PDP GOVERNORS' FORUM

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By Tony Okechukwu A team of officials  from the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre, and led by Dr. Ngozi Nwosu, Tuesday, visited Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku to express appreciation for the numerous achievements of the Governor in the primary health care area in the State. Dr. Nwosu came armed with a long list of Governor Ishaku's achievements in the primary healthcare sector and read them out. She said that the Governor had proved to be the most committed to the prevention of preventable deaths of women during child delivery and children during infancy. She said that the delegation was in Taraba State on a sensitisation programme and decided to visit the Governor to show appreciation for all that his administration has achieved in the health sector. Dr. Nwosu commended Governor Ishaku for also being a leader among the State Governors in the country in the payment of counterpart funds for collaborative health programmes. Responding, Gov....

By Pat PA Okon Bauchi State Government has solicited the support of the World Bank to ensure human capital development in critical sectors of the State's economy. The State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Aminu Hassan Gamawa, made the request during an interactive session with World Bank officials in his office. The Commissioner said that this has become imperative, as Governor Bala Mohammed expressed his desire to make Bauchi State attractive for donor support and funding. He said that the administration is donor friendly as it is working in accordance with good governance and accountability principles and practices. "I am happy with the way we are making progress both in YESSO and Community Support Development Project (CSDP), as the projects have direct impact on the lives of the citizens especially at the grassroots". "If you talk about eliminating poverty and empowering communities, you can do that if you politicised the pr...

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youths Monday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for setting up a Steering Management Committee to probe the account of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The youths also appealed to the oil-producing state governors to support the committee probing the financial records of the NDDC so that the region will be developed. The Youths Vanguard noted that while the region was suffering as a result of misappropriation of the funds meant for the development of the region, the people vested with the authority to utilize the funds were having bazaar and looting the commonwealth of the people. Specifically, the youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure, noted that not more than two senators and other stake-holders were suspected in the looting spree, all in the name of carrying out fathom projects for the people. The group added that the setting up of forensic audit committee by President Buhari will unra...

By Tony Okechukwu Governor Samuel Ortom, Tuesday, presented the 2020 Appropriation Bill of One Hundred and Eighty-Nine Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Million, Five Hundred and Eleven Thousand and Twenty-Five Naira (N189,483,511,025) to the Benue State House of Assembly. Named "Budget of Advancement, Growth and Development", the Governor stated that his administration would ensure adequate provision for programmes that would promote growth and development of the State". The 2020 Benue State Budget has Recurrent Expenditure of N114.5 billion out of which N50.6 billion is allocated for personnel cost, while N63.9 billion represents the estimated expenditure on overhead cost. According to the Appropriation Bill, N74.9 billion would go for capital projects. Governor Ortom also presented a Supplementary Budget of Seven Billion, Seventy-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Naira (N7,075,912,233) to the Assembly. He ...

By Pat PA Okon The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the State and validated the appeal of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Court of Appellate Jurisdiction says it disagrees with the tribunal judgement on grounds that the documents submitted were not properly processed while the evidences submitted by the appellant  was not adequately evaluated. It further stated that this, however, does not give sufficient grounds to tamper with  the victory of Seyi Makinde as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Court of Appeal also ordered that status quo before the tribunal’s judgment should remain, which is the return and declaration of Makinde as winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship poll in Oyo State. The court held that if not for time, it would have ordered a re-trial at the tribunal, noting that unfortunately, the time limit of 180 days for...

By Pat PA Okon Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has stated that the nation can only attain development when the citizens are empowered with the right knowledge and appropriate skills to contribute to national growth. Declaring open the 64th Meeting of the National Council on Education (NCE) in Port Harcourt on Thursday,  Governor Wike said that educational empowerment will equip the citizens to sustain themselves. He said: "The reality is that no country can be politically stable, economically robust and socially secure and cohesive if the citizens are not empowered with knowledge, appropriate skills and the right values to sustain themselves and contribute meaningfully to the progress of the country". Governor Wike called for the promotion of inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030. He said: "Agenda 2030 is therefore a call to action on our collective commitments to transformative educati...