The Lumine News

Author: The Lumine News

  • There’s Hardly Any Ward Across The District That Hasn’t Benefited From Sen Jarigbe Agom’s Benevolence BY PETER AGI

    There’s Hardly Any Ward Across The District That Hasn’t Benefited From Sen Jarigbe Agom’s Benevolence BY PETER AGI

    Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
    Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has been relentlessly innovating, treating and fighting for a better way to deal with hunger while stimulating particularly participatory leadership.

    The political trajectory of the emerging leadership quest should be strengthened by humanitarianism.

    The political realignment focus of the Northern District in CRS has become deeply remarkable, inspiring and rooted. For sure the leading light 💡 shining endlessly is Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe. He is the compassionate, empathetic and impressively humanitarian leader, who has selflessly endeared himself to the heart of the people.

    There’s hardly any ward across the district that hasn’t benefited from his benevolence. That’s why his popularity has soared above others in our climes. He is a uniquely talented, gifted and incredibly inspiring young political gladiator. His people are happy with him. That’s why he has been told to return. Let’s magnify his generosity indeed philanthropy.

  • APC Crisis Worsen As Plot To Remove National Chairman Gathers Momentum

    APC Crisis Worsen As Plot To Remove National Chairman Gathers Momentum

    The leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, may have assumed another twist following fresh plots by some stakeholders to unseat the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

    Adamu was on March 26 affirmed as national chairman of the party at a convention to elect members of the APC National Working Committee NWC.

    However, while there had been a build-up of complaints against Adamu, there were no attempts to oust him.

    Indications emerged, the weekend, that some APC stakeholders were working to get the party chairman out of the way as part of trouble-shooting efforts to placate the Christian bloc in the party.

    An APC leader, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said the attempt was to balance power within the APC.

    The party leader said: “Yes, there are those who feel that the controversy generated by our Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket can be lessened by having a Christian chairman and also proposing a Christian Chief of Staff to the President. Some have proposed a federal lawmaker, James Faleke, for that position, that is, Chief of Staff.

    “There are issues regarding the continued stay of Adamu as party chair. The first is that we need to placate the Christian community.

    “Second, a lot of us expected from Adamu in an election season but he hasn’t done much. We need the bureaucracy of the party to be alive this period, but their salaries are not even forthcoming and you expect them to work efficiently? That is one thing that might count against the chairman.

    “Also, he was Chairman of the APC National Reconciliation Committee before he became the national chairman of the party. We expected that by now, he would have been able to resolve the major differences but that has not happened.

    “The leader of our party, President Muhammadu Buhari also urged us to refund the money paid by aspirants at the convention which produced Adamu as national chairman. Aspirants paid millions, yet we haven’t refunded them. These are some of the issues.”

  • Sandy Onor Commissions Town Hall, Says Bendeghe-Ekiem Is The Foremost Community In Etung Land

    Sandy Onor Commissions Town Hall, Says Bendeghe-Ekiem Is The Foremost Community In Etung Land

     

    The Gubernatorial Candidate of the PDP and Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, Senator Prof Sandy Ojang Onor has described Bendeghe-Ekiem Community as the foremost community in Etung land.

    He stated this on Saturday, August 13th, 2022 during the Commissioning of the Bendeghe-Ekiem Town Hall, Bendeghe, Etung LGA, Cross River State.

    His words “I am glad to be here today. Bendeghe-Ekiem Community is the foremost community in Etung land. It has always been so. As a historian, I ‘ve always had cause to speak it because I ‘ve read about it from Archival Documents. Deu Haust (1923) stated clearly that there were two big communities in Etung; the biggest, the largest is Bendeghe-Ekiem on this side and Nchofang on the other side.”

    Speaking on behalf of the Bendeghe-Ekiem Community, the Town Council Chairman, Mr Obi Ndoma Tawo maintained that: “We the people of Bendeghe-Ekiem are delighted and ecstatic to welcome you in our midst today. We say so with all sincerity, because we know you shelved your crowded schedules to honour our Invitation even within a very short notice. Today, there is a new down in Bendeghe-Ekiem and you are part of the dawn. We pray for your unlimited success in this dispensation because you’re the only Original Caterpillar. We appreciate you once more and making us to believe that there are good days ahead.”

    High point of the event was dance session from Bendeghe-Ekiem Prize Band and mass defection from the APC to the PDP notable amongst them is the Cocoa Association of Nigerian (CAN) Chairman, Bendeghe-Ekiem Chapter.

    The event was attended by the senator and members of his entourage, traditional rulers, youth as well as women leaders and villagers, etc.

    Caterpillar Movement Media

     

  • 37 Years Old Sakaja Johnson Arthur Elected Governor of Nairobi

    37 Years Old Sakaja Johnson Arthur Elected Governor of Nairobi

    By Justin Udie

    Born on February 2nd 1985, 37 years old
    Sakaja Johnson Arthur is the Governor-elect of Nairobi County. Elected on 9th August 2022. He was the Senator of Nairobi. #GoAndVerify

    Meanwhile, in Nigeria, 18 – 70 years old men and women are drumming “on your mandate we shall stand” behind old extremely exhausted and sick people up and down. It’s a big shame 😞 Take your future more seriously my people. Your primitive and tribal assets will not help build the future you desire.

  • Former Ikom Local Government Council Chairman, Others Dumps APC, Vows To Mobilize Support For Sandy Onor

    Former Ikom Local Government Council Chairman, Others Dumps APC, Vows To Mobilize Support For Sandy Onor

     

    The Gubernatorial Candidate of the PDP and Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, Senator Prof Sandy Ojang Onor on Saturday, August 13th, 2022 received back to the party, Hon (Barr) Ebaye Akonjom and his supporters at Ikom local government area.

    Announcing his return back to the PDP, the former Council Boss described the PDP as his benefactor when he said: “I didn’t know I would ever leave the PDP, because that’s the party that gave me all the opportunities I had. I’m back to the PDP because one of our own, a family member has been graciously given the ticket to run for the gubernatorial elections under the PDP and I cannot stay elsewhere. I have to come back and work for him.”

    The former Council Chairman assured that the time to mobilize support for the realization of the project has just begun and they will use all networks available to them to ensure victory.

    Responding, Senator Sandy Onor thanked him and his supporters for having such confidence in his competence to reclaim the State. He described Barr Ebaye as a friend and brother and assured him and his supporters of full cooperation in party activities.

    The event which was held at De Genesy Hotel, Ikom had other returnees as Barr Nkona Neji (Akparabong), Mr Fred Ebi Erim (Nta Nselle), Mrs Glory Ntun (Nta Nselle), Mr Ekum Williams (Abanyom), etc.

    Party stakeholders of Ikom as well supporters of the PDP were also present to receive them.

    Caterpillar Movement Media

     

  • Obudu, Has Your Suffering Ended? BY AGBA JALINGO

    Obudu, Has Your Suffering Ended? BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    June 22, 2015, Ben Ayade, the Obudu born Professor, Senator representing Cross River North at the time and governorship flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2015 general election in Cross River State, declared an end to the sufferings of Obudu people to the delight of an ecstatic crowd that gathered at the Chief J.A. Agba memorial stadium in Obudu.

    Filled with satisfaction over the manner, disposition and the massive turn out of his people to welcome him, he could not control his excitement as he announced the end of perils in Obudu. In his words ” Kugbudu, Kingie Kimen Kimbe ” which means, “Obudu, your suffering has ended”. It’s exactly 7 years and 52 days after that day and the question on my lips this morning is: “Has the suffering of Obudu people ended?

    Since he took over as Governor, Ayade has nursed some very ambitious projects for Obudu, his home town. Principally, these projects include: The British/Canadian School, the Obudu International Airport, the Obudu German Specialist Hospital, the Obudu Independent Power Project and the Mini Super Highway which is supposed to criss cross the five LGAs of Northern Cross River. No doubt these are the most touted projects of the governor in Obudu. But let us examine them one after the other.

    1. The British/Canadian School: Most of the buildings have been completed. But nothing is going on there. The governor says he wants to turn it to a university campus contrary to the original concept of a basic and high school. It is practical to say he will leave office without any activity in that place. But it will be a thing of great joy for me, even if it’s the primary school that can start functioning first, like the one inside the Teachers Training Institute in Biase, so we can at least remember that he built us a school. For now, there is no school in that place yet. Just some structures.

    2. The Obudu International Airport: Governor Ayade said publicly that if he doesn’t complete it, we should carry our sacred “bizu” leaves and banish him from Obudu. That’s what will happen because since the terminal building of the airport collapsed, not much is going on there. Our governor simply doesn’t have the money or the time to finish any kind of port now, not to even talk of an airport. He has only 289 days left. Airports aren’t built in days. He has only set a recipe for communal crisis as homeless land owners are already returning to reclaim portions of the now bushy site, which may snowball into crisis.

    3. The Obudu German Specialist Hospital: The buildings have also been erected and beautifully painted like a sepulchre. Even the fence is so beautiful from the road that when you see it, you will wonder what is happening inside. But verily verily, nothing is going on inside and I don’t know when empty buildings started bearing the name, hospital. We all know what a hospital is and what happens inside. There is nothing like a German hospital in Obudu yet. I am not lying. It is the truth. What we have there is some painted structures and a few equipment supplied and abandoned by Cocharis. The only public hospital in Obudu till today is the Sacred Heart Hospital along hospital road, built by the Catholic mission. If we eventually have a new hospital in Obudu, whether you call it German or Nigerian hospital, I will not hesitate to tell you.

    4. Obudu Independent Power Project: Our governor trumpeted this as one of his flagship projects in Obudu. He went and purchased two diesel powered generators and brought them to power an entire LGA, in the 21st century. A small diesel generator used to power a BTS consumes about 18,000 liters of fuel per year. CO2 emission from one liter of diesel fuel is 2.68kg. Meaning one generator emits 46.5 metric tons of CO2 annually. With those large LPFO powered generators, it is a massive environmental risk that should have been put into consideration by a Governor who is an environmentalist. Yet, the last time those generators came on was in 2019 when Ayade’s niece, Memshima was getting married. The power project has since been abandoned and the generators are parked somewhere along Ranch road.

    5. Mini Super Highway: I don’t need to talk much here. I just shared a video of the road with you yesterday. A road still under construction is been washed off by the rains. A road without drainages. A road so terribly done that it cannot even stand till the completion of the project. The road that failed before Ayade deceived us that he is fixing it, lasted for over 30 years. Even the job that Ayade’s construction company, Leophina Construction, got from the Federal Ministry of Works to do total rehabilitation and resurfacing of the highway from Obudu to Wula in Boki, the Governor and his brother Franko, collected the money, managed to grind the road up to Akorsie in Obanliku, abandoned the project and pocketed the money. Today, you can’t go to Obudu through Boki. We have to pass through Ogoja which is a longer route.

    I am from Obudu. I wish above all things that Obudu is developed and prospers. I won’t be deceived by anyone. Not at this my age. I will not join those who want to perpetually lie to our people to say what isn’t verifiable. If all these projects take off, I will tell you so. If governor Ayade leaves office today, there is nothing, absolutely nothing in Obudu, that we will point to that he did for his people other than these meaningless food on the table titles that will evaporate on his exit. It is rodents and reptiles that will leave in those empty buildings.

    Don’t lie to me. Complete these projects. Get them working and let us indeed know that even if you were unable to end our suffering in Obudu like you promised in June 2015, at least you were able to reduce the suffering.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

  • Governor Soludo Suspends Nnewi North LG Chairman For Killing His Wife Over Side Chicks

    Governor Soludo Suspends Nnewi North LG Chairman For Killing His Wife Over Side Chicks

     

    The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has suspended the newly appointed Transition Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Hon. Mbaulike Iloka for allegedly beaten his wife to death on Sunday.

    It was alleged that Hon. Mbazulike’s wife caught his husband picking some young ladies she suspected to be his side chicks at the event they both attended on Saturday evening, and tried stopping him but to no avail.

    According to the family members and friends of late Mrs. Chidiebere Iloka, it was disclosed that he beat his wife to death over a heated argument between the couple on Sunday morning due to what happened at the event the previous day.

    Hon. Mbazulike, in his account, stated that she slumped and died; a report that is being disputed in some quarters by friends and family members of the late Mrs Chidibere who had earlier reported several cases of Domestic Violence and a repeatation of same that led to her death.

    Family sources hinted that when they arrived at the scene, they found Chidiebere’s corpse on the floor with marks/bruises and cuts on her body.

  • C’River Launches “SCALE 3.0” Strategy For Covid-19 Vaccination, Commence 3 Months Intensive Integrated Vaccination Campaign

    C’River Launches “SCALE 3.0” Strategy For Covid-19 Vaccination, Commence 3 Months Intensive Integrated Vaccination Campaign

     

    The Cross River State Government has flagged off an optimized vaccination scheme termed “SCALE 3.0” to address poor compliance of vaccination exercise as well as accelerate integrated service delivery across the state.

    In an event flagged off by the state Governor, Senator Ben Ayade in company of strategic health Implementing Partners in the state, recorded huge turn out of targeted population in a show of embrace to the deliberate health interventions over the years.

    The Governor, Professor, Ben Ayade who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, in his Keynote address, noted that the SCALES 3.0 strategy will address the identified implementation gaps in SCALES 2.0 and bring about more accountability for performance, strengthen electronic data reporting and promote robust demand generation at the community levels.

    He further stated that the government has a responsibility to ensure that people are in good health and are not infected with COVID-19 as well as other diseases noting that the government has decided to maximize efforts to take vaccination closer to the people and meet their most challenging needs.

    In an earlier address, Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr. Janet Ekpenyong thanked all partners for their support and contributions to the vaccination drive in the state, adding that the SCALES 3.0 will operate more focused campaign with mobile and specialized teams taking vaccines to where people live, work and to the hard to reach areas across the state.

    She further mentioned that the services of the agency will not just be in the facilities, but ensures that healthcare3 services will be closer to the people with assured regular sensitization, awareness and outreaches to end preventable deaths.

    “Our services will not only be at the facility level, but we will ensure that we move services closer to the people. Our mobile teams will be moving from one place to the other to get many people especially those eligible to take the vaccine.
    We are also going to decentralize communication and ensure that people at the grassroots are mobilized. We will be working with all the strategic people, traditional leaders, religious leaders, and several other organizations that we can leverage to get many people vaccinated.”

    “We are hoping to achieve the 70% target before the end of the year and see how we can achieve herd immunity as soon as possible. This for us is an opportunity to improve vaccine coverage and ensure that as many people as possible should be vaccinated. Over 500,000 people have been vaccinated in the state, and we are hoping that we can hit the 2.2 million target before the end of 2022″.

    Ekpenyong also thanked Governor Ayade for his commitment to the health sector for ensuring that every Cross Riverian is protected against COVID-19, adding that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as well as other brands are properly stored to maintain potency and viability.

    Similarly, the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, represented by Mrs. Ifeyinwa Onwudinjo in his remarks, disclosed that only 3 states have vaccination coverage of over 50 percent thereby leaving 34 states performing sub-optimally in terms of COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

    According to him, “the SCALES 3.0 strategy will enable the Federal, State and Local Government to reach every eligible population in Nigeria with COVID-19 vaccine”.

    He also stressed that the SCALES 3.0 strategy will be anchored on an intensive 3 months campaign, performance-based incentives, optimized integrated package of services, decentralized and incentivized demand generation strategies, partner coordination and accountability, and state-specific context and strategies.

    Also speaking at the launch, Mrs. Joy Chabo, State Immunization Officer, CRSPHCDA, stated that the SCALES 3.0 would be using a human-centered demand generation design to address low COVID-19 perceptions in the state.

    She added that the strategy encourages more outreach where the vaccines will be taken to doorsteps, shops, markets, churches, schools, and every part of the state, regardless of the location.

    SCALES is an acronym for ‘service delivery, communication, accountability, logistics, electronic reporting, and supportive supervision’ for the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination.

    The launch had in attendance representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), FHI360, Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, Heartland Alliance, kncv Tuberculosis, Foundation Nigeria, amongst others.

  • IPMAN Threatens To Shut Down Calabar, Port Harcourt, Enugu Depots, Petrol Stations Over Police Incessant Harassment

    IPMAN Threatens To Shut Down Calabar, Port Harcourt, Enugu Depots, Petrol Stations Over Police Incessant Harassment

    By Judex Okoro, Calabar

    The Cross River state chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Comrade Robert Obi, has raised the alarm over police incessant harassment of its leaders, threatening that the association would not hesitate to shut down all the Easern zone depots and petrol stations in Calabar, Port Harcourt and Enugu depots.

    Obi said the decision to close all the stations was reached at after series of meetings with some stakeholders on the new alleged moves by the Police Legal Force headquarters, Abuja to arrest its executives across the zone and possibly install factional leadership, which could lead to another round of crisis in the association in spite of various court pronouncements laying the matter to rest.

     

    The South East zone of IPMAN, which comprises of Enugu, Aba, Rivers, Cross River and Benue states with over 40 depots and 1, 000 petrol stations with about 2, 000 members, has been having a running battle with officers of the Nigeria Police Force over alleged attempts by the police to foist a factional leadership for association’s chapters.

     

    For quite some years now, IPMAN has been factionlised between Chiefs Obasi Lawson and Elfer Chinedu Okoronkwo all from Abia state, leading to series of litigations. However, the litigations culminated in the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No SC/15/2018 delivered on December 14, 2018 and its subsequent interpretation by Federal High Court Calabar dated June 19, 2019, which recognised automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari, as National President of IPMAN, based on 1997 constitution of the association as against of one Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo. Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari was in Chief Obasi Lawson’s faction.

     

    Following that judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had in a letter dated January 4, 2019 and sent to Rivers IPMAN Chairman led by Chief Richard Orianwo, acknowledged and congratulated Alh Sanusi Fari as the President of IPMAN following Supreme Court judgment.

    He, therefore, advised “the association and all parties to abide by the Supreme Court and the Federal High Court interpretation on the matter and condemned any acts of contempt of court and the attendant proactive disputes that are escalating tensions and violence in the host community and thus threatening lives and property by any member or organ of IPMAN.” This letter was also copied to Elder Chinesu Okoronkwo.

    In the same vein, the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timiore Sylva, in a letter dated January 27, 2020 congratulated Engr Sanusi Abdu Fari and promised to work with the new leadership.

    The letter read in part: “The judgments of the Federal High Court, Calabar dated June 19, 2019 as to the tenure of the erstwhile National President, Chief Obasi Lawson, and the automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari, as the National President, is noted.”

    The legal department of Inspector-General of Police headed by CP Daso Oruebo followed suit and advised police to recognise the leadership of Alh Fari and withdraw from the occupation of national secretariat in Abuja in compliance with the court orders which incidentally should be extended to other branches having emerged from the same process. The police had since complied.

    But trouble seems to be brewing again in IPMAN following a new twist to the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment by the new Police Commissioner, Legal Force headquarters, Abuja, DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh, W.A, who had in a letter dated May 13, 2022 advised the Inspector-General of Police to recognise the Chinedu Okorornkwo-led faction of IPMAN and subsequently accord them necessary attention at the national headquarters and in the affected states.

    In the letter describing the Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo-led executives as “the judgment creditors,” DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh advised “all litigants in the disputes, who submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court to respect the outcome of the decision and comply with Court orders, most especially as this decision is coming from the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.”

    Reacting to DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh interpretation of the Supreme Court and Appeal Courts judgment and advise in an interview in Calabar, the Cross River state Chairman of IPMAN, Comrade Robert Asue Obi, described Police action as an invitation to anarchy, threatening that the association would not hesitate to shut down all depots in the eastern zone and close petrol stations owned their thousands of members in protest against police undue harassment of the leadership and interference in their affairs.

     

    Obi frowns at the illegal moves by the police authourities and some disgruntled elements to either misinterpret the Supreme Court ruling or subvert the will of the people and subsequently impose their cronies on the association even when the facts of the matter are very clear.

     

    He explained that the Attorney general of the Federation, AGF’s letter, copied to Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and his faction, who lost out at the Supreme Court, had acknowledged Alh Sanusi Fari as authentic National President of IPMAN as well as his Depot/Unit chairmen.

    “Following the legal advice, the police are putting all arsenals to arrest the current executives of IPMAN in Nigeria, particularly in Calabar NNPC depot and allegedly hand them over to the people of their choice. IPMAN warns that if any further step for the Police to interfere with the current leadership of the association headed by Alh. Debo Ahmed, as national president, and that of my office, we would shut down the distribution channels of petroleum and allied products in Nigeria pending the when the police return to their senses.

    “IPMAN leadership has resolved to continue with their rights in the constitution and abide by the extant laws and subsisting judgments of the courts in their favour.”

    Describing the recent police interpretation as travesty of justice, the counsel to Alh. Ahmed Debo-led IPMAN, Daniel Enegu Mgbe, regretted that the Police under the watch IGP decided to be misled by its legal unit headed by DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh in defiance of the position of the Attorney General of the federation.

    Mbge recalled that CP Daso Josaih Oruebo and IGP had confirmed the same legal advice of Attorney general of the federation on a memo dated June24, 2021, insisting that the Police authourities have no constitutional powers to neither reverse the AGF legal advice nor usurp his constitutional duties, adding that any attempt by the Police to override he the legal advice of AGF amount to trying to lock horns with the law officer of the federation.

    He stated that Section 15 of Sheriffs and Civil Process Act 2004 clearly spelt out the functions of the under Section 4 of Police Act 2020.

     

  • 2023: Come Up WITH Revolutionary Ideas To Change Cause Of things In C’ River, Sen Onor Charges Youths

    2023: Come Up WITH Revolutionary Ideas To Change Cause Of things In C’ River, Sen Onor Charges Youths

     

    By Judex Okoro, Calabar

    Cross River governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Sandy Onor, has called on the youths to come up with revolutionary ideas to change the cause of things in the ahead of 2023 in the state.

    Speaking at PDP Town Hall meeting of major youth stakeholders and leaders of support groups organized by WANBONEH group and held in Calabar on Friday, Onor, representing Cross River senatorial district, said the youths, with a lot of energy, have a say in the state and that is why he made a forty-one year-old lady as his deputy governor.

    He disclosed that those who have ruled the state in the past were in their youthful age and urged them not to be allow selfish politicians to manipulate their youthful energy, adding that life is full of vicissitudes but with purpose and determination they can conquer.

    He said: “I have worked with youths and believe in youthful energy because as a youth I was a party chairman. But look at my age and so things must change. I am not going to lead Cross Riverians astray. I would tell you the truth and be practical with ourselves by returning to our land and harvest the nature’s gift.

    “It is high time youths stopped being manipulated by those who don’t have their interest at heart and should neither listen to people who manipulate their energy to achieve a purpose and later dump them, promising to empower them in practical terms once he is elected in 2023 and not on the food-on-the-table agenda.”

    On the issue of back-to-south zoning arrangement, he said: “The issue of zoning was too emotional thereby undermining the mission of our struggle. Besides, the party primaries were too competitive and everybody who came was a quality material to be toyed with. So, let us try and put beyond the acrimonies of yesterday. I love back-to-back to south movement because it has its own energy. I have worked for the south before those clamouring now.

    “I was the chairman of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) as a youth and I supported southern candidates. So, we should shun ethnic politics to move the state forward because we are in a mess. When I win, I would be blind to ethnicity. I believe in quality as long as you can add value to the government.

    “In the history of the state, nobody has dominated one another neither any group has. So, why are people trying to divide us because we have commonalities? For now, we should look at competing fiercely and favourably with whosoever APC brings. And now is the time for PDP youths to rise to the occasion. Therefore, I caution the youths against engaging in anti-party because it does not help anyone and it is a smack of hypocrisy and witchcraftcy.”

    Earlier in his welcome address, the National Leader of WANBONEH, Comrade Asu Abang, said the stakeholders’ meeting was organized as part of healing processes among the youths and see how they can come together to deliver the PDP candidates across board.

    Abang said: “We wanted to seat together and discuss some issues that arose from the primaries across the state. As stakeholders, the youths have significant roles to play ahead of 2023. We know some youths are angry over the non-realisation of back-to-south arrangement in terms of the governorship.

    “However, now that we have chosen who leads us at all levels, it is imperative all the youths speak in unison and move into the field and mobilise the electorate for PDP because when we win, all us would be better for it. This is not the time for blame-game as we must come out with zeal and determination to reclaim the state from APC.”