APC working to resolve crisis – Odigie-Oyegun

National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has assured that the party is working round the clock to resolve the crisis that has rocked it in recent times, in order to pave the way for the party to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians.
 
”The party has reached out to all interested parties, and when the National Assembly resumes next week, Nigerians will see one harmonious, happy APC family,” Odigie-Oyegun said in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday.
 
”We owe it to our party, our teeming members and supporters and indeed all Nigerians who reposed so much confidence in us by voting us into office to quickly put the unfortunate incidents of the recent past behind us and forge ahead,” he said.
 
In the meantime, the APC Chairman has risen to the defence of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is being vilified in his home state of Kwara for signing the statement conveying the party’s reaction to the election of the National Assembly leadership on June 9th.
 
Odigie-Oyegun said Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s statement was issued with the knowledge and consent of the party, hence it would be wrong for anyone to make him a sacrificial lamb for carrying out his party responsibilities.
 
”The party is aware that its National Publicity Secretary has been grossly misunderstood by virtually everyone, especially in his state, just because he carried out his duty by signing the said statement by the party.
 
”At a personal risk and putting the party’s interest above his own, he issued that statement which reflected the position of the party at that particular time. The party is solidly behind him, and it will be wrong for anyone to interpret the statement as representing his personal opinion,” the APC Chairman said.

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Chad arrests foreigners following Boko Haram attacks

Chadian Prime Minister, Kalzeube Deubet, on Friday, said that following the recent Boko Haram attack in two suicide blasts in the capital, N’Djamena, which killed 37 people, government would commence rounding up of foreigners in that country.

The premier did not give details on whom the raids would target and where.

He said those detained would be placed at centres in Baga Sola on the shores of Lake Chad.

Deubet said the North-Central African country wanted to get rid of terrorists “once and for all.”

He said Chadian government had earlier announced other security measures, such as bans on the burqa, an article of clothing that covers the entire body, and on public gatherings.

Former Rivers commissioner whose SUV was taken by new govt releases statement

Former Rivers commissioner whose SUV was taken by new govt releases statement

esterday June 18th, the SUV belonging to one of former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi's commissioners, Ibim Semenitari was taken by the new Rivers state govt who sent police to her house to recover the car. (Read story here). Mrs Ibim has released a statement on the matter. Read below..

On Thursday June 18, 2015, over 10 policemen armed with machine guns and in two trucks - One Ford Transit and One Hilux arrived my residence, No 12 A Ernest Ikoli Street, Old G.R.A Port Harcourt. Without either a search warrant, letter or precious information, they forced their way into my premises. 

 My security guard on duty requested to know their mission and who sent them. They refused to disclose either, but went round taking photographs and videoing my premises. The security guard got in touch with my assistant who spoke with the men, explaining to them that I was out of town and again requested to know their mission and purpose. Again they declined insisting on seeing me first. She then got in touch with me by phone as we were uncertain as to the identity of the policemen in question.

Upon further investigation and after about 3 hours of them laying siege on my premise, I was told that they were from Rivers State Government House and had been sent to recover vehicles in my possession. They attempted to break into a Range Rover Jeep belonging to my Husband and bought long before I was made Commissioner in Rivers State Government, damaging the front door. The vehicle in question contrary to the lies being paraded is not an armoured vehicle and has never at any point belonged to the Rivers State Government nor its agents including myself as Commissioner of Information.

By the time I finally made contact with them and expressed my displeasure, they insisted that they would take away a Lexus jeep duly allocated to me as Commissioner of Information and which by law I am entitled to leave with upon leaving office.

The monetization policy of the government allows public officers to leave government with their official vehicles as this is in lieu of vehicle, allowance, transport and other allowances, which they cannot draw because of the monetization policy of 2002. Mr. Nyesom Wike served as Chief of Staff, and upon departure left with all the vehicles he used as Chief of Staff. This has been the practice since this democratic dispensation when President Olusegun Obassanjo instituted the monetisation policy.

Having served as Commissioner for two tenures, I am entitled to my status cars and have proof of allocation. While I understand that Mr. Wike feels a dire need to destroy the reputation of Governor Amaechi and all those worked with him, it is unacceptable that he will engage in brigandage, thuggery and underhand tactics to do so. A simple letter from any government official requesting me to make a submission or tender documentation would have been the appropriate way to go and I would have willingly tendered all the relevant documents to them.

Breaking into my home, invading my privacy, damaging my property and removing property from my premises is inappropriate and illegal.

I have chosen however to put out these details in the public space as it is apparent that for some persons only a destruction of my hard earned reputation would do and this I would not accept. My records in the Ministry of Information are crystal clear I hope that Mr. Nyesom Wike is able to say same about his tenure in every office he has held.

Forcing their home into my home unlawfully isn’t the appropriate way for any government that claims legitimacy to behave.

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APC, federal lawmakers in fresh face-off

ABUJA—A sequel to the still unsettled crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, arising from last week’s National Assembly leadership contest, another crisis may be in the offing as lawmakers take up battle with national officers of the party over the appointment of principal officers of the legislature.

Ahead of next week’s resumption of the Senate and the House, informed sources disclosed pressures from the party to be given the privilege to appoint principal officers of the two chambers and some key committee positions.

The development, it was learnt, had again reignited supporters of Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara who last week outfoxed the party’s leaders to emerge Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Senators peeved by the pressure were, yesterday evening, enclosed in a meeting in one of Abuja’s five-star hotels on how to resist the pressure.

APC Joint Leadership Meeting: From left, National Publicity Secretary of APC Alh. Mohammed Lai, National Chairman John Oyegun, National Auditor Chief Morgan, Senatorial Candidate of APC, Hon Dino Melayi and APC Presidential Campaign Organization and River State Governor Rotimi Amechi discussing during APC Joint Leadership Meeting held in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

House members equally agitated by the pressure were also threatening to flout the party’s directive.

High-level sources in the Senate and the House disclosed, yesterday, that informal contacts have been made with the new leaderships as part of the process of restoring amity between the party and the leadership following the ‘rebellion’ that enthroned Saraki and Dogara last week.

The sources, who were seething over the development, said that it was another attempt by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to diminish the power of the Senate President and the Speaker.

Against the procedure of parties zoning the principal offices in the two chambers and allowing the party caucuses to produce the officers, the APC leadership, it was learnt, was now putting pressure on influential members of the House close to the Senate President and Speaker Dogara to allow the party to appoint the officials.

Compounding the fury of the legislators is the alleged plan by the party leadership to also appoint loyal officers into key committee positions.

The four principal offices to be filled by the APC in the Senate and the House of Representatives are Senate/House Leader, Deputy Senate/House Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip.

What obtained in the past

The procedure in the past was for the party to zone the offices to the geopolitical zones and for the party members from the zones to elect from among themselves the persons to fill the positions given them.

Given that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are from the Northeast and the Southwest, it is expected that the Northwest, Southeast, North-Central and South-South would produce the remaining key principal officers in the House.

In the Senate, given that the Senate President and his deputy are from the North-Central and the South-east, it is expected that the remaining principal officers would come from the North-west, North-east, South-west, and South-South.

What the party wants

“The party wants to appoint principal officers for us and this is going to be part two of the crisis and it is unheard of for the party to tell members who will be their principal officers,” a returning member of the House who was pivotal to the rebellion that saw Dogara emerge as speaker told Vanguard yesterday evening.

“We will resist it especially because the caucuses have a role to play in the election of their officers,” the member said on the condition of anonymity.

Another high level source in the House saw the party’s interest in the appointment of members into key committees as an attempt to undermine the speaker and his deputy who have the leverage in appointing committee officials.

Traditionally, the Senate President and Speaker have used the privilege of appointing committee chairmanships as a leverage in mustering support with appointments into juicy committees going to the speaker’s power base.

One associate of the speaker said yesterday that the move was apparently being made to ridicule the speaker and degrade his privilege in the 8th House and open the legislative chamber to further crisis.

Meanwhile, it was learnt, yesterday, that the issue was already causing a division in the NWC of APC as some members were opposed to the party’s efforts alleging that having burnt its fingers in the election of presiding officers, the party should restrain itself this time.

A ranking senator who traced the problem to the determination of a clique around a prominent national leader of the party said yesterday:

“Some of us were just called by some members of the NWC, intimating us of details of a letter forwarded to the body that it should just fill the remaining four leadership positions in the Senate.

Senators fight back

Ranking Senators are, however, fighting back and there are strong indications in the APC Senate caucus that some Senators have already met with some NWC members familiar with the parliamentary tradition and rules and have impressed it on them to “ignore the letter.”

The ranking senator from North West continued, “It’s not done. The tradition is that zonal caucuses which did not produce the Senate President and deputy would meet, nominate among themselves and then, if there is more than one nomination, there would be an election and whoever has the highest votes for the particular office would be the candidate.

“Thereafter, after the positions have been filled, the caucus would now write the party on the preferred candidates. There are so many factors to be considered in choosing Senators that would be in leadership. It is not the duty of the party in this case.”

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Critics say ICC’s focus on African leaders inappropriate

Critics of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) actions in Africa are of the view that ICC may have been set up only to tackle Africa, asserting that the actions of the agency appear unfair to the African continent, adding that the ICC is discriminating in its selection practices.

Saturday Vanguard’s investigations into the issue revealed that the agency may have been acting under bias condition, otherwise, why should a good number of notable critics accuse the ICC of acting immorally by discriminating against Africa and Africans in deciding which situations or not to investigate and prosecute.

African Heads of State at the AU summit in South Africa

Furthermore, this large numbers decisions provide a seemingly sufficient argument why all situations and cases under investigation or prosecution by the ICC are basically in Africa, while many others argue that the ICC’s work has interfered with efforts to realising peace in the African continent.

According to report, since the establishment of ICC in 2002, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the ICC has investigated about 8 situations involving alleged violations of international criminal law.

It disclosed that each of these investigations relate to situation in Africa and often dissatisfying.

In addition, report stated that the OTP has received information on alleged abuses in other parts of the world, such as Iraq, Venezuela, Palestine, Colombia, and Afghanistan, and has decided not to open investigations into those situations or has kept them under preliminary examination.

Similarly, critics note that the OTP has yet to open an investigation into crimes allegedly committed in a territory or by nationals of States that are wealthy and powerful and argue that the failure to do so has contributed to dampening support for the ICC from African countries, as they give the impression that the agency is partisan.

Many wondered reasons OTP have opened investigations only in Africa, even as many situations of concern simply do not fall within the ICC’s jurisdiction.

In other words, many are of the view that the ICC actions appear inappropriately unfair to Africa, otherwise, it should provide sound reasons and justification for why all of the situations currently under investigation or prosecution happen to be in Africa.

Although the agency’s investigations into African situations were opened at the request or with the support of African states and or self-referred, critics still maintained the agency is biased in its actions.

Most recently, Mali referred to the ICC the crimes occurring on its own territory and this was supported by ECOWAS.

True talk that Africa does not want to uphold atrocities, but the situations involving African countries investigations by ICC’s OTP may have gingered the drama involving Sudanese President Omar al Bashir’s arrest warrant.

Observation

Bashir, who came to power in 1989, became the first sitting president to be indicted by the ICC.

The court issued an arrest warrant for him on March 4, 2009, for war crimes committed during the civil war in Darfur before the referendum that divided Sudan and South Sudan.

Bashir was attending African Union talks in South Africa when a local court issued an interim order stopping him from leaving the country until it hears application for his arrest.

He is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.

He reportedly defied the court order and left South Africa despite two pending warrants from the international criminal court for his arrest, following which a high court in Johannesburg mandated the South African government to file an affidavit explaining how president Bashir left the country.

His action raised ripples, leaving many accusing the South African government of defying a court order and violating its own constitution and others portraying the ICC as an instrument of Western imperialism.

Notably, President Bashir was in South Africa at the invitation of the AU, which does not have sanctions over him and arresting him would amount to weakening and dividing the AU.

In other words, arresting him would have simply implied that African Heads of state and governments are unable, and or unwilling to protect the AU when necessary.

And by comparison, the US government does not arrest foreign Heads of State and Government, even when it has sanctions over them when they attend the UN General Assembly.

For a fact, such action, without doubt, is capable of weakening and eventually destroying the UN where they do so.

Meanwhile many have condemned Botswana government for saying that Bashir should be arrested and handed over to the ICC, asking why the ICC is unfairly targeting black presidents and no one has been arrested for war crimes in Iraq and so on.

Those familiar with the situation on ground posited that Africa’s hatred for the West may be deepening by the day, hence the decision to allow Sudanese president accused of war crimes to ignore the ICC arrest warrant.

Bashir had travelled to South Africa for an African Union summit chaired by Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, who has urged African leaders to pull out of the ICC.

African states accuse the court, which is based in The Hague, of only targeting political leaders on their continent and failing to bring those responsible for war crimes in the Middle East and elsewhere to justice.

However, the Sudanese officials reportedly stated that the court order had no value because Bashir was invited by the South African government, saying that claim that the South African government has shamefully flouted ICC and domestic court to free man wanted for mass murder of Africans, is inconsequential.

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Seyi Shay grabs 2 nominations at MAMAs 2015

Top Nigerian singer, Seyi Shay has bagged two nominations at the forthcoming MAMAs 2015 which is billed to take place in South Africa next month. The “Jangolover” crooner has been nominated in two major categories as the “Best Female” and the “Video of the Year” for her single with Wizkid “Crazy”.

Seyi

Seyi Shay receives global and continental recognition as she makes headway in African music’s biggest night for the first time with nominations in two major categories. She also gets to rub shoulders with the biggest names in African music like Wizkid, Davido, Diamond Platnumz, Mi Casa, Sauti Soul and Uhuru as all will be in attendance hoping to pick up a win in their different categories.

Seyi Shay has been pitched against Davido, Riki Rick, Bebe Cool and Prime Circle for the video of the year award and she’ll be tussling head on with Yemi Alade, Bucie, Vanessa Mdee and Busiswa for the Best Female award. After the nominations were made public, the excited Seyi Shay took to social media network to express her appreciation to her numerous fans.

Hear her, “I thank the almighty God for this platform to express my talents. I also thank you my fans and friends for your support and your belief. I could not do this without you and I can’t win without you. Let’s make Africa proud! I need your votes! I won’t let you down”

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Afrocandy slams Nicki Minaj for copying her style

US-based Nollywood actress Judith Mazagwu, popularly known as Afrocandy, has an attitude, so is American singer, Nicki Minaj. One common thing to both of them is that neither gives a hoot about how she is seen in public. Both have the knack of leaving their admirers speechless in their choice of style which, more often, is subject of sensual commotion.

Nicki-Minaj

Afrocandy

Though their paths never crossed, it would seem Afrocandy has gone out of her way to ram into the singer when she accused her of copying her dress style.  According to her, she had an outfit for a while but because of weight, she had to wait a bit to shed some pounds only for her to see Minaj  in that same dress.

“I’ve had this outfit for a while but was waiting to lose weight before I could wear it, then I saw Nicki Minaj wearing a similar outfit.

I said to myself, mmmmh; this person is copying my style. So yesterday, a fan called me. I was complaining about my weight and tummy, he told me not to worry that my fans love me the way I am with the big stomach.

That gave me a lot of confidence even though I hear it all the time. I guess I am gonna stop worrying and flaunt myself the way I am. This is how I am rolling out today, I am bringing sexy look back!”, she wrote on her social handle.

Nicki, who isn’t probably aware of Afrocandy’s outburst, hasn’t responded but many have slammed Afrocandy for craving cheap publicity. See if there is anything close in the dress styles

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