APGA: My vision's to better lives of my constituents Ezemmuo

An All Progressives Grand Alliance Hopeful and businessman, under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Christian Abuchi Ezemmuo from Mmunuchi, has picked his nomination form to vye for the seat of member representing Aguata Local Government Area at the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Ezemmuo, who made his declaration known to newsmen after picking his nomination form at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, said his desire is solidly built on impactin the lives of the people in positive ways. 

Citing some of the major areas of his policies if elected, he said part of his programmes would include the provision of portable water for the communities in his constituency, as well as good roads.

He also made comments about awarding scholarship to students in the constituency to enable them further and complete their education, emphasising that enhancing the products of the sector in the area would foster more growth and development.

While lamenting over the plights of the youths and elderly persons in the constituency, the APGA HoA hopeful, promised to give them new lease of life to the people through various mapped out plans and policies, which will give new phase to the standards of livelihood of the people.

According to him, "My vision is to better the lives of my constituents through my policies, which I believe will affect their lives positively.

"I have as a businessman, trained many apprentices and empowered so many elderly people from within and outside my community and that is why it has become necessary to come to the service of my people through a platform that can get across all quotas.

"I promise to drill boreholes, empower the youths, widows, disabled and the elderly people in my constituency because I have already noticed the degree of their sufferings as a man who relates with the grassroot," he said.

He reiterated that part of the reason for the underdevelopment in the constituency could be hugely blamed on limitation of the youths in the communities from political engagements but gave the assurance that his representation will create enabling ground for the inclusiveness of young people.

"As a youth, I have noticed that most young people are not being carried along within the decision making in my constituency and are therefore, left behind from the political process which I have to change the narrative as soon as I'm given the mandate.

Ezemmuo further maintained that he has been and will continue to remain and contest elections under the platform of APGA, adding that,"It is the largest and most preferred party that I know and wish to continue participating in it because it's the winning team.

The APGA hopeful has been a philanthropist, who has affected many lives through his multiple business chain as a dealer of building materials and the transport industry.

2023: We are demanding for 45percent women representation - Otunba Odunowo

In the coming months Nigerians will be going to the polls for the 2023 general elections and the clamour for increased women representation continue to be one of the burning issues. National Chairman, the Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu Support group, AATSG, Otunba Abayomi Odunowo in a chat with our correspondent Ere-ebi Agedah says that more than anything the country should be fair to women among other issues. 

Why Tinubu 

We have had many candidates that have contested presidential elections in Nigeria and this is a different kind of candidate because he is a man of promise and he has done a template that no other Nigerian has been able to match and he is a human capital developer, he is the most destabilised Nigerian who single handily bridged the gap between the south and the north when the merged with CAN, CPC and some other political parties. He came on board with 7 governors while the others came with 1 each. Even at that he conceded the presidency to some one else he is a leader of leaders. I believe that at this point in time in the history of Nigeria we need someone like him that will retune, refocus, redirect and harness all the opportunities therein our country.

Dream for Nigeria

The dream for Nigeria is clear, we want a better county that rewards hard work, a country that is secure, that will provide job opportunities for people who do not know anyone, it should be a meritorious society and these dreams can be achieved under the leadership of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu 

On the issue of insecurity is a very dauting issues because the current government has done a lot but it seems like nothing has been done and it appears to be escalating. What I believe will happen is engagement with all the communities that have security challenges so that they can proofer solution. Tinubu alone cannot solve all the problems in Nigeria but he will engage so that solutions can be proffered an implemented in a timely manner. 

For women participation in politics, we are requesting for the support of all women in Nigeria to demand for 45 percent of women representation. Come 2023, we at AASG are requesting that the political parties must have female vice presidents and they must produce at least 20percent female governors and deputy governors in 2023 it is an issue that we cannot compromise with, the country should be fair to women.

What is the idealogy of the AATSG.

We have the mandate to mobilise 50 million voters for AAT during the election and in other to achieve this we have created structures across the 37 states, 774LGS, 2600 wards and 45,000 pooling units. The objective is simple, a lot of people do not know much about the man Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, there has been a lot of conflicting issues, he left office over 20 years ago and his template is still in use. If someone has achieved such feet, I believe the right thing to do is to allow him come and put a template for Nigeria. There is so much complains going on in the country despite the fact that Nigeria is the most blessed country that I know, there is no place like Nigeria, the culture, the people everything about Nigeria is perfect all we need is a more purposeful leadership. Am not saying other leader have not done well, they have done their best but right now Nigeria needs more and that person is Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

The group is not a one-off group for election we will constantly engage with the government to ensure that all the promises made is met and when the government is not doing well, we call the governments attention to it, we will provide a steady flow of information to those in government which presently many of them are lacking, people around government always tell them what they want to hear so will ensure that government gets the raw information and we also see to its implementation. There is a present disconnect between the APC and the people and we hope to galvanise and cement the relationship. 

With of the clamour from young people for young leadership

Age has nothing to do with performance, AAT is one person and in other for him to run an effective government he needs 90 senators, 360,000 House of Reps members, about 37 Senators, about 37 ministers, over 200 parastatals 

The youths should embrace leaning to understand the way it is. Governance is not as easy as people perceive it to you, when one is in office you begin to understand the seriousness of the job, the responsibility of the job and all. With the antecedence of Tinubu he loves to empower youths once the youth has capacity and if you look at the team he has built over the years, I have not seen anyone who has built such a team who does not believe in religion but performance.  I have also seen him proofer solutions to issues that others where not thinking about.  

A case of when he was in government as a governor at that point in time, he decided to provide power in Lagos state and the federal government shut it down, the F.G refused to give him his monthly allocation for 3years nobody in Lagos knew that a thing like that had happened. He brought the revenue of Lagos from 300million to 46billion. Lagos is there to show his good works. It all has to do with some one that thinks and has a strategy and eye for identifying talents and purposeful leaders, see the retina of powerful leaders from his political tutelage.

Throw light on the organisations mobile App

Because information determination is the key part of engaging the youths in the narratives we in AATSG, came to realise that we need to harness all the information flowing around in a purposeful delivery process which is why we are going to launch by the 1st of May the mobile App JAGABAN, it will follow all the campaign, all the information, all the promises in areas that can be referred to years after now and also create an avenue for people who have the app to engage their elected candidates, so that we can curb the case of after election you cannot reach out to them again. 

With the app you can constantly interact with your candidates. 

All we need is number enough to disseminate the information, if we can get from the start 10-15 million people to buy into the concept we are going somewhere.

PDP Stakeholders in Sagbama Endorse Senator Henry Seriake Dickson as Sole Candidate for 2023 Senatorial Election

...Raise N15 million For His Senatorial Nomination Form 

Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sagbama Local Government Area have endorsed the Senator representing Bayelsa West, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson as their sole Senatorial candidate for the 2023 Senatorial election.

The PDP leaders and elders also contributed over N15 million to back their choice of Senator Henry Seriake Dickson as the PDP sole candidate in the forth coming general elections.

The stakeholders were unanimous in their position that Senator Dickson had the capacity, the competence and the dexterity required to continue representation at the Senatorial District.

The leaders who described him as the untiring voice of the Ijaw nation said that Dickson must return to the Senate to continue his sterling legislative performance in the interest of Sagbama West, Bayelsa State, the Ijaw Nation and indeed the Niger Delta.

The Sagbama PDP Caucus leader, Hon. Fyneman Wilson said that, upon the outcome of the 2019 governorship elections which was apparently rigged and results falsified against the PDP, Senator Dickson took all necessary legal steps to upturn the fabricated outcome.

He said against all odds, Senator Dickson restored the PDP back to power as the ruling party in the state, regardless of the defection of PDP members to other parties. 

Elder Fyneman Wilson further said that, remarkably, Senator Dickson’s short period at the red chambers constitutes a water-shed in the legislative history of Bayelsa West Senatorial District. 

He noted that, he passionately and fearlessly articulates the views, interest and pains of Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Bayelsa State, the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta at large.

The Stakeholders and leaders of the party realised fifteen million naira (N15M) from free will donations at the event even as they await more funds from a bank account they opened for the purpose of funding some of the political activities of the Senator.

In attendance at the meeting were elders of the PDP in the Local Government Area led by the PDP Caucus Chairman for the Local Government, Hon. Elder Fyneman Wilson, Dr. O. O. Osusu, Dr. Ayakeme Whisky. 

Others present were the Chairman Sagbama Lga, Hon Embeleakpo P Alale, Deputy Leader, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Col. Hon Bernard Kenebai, (rtd), Hon Kemi Prefa, Hon. Okosikeme Emmanuel, Vice Chairman, Sagbama Lga.

Also present were Hon. (Dr) Godbless Nanatumieyeseigha Oyinke, State Assembly Member, Salga Constituency, Hon Salo Adikumo, State Assembly Member, Salga Constituency 3,

Hon. Sinkumo Ekisah, Commissioner - Special Projects, Hon (Dr) Churson Obosi, Commissioner, Special Duties Bayelsa West, Chief (Hon) Okubonanabo Victor - SUBEB Secretary, Hon (Dr.) Ayakeme Tonkiri, Hon Barr. Richard Perekeme, and Engr. Dio Wenapere.

Also at the event were Hon. Alade Agua, Hon. Oyinkuro Asanakpo, Chairman Bayelsa Volunteers, Hon Samuel Ebipade, Chairman, Bayelsa Petroleum Task Force, Hon  James Agari, Hon Salem, Hon koribokiri Yague, Hon Alice Tangi, Hon Keku Godpower.

The 14 ward councillors of the Council led by their leader, Rt. Hon Godday Ebikake Dickson, also graced the occasion.

This followed a similar move by prominent political leaders and stakeholders from Ekeremor Local Government Area who have made voluntary contribution of over N15 million to purchase the nomination of interest form for the Senator on March 23, 2022.

Sagbama and Ekeremor are the two local government areas making up the Bayelsa West Senatorial District.

The Ekeremor people were unanimous in their position that Senator Dickson has done so much in the two years he has spent in the Senate as a voice of the people of Bayelsa and the Ijaw Nation.

The meeting held under the Ekeremor Local Government Area PDP Stakeholders for Ofuruma Pepe 2023 Re-election Support Project and was organized under the leadership of the Deputy Speaker Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Chief Michael Ogbere, the Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area, Mr. Perekeme Bertola and others.

The meeting acknowledged Senator Henry Seriake Dickson for the various developmental projects established under him in the Local Government Area and Bayelsa state while he served as governor.

Bayelsa West: Person's Canvassing For Zoning Are Mischief Makers - Group

 

The leadership of the Bayelsa Youth Frontier has flayed purported leaders from Ekeremor Local Government Area who are insisting on zoning of political offices in the area.

The Secretary of the group, Mr. Hitler Moses and the Spokesperson, Mr. Depreye Boss said in a statement on Monday that those calling for zoning of the Senatorial seat are mischief makers who do not mean well for Bayelsa West, Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw Nation.

According to the group, the elders who held a meeting at the State Secretariat of the Peoples’ Democratic were only out “to sow discord in the senatorial district which everyone knows is the back bone of PDP in the state; create disaffection between the governor and Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, promote disharmony in the state and forever put Sagbama and Ekeremor people apart.

Moses said further that the so-called elders know without contestation there is clearly one candidate who can readily defeat the APC in the Senatorial district and that person remains Senator Dickson.

The youth leader said that it was rather shocking that those orchestrating the mischief know the rare exploits of Dickson in Ekeremor, Bayelsa West and indeed the state.

He also urged them to take a quick glance at their immediate past to note if they would not see the sustained assistance each of them got from Dickson.

He said that all men of good conscience who mean well for the Senatorial District should rise to condemn this cheap attempt to manipulate and blackmail the Governor.

“The communique on zoning was rejected by Ebebi. None of these so called leaders made efforts to stop him from violating it at the time. In fact, most of them including Martins Agbede who is the person engineering all of this, was in APC supporting Ebebi saying that there was no zoning at a time. Fred Agbedi was a candidate and was already in the House of Representatives.

“Recently, a respected leader and former Senator, who has seen it all, Senator J.K Brambaifa, released a copious analysis of the history of this controversy and concluded that there is no zoning arrangement. At best, it’s a proposal people always talked about but never implemented and we stand with Senator Brambaifa because he knows what he is talking about. We commend him and call on other elders to speak the truth like J.K Brambaifa did and not to confuse young people.

“Now if they are reasonable ijaw people and Ekeremor people, with the best interest of Ekeremor LGA, Bayelsa West and the best interest of the governor who they claim is their son, they should be leading a delegation of Ekeremor leaders to thank and appreciate Senator Dickson.

“Can they forget all he did for each and every one of them all these years, and  for the fight he had put up to install the governor who they now claim to be their son?

“Now to show how mischievous they are, the leader of the dissident group, Martin Agbede raised to support the governor, was in APC during all the elections, was the caucus chairman of David Lyon and the APC campaign team who never supported the governor, who has not been a stakeholder in PDP.” He said.

Moses challenged the Ekeremor elders who now claim to be the kinsmen of Governor Douye Diri, to tell Bayelsans who took Diri to Mr. Agbede’s house in Port Harcourt.

He said that it is indeed curious that an Elder Agbede and many of those who pitched tenth with David Lyon, Coordinating the political onslaught against Senator Diri are the ones out to blackmail him for selfish political pursuit.

“Today Senator Diri is governor so he is now their son but when he most needed them as their son, they were in APC busy coordinating the David Lyon campaign.” It was then Senator Dickson’s fight.

He stated further that several others in the group sabotaged Gov. Diri either surreptitiously or openly. 

He said “Now let's come to Fred Agbedu, who had been a longtime friend of the governor, who lived in the same house Senator Dickson gave to them in Abuja for 5 years while they were in the House of Reps.

“Fred Agbedi opposed Senator Dickson’s support for Diri, and contested an election he was not meant to have shown interest at all.

People expected him to be Happy that it was his friend that was endorsed by Dickson but because he wanted to create crisis, division and to spoil things, he went to contest and worked with the APC. 

“Today Fred Agbedi and others are now claiming to be Ekeremor leaders supporting the Governor. If the governor has any genuine supporter, which are very few, if the governor has any wise person around him, they should know that Fred Agbedi and his cohorts are setting a trap to create a crisis which will not benefit the governor and his image, his future expectations and ambition so these people should be avoided like a plague.

“They are a bundle of dissidents most of who have never supported the governor. Some among them like Martins Agbede were PDP leaders who decamped to APC since 2015.

Moses said that the genuine stakeholders across the communities of Bayelsa West, Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw Nation are with the versatile and articulate Senator Dickson because he has not finished his job in the red chambers. 

According to the youth leader, that explains why the stakeholders met a few days ago and voluntarily donated the sum of N10m with more are donating and endorsing him.

We also, hereby call on the leadership of the PDP at both state and national levels to ignore the noisy propaganda about zoning in Bayelsa West. Everyone in Bayelsa knows that none of those championing zoning can win any election in Bayelsa West. They agree that envy is only putting the PDP and Diri’s Prosperity government at risk.

Everybody in Bayelsa heard Chief Timipre Sylva on a live radio when he said that, APC is nonexistent in Bayelsa West due to the influence of one man and they were not expecting to win election there because everybody there is a Dickson person. The PDP is strongest in Bayelsa West.

Senator Dickson from 2015 has worked hard to keep Bayelsa state for the PDP and these characters who keep going back and forthj, decamping from one political party to another, are setting a trap for the PDP and Governor Diri. They are trying to jeopardize the safest Senatorial seat for PDP in Bayelsa.

We pray that the party sees through their antics as we know that they are still maintaining their network with their other allies.

Elder Martins Agbede and his co-travelers are the same people who said there was no zoning in Bayelsa West and supported the APC candidate in the Bye Election. They did not sign the communique in support of zoning and we wonder where all this new found love for zoning is coming from.

 

 

 

Ekeremor PDP Leaders, Stakeholders Raise N10m To Purchase Senatorial Nomination Form for Senator Dickson

••••Disclaim Purported Zoning

In a meeting with the Ekeremor Local Government PDP leaders and stakeholders led by the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Ogbere, and the chairman of the Local Government council Hon. Bertola Perekeme and hundreds of stakeholders and supporters, the stakeholders announced their resolution to buy the senatorial expression of interest and nomination forms for Senator Dickson. 

The Ekeremor PDP Stakeholders backed their resolution by raising the sum of N10 million on the spot from voluntary donations by the stakeholders present. 

The stakeholders said the donations were made in appreciation of the numerous good deeds and developmental projects Senator Dickson brought to the people and land of Ekeremor during his time as Governor. 

They also appreciated the fact that against all odds, Senator Dickson backed, supported and handed over to their son Governor Douye Diri who is maternally from Ekeremor LGA. 

The Stakeholders declared that they are in total support of Senator Dickson and are not ungrateful. They asked the public to dismiss mischief makers who are bent on dividing the party with propaganda on purported zoning which has never been implemented nor respected in the senatorial district at any time in their history. 

They declared that Senator Dickson has no other contenders in PDP or in any other political party as far as Bayelsa West Senatorial District is concerned. 

They also declared that the Bayelsa West Senatorial District Seat is the surest seat in Bayelsa state for the PDP and while the seat is for Bayelsa West, Senator Dickson does not speak only for Bayelsa West, or for Bayelsa state, but for the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta at large.

FG Flags Off NEXIT CBN Agric Business Investment Schemme For Over 460,000 Exited N-Power Beneficiaries

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has flagged off the much awaited NEXIT/CBN Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme for exited N-Power beneficiaries Batches A and B.

Out of the 467,183 trainees who indicated interest, 75,600 will participate in the first phase of the orientation programme expected to lead up to collection of loans of up to three million Naira from the Central Bank of Nigeria if they qualify.

At the flag off ceremony which took place on Monday at the Press Centre, Radio House Abuja, the Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s unwavering efforts in eradicating poverty in the country and for supporting and sustaining the National Social Investment Programmes.

She also congratulated the 467,183 trainees who indicated interest in the NEXIT CBN AGSMEIS programme from the 500,000 batches A and B exited beneficiaries. 

Umar Farouq noted  that this is the first  of several other phases that will take place in all the 36 states and the FCT.

“ It has been my desire that the exited batches A and B N-Power graduate beneficiaries will not be left unattended to. In different channels, I kept on assuring these teaming youths that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has worked very closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria to realize this dream.

“Today marks the beginning of the fulfilment of this awaited training that will enable those beneficiaries that indicated interest to participate in the CBN empowerment programme.

“For ease of coordination, this training programme will be conducted in phases. Let me also inform you that all the 36 States and FCT are participating in this long awaited NEXIT training programme. A total of 75,600 participants are in this first batch of the training. We will continue to train the remaining batches in no distant time. 

“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is committed to ensuring that the strategic objectives of all the social intervention programmes are harnessed to achieve the desired goals and objectives.

“​The N-Power programme is a critical part of the National Social Investment Programmes domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development designed to achieve the National objectives of poverty reduction and job creation. The N-Power programme is key to helping young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills that ensure they become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities”.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics Raphael Oraeluno charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity.

“I will want to emphasize  that every trainee must see this unique opportunity as a blessing that must not be wasted. Recall how we journeyed into this. You have finally gotten this opportunity. Maintain the highest level of seriousness in all that you will be taught throughout the training programme and thereafter. As beneficiaries, you will be equipped with the necessary training that will  guarantee your participation in the CBN package meant for this purpose”.

The National Coordinator, National Social Investment Programmes Dr Umar Bindir  alao advised the beneficiaries to take advantage of the CBN package to be self reliant.

At the end of the five day training, beneficiaries who qualify will receive Loans of up to three million Naira with a maximum tenure of seven years.

Sign language communication is a guiding light to the deaf - Lalu

The Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James David Lalu has insisted that Sign Language communication is very central to the lives of the Deaf and Hard of hearing.

 

The ES disclosed this recently during a parley with the Authorities of Federal University of Lafia, in Lafia, Nassarawa State.  

 

According to Lalu the Commission will establish a uniform module of Sign language communication to be used all over the country which he said differs in different parts of the world.

 

“Sign language communication gives the Deaf the ability to connect to the world, and it is our resolve in the Commission to connect the school with experts for more studies and research in various fields of Disabilities studies, especially on sign language communication” he said.

 

He explained that a memorandum is already with the Federal Executive Council awaiting approval in order to vest Sign language communication as the second linquafranca in Nigeria.

 

"Sign language communication has taken a central dimension that it has prompted the federal government to mandate the Commission to employ about 200 sign Language interpreters who will be deployed to different MDAs especially the Judiciary, Institutions of learning and the Media”

 

While appreciating the school for establishing the Department of Special Education, the ES pledged the willingness of the Commission to partner with the institution in all fasciae in order to improve the lives of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.

 

He however, opined that the Department would inspire more considerations and attract more integrated courses prepared for academic studies if it is transformed to Centre for Disability Studies which he believes is more encompassing.

 

Furthermore, the Executive Secretary divulged that he has involved interests from California State University, United States of America to partner with FULafia to appraise the curriculum of the school and mobilize resources for more programmes, especially on Sign language Communication and interpretation.

Lalu however promised that in no distant time, the Commission will interface with TETfund to access Special Education Intervention grant in order to equip the school in building more disability friendly facilities.

 

The ES similarly called for the review of policy administration of the school towards accommodating the needs of Persons with Disabilities which will see that the school gives admissions to the right individuals with disabilities and to employ qualified PWDs putting Sections 28 and 29 of the Disability Act into perception.

 

In his response, the Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman said that the school is delighted to welcome the interest of the Commission to partner with the Institution to establish the Center for Disability Studies for the North Central Geo Political Zone.

 

He further expressed willingness to adhere strictly on 5 percent employment opportunities for PWDs and disclosed that two non-academic and one academic PWDs have already been engaged by the school.

 

He expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari led administration for the establishment of the Commission and for the choice of David Lalu whom he described as the right bolt in the right hovel as the Executive Secretary of the Commission.