The
Federal Capital Territory was agog on Saturday when Bishop David
Oyedepo inaugurated one of the biggest branches of The Living Faith
District in Abuja.
The church, which accommodates over 4,000 worshipers every Sunday, was built in less than one year.
Thousands of worshipers gathered to witness the unveiling of the cathedral, which is estimated to be over N300m.
Pastor, Dele Bamgboye, revealed that with the dedication of the branch,
Life Camp and its environs were set to experience a spiritual rebirth.
He therefore charged the congregation to always have faith in God, as only Him can supply all their needs.
Top clergymen and some senior government officials in Abuja and in
other northern states under the Winners Chapel family, were on ground to
witness the official inauguration.
Pastor of the church and younger brother to Bishop Oyedepo, Gideon Oyedepo, told journalists that the church project gulped
of naira.
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OBJ, PDP elders to Jonathan: Sack Tukur, Baraje; hold new convention
By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
LAGOS—The Kawu Baraje and Bamanga Tukur factions of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP were last night poised for a long standoff,
following apparent efforts by the Presidency to fight off proposals
being articulated by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led elders’ committee.
The elders committee which met at the
weekend
following meetings with the two factions, it was learnt, had made some
proposals towards resolution of the crisis in the party. Among the
recommendations were dissolution of the
executives of the Tukur and Baraje-led factions of the party and the
scheduling of a fresh convention for the
election of a fresh and united executive.
Under the arrangement it was learnt the office of National Chairman
will be conceded to President Goodluck Jonathan; Deputy National
Chairman conceded to either the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief
Tony Anenih, or Governor Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the PDP Governors
Forum. Both Anenih and Akpabio are from the South-South where the
office of Deputy National Chairman is zoned to.
Obasanjo favours Ladoja as National Secretary
The office of National Secretary and other offices zoned to the
South-West it was learnt, would be conceded to President Obasanjo who,
it was learnt, was already set to shove his new-found friend, Senator
Rasheed Ladoja for the prime position.
Proposal for Amaechi’s return
Under the proposals, the Adamawa and Rivers State executives of the
party that were put at abeyance on account of the lingering crises in
the party will be restored just as Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers
State who was suspended would be reinstated upon expiration of the
30-day period as provided by the
constitution.
Meanwhile, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh
has fended off insinuations of a role by the opposition All Progressives
Congress, APC in the crisis in the party. Metuh, in a session with
newsmen in Lagos, said the APC is too insignificant and minuscule to be a
factor in what he described as an intra-party dispute. He also put in a
robust defence of Tukur’s leadership of the party, describing the
National Chairman as the kind of elixir needed to manage the PDP at this
time.
The Obasanjo panel included Anenih and former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
The report is yet to be presented to President Jonathan who is the leader of the party.
In proposing a fresh convention, sources disclosed that the Obasanjo
panel was not unmindful of the financial implications of holding a new
convention but as it was learnt, panellists were said to have affirmed
that “money should not be a hindrance
to doing the right thing.”
Jonathan 2015
The panel report did not touch on the sensitive matter of President Jonathan
contesting another term in office.
Vanguard learnt that the panel decided not to touch the issue because of both parties’ strong positions on it.
However, there were indications that President Jonathan may not acquiesce to the proposals as raised by the elders.
Presidency sources disclosed that dissolving the Tukur executive and
going with most of the other recommendations would mean the Presidency
losing its
present advantages.
In an apparent effort to bolster its forces in the ensuing battle, it
was learnt that three ad-hoc committees were constituted by the
President before he travelled
to Kenya last week to articulate possible solutions to the crisis.
The committees it was learnt include Legal, Political and Contact.
The committees are now working on ways of quenching the crisis in the
party and to contain the Baraje forces. Presidency sources disclosed
that the committees are to propose their recommendations to the
President tomorrow.
The President, it was learnt, was inclined towards a holistic
solution of the crisis to restore order in the party without condoning
indiscipline.
In that direction, the President it was understood, may not give in
to the demands of some of the governors that the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC be pulled out from investigating some states.
Some of the seven governors aligned to the Baraje faction of the party
were alleged to have bitterly complained of being harassed by the EFCC
purely on political grounds.
We give no attention to APC
Meanwhile, the Chief Olisa Metuh has dismissed insinuations of the
involvement of the APC in the unfolding crisis in the ruling party.
Metuh in an
interview in Lagos said:
“The APC as currently constituted has no capacity, no power to have
any influence whatsoever in the challenges in the party and they are of
no consequences whatsoever and we do not pay any attention to them.
They have no power, no influence, no position, no capacity to influence
anything that is happening in the party.
“The APC is insignificant and they are unimportant in the scheme of
things. What is important to us as a party is to resolve with our
brothers and to have a final resolution of this matter, to be in one
accord and have unity with our brothers so that the PDP can continue to
rule. But the role of APC is non-existent in this matter. They are
unimportant, they are insignificant and of no effect and we do not pay
attention to the APC as a body and the individuals therein. They are of
no consequence whatsoever.”
Culled: Vanguard
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Jonathan may reject PDP elders’ peace terms
Democratic
Party (PDP) may be far from over, as there are strong signals that the
presidency may reject the demands and peace terms allegedly presented by
the Abubakar Baraje-led faction, which was adopted by the Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo-led peace committee.
The terms allegedly set before the Obasanjo-led elders’committee
included reinstatement of Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; sack
of PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; resolution of Adamawa party
executive in favour of Governor Murtala Nyako, among others.
Although it was not a part of the five-point action plan, a source
said the aggrieved governors gave a commitment to support President
Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid if he so desires, provided they
would be assured with an undertaking that the president would not
victimise any of them.
These terms, it was gathered, may be adopted by the Obasanjo-led panel at a meeting slated for tomorrow in Abuja.
Impeccable source told the Nigerian Tribune that the peace term was
asking the president to surrender to the Baraje-led faction, even when
it had failed to act within the party’s constitutional framework,
declaring that “this president will not surrender to blackmail.”
While reaffirming the readiness of President Jonathan for
reconciliation, it was learnt that the peace terms may be rejected if
they were one-sided and presented as if the Baraje-led group had done
nothing wrong.
Sources in the administration told the Nigerian Tribune that the
presidency had questions to raise on the emerging report of the elders’
committee, adding that the report was one sided.
“When you take a look at the report, there are questions agitating
the minds. The question is what is the other faction that calls itself
New PDP giving back? Resolution of crisis are achieved with a give and
take approach. A resolution cannot be one-sided. How come all the
recommendations appear to indict the PDP hierarchy and the government?
“Are they saying Governor Amaechi is completely right, both in the
crisis in Rivers and that of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum? Are they
saying Nyako is right by holding a congress that excluded other leaders
of the party in the state? If the president’s side is to concede to all
the peace demands, what is the Baraje faction giving in return?”
Another presidency source pointed out that there could only be peace
when both sides were seen to be putting something on the table, asking
“how can there be peace when one side is asked to surrender to its
opponents?”
According to the source, “we agree there are issues to be addressed.
We agree there must be horse trading. What they propose is unacceptable
and the president is bitter that such one-sided proposals could be
contemplated at all.”
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the development had led to the
non-compliance posture within the president’s camp, with a group said to
be having the upper hand on how to tackle the crisis.
The group was said to have submitted a comprehensive plan to handle
the uprising, but was overruled by the president and other liberals, who
reportedly canvassed for negotiation and consensus to resolve the
matter.
As put by an administration source, “the group may be having its way
with the reported peace terms. Consensus is growing that the president
should apply the stick rather than just relying on carrots.”
Jonathan sets up 3 strategic committees
In a bid to fashion appropriate responses to the grievances of some
members of the party, including the G7 governors, President Jonathan has
set up three committees.
The committees, legal, political and contact, were put in place
shortly before the president departed for a state visit to Kenya, on
Thursday.
“The committees are working. I am aware they were mandated to
immediately fashion out ways of containing insurgency within the party
and also to state appropriate response to contain the aggrieved members,
especially if they continue to resist peace options,” a source said.
2015: Nobody can dictate to Jonathan —PDP spokesman
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, has said
nobody can dictate to President Jonathan on whether or not he should
contest the 2015 election, adding that the president had a right to take
the decision on his own.
Metuh, in an interview, said it would be undemocratic for anyone to
start agitating that President Jonathan should deny himself his right to
contest, adding that the president should take a personal decision on
that matter.
While reacting to indications that some aggrieved chieftains of the
party were of the view that Jonathan should not contest the 2015
election, Metuh said such a demand would be undemocratic.
“It is completely in his own purview to decide whether to run or not.
For anybody to give it as a condition, the person is not being fair as a
matter of right. We frowned on such condition. Peace move should be
given things that are attainable,” he said.
The PDP chieftain also insisted that the crisis rocking the PDP was a
storm in a tea cup, adding that opposition parties in the country were
not on the ground.
“The PDP remains strong and the party will be strong. As our chairman
stated, whatever happened, we are willing and able to pilot the affairs
of this party with loyal, committed and dedicated members and we
believe that with what we have seen of commitment of our members, we
will win the 2015 election,” he said.
He also stated that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) was not a threat to the PDP, even in its crisis state.
No compromise —Saraki
Former governor of Kwara State and one of the leaders of the New PDP, Dr
Bukola Saraki, has insisted that there are fundamentals his group would
not compromise in the ongoing negotiation to resolve the crisis within
the ruling party.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, on Sunday, Saraki said his group
would insist on the entrenchment of the principle of fairness and
equity in the affairs of the party.
The senator, who said he was in Ilorin to brief his followers on
development within the party, dismissed claims by any group to the
leadership of the party in the state, pointing out that it would be
impossible for any politician to use “the tactics of 1999” to handle the
political strategy of 2013.
“My assurance to all my people since I came for this series of
meeting with the various levels of leadership is that negotiations are
still going on, but we won’t compromise some fundamentals; we won’t
compromise on fairness and equity. And what the people are telling me is
that they are with me wherever we go.
“Politics is all about people, how many people are with you, not a
matter of nomenclature or press statements. You can see all the members
of the house of assembly, the CWC of the party, the executive of local
governments, etc are here with me.
“The politics of 2013 is different from that of 1999. What could be
done then cannot be done now. Now you have to fight for the confidence
of the people,” he said.
Also, the media office of Saraki expressed concern over the
withdrawal of security personnel attached to the former governor,
pointing out that the development was a breach of the law.
In a statement signed by Bamikole Omishore, the media office said
“Yesterday, the Inspector General of Police directed the immediate
withdrawal of Saraki.
“The security personnel withdrawn are from the senator’s residences
in Abuja and Ilorin. The inspector, who carried out the exercise, when
confronted, disclosed that it was an order from above.
“It should be noted that the withdrawn security men are legal rights
as prescribed by virtue of Kwara State Pension Law of 2010, Third
Schedule, Section 2 (3) paragraph H. The security details attached to
Senator Saraki are, therefore, formally processed, approved and
dispatched to his residences not out of favour or luxury demands.”
The office said it was clear that the act could not be unconnected with the recent political activities going on in the country.
How we planned New PDP —Oyinlola
Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, on Sunday, in
Okuku, said he pitched his tent with Alhaji Baraje-led faction of the
party because of what he termed excesses and anti-democratic
dispositions of the national chairman, Alhaji Tukur.
He alleged that the many excesses of Alhaji Tukur and his penchant
for running the national secretariat of the party from his home
culminated in series of crisis rocking the party.
Oyinlola, while addressing a rally organised by his supporters from
the 30 local government areas of the state, at Odo-Otin Grammar School
football field in Okuku, his hometown, said the Yar’Adua Centre, where
Baraje-led group met after staging a walk-out from the Eagle Square,
Abuja, venue of the PDP mini convention, was originally booked for a
wedding reception.
He said the five governors, including the Adamawa State governor,
Murtala Nyako, who walked out of the mini convention at Eagle Square,
were fighting the injustice of his removal as the PDP’s scribe.
“Tukur was engaged in too many excesses and all my efforts to make
him realise this failed. When our executive council came on board, he
was doing the party meeting from his private house rather than from the
party secretariat.
“It was not true that I left their convention under the pretext that I
wanted to go to the toilet. It was not easy for me to stay there and
watch what they were doing there. They locked out the Adamawa State
governor and his people. They doctored the lists of delegates from
Anambra and Rivers states,” he added.
According to Oyinlola, “the current crisis rocking the PDP commenced
in 2010, when President Jonathan declared his intention to contest the
2011 presidential election, as some serving PDP governors were not
favourably disposed towards his ambition.
“President Jonathan called me at about 1.00 a.m sometimes in 2010 and
requested that I should come to see him in Abuja. I honoured him and
when I got to him, he told me of his ambition to contest the
presidential election and sought for my support
“The president later told me that he knew that my hands are tied, but
I told him immediately that I am not a goat so no one could tie me. His
belief was that I would give maximum support to General Ibrahim
Babangida because of my relationship with him and interestingly,
Jonathan had 99 out of 100 votes cast by delegates from Osun State,” he
added.
He accused the president of taking sides in the process that led to
his removal as the national secretary of the party, adding that all
peace meetings called by notable leaders of the party to resolve the
matter were deadlocked.
Oyinlola, who was accompanied to the rally by his wife, Omolola and
former state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ademola Razaq, said he was
the recognised national secretary of the party and remained the leader
of the party in Osun State, contrary to claim by some leaders of the
party that he would be disciplined.
Oyinlola said he had not flouted any provision of the constitution of
the party by teaming up with like minds to form a parallel faction,
contending that “the PDP constitution does not prevent anyone from
teaming up with like minds.”
Recalling the genesis of his travails, Oyinlola said “my problem with
my former boss, Alhaji Tukur, started right from my first day in
office. He introduced some strange things like creating the office of
the chief of staff and others. I kicked against this development and he
took offence to my action.
“Tukur ruined the PDP when he started fighting everybody. He fought
the governor of his state and other northern governors. He believed he
could do everything on his own without the support of other people. Now,
he has ruined the party.”
He said President Jonathan was aware of his face-off with Tukur and
did nothing to settle it, adding that “even when the president called
both of us to a parley in Abuja, nothing meaningful was achieved.”
Oyinlola lamented that the South-West was marginalised in the
National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP, stressing that the new
leadership of the party under Alhaji Kawu Baraje would do justice to
correct the anomaly.
16 govs attend post-mini convention dinner
Sixteen PDP governors, on Sunday night, attended the party’s post-mini convention dinner hosted by President Jonathan.
Also in attendance were party leaders and chieftains, including
former PDP chairmen, Barnabas Gemade, Dr Haliru Bello and Ahmadu Alli;
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker, House of
Representatives, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha; Senator Ibrahim Mantu,
Senator Ken Nnamani; Chief Bode George, Senator Andy Uba, among others.
Former governors at the dinner were Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
(Bayelsa), Boni Haruna (Adamawa) and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi). Also in
attendance were Professor Jerry Gana; chairman, PDP Board of Trustees
(BoT), Chief Tony Anenih; PDP chairman, Alhaji Tukur, Chief Emmanuel
Iwuanyawu, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa and Ambassador Aminu Wali.
Governors in attendance included Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom),
Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Shema
(Katsina), Hassan Dankwabo (Gombe) and the acting governor of Taraba
State, Garba Umar.
Also in attendance were Governors Usman Dakingari (Kebbi), Emmanuel
Udua-ghan (Delta), Theodore Orji (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and
Jonah Jang (Plateau).
Others were Governors Idris Wada (Kogi), Mukhtar Yero (Kaduna),
Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).
Girls Education: Gordon Brown visits Nigeria
Former
British Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education,
Gordon Brown will tomorrow attend an education summit in Abuja,
Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
According to a release by the
organisers, President
Goodluck Jonathan will lead cabinet ministers, states governors and
state education commissioners , as well as, global development
partners to the event where measures to get Nigeria’s ten million out-of-school children into education will be discussed.
Also, leaders will assemble from USAID, Qatar’s Educate a Child, the
Global Partnership for Education, and from the global business community
led by the Global Business Coalition for Education. Each will pledge
additional support to the efforts to ensure that every child in Nigeria
is in school. The UK is also ready to boosting its help this year with a
visit from the Permanent head of DFID coming soon.
“On Monday they will discuss how we can allocate new financial support for school building,
teacher recruitment, teacher training and for new technology with tablets, phones and
online school courses;
this is part of a global initiative to get every boy and girl to school
by the end of 2015. The movement will build a world where for the first
time no boy or girl is denied their right to education.”
The release noted that despite the violence and attacks on education
from extremist groups, Nigerians are signing a petition to support
President Jonathan’s commitment to education, and are calling for safe
schools for all of Nigeria’s children and for state level implementation
of plans for universal education.
“All want to applaud the President’s initiative and give practical
support to the Nigerian government and states in their renewed drive to
expand education opportunity for all children. This is to move from the
country with the world’s largest population of out-of-school children
in the world to universal education.
“10 million children are yet to go to school because there is a
teacher shortage of nearly 1.3 million, and we are missing 1.2 million
classrooms. Child labour, child marriage and child trafficking prevent
thousands getting to school. And for those that do find ways to get
their children into school, there is doubt as to the effectiveness of
the courses. Approximately 52 percent of
young women who complete
primary education remain illiterate. Illiteracy is
standing between Nigeria and its deserved success as an economic powerhouse of the world.
“But in the midst of the education crisis, President Jonathan is prepared to take unprecedented
action. He realises that getting every child into school and learning is feasible and achievable, and the key to Nigerian prosperity.
Learning from what works best, financial
incentives
must be fine-tuned to help state governments deliver; teacher training
and professional development must be effectively taken to scale by
leveraging technology. The curriculum of all schools must be
strengthened to develop literacy and numeracy skills and families must
be supported in their
demand for education through conditional
cash transfers.”
Oyedepo opens Abuja Winners Chapel
September 9, 2013 by Friday Olokor, Abuja
Founder, Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, a prolific writer
The
Federal Capital Territory was agog on Saturday when Bishop David
Oyedepo inaugurated one of the biggest branches of The Living Faith
Church, popularly referred to as Winners Chapel in Life Camp District in
Abuja.
The church, which accommodates over 4,000 worshipers every Sunday, was built in less than one year.
Thousands of worshipers gathered to witness the unveiling of the cathedral, which is estimated to be over N300m.
Oyedepo, who was represented by a Senior
Pastor, Dele Bamgboye, revealed that with the dedication of the branch,
Life Camp and its environs were set to experience a spiritual rebirth.
He therefore charged the congregation to always have faith in God, as only Him can supply all their needs.
Top clergymen and some senior
government officials in Abuja and in other northern states under the
Winners Chapel family, were on ground to witness the official
inauguration.
Resident Pastor of the church and
younger brother to Bishop Oyedepo, Gideon Oyedepo, told journalists that
the church project gulped millions of naira.
An
eight year old bride identified as Rawan, died in Hardh in the
governorate of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen, from internal injuries on
her wedding night, bleeding to death after deep vaginal tearing caused
by sex with her 40 year old husband, according to a report issued
by UPI on Sunday, Sept. 8.
The
Federal Capital Territory was agog on Saturday when Bishop David
Oyedepo inaugurated one of the biggest branches of The Living Faith Church, popularly referred to as Winners Chapel in Life Camp District in Abuja.
By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Democratic
Party (PDP) may be far from over, as there are strong signals that the
presidency may reject the demands and peace terms allegedly presented by
the Abubakar Baraje-led faction, which was adopted by the Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo-led peace committee.
Former
British Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education,
Gordon Brown will tomorrow attend an education summit in Abuja,
Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
