The Lumine News

Category: Politics

  • Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the Burden of Selective Amnesia – DG Caterpillar Movement

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the Burden of Selective Amnesia – DG Caterpillar Movement

     

    Let me reiterate that the Caterpillar Movement is determined to run an issue-based campaign, but in doing so, we are not oblivious of the many antics and shenanigans of those who are obviously terrified by the towering acceptability and goodwill that our Principal, Distinguished Senator Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor and the Peoples Democratic Party are enjoying among Cross Riverians. Therefore, while we are devoted to pursuing a campaign devoid of mudslinging and bickering, we would not fail to tackle heads-on, any attempt by anybody to cast unnecessary aspersions on our Principal and the Peoples Democratic Party, no matter how highly placed.

    In view of the above, we condemn in strong terms the vitriolic and scathing comments made by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who but for the purpose of scoring cheap political point, ought to concern himself more with the mission of redeeming his battered political timeline. For emphasis, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba had during one of their many poorly attended APC tours, attempted to cast aspersions on the personality of Distinguished Senator Prof Sandy Ojang Onor, by speaking disparagingly about the gubernatorial aspiration of our Principal. He is quoted to have made the following comment, to wit; “I served the Central Senatorial District for 12years as a Senator and I was focused, but some people have not even finished their first term in the Senate where we sent them, they want to be Governor. We in the Central Senatorial District believe in Justice and fairness. We are not greedy people”

    The above comment from Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba can best be described as a manifestation of selective amnesia. It is on record that Victor Ndoma-Egba, out of greed had a strangulating grip on the Senatorial seat of Central for 12years and greedily wanted a 4th term, but for the divine intervention of Stakeholders from Central Senatorial District that overwhelmingly rejected him and replaced him with a younger Senator John Owan-Enoh. Despite the humiliation and defeat, Victor Ndoma-Egba refused to see the hand writing on the wall. He refused to accept the fact that the glory has finally departed from him and the people were tired of his self-centeredness and greed. Yet again, he went on bended knees and begged for a federal appointment and was appointed Chairman of NDDC out of sheer pity. Not satisfied, he tried for the 5th time to go to the senate and got the rudest shock of his life. He ran against Senator Prof Sandy Ojang Onor and was roundly defeated. In fact, he lost in 60 wards out of the 66wards in the Senatorial District.

    In his characteristic manner, Victor Ndoma-Egba had in the just concluded APC National Convention lobbied for the position of a National Secretary, until Betta Edu through the intervention of Governor Ben Ayade took the carpet off his feet. For a man like Victor Ndoma-Egba who wanted to remain forever in the Senate, it smacks of arrogance and outright insult on the sensibility of Cross Riverians for him to speak about justice and fairness. Where was justice and fairness, when Victor Ndoma-Egba supported a central Candidate for Governor in 2019? Where was justice and fairness when Victor Ndoma-Egba greedily attempted going back to the Senate in 2019, instead of giving way for the younger generation? Where was fairness and justice when Victor Ndoma-Egba, for the 12years in the Senate, even as the Senate Leader and later Chairman of NDDC threw mentorship overboard by refusing to consider any young person fit for him to groom to run for the National Secretary that he lobbied for?

    It is apparently laughable for Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba who was mercilessly defeated by our Principal, to use the word “WE” in referring to our Central Senatorial Constituents that voted for Senator Sandy Onor . He is obviously not part of those that sent our Principal to the Senate, hence he lacks the moral standing to use the word “We sent him”.

    As an Elder Statesman, we would do him the honor of applying restraint but should he
    continue in the ignoble path of casting aspersions on our Principal, we would be forced to travel down memory lane and remind him of his many sins against the people of Cross River State. We urge him to remember that those who live in a glass house, ought not throw Stones.

     

    Chief Joe Obi Bisong

    DG, Caterpillar Movement

  • 2023 General Election: C’River PDP Demands Submission Of Candidates Manifesto

    2023 General Election: C’River PDP Demands Submission Of Candidates Manifesto

    23rd August 2022.

    Attention: All Candidates
    Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State.

    Submission Of Candidates’ Manifesto for 2023 General Election

    Sequel to the resolution reached during the meeting of the State Working Committee of our great party, on Tuesday 23rd August 2022, and in line with the party’s resolve to engage in issue-based campaign ahead of the 2023 General Election, all Candidates of our party are hereby requested to submit to the office of the State Publicity Secretary, copies of their campaign manifesto, on/before 30th August 2022.

    NB: Copies of manifesto Should be submitted both in hard and Soft Copies*

    Please accept the assurances of our esteemed regards

    Signed.
    Prince Mike Ojisi
    (State Publicity Secretary).

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • Wike Dissociates From Suit Challenging Atiku’s Candidacy

    Wike Dissociates From Suit Challenging Atiku’s Candidacy

    Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike few moments ago (Friday) distanced himself from a purported suit said to have been filed by him seeking the removal of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general election.

    This comes few hours after some media outfits had reported that Wike had ordered the removal of PDP flags in Rivers State government house, which also turned out to be false.

    In an exclusive chat with THISDAY, the Governor denied knowing anything whatsoever about the purported suit or even knowing the lawyers who filed the suit in the first instance. “I don’t know anything about the so called suit. I did not ask anyone to file any suit for me”

    The media was on Friday morning awash with reports that Governor Wike and one Chieftain of the PDP, Mr Newgent Ekamon, had dragged the PDP to court seeking the removal of Atiku as Candidate of the PDP in next year’s presidential polls.

    According to the purported suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs were said to have hinged their claims on the grounds that the PDP primary conferred undue advantage on Atiku which aided his emergence as candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.

    Reacting to the publication, Wike flatly denied the suit said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. He described the suit as the handiwork of mischief makers who merely want to use him to score cheap political goals.

    He stated emphatically, “I don’t know the lawyers”. Continuing, he said, “am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time. I had 14 days after the primary within which to have filed any suit. I didn’t do that then, is it two months after primary I will file a suit?

    He also recalled that, “just yesterday they came up with the claim that I ordered my Chief Security Officer to pull down PDP flag in Government House. This is all false, it’s all propaganda. Some people are trying to use me to win the election. Please disregard all these lies”.

    ThisDay

  • Amb Soni Abang: The Ignorance Of A Politician On Sabbatical – PDP

    Amb Soni Abang: The Ignorance Of A Politician On Sabbatical – PDP

    PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY CROSS RIVER STATE.

    9th August 2022.

    Press Statement:

    AMB. SONI ABANG: THE IGNORANCE OF A POLITICIAN ON SABBATICAL.

    Our attention has been drawn to a scathing and vitriolic comment credited to Amb. Soni Abang, the factional Director General of one of the many APC Gubernatorial Candidates in Cross River State, wherein Amb. Soni Abang, mischievously insinuated that the Peoples Democratic Party is coming into the 2023 elections with a very heavy moral baggage as a result of the Gubernatorial Candidate of the PDP coming from the Central Senatorial District.

    In a bid to score cheap Political point and whip up ethnocentric sentiment, Amb. Soni Abang who just returned from political sabbatical threw caution to the wind and spoke disparagingly about the PDP, the same Political Party that gave him the platform to become who he is.
    Abang as erstwhile chairman was the most dictatorial and undemocratic in the history of party politics in Nigeria. The same Abang who is today talking about brotherliness and natural justice, fought against His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke and nearly truncated Imoke’s 8years tenure as Governor. So, where’s the brotherliness?

    As Amb. Soni Abang appears to be recovering from the rude shock that visited him following his loss of favour with Senator Liyel Imoke since his ignominious ambassadorial posting to the Republic of Chad, that sent him on Political exile, we would love to ask him what he negotiated for the Six Local Government Areas of Central SenatoriaI District where he comes from, as someone interested in Political inclusiveness. Where is the equitable distribution of offices in his beloved APC, when the Senatorial District with a sitting Governor is still imposing a deputy Governorship Candidate on his party for the sole purpose of shoring up his failed bid to return to the Senate, an ambition that he can see clearly is bedeviled with bad omens indicating that it is already stillborn.

    If we may ask, why is Ambassador Soni Abang working tirelessly to give his younger brother the ticket of the PDP to contest the Federal House of Representative seat of his Constituency Ikom/Boki, instead of his party the APC, if he considers the APC a just and preferred platform?
    Maybe the APC needs to interrogate these inconsistencies of a pretentious returnee Political gangster with the reputation of trading only on electoral goods.

    Ordinarily, we would have chosen to remain calm and let the tantrums thrown at us slide but for the sake of clarity and emphasis, we wish to reiterate that we are not interested in playing the Politics of ethnocentric agitation. We have, for the umpteenth time, reminded Cross Riverians that while others are preaching ethnicity, we are preaching unity and oneness, hence our philosophy of Back To Us.

    For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record that the Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State carried out the most transparent, free and fair primaries in the history of our state, unlike the APC where a group of persons sat down over some bottles of alcohol, drank themselves to stupor and unilaterally forced other aspirants to step down for the preferred Candidate of a cabalistic few, even against the interest of their party faithfuls, which has led to series of litigations.

    We are bemused that the APC can muster the effrontery to talk about moral baggage against the PDP. What can be more burdensome than the fact that APC handpicked all its Candidates in an unjust and unfair manner. What can be more burdensome than the fact that the APC took both their Gubernatorial and Senatorial ticket in the South to one Local Government Area, while excluding the other six Local Government Areas. What can be more disturbing than the fact that the APC in a bid to fruitlessly safeguard the Governor’s already embattled Senatorial ambition, took the position of the Deputy Governorship Candidate of their Party to the Northern Senatorial District. Where is the justice and fairness Amb. Soni Abang is sanctimoniously trying to preach when a particular Local Government Area occupies the Governorship seat, Ministerial seat and currently battling to lay claim to the Senatorial ticket of the Northern Senatorial District. What happens to other Local Government Areas in the North and Central Senatorial District?

    While we do not wish to involve ourselves in the malicious diversionary Political antics of the APC, we enjoin them to prepare themselves and meet us in the field as we are confident that the good people of Cross River State are eagerly waiting to vote them out and reclaim our dear state.

    Signed.

    Prince Mike Ojisi
    State publicity Secretary.

  • PDP Is Home, Etung/Obubra Will Deliver 100% For PDP – Stakeholders

    PDP Is Home, Etung/Obubra Will Deliver 100% For PDP – Stakeholders

    By: Odenke-Odemonke Ibiang

    As the drive for reconciliation by the Efiok Cobham Led PDP reconciliation Committee continue to yield result across the state, party faithfuls, aspirants for Obubra and Etung State House of Assembly as well as the candidate for Obubra/Etung federal constituency have assured the team of their readiness to put aside all grievances and work for the success of the party in all the 21 wards of Obubra and Etung Local Government Areas.

    Party faithfuls present at the meeting took turns to trace the history of the PDP in Cross River state and Obubra, and harped on the need to stay United in other to Reclaim it’s stolen mandate from the failed government occupying leopard house in Calabar.

    They also recounted the sacrifices made by their illustrious son, late John Okpa to bring PDP and democracy to Cross River state and so were not in the hurry to betray their son by voting other parties in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

    The stalwarts emphasized that it was their responsibility to ensure that PDP Obubra remains one indivisible body, and assured the reconciliation committee that as the federal constituency that houses the Gubernatorial candidate, they would leave no stone unturned in turning out massive votes for the PDP from their various units in the forthcoming general elections.

  • Mass Defection Hits APC As 5,000 Members Defects To PDP In Cross River North

    Mass Defection Hits APC As 5,000 Members Defects To PDP In Cross River North

     

    The battle for the soul of Cross River state has continued to gather momentum as about 5, 000 All Progressives Congress (APC) members have defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the northern senatorial zone.

    The defectors include former APC wards and chapter officers, women leaders, leaders of Hausa community in Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Oabnliku and Obudu as well candidate
    in the last Ogoja/Yala federal constitiency and aspirants in the làst congresses.

    Receiving the thosands of defectors at TTC field Igoli-Ogoja on Saturday, the Vice Chairman of PDP Northern Senatorial district, Chief Austine Edibe, commended them for their courage to join the party at this nick of time.

    He enjoined them to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023, adding that the wards that deliver highest votes would re-warded with more dividends of democracy.

    Also welcoming the defectors,
    Sen Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, advised them to be loyal to party leadership at their various wards and be steadfast, assuring them of more empowerment programmes to accommodate them.

    According to him, “this is the time for the defectors to tie their belts and reject any form of inducements in readiness for the battle ahead.”

    Earlier, the former Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham, said the defectors should join the “operation vote APC out”and called on them to get their PVCs ready to bring back PDP.

    Some of the defectors expressed their readiness to work for PDP, saying “we are back to our root.”

    One the defectors and a former chapter treasurer of APC Obudu, Agim Joseph Agim, said they came back to PDP because of the love for Sen Jarigbe and to be part of the succes story ahead of 2023.

    Also speaking, Ushie James Odey, former APC secretary Ukpah ward in Bekwarra, said: “We have worked for APC for seven years and i got nothing neither was I empowered. So, I decided to defect to PDP where I can be given human treatment.”

    For John Brown Ugbada from Yala, he said: “I came over with about 300 APC members. We are returning to PDP to enable us work for PDP and reposition Yala local governement area.”

    For Dominic Ebi, a former LP candidate for the last Yala/Ogoja federal constituency by-election, he said: “I have returned to PDP because it is a family that has a reward system.”

  • Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, Ogoja Endorse Sen Jarigbe Agom For Senate 2023

    Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, Ogoja Endorse Sen Jarigbe Agom For Senate 2023

     

    The Ogoja LGA chapter of the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, have endorsed Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe for Senate ahead of the 2023 general election.

    The group which made the briefing earlier today during her PVC Sensitization Campaign and Mobilization, have called on the people of Cross River Northern Senatorial District to re-elect Senator Jarigbe for another term to enable him consolidate and continue his transformational projects and policies.

    They explained that, the refined lawmaker has done exceptionally well in critical sectors such as; law making, education, youth empowerment, health, infrastructural development and many others.

    The group further declared support for all PDP candidates in the State, ranging from the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Governorship, as well as the Presidency.

    TEAM JARI MEDIA

  • Cross River State Today Series: There Are No Activities To Boost CRS Economy – Joe Obi Bisong

    Cross River State Today Series: There Are No Activities To Boost CRS Economy – Joe Obi Bisong

    By Dominic Kidzu

    A frontline politician and Director General of the Caterpillar Movement, Chief Joe Obi Bisong has identified the lack of creative ideas and innovation as the reasons for the paralysed socio – economic atmosphere in the state.

    Chief Obi Bisong who spoke with
    CROSS RIVER STATE TODAY SERIES explained that “there are no activities to keep the economy booming, rather the entire economy from the state to the federal level is characterized by inflation,
    Insecurity of lives and property and unemployment. We have reached a near total collapse in all sectors of our lives while physical infrastructure are at very deplorable levels in our state “.

    He identified poor leadership and wrong – headed policies by the APC government at the centre and the appointment of unqualified personnel into very sensitive areas of governance in the state as the reasons for the poorstate of affairs. “The lack of cognate experience and appropriate skills by these square pegs in round holes has killed the entire civil and public service sectors in the state “.

    He warned Cross Riverians not to stand by and watch the government as it attempts to succeed itself in office and continue with business as usual. ” What we need is free and fair elections to bring in a rescue team that shall return our dear state to its glory days “.

    Chief Joe Obi Bisong has been a Supervisor, Leader of Council, state publicly secretary of the PDP and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment.