Connect with us

Latest News

Yakasai Urges Buhari To Ignore Northern Leaders Opposed To Census

Published

on

Yakasai Urges Buhari To Ignore Northern Leaders Opposed To Census

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to ignore some northern leaders calling for the postponement of the 2022 national census.

The appeal came from elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai who said that the “so-called leaders” do not mean well for the northern region and Nigeria at large.

The nonagenarian, who made the appeal on Thursday when he received a delegation of the National Population Commission (NPC) in his Kano home, said with Nigeria already several years behind on timeline for the census, it would be foolhardy to further delay the exercise as all resources already committed would be wasted.

READ ALSO: Buhari Nominates New Minister, Commissioners For INEC, NPC

Yakasai was reacting to the position of a group of northern leaders under the aegis of Northern Leaders of Thought, who called on the president to postpone the planned 2022 national census following their meeting on January 15 in Kaduna.

In a communique read on its behalf by Professor Doknan Decent Danjuma Shenni, a former Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University, the group said the call was in view of the large numbers of displaced Nigerians and the proximity of the census to the 2023 elections.

But according to Yakasai, an election that is still over a year away should not have any negative bearing on the census .

He condemned the credibility of the group, alleging that those behind them knew the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern Elders Forum (NEF) would see through the agenda.

“Secondly, I am suspecting some people to be behind that gathering”, he said, adding those behind the group may be southerners that are afraid the north will further assert its numerical advantage with the census.

“I am afraid it might be some individuals from the south that came to buy some of our northern people,” he said.

He added that some members of the ACF that were at the meeting might be ignorant of the real motive for the call for the postponement of the census.

“We are several years late already (for the census), and we should be late again? This is not something our leaders – politicians and other influential people should allow. They should stand firm and encourage this census. They should not allow the postponement even for a minute talk less of a day.

“The day they fixed, it should take place. It’s a one-day exercise. All the days before are for the training of personnel and other things. It is not right. Whoever said they should not do it, it’s either he does not know what he is doing or he is in alliance with our enemies.”

It was learnt that the national census is being scheduled to hold between April and May.

 

Read more authentic news on our social media platforms

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Latest News

‘Governor Abiodun Committed To Rule Of Law, Democracy’

Published

on

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

The commitment of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State to ensure the preservation of the rule of law, battle corruption and, protect the tenets of democracy in the country has again been reiterated.

According to a top functionary of the government, apart from prioritising the welfare of the people, the administration is working hard to deepen the people’s beliefs in the nations democratic process.

Kayode Akinmade, a Chief Consultant on Media to the governor, who spoke while answering questions on a television programme on Friday, said as a law-abiding leader, the governor has always taken recourse to the judiciary to seek redress for himself and his administration whenever the need arises, rather than engage in self-help.

Akinmade stressed that the decision of the governor to approach the court over the matter between him and the impeached chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Wale Adedayo, is a demonstration of his belief in the rule of law and his indisposition to ‘rule of force’.

Adedayo appeared before a Magistrate’s Court at Isabo, Abeokuta, on a petition filed by the state government against him over an earlier allegation of diversion of funds meant for Council Areas in the state. Governor Abiodun is insisting that the former Council boss must prove his allegations against his administration or face the wrath of the law for falsely inciting the people against the government.

Adedayo was arraigned on a two-count charge. According to Akinmade, it is wrong for people to rush to accuse the governor of persecuting Adedayo, who according to him, has “severally apologised to the governor in private while continuing with his ill-motivated misinformation in public.”

“The governor believes that taking Adedayo before the court will deepen our democracy and entrench the rule of law.

“Unlike some other people in Governor Abiodun’s shoes who would readily recourse to sending thugs after and unleashing other forms of violence on those who accused them rightly or wrongly, our governor decided to seek redress in court. I think he should be commended by all and sundry for this. What he is doing is giving Adedayo a chance to prove his allegations,” Akinmade said.

On the allegation by the impeached chairman that the governor is behind his removal, Akinmade said Adedayo was already facing removal from office before he raised the false alarms against the governor. “He has already been accused of several impeachable offences before he wrote the letter alleging that the governor diverted council funds. He had already reached out to the governor and other leaders of the party to help him stave off his removal. It was when he realized he may not survive the impeachment move that he connived with some other unscrupulous politicians in the party to malign the governor and discredit the APC in Ogun State,” Akinmade said.

The media chief added that claims by Adedayo that he got zero allocation since he became chairman of his local government were proved wrong by the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) in the state when the House of Assembly looked into his petition. He recalled that other council chairmen in the state also debunked the allegation and even brought Adedayo with them to apologize to the governor for the wrong allegations.

“But in spite of all these, he didn’t stop his scripted plot to tarnish the image of the governor. Hence, Governor Abiodun approached the court for redress,” he added.

Speaking further, Akinmade recalled that the impeached council boss has been in office for more than two years before making his frivolous and unfounded allegations. “One then wonders why he is raising this alarm now. He claimed zero allocation, but he has been collecting his monthly N3 million security votes regularly. Local government staff in his LGA are not being owed, and primary school teachers there are paid as at when due. We all should be asking him to explain what he meant by zero allocation,” he said.

Continue Reading

Latest News

BREAKING: Kaduna Guber Tribunal Nullifies Election Of Governor Uba Sani

Published

on

Kaduna State Governor UBA Sani

The governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Kaduna on Thursday declared the election of Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as inconclusive and thus nullified the exercise.

The tribunal made the declaration while delivering judgement via Zoom in a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Ashiru, challenging the election of Sani in the March 2023, election.

The tribunal ordered that fresh election be conducted in seven wards in four LGAs of the state.

Continue Reading

Latest News

In Shakeup Of FCT Administration, Wike Sacks Agencies, Parastatals Heads

Published

on

BREAKING: Wike Dares Ayu To Stop Elections Of Ortom, Others
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nysom Wike

In a decisive shakeup of the administration of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), its Minister Nyesom Wike, has sacked the heads of 21 parastatals, agencies, and government companies.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Director of Press, Office of the Minister, Anthony Ogunleye, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ogunleye identified the affected heads of the agencies as follows:

1. Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abuja Investment Company Ltd

2. CEO/Managing Director, Abuja Markets Management Ltd

3. MD/CEO, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company

4. CEO/MD, Abuja Property Development Company

5. CEO/MD, Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company

6. CEO/MD, Abuja Film Village International

7. CEO/MD, Powernoth AICL Equipment Leasing Company Ltd

8. MD, Abuja Broadcasting Corporation

9. MD, Abuja Enterprise Agency

10. General Manager, FCT Water Board

11. Director-General, FCT Emergency Management Agency

12. Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board

13. DG, Hospital Management Board

14. Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board

15. Director, FCT Scholarship Board

16. Director, FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board

17. Director, Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board

18. Coordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Center

19. Director, FCT Health Insurance Scheme

20. Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department

21. Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council

The director of the press said that the affected appointees should hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank.

He added that appointments in the offices would be made in due course.

Continue Reading

Top Stories