judiciary. That's what democracy demands. This too has been lost on Carol. But who can blame her? When one decides to go into partnership with embittered PDP remnants such as Chief Oliseh Metuh and FFK, they hit at the air and swallow a combination of shame and disgrace.

If Carol followed the trend on the Nnamdi Kanu or of the Dasukigate as it unfolded or did her homework as all professionals do, she should have discovered or at least guessed that there are litany of charges lurking in the background and waiting to be hurled at Nnamdi Kanu or Col Sambo Dasuki and his ilk as they try to use injunctions and bail applications to pervert the cause of justice. Agreed that the courts have a right to issue injunctions and to grant bails. The anti corruption agencies also have to be clever and on their feet. They have the right to bring new charges against any accused person, as long as they can prove their case.

Nnamdi Kanu was facing charges at the magistrate Court for which he was discharged on the application for the withdrawal of charges made by the DSS. The reason being that a higher charge of treason has now been filed against Kanu at a High court. We are not aware that Kanu applied for bail, yet! How Carol arrived at the conclusion that President Buhari was disobeying court orders for not supporting the release of some people who are facing grave criminal charges, is beyond Nigerians.

Nigerians on the Social Media and everywhere were outraged that Carol was making a case for corruption and insurgency, two issues that have weighed heavily on the minds of President Buhari and millions of Nigerians. Issues that contributed to institutionalising poverty in our nation. Issues that dislocated families and made numerous people refugees in their own nation. Issues that have sent multitudes to their early graves. Issues that ex President Jonathan neglected to confront but which President Buhari is courageously and bravely confronting.

It's common knowledge that our criminal justice system need a facelift in terms of reforms. We all agree that our courts need judges who can exercise their discretion more in the interest of the Nigerian people as a nation. Aliyu Abdullahi, a lawyer, thinks it's high time Nigeria revisits it's laws on corruption, the trial procedure and that penalty should be all encompassing and severe to have the intended deterrence effect. That's how a lawyer thinks. That's what Carol should be focusing on. To lend her name as an advocate of corruption to the point of asking President Buhari to resign, is the deepest pit one can dive into and I doubt there's a ladder long enough to help one climb out.

Nigerians are delighted with President Buhari's work of rebuilding our nation from the ruins of corruption. Corruption enabled our elected and appointed political office holders who looted the funds we gave them in trust to keep us under. They are unhappy that the love affair between President Buhari and ordinary Nigerians is waxing stronger and that he is determined to keep acting and protecting the interests of the ordinary Nigerian people. We are delighted that he would nip insurgency in the bud by keeping us safe from security threats, be they from Zaria, Biafra or elsewhere. For the sake of ordinary Nigerians who suffer most the effects of corruption and insecurity we say, "#FireOnBuhari".

@Laurestar laurestar@aol.co.uk

Ebonyi Workers To Receive Salaries 15th January

In keeping with his promise to accord priority to the welfare of workers, the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, has assured workers that their January salaries would be paid on the 15^th.  

Umahi gave the assurance in his country home, Uburu when the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress paid him New Year homage.
         

The Governor, who noted that he had to step down every project last December to give junior workers 100% extra salary and 50% to  senior workers,  said “in the next 13 days  workers will receive salary for January.”       
           

He stated that the initial misunderstanding he had with the organized labour in the state “was brought by God himself because it made us to be on our toes.”

Umahi attributed the success so far recorded by his administration to God’s instruction, and promised workers of better welfare this New Year.

“There is no how we will implement an N101bn budget without the lives of workers changing, absolutely, no how,” he stressed.     
         

The Governor maintained his commitment to implementing the 2016
budget   100%, and assured that his fight against corruption in the state was total.      

        

Umahi told the leadership of the organized labour that after the festive period, “we will try to organize properly and move together as a people.”      

He added, “I won’t forget your labour of love; I won’t forget your commitment and I won’t forget all the struggles. We do remember.”
         

Earlier, in his remark, the Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, said the delegation came to identify with the governor in this season of the Yuletide.    
         

Nwafor said, “Labour cannot afford to celebrate this Christmas and New Year without coming to identify with this government and to pray that this year will be a better year for the government and workers of Ebonyi State.”        
            

Meanwhile, Umahi has appealed to the people of Ohaozara Local Government Area to unite to attain greater heights this year.        
           

Speaking when the stakeholders of Okposi Okwu and Mgbom Okposi autonomous communities visited him, the governor regretted that the seed of disunity caused   by some disgruntled politicians had robbed the area of meaningful progress.

Umahi informed the stakeholders that the street light project of the state government would be extended to Okposi   while the Okposi-Ugwulangwu- Ukawu road would be constructed.   
           

He stressed the intention of his administration to develop the   salt deposits in the area into modern salt factories as soon as the necessary tests were carried out to ascertain their quantity and quality.

The governor   also announced that all issues relating to “Ezeship” of Okposi Okwu has been put on hold pending the burial of a former Minister of Education, the late Dr. Igwe Aja Nwachukwu.       
           

He warned the youth against cultism, stating that his administration would not fail to prosecute anyone found to be involved in activities that negated the peace of the area.           

Governor Umahi later took some time out to inspect the on-going construction of the Amasiri- Okposi-Uburu Road.

He directed the construction company (Conrock Nigeria Ltd…) to stop further work on the road, pending its deployment of four bulldozers, three graders, ten tipping trucks and four water tankers to the site.

The governor warned that if after 10 days the contractor failed to meet his directive, he would terminate the contract.  
           

Governor Umahi also inspected the failed “Akwa Etiti” bridge which links Amangwu Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area and Amasiri in Afikpo North LGA.

He   said that construction of another bridge   would commence in the next four
weeks to save the people of the area from being cut off totally from the rest of the world.

Media Trial, Mark Of Tyrannical Democracy

The attention of the Office of the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh has been drawn to a report on the Monday, January 4, 2016 edition of the Nation Newspapers, suggesting that the National Publicity Secretary is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This office wishes to state categorically that the EFCC has never invited the National Publicity Secretary nor questioned him on any matter whatsoever since its inception.

If indeed, the report is from the EFCC, then they should note that only in a period of tyranny are people investigated on the pages of the newspapers as a prelude for abuse and violation of their freedom and rights under the law.

It is instructive to observe that a mere media campaign of calumny does not in anyway whatsoever translate to any evidence of guilt. It is rather an evidence of infringement on the rights of the citizenry and manifestation of the reign of tyranny.

In a democratic and civilized country, where there are issues that require investigations by such agencies, invitations are duly extended. However, to read daily of people being investigated in select newspapers betrays plots to portray them as guilty of fraud and crime, and targeted to convey the PDP as a corrupt party and the APC as party of Nigerians without sin.

If we now have a system where citizens get to be investigated, tried and executed by planting stories in select newspapers, wherein then lies the need for our judicial process?

Finally, we do hope that all concerned will be guided by due process at all times.

Signed:

Richard Ihediwa

Special Assistant To PDP National Publicity Secretary