PDP ZONAL CONGRESS :
SWC, OTHERS IN PEACE PARLEY IN OSOGBO

In furtherance of the preparation for the forthcoming South West Zonal Congress, reconciliatory team of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayodele Fayose continued its move on Friday in Osun State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the attendance of the leadership of the party, the State Working Committee led by Elder Sunday Akanfe.

Flanked by the Zonal leaders that cut across the six States of the South West Zone are four PDP State Chairmen, the 30 Local Government Chairmen and notable stakeholders in the rank and file of the Osun PDP.

The meeting, well attended by PDP faithfuls, was to broker peace and charge a positive course for the survival and prosperity of the main opposition party in Nigeria.

The representative of Dr Deji Doherty from Lagos, Hon. Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele (Ogun), Chief Bisi Kolawole of Ekiti and the acting Chairman in Osun State, Elder Sunday Akanfe (Atidade) were in attendance for the sake of unity, peace and progress of the opposition party in the Zone.

While speaking, Ogun PDP Chairman, Hon. Ogundele stated emphatically that all the delegates of the party in his State are solidly behind the reelection bid of Dr Eddy Olafeso and Rev. Bunmi Jenyo as the Zonal Chairman and Secretary respectively, in the forthcoming Congress.

Osun State acting Chairman, Elder Atidade while reaponding, charged the PDP members to embrace peace and progress of the party in every nook and cranny of the South West.

Dr. Eddy Olafeso in his response thanked Osun PDP stakeholders present at the meeting and charged them to encourage one another towards the attainment of peace, tranquility and unity of the party.

According to Olafeso, Engr. Seyi Makinde remains the overall leader, being the only PDP produced Governor in the Zone. He however, challenged all and sundry to sue for peace.

He also expressed happiness at the impressive turnout of the delegates and relevant stakeholders to ratify certain decisions concerning free, fair and credible Congress of the South West Zone.

SOUTHWEST PDP LEADERS REJECT AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES, BID FOR EQUITY IN ZONAL CONGRESS

Notable leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West led by a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Ayodele Fayose have jointly rejected any act that does not respect democratic norms in the procedure to organise a hitch-free Congress, coming up in the Zone soon.

This decision was arrived at Abeokuta, Ogun State after a thorough deliberation of a Committee of South West PDP Chairmen, on Wednesday.

The meeting which had in attendance critical stakeholders of the opposition party also had four State Chairmen from Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos and Osun in attendance.

In a Press Statement jointly signed by Hon. Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele (Ogun), Chief Bisi Kolawole (Ekiti), Engr. Deji Doherty (Lagos) and Elder Sunday Akanfe (Osun) which was made available to Nigerian Platform, the party stalwarts stated that Dr Eddy Olafeso led Executives must be returned to office, in the forthcoming Zonal Congress, to give equity a chance.

The Chairmen who maintained that the leadership of the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde was not in question however said that each of the six States in the Zone must be allowed and appropriately carried along in the decision making process of the party in the Zone.

According to them “It must be noted that each state has its own leaders as politics is local and its leadership structure must be respected, but no state is ruled or governed by another”.

They emphasized that their parley was to stand against impunity and to place the PDP in a better position of victory in the forthcoming and future elections.

“We Chairmen of the PDP in States of the South West Zone, alive to our responsibilities to the party and its teeming supporters, wish to place on record our deep commitment to its well-being and success at all times”.

“We reject any style of leadership that does not respect democratic norms. Everybody must be carried along for the sake of equity and fairness”

The PDP leaders also solicited for a hitch-free Zonal Congress that is going to be free, fair, transparent, credible and acceptable.

“We seize this opportunity to let the National Working Committee know that it is nothing but free, fair, transparent and non-violent Congress is what is acceptable to us and we are ready to comply with all legitimate processes to determine the outcome of the Zonal Congress”.

“All we are saying is that we must give peace a chance and allow the South West take its rightful position in the PDP and Nigeria” the statement concluded.

Ogun State leader, Hon. Ladi Adebutu also said that the positions of Women Leader and Organising Secretary zoned to the state must not be tampered with as it remains non-negotiable.

JOURNALISTS TO BE EQUIPPED TO FORESTALL HARASSMENT

Journalists in Nigeria have been advised to submit themselves to adequate knowledge about the nitty-gritty and ethics of their profession to forestall unethical conduct or harassment from powers that be in the society.

This was disclosed on Thursday by a political and communication strategist, Dr Festus Adedayo at the virtual training held at https://meet.google.com/xnu-ukim-dsj for Media workers to equip themselves to tackle varying challenges in the course of their duty.

The virtual discourse which was with the theme “Journalism Under Siege in Nigeria, The Urgency and Justification for Media Activism” frowned at Chief Femi Fani-Kayode’s outburst against a Daily Trust Newspaper Correspondent in Cross River State, Mr Charles Eyo in Calabar recently.

Dr Adedayo had suggested the immediate need for Press Constitutional Conference to chart a new modality and template for Media workers to further entrench professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

Some members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council had converged at the Press Centre, Iwo/Ibadan road, Osogbo to join in the virtual discourse.

Also, another speaker, Mr Suleiman Aledeh who encouraged professional Journalists to bend over backwards to maintain their stand without compromise maintained that journalists were expected to stage a walk-out on whoever intends to harass them in the line of their constitutional obligation.

Mr Aledeh solicited for constant training and retraining of Journalists to distinguish themselves amidst the crowd as well as having multiple streams of income to maintain self-confidence and self-esteem in the media practitioners.

He berated some owners of Media outfits who are endlessly owing their professional workers, thereby subjecting them to economic hardship, noting that this has increasingly made the professionalism to come under a serious attack in Nigerian Journalism practice.

Earlier, Osun NUJ Council acting Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu has expressed appreciation to the facilitators for the opportunity and hope that the one-day workshop was expedient to enlighten Journalists on how to tackle unprecedented challenges in the face of provocation

JOURNALISTS TO BE EQUIPPED TO FORESTALL HARASSMENT

Journalists in Nigeria have been advised to submit themselves to adequate knowledge about the nitty-gritty and ethics of their profession to forestall unethical conduct or harassment from powers that be in the society.

This was disclosed on Thursday by a political and communication strategist, Dr Festus Adedayo at the virtual training held at https://meet.google.com/xnu-ukim-dsj for Media workers to equip themselves to tackle varying challenges in the course of their duty.

The virtual discourse which was with the theme “Journalism Under Siege in Nigeria, The Urgency and Justification for Media Activism” frowned at Chief Femi Fani-Kayode’s outburst against a Daily Trust Newspaper Correspondent in Cross River State, Mr Charles Eyo in Calabar recently.

Dr Adedayo had suggested the immediate need for Press Constitutional Conference to chart a new modality and template for Media workers to further entrench professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

Some members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council had converged at the Press Centre, Iwo/Ibadan road, Osogbo to join in the virtual discourse.

Also, another speaker, Mr Suleiman Aledeh who encouraged professional Journalists to bend over backwards to maintain their stand without compromise maintained that journalists were expected to stage a walk-out on whoever intends to harass them in the line of their constitutional obligation.

Mr Aledeh solicited for constant training and retraining of Journalists to distinguish themselves amidst the crowd as well as having multiple streams of income to maintain self-confidence and self-esteem in the media practitioners.

He berated some owners of Media outfits who are endlessly owing their professional workers, thereby subjecting them to economic hardship, noting that this has increasingly made the professionalism to come under a serious attack in Nigerian Journalism practice.

Earlier, Osun NUJ Council acting Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu has expressed appreciation to the facilitators for the opportunity and hope that the one-day workshop was expedient to enlighten Journalists on how to tackle unprecedented challenges in the face of provocation

PDP, NLC, OTHERS CRITICISE NEW PUMP PRICE, ELECTRICITY BILL

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the fresh increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and electricity tariff.

The opposition party stated this on Wednesday in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) had on Wednesday adjusted the ex-depot price of PMS twice within a few hours.

The new price of N147.67 was made public shortly after the PPMC announced an initial increment to N151.56 per litre from the erstwhile price of N138.62 per litre.

Earlier before the PMS price hike, the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) across the country on Tuesday began the implementation of a new electricity tariff regime of N66 per kilowatt.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which represents the interest of Nigerian workers, has also condemned the increase amidst rising economic plight of most Nigerians.

Reacting to the increase in prices of the basic commodities, the PDP said it demands an immediate reversal of the new hikes to avert a national crisis.

It said the increase will result in upsurge in costs of goods and services and worsen the biting hardship being faced by Nigerians.

Feelers across the country have also expressed shock and disappointment in the Federal Government over the incessant hike in the essential commodities in Nigeria in recent times.

According to the opposition party, “Our party asserts that by increasing the price of fuel from the N87 per litre it sold under the PDP to an excruciating N151 while at the same time allowing the hike in electricity tariff from N30.23 per kwh to over N66, the APC has left no one in doubt that its agenda is to inflict pain and hardship on Nigerians to satisfy their selfish interests.”

“The unjustifiable increase in the price of these essential supplies, coming barely a week after the APC brazenly posted a support for fuel price hike, while attempting to rationalize the excruciating hardship being suffered by Nigerians under the Buhari administration, has further confirmed that the APC is at the center of the harsh policies of the Buhari Presidency.”

“It is distressing that the APC administration increased the cost of essential commodities at the time the leadership of other countries are offering palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is instructive to add that our nation is doomed under the APC watch.

“We know that the APC is an unfeeling party but it is indeed shocking that it could go to the extent of approving such a hike at this trying time, when many Nigerians are struggling to afford staple foods and other necessities of life,” the main opposition party lamented.

The PDP challenged the APC and the Buhari administration to publish the parameters with which it arrived at the new fuel price.

“Our party further challenges the APC-led Federal Government to publish details of its sleazy and over-bloated oil subsidy regime, including the involvement of APC interests in the claimed under-recovery for unnamed West African countries, running into trillions of naira, while Nigerians are made to bear the burden of high fuel costs.

“Moreover, the APC and its government have failed to allow an open investigation into allegations of fuel price overcharge as well as the fraudulent subsidy regime through which over N14 trillion had allegedly been frittered by unscrupulous individuals in the APC.

“Our fear is that the APC is pushing Nigerians to the wall with its obnoxious and anti-people proclivities and we caution that nobody should misinterpret the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Nigerians as a sign of weakness.”

The party further called on the National Assembly “to save the nation by calling the APC and its administration to order before the nation plunges into chaos”.

OSUN POLY TO HOLD VIRTUAL MATRICULATION FOR STUDENTS NEXT WEDNESDAY

The Registrar of Osun State Polytechnic Iree, Mr Busari Salawu has declared that the virtual Matriculation Exercise for all the newly admitted Part Time students of the Institution will hold on Wednesday, 9th September, 2020.

Mr. Salawu in a statement made available to Nigerian Platform in Osogbo today stated that the matriculation ceremony would hold by 12 – noon for all the newly admitted students into the National Diploma programme Daily Part Time, National Diploma and Higher National Diploma of the Weekend Part Time students for the 2019/2020 academic session of the Institution.

He stressed that any fresh Daily Part Time and Weekend Part Time students of the Institution who refuses to participate in the virtual matriculation exercise slated for Wednesday next week, 9th September, will lose his or her studentship.

The Registrar maintained that only those who have paid their school fees among the newly admitted ND1 Daily Part Time, ND1 and HND1 Weekend Part Time students would be allowed to participate in the virtual matriculation.

Mr. Salawu also stressed that “all the affected students are to create private ‘Zoom Account’ that they would use to participate in the online Matriculation exercise”

The students, according to the Registrar, are expected to “pay the approved School Fees with their Debit Cards” and complete their Course Registrations online before 9th September, 2020.

The Registrar enthused that the ND 1 Daily Part Time students, and ND1 and HND 1 Weekend Part Time students who refuse to “pay the School Fees and participate in the virtual Matriculation exercise would lose their studentship”.

In the light of this, parents and guardians are admonished to ensure that their wards pay the required school fees, open the zoom account and participate actively in the virtual matriculation, so that they would not forfeit the offer of admission.

TOP NDDC OFFICIALS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED FRAUD

Two directors at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

One of the arrested directors is in charge of education, health, and social services, while the other is in charge of special projects.

Their arrest, Nigerian Platform reliably gathered, borders on allegations of abuse of office regarding Covid-19 spending by the NDDC and the mishandling of the commission’s scholarship programme.

The directors, whose names could not be ascertained as at the time of filing in, were arrested on Monday and were detained till Thursday before they were released on administrative bail.

Mrs Azuka Ogugua, ICPC’s spokesperson, confirmed the arrest to Newsmen on Friday.

She, however, did not mention where the officials were detained and when they would likely be quizzed again.

The NDDC was set up in 2000 by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo to fast-track development in the troubled Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Recently, the commission has, however, been plagued by corruption, while the people in the region continue to live in poverty and the commission’s uncompleted projects are found in almost every community.

The National Assembly launched a corruption probe of the agency which later became controversial, with the commission’s management accusing Senators and House of Representatives members of cornering for themselves several contracts.

TWO DIE AS HELICOPTER CRASHES ON LAGOS BUILDING

At least two people have been confirmed dead as an helicopter with registration number SN BQW belonging to Chrome Aviation, has crashed into a building along Salvation road, at Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos today.

Sources from the Federal Ministry of Aviation who confirmed the incident disclosed that four persons were on board and those injured has been taken to the hospital for attention.

Emergency workers are currently on the scene of the incident.

Details later …

REPS COMMITTEE URGES FG, STATES TO COLLABORATE TO DEVELOP HEALTH SECTOR

The House of Representatives Committee on Health has called for more synergy between Federal and State governments in the efforts to transform Nigeria’s health sector.

The committee made the call on Thursday when its members paid a courtesy visit to Enugu State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu.

Nigerian Platform reliably gathered that the Committee was in Enugu state for an oversight visit to Federal health institutions in the area.

The Committee’s Deputy Chairman, Martin Oke, who led the team, lauded Mr Ugwuanyi’s administration for its achievements in the health and other sectors of the state.

Also, Hon. Bashiru Dawodu, representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency, Lagos, said that states stood chances to benefit more by ensuring effective collaboration with the Federal Government.

Hon. Dawodu further commended the governor for reconstructing and remodeling the historic and undulating Milliken Hill Road in Enugu.

He expressed the Committee’s appreciation for the “massive project works in the state,” citing the ongoing construction work at the state-owned Infectious Disease Hospital, Enugu, formerly called Colliery Hospital Enugu, as an example.

Hon. Dawodu also cited the interventions by Mr Ugwuanyi’s administration in upgrading and rehabilitating health facilities in the state, including the state’s Teaching Hospital.

He thanked the governor for spearheading a peaceful and well-organised state, saying, ”Enugu State should be emulated, in terms of planning and organisation.

“This is a testimony of good governance and we are proud of your performance,” Hon. Dawodu said.

The lawmaker described Mr Ugwuanyi as one of the best governors in Nigeria and assured him of their continued prayers and support to his administration.

In his remark, Mr Ugwuanyi said that his administration placed priority on the task of making the health sector in the state one of the best in the country.

He thanked them for embarking on the visit and assured them of his administration’s commitment to peace, good governance and wellbeing of the people.

FG EXPLAINS WHY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS WERE POSTPONED TILL SEPTEMBER 5

The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, has explained that the resumption of international flights in Nigeria was postponed to ensure all non-aviation logistics are put in place.

Mr Nuhu while speaking at the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 briefing, on Thursday, said this is to ensure the smooth and efficient resumption of the flights.

“Since the announcement that international flights will resume anytime from August 29, the aviation sector has worked assiduously to be ready for this date.

“The sector including the airports are already working towards this line. However, we have other non-aviation logistics we are still working on, and it has mostly to do with Covid-19 protocols’ test and open the online platform.

“We need to get all these ready and in place so that we have a smooth and efficient resumption of the international flights without difficulties for passengers,” he said.

Mr Nuhu also said that all Covid-19 protocols to be followed for international flights will be released before the September 5 resumption date.

He also said a comprehensive list of countries from where passengers will not be allowed to fly into Nigeria will be released next week.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in March ordered the suspension of international flights to stop the further spread of Covid-19 virus into the country.

While local flights were also suspended, they resumed about five weeks ago as the country joined the rest of the world to battle the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 in an Italian who arrived in the country late February.

Since then, about 53,000 infections have been recorded leading to over 1,000 deaths across the country.