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Presidency backs Christian Senate president, Betara, Gagdi step down

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The Presidency on Sunday explained its decision to back a Christian as a Senate President.

It explained that Nigeria could not afford to have a Muslim as a Senate President at this time having produced Muslims as President and the Vice-President.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who said these at a dinner with lawmakers across party lines in Abuja on Saturday night, noted that the party came up with the consensus ticket of Senator GodsWill Akpabio as Senate President and Jibrin Barau as Deputy in the interest of the stability of the country.

Shettima said this as two aspirants for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aliyu Betara and Yusuf Gagdi, were reported to have stepped down.

Explaining the position of President Bola Tinubu, the Vice-President said Nigeria could not afford to have a Muslim as a Senate President since both the President and VP are Muslims, stressing that the President of the Senate should be a Christian.

It would be recalled that there was uproar over the same faith presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress which featured Tinubu and Shettima in the run-up to the February 25 presidential poll.

Having won the election, parliamentarians and other stakeholders had been clamouring for the balance of power and inclusivity, insisting that a Christian must be included in the nation’s top power hierarchy.

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In response to this, the APC’s National Working Committee zoned the Senate President to the South-South and nominated Akpabio, a Christian, as the preferred candidate and Senator Jibrin Barau from North-West for Deputy Senate President.

Similarly, the party nominated Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for Speaker; and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) for Deputy Speaker.

However, some aspirants for the Senate Presidency and the Speaker have continued to insist on contesting for the positions in open defiance of the zoning arrangement announced by the ruling party in early May.

The recalcitrant contestants, including Senators Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Orji Kalu ( Abia North) and Osita Izunaso ( Imo West), and Sani Musa from Niger State, said they would not step down for the party’s consensus aspirants for the two senate leadership positions.

But validating the zoning arrangement at the dinner, the Vice President attributed the APC’s decision to President Tinubu’s administration’s desire to foster inclusivity in the interest of the nation.

Senator Shettima said, “Here we are with a Muslim president and a Muslim vice president in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious polity like ours. I was a child of circumstance.

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“Equity, justice, and fairness demand that the number three citizen of this country should be of the Christian faith. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. But most importantly, we should make deliberate efforts to take inclusivity in governance.”

Shettima further appealed to the lawmakers to consider the interest of the country above that of their pockets.

He said, “This is a young nation where every community will like to have fair representation on the dinner table of their kinsmen.

“Politics is about perception, politics is about optics. I want to appeal to you, I want to appeal to your conscience. There is stability and inclusivity and togetherness in this nation that supersedes the depth of our pockets, stability of our pockets.

“Under the current dispensation, the worst, the most incompetent southern Christian is better than the most puritanical northern Muslim for the presidency of the Senate. We are talking about the sustainability of the nation; the nation is at a crossroads.”

The Vice President submitted that some parts of the country felt excluded from the previous administration as the president, senate president, speaker and others were of the Muslim faith, adding it would be wrong to have a repeat of such a situation in the current government.

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He said, “Number one, two, three, four, and five all from the same faith for God’s sake, we can’t do that. I am ready to kneel and beg my colleagues in the Senate for the sake of the nation. This is for the survival of this nation. I am even going to talk to a senator tonight just for the sake of this nation.”

The consensus candidate of the party, Senator Akpabio noted that the lawmakers were willing to work for the stability of the country.

Akpabio said, “Vice President, sir, we have committed ourselves to your administration alongside President Bola Tinubu to ensure the stability of Nigeria.”

In his comment, Senator Barau reiterated the president’s commitment to the progress, unity, and stability of the country.

He assured that the 10th Assembly would commit itself to the values of unity and peaceful co-existence of the nation.

The Director-General of the Stability group, Senator Ali Ndume, noted that the group was assured of votes from 80 lawmakers but currently has assurance from 73 senators.

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I’ll not govern Rivers on my knees, says Fubara

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Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says he will not govern the state from a position of subservience or weakness.

Fubara made the remarks on Saturday, during a condolence visit to the Ubima, Ikwerre LGA country home of Celestine Omehia, a former governor of the state.

 

Omehia was laying Cecilia Omehia, his mother, to rest.

 

“I have come here with very few respected elders of the state, to come and support you and say to you that we sorrow with you,” Fubara said.

 

“The most important thing is to show our concern and love. Any human being who shows enmity to death, that person is not even normal.

“We also rejoice with you for a life lived well to fulfilment by Mama. We wish Mama a safe journey. Let her stay well where she has gone.”

 

He said politics of bitterness will impede the development of the state and that “it is only in unity that we can move our state forward”.

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“Anybody who claims to love this state should not be party to anything, directly or indirectly that will bring us backwards. We will continue to support every course that will advance the interests of our dear Rivers state,” he added.

“And I am happy to say, and I’ve said it over and again, it doesn’t matter the number of people that are standing with me, I will stand on that side of truth.

“I will not, I repeat, I will not govern our dear state on my knees. If that was the purpose, I will not do that.”

 

Fubara has been locked in a battle for the control of the political structure of Rivers with Nyesom Wike, his predecessor and minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

 

The governor recently redeployed some members of his cabinet who are loyal to Wike.

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Good Morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers This Beautiful Sunday: Benin Traditional Council suspends five chiefs for visiting Ooni

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1. Five officials in the Benin Kingdom have been suspended for allegedly engaging in sacrilegious conduct against Benin custom. The Benin Traditional Council, BTC, said their suspension was because they visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, where they “falsely” claimed to be emissaries of the Oba of Benin and rendered inaccurate account of the connection between the Benin Royal Dynasty and the Ooni-ship of Ife.

 

2. The executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has appointed Michael Nzekwe as his chief of staff. He also appointed zonal directors for each of the 14 zonal commands of the commission.

 

3. One person died on Saturday when a gas tanker explosion occurred after an accident at Ita Oshin area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State. Chief Route Commander and Education Officer for Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Florence Okpe, who confirmed the incident, on behalf of the sector commander, Anthony Uga, said the accident occurred at about 4:16 pm.

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4. The Naira yesterday recovered against the US dollar at the parallel market as it appreciated to N1280/$, according to market information obtained by Nairametrics from currency traders. This implied that the Naira appreciated by N120, representing a gain of 8.57 per cent when compared to the N1,400 to a dollar at which it traded on Friday.

 

5. Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has said there is a fierce fight to destroy the state. He said this at the country home of Sir Celestine Omehia in Ubima community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers, on Saturday.

 

6. A resident of Osogbo, simply identified as Seun and the motorcyclist conveying her have been crushed to death in a road accident that occurred in Osogbo, Osun State. Seun was said to be a fashion designer and was also working with a real estate firm. It was gathered that the accident occurred Friday evening around OgoOluwa Area of Osogbo.

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7. The All Progressives Congress has demanded the cancellation of the just conducted local government election in Oyo State. The party claimed that the election was a “sham”, warning that if allowed to proceed, it may damage the state’s reputation.

8. The retired Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye has recounted how he fought the dreaded Niger Delta militants, the Book Haram terrorists in the North East and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, insurgents in the South East and survived all of them without a scar. Speaking during his pullout ceremony at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, Adeoye said it was the grace of God that saved him during the dangerous moments.

 

9. Tragedy struck in Rivers State on Friday night when fire from a fuel-laden tanker consumed four persons and about 100 vehicles at the Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State. It was learnt that the tanker collided with another vehicle, exploded and burst into flames that spread to other tankers and many other vehicles trapped in the gridlock.

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10. The Anambra State Police Command has arrested 16 notorious cultists and declared 21 others wanted. In a statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in Awka on Saturday, the feat was achieved following intensified efforts to end the resurgence of cult-related killings in Awka, the state capital.

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Shake-up in EFCC as Olukoyede appoints chief of staff, 14 directors

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Ola Olukoyede, chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has appointed Michael Nzekwe as his chief of staff.

 

As part of a restructuring drive, Olukoyede upgraded all the zonal commands of the EFCC to departments and appointed 14 new directors.

 

A statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the security unit of the agency has been upgraded to a department with a chief security officer at the helm.

 

“To this effect, 14 new directors have been appointed to head each of the zonal commands,” Oyewale said.

 

Additionally, to bolster and fortify the security architecture of the commission, the security unit of the EFCC has been upgraded to a department with a seasoned officer appointed as director, security and chief security officer.

 

“A new department has also been created in the executive chairman’s office and it is headed by former Makurdi zonal commander of the EFCC, Mr. Friday Ebelo who also doubles as director and coordinator, special duties at the corporate headquarters of the commission.”

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Nzekwe was the commander of the Ilorin zonal command and a course one officer.

 

Nzekwe, a lawyer and an investigator, has served in various departments in the anti-graft agency — including legal and prosecution, operations (now department of investigations), internal affairs (now department of ethics and integrity), Servicom, and asset forfeiture.

The new chief of staff has attended trainings and courses at home and abroad, including the Advance Defence Intelligence Officers Course organised by Defence Intel Agency (DIA).

 

 

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