Headline

Dissolution of excos in 7 states unacceptable — NNPP chairmen

Published

2 months ago

August 11, 2023

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.

Headline

Navy disowns list of successful candidate for Batch 35 recruitment

Published

6 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Alero Danjuma

The Nigerian Navy (NN) has disowned the purported list of successful candidate for its Basic Training School (NNBTS) Batch 35 Recruitment, saying it is fake.

Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, the Director of Naval Information, said this in a statement in Abuja.

Ayo-Vaughan said the exercise was conducted in three centres across the country, namely; Lagos, Rivers and Kaduna States.

He described the information, being circulated recently as fake, and handiwork of fraudulent miscreants who were trying to dupe some unsuspecting applicants.

He said the list of successful candidates had not been released and that no form of invitation for training, via text message had also been disseminated by the Nigerian Navy.

‘’The alarming rate of circulation of fake information by unscrupulous individuals, regarding enlistment or recruitment into Navy is quite worrisome.

‘’Efforts are on to track and arrest the miscreants.

“Members of the public especially prospecting applicants who participated in the said recruitment are strongly enjoined to always authenticate information from the NN official website, https://www.navy.mil.ng, and other official social media handles, as well as other credible mainstream media platforms.

“Similarly, miscreants and mischief makers are warned to desist from this unwholesome practice, otherwise they will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Ayo-Vaughan said the text message, had invited unsuspecting applicants to report for military training at NNBTS Onne, Rivers, following their purported selection.

He said the criminals further claimed in the text message that the exercise would commence on Oct. 6.

Headline

Gov. Alia condemns kidnapping of commissioner, one other

Published

7 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Ifunaya Emeka

Gov. Hyacinth Alia has strongly condemned the kidnaping of Mr. Matthew Abo, his Commissioner for Information, culture and Tourism, and former Chairman Ukum Local Government Area (LGA), Mr. Iorwashima Erukaa.

This is contained in a press statement on Monday, signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi.

According to the statement, while Mr Abo was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in his Sankara home at about 8pm on Sunday, September 24, Mr. Erukaa was taken away by a yet-to-be identified gunmen on Saturday, September 23.

The Governor, who described the act as barbaric and unacceptable, has directed security agencies to immediately commence operations to ensure the safe release of the duo.

He called on the people of the State to remain calm, as his administration would do everything possible to make the State safe for all.

“The kidnappers have made contacts with the family of Mr Erukaa but are yet to contact Mr Abo’s family,” the statement stated

Several gunmen had stormed the the commissioner’s residence in Zaki-Biam, Ukum LGA and kidnapped him.

Eyewitnesses who spoke to NAN, said that the kidnappers who came on four motorcycles, ordered everyone in the house, including the his wife and children, to lie face down and took him away to an unknown destination.

The witnesses said the abductors compelled the commissioner at gun point to sit behind the rider of one of the motorcycles while a gunman sandwitched him.

Mr Abo was sworn in as a member of the Benue State Executive Council on August 29.

He hails from Ukum Local Government Area of Sankera axis, a major flashpoint of criminal activities with rampant killings and kidnappings for years now.