From ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna
Former Governor of Abia State and Presidential Candidate of Progressive People Alliance (PPA), in the 2007 election, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu has opened up on why he fell out with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Kalu, who claimed to have sponsored Obasanjo's election in 1999, said that "Obasanjo was deceitful to him and to Nigeria as a whole."
This is even as he said the Igbo would never vote the emerging All Progressive Congress (APC) except if it fields an Igbo man as its presidential candidate.
The former Abia governor who spoke on Liberty Radio's programme, "Guest of the Week" in Kaduna, revealed that Obasanjo actually consulted some of them on his third term agenda which he (Obasanjo) denied ever contemplating.
Kalu further said that the third term agenda was actually stopped by the then president of United States of America, President George Bush.
He also stated that when the third term agenda failed, Obasanjo brought in late President Umaru Yar'Adua with the thinking that he would die during the campaign so that he (Obasanjo) could declare a state of emergency and continue to be the president.
On the state of emergency slammed on three states in the North-Eastern Zone of the country, the former Abia governor stated that what President Goodluck Jonathan had done was mere deployment of troops.
"I've always said that Boko Haram deserves amnesty and I am happy with Mr. President that he has been able to set up that committee but now that he has declared a state of emergency, the committee's work is no longer necessary. He could have dissolved that committee a day before the declaration was made to be ready for a fight because I don't think it was the best advice for the President to come out to address the nation on the issue of state of emergency when we have not given the committee set up a chance, ",Chief Kalu said.
On 2015 general elections, the former governor and founding member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said there was no going back on Igbo Presidency, adding that since the Igbos have always supported people from other parts of the country, there was no reason why the Igbo should not be given a chance to lead the country too.
He said the Igbo would never vote the emerging All Progressive Congress (APC) except if their Presidential candidate is an Igbo man, adding that even if his party, the PDP fails to present an Igbo Presidential candidate, they would not get the votes of the Igbos.
_______
C'River IPMAN had no kerosene for11 years –State Chairman
From JUDEX OKORO, Calabar
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Cross River state has raised the alarm over non-supply of kerosene to its member in the last eleven years.
The association alleged that middlemen have completely hijacked the supply and distribution of kerosene, thereby making the product beyond the reach of the common man.
In an interaction with journalists at the Calabar Depot, the State Chairman of the Association, Comrade Michael Udofia, decried the non-supply of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) to the depot that covers Cross River, Akwa-Ibom and some North-Eastern states.
Udofia, however admitted that there has been consistent supply of petrol (PMS) and diesel (Automotive Gas Oil) to the depot by the Product and Pipeline Marketing Company.
He said the scarcity of kerosene had forced most households in the catchments to buy the product at exorbitant prices from dispensing centres that got the product from private depots.
He said: "We have not had supply of kerosene for 11 years now. We therefore appeal to the management of PPMC to send DPK to Calabar depot. This call has become urgent because there is a strong law on felling of woods for domestic fuel in this area.
"We had the same problem with PMS and AGO but the management of PPMC has responded to the other two products. So, we urge them to do same to DPK."
He said the improved supplies in PMS and AGO have largely reduced the bunkering in the area, noting that consumers of AGO in the axis could attest to the quality of diesel that is in the market presently.
The IPMAN chairman also disclosed that the PPMC had awarded contracts for complete renovation of the six storage tank farms in the depot, stressing that it would further boost the efficacy with which products are dispensed at the depot.
Via: Sun News Online
Let the election come first then we'll know what will happen next. We just hope it would be peaceful