General
South East Group Describes Soludo’s Comments on Peter Obi as Outright Jealousy
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Governor of Anambra State, Mr Charles Soludo, has been lambasted by a pan-Igbo socio-political pressure organisation known as the South East Revival Group (SERG) over his comments on Mr Peter Obi, a former governor of the state.
On Monday, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released an article where he said Mr Obi, a presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, cannot win the exercise.
This did not go down well with some supporters of Mr Obi and SERG, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said Mr Soludo should focus on his campaign promises and “first take Anambra State to the Dubai status” he reportedly promised when he asked residents of the state for votes.
In the statement issued by the president and national coordinator of the group, Mr Willy Ezugwu, SERG said that “this is not the first time predictions on Peter Obi’s victory at elections came and failed.
According to the regional association, “It was common knowledge in Anambra State in the build-up to the 2010 governorship election the popular prediction was that Professor Soludo as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would defeat Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“In fact, most prominent Anambra people predicted that Peter Obi won’t win a second tenure even before the governorship primary.
“But on February 7, 2010, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peter Obi the winner of the 2010 Anambra State Gubernatorial election, where he roundly defeated his former schoolmate at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
“So, Governor Soludo knows that his predictions against Peter Obi have never come to pass, not even his own election victory prediction in 2010.
“The SERG, therefore, enjoins Governor Soludo to face his job of governing Anambra State and ensuring that all his campaign promises to his people on Soludo Solution and on his ability to turn Anambra State into a Dubai overnight are waiting to be fulfilled.
“So far, Soludo has not been able to solve a single major problem of the Anambra State since he assumed office.
“As a matter of fact, his administration has turned Anambra into one of the unsafest states in Nigeria, going by recent security realities, including the consistent attacks on Soludo’s hometown.
“His approach to solving security problems in Anambra State has so far failed to yield any results. It has rather aggravated the security situation.
“Soludo claimed that Peter Obi cannot win because the Labour Party presidential candidate lacks the requisite structures to win the 2023 election.
“This is not new; it has become a wife’s tale as the Nigerian people, the poor, the oppressed, and those facing security threats in Anambra State and across the country have, in the past few months, shown Nigerians that they are the structures any politician needs to win in the 2023 general elections.
“For us, the sudden outburst of Governor Soludo against Peter Obi can only be explained as outright jealousy, having seen the unimagined rising profile of the Labour Party presidential candidate.
“The SERG believes that the opposition has hired the Anambra State Governor to do some dirty political jobs from Peter Obi’s home state in their efforts to course a crack in the solidarity and support the Labour Party presidential candidate is enjoying in the entire South East.
“On this note, Nigerians must recall that ahead of the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi never enjoyed massive support from the South East.
“The fact is that the current support being enjoyed by Peter Obi in the region was spurred by people from outside Igbo land, like the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, whose leader, Ayo Adebanjo began the clamour for a president of Nigeria of South East extraction even before the presidential primary elections.
“The same was the case in the North with northern groups, including Unified Northern Nigeria Youth Forum (UNNYF), whose Director General of the group, Dr Ibrahim Bature, on March 21, 2022, told journalists during the group’s road walk in Minna, Niger State capital, calling on Nigerians to support Igbo man for Presidency come 2023 for fairness and justice.
“Peter Obi is running for the President of Nigeria, not the President of Igbos. So, to measure Peter Obi’s presidential victory from the lens of Igbo votes like Governor Soludo is the most myopic political calculation.
“In any case, power belongs to God, and He gives and takes away power from individuals at will, and no individual can arrogate to himself the power to determine whom God has chosen to make the President of Nigeria in 2023.
“It is only God, through the votes of the Nigerian electorates, that can decide who takes over from President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We, therefore, advise Governor Soludo to face the issues of governance, especially insecurity, and get working as the people will decide his fate in the next governorship election in Anambra State based on his four-year scorecard,” SERG said.
Accusing Governor Soludo of taking his attacks on Mr Obi to “a petty level”, the group said “we are shocked to read a series of tweets from Governor Soludo making a case for PDP, even as an APGA Governor.
“Soludo tweeted that He (Peter Obi) attended my inauguration on March 17th. A few weeks later, he requested, and I obliged him to use the Anambra State government facility to launch his presidential bid under PDP. I was surprised to read in the news later that he had defected to LP (a party with literally zero structure), thereby attempting to weaken the same PDP he saw as the saviour a few weeks earlier.
“When has leaving a political party become an offence? Did Soludo not leave the PDP to join APGA?
“Did Soludo not work against PDP in Anambra State in partnership with former Governor Willie Obiano to ensure that Obiano returned for a second tenure as the state Governor against the PDP candidate?
“Beyond mere jealousy, it is now very obvious that Governor Soludo has been purchased by the opponents of Peter Obi to work against the popular wish of Nigerians but he has failed, having lost a sense of priority”, the group stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Celebrated broadcaster with Arise TV, Mrs Ayo Mario-Ese, has charged women to be open to collaboration and not limit themselves.
The charming media personality was one of the panellists at the UBA Business Series themed Introducing Gen W – The Evolved Woman, held at the UBA House in Lagos last Thursday.
At the event moderated by popular actor, Mr Tobi Bakre, the Morning Show anchor on Arise TV expressed worry about females who are usually laidback about speaking up and sharing their achievements, and said that women need to own their stories.
“A lot of women are doing phenomenal work and are sometimes afraid of showcasing what they are doing. As an evolved woman, you have to find out what you are comfortable doing, create your own unique offering, and also be open to collaboration,” she submitted.
Another panellist, Ms Joycee Awosika, described an evolved woman as one who has awareness of who she is.
“That woman does not need to ask to sit at the table; she is creating her own table and adding value. As your company is growing, you must grow too, and always do an audit of where you need to become a better leader,” the energy economist stated.
For a digital entrepreneur, Ms Tomike Adeoye, the question of what a woman is bringing to the table has now become obsolete, as the evolved woman is now bringing their own table.
“She is now more vocal about their struggles, setting the standards, and she is not ready to give up on her dreams,” she declared.
For the founder of Fine-Funky, Ms Olufunke Davies, she remarked that, “Creating unique designs that are affordable remains my driving force and something that has helped me grow as an evolved woman.”
In her remarks, the Group Head for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA, Ms Alero Ladipo, said, “Raising each woman is actually not that hard, because everyone has their community as well as their story; and so as women, we need to take a position so that we can give to others.”
She said the Gen W platform of the lender is dedicated to the evolved woman, adding, “Through expert insights, real stories, and practical resources, the platform connects women who are building brands, creating businesses, growing careers, and leading across industries. They also have access to a plethora of discounted products and loans. The best part: it is open to every woman. No UBA account needed. This is Gen W, for the evolved woman.”
This edition of the UBA Business Series was hosted to mark International Women’s Month.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar.
The Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, revealing that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation Delta Sentinel, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Mr Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure—including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining—was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) area in Calabar, Cross River.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
The official said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The captain reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation Delta Sentinel through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
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