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Party leaders from the Southeast and Southwest are worried over the tenure framework in the document tagged Peoples Policy of the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The policy is for launch on Monday less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari launched his, Next Level.

The policy plan of the 72-year-old Abubakar extended beyond four years, an indication that he is planning for a second term in office.

This has caused anxiety in the party because the policy plan extended to six years instead of four.

Instead of planning for a single term of four years, Atikus targets have a six-year timeline, fueling speculations that he might be hoping for two terms in office, the Nation reports.

According to a PDP governor, who spoke in confidence with The Nation, the policy is causing some disquiet because it does not give a ray of hope that power will shift from the North to the South in 2023 if Atiku is elected as the nations president in 2019.

Some of us were expecting a timeline of 2019 to 2023 but the policy plan is mostly made up of a six-year plan.

The people of the South-East, South-West and South-South want a commitment from Atiku on whether or not he will spend one term in office in order to complete the slot of the North.

We are suspecting that those who drafted the policy have a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku.

I think our candidate is planning for the future for the country. It may not be a matter of second term ambition, a member of the National Working Committee of the party said.

Atiku has not really been categorical on whether or not he will spend one term in office. So, those raising dust on 2025 policy plan are getting agitated to know where he stands.

Source: NAN

By Joshua Oladipo

A Federal High Court in Osun has remanded an Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Lecturer, Prof. Richard Akindele, in Ilesa prison custody, for allegedly demanding sex for mark from his student.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Maureen Onyetenu ordered the remand on Monday pending the filing of his formal bail application.

Mr Kehinde Adedoye, the Independent Corrupt Practise and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Prosecutor, had told the court that the defendanthad on Sept. 16, 2017 unlawfully demanded sexual benefits for marks from Monica Osagie.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant is facing a four-count charge.

The defendant corruptly asked for sexual benefits from Ms Monica Osagie on account of favour to be afterwards shown to her in the discharge of his official duties as a lecturer, to wit: altering her academic grades from fail to pass in the course, MBA 632 Research Method, he said.

The offences, he said, contravened Sections 8 (1) (A) (2) and 18 (d) of the corrupt practices and other related offenses Act 2000 and punishable under same sections.

NAN reports that the defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The Defense Counsel, Mr Fola Omotoso, thereafter, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.

The ICPC counsel, however, opposed the bail application, noting that the defendant had refused to appear before the commission since he was granted administrative bail.

Onyetenu, therefore, ordered the defense counsel to file a formal bail application before the next date of adjournment.

The trial judge adjourned the matter till Nov. 27 for definite hearing and ordered the remand of the defendant.

NAN reports that the defendant is a lecturer in the Department of Management and Accounting of the university.

Source: NAN

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with representatives of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) over the disagreement between the organised labour and state governors on the proposed N30,000 minimum wage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Amal Pepple Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage, had on Nov. 6, submitted its report to President Buhari where it recommended N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

While receiving the report, the president expressed his commitment to ensuring the implementation of a new national minimum wage and pledged to transmit an Executive bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time.

He expressed delight that the committee had successfully completed its assignment in a peaceful and non-controversial manner.

President Buhari said that the Federal Government would soon transmit an Executive bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time.

However, the 36 state governors had since expressed reservations over the proposed N30,000 new minimum wage by the Amal Pepple committee, saying the state governments were not in a stable financial position to pay the new minimum wage.

The Chairman of the Governors forum and Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, had on Nov. 15, told newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the governors in Abuja that payment of N30, 000 wage was impracticable.

NAN reports that representatives of the Governors forum, who met with the president over the issue, included Governors of Zamfara, Lagos, Kaduna and Enugu, while the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige was also in attendance.

Source: NAN

By Florence Onuegbu

Digital Satellite Television (DStv) service subscribers in Nigeria are grumbling over the continued payment for services not rendered by MultiChoice, the major distance-to-home service provider in Nigeria.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday, DStv subscribers pleaded with the Federal Government to enact a law to compel MultiChoice to introduce pay-as-you-view billing system.

The subscribers said that there was need for such billing system, as it would ensure value for subscription.

Many of the subscribers complained of paying for what they did not get services for, saying that after several complaints, MultiChoice did not listen.

Mr Uzochukwu Nwafor, a businessman said that MultiChoice was not considerate on how it was handling the issue of pay-as-you-view.

There is need to put a regulation in place to help subscribers enjoy the money they paid to view the programmes.

With that (pay-as-you-view billing), we can save some money. I see subscribing to DStv programmes as a waste of money; it does not happen abroad or even in South Africa, he said.

Mr Silvanus Nwankwo, a civil servant, said that the National Assembly (NASS) was supposed to look into the operations of MultiChoice.

Many companies come to Nigeria and rip us off because our policies are not being implemented.

Again, DStv does not have serious competitors and that is why the company is behaving as it pleases.

The Pay-As-You-Go billing that telecommunications operators offer is supposed to be applicable to DStv, he said.

Nwankwo, however, said that the National Assembly should focus on the number of Nigerians that subscribed to the companys service and insist on reducing prices of its bouquets.

A Hip Hop Artiste, Ishmael Lawal, popularly known as King Songo complained about the decoder of MultiChoice.

Lawal said that after subscription, he hardly watched the programmes because the signal was poor.

He also said: The company cuts off subscriptions two days before expiration, without warning.

Again, they keep repeating programmes, when one had paid to get new and trending programmes.

A source at the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), who pleaded anonymity, said that the council had already taken MultiChoice to court over the issue.

The source said that CPC received complaints from consumers against MultiChoice, among which was the refusal of the company to offer pay-as-you-view billing on both DStv and GOtv.

The complaints included failure to receive signal after subscription paid; subscription disconnection prior to end of billing cycle with no credit applied for paid time lost; and lack of clarity in terms and conditions.

Other complaints were: non-activation of free to air channels except when a consumer complains; and confusing toll-free customer care telephone channels.

Other complaints were: arbitrary charges; confusing billing; blocking some channels already subscribed; poor picture or signal quality with excessive and uncompensated downtime during both inclement and clear weather conditions; and lack of responsiveness.

Martin Maputo, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing, MultiChoice, said that for two months, the company would reduce prices of its bouquets.

Maputo said that MultiChoice wanted subscribers to enjoy the 2018 Christmas with their families, while enjoying music, food, movies, among others.

According to him, this years Festive Together theme is: It is a Good Time to Gather and There is no Place Like Home.

We want families to be together and watch different programmes on our DStv Sports, Wrestling, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Cross River Festivals, The Experience a Church Programme with a lot of artistes playing.

Others are Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival, Childrens programmes and cartoons, Miss Africa Pageant and others.

We want to use all these again to help raise funds for the less-privileged people, because they have no one to help them, Maputo said.

Maputo said that the new prices for some bouquets are HD premium normal from N11,900 to N9,900; GOtv from N6,900 to N3,200, Explora from N52,000 to N29,900 while the Premium is N38,000.

Source: NAN

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has launched his policy plan for Nigeria and promised to attract investments and support 50 million Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises, if elected as president in 2019.

At the launch in Yola, , Abubakar said the purpose was to double the size of Nigeria Gross Domestic Products (GDP) to 900 billion dollars by 2025.

He said the investments would create a minimum of 2. 5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first two years.

Abubakar said he would help create jobs by innovating flagship programmes such as the national open apprenticeship programme through the capacity of master-craftsmen and women to train one-million new apprentices every year would be enhanced.

Our national innovation fund and SME venture capital fund initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Abubakar said that his plan to restructure Nigeria would lead to a vast increase in the internally generated revenue, both for the federal government and the states.

The former Vice President said that would be done via the matching grants that we would be provided to state governments that increase their own revenue.

Let me be clear, no state will receive less funding than they get today in fact all will receive more and the harder a state works the more they will get, adding they were not just his plan, but that of Nigerians.

Abubakar also pledged to offer an inclusive leadership, saying Atiku Abubakar is 100 per cent for 100 per cent of Nigerians, 100 per cent of the time.

The PDP presidential candidate said that he was not out to make promises without plan as being witnessed in the past, adding that it is one thing to promise and another thing to deliver.

I am not one for making grandiose promises. Rather than promises, I believe in policies. A promise is an indication to do a future action. A policy is a plan to achieve future goals.

I believe in setting goals and coming up with realistic plans and policies to achieving those goals.

To me, leadership is having the discipline to commit to ones goals until they are a reality.

He said he succeeded in running his private enterprises which now employ 50,000 Nigerians because I believe in policies and I have the discipline to stay with them until they become reality.

It is my desire to run for the office of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, not because I have a bag full of promises, but because I am prepared to lead.

Abubakar said that over the last 18 months, he had worked with the best experts Nigeria has to offer to come up with policies and plans that when implemented would get Nigeria going in the right direction again.

He recalled that when he was Vice President from 1999 to 2007, I chaired the national economic council that gave Nigeria her highest and most consistent GDP growth of over 6 per cent per annum.

Abubakar said that despite the fact that crude oil prices at that time were much lower than they were today, under the dynamic leadership of President Obasanjo, Nigeria paid off its entire foreign debt.

We also introduced the GSM revolution that saw Nigeria go from 100,000 phone- lines to over 100 million today.

We were able to achieve these, and much more, because we had a plan called the national economic empowerment and development strategy.

Abubakar added that above all, it was a plan that would help create jobs, saying without jobs, Nigerians could not afford to feed their families and their children live in poverty.

Without jobs, there is crime, drug use and insecurity. Without jobs, where is the hope for a better life and a better future?

Today we will begin the process of sharing our policies that form my plan to create jobs, restructure the polity, and get Nigeria working again.

Abubakar who said that he started out as an orphan selling firewood on the streets of Jada in Adamawa, added that If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you, your family and your friends.

It is time to get Nigeria working again, and these are the plans and policies I have for achieving that.

I appeal to you to join me on this journey towards a better life for all Nigerians.

Source: NAN

Mr. Albert Muchanga, the Trade Commissioner of African Union (AU) has said the continent was set to initiate integrated market starting from January.

No fewer than 50 African countries have signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

They signed the agreement during the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government which was held on March 2018, in Kigali Rwanda.

A year after the signing, the African Union is becoming fervent that signatories with the remaining 10 African countries to ratify the agreement, he pointed out.

Only 12 of the 22 countries have so far ratified the agreement, Commissioner Muchanga told ENA, and hastened to say but we are confident that we should be able to reach the 22.

So, we are confident that by February 2019 we are going to have the 22 ratifications and now we are also undertaking preparatory activities, he pointed out.

Negotiations in schedules of tariff concessions and trade in goods, schedules of specific commitment in trade and establishment of the digit payment proceedings are still taking place, he added.

When the agreement comes into force one month later, we will be able to start trading under the new regime, so that is very good progress and we are encouraged, Muchanga said.

Africa is trying to create an integrated market, he said, and noted we need each and every African Union member state to sign and ratify the agreement so that we have an integrated market.

The integrated market will attract large investment from the rest of the world, create employment opportunities, and minimize migration, he elaborated.

Asked about its significance to economic transformation, Commissioner Muchanga said colonization had fragmented African economy and stressed:

And with small market it was very difficult to industrialize, now we are creating a larger market space and with that now we are really to bring in large economy, which is more viable to industrialize, he noted.

To ensure intra-Africa trade, he emphasized that countries need to start harmonizing policies and regulations in line with the agreement.

When we develop the internal market, I think the message that comes out clear is that Africa is better forward instead of remaining with small and fragmented markets, he pointed out.

According to studies some countries may lose revenues in the short-term as a result of liberalization, however, all countries will benefit in the long-term, he articulated.

He urged the AU member states to spearhead the negotiations instead of the commission.

Source:

Source: NAN

Commercial activities were grounded in some parts of Lagos metropolis on Monday as trucks blocked highways.

The areas affected are Iganmu, Costain Roundabout, Ijora, Funsho Williams Avenue and other areas on the Lagos Mainland.

The situation forced commercial vehicle operators to increase fares by a record hundred per cent.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it was bedlam, especially at Iganmu on Monday as articulated vehicles and other motorists drove against traffic, causing logjam on various roads.

Lagos, Nigerias economic hub has been in traffic chaos in recent years, caused by lawlessness on highways and an apparent inability of traffic managers to enforce rules to check lawlessness.

Analysts have blamed the situation on what they describe as poor governance in a mega city dotted by poor roads and bubbling with human activities.

Speaking to NAN on the gridlock, some commuters lamented the inability of the Lagos State Government to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Commercial motorist Olakunle Ajayi, described his driving from Costain to Orile as a nightmare because of motorists driving against traffic.

Im sick and tired of Lagos. Do we still have government in this state?, he asked as hoodlums, known popularly as area boys extorted money from to allow him passage.

I dont like driving against traffic because sometimes it can be fatal but with no other road to my destination, lm forced to do one-way, Ajayi said.

Another motorist, lsmaila Ahmadu, who plies the Ojuelegba to ljora highway, said that the gridlock had ruined the business of many commercial motorists because their daily trips had been reduced.

My tricycle is on hire purchase. I have to pay off to own it but with this gridlock, l dont know what to do.

I am tired of this hardship.

A trader, Mrs Angela Abumeri, said that she endured a long wait at Fadeyi Bus Stop in her bid to get a bus going to Orile.

I woke up around 4 a.m. to buy fruits from Ketu. Going home is now difficult because transporters are breaking the journey to collect double fare, Abumeri said.

A truck driver, who simply gave his name as Danjuma told NAN that truck drivers resorted to blocking the roads because traffic managers were forcing them out of Lagos bridges.

Traffic managers have gone tough on us. They chased us from parking on the bridges and since we have no alternative, we have to park on the middle of the roads.

Reacting to the development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Chris Olakpe, restated that LASTMA was on top of the situation.

He said that the agency had been working hard to tackle the gridlock. (NAN)

Source: NAN

One of the shocking things he said was that he left the All Progressives Congress, for his old party, the Peoples Democratic Party, because President Muhammadu Buhari did not reward him financially.

Here are the highlights of the audio, that has drawn flaks for the politician from Kwara State :

All that you have complained about tonight is on point, I can not find anything you have said that is not on point, you complained about empowerment

Let us agree that the last three and a half years, things have not been easy at all, I agree and accept things have not been easy at all, particularly in the area of empowerment

Before 2015 I have always tried to empower the youth and get you involved in appointments, but this time around as a result of what I call human factor, things have not been the same, I believe it is the will of God

When you all are complaining and you give example of Gegele and co and you compare it to what is happening now, I am sure you are asking yourself, what is happening? how come all of you struggling with me are not rewarded, it is unacceptable

What is the point of putting everything into the emergence of a government and we could not benefit anything from the government, you are asking yourself, what have you benefited

If you have not benefited personally in the last 3 and a half years, how do you go to market us, wont people ask you what you have benefited for yourself?

It got to a stage that people will be making fun of you and asking you what you have benefited, but what is happening from Abuja, use me as an example, in 2015 I carried @OfficialAPCNg on my head around Nigeria.

Out of 36 states in Nigeria I funded @MBuhari campaign in 30 States, some states I paid 200 Million Naira, some 300 Million, some 400 Million, the only states I did not fund are South West States

Hardly any state in Nigeria that I did not campaign for @MBuhari, up to the time of the election in 2015, out of 36 states I paid for the election of 30 states

Out of 36 states in Nigeria I funded @MBuhari campaign in 30 States, some states I paid 200 Million Naira, some 300 Million, some 400 Million, the only states I did not fund are South West States

Many times I will be calling my banks to send money to fund elections across Nigeria for @MBuhari my thinking was that when we get elected, the next thing is that we will get majority of our people appointments

In fact I had already promised some of you here that you will either be MD of Federal agencies, either road maintenance, NIPDA (inaudible) even Nigerian Ports Authority, SUBEB and so on and so forth

I know if I put someone amongst you from Kwara even in the smallest Federal agencies, the contract you will sign out, 1Million, 2 Million, but for the first time that I have been in politics even speaker cant appoint a cleaner

I as President of @NGRSenate I could not even appoint a cleaner not to talk of Board appointment, if you look at Executive positions I have nothing even after spending Billions for three and a half years, I am as angry as you are.

I know if I put someone amongst you from Kwara even in the smallest Federal agencies, the contract you will sign out, 1Million, 2 Million, but for the first time that I have been in politics even speaker cant appoint a cleaner

I am fighting @MBuhari because of you, if it because of me I wont fight, it is not easy to fight the federal government, the sufferings you are all going trough is because they did not fulfil our agenda

In 2018 I told you all I wont be going with @OfficialAPCNg but in the last one or 2 months that I left I have been doing a lot for you people, my politics is for all of you, I am just here to empower you all, dont mind the one who just bought form for 33M

It was not my plan not to appoint you, when when David Mark was @NGRSenate President, every confirmation he made for the @NGRPresident came with something, if they really love us now you will be empowered

In the past we they have a cut for Senate President and Speaker but not anymore, so we are no longer going with APC as soon as we joined PDP they called me National Leader when I lost election @atiku came to me immediately

Now we have seen the sign that if @atiku becomes @NGRPresident things will come to us, he told me I am the only one that can run his campaign, I know it is not easy for you all, but let me assure you things will be better

God see my aniyan (Arabic word meaning the mind) now in PDP they have brought us closer, how many people in Kwara did APC bring together in Kwara, now we will soon have power, today in APC they want us to go to @AsiwajuTinubu in Lagos

If I am the only one in PDP I will fight alone, my Father made Kwara and took Kwara to the top 10 in Nigeria and I also took Kwara to between number 1 to 3 in Nigerian politics and they now want us to bow to Lagos.

In the coming election we will put Youth into power in Kwara, let us take @Atunwa_1 as he his, he will take care of you all, all those who contested against him are loyal but Atunwa will.. inaudible (applause)

When I was Governor I gave a lot of young people contract, they buy land etc and then empower others, I want to return you to the days of when I was Governor when you were all enjoying, @atiku will open things when we win election

You know as a leader I see things that followers dont see, when we followed @MBuhari we felt after spending money, we saw that he failed to reward us, so we said this Baba is not coming back, no money, no patronage all over Nigeria

Even with all the problem we have with @MBuhari the little cut I get I always send to Kwara but I can tell you that we had to design a method to make the little we have, they did not involve us in sharing

The only agenda APC have for Kwara is to fight Bukolasaraki , they favour Osun State with empowerment, for the remaining time of @MBuhari we will still get some things, we gave them list for FIIRS for 3 years they did not employ our list

Thank you for listening to me

Someone declares that Bukola Saraki gave the young listeners 3 Million Naira

*Applause

*Listen to the audio in Yoruba.

EXCLUSIVE: AUDIO in Yoruba: Why I decided to oppose on
Have a good day.

Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi)

Source: NAN

Freshly elected House of Representatives member, Mr Raheem Tunji Olawuyi has said that his victory at Saturdays Ekiti/Isin/Oke-Ero and Irepodun federal constituency bye-election in Kwara as a victory for the people of the state.

Olawuyi said that the success was a sign of more victories to come for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections in Kwara.

He said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday at Omu-Aran, Kwara, while reacting to the outcome of the poll.

NAN reports that Olawuyi polled 21,236 to emerge winner, while his closest rival, Mr Saheed Alatise of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 18,095.

This is a happy moment for me because we have been doing this for a long time.

When your time has come, no one can stop you but at the same time, I give glory to God, because it is the best time Allah has created for me.

My party believed in me to put me forward for the assignment and I thank God I have delivered, he said.

Olawuyi, who described his party as the best in Africa, said he was never scared of the opposition because he is a grassroots politician that is loved by his people.

He said because of the fact that his people love him and follow him with passion, he will always defeat his opponents in a free and fair election.

Olawuyi said the state governments statement that the election was between the PDP and the security agencies was laughable because it was what they were used to.

He said he is now sure of an APC victory in the state in the 2019 general elections because of the spirit the electorate have demonstrated.

Source: NAN