General
Senate 2019: Kogi East Youths Reject Aidoko, Want Adoji as Successor
By Olubori Oduntan
If information reaching us is anything to go by, it might be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than Senator Attai Aidoko returning to the National Assembly in 2019.
This is because youths in Kogi East Senatorial District, where he represents at the parliament, have rejected his re-election ambition as the 2019 general elections approach.
They condemned the social media propagandists, who they said spin lies and launder the image of Aidoko for political make over for 2019.
“Their propaganda reflects a depressed and despondent, sad, confused, and a lost generation of youths. We don’t know what we want, where we are coming from, and where we are headed.
“The Igala youths of today have failed to differentiate between their political enemies and political saviors. Our propaganda is full of illuminated sadness and intellectual poverty,” some of the youths told us anonymously.
According to them, Mr Aidoko is the longest-serving federal lawmaker from Kogi East, but ironically, “the worst amongst all, as he has serially failed us in terms of good legislation, provision of amenities through constituency projects and youth empowerment. Aidoko should be told the naked truth. He must be told that the seat of Kogi East doesn’t belong to his family neither any godfather.”
The youths revealed in separate interviews that Senator Aidoko has spent 12 years both in lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly without anything to show for it, adding that it was under his watch that Ibaji oil wells were ceded to Anambra State.
“Senator Aidoko has provided poor representation, starting from his days in the House of Representatives, where he represented Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro Federal Constituency from 2003 to 2011 and served as Chairman, House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, and later as Chairman, Senate Committee on SEGS.
“As a Senator, he can’t point at one single thing as achievement that we can call his Constituency project.
“He is only after his personal interest and that of his godfather which is not good for our people in need of development. In fact, Aidoko is a liability on the good people of Kogi East and he has no political relevance in both the region and at the national level,” they stated.
The youths noted that Senator Aidoko hails from Ugbamaka-Igah in Olamaboro Local government and that as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) there is “no project that has come to our land but other senators buy contracts from Senator Aidoko for the interest of their constituencies and he converts the proceeds into buying exotic cars for personal use amid the untold suffering of our people.”
Senator Aidoko, they explained, is not in any way familiar with the saying that ‘charity begins at home,’ while stressing that his people have no water, no electricity, no telephone network, no schools, no single bank neither common ATM in the entire Olamaboro and “of course, no proper health care system yet, we have someone at the senate representing us.
“Aidoko that we know always visit Igala land at night and sneaks out before the crack of dawn.
“We can’t continue to wallow in this politics of stagnation where some wicked few individuals will gather together to oppose everything that is good for our land.
“Our region has suffered so much neglect despite the facts that we have several opportunities to develop, but we have been suffering so much neglect because of the attitude of some of our leaders.
“The brains of those supporting Senator Aidoko’s 3rd term are notoriously more receptive to short-term rewards.
“Some of them reveal that people without education are like weapons without bullets because they lack education and political consciousness, they can’t choose and seek their interests.
“They can’t choose their ways and directions of life. They can’t set goals for themselves and strive to achieve them. They can’t propel themselves in the right, proper, and straight direction,” they said.
The youths stressed that in 2019 ‘by God’s grace,’ Kogi East must decide their future.
“Our people must stop living like strangers and refugees in their own land. 2019 is another opportunity that we must shake off our restrained spirit of compromise and conformity.
“We must refuse and reject immediate gratification of stomach infrastructure that will prolong our suffering and servitude.
“Kogi youths must be ready to liberate themselves from the compassion, complacency, and solidarity with their oppressors.
“In 2019, we must have the right and power to end our decades of suffering by keeping our PVCs intact to vote out Senator Aidoko and all our leaders that have failed us out of office for a fresh leadership,” they said.
The youths however, urged Kogi East youths and other constituents to resolve “to rally round a common cause that will ultimately produce Dr. Victor Alewo Adoji as the next Senator “to represent us come 2019 by God’s grace.”
They stated that Victor Adoji has the requisite qualities to take development to Kogi East and that he is a man with vision and determination to get things done properly for Igala people as a senator.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, from office.
The Senate Committee on Finance, while passing a resolution in Abuja on Thursday, accused Mr Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of failing to honour the Senate’s invitations to account for the finances of his agency.
“He refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee.
“We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“Each time we invite him, he gives us excuses,” the Chairman of the committee, Mr Sani Musa, said as the committee passed the resolution.
CAC was part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held two weeks ago, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The PAC chairman, Mr Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly should not continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms, saying this will create fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency across federal institutions and conform with extant financial regulations and the oversight powers of the parliament.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” he said.
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