RESTRUCTURING Nigeria: Presidency, APC Shuns Atiku, Afenifere's Call

The Presidency and the ruling All progressives Congress, APC have shunned the idea to restructuring Nigeria despite calls from well-meaning Nigerians, the latest from the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as a means to tackle the ongoing challenges, Punch Newspaper reports on Sunday.

The APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun reportedly said restructuring the nation not a priority of the party at this trying time, rather, the administration is currently focused on rebuilding the economy, creating jobs and ensuring the security of lives and property, he said to Punch Newspaper.

Also, the Presidency through the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina on Saturday, in an interview with Punch Newspaper buttressed the party's stance saying it was on the same page with the Party.

The Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group had on Tuesday backed a former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's call for restructuring Nigeria to ensure the development and growth of the federating units.

Odigie-Oyegun noted that there were several challenges the administration was currently grappling with.

He said, “To bring this additional issue (restructuring) – is not the wisest thing for a nation that is struggling to stabilise to go into an unnecessary diversion at this point.

“Nothing is wrong with the idea but at this time, it is best for us to concentrate on our priorities. As a party, our priority right now is to rebuild the economy, create jobs and deal with the security problems at hand.

“And with what is happening in the Niger Delta you can see that there is so much to do. We must get our priority right some day we will come to that.”

He pleaded with Nigerians not to lose hope because the current challenges were temporary while appealing to them to continue to give unwavering support  for the Buhari-led administration to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had, on Tuesday, advocated the restructuring of the country to ensure the development and growth of the federating units.

“Agitations by many right-thinking Nigerians call for a restructuring and a renewal of our federation to make it less centralised, less suffocating and less dictatorial in the affairs of our country’s constituent units and localities,” the former vice-president had said at a book presentation, “We are all Biafrans”, in Abuja.

Eminent Nigerians such as a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and an ex-Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams (retd.), as well as groups such as Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and the pan-Igbo umbrella body, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also supported Atiku’s call.

When asked about the Presidency’s position on the calls, Adesina referred our correspondent to the ruling party’s roadmap for the country.

He said, “The governing party, the APC, has a position on restructuring in its roadmap for the country. Please consult the document.”

Our correspondent’s online check of the party’s document titled “Roadmap to a new Nigeria” showed that the closest information to the issue of restructuring was contained in a section titled “Strengthen peace, security and Foreign Policy.”

Under that section, the APC listed its roadmap for peace, security and foreign policy to include; to enable states to have their own local police forces that address the special needs of each community, including community policing initiatives that restore trust among local citizens; establishing a serious crime squad with state-of-the-art training and equipment to combat terrorism, militancy and ethno-religious communal clashes; and to provide a comprehensive compensation plan for victims of ethno-religious crisis, communal clashes and terrorism.

Credit: Punch Newspaper

Obasanjo, Atiku, Duke, Others Linked To New Political Party; Tinubu's Name Too Filters Ahead 2019

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, an unconfirmed report says is leading a pack of top politicians including his former Vice President. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former senate president Ken Nnamani and former Cross River State Governor Mr. Donald Duke, among others, to float a new political party ahead of the 2019 general elections apparently in dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Frontier News reports

It gathered authoritatively, Frontier News says that the new party formation, which is billed for lunch in November 2016 also has Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and his predecessor Senator Aliyu Wamako as coordinator of Sokoto state while Senator Musa Kwakwaso is to oversee Kano state.

Other coordinators of the yet to be named mega party our correspondent gathered are Senator Adamu Aliero who is to coordinate Kebbi state, MrsAll Progressives Congress  who is to coordinate Akwa Ibom, the current secretary to the Edo State government Professor Julius Ihonvbere is to coordinate Edo State while Mr. Jimi Agbaje is to coordinate Lagos state. The name of Ogun born politician Mr. Bode Mustapha also featured in the new political arrangement.

Some governors of the South-South and South-East, who are serving their second terms in office our correspondent gathered are also deeply involved in the political arrangement but with the promise of vice presidential slot while  present and former governors of the North have also been linked to the new party.

Though the name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was linked to the new party, an insider told Frontiersnews that Obasanjo is strongly opposed to the inclusion of his former deputy in the party.

A source, who spoke to our correspondent, on condition of anonymity said ” Obasanjo is blocking the inclusion of Atiku Abubakar because of their old quarrel. We are beginning to see the former VP returning to the PDP before 2019 because the APC will certainly not give him the ticket in 2019″.

Top political leaders in both the ruling APC, the PDP and other political parties in the country have also been linked with the new party as consultation intensifies.

An inside source told our correspondent on Monday that key members of the National Assembly, some serving ministers, former governors and a host of other powerful individuals in the country swell the rank of the new political group.

The source stated that in the months ahead, “you are going to see alignment and realignment of political interests. As for the APC and the PDP, there survival will be dependent on their ability to manage their crisis”.

Our correspondent’s investigations revealed that APC strongman Senator Bola Tinubu is already mobilising his supporters to consolidate their hold on the South West bloc and possibly reawaken “his old political bloc”.

Tinubu’s key allies and diehard loyalists who the source said are very unhappy in APC and with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government are already mobilising to recreate the old Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform ahead of the 2019 general elections, another top politician confirmed.

The source said this development is also applicable to the Atiku Abubakar and the Bukola Saraki’s blocs.

The promoters of the yet to be named political party, the online medium said were undecided wether to create a completely new political platform or leverage on an already registered party and build it into a mega party to form a formidable opposition party to the APC and the PDP in the political landscape.

Alleged Secret Recruitments Of Atiku, Buhari Children and Allies, CBN Breaks Silence

Godwin Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria has reacted to the public outcry of an illegal recruitment exercise allegedly carried out by the apex bank. Sahara Reporters on Tuesday March 15th, reported that the bank employed the children of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, IGP Solomon Arase and others to some key positions in the bank.

The list of beneficiaries of the CBN’s secret job recruitment includes a daughter of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, a son of Mamman Daura, a nephew of President Buhari and one of the closest members of the president’s inner circle, a son of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, a daughter of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba, also daughter of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, a son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Abdurahman Danbazzau and at least 86 others.

This report has sparked up public outcry as many believed that the bank should have publicized the job openings for many other people to apply.

However in an interview with Premium Times yesterday March 16th, the CBN’s acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor said the bank did nothing illegal or wrong in hiring without advertising.

“In the last two years, we have had cause to recruit specialists, and what the law says is that if we are going for that kind of recruitment we should apply for waiver, so that we can do targeted recruitment" 

He said the bank obtained waiver from the Federal Character Commission. 

“The other issue is that there are states that are not well represented (in the CBN), and in this case, we focus on those states to recruits people of certain classes that we used to cover the shortfall in those states,” he said