Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani Dumps PDP.

A former President of the Nigerian Senate, Ken Nnamani, has announced his departure from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, a political platform to which be belonged since 1999, and which, in 2005, made him the third most powerful man in Nigeria, Premium Times reports.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Nnamani said he was quitting the party because  the platform had departed the path of its noble vision and values.

Mr. Nnamani was elected to the Senate President in 2003, and was senate president between 2005 and 2007.

In his statement Saturday, entitled, “PDP, the Burden and My  Conscience,” the politician said he was fed up with the current status and direction of the PDP, and was therefore quitting “without any iota of bitterness” in his heart.

“I do not believe I should continue to be a member of the PDP as it is defined today,” Mr. Nnamani said, “This is certainly not the party I joined years ago to help change my country. I do not also believe that the PDP as it is managed today will provide an opportunity for me to continue to play the politics of principles and values which I set for myself as a young man on leaving graduate school and working for a large multinational in the United States in the 70s and 80s.

“Therefore, today I resign my membership of the PDP. In stepping out of partisan politics for the meantime, I will continue to be politically engaged. I will also continue to support the government and all the elected officers in Nigeria to repositioning the nation.

“I will also constructively criticize them when by commission or omission they take actions that could damage the prospects of transforming Nigeria into a productive, merit-based and honestly governed country.”

Read Mr. Nnamani’s full statement below:

PDP, the Burden and My  Conscience

Without any iota of bitterness in my heart, I have decided to disengage from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and consequently step aside from partisan politics in the interim. I wish to express my profound gratitude to the party that gave me the platform with which I attained the height I did in the politics of our country.

How I wish the efforts I mounted with some of my colleagues (many of whom have left the party) to keep the PDP on the path of its noble vision and values had been supported by those who were privileged to be at the helm of affairs of the party, it would have been a different day for the PDP. It would have been a day of victory and pride not of defeat and shame.

I recall that the virus of corruption of values and mission was what those my colleagues and I set out to cure through the formation of the PDP Reform Forum in 2010/11. We worked hard to draw up a new direction for the Party.

This was to help steer the party away from illegality and impropriety so that PDP can fulfill its promise of being a vanguard of Nigeria’s political and economic development. A direction defined by strict adherence to basic rules and morality in the management of party affairs. Chief of these values is respect for choice of party members in electing party candidates for elections.

With more than half a decade of championing such a fundamental but simple idea, I regret that the PDP leadership continues to rebuff internal democracy. The party allowed itself to be blinded by hubris to believe that it will remain in power and influence for 60 years in spite of several gross missteps and grievous misnomer. We foresaw this ditch and prescribed how to avert falling into it. But we were dismissed as idealistic. Today the idealists have become realists.

Recently, even after our avoidable abysmal electoral defeat, I continued to believe that we can still chart a new course and retrieve victory from the jaw of defeat. I continued to urge the leadership of the party to believe that the time of defeat could be the time of renewal, and that renewal requires strategic thinking and bold actions.

I urged that this is a time to re-embrace internal democracy and principled leadership to reposition the party for new politics. We are living in different times and we need new tools, ethos and codes of conduct. We need to become a party of technocrats and professionals and not a party of mercenaries and rent seekers.

We need to become the party of young men and women with new ideas and not a party of political dinosaurs. It is clear now that these pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Every day the crisis of confidence and the contradictions in our party deepen. We continue to lose members and morale. The rebuilding some of us had urged on the leadership is not happening. Those who led us to defeat are determined to continue to lead the party as undertakers.

I do not believe I should continue to be a member of the PDP as it is defined today. This is certainly not the party I joined years ago to help change my country. I do not also believe that the PDP as it is managed today will provide an opportunity for me to continue to play the politics of principles and values which I set for myself as a young man on leaving graduate school and working for a large multinational in the United States in the 70s and 80s.

Therefore, today I resign my membership of the PDP. In stepping out of partisan politics for the meantime, I will continue to be politically engaged. I will also continue to support the government and all the elected officers in Nigeria to repositioning the nation. I will also constructively criticize them when by commission or omission they take actions that could damage the prospects of transforming Nigeria into a productive, merit-based and honestly governed country.
As I leave PDP, I wish the leaders a new awakening and ethical revival. I cherish all the friends I made while in PDP and hope the friendship will continue to flourish.

God bless Nigeria.

Senator Ken Nnamani, GCON

A rejoinder to ‘Wailing Wailers, Buharists and that disgraceful 2016 budget’ by Demola Rewaju

In writing this Rejoinder, I must make clear that I have no intention of joining issues on twitter with Mr. Japhet Omojuwa other than to clear certain misunderstandings in his piece which may be deliberate or inadvertent. We can then perhaps spark off a deeper understanding of positions across camps towards ending the silliness of a divided youth base.

Read: http://dejiabiri.blogspot.com.ng/2016/02/wailing-wailers-buharists-and-nigerias.html

In referring to those who support former President Goodluck Jonathan as “Wailing Wailers”, Japhet submits to the divisive thinking promoted by this administration in order to keep the camp of Buhari supporters united. This appellation was first used derogatively by Femi Adesina who speaks on behalf of Mr. President and he again repeated it on Christmas Day.

Those of us on this side have embraced it but in referring to those who support President Muhammadu Buhari as Buharists, not Lying Liars as we choose to describe them in equal derogatory retaliation, Japhet betrays his sentiments and it is well understood.

Subsequent parts of his article show however that he has taken a step from the left of the political divide where he used to be blatantly and sometimes abusively anti-government to embrace or make an attempt to embrace a more moderate position at least on the budget. His criticism of this document is spot on and one finds no major point to disagree with him on that.

While one is grateful that there are no allusions to pigs or ineffectual buffoons about the incumbent President:our President, he again betrays an inability to avoid continual denigration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and this is where and why it is important to clarify things a bit so that those who would like to shift positions can fully understand the position of those of us who seemed pro-government at this time last year.

In a nation of millions of people, was Goodluck Jonathan the best man to be President? Many would answer a resounding ‘no’ and that includes a lot of Wailers. But was General Muhammadu Buhari the best option and alternative to him? This was where our ‘no’ was emphatic because that negative answer was echoed not just by Wailing Wailers but by many other Nigerians who simply refused to believe in the repackaged product.

Those who recalled the Economic crises of 1984 and 1985 due to his inability to understand the Economy also said ‘no’. Those who genuinely could not see how #Change could be a regression to a past of failed leadership which had somehow been glorified and recast as Nigeria’s golden age also said ‘no’ with us. These people said ‘no’ not because they loved Goodluck Jonathan but because for them it was a case of jumping from frying pan to fire – if there would be a change of leadership (and not a change of systems), it simply could not be a change from Jonathan to Buhari.

These people were over 12 million in number and so when the likes of Adesina or Omojuwa refer to them as “Wailing Wailers”, it is obvious that they do not understand that many people were indeed unconvinced about the ability of the incumbent President to do differently, without being beneficiaries of the immediate past President. Sadly like Omojuwa stylishly admits: the President is confirming our worst fears about Buhari.

For a President who was elected on a sense of urgency; one who claimed to have leadership experience and one who had contested election three times in the past, the inability of President Buhari to form the Federal Executive Council for about five months has become the foundation of our socio-economic crises as Nigeria wasted time which the “Jonathan Must Go Even If A Pig Is The Alternative” claim we never had. One of the offshoots of that indecisiveness is a budget prepared largely without ministerial interjections except to inflate costs – Prof. Anthony Anwuka the minister of state for education admitted just this week to the senate that he was not aware of how salaries and emoluments of ministry staff jumped up by over NGN10bn from the 2015 budget.

By presenting a ministerial list of more of the same kind of politicians, some very obvious downgrade from the GEJ cabinet and persons whose only claim to office is that they had been his longterm aides and cronies, President Buhari sent a clear signal into the polity: “this is business as usual but this time, my own friends will be rewarded” and we ended up with the likes of Hadi Sirika, Adamu Adamu, Adebayo Shittu, Abubakar Malami, Abdulrahman Dambazzau and several others as ministers while Hamid Alli was drafted to the Nigerian Customs Service and Lawal Daura recalled from retirement to come and head the DSS – clear indications of Appointment By Nepotism.

Cronies of governors who were close Buhari associates also made the list: that’s how we ended up with Kemi Adeosun as Finance Minister – a close friend of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun who had been a member of the ANPP at the same time as Buhari.

And you also have an Amaechi as Minister: Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi at a reception for the man admitted that about 80% of campaign funding came from Rotimi Amaechi who at the time of the campaign was the Governor of Rivers State and we must not be simpleminded to assume that the money he spent on the campaign was left as inheritance for him by his ancestors.

As Omojuwa now sees: there was no #Change in the true sense of what Nigerians expected – the only change that took place on March the 28th of last year was a change of leadership and a change of cronies of leadership. Some of us envisaged this and we are only surprised that this Government is not even pretending to represent Change in any way by making an initial show of it, such as expunging spurious provisions from the national budget for instance.

In many instances in fact, the sums have been increased to outrageous levels: Dambazzau’s ministry wants to spend over half a billion on repairs and rehabilitation of office buildings – a 2500% increase from what was allocated in 2015.

But here is where I help those who are becoming increasingly politically conscious to understand our position, as Wailing Wailers (as they call us and we now embrace) or as PDP supporters: we admit now and ever that Goodluck Jonathan was not the ideal President for Nigeria but the alternative WAS NOT A CONSIDERABLE OPTION or an improvement on Goodluck Jonathan.

We insisted then that the man to replace Jonathan could only be one who had demonstrated an ability to grapple with Nigeria’s multifaceted problems either with visible footsteps at the state level or in private business – but let’s not rehash the pre-election arguments: we are now where we are.

Where we are is a Government that is struggling to keep up and we understand that, wholeheartedly. Where we are is a crowd of 15 million (as against 12 million), many of whom took a chance on voting Buhari for Change but now see Buhari without the promised Change. Some may be pained that Goodluck Jonathan is no longer in power but personally and for many whom I know, it was rarely about Jonathan as a person and so there is no pain here.

I have been to Abuja on the invitation of PDP more times since March 28, 2015 than since 1999. I have been in ‘opposition’ in Lagos as a PDP member since before the 2011 election so I am used to it, I like many I know have never been beneficiaries of the PDP set up and so we are used to ‘opposition’.

Why then do we Wail?

We wail because the likes of Omojuwa have now lost the moral credibility to lead the charge against the same Government they told us would lead us to Eldorado, Utopia and the Elysian Fields. We wail because we warned that this President did not in any way represent Change and as Prophets of that Truth, we continue to point the way out.

We wail because those who used to tell us that it was wrong for Jonathan to godto Oba Odulana’s birthday in Ibadan 24 hours after a Boko Haram attack have lost their voice as President Buhari went to Ogun State in aso-ebi to celebrate after his citizens were killed in Dalori. We wail because those who used to tell us about foreign exchange rates falling under Jonathan now tell us that the worst exchange rates ever in Nigeria’s history are suddenly a thing of joy.

We wail because the Rule of Law suddenly does not matter. We wail because people on the streets are beginning to wail as prices of essential commodities continue to climb higher. we wail because although we understand the challenges of Governance, the failure of yesterday’s wailers to speak up in defence of certain ideals can no longer speak.

We wail because we have a right to do so, and more because we saw this coming, we insisted that this Change was fraudulent while admitting the status quo ante was not the ideal. We wail because we can.

We wail because we must. We wail because you cannot wail anymore.

We wail because we too are Nigerians.

On other aspects of Omojuwa’s article, I have no marked disagreements – I concur with him that the 2016 Budget is disgraceful: to Mr. President’s vaunted austere lifestyle and asceticism, to those like Omojuwa who sold him to youths on social media and to those who dared to believe that this one would be different.

We have moved on (maybe not all but most of us) and we appreciate the difficulties that this Government is experiencing at the moment with meeting the ideals set for the previous government. Rather than submit however to the wishes of the ruling class as embodied in this present government to keep us divided along false political lines, we insist that youths must demand better from government.

When those who defend the same things they once castigated equally understand our position as we understand theirs, there can be a unified push for better governance. As long as they keep painting us as less patriotic tha they: na here we go dey.

CBN Restriction Of Forex On Imported Goods Has Come To Stay - Saraki

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has ruled out the possibility of reversing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy excluding some imported goods and services from the list of items valid for forex in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.

Saraki, while responding to a request by the Tomato Sub-Sectoral Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), seeking his intervention to lift the exemption by the CBN on certain imported goods, said based on the present economic realities, difficult decisions are necessary be taken to overcome the challenges.

The Senate President, who addressed the tomato paste producers when they paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, said: "It is high time we start telling ourselves the home truth as a nation, we are where we are because of our refusal to take hard decisions.

"As a country, we have to chart a new way different from the past, and that path is going into manufacturing as we cannot continue to remain an import dependent country," he said.

While challenging the tomato paste producers to focus more on how to be full fledged manufacturers of the product using local raw materials, Saraki expressed surprise that in spite of the high level of local cultivation of tomatoes, the producers were still importing the Triple Concentrate used in the production of tomato paste, which he said can be produced locally by raising the production level of tomatoes in the country.

"What stops us from producing the tomato to the level of achieving the High Concentrate? You have to be serious in the area of massive investment and research in the sector for government to consider any concession for you," Saraki said.

Earlier, the leader of the group, Mr. Femi Gbadegun said though they were not against the CBN's policy restricting forex to some imported items but that they needed time to raise the level of tomato production in the country to eliminate the need for importation.

Gbadegun lamented that the policy had adversely affected the operations of the members of the association.

Dokpesi apologises to Tinubu over libellous documentary

National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has agreed to accept an unreserved apology from Chairman of DAAR Communication PLc, Chief Raymond Dokepsi as settlement for the libellous documentary “Lion of Bourdillon” aired on Africa Independent Television, AIT.

Lawyer to Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun(SAN) and Dokpesi’s counsel Chief Mike Ozekhome(SAN) Friday presented the terms of settlement reached on 29 January, 2016 before the trial court Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe.

The terms of agreement include among other things, a retraction of the broadcast by AIT, an apology by AIT, which should be aired daily for a quarter.

The trial court subsequently adopted the terms of settlement.

Here is the letter of retraction:
Retraction and Apology by DAAR Communications Plc to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Further to the terms of settlement in Suit No: ID/196GCMW/2015 between Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Daar Communications Plc filed as a result of the broadcast of a documentary titled ‘Lion of Bourdilon’ and which terms were adopted at the High Court of Lagos State on 5th February, 2016 as the judgment of the court, the defendant, Daar. Communication Plc, hereby retract and apologies to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as follows;

1. Daar Communications Plc, acknowledges that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is an outstanding. Political leader of unblemished character and integrity, as well as a leading public figure and opinion moulder who has made and continues to make immense, colossal and gargantuan contributions to the progress and development of the nation in general. And Lagos State in particular.

2. Daar Communication Plc admits that in airing the said documentary, it had no intention whatsoever to embarrass or diminish the high reputation of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu which it respects and attests to.

3. Daar Communications Plc hereby makes a public and unequivocal retraction of the said documentary titled ‘Lion of Bourdillon’, which was broadcast on its television station, AIT.

4. Daar Communications Plc hereby tenders unreserved apology to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the broadcast of the documentary on its television station, AIT.

5. Daar Communications Plc prays that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will live long to make more enormous contributions to the advancement of our nation, Nigeria, Lagos State and the world at large.

Source: PM News

PRESIDENT BUHARI BEGINS SHORT VACATION, AS PROF. OSINBAJO ACTS

President Muhammadu Buhari has begun a short vacation from today, February 5 to February 10, 2016.

While President Buhari is on vacation, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will perform the functions of the President.

In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, President Buhari has dispatched a formal notice of his vacation to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
February 5, 2016

Senate President Bukola Saraki Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling Expresses Disappointment

After listening to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the appeal he filed to challenge the process of arraigning him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki hereby states as follows :

1. He expresses disappointment over the Judgment of the apex court in the country on the six grounds of his appeal

2. He however will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial matter are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial.

3. The Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.

4. Dr. Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the beginning of the case. He assures everyone that at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu

Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President


Also Read: http://dejiabiri.blogspot.com.ng/2016/02/senate-president-saraki-must-face.html

Senate President Saraki Must Face Corruption Trial At The Code Of Conduct Tribunal - Supreme Court Rules

Senate President, Bukola Saraki will face trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) according to a 7-man panel at the Supreme Court which rejected his appeal challenging the decision of the Appeal Court which upheld his trial at the tribunal.    

                       

 A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court led by a retiring Justice John Fabiyi had on December 4, 2015, ordered a stay of proceeding by the Tribunal pending the determination of Mr. Saraki's appeal. The court also asked counsel on both sides to submit their briefs of argument within 14 days. The court then fixed February 5, 2016, to deliver its judgement.                                         

Mr. Saraki's appeal before the country's apex court contends that the CCT lacks jurisdiction to try him. His lawyers argue that the tribunal was not duly constituted as it comprised two instead of three members provided for by the Constitution. Also, the embattled Senate President's lawyers claim that the charges against Mr. Saraki were not competent.                                       

A panel of Nigeria's Court of Appeal had earlier, in a split decision, affirmed the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try Mr. Saraki.  

Source: Sahara Reporters