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PDP Crisis: Wike, Makinde, Ortom, Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Meet In Enugu

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2 years ago

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Aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday met in Enugu to plot their next move, following the visit of the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in his private residence on Thursday in Abuja.

In attendance were Governors Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and the host, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

The meeting is coming three days after Atiku held a private meeting with Wike where the presidential candidate pleaded for his support ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The PDP standard bearer met with the Rivers governor as part of his renewed efforts to resolve the lingering crisis between him and the five PDP governors led by Wike.

The Abuja meeting, however, ended in a deadlock as the Rivers governor reportedly insisted that there would be no peace deal until the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, resigned from office.

The party had been engulfed in crisis since its presidential primary in May.

Wike, who lost to Atiku, had expressed dissatisfaction with the exercise, stating that he was unfairly treated by the PDP and was not carried along.

Wike insisted that Ayu must resign if his camp must reach a truce with the party’s flag bearer but Atiku said he had no power to remove the chairman.

Atiku said if the chairman must be removed, due process must be followed by the party’s constitution.

After a series of meetings between them and their representatives failed to address the crisis, Wike and some of his colleagues and allies boycotted the inauguration of the party’s presidential campaign council in Abuja last Wednesday.

Others who also boycotted the event include Prof Jerry Gana; former governors Ayo Fayose, Jonah Jang, Donald Duke, and Olusegun Mimiko. A former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, was also absent.

According to The Punch, one of Wike’s close allies, who was privy to what was discussed at the Abuja meeting, Senator Olaka Wogu, said that the governor reiterated his demand to the former vice-president that there was no going back on his demand that Ayu must go.

He affirmed that the meeting between Atiku and Wike ended in a stalemate after the governor stood firm on his demands.

Unconfirmed reports had claimed that Atiku promised to support Wike for the Presidency in 2027. This was later denied by Atiku’s campaign spokespersons.

However, findings on Sunday revealed that in continuation of their determination to remove the PDP national chairman from office, the five aggrieved governors of the party led by Wike met in Enugu, the Enugu State capital for a strategy meeting.

It was gathered that a member of the PDP National Working Committee said in confidence that the governors met solely to strategise on how to make the party and indeed, Nigeria better.

“The big five governors are meeting, strategising for a better PDP, a better Nigeria where probity, equity, and justice reign supreme,” he said.

Pressed to disclose the specific agenda of the meeting, the NWC member who is one of those who recently refunded N28.8m into the party’s account stated, “They are united for a purpose to ensure Ayu is sacked for the unity of our party,” insisting, “Ayu must go.”

The governors, he noted, deserved special praise for championing the cause of justice and equity, not only for the PDP but for Nigeria as a whole.

“A leader on his own said he was going to quit if a northerner emerged as the PDP’s flag bearer. A northerner emerged but he did not want to go. It is a pity that some have chosen to shut up but these ones (governors) are insisting on the right thing to be done; we have to congratulate them.

“PDP is for all. No one, however powerful, owns it more than others. This is the message they are trying to pass. We will get there,” he maintained.

Also, a frontline member of the aggrieved governors’ camp, who also confirmed the meeting, revealed that they met to review the conditions given to Atiku during his meeting with Wike in Abuja on Thursday.

“The meeting in Enugu is to review Atiku’s visit to the Rivers governor in Abuja. They had told him at the meeting that Ayu must go and that the condition is not negotiable. They also gave him some other conditions.

“Atiku agreed that Ayu would go but due process must be followed to avoid a constitutional crisis. So, the aggrieved governors are meeting to fashion out plans for Ayu’s exit and also review some of the conditions they gave to Atiku. They will also look at some of the things Atiku said at the meeting with Wike,’’ he explained.

The National Vice-Chairman, South-East zone of the PDP, Chief Ali Odefa, could not be reached on the phone on Sunday but a reliable source, who works with him, said, “Yes. It’s not a lie. Four governors alongside Wike were here in Enugu for a crucial meeting. The purpose of that meeting we don’t know yet.”

Reacting to the development, a former National Auditor of the PDP, Raymond Nnaji, described the game the governors are playing as extremely dangerous, adding that if they pulled the party down, it would equally affect them individually.

He said, “The governors have candidates they will put in office, otherwise they will have a problem. All these things they are doing is just a waste of time. If PDP fails in the national (election), all of them will fail. It will have a bandwagon effect; there is no way they can make changes now.

“Ugwuanyi, for instance, is the senatorial candidate for Enugu North, there is no way he can decide to go to another party or support another party now.”

When asked why they are not supporting the PDP presidential candidate, Nnaji said, “They are just playing games; that is the way I see it. They are looking for a way out of their problems because they have created problems thinking that they will make the changes but it is not working. So, if they pull the house down everybody will lose, including them.

“So, the meeting in Enugu is nothing but to play games. I believe they want to show that they are still intact. The party shouldn’t be afraid of their meeting. Let them continue to meet.”

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BIG STORY

Access Bank Advocates For Innovative Financing Models To Realise SDGs

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15 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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At the 2024 Medic West Africa Event, organised by ABCHealth in collaboration with Informa Markets, Access Bank reaffirmed its dedication to fostering positive transformation in healthcare across Africa.

The event, which served as a platform for stakeholders across industries deliberate on the theme ‘Healthcare Investments in Africa: Mobilizing the Private Sector to Drive Healthcare Investments in Africa,’ aimed to chart a path through which corporates can leverage innovative financing models and strategic partnerships in fostering the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The discussions also explored strategies for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, leveraging technological advancements, as well as enhancing community health initiatives.

Lending his voice to the conversation, Ralph Opara, Group Head, Commercial Banking Division at Access Bank Plc, stressed that, “The government can’t carry the burden of the health sector alone. Hence, it is imperative that the private sector explores and implements innovative financing models and strategic partnerships to bridge the healthcare investment gap.”

Opara noted that collaborative effort between the public and private sectors is not only crucial but essential to driving innovation, improving healthcare accessibility, and ensuring sustainable development across the continent.

Walking the talk on partnerships, Access Bank partnered with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), to launch the Adopt-A-Health Facility Program (ADHFP) with the primary aim of delivering, at least, one global standard Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria. So far, the initiative has resulted into over 180 PHCs adopted across the country.

Other notable participants at the event include Mories Atoki, CEO, ABCHealth; Jane Ike-Okoli, Head of Specialised Sectors Business & Commercial Banking, Stanbic IBTC; Odunayo Sanyo, Executive Director, MTN Foundation; Ibironke Akinmade, Group Head, Health Finance, Sterling Bank, and Zouera Youssoufou, MD/CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation.

  • About Access Bank PLC

Access Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank operating through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets spanning 3 continents, 21 countries and over 60 million customers. The Bank employs over 28,000 thousand people in its operations in Africa and Europe, with representative offices in China, Lebanon, India, and the UAE.

Access Bank’s parent company, Access Holdings Plc, has been listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1998. The Bank is a diversified financial institution which combines a strong retail customer franchise and digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise, proven risk management and capital management capabilities. The Bank services its various markets through three key business segments: Corporate and Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Retail Banking. The Bank has enjoyed what is arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last 18 years, becoming one of the continent’s largest retail banks.

As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams.

 

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BIG STORY

Nigerians Will No Longer Work Under Inhuman Conditions — Senate President Akpabio

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20 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Nigerian workers have been reassured by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the National Assembly and the executive branch of government will cooperate to provide them with improved working conditions and a livable wage.

The Senate President declared that  “No Nigerian worker will again be allowed to work under inhuman conditions. We will do everything to give you the best because you deserve the best.”

He made this known in a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, to congratulate the workers as they commemorate the 2024 May Day.

Akpabio, in the message, extolled the sterling qualities that stood out to the Nigerian workers, saying “A Nigerian worker is noted for his patriotism, hard work, resilience, and dedication to duty.

“I am happy to be associated with the Nigerian workers in the last more than 25 years and I can attest to the fact that everywhere you go, the Nigerian worker’s spirit resonates profoundly.”

Speaking on this year’s theme for Workers’ Day, “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate,” Akpabio promised that the National Assembly under his leadership was more than committed to ensuring the best working conditions for the Nigerian workers.

The Senate President reiterated that the theme for this year’s celebration was apt and in tune with the international best practices, assuring that Nigeria would not be left behind.

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BIG STORY

NLC, TUC Give FG May 31 Ultimatum For New Minimum Wage

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21 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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The Organised Labour has handed the Federal Government May 31 deadline to come up with a realistic and reasonable new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Labour made this known during the Workers’ Day celebrations at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Wednesday.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero; and his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo were unanimous that the N30,000 current minimum wage has been grossly insufficient for Nigerian workers in the light of current economic realities and inflationary pressure including food inflation, hike in energy and transportation cost, amongst others.

They insisted that a new living wage of ₦615,000 be expeditiously approved by the President Bola Tinubu administration before the end of May.

Ajaero said, “The Nigeria Labour Congress and the TUC have made it clearly and emphatically that should the minimum wage negotiation continue and linger till the end of May, we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in this country.”

On his part, Osifo asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and power distribution companies to immediately reverse the current increase in electricity tariff for Band A customers.

“The NLC and TUC hereby advise NERC and power sector operators to reverse the last increase in electricity tariff within the next one week,” the trade union boss said.

Nigerians mark this year’s May Day amid spiralling, and unending snake-like queues at filling stations as scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol worsens across the Federation.

Although there have been assurances by the major oil supplier in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to alleviate this issue, however, the queues have persisted for over one week.

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