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Dissolution of excos in 7 states unacceptable — NNPP chairmen
The Chairmen of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have rejected the recent dissolution of the party’s executives in seven states by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The aggrieved chairmen on Thursday described the dissolution as “gross abuse of power” and”unacceptable.”.
The NNPP’s NWC had on July 28, 2023 announced dissolution of the party executive councils in seven states; Enugu, Ekiti, Rivers, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara, over anti-party activities.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr Major Agwo, who had announced the dissolution in Abuja, said that a five-man Caretaker Committee had been constituted to run the affairs of the party in the affected states.
But the chairmen, in a statement in Lagos on Thursday, described the dissolution as ” an injustice” and “sheer irregularity” that contravenes the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The aggrieved chairmen are Messrs Olaposi Oginni (Ogun), Mamman Damisa (Niger), Harry Richard (Rivers), Umar Ahmed (Katsina), Muhammad Sani (Zamfara), Adisa Falade (Lagos), Sedan Adegbola (Oyo), Nuhu Sanya (Kaduna), Dada Olayinka (Ekiti) and Ibrahim Yahyah (Ex-Officio, North West, Sokoto).
Their statement, which was signed by party chairmen and leaders from Ogun, Niger, Rivers, Katsina, Zamfara, Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Sokoto and Ekiti States, said they were totally against the NCW’s action.
According to them, the NWC is being used to witch hunt loyal party members who have no established record of anti-party activities.
The statement said: “We wonder why a disciplinary committee would sit without showing those alleged of anti-party activities a copy of the petition written against them?
“How can the committee come to conclusion without revealing the petitioners and their status in the party?
“Again, Article 39 Subsection 6 of NNPP constitution State this; Where it is proposed to expel a member of the Executive Committee from membership of the Party, such a proposal shall be submitted to The National Executive Committee.
“Where then did NWC derived its power to unilaterally expel the Chairman of Ogun State, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday?
“Isn’t this a gross violation of Article 39(6) of NNPP Constitution? Any Act that violates the party’s constitution is but null and void.”
According to it, slandering the hard-earned image of everyone, who for many years, have sacrificed their resources, time, and properties in building the party is detrimental to the growth of the party.
The statement said that the dissolution was an indication that the NWC was being used to achieve a sinister motive of hijacking the party in continuance of political trading by some powers in the party.
It also alleged that the NNPP Constitution was amended twice without the knowledge of the party chairmen, who are bonafide members of NEC.
It said: “As a cover up to these glaring unconstitutional, illegal act being perpetrated by the NWC, the constitution of our great party has been criminally amended, at least, twice without members’ knowledge.
“This impunity cannot continue. We wish to say that no rent seeker can chase away a landlord in his own house.
“Those who traded the party should leave willingly before it is too late. They should leave our party in peace. We shall not leave our home.
“NNPP is a party we laboured with our sweat to build. The structures were put in place by committed individuals and not with the resources of any godfather aiming to tarnish people’s image for his own selfish pursuits.”
The statement called on the Founder/ Chairman Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam to immediately step into this matter before it degenerates into uncontrollable crisis.
The statement added, “It is our hope that the BoT Chairman shall within reasonable time invoke Section 12. 5(a) detailing functions of the Board of Trustees by ensuring highest standards of morality in all activities of the party.”
It urged that the BOT chairman to act as the conscience of the party, with the power to call to order any officer of the party, “whose conduct falls below the norms and return all victimised Executives across the states back to their official capacities.”
Nevertheless, calls to the NNPP National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr Major Agwo, for his response on the issues raised by the chairmen yielded no result as he neither picked nor called back as at press time.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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