Kogi APC guber candidate Ododo unveils teacher as running mate

The Kogi State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usmam Ododo, unveiled a primary school teacher, Salifu Joel, on Sunday as his running mate for the Nov. 11 election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Salifu Joel is the current chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State.

Gov Yahaya Bello, who spoke at the event at the Government House, said that the choice of Joel, a class teacher and unionist, as the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, was borne out of the party’s desire to carry everybody along in its quest for the development of the state.

Gov Bello assured that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the APC wins the governorship election in the state.

According to him: “APC will follow and abide by all the existing electoral laws to win the November 11 election, moreso that my administration has performed creditably well in the areas of infrastructure provision, quality education, and healthcare delivery, among others.”

The governor claimed that his administration has shown competence, dedication, and commitment to the Kogi people in terms of performance and therefore is entitled “to also ask for their votes in the next governorship election.”

Bello warned: “In this dispensation, we won’t tolerate any politics of bitterness nor condone any act of political violence because Kogi as a state is bigger than any personal interest.”

The state’s APC chairman, Abdullahi Bello, commended the selection of the running mate for the party’s governorship candidate from a very critical section of society.

The deputy governorship candidate in his response said: “I am short of words for me as a classroom teacher to be nominated as the running mate and deputy governor to the APC guber candidate.”

Speaking further, Joel, who said he heartily accepted the position, assured that he will “do all I can to ensure that our party becomes victorious in the forthcoming governorship election.”

In their goodwill messages, the National President of TUC, Audu Anaba, Gabriel Amari, and Edoka Onu, respectively present and past NLC chairmen, commended the emergence of a member of labour unions as Ododo’s running mate.

They assured the governor of their total support and promised to mobilise votes for the Ododo/ Joel ticket to ensure that the duo emerge as the next governor and deputy governor of Kogi State. (NAN)

Subsidy: APC chieftain says NLC planned strike selfish, unpatriotic

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

AChieftain of APC in Kwara State, Comrade Abdul-Rahoof BelloLàbẹ́làbẹ́, has advised the Kwara State Labour Unions to disobey the unlawful directive by the NLC to embark on nationwide protest on Wednesday, against fuel subsidy removal.

Comrade Bello, said in a signed statement that such call to action was not only politicallymotivated. It is subversive and smacks of attempt at frustrating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts on ending the ‘subsidy scam’ that has pushed Nigeria to the precipice of bankruptcy, he added.

He said,”President Bola Tinubu announced recently that his administration inherited ‘liabilities’ from President Buhari, which could have made it impossible for any ‘unprepared’ successor to move the nation forward, but never a hardliner like him who begged for the job and thus, deserved no pity!

“Was the NLC unaware that government had been borrowing to pay workers’ salaries and fuel subsidies? Isn’t it nasty that the NLC is pretending knowing that Nigeria has been groaning under accumulated debt burden? Isn’t it an open secret that Buhari administration left about #77trilion debt (local and foreign), which had to be serviced with about 96% of our dwindling national income?

“With this lurid and grim picture of our economy, President Tinubu was unmistakable in his inaugural speech that some ‘tough’ decisions on economic surgery have to be taken to save our beloved country from collapse now!

“Delay is dangerous, otherwise, workers; pensioners; education; healthcare; infrastructure; security and other developmental projects would suffer irreparable damage.

“Despite this, the NLC cannot see any plausible solution than calling out workers to the street instead of exploring the robust opportunity provided by President Bola Tinubu for negotiation and intellectual engagement.

“Isn’t it settled in Law that ‘strike action’ should be the last resort only when other options have failed? Therefore, calling out workers to the street by NLC/ TUC while negotiating with the government, was not only hasty and cheap blackmail, but in bad faith.

“If the NLC cannot claim to be the sole beneficiary of whatever effects of the subsidy withdrawal, it would be irresponsible of the NLC to attempt to sacrifice the long-lasting national interest on the altar of cheap publicity and myopic political interest of its leadership!

According to Comrade Bello, a sense of duty dictates that people of good conscience make passionate appeal to Kwara

State workers to disregard the call to strike action slated for Wednesday. This is necessary as a mark of respect to Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq as Chairman Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

“In his capacity as NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq has led his colleagues to a meeting with President Bola Tinubu where agreement was reached to review workers’ salaries, amongst other palliative measures to cushion the negative effects of subsidy withdrawal to the Nigerian people.

“The greatest honour the Kwara workers can do to the Governor was to ignore the ‘strike action’, to reciprocate his good rapprochement with the NLC in his State.

“Kwara NLC should understand that any protest or industrial action against fuel subsidy removal is an ill-wind that blows no worker any good – It is unpopular!” he said.

PDP Govs Forum Chairman: Abbas congratulates Mohammed, Fubara

By Christiana Ekpa

Frontline candidate for the speakership position in the incoming 10th House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has congratulated the governors of Bauchi and Rivers ẹtates, Bala Mohammed and Siminalayi Fubara, on their emergence, respectively, as the chairman and vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum.

Abbas said he was elated that the two leaders were elected by their colleagues to pilot the affairs of the PDP Governors Forum, noting that their emergence is a testament to their leadership qualities and readiness to serve the people.

In a statement from his campaign office, the lawmaker, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, said he was convinced that the two governors would give their best in their new assignments.

He lauded the combination of Bala Mohammed and Siminalayi Fubara, saying not only are they deserving of their new positions but that they are also a perfect match for the task ahead of them.

The speakership candidate noted with joy the contributions of the two governors to nationbuilding, which he urged them to sustain, and also enjoined them to work with their colleagues from the other political parties to put Nigeria first.

While wishing them success in their assignment, Abbas called on their colleagues, both in PDP and other political parties, to give them the maximum support to succeed.