ASHIWAJU MEDIA

Saturday

Impeachment Drama: Ameachi, Oshiomole Dares Jonathan

IMPEACHMENT: EDO, RIVERS GOVS DARE JONATHAN
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, have said they are not losing sleep over the alleged plot by President Goodluck Jonathan to push for their impeachment.
The duo said the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party could not impeach them as the case of a former governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had at a press conference on Wednesday alleged that Jonathan and the PDP were out to remove the governors of Edo, Nasarawa, Osun, Borno and Rivers states.
But Oshiomhole, through his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Kassim Afegbua, said he was popularly elected by the overwhelming majority of Edo people.
He said, “The thought of impeachment does not cross our hearts. First, what would be the rationale? Secondly, the APC has majority in the Assembly. Thirdly, the governor is on ground. Fourthly, he is performing. We are not losing sleep over that because we have capacity for decency when it comes to real issues of political engagement.”
He accused the PDP of impunity, which he said was fast eroding democratic principles in the country.
He added, “If the PDP is now engaged in a gestapo manner with a gale of impeachment here and there, and with clear-cut abuses, it is the responsibility of the media to expose such dubiety and save our democracy from collapse.”
Afegbua said that the APC would not lose elections in Edo State, adding that the governor had performed.
In Rivers State, Amaechi and his followers said they were aware of the threat of impeachment in order to force the governor back to the PDP, but added that such threat would not work.
Describing the threat to make him return to the PDP as a dull dream and a wild goose chase, the governor, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Chief Tony Okocha, explained that the formal move by 25 members of the state House of Assembly to the APC on Wednesday had foreclosed any thought of his (Amaechi) removal as the state governor.
He said, “It is a wild goose chase because no threat of impeachment from the Presidency will make the governor cave in. Twenty-five PDP Assembly members have all defected formerly to the APC, all in solidarity with the governor.
“We are aware of such threats of impeachment, but it is not working. The coffin has been nailed and there is nothing they (Presidency) can do about it,” he added.
Amaechi, however, said he would not quit politics as a result of the threat to impeach him or force him to join the PDP, adding that his political future remains in the hands of God and the people of the state.
On the recent impeachment of Murtala Nyako as the governor of Adamawa State, Amaechi said though he was worried that his colleague was removed, the scenarios in Adamawa and Rivers states were different.
He said, “When the lawmakers were all in the PDP was even when we thought that impeachment would happen. Now, everybody in Rivers State has resolved that Governor Chibuike Amaechi will serve out his eight years.
“People are defecting enmasse to APC. So, they need to come and break our ranks here before they can achieve their plan. The threat to impeach Amaechi so that he will return to the PDP will not work; it is wishy-washy, it is a dull dream.”
But Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, dismissed allegation by the APC national chairman.
He stated, “We are looking anxiously towards the next rounds of elections in 2015 and 2016 when we shall teach Adams Oshiomhole a political lesson.”
Orbih said that although the PDP was not interested in impeaching Oshiomhole, the APC was under fear because information from the governor’s quarters indicated that he had committed impeachable offences.
He said, “I also want to use this opportunity to call on the honourable members of the Edo State House of Assembly that there can be no smoke without fire.
“It appears that Oshiomhole has committed impeachable offences, hence, the fear expressed by Oyegun and himself that he could be impeached.
“For us as a party, we are not interested in his impeachment. But from the noise coming out of his quarters, it appears the man has been involved in many impeachable offences.”
On the allegations of impeachment in APC states raised by the APC national chairman, the PDP chairman said the opposition raised the alarm due to fear of defeat in 2015.
He said he did not see any reason non- legislative members would engage themselves in talks bothering on impeachment when the state legislators had the constitutional right to do so.
Meanwhile, despite his removal as the Governor of Adamawa State and threats of arrest for treason, Nyako had said that he would not withdraw his controversial memo to the northern governors even on his death-bed.
Nyako, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH through his media aide, Ahmad Sajoh, said information at his disposal had now shown that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party were deeply involved in his impeachment.
There have been reports that Nyako, who has gone underground since his impeachment on Tuesday, would be arrested for treason over the memo to the northern governors on April 4, 2014.
Nyako, in the memo, had accused President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of genocide against the North.
He had accused the administration of organising the killing of citizens and then quickly attributing same to the Boko Haram sect.
Nyako had stated, “Cases of mass murders by its bloody minded killers and cut-throats are well known, but it attributes the killings to the so-called Boko-Haram.
“The administration has also hired militia from all across, especially North Africa, who have been deceived into accepting to come because they were made to believe that they would be fighting infidels.”
He accused Jonathan’s administration of using “mass murderers/cut-throats imbedded in our legitimate and traditional defence and security organisations” to carry out the genocide claims.
Nyako said the administration was determined to create strife between Muslims and Christians in the North or between one ethnic group and another.
The governor’s aide said Nyako made the allegations based on the information available to him as a retired Admiral in the Nigerian Navy.
According to him, before writing the memo, the governor considered all options.
Asked whether the governor would withdraw the statement now that he had been impeached, Sajoh said, “That is something that is not possible. We believe that based on the information available to him as a retired Admiral in the Nigerian Navy; having a very sound military background, having been the person that had the privilege of setting up the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Navy and being a person that knows exactly what security issues are concerned, he weighed all the options before making that statement. And I can tell you that even on his death-bed, he stands by that statement.”
The governor, however, made a U-turn on the involvement of the President and the Peoples Democratic Party in his impeachment by the state House of Assembly.
Nyako, had on July 4 said the President had no hand in the impeachment saga initiated by lawmakers in Adamawa State.
Nyako blamed “some senior citizens” of Adamawa based in Abuja for the political imbroglio bedevilling the state.
He said, “The Presidency is not planning a plot to remove me from office contrary to speculations.
“We know that Adamawa State is full of intellectuals, when issues arise, we use different approaches to address them. That is the cause of the political differences we have, but not much outside interference.”
Sajoh, however, said subsequent information available to the governor showed that the PDP and the Presidency were involved in the impeachment.
He stated, “Information now available and subsequent actions that were taken by the Presidency and the PDP national headquarters and other persons very close to the President must definitely make anyone change his position with regard to whether the Presidency was involved or not.
“But of course, at the time he made the statement, he made it believing that it was an Adamawa internal affair.
“With the turn of events and the things that happened at the time of the impeachment till date, one will not say the same thing today.”
The governor also said that despite his removal, he had no regrets for decisions he took while in office.
Sajoh stated, “The former governor took whatever decision he took believing that the bases upon which such decisions were taken were right. He took rational decisions and as a human being barring the limits of his mortality, he has no regrets whatsoever.” The media aide said the governor’s conscience was clear because the bases on which the decisions were taken were right.
“As a retired officer of the Nigerian Armed forces and gentleman and as a credible person, he has no regret dumping the PDP and he has no intention of returning to the party,” Sajoh added.
Efforts to get the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisah Metuh, to react to the insistence of Nyako on his memo and allegations over impeachment did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone did not go through neither did he respond to the SMS sent to him. But Metuh, had in a statement on Wednesday, said the PDP did not wish to join issues with the APC.
He stated, “Nigerians know that this is part of the orchestrated plot by the APC to discredit and blackmail institutions of government, particularly the legislature, the citadel of democracy and stronghold of the will of the people and ultimately set the stage to destabilise the polity.”
Source: Punch

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, have said they are not losing sleep over the alleged plot by President Goodluck Jonathan to push for their impeachment.
The duo said the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party could not impeach them as the case of a former governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako.

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Friday

Nollywood Actress Kate Henshaw Set For Politics

KATE HENSHAW GOES INTO POLITICS: TO CONTEST FOR HOUSE OF REPS
Veteran actress Kate Henshaw has joined politics. She'll be aspiring to contest for the Federal House of Representatives for Calabar Munical/Odukpani Federal Constituency under the PDP.
She will run within the PDP to get the ticket. The primaries is in October. If she wins, which is mostly like, she will become Hon. Kate Henshaw.

She will be officially unveiled on www.campaign.ng tomorrow July 19th, which is her 43rd birthday

Veteran actress Kate Henshaw has joined politics. She'll be aspiring to contest for the Federal House of Representatives for Calabar Munical/Odukpani Federal Constituency under the PDP.
She will run within the PDP to get the ticket. The primaries is in October. If she wins, which is mostly like, she will become Hon. Kate Henshaw.

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Zebrudaya Enrols In Open University Programme

ZEBRUDAYA GOES BACK TO SCHOOL
Chief Chika Okpalla, alias ‘Zebrudaya’ is one of the foremost Nigerian comedians, who held sway in the 1970’s and 1980’s with his group in the television show, ‘New Masquerade’. Despite modernity to television acting, he has remained active in the entertainment industry as he now acts in home video and engages in television commercials.
He is a strong believer that the much watched teledrama ‘New Masquerade’ TV show will bounce back with a great bang. He has remained in the industry in spite of the death of most of those he co-starred with in the old Masquerade programme.
Despite the temptation, he has bluntly refused to partake or feature in the current craze of producing ‘Nigerian home videos’. Rather, Chief Chika Okpalla has successfully opened and owns his private studio at Ugbene Enugu, from where he produces commercial advert copies for clients in the struggle for survival and making ends meet.
But one secret about the producer cum artist is that he has an unquenchable taste for knowledge. Though he is currently holding a Masters degree in Communication Arts from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, he is looking forward to expanding his knowledge in other fields.
This came to the fore at last weekend matriculation ceremony of National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Enugu study centre on Friday, July 11,2014. Dressed perfectly on the matriculation gown in the midst of over seven hundred students that participated in the event, Chief Chika Okpalla still appeared unique with his ‘Zebrudaya’ language to the amusement of both the lecturers and other matriculating students at Enugu study centre of National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
Zebrudaya who felt happy that he was being admired by his fellow matriculating students simply told the Friday Magazine that age is not a barrier to education. He said he decided to use the opportunity of his base in Enugu to enrol in the institution, so as to widen his knowledge.
He disclosed that he chose to study management sciences as a way of improving on management techniques of his own establishment in the entertainment industry. He expressed optimism that he will be better packaged after the course, stating that the introduction of internet learning by NOUN is an added advantage for himself and other students because they could now revisit the lecture series on the internet..
Culled from Nigerian Pilot

Chief Chika Okpalla, alias ‘Zebrudaya’ is one of the foremost Nigerian comedians, who held sway in the 1970’s and 1980’s with his group in the television show, ‘New Masquerade’. Despite modernity to television acting, he has remained active in the entertainment industry as he now acts in home video and engages in television commercials.

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Nasarawa House of Assembly Outline 16 offences Against Governor Al-Makura

Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura

NASARAWA State lawmakers on Thursday proceeded with their moves to remove the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, by levelling against him 16 charges bordering on alleged official gross misconduct.

The charges by the state House of Assembly include missing local government joint account funds between June 2011 and April 2012; and from January to July, 2013.

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President Jonathan Dissapoints Over Botched Meeting With Chibok Girls Parents —APC

JONATHAN EMBARRASSED NIGERIA OVER BOTCHED MEETING WITH CHIBOK PARENTS —APC
THE All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, knocked President Goodluck Jonathan, over the botched meeting with parents of kidnapped Chibok girls.
It described as an embarassment the fact that it took a 17-year-old girl-child education campaigner, Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, to visit and convince President Jonathan to agree to a meeting with representatives of the parents.
The party, in a statement issued in Lagos, on Thursday, by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said “President Jonathan, who has already embarrassed himself and Nigerians by his inexplicable failure to visit Chibok since the girls were abducted over 90 days ago, compounded the embarrassment and insulted Nigerians by waiting for Malala to goad him to meet with the girls’ parents, not even in Chibok, but in Abuja.’’
It added that after the meeting failed because the parents were not properly informed and invited, adding that it was disappointed that the presidency turned around to blame the opposition and the #Bringbackourgirls# group.
The party alerted Nigerians that the reason President Jonathan agreed to meet with the parents was so that he could use the meeting as a photo-op, after Malala pushed for it and the president’s US-based image laundering firm acceded to it.
“Mr President, your frantic effort to meet with the Chibok parents now is too little too late and no amount of photo-op will change that. If your handlers had been sincere, Mr President, they would have told you that the best venue of the meeting is Chibok, not Abuja, where your people tried, but failed to waylay the parents, who came for a meeting with Malala,” the party added.
APC reminded President Jonathan that neither in Nigeria’s culture nor in any other culture were those hit by tragedy invited to be offered solace, adding that the practice was to visit those to be offered solace ‘in situ’.
The party reiterated its earlier call on the president to shake off his alleged lethargy and bring the abducted school- girls home safely, instead of playing politics with the lives of over 200 human beings.
Source: Tribune

THE All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, knocked President Goodluck Jonathan, over the botched meeting with parents of kidnapped Chibok girls.
It described as an embarassment the fact that it took a 17-year-old girl-child education campaigner, Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, to visit and convince President Jonathan to agree to a meeting with representatives of the parents.

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It's Insulting To Describe Northerners As Leeches — ALIYU

Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum, NSGF, and governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu, has described as insulting and sad, insinuations by certain members of the National Conference that the north was leecherous.

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I’m Ready To Defend N6Billion Debt Allegation--Nyako

I’M READY TO DEFEND N6BN DEBT ALLEGATION, SAYS NYAKO
Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako remained defiant yesterday, saying he is ready to defend his integrity.
Security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are after Nyako, who was impeached in hazy circumstances on Tuesday, but he remains in high spirits, according to an aide.
Nyako is accused by Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri of plunging the state into a N6billion debt.
He said the loans he took, including the controversial N6billion, were approved by the House of Assembly.
Also yesterday, The Nation learnt that former Deputy Governor Bala James Ngillari was under pressure to go to court to seek his reinstatement as acting governor “because he was forced to resign”.
Nyako, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, said he had nothing to hide on his tenure.
He said: “Admiral Murtala Nyako is ready to defend himself on any allegation in an open court and under a fair system.
“But he said in a system where impunity is the order of the day, he cannot get a fair hearing. How do you expect a goat to get fair hearing in a court presided over by wolves?”
On the alleged N6billion debt left behind by Nyako administration, Nyako’s spokesman said: “The Acting Governor has not even settled down; he has not been briefed by those in charge and he is declaring debts of about N6billion.
“This shows that the Acting Governor is acting a script. We knew the script was written long ago; they will release sleaze materials to vilify Nyako. That is why they have sent security agents and EFCC operatives after him to cast aspersion on Admiral Nyako.
“If Nyako left N6billion debt, all the loans or debts were approved by the House of Assembly, which was presided over by the Acting Governor in his capacity as the Speaker. So, you can see that they are acting a script.
“The whole thing borders on what Nyako said about how President Goodluck Jonathan is tackling the insurgency in the country. They were not happy and they decided to remove him from office. But is he not being vindicated now?”
Ngillari’s plan to go to court is believed to have the backing of
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, including some National Assembly members.
The plot will lead to Fintiri’s removal.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that some stakeholders were unhappy that Ngilari was forced to resign without following the provision of the 1999 Constitution. A source said: “Ngillari was either forced or frightened to write the resignation letter by members of the House of Assembly.
“But they shot themselves in the foot when they asked him to write the resignation letter to the Speaker, instead of the governor.
“What happened was that Ngillari, on Tuesday, wrote the governor on his resignation from office.
“But in their desperation to remove the former governor, the House of Assembly asked Ngilari to write the Speaker directly because Nyako was in Abuja and it would take time for him to communicate Ngillari’s decision to the Assembly.
“Ngilari withdrew the resignation letter he sent to the governor and wrote a fresh one to the Speaker, which was a violation of Section 306(5) of 1999 Constitution.”
Sajoh had in a statement said: “We wish to state categorically that Section 306 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended requires that the deputy resign not to the House of Assembly but to the Governor. As at the time the supposed resignation was said to have been tendered in the House, Murtala H. Nyako was the governor of Adamawa State.
“No such was written to him, none was received by him and none was approved by him. It should, therefore, be known that in the eyes of the law, the deputy governor has not resigned. Barrister Bala James Ngillari is still the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State.
“This clarification is necessary to avert another subversion of the constitution, since the order processes relating to the impeachment saga have all been in contravention of the constitution and the law. We wish to observe that the continued abuse of the constitution and the law of the land will spell doom for our democracy.”
Source: The Nation

Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako remained defiant yesterday, saying he is ready to defend his integrity.
Security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are after Nyako, who was impeached in hazy circumstances on Tuesday, but he remains in high spirits, according to an aide.

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Nigerian Senate Embarks On 8 Weeks Summer Break

SENATE EMBARKS ON 8 WEEKS’ VACATION, RESUMES PLENARY SEPT 16
ABUJA—THE Senate yesterday proceeded on eight weeks’ annual vacation to resume plenary September 16.
Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had moved a motion for the adjournment for the Senate to embark on its long annual vacation but also noted that committee work would continue to enable committees tidy up their work for consideration at a special plenary slated for next Thursday, July 24.
Before the adjournment, the Senate considered and passed the conference committee report on Repeal and Re-Enactment of the Prisons Bill by the Committee on Interior.
The red chamber also received the report of its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Defence and Army, Police Affairs and Interior on fact finding on the recent attacks and killings in Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna states.
The Senate also approved the Presidential nomination of three persons, including Aliyu Mohammed, Dahiru Hassan Balami and Stanley Lawson.
Aliyu Mohammed was screened and approved for appointment as a member of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Dahiru Hassan Balami was screened and approved for appointment as a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria Monetary Policy, NMP, while Stanley Lawson was screened and approved for appointment as non-executive member of the CBN Board.
The Senate also received the reports of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on sudden withdrawal of a detachment of mobile police and subsequent attack on Kizara village by bandits.
It equally received the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which considered the alleged collection of N3 billion by members of joint Committee on Establishment investigating pension administration in Nigeria.
Source: Vanguard

The Senate yesterday proceeded on eight weeks’ annual vacation to resume plenary September 16.
Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had moved a motion for the adjournment for the Senate to embark on its long annual vacation but also noted that committee work would continue to enable committees tidy up their work for consideration at a special plenary slated for next Thursday, July 24.
Before the adjournment, the Senate considered and passed the conference committee report on Repeal and Re-Enactment of the Prisons Bill by the Committee on Interior.

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Falana Urges National Assembly To Reject N1 Billion Loan To Fight Boko Haram Sects

REJECT JONATHAN’S $1BN LOAN REQUEST, FALANA TELLS N’ASSEMBLY
A National Conference delegate, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has asked the National Assembly to reject the request made by President Goodluck Jonathan, asking for the Assembly’s approval for a $1bn loan to aid the war against the Islamic sects, Boko Haram.
Falana said the President must explain what he had been doing with the budgets made for defence in the past few years.
He said, “The request made by President Jonathan for approval of the Senate for a loan of $1 bn to fight the menace of the Boko Haram sect should be rejected in its entirety. Between 2010 and 2013 over N3tn was budgeted for defence.
“Under the Appropriation Bill signed into law on May 23 this year, 20 per cent of the entire federal budget i.e. the sum of N968.127bn out of N4.962tn was earmarked for defence. The Senate should find out what happened to the defence budget in the middle of the year to warrant a supplementary budget of N160bn.”
Similarly, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Alli, said the request by the President had created a state of uncertainty as he had yet to be fully aware of all the parameters for the request.
He urged the National Assembly to be sure there was a need for it before approving it.
He said, “I am sure they should be sure that there is a need for it before they will approve it. One does not possess all the parameters for asking for the loan, so one is a bit in a quandary. One does not have all the factors that have been considered.
“But one wants to believe that the National Assembly will be given all the facts to do the correct thing.”
Source: Punch

A National Conference delegate, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has asked the National Assembly to reject the request made by President Goodluck Jonathan, asking for the Assembly’s approval for a $1bn loan to aid the war against the Islamic sects, Boko Haram.
Falana said the President must explain what he had been doing with the budgets made for defence in the past few years.

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Thursday

Best Way To Keep Your Kidney Clean And Safe From Kidney Failure

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this?

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ASHIWAJU FACE OF THE WEEK

Cyril Ramaphosa has been elected as the 14th president of the ANC. Ramaphosa became deputy president after his election to the position in the ANC in 2012. At the time he was wooed by President Jacob Zuma’s camp to give the slate “credibility” when then ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe contested Zuma for the top post. Before that he was the chair of the national planning commission that produced the National Development Plan, the country’s blue print for growth towards 2030.

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Saturday

Impeachment Drama: Ameachi, Oshiomole Dares Jonathan

Friday

Nollywood Actress Kate Henshaw Set For Politics

Zebrudaya Enrols In Open University Programme

Nasarawa House of Assembly Outline 16 offences Against Governor Al-Makura

President Jonathan Dissapoints Over Botched Meeting With Chibok Girls Parents —APC

It's Insulting To Describe Northerners As Leeches — ALIYU

I’m Ready To Defend N6Billion Debt Allegation--Nyako

Nigerian Senate Embarks On 8 Weeks Summer Break

Falana Urges National Assembly To Reject N1 Billion Loan To Fight Boko Haram Sects

Thursday

Best Way To Keep Your Kidney Clean And Safe From Kidney Failure

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