GOVERNOR OKOROCHA PUSHES IN-LAW, ANWUKA, FOR SGF

Former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, may lose out in the race for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Onu was rumoured to have been favoured by President Muhammadu Buhari to occupy the plum position.
A source, however, revealed that the delay in announcing the SGF by the president might not be unconnected with the position of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha. Although, the Imo State governor was said to have submitted three names – Onu, Senator Chris Ngige and Professor Anthony Anwuka, to the president, since the position was zoned to South-East, he is reportedly pushing for his in-law, Anwuka. Anwuka is the immediate past Secretary to the Imo State Government.
His son, Uzo, is married to Okorocha’s daughter, Uju. The governor was said to have argued that out of the parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was only the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) that has not been represented in the new government. According to him, the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has been given the presidency, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) got the vice presidency while the ANPP was rewarded with the position of the APC National Chairman.

FG BAN THE CONSUMPTION OF OGOGORO NATIONWIDE

The Federal Government on Monday banned the consumption of local gin, popularly called Ogogoro in all parts of the country.
The decision was as a result of deaths that trailed the consumption of the local gin in Rivers and Ondo states.
The government however confirmed that the death toll in Rivers State had risen to 38 while 18 people had died in Ode-Irele, Ondo State, following the consumption of the local gin.
The Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Dr. Paul Orhii, in his reaction to the death of 38 persons in Rivers State, told journalists that the recent incidents in Rivers and Ondo states were associated with the consumption of locally made gin.
According to him, considering the risk in the consumption of locally made gin, it has become imperative to “warn the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (Ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters.”
He also warned that the government “would confiscate all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages” across the country.

Breaking News: Senator Bukola Saraki Emerges As Senate President For 8th Senate

Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, has been elected the president of the eighth Senate.
Mr. Saraki of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated his party’s preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, to emerge the Senate president.
He was nominated by Sani Yerima and seconded by Dino Melaye.
Mr. Saraki has been sworn into office.
The election for the office of Senate Deputy President is still ongoing. Immediate past deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, is contesting against Ali Ndume from Borno State.
He is expected to win the race following a power sharing deal that had the minority but influential PDP back the new senate president, Bukola Saraki.
Our earlier update indicating Mr. Ekweremadu had been elected unopposed was in error and is regretted.

How Amaechi failed to settle me with parting gifts after our tenure — Former Rivers Deputy Governor

The immediate past deputy governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru, has accused his former boss and state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of maltreating him despite his contributions to the government.
Mr. Ikuru, who quit the ruling All Progressives Congress in Rivers State at the twilight of the administration, said Mr. Amaechi denied him parting gifts and money when the government finally came to a close in May.
He said this happened despite his contributions to the state, part of which was returning state funds and saving an estimated N100 billion for the state.
Speaking during a Thanksgiving Service at St. Simons Anglican Church, Ikuru-Town in Andoni Local Government Area, Sunday, Mr. Ikuru said the thanksgiving service was to thank God for his grace and faithfulness to him, his family, and friends during the eight years of service to the state.
“I served this government for seven years and seven months under Amaechi, because I was with Omehia for 5 months,” Mr. Ikuru said.
“At the end of the seven years and seven months Amaechi did not think that I deserved any parting gift in spite of the fact that in the course of this administration, by reason of the office I occupied, I returned several monies to him valued over two billion Naira cash at different times during one work or the other.”

Inter-agency rivalry rocks Aso Villa

A cold war is currently brewing among sister security agencies ahead of the relocation of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
Since their inauguration on May 29, Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are yet to relocate to the State House, because renovation works going on in their official residences had not been completed.
While the President currently operates from Defence House, the official residence of the President-elect, Osinbajo is said to be residing in a private residence.
Ahead of their relocation, however, our ashiwju.org learnt that there is currently an ongoing inter-agency row on who will be in charge of the President’s security.

Nigerian Leading Opposition Party PDP Endorses Saraki, Dogara For NASS Leadership as Buhari meets APC lawmakers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has endorsed Senator Bukola Saraki for the position of Senate President and Honourable Yakubu Dogara as House of Representatives Speaker respectively.
This was the resolution of the party exco made public in a statement issued on Tuesday morning, urged its senators and members-elect in the National Assembly to vote the two lawmakers.
The party move in the direction of t=a party that commands the minority population of both chambers of the National Assembly , with the hope to install caandidate that will be PDP friendly even from the ruling party.
Its an onslaught to counters the position of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, whose adopted candidates are Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of Speaker, and Ahmed Lawan for the position of Senate President.
Meanwhile, just hours before the election at the National Assembly principal officers election to be held, President Muhammadu Buhari will meet with all Senators  and House of Representatives elect of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday  at 9 am at the International Conference Centre Abuja.
Mr. Buhari returned to the country at about 1a.m. from Germany where he attended the meeting of the G7 countries.

Professor Jega Bid To Leave Office On June 30 — INEC

Contrary to speculations, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, will quit office June 30.
There have been speculations, notably on social media, that the INEC chairman would quit office June 8 at the end of his five year tenure.
He was appointed in June 2010 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, succeeding Professor  Maurice Iwu.
However, INEC spokesperson, Nick Dazang said Jega would be in office until the end of the month.
“The chairman’s tenure would end on June 30 and he is still in office,” he said.
Mr. Dazang also said Mr. Jega was not in his office Monday because he had travelled out of Nigeria on official assignment.
Mr. Jega, shortly after the last general election which held on March 28 and April 11, said he would not be seeking for a fresh term in office.
He also said he would decline the offer of renewal if granted.
Mr. Jega is the only chairman of the electoral body to conduct two general elections in Nigeria’s electoral history

NASS leadership tussle: Dogara, Saraki threaten APC

                                                                                                
Dogara and Saraki
The All Progressives Congress, APC, was at the weekend teetering towards a major crisis following serious disagreements over the emergence of the new leadership of the National Assembly.
The party leadership was, however, last night rallying round to quench the dissent with an appeal for unity, saying the party must not enter tomorrow’s leadership contest as a divided party.
That appeal was, however, of little effect in the camp of supporters of Senator Bukola Saraki’s aspiration for Senate President and those for Rep. Yakubu Dogara’s speakership ambition who were insisting on taking the battle to the floor of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Supporters of Dogara, it was learnt, had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari as the party leader to step into the matter.

Breaking news: Speakership: Court asked to disqualify Gbajabiamila over US indictment

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court is at the moment hearing an ex-parte motion seeking to disqualify Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila from emerging as the Speaker of the House of Representatives tomorrow.
Justice Abdul Kafarati is presiding over the suit which was lodged before the high court by the Registered Trustees of Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness Initiative.
The group, in the suit filed pursuant to Order 26 Rule 8 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2009, is contending that Hon. Gbajabiamila is not morally fit to head the third arm of governance in Nigeria, alleging that he was previously ‎”convicted in the state of Georgia for unethical practices and was debarred as a lawyer for 36 months”.
Aside Gbajabiamila, the House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation were equally cited as defendants in the matter.
The ex-parte motion is being argued on behalf of the group by Human Rights lawyer, Chief ‎Mike Ozehkome, SAN.

BREAKING NEWS: Adeyemi Replaces Essien as New Ecobank Group CEO

 

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“Ecobank”), parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African bank with operations in 36 countries across the continent, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ade Ayeyemi as its new Group Chief Executive Officer. His appointment is effective from 1 September 2015.
Mr Ayeyemi, 52, will replace Albert Essien, who retires on 30 June, 2015 after 25 years of meritorious service with the Group. An interim arrangement will be made by the Ecobank Board for the management of the Group during the period 1 July through 31 August, pending the resumption of the new GCEO.
Mr Ayeyemi is a highly experienced banker who has had a long and successful career with Citigroup, where he is currently Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup’s sub-Saharan Africa division, based in Johannesburg. He is an Accounting graduate of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours.

He also studied at the University of London and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme. A  Chartered Accountant, Mr Ayeyemi is also a trained UNIX Administrator and Network Operating Systems Manager. His many interests include business strategy, economics, process engineering and technology.