Cracks in Edo APC, PDP over 2016 guber election. Edo South vs Edo Central.

political players

WITH barely one year left for him to leave and about seven months to governorship election, agitation for who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State dominated political activities in theEdo state as politicians and groups sand different tunes on where his successor would come from between Edo South and Edo Central. Oshiomhole is from Edo North.

A leader of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Odion Ugbesia, disclosed at the weekend that political leaders in Edo Central zone had conceded the position to Edo South thereby foreclosing the agitation of Ken Imansuagbon and former Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor, both of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to succeed Oshiomhole. They are both from Edo Central.

Ugbesia made the remark during the inauguration ceremony of new PDP Secretariat in Benin City where he also called on the party leadership to provide a level playing field at the primary for the best candidate to emerge if it was serious in winning the 2016 governorship.

But in a swift reaction yesterday, Imansuagbon described those working against Edo Central producing the next governor as “enemies of Esan land” who cannot win any free and fair elections.

“Those who said Esanland cannot have the governorship are enemies of Esan land. Since Jonathan lost the 2015 election it is now clear to them that they cannot win any election and that is why they are coming up with evil plans against Esan people. They know I am going to become the next governor and that is why they are panicking. They cannot call for such meeting in the open because they know the people will stone them

“The 2016 governorship election in Edo is in God’s and Edo peoples’ hands and not any godfather. Because equity and justice demand that it should be the turn of Edo Central. The Binis have had their turn so it is only proper that we are allowed to have our own turn. If we are denied the opportunity, it will trigger hate and disunity in the state.”

Meanwhile, the Benin Leaders of Thought (BLT) led by the Enogie of Obazuwa and younger brother to the Oba of Benin, Prince Edun Akenzua, yesterday declared that the appointment of a Minister of Benin extraction, in the person of Dr Osagie Ehanire by President Muhammadu Buhari, would not stop the Binis from producing the next governor of the state in 2016.

The BLT was reacting to comments from some leaders of the APC from Edo Central who are agitating that the governorship ticket be ceded to the Central District since the Minister is from Edo South district.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the BLT, Prince Akenzua, commended Buhari for appointing Dr Ehanire as a Minister asserting that “this is the first time a proper representative of the people of Benin is being nominated for appointment to the office of a Minister. Hitherto in the past 16 years, a politician outside Edo South would patronizingly recommend any Benin person for appointment.”

President Buhari’s appointment of Dr Ehanire to represent Edo State has set tongues wagging in some quarters. Some politicians in Edo Central are saying that the nomination rules out Edo South from next year’s gubernatorial race. They say elective offices are zoned and Edo South got the Ministerial slot, it should therefore not get the gubernatorial slot.

“The statement is baseless. It is fallacious. There has been no zoning policy by any political party in the state. In Chief Obasanjo’s Presidency, Edo Central had four Ministers, namely: Chief Tony Anenih, Odion Ugbesia, Dr Itoto (Late) and Architect Onolenmeme. They succeeded each other. President Jonathan removed the only Benin man he met as Minister, even though he was a “Junior Minister”. In his six years as President, he did not include a Benin person in his cabinet.

“Why are they now talking of zoning, as if it had been there and that they had applied it to Edo South during the PDP days? Politics they say, is a game of number. In other words, in democratic politics the majority carries the votes. The minority will always have their say but the majority will have its way. National Census gives Edo South about 52 per cent of the population of Edo state; Edo Central has about 17 per cent. Why will a minority group continue to take the lion’s share”, the statement queried.

DAUGHTERS ARE PRECIOUS TO PARENTS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PRINCESS SUCCESS EHINOMEN KELLY

Princess Ehinomen

TRUE LIFE STORY: On the first day of their marriage, wife and husband agreed not to open the door for ANY visitor! 

That same day, the husband’s parents came to see them, and knocked on the door. Husband and the wife looked at each other,  the husband wanted to open the door, but since they had an agreement, he did not, so his parents left. 

After a while, the same day, the wife’s parents came visiting. Wife and husband looked at each other, and even though they had an agreement, the wife with tears on her eyes whispered:-

 "I can’t do this to my parents", and she opened the door! Husband did not say anything. 

Years passed and they had two boys. Afterwards, they had a third child which was a girl. The father planned a very big and lavish party for the new born baby girl, and he invited everyone over.

 Later that night, his wife asked him what was the reason for such a big celebration for this baby, why we did not do so for the brothers?

 The Husband simply replied:-

 "because she is the one who will open the door for me!" Daughters are so special.

Your little girl will hold your hand for only a little while but will hold your heart for a life time.

 It's 'DAUGHTER'S WEEK', and if you are a daughter OR have a daughter who makes life worth living, by just being around - and you love her as much as your own breath,  if you are proud of your daughter, or being a daughter, join me to say Happy birthday to Princess Ehinomen Kelly as I just did. Daughters are angels! 

By prince Kelly O. Udebhulu
(Father)
🌹

EDO CENTRAL WILL GET ACTIVE REPRESENTATIVE SOON: Chief Inegbeniki ‘ll reclaim mandate at tribunal, say activists –

BENIN—Niger Delta Oil Producing Communities Agenda, NIDOCA, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial candidate for Edo Central in the last National Assembly election, Chief  Francis Inegbeniki, would reclaim his mandate at the tribunal.

Spokesman of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Akpovoka, who gave the assurance at Abuja, said the people of Edo Central voted massively for Inegbeniki on March 28 election, alleging that the election was rigged and results manipulated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The group also urged the people of Edo Central to remain steadfast and hopeful that the judiciary under President Muhammadu Buhari will certainly do the right thing, give them justice and Inegbeniki will emerge victorious.

Beyond Party Lines: When Legislators Fight. We are dealing with individuals, who are putting their interests ahead of the people. Article.

NIGERIANS may get a better glimpse of the direction of our democracy when the leadership of the National Assembly is elected today. Ordinarily, it should be the members who should elect their leadership, but it is obvious that there are more external influences than any of the parties would be willing to admit.

Religions, regions, politics of the formation of the All Progressives Alliance, APC, the politics of successions in 2019, have all coalesced into the confusion that is attending a simple exercise that held in the past 16 years without much attention on the external influences that marked it. Today would mark the first major fight in APC after the election, and a test of the party’s capacities to manage fall-outs of success.

Change could start with the National Assembly, where the numbers are not so clear to give one party the majority. The growing interest in leadership of the National Assembly, unfortunately, would not be for the benefit of Nigerians. From the political parties to the principal holders of political powers, who mostly operate from the background, the contests for the leadership of the National Assembly are beyond interests in law making.

In the absence of resolutions to the factions, internal crises, irreconcilable differences, open disagreements among members of the same party, the National Assembly would take off in its most factious and fractious state since 1999. Internal party discipline is weak, the passion of those vying for the leadership is strong enough that disagreements within APC may have more consequences for the party outside the working of the National Assembly, Nigerians are aghast at these developments.

Party manifestoes and positions would take a second place in these contentions, meaning that factions would grow in APC. Parties are now ordinary platforms through which personal desires are actualised, rather than vehicles for delivery of services to the people. While the parties made promises to us during the campaigns, we are dealing with individuals, who are putting their interests ahead of the people.

None of the contestants for the National Assembly is discussing provision of leadership that would cater for the interest of Nigerians. The elections in the National Assembly would pass, even if they turn chaotic. Another way of looking at what is going on is that Nigerians can use the contests to assess the leanings of those they have elected. A National Assembly that from its constitution considers its interests ahead of the country’s poses further danger after the deep divisions that the elections created.

Our dysfunctional political party system, without clear-cut programmes is the main cause of the squabbles we are witnessing in the National Assembly, squabbles that are more widespread than they appear.

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Culled from Vanguard

Edo State Bans Revenue Collection Agents Like Akugbe Ventures, the Road Transport Employers Association, Drivers Welfare Scheme and National Union of Road Transport Workers.

Oshiomhole

BENIN CITY- Edo State Government on Monday, 1st June, 2015, has banned agents who collect taxes and levies from artisans, market women and drivers on behalf of local government councils.

Chairman of Edo Internal Revenue Services, Chief Oseni Elamah, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Benin, also announced the disengagement of Akugbe Ventures, a private company which was responsible for collecting levies from commercial drivers in the state on behalf of the state government.

Elamah also disclosed that unions like the Road Transport Employers Association, Drivers Welfare Scheme and National Union of Road Transport Workers, were barred from collecting union dues on the high way forthwith, adding that existing extant laws forbade government from engaging agents for the purpose of collecting taxes and levies from citizens.

He said revenue accruing to the government at all levels were supposed to be collected in a prescribed manner and not through agents or consultants.

“The law gave government the power to generate revenue to render services to the people. The provisions there is that nobody has the power to mount road blocks in whatever name on the highway to collect revenue.

“We have written to the police to enforce this cashless revenue collection of the Edo State Government. We are implementing the federal government law which forbids anybody from mounting roadblock under the guise of collecting revenue. Any member of the public that is being harrass or intimidated should immediately report such person to the police.

“We urge the police to arrest such persons because the laws do not allow the collection of revenue on our highways or streets. Whenever you pay, demand for government official receipt to be issued to you.”

Chief Elamah explained that all eligible tax payers were expected to comply with relevant tax laws by filing annual tax returns on the basis on which they would be assessed on what to pay, adding that no cash payment was allowed except through designated banks.

He therefoe urged commercial drivers to report anybody that harasses and intimidates them to pay money to them.

Chief Elamah also disclosed that the state government has begun implementation of the Presumptive Tax Regime which targets the informal sector.

He said those in the informal sector would be encouraged to document their income over a period of one year to enable tax authorities ascertain their income because taxes are paid on income earned.

I Belong To Everybody And I Belong To Nobody – Buhari

No Paying Off Of Old Scores, Past Is Prologue  •Relocates Military Command Centre To Maiduguri  • Ends Niger Delta Amnesty Programme December.

taking the oath of allegiance

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to be president of all Nigerians and had no scores to settle with anyone.   Buhari made the declaration on Friday while taking the oath of office and allegiance at the Eagle Square, Abuja to become Nigeria’s fourth democratically elected President, in this Four Republic.

The oath of allegiance was performed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) before a large crowd of Nigerians, African Heads of State, and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan.

Noting that he took his oath with the Holy Book, Buhari assured Nigerians that he would serve as President of all Nigerians.

“I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue,” he declared.

As his immediate priorities, he also pledged to strengthen the war against insurgency in Nigeria, tackle persistent fuel scarcity; tackle corruption and provide jobs for the youth.

The most pressing of them all, he said, was Boko Haram, and he acknowledged that although progress has been made in recent weeks by the security forces, “victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued.

“But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents. This government will do all it can to rescue them alive.”

Buhari promised to continue to invest in the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme but sought for the support of the leaders and people of the region to cooperate with government’s plan to streamline the projects for better effectiveness.

The new President further pledged not to interfere with the operations of the two other arms of government -Judiciary and Legislature – and assured Nigerians of reasonable and accepted control over functions of states and local governments.

He charged lawmakers to quicken the process of lawmaking and attending to important bills, and for the judiciary to do same in matters concerning corruption cases.

According to him; “the judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past. The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.”

“Elsewhere, relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account.”

“While the Federal Government cannot interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country.”

He thanked his predecessor, Jonathan for acting in a statesmanlike manner in the aftermath of the presidential elections, saying that such conduct showed it was possible for Nigeria to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land the people can remain united and capable of doing what is right for the nation.

“Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country”, he added.

Immediately after taking the oath of office, jubilant youths numbering over ten thousand on Friday, defiled heavy security blockade mounted by a combined team of the Nigerian Police,the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC)the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC) and a detachment of military personnel to celebrate the new President .

They chanted solidarity songs,”Say Baba,say Buhari”, While a good number of them carried brooms and danced to musical tunes from northern musicians.

Prior to the inauguration proper, all routes leading to the Eagle Square were cordoned-off with only security officials and VIP dignitaries allowed to drive close to the venue.

Access roads to the Eagle Square had been restricted from the previous day. As early as6am on inauguration day, as visitors had begun to converge within the vicinity of the Square, which had of course, been already heavily secured by various arms of the nation’s security agencies.

MY APPEAL TO OUR NEW PRESIDENT, MOHAMMADU BUHARI.

portrait of Buhari

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

I pledged our new President, Mohammadu Buhari to make positive policies toward migration issues that will encourage our Nigerian professionals work and stay in the country.

From my experience as a Nigerian in Diaspora and an investigative journalist, what I know that bothers me is the issue of professional Nigerians in abroad contributing greatly towards the growth of Europe, Asia and America to the detriment of my country, Nigeria.

Nigeria as the most populous country on the continent and most populous black nation in the World grapples with a wide range of migration issues, from internal migration to massive intra and inter-regional/continental migration. As you know, there are more PhD holders from Nigerian origin in Europe, Asia or in America than in Nigeria - There are more Nigerian Doctors, Nurses and Engineers in Europe, Asia and in America than in Nigeria. So, let’s the new government of Nigeria know that it is the system ( flaws in security system, corruption, electricity, selfish bureaucracy in government`s institutions, etc ) in Nigeria previously that encouraged massive migration for a better working packages and living.

Thank you President Buhari.

Anchored by Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.
Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu is a trained journalist from the AIU (USA), resides in Spain; a blogger and special correspondent; news media international.
Twitter: @princekelly75
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