Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 August 2013

Tension Brews between Jonathan, Dickson over Hotel Project

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, President Goodluck Jonathan and his protégé, Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson might already be dealing with a potentially sour relationship over delay in construction of a five-star hotel project flagged off years back.

Jonathan, as Governor of Bayelsa State back then, began constructing the hotel following the removal of then-Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. Alamieyeseigha conceived the hotel project to bolster the state’s tourism capabilities but it was Jonathan who began pumping funds into it.

After he was nominated as vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), funding for the project became an avenue for financially fuelling the party’s 2007 presidential campaign. The scope of the project was also widened, ostensibly to allow for further siphoning of funds worth more than N5bn for the presidential election.

Timipre Sylva, who became Governor of Bayelsa after Jonathan, was not exactly a fan of the hotel project, which had gulped over 450 per cent of the total contract value while work remained below 40 per cent completion. His supposedly lackadaisical disposition to the project angered Jonathan, who was reportedly desperate to cover up for the amount of money laundered under the guise of erecting a five-star hotel. His thinking was that it would be difficult to question the huge spending once the project is completed.

With the arrival of his godson, Dickson as the new governor, President Jonathan had expected the completion of the project. But Dickson was himself unwilling to carry on with the project and instead sited a new five-star hotel project less than 1km away from Jonathan’s original project five-star hotel.

Dickson earmarked N3.5bn for the new hotel around Oxbow Lake, and hired a contractor named Anyim Osigwe Group, which is to collaborate with a foreign partner. Dickson also allocated N2.6bn for renovating the new government house with 19 presidential suites.

This development has reportedly landed Dickson in First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan’s bad books, particularly for refusing to turn in money to the stakeholders him in removing Timipre Sylva from office and installing him instead. Sylva is reportedly aware of the first lady’s stance as well as the disappointment of President Jonathan but he is reported to have himself expressed lack of confidence in President Jonathan.

“Dickson has of recent become very suspicious that President Jonathan may likely give him the Sylva Treatment by not allowing him to return for a second term,” a source said.

To avert this treatment, Dickson is reportedly finalising plans to secure the services of a judge, who would pronounce a judgment bringing the governorship election in the state from 2016 to 2015, which means the president will be too busy with his own election to be removing a governor. This judicial project, it is believed, will gulp N3bn.

It is also believed that Jonathan and his wife are considering Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa. Dudafa was initially picked as Dickson`s running mate in the last gubernatorial elections,but was dropped.

But the Bayelsa Government has denied all these stories. “The story is not true. The Governor is concentrating on roads now. Several meetings have been held concerning the International Conference Centre and four-star hotel,” Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Social Media said in a statement.

“In fact, the restoration administration is anchored on investment promotion and of course, that includes tourism. To underscore this, an Institute of Tourism and Hospitality management is being put in place. The institutions that will promote tourism are being established. It is untrue that Governor Dickson has abandoned the Tower Hotel.”

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

PDP congratulate APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the successful registration of their new party describing it as healthy development for the nation’s democracy.

The party, in a statement signed by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Tony Caesar Okeke however said the registration of the new party poses no threat to the PDP. The statement said the ruling party still maintains its pre-eminent position and enjoys the widest
popularity and acceptance among Nigerians across the country.

The PDP said with the registration of the APC, Nigerians now expect the leaders of the opposition party to eschew all forms of bitterness and desperation and desist from politics of propaganda which characterized their former parties.

The PDP urged the APC leaders to focus on issues and engage in more robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance in the general interest of the country.

“The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congratulates the leadership of the All Progressive Congress on the successful registration of their new party. This is very healthy for our democracy. We hope that from now the opposition will eschew all forms of bitterness and desperation and desist from politics of propaganda which characterized their former parties.

“We hope to see a vibrant opposition that will constructively engage the PDP on issues of governance in a way that Nigerians will be the utmost beneficiaries instead of overheating the polity by promoting violence and hatred among the people”, the PDP said.

Insisting that the APC poses no threat to it, the PDP said it “will continue to maintain its preeminent position in the polity adding that it remained the party with the widest acceptance and popularity among Nigerians across board”.

The PDP however noted that Nigerians are not deceived by the change of flag by the opposition. It said such does not remove their dictatorial tendencies and penchant for deceit and propaganda for which Nigerians have rejected them irrespective of party name.

INEC Registers APC

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has registered the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to INEC, Abdullahi Kaugama on Wednesday, the electoral body said it has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress.

“On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger, and has accordingly granted their request.

“Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.”