APGA rejects Soludo

It was indeed one of the biggest political surprise coming from the state of Anambra in recent times, with already made speculations by some political analyst that he will be the next Governor owing to the fact he was coming from APGA, a political party that have captured Anambra state with a very strong hold. Ekwunife, Odenigbo, others scale through but the great Soludo did not pass the party’s test.
The screening panel set up by All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, to screen all aspirants for November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, failed to clear former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and five other contenders.

Out of the 13 aspirants contesting under the party, only seven scaled through the hurdle at the conclusion of the screening exercise which took place between August 15 and 16, 2013 at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The successful aspirants include, Hon. Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Nwogbo, Paul Odenigbo, Hon. Uche Lillian Ekwunife, Chief Willie Obiano, Mr. John Nwosu, John Okechukwu Emeka and Nwachi Patrick Obianwu.

Those who failed the screening include Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnacheta, Chinedu F. Idigo, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, Mr. Oseloke Obaze and Professor Charles Chukwuemeka Soludo.

Chairman of the Gubernatorial Screening Panel, Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi  said the reason (s) for the non-clearance of the unsuccessful aspirants are as contained in the provisional certificates issued to them.

Other members of the panel were Ifeanyi Mbaeri and Chief Onwuka Ukwa who served in the panel as Secretary and member, respectively.

It would be recalled that the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh while setting up the three-man screening panel, assured that the party has laid down a transparent process that would produce a worthy and an acceptable candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra state.

Professor Charles Soludo shortly after facing the screening panel Thursday in Abuja, had told journalists that he joined the APGA not because of the governorship contest but to build the party.

According to him, “I am saying my priority in joining All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA,  is to help to build APGA as a formidable political party. Running for governor is not why I joined APGA.

“Did that surprise you? I have joined APGA primarily to join forces with the other compatriots, other Nigerians to build APGA as a formidable political party.  An APGA that will some day mainstream what APGA stands for, what APGA has to offer Nigeria.

“APGA is the only political party in Nigeria that talks about true federalism. No other political party aspire to bring true federalism to Nigeria. No other political party talks about revenue allocation, physical federalism that would allow each region or state to develop according to its own space.  There is no other political party that talks about competition.

“To me, APGA should be the manifesto, national mobilisation because that is the only way Nigeria can move forward.  “I have to come here to visit the national office of APGA, but principally, this is a new family for me. Like I have said, my first mission is to join others to build APGA as a formidable movement. And that is basically what it is. Governorship thing is aside.”

On whether he will still remain in APGA if he fails to pick the party’s ticket, he said, “I am APGA in the morning in the afternoon and in the night. I am in APGA today, I will be in APGA tomorrow, I will be in APGA next year, I will be in APGA for the next seven years to come.”

He also said he had to quit the PDP because it was not a political party but a mere platform to grab power.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Prof. Soludo said that he joined PDP by accident and now had to make a choice on where to pitch his political tent.

His words, “recently I resigned my membership from PDP and joined APGA. The basic question people kept asking is why? That is a short question to ask but with a long answer.

“I joined PDP by accident .  I did  not belong to any political party before I was appointed as the president’s chief Economic Adviser and CEO of National  Planning Commission which is more like a minister of National planning Commission.

“It was a political appointment and has some kind of requirement, if you like. Though it is  not explicitly demanded of you so I joined the PDP without even knowing what the party stood for.. “Having stayed there for a while, I have now had a chance to review the political  parties in Nigeria and have reviewed their constitutions and manifestos and also review the operations  of the various political parties and I think this is now the time to make the decision of the political party that I should belong to out of choice, out of volition.  It is now time to make a choice based on one’s conviction rather than convenience.

“PDP started off as an amalgamation of diverse groups and individuals  who really had nothing in common- probably to ease off the military but since then it has been grappling to find a bearing as political party.

“As it is today, in my considered view, it is not a political party in the true sense of a political party.  Why did I say that the PDP is not a political party?.  I just describe it as a platform to grab power.

Asked if the change of party was not to actualize his dream of governing Anambra through an arrangement with incumbent Gov Peter Obi, the economist- turned politician said that even though he was aspiring to contest on the platform of APGA, he would remain in the party if he fails to secure the ticked at the primaries.

“My decision to join APGA is not just limited to my aspiration to govern Anambra State.  In as much as I would like to fly the APGA flag, even if I am not given the ticket, I will still remain in APGA and support whoever emerges.  This is the party in which ideology, the constitution, manisfesto, aims and objectives are in line with my views and what I believe in.

“My decision to join APGA was a decision I made made more than a year ago.  I would have joined more than a year ago and the reason that I didn’t join was that when I decided to as I was about to join, the crisis in the party erupted and so I didn’t want to join when the party was in crisis and then you would have to join one faction A faction B.”

DO NOT KILL THE ALBINOS IN NIGERIA AGAIN

Speaking in Abuja ahead of the national albinism day, Mr Epelle says Nigerians living with albinism suffer discrimination from their families, schoolmates and peers in addition to a deliberate failure to educate children living with albinism.

Mr Epelle therefore appealed to the various arms of government to come to the aid of persons living with albinism.
Dressed in yellow T-shirts and face caps, albinos converged on the national press centre in Abuja to listen to talks on albinism ahead of the national albinism day.
Some promoters of the albinism cause also appealed to privileged members of the society to assist persons living with albinism and stop all forms of discrimination against them.
Members of the albino foundation appealed to the federal government to assist them particularly in the area of acquiring education.
Albinism is an health condition that occurs in people of all race and gender and Nigeria is estimated to have one of the highest albinism prevalence rate in the world with children constituting about 40 per cent of the albinism population.
With the campaign for a national albinism day, the challenges of albinos may reduce stereotypes against persons living with albinism.

Former Delta State governor, James Ibori, lost a legal appeal on Thursday against a 13-year prison sentence for embezzling more than $250 million.

 
An appeal to reduce the 13 years sentence of Mr Ibori, a founding member of Nigeria’s ruling party who ran the affairs of Delta State for 8 years has failed.
Judge Antony Edwards-Stuart rejected that argument at the appeal hearing and also said that money laundering should attract close to the maximum 14-year sentence.
Mr Ibori pleaded guilty to 10 charges of fraud and money-laundering in February 2012 and is the most prominent Nigerian politician to be successfully prosecuted for corruption.
The former governor’s case was heard in London after prosecutors argued that, although much of the activity in question took place in Nigeria, some money did pass through Britain and British banks.
During his trial last year, a London court heard the stolen fortune was used to buy six foreign properties and a fleet of cars, although the judge said the total amount stolen may in fact be “in excess of 200 million pounds”.
The biggest single fraud involved misappropriating $37 million in fees when Mr Ibori’s Delta State sold its stake in the Nigerian mobile telecoms company V Mobile.
The Ibori case was heralded as a major success for London’s police, with Britain long seen as a destination of choice for corrupt Nigerian politicians to spend their ill-gotten gains.
Mr Ibori, who was elected governor of Delta in 1999 during Nigeria’s transition from military to civil rule, could still play a prominent role in Nigerian public life on his release.
Eligible for parole halfway through his jail term, he is likely to be out of prison in 3-1/2 years, having served a year since the trial, a year beforehand awaiting trial in London and a year in Dubai from where he was extradited to Britain.

UBA ARRESTED AND RELEASED.

UBA ARRESTED.

Ifeanyi Ubah who is the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited was yesterday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).

he was arrested by security operatives of the commission in his Abuja home in connection with the fuel subsidy scam.

His level of involvement in the scam could not be ascertained as of press time.

He was however  interrogated by the operatives of the commission and allowed to go home.

Confirming the arrest, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said, “It is true he was arrested. But he has been allowed to go home.”

Asked when he was expected back at the commission, Uwujaren said, “That will be communicated to him, but for now he is no longer with us.”

About 40 persons and companies are facing trial over the fuel subsidy scam.

Okorocha moved to israel

The Governor of Imo state Rochas Okorocha has left London where he was receiving medical treatment for Israel.

Okorocha who left Nigeria on April 20th 2013  to London after  sustaining a head injury in a car accident  had left London for Israel.

Okorocha’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, confirmed that the governor had left London. “He has left London and he is doing very well. He is currently in Israel,” he said.

Another top government official said that the governor was in Israel for  a second round of examination.

Uzoukwa, however, denied that the governor moved to Israel on health grounds.

 “He only went to Israel to attend to certain matters and will be back soon,” he said.

Okorocha was involved in a car crash on Orlu-Owerri Road in the state on April 19.

The accident occurred when a Mercedes Benz 200 ran into the governor’s convoy and had a collision with his own car.

Okorocha was on an inspection tour of projects in Orlu area when the crash occurred.

“The accident led to a minor cut on the governor’s scalp,” Uzoukwa had said.

He said Okorocha’s head was bandaged, but noted that he was stable and strong.

Okorocha had said he would seek further medical attention due to the level of impact of the accident on him.

“Although the accident left me with a cut and some minor injuries, I am fine. I will, however, seek further medical attention because of the degree of impact made by the crash,” the governor was quoted as saying after the crash.

Imo State Governor in an auto crash.

The Governor of Imo state Owelle Rochas Okorocha was involved in an auto crash which led to a minor hear injury. The Governor was on a scheduled inspection tour to some state projects in the area when the accident occurred.
A statement signed by the media aide to the Governor; Ebere Ozoukwa, stated that the Governor’s convoy was involved in the accident in Orlu town in Orlu Local government area of the state.
According to Mr Ozoukwa, “the governor sustained a minor injury which is a minor cut on his head but he is presently in a good and stable condition and has been attended to by medical personnel.”
The Governor can be seen in the picture with a bandage rolled all over his head with some blood stains.
The statement advised the general public especially Imo citizens not to “panic and should go about with their normal duties since the Governor is in a good and stable condition and responding to necessary treatment.”

BOMB BLAST IN BOSTON

It was a sad news in Boston as an explosion disrupted the Boston marathon killing 3 and leaving many injured. An eyewitness has painted a vivid picture of the blasts that rocked the popular Boston Marathon in the US late yesterday (Nigerian time but about 2:50 p.m. Boston time), killing three persons and leaving at least 114 injured.

“I was there at the finish, shooting finish line scenes, and then, bang!, it just went off, and then less than 15 to 20 seconds after, there was a second explosion, closer to Fairfield Street.Blood and broken glass covered sidewalks in the area after the blasts.
“There was blood everywhere; there were victims being carried out on stretchers. I saw someone lose their leg. People are crying. People are confused,” said Silva, who captured one of the explosions on video, said moments after the blasts.
There was instant chaos after two powerful explosions detonated in quick succession near the finish line in Boston’s Back Bay section.
“When the smoke cleared from what officials said may have been a terrorist attack, dozens of victims lay in the street, some unconscious, some grievously injured, including some whose limbs had been torn off by the blast,”
The dead included an 8-year-old boy, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation. Boston Children’s Hospital reported that those treated there included a 9-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, a 12-year-old, and a 2-year-old, according to the report.
No arrests have yet been made but President Barack Obama has vowed that whoever planted the explosives would be found and brought to justice.
“We will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable,” Obama said in a statement last night.