House Of Reps Race: Arc Salman Idris Submits Nomination Form Amidst Cheers

The peoples Democratic Party’s office located around zone 8 area of Lokoja, the Kogi state capital was agog on Wednesday as a leading aspirant for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu House of Representatives, Arc Salman Idris submits his nomination form.

In a show of solidarity, his supporters and party faithfuls across the federal constituency trooped out in their numbers to welcome him to the party secretariat as officials of the party had to struggle to manage the massive crowd that accompanied him.

Speaking with journalists in Lokoja at the sideline of the ceremony, the Director General of Tiwantiwa 2019 campaign, which is the official slogan of Salman Idris Organization, Hon Dare Osawu said Arc Salman is the candidate to beat as his acceptability cuts across the length and breath of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency.

He stated that: “the aspiration of Arc Salman is borne out of the desire to send one of our own with proven integrity and track record to represent us and that explains the acceptability and the massive support you are seeing today.”

He described Arc Salman as a philanthropist and a community man per excellence who can be trusted and relied on to bring home the dividends of democracy to his constituents when elected.

Arc Salman Idris who also spoke with journalists, thanked the people for the show of love and solidarity.

While addressing the the people who came to welcome him, Arc Salman said: “I am overwhelmed by your show of love and solidarity and I can’t thank you all enough”

He promised to bring his years of experience in the civil service and network to bear in providing leadership and quality representation.

Pay our dues in one week or we shut down National Assembly:NASSLAF tells commission

By Gideon Ayodele

The National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, led by Comrade Sam Melaye have given the National Assembly Commission a one week Ultimatum to pay all the arrears owned them by the commission, else shut down the National Assembly.

This came out as one of the resolutions at the end of today's protest by the members of the Forum of National Assembly Legislative Staff (NASSLAF).

Earlier today, the men of the DSS invited the Chairman of the forum for interrogation and later released him.

The aides who have sworn to shut down the complex if the commission fails to pay their  allowances and entitlements due to them which run into over N2.5billion at the expiration of the one week Ultimatum.

The legislative aides are already nursing the fear of a denial of their dues by the commission. “If our allowances are not paid what is our hope that our severance would also be paid:  We were told by the legislative aides of the seventh Assembly that their own severance was not fully paid and we do not want to be victims, so we call on relevant authority to be aware of our plight and hardship. We will reject it if our severance entitlements are not paid in full as stipulated in the rules,” this was contained in their letter.

“We once more call on the federal government to intervene and give us our dues. We came on board on the 9th of June, 2015. A DTA is for three months; so from June 2015 to August 2018 in total is 13 DTAs and the management has only paid just four half half. Because in January 2018 we were paid N40,000 instead of N74,000; so going by our calculation we have outstanding of 10 DTA, they said.

ADC releases timetable for 2019 Elections

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has releases timetable for the 2019 general elections from the Governorship/State House of Assembly to the Presidential/National Assembly Elections.

This information was contained in a memorandum titled, “Proposed timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections”

“The party has set aside September 1 to 20 for the purchase and return of expression of interest forms by all aspirants at national and state headquarters. The party also said it would conduct its screening of state house of assembly aspirants from September 21-22, screening of Governorship  aspirants from September 23-24, screening of house of representative aspirants from September 25-26 while screening of Senatorial and Presidential aspirants will hold on September 27 and 28 respectively nationwide.

The State house of Assembly and Governorship primaries will hold on the September 29 and October 2 respectively while National Assembly and Presidential primaries will hold on the October 4 and 6 respectively.

2019 Kogi West Senatorial Seat: Toyin Akanle Plans Attacks on Kogi Speaker

*2019 Kogi West Senatorial Seat: Toyin Akanle Plans Attacks on Kogi Speaker*

The plan of some individuals working for one of the Kogi West Senatorial aspirants Mr. Toyin Akanle to unleash series of attacks on Rt. Hon Matthew Kolawole has been uncovered. The planned attacks is being coordinated by one Dayo Akanmode who is the Director- Genaral of Akanle Campaign Organisation.

As a preliminary to the attacks , the said Dayo Akanmode who is expected to be a good citizen considering his royal background, had on Sunday September 1, 2018 issued a false, disjointed,mischievous and malicious press statement in which he alluded that there were protests against the outcome of the September 1, 2018 meeting of Kogi West APC Stakeholders in Government House , Lokoja where discissions were held on how to enhance the fortunes of APC of aspirants to various offices in the upcoming general elections of the party  putting into consideration the various candidates’ scope of acceptability, strength, experience and ability to win the general election. The press statement however reveals how desperate and petty Mr Akanmode and his principal are. The desperation has been taken to a crescendo by this recent attempt to blackmail everyone to accepting him(Akanle) as the best candidate for the job. Sadly, Akanle is being blinded by an already plagued ambition without consideration for the interest of the party and its ability and to win the election. Akanle who was only able to garner less than 3000 votes when he contested the Senate seat under the platform of SDP in 2015 is ironically holding himself up in comparison to an individual who has previously overwhelmingly won the elections into the senate on two  occasions.

Akanle and Akanmode are fast degenerating into political  bullies with the obvious dwarfing chances of the former to realise his senatorial ambition. This could only be the reasonable explanation for Mr. Dayo Akanmode to gatecrash and attempt to force himself into a gathering of the stakeholders invited. He was however only sighted in the premises of the Government House loafing around moments after the meeting . His(Akanmode) statement as contained in the said press release was directly opposite of what transpired at the stakeholders meeting. One would however take his statement as the weeping  of a drowning man coveting all available help.

The attack is  planned to be hatched  through media blackmail across the media space, protests in major towns across Western Senatorial District and a protest march to the Government House and House of Assembly.

A students union leader of Yagba extraction has  being contracted and handsomely paid to recruit miscreants that will participate in the protests across Okun communities and Lokoja/Koto. The intention of Dr. Toyin Akanle and his cohorts is however to give a false impression to the Governor that he is very popular across the western district.

The second phase of the plan is to sponsor Lokoja/Koto boys to protest to the Government House and House of Assembly Complex demanding the immediate removal of  Kolawole as Speaker and replacing him with someone from Lokoja/Koto. The planners of the evil acts however put to the fore their self inflicted ignorance and lack of knowledge of the political dynamics of Kogi West. They  fail to realise that Kogi West comprises of 3 Federal Constituencies out which Lokoja/Koto has in the past produced 8 Speakers of the Assembly, while Yagba Federal Constituency has produced Speaker twice. Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu is producing the Speaker for the first time.

It is our humble admonition to all the youths who may be tempted to participate in the planned protest due to the promised financial rewards to desist from such ill motivated and selfish act of the desperate individuals.

We also want to invite the security agents to mount  surveillance around these individuals to forestall acts that are capable of causing  breakdown of law and order.

Akanle and Akanmode should however note that, no amount of blackmail would force the Kogi West Stakeholders to present any individual with  dwarfed chances of making it at the polls. They should note that Kogi West is too strategic to be left in the hands of political weaklings.

His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello has been pragmatic in leadership with his consideration of Federal Constituencies which was not the case in the past and he deserves commendation and not condemnation.

Nobody has prevented Dr. Toyin Akanle from picking the form to contest for any elective position and he should stop crying wolf where there is none.

All Progressives Congress (APC) is waxing stronger in Kogi State and all hands must be on deck by all party faithfuls to put the party first and above personal interest. Dr. Toyin Akanle is advised to tow the path of honor and avoid any act capable of bringing our great party to disrepute.

*Olorunsuwa Elijah Ola*
S.A. Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly

Give us a University in Okunland.

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF OKUN STUDENTS (NAOS) uses this medium to reiterate its commitment to the development of Okunland.

In our numerous open letters and articles, the interest of Okunland has been our priority

This time around our agitation will be based on what will be of benefits to students, upcoming and future generations

Recently, we described the position of Okunland as being in the midst of plenty but still lacking. Okunland is blessed with over three hundred (300) professors, scholars of various categories and fine brains, yet nothing to show for it outcome.

Out of the three senatorial district of Kogi State, Okunland of Kogi West doesn't have a University of learning on her own that resides in her territory. The intending and prospective students of the higher institution of learning now travel long distance to secure admission. This of course has seriously thwarted educational development in Okunland.

What then do we do? All we need to salvage our education from dying is a standard University. Yes, it is long and rightly deserving because we have all its takes to own a University in Okunland

Okunland possess the human and material resources, hundreds of scholar, large land mass and willing sons and daughters to establish an educational institutions in Okunland.

The association use this medium to call on well meaning Sons and Daughters of Okunland, the political class, the successful business men and women, the Kings and Chiefs, Religion institutions and all concerned indigenes to join hands together to make this achievable.

We also call on the Government of President Muhammad Buhari GCFR to assist Okunland to make this dream a reality. In fact, we wish it could be the only thing the president through the Kogi State Governor, the Senator, Member of House Of Representatives, Political Appointee and the elected could do for us and we will be forever grateful.

We also call on the National University Commission (NUC) to assist us on the process by suggesting the necessary guidelines for the establishment of the institution.

We call on well meaning Okun Sons and Daughters to organize a summit where this issue can be discussed and deliberated among the people.

We are looking forward to a better and speedy deliberations on this issue for the benefit of mankind.

If we can achieve this, then we have our names on the platter of Gold.

Aluta continua Victoria Ascerta.

God bless Okunland
God bless Kogi State
God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.  

Comrade Ajagun Opeyemi Samuel a.k.a Okun Boy
NAOS NATIONAL PRESIDENT.

ROPO ASALA A BASTARD FROM YAGBA LAND

Politics they said is a game of interest but personal interest should not be above the general interest, it is so painful that a one term chairman and two term councilor who was favoured by the land of milk and honey is about to be cursed by the ancestors of YAGBA land.

It is unimaginable that a former chairman *Ropo Asala* has become a political betrayer to the land that gave birth to him, it so sad that he has turned himself to Smart Adeyemi’s errand boy.

Oh it is so painful that he Ropo Asala has forgotten so soon that he would have become a prisoner due to the petition written by Senator Smart Adeyemi, who wrote a petition to the EFCC that he misappropriated fund, it is a pity that Ropo has forgotten the fact that it was Yagba people that fought his battle without thinking of the offense he has committed against the good people of Yagba west, where he embemzled millions of naira unaccounted for. What a pathetic situation that an assumed prisoner has turned himself to a praise singer to someone who wanted to jail him.

Ropo Asala has bitten what he can't chew as the entire Yagba land can no longer contain him because he is a betrayer and the land of Yagba will definitely work against his destiny. You maybe wondering why I am seriously against this Ropo Asala because you are not on ground when the whole matters arise, Ropo Asala is a fool and political challatan who only believes in his selfish interest. It might interest you that Ropo Asala, an indigene of Yagba land was the one that announced the endorsement of the under performed senator ,Senator Smart Adeyemi as the most credible and endorsed aspirant for Kogi West senatorial district against all the aspirants that are contesting from Yagba land who are for the same seat.

We are crying out to the entire Yagba land and Kogi West at large that Ropo Asala is one of the bastards from Yagba land that is working against our interest and is ready to sell us for his selfish agrandizement.

I can authoritatively tell you that Ropo Asala is not from Yagba land because a true son of Yagba federal constituency can never work against the interest of the masses.

On this note, we call on each and every Kogi Westerner to see Ropo Asala as an opportunist that is working against the peaceful co-existence between the three federal constituencies in Kogi West senatorial district.


God bless Kogi west.


Signed:
Comr. Omosona T. Olakunle aka TYDot

We are Aides not Slaves: NASSLAF tells Commission

 

By Gideon Ayodele


The members of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum have  condemned the poor treatment meted on the by the National Assembly Commission, especially on issues that bored on the welfare of the aides.

"Legislative aides cadre is a compact assemblage of some of the most cerebral work force in Nigeria public institution except for citadel of learning.

"Amongst us are qualified medical doctors, Phd holders in diverse field of scholarly endeavours.
Social scientist, Lawyers of over three decades post call and less, Engineers and other class of scientists.

"We have most graduates manning lesser offices for the pure reason of the need to retain a job and contribute to nation building before proper utilization of learned skills.

"We have in our midst former Senators, members of House of Representatives, Commissioners and commissioned military personnel who are retired.

"Our former colleagues has also got elevated to the offices of Minister of the federal Republic, Deputy Governor, board members and legislative elective offices, as members of state legislature and federal legislature.

"These scenario presupposes that the legislative aides cadre will one day produce an elected President of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

"The deliberate denial of our entitlements does not only point to a policy to undermine our intellectual capacity to influence state policy but its also intended to asphyxiate our will to believe in the possibility of a new Nigeria ever emerging.

"We stay beside the waters and wash our hands with spittles" the aides lamented.

Just in:Tension on Kogi Polytechnic Campus.

THE LEAKAGES has reliably gathered that Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja Campus is currently on tension as the Rector of the Polytechnic, Mohammed Isah through the staffs loyal to him are trying to induce and mobilize students to cause chaos, pandemonium and total destruction in the school should the council members ask rector to handover today being Monday 3rd September.

The plan is said to be a tactic to misinformed the public that the students are totally in support of the Rector continue stay in Office.

The SUG president is also said to be under punishment for his reluctance to support and execute the plan.

Someone close to the campus said “ it’s Very true., there are so many police, army and DSS in the polytechnic right now. Anything can happen any time.

One of the student also told our correspondent that In the wake of the development parents are advise to instruct their children not to participate in any form of violence activities today as all students should be watchful, careful and be at alert.

Recall that the rector's tenure expired last week.

 Details soon......

Unpaid N2.5bn Debt: Legislative aides to shut down NASS

*Accuse C.N.A, Omolori

*Write Saraki, Dogara

Leadership and management of National Assembly, apart from the crisis rocking them over which party is in majority, especially in the Senate, are now neck deep in internal showdown with their  aides who have sworn to shut down the complex over unpaid allowances and entitlements due them, which run into over N2.5billion.

The National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, NASSLAF, Nigerian Pilot Weekend learnt, has already written to the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, and speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to intimate them of their grievances

They blamed the management led by the clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Omolori, for their predicament, alleging that he deliberately refused to pay them.

In the letter, the body said they would shut down the complex over unpaid allowances and poor welfare since June 2015

The legislative aides, checks by this paper revealed, are in five categories, which include senior legislative aides, legislative assistants 1 and 2, personal assistant and secretary.

Part of their grievances is the long time agitation for training, allowances and the fear that they would be paid incomplete severance entitlements as the eighth session of the National Assembly grinds to a halt.

Each aide is entitled to N74,400 DTA allowance every three month, which is N74,400 × 9 totalling N669,600, and the severance allowance of  N34, 400 for each aide at the end of the tenure.

Every senator has at least five legislative aides and a House of Representatives member has three, with 109 senators and 360 House of Reps members, totaling 469 members of both chambers of the National Assembly.

According to insiders, the legislative aides at both chambers are worried that if their statutory Duty Tour Allowance, DTA, had been held all the while, no one knows whether a full/complete severance allowance would be paid to them after the tenure of their principals.


Further checks show that since 2015 when they were engaged, only three months allowance has been paid, raising the suspicion that the decision to withhold the balance (2015-2019) by management could be deliberate as the eighth Assembly will soon come to an end.

“If our allowances are not paid what is our hope that our severance would also be paid:  We were told by the legislative aides of the seventh Assembly that their own severance was not fully paid and we do not want to be victims, so we call on relevant authority to be aware of our plight and hardship. We will reject it if our severance entitlements are not paid in full as stipulated in the rules,” they demanded in the letter.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that some legislative aides have been bedridden without funds to seek for medical care while others have also died because of unavailability of funds for treatment.

“We lost some colleagues due to lack of money to pay medical bills while others are stranded without money to return back from their journeys;  yet we have unpaid allowances that management has deliberately refused to pay because we do not have a voice.

“We once more call on the federal government to intervene and give us our dues. We came on board on the 9th of June, 2015. A DTA is for three months; so from June 2015 to August 2018 in total is 13 DTAs and the management has only paid just four half half. Because in January 2018 we were paid N40,000 instead of N74,000; so going by our calculation we have outstanding of 10 DTA, they said.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the director of Information, Mr Rawlings Agada, on his mobile phone for comments on the subject matter were unsuccessful.

KABBA-BUNU/IJUMU 2019 : ARC SALMAN IDRIS AND THE REST OF THEM

As the countdown to the People's Democratic Party primary election draws  nearer, there have been different political intrigues and horsetrading leading to how candidates will emerge among the array of aspirants running for the various available offices in the land. A lot of political watchers and analysts have attempted to analyse what the possible outcome will look like and who really the cap fits without any clearview of who will most likely emerge as the candidate of the party.


So far, there are aspirants from every part of the federal constituency jostling for the ticket of the party and they have all been going round the thirty wards of the federal constituency to seek the support of the delegates. One factor is very important to determine how far the party will go in the general election and it is the ability of the party to throw up a very popular candidate who will posses the popularity and acceptability that is strong enough to guarantee victory in the not too far general election, knowing fully well that PDP is an opposition party at both the state and national level. This factor is more important, given the experience of the party in the state in recent time, particularly with the intolerance and high handedness of the Governor of the state during elections. The last bye election that took place recently at the Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency is a clear testimony of what will likely take place in the 2019 general election. This and many other factors are strong reasons why the party must field a candidate that has the experience, popularity and acceptability that will guarantee victory in the general election.


This very important factor is the reason why the party must carefully choose her candidate. So far there are Mr Yomi Bello from Kabba, Mr Okesuji Obatoyinbo from Iyamoye, Hon Segun Ojo from Ikoyi, Mr S.O Adeleye from Aiyere and Arc Salman Idris from Aiyegunle Gbede contesting for the ticket of PDP and a careful look at the names reveals that they hail from various ends of the federal constituency and if they can all agree to work together for one of them in the general election, their even spread has the capacity to deliver the party to victory in the election.


Looking carefully at the credentials, antecedents and experience of all the aforementioned aspirants, it is easy, safe and almost 100% correct to conclude that only two aspirants have the needed political experience and antecedents that can withstand the political battle that is ahead, most especially against the ruthless and very vociferous government candidates that would be fielded by the All Progressive Congress.


While this analysis is not in anyway an attempt to underrate or reduce the personality of the other three green horns contesting in the election, it is a genuine expression of concerns of a faithful party loyalist who is interested in the success of the party.


Before I go further in this analysis, let me commend the tenacity, rescilience and commitment of Mr Yomi Bello, Mr S.O Adeleye and Mr Okesuji Obatoyinbo for their matured campaigns, various empowerment initiatives and painstaking movements that must have cost them so much in terms of time, energy, intellect and reaources. These exposed, matured and fine gentlemen are nothing short of heroes of democratic development and youth inclusiveness in our federal constituency.


As we count days to the primary elections of our great party, it is very important to state most unambiguously that the officials, delegates and leaders of our party must consider very meticulously the factors that determine winning or losing elections, especially at a time the party is in the opposition without state or federal resources to prosecute elections at a time like this.

The first factor that our great party must consider is the political experience and sound knowledge of our political terrain in the federal constituency. Events of recent past have shown that our great party must change gear and embrace the new realities of the facts on ground, which is that the party is currently in opposition both in the state and at the national level, the kind of opposition that is being hounded, persecuted and at instances incercerated for trumped up charges by the government of the day.


The party therefore must realize that the factors that were being considered in the time past have become obsolate and inapplicable given the current dynamics of political realities. Among the aspirants currently contesting, Arc Salman Idris stands tall and outstanding in terms  of experience and commitment to delivering the party even with his personal resources in the last seven years. He remains the only one among the aspirants who have paid his dues, led campaign of PDP aspirants, he has moved for the party and her aspirants to all the towns and villages that makes up the federal constituency. His commitment thus far is unassailable and invaluable.


Another very important factor that must not be waved away is the finance to prosecute election, the introduction of the "Buy and see" idea to the political system.
The biting economic realities the current government has put the nation into is a factor that has made the electorates more vulnerable to monetizing their electoral franchise, this ugly reality that manifested abundantly in the recently conducted elections in Ekiti, Kogi and others. The results of those elections are topical discussions in the public space that have brought our nation into public opprobrium and international embarrassment of unimaginable dimension.

Our party if indeed is ready to win election must carefully consider the factor of a generous aspirant who is capable of giving the ruling party the needed financial war chest to win the election.


Arc Salman is an individual that is known to have given to the people for very many years without political ambition, he has sank boreholes in 7 communities across the federal constituency seven years ago when he never anticipated he would contest elections, this to me is a perfect way to demonstrate patriotism, service and selflessness. Arc Salman Idris has been paying JAMB registration fees in  the last three years, he has empowered individuals  in their hundreds and has become a household name in our federal constituency that can win elections. It is therefore my passionate appeal that our party leaders and delegates considers the sterling qualities of Arc Salman Idris and give him the ticket to bring home our desired victory.

Abiola Ajisafe writes from Okedayo, Kabba