ad1 The vacant ministerial slot of Kogi State has pitched stakeholders in the State against President Muhammadu Buhari. Groups and individuals are lamenting that one year after the death of James Ocholi, then minister of state for labour and employment, Buhari has refused to name a replacement. Ministerial slot: Seven APC chairmen back Lai Mohammed for re-appointment May 23, 2019 Editorial IV News, Top Stories 0 Seven local government chairmen of All Progressives Congress(APC) that make up the South senatorial district of Kwara state have thrown their weight behind the reappointment of the minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji.

Natives of the Federal Capital Territory under the aegis of the Abuja Indigenous Liberation Movement (AILM), on Sunday asked the federal government to consider FCT indigenes for ministerial appointments. The group also wants the government to grant Abuja recognition as a state so as to ensure equality and development.

A University don, Prof. Andrew Zamani, made the call at a summit organised by AILM in Abuja.

The professor also called on the federal government to give proper consideration to ancestral owners of land in FCT to give the natives a sense of belonging and equal representation in the country.

Mr. Zamani said the Court of Appeal in Abuja had ruled on Jan. 15, 2018, that indigenous people of the FCT were entitled to a ministerial representation in the Federal Executive Council as provided in Sections 147(3), 299, 14(3) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution.

“We need a state status to increase our franchise beyond local government elections to enable us to have an executive governance structure, independent governing body and to expand our representation at the National Assembly.

“The federal government should take a position on the constitutional legitimacy of land administration in the Federal Capital Territory to stop the marginalisation of the people.

“We also plead with the government of Nigeria to honour the Appeal Court and the ECOWAS Court judgments on the status of the FCT as an autonomous governance entity,’’ he said.

Mr. Zamani recommended that based on the decision of the Court of Appeal and pursuant to the provisions of Section 299 and section 147 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate should approve that the indigenes of the FCT should nominate one of their own for appointment as a minister.

In his remarks, the coordinator of the group, Nathaniel Gaza, said that the summit was organised for the indigenous people of the FCT to discuss ways of addressing some challenges facing the natives and draw the government’s attention to the need for FCT to be treated as a state.

Mr. Gaza also stressed the need for FCT indigenes to be given their right to land ownership and the creation of more tertiary institutions in the FCT to enable indigenous youths to have easy access to quality education.

Health

COVID-19: Akwa Ibom imposes fresh restrictions statewide

Government wants the people to take precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus.

World

U.S. approves second coronavirus vaccine

Moderna’s is the second vaccine to get FDA’s nod, a week after Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, got approval.

Opinion

Six queries on the kidnap and release of the Kankara schoolboys

The absence of unambiguous answers to these queries is the biggest driver of conspiracy theories about the abduction.

States

Ondo: 10-year-old throws baby brother inside well due to mother’s maltreatment

The girl said she threw little Usman inside the well in frustration but didn’t know he would die.

Ministerial Sloth

Showbiz

FLASH: Tems slams Bebe Cool for allegedly orchestrating her arrest in Uganda

Some Ugandan artistes had complained about that the Nigerians were allowed to hold concert while they were being restricted.

Abuja

Garba Shehu apologises for sharing fake news on kidnapped Katsina schoolboys

Mr. Shehu’s unverified claim was eventually embarrassingly exposed, forcing him to now apologise.

Seven local government chairmen of All Progressives Congress(APC) that make up the South senatorial district of Kwara state have thrown their weight behind the reappointment of the minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mohammed hails from Oro in Irepodun local government council area of the state that make up the Kwara south senatorial district.

They also dissociated themselves from the statement credited to a body in the senatorial district, Kwara South Elders Forum of APC which rated the minister low in his contribution to the success of the party in the state.

These were contained in a statement issued in Ilorin Thursday signed by the affected seven APC chairmen in the Kwara South senatorial district of the state.

The APC chairmen which include, Hon mohammed Shilo Awobimpe, chairman Ifelodun LG, Hon Aransiola Oyeyemi Samson: chairman Irepodun LG, Hon Bamidele Ogunbayo: chairman Isin LG,.Mr. Muhideen Shittu, chairman Oke Ero LG, Hon Olawale Awelewa: chairman Ekiti LG, Hon Taiye Olaniyi chairman Oyun LG and Hon Yusuf Abdulganiyu Kehinde, chairman Offa LG however said: “We wish to state unequivocally that Alhaji Lai Mohammed as Minister provided all the necessary apparatus required of a leader in making the APC to record a resounding victory in the last general elections.”

On the purported statement credited to Kwara South Elders Forum of APC not to reappoint Alhaji Mohammed as a minister, the chairmen said, “At the moment, the party hierarchy in the seven ocal government areas ofthe senatorial district have not constituted any elders forum or committee to speak for it.

“And as we all know, there’s legally-constituted party structure at all levels. These are the only legally-authorised body to speak on behalf of the Kwara South APC on all matters relating to the members of the party in the senatorial district.

“The illegal body, as represented by Chief J. B Ayeni and Mr. Jide Usman, that is castigating the Hon. Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as regards the last general elections forgot to intimate the general public with the extraordinary effort they put in to the party victory in their domain that makes them to be more important than the Honourable Minister.

Plateau Ministerial Slot

“We wish to state unequivocally that Alhaji Lai Mohammed as Minister provided all the necessary apparatus required of a leader in making the APC to record a resounding victory in the last general elections.

Ministerial Stole

“We also know the antecedent of all individuals involved in this act as this is the only way they know in getting patronage, especially during the period of appointments.”

Ministerial Stole Patterns

The statement therefore said: “We the seven local Government party chairmen that constitute kwara South Senatorial District implore the general public to disregard their press statement and advise the party at the State to take appropriate action against these men so as to serve as deterrent to others”.