Edo Assembly of commotion

Keen followers of the popular television soap opera, “Fuji House of Commotion” will agree that in the last two years, Edo State House of Assembly has become notorious for engaging in a free-for-all whenever they want to effect leadership change.

Sometimes in July 2014, the State Assembly in dramatic style impeached the suspended Deputy Speaker of the House Mr. Festus Ebea who had allegedly aligned with nine House members including the PDP members to fight the House leadership. Elected to replace Ebea was Hon. Victor Edoror, member representing Esan Central Constituency.

Not even the public outcry by Ebea’s faction that only 15 of the House members, instead of the 16 constitutionally required members carried out the impeachment, could reverse the situation.

On Tuesday, just like the drama of 2014, there was pandemonium at the State House of Assembly when suspected thugs invaded the place, injured six persons following the impeachment of the Speaker, Mr. Victor Edoror, and his deputy, Mr. Bright Osayande, by 16 members of the House for alleged misconduct. Elected to replace Edoror, was member representing Uhunmwode constituency, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, while Dr. Joseph Okonoboh (Igueben constituency), was appointed as her deputy. Since then the Edoror and Ativie’s factions have been claiming leadership of the Assembly.

In the days ahead, there will be more drama and intrigues as there are clear indications that the leadership crisis in the Assembly is not unconnected with the battle for All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket ahead of the governorship poll in the State.

There are feelers that the sudden change of guard in the Assembly was either to forestall or facilitate the impeachment of the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, who is also in the race for the APC ticket without the overt support of his boss, Adams Oshiomhole.

Edo Deputy Governor, Odubu Escapes Assassination
Was it a case of the alleged hunter becoming the hunted? Was it not just last week that the Edo deputy governor and APC governorship aspirant, Dr. Pius Odubu was busy clearing his name over alleged plot to kill his boss? But this week, the same man has been thanking God over his escape from assassination.

Odubu, who has not hidden his ambition to succeed his boss in the face of obvious opposition from Government House circle was attacked by armed thugs during a visit to Auchi to meet with the party delegates in the area. While he was lucky to have escaped unhurt from the scene, others including a police officer and a personnel of Department of State Security were attacked.

The development is clear signal that all is not well within the APC government and party in the State ahead of the poll. Worried by the growing ugly developments and cracks in the party, the APC State executive has called on the Presidency and national leadership of the party to intervene.

Oshiomhole’s New Minimum Wage
Just with few months to the end of his second tenure as Edo State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, recently announced N25000 new minimum wage for workers in the State.

To many Nigerians, Oshiomhole’s new minimum wage is a surprise considering that most of his colleagues have been complaining of paucity of funds, and have not been able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage as at when due.

While some are of the opinion that the offer is a political gimmick targeted at getting the workers’ support for his preferred candidate ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the State, others see it as nothing less than a Greek gift that cannot stand the test of time. Many have even questioned the timing, stressing that it looks like a ploy to create problem for his successor, which many believe may likely emerge from the opposition following the intra-party crisis rocking the APC in the State.

Anenih Dismisses Death Rumour, Says I’m Alive
Death rumour has been part and parcel of Nigerian society especially since the invention of the social media and the return of democracy in Nigeria.

Trending on the social media on Wednesday was the alleged demise of former PDP leader and once godfather of Edo politics, Chief Tony Anenih. Anenih has since debunked the rumour. Having gone viral in the social media is the alleged demise of the former PDP chairman who is standing trial for alleged corruption, Haliru Mohammed. It was once rumoured that the then governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sullivan Chime was dead. Several Nigerians especially the prominent ones have been victims of death rumour on social media.

Southwest PDP Reconciles
After being divided on the way forward for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), especially on the zoning of the party’s national chairmanship position and 2019 presidency, the Southwest leaders recently reconciled their differences.

The reconciliation was made possible after recent meeting of the party leaders in the zone in Ogun and Ondo States, where the two major party leaders, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and his Ondo counterpart, Olusegun Mimiko, agreed to work together for the interest of the zone and the party.

Before now, some Southwest PDP members, who were opposed to the choice of Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff as the national chairman of the party, have insisted that the position should be zoned to the Southwest ahead of the forthcoming convention of the party. Their agitations enjoyed the support of some party bigwigs outside the zone, but some within the zone were opposed to it for reasons best known to them.

The recent ratification of the zoning arrangement by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) seems to have sealed the fate of the Southwest agitators as the party’s chairmanship position and presidential ticket were zoned to the North. Now that the zone has lost the chairmanship position and the 2019 presidential ticket and has decided to reconcile and remain in the party, what is there for the Southwest PDP members as compensation?

The present PDP Southwest leaders’ agitation over marginalisation, in which they appeared to have lost out again, was not different from the one they complained about during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The zone lost the position of the Speaker, House of Representatives to the Northwest under controversial circumstances and continued to play second fiddle in the party and government till the party lost the Presidency in the 2015 polls.

Under Jonathan, Diezani Was Untouchable, Says Sanusi
Having emerged as the first female Petroleum Minister in Nigeria, it was obvious from the onset that the then Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke was a super minister.

Just like in the past, occupiers of the position have always been people who were powerful, trusted and close to the President. Diezani’s case wouldn’t have been different, especially considering the fact that she hailed from the same zone and State with President Jonathan.
Instead of continuing with the media trial, Sanusi should furnish the anti-graft agencies with evidence to substantiate his claim.

Ex-ministers, Govs, Ask PDP To Shift Convention
Even before the conclusion of the ongoing PDP congresses across the States that will culminate in the May 21 National convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, some ex-PDP governors, ministers and stakeholders have called for a shift of the Convention date.

The former leaders, who met under the aegis of Concerned PDP leaders and were led by former governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, said that the procedure and conduct of the congresses nationwide were flawed with resultant disaffection and disagreements.

It is left to be seen how the national leadership of the party would listen to them having ignored them and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) in ratifying the party’s zoning arrangement.
With this, it is becoming obvious that the battle for the soul of the party may pitch the incumbent leaders against the ex-leaders.

Panama Paper Leak’s New List
As promised last month that the full list of Nigerians who were allegedly involved in the ownership of offshore companies will be revealed early this month, the list was unveiled on Thursday.

Prominent among the 110 new names revealed include the founder of telecommunication company, Globacom, Mike Adenuga; Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sadiq Sani Bello and the late Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, Arik Chairman, Joseph Arumemi-Johnson and his wife, Mary, as well as two serving senators-Andy Uba (Anambra) and Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto) among others

Senate Seeks Death Sentence For Kidnappers
Senate on Wednesday adopted a recommendation for the imposition of death penalty on anybody convicted of kidnapping in Nigeria. The lawmakers promised to pass a bill for a law that would give effect to this. The resolution followed the adoption of recommendations of the report by the joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence on the unfortunate reoccurrence of kidnapping and hostage taking. The lawmakers held that capital punishment for the offence would serve as deterrent to potential offenders.

While the move is a right step, many believe the Senate should first of all pass a law compelling state governors to sign death warrant of convicted persons. Most of the state governments that have before now signed into law a bill making kidnapping a capital punishment have not been able to implement it to the letter.

Some have argued that the lawmakers should instead pass a bill for a law that will make looting of public funds a capital punishment, stressing that poverty, unemployment and greed are largely responsible for growing cases of kidnapping. Such law may also be weakened by the ongoing global campaign against capital punishment.