Nigeria’s GSM Market And The Global Economy

 

 James Uzondu

News Introduction: 

Besides the fact that God showered this country with abundant endowment with regards to mineral and natural resources, the most awesome gifts are the human capital resources and assets of this country. - By Ifeanyi Akalonu

Besides the fact that God showered this country with abundant endowment with regards to mineral and natural resources, the most awesome gifts are the human capital resources and assets of this country. Even though for obvious reasons, the rest of the world is always trying to malign Nigeria and give her names – even those countries that owe their very existence today as a nation to the sacrifices that this country made – yet, there are very few of them that can do without this great country. One should ask : how come with all the stories of Boko-Haram, kidnapping, YahooYahoo, etc  that are told of Nigeria every day, even though some of them are a bit garnished and seasoned with salt more than a pinch,  yet a casual visit to our airports reveals a daily influx of foreigners into the country? The answer is very simple – the gains outweigh the risks.
The only problem we have is that those who have been manning the cockpit of the affairs of this country over the years are at best rookie pilots who either did not read their operational manuals or do not have a destination and as such do not have a flight map before take-off, consequently they do not know the potentials that this country has and are not interested in taking the nation to her deserved position in world socio-political and economic space. At worst, they are unscrupulous and unpatriotic leaders whose only interest is to bleed and milk the nation dry and left for dead. Sadly, we have had more of the later.
However, Nigeria is laden with potentials that define greatness for any country. We have the resources and a huge population of people who are creative, resilient, hard-working and ingenious. We have the market, a slice of which can satisfy the projections of any company – a market share which any serious company will give anything to have. China is a world power because they have the technology to produce and the population to consume anything and everything. Nigeria on the other hand has the population to consume everything but lacks the technology to produce anything. Meanwhile, Nigerians are creative, ingenious and hard working enough to develop a technological system that can be like China or even better if only there is encouragement from the government and an enabling environment to thrive.
Let us take a look at the GSM and mobile telephone market. Nigeria is among the last countries to join the GSM mobile phone community only in 2001. Before the launch of GSM in Nigeria every mobile phone had only one SIM. I can say this for certain because Nigeria is a country where second-hand goods popularly called ‘Tokunboh’ are consumed in great quantity and with fanfare.
Expressions like “London used”, “America Used”, “Direct Belgium” and “German Tokunboh” are popular phrases in Nigerian market lexicon. Shortly after the launch of the GSM telephone in 2001, the market was flooded with several brands of phones both new and used phones. Among all the phones that were imported into the country then, not a single brand or product was dual SIM.
However, shortly afterwards, people started carrying multiple phones about. While some were an avenue for status show-off, which is a normal lifestyle in Nigeria, majority were due to the unreliable and poor quality services and the extortionate tariffs of the service providers. Then our Igbo importer brothers and their Chinese technology partners went to work. Soon we had mobile phone handsets with two, three, even four SIM capabilities. Initially, this feature was among others the trade mark of the unbranded or fake products generally called “China Phones”. The big names like Motorola, Nokia, NEC, Panasonic, Ericsson, Sony, Samsung, Alcatel, etc could not be caught then with such a feature. They were the “original phones” for the big boys and big girls.
Then suddenly we started seeing some “original” dual SIM phones. Haba! What happened! It started like a joke with some small and low cost Nokia and Samsung phones, then like a wild fire it spread everywhere. Today dual SIM capability is an important marketing and advertising feature of almost every phone. All the big names have adapted and those that refused to adapt have been left behind.
The world mobile phone landscape and market has been changed by Nigeria and every other country is conforming. We are setting the world stage. This is just one example, there are several others. No matter what anyone wants to say about Nigeria and Nigerians, the truth remains that no serious country or organisation in business can ignore us. Our most important asset is not our oil, but our human capital assets. Look around you; Nigerians are achieving great feats in almost every sector of human endeavor today both locally and in the diaspora. That is the stuff we are made of. We make things happen.
The leadership of this country should begin to understand that if we have the right kind of realistic policies, the sincererity of purpose and the political will to implement them, we will not need to run from one country to another in search of foreign investment.  All we need is to have the enabling environment put in place with the appropriate world class infrastructure and we shall be a highly sought after nation. We have everything that makes a nation great, yet we are looked upon like a miscreant nation in the comity of Nations just because we have bad leaders who breed bad followers.

Ifeanyi Akalonu, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Lagos

SEEKING AN ESCAPE ROUTE FROM JUSTICE

By Segun Badmus

Few months ago, I wrote about Femi Fani Kayode playing the ostrich game after visiting the Presidential villa. He returned from that visit speaking from both sides of his mouth about the party which he ran to immediately after its formation, all in the hope it would provide him sanctuary against his criminal prosecution. I knew immediately something inordinate is about to happen. With the current happenings, my fears are beginning to garner legitimacy.

Just few days ago, precisely on the 10 July 2014, Festus Kenyamo representing the EFCC filed to close its case in the trial of the former aviation Minister who has been accused of over 40 count amended charge of illegal diversion, embezzlement and accepting bribes etc amounting to over 100million Naira in the course of serving as a Minister.

Surprisingly, when the Defense counsel to FFK decided to file for a no case submission, the prosecution counsel led by Festus Kenyamo did not object to this absurdity. This same Festus Kenyamo is being rumored to being politically and professionally blackmailed by threats of denying him approval to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a rumor which has actually been confirmed by the refusal of his application to become a SAN.

My labor in this write up is to cross examine the shenanigans currently going on in our criminal justice system, where all known criminals are being given sanctuary to play prominent political role in the build up to the 2015 general election and to highlight the hypocrisy in the man known as Femi Fani Kayode.

On his Facebook page today 12/07/2014, where he mischievously posted about the notices of debate in the British House of Commons. He erroneously inferred that the British parliament are trying to link the All Progressives Congress with the menace of Boko Haram.

After a thorough examination of the document showing the questions slated for oral or written answers, I have come to draw the conclusion about the quality of the mind associated with the man FFK. I have come to a conclusion that it is not the fame of your alma mater or the quality of your education that determines your disposition. This man has flawed the bragging right argument about which institution you graduated from. He has stood logic on it head and I am so ashamed that people who have had access to good education cannot brag any longer.

Read the following information from the British House of parliament where the true template of questions to be asked the Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague.

These questions were posed by Member Andrew Rosindale as follows:

"86

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria.
(204387)

87

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling the threat of Boko Haram.
(204388)

88

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of links between Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups in Africa.
(204389)

89

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterpart in Cameroon the need for constructive dialogue between that country and Nigeria in tackling Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement.
(204390

95

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with leading members of the Nigerian opposition party, the All Progressive Congress; and if he will make a statement.
(204401)

96

Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will commission an inquiry into the international support network for Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon; and if he will make a statement"

The above submissions has shown the hypocrisy in the man FFK, in his missives against APC, he has adduced that the party is about to be exposed for its link with the activities of this murderous sect.

This man has been doing all he can to regain momentum to be able to play the power game of squashing his criminal indictment and rising back to prominence. Don't be surprised he may earn himself an appointment in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Fellow Nigerians, the Presidency as presently constituted has identified several political gladiators who are hell bent on assisting its 2015 presidential reelection. All dead woods are being reawakened to give life to this ignominious ambition of the lord of the manor.

I am constrained to intervene in the melodrama unfolding so as to set the record straight. The current crop of leaders in Nigeria's governance structure has lost touch with common sense and needs to be kicked out.

If APC is the angel unknown, then we should kick out the devil that has continued to impoverish the masses of our people under which Nigeria has become one the worst place to be born on earth.

Thank you.

Segun Badmus is a Good Governance Advocate and one of Africa's Thought Leader.

Confab: Elders, others boycott meeting with Kutigi

 

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria and chairman of the conference, retired Justice Idris Kutigi

The meeting of the elders of the six geo-political zones which make up the Consensus Committee popularly called “50 wise men” set up to resolve some contentious issues in the on-going National Conference could not hold as scheduled because most of the elders boycotted the meeting, Saturday PUNCH learnt last night.

Sources said that 20 of the 50 wise men were at the meeting.

One of the sources, who did not state his name, said, “The meeting of the 50 wise men did not hold because all the leaders did not attend. That is to tell you that we are in for a serious battle on Monday.”

The plenary session of the conference ended on Thursday without a final decision on critical issues of revenue sharing formula from the Federation Account and derivation principle.

Members of the Consensus Committee drafted from the six geo-political zones to find a middle ground to the contentious issue of derivation formula could not reach an agreement on the resolution to be presented to the plenary.

After a brief consultation with the principal officers, chairman of the conference and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, announced that the leadership of the conference would meet with selected delegates referred to as the 50 wise men in a bid to resolve the contentious issues.

Kutigi said in addition that all the chairmen, co-chairmen and deputy chairmen of the 20 committees that handled different assignments for the Conference should also attend the meeting.

The leader of the Northern group on the Devolution Committee and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, fired the first salvo when he announced that the committee was yet to reach an agreement on the contentious issue.

A resolution of the committee earlier submitted by Chief Raymond Dokpesi and later read to the delegates by Chief Olu Falae, who represented the South West on the committee, was greeted with disapproval by some delegates.

 PUNCH.

Olotu denies EFCC’s allegation of N2bn in foreign

 

BY GABRIEL       ENOGHOLASE
BENIN—A retired Federal High Court judge, Justice Gladys Olotu, has denied the allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that it had traced about N2 billion to her foreign account.
Justice Olotu, who denied the claim in a chat with Vanguard, yesterday in Benin, Edo State, explained that the domiciliary account which she opened with First Bank, United Kingdom, was contained in the Code of Code Form which she had earlier submitted to the body, adding that the account had no substantial money in it.
She said: “The account is there for all to see. What is there is about 37 pounds sterling and this is contrary to the allegation by EFCC that it had traced N2 billion to my foreign account. I call on the EFCC to investigate the account.
“They should also carry out a detailed investigation into the case where I was alleged to have received a bribe of N2 billion. The woman who was alleged to have bribed me with the amount is a widow and has not been paid anything by the company i”nvolved in the case.
“They should investigate where she got the money to bribe me. They should name the account and who made the payment.”
She insisted that when she was interrogated by the EFCC, they did not ask her any question relating to the alleged N2 billion bribe and wondered why the issue suddenly surfaced.
It will be recalled that Justice Olotu was compulsorily retired from the Federal High Court by the Federal Government over alleged misconduct and she had blamed her predicament on some highly placed persons in government and the judiciary, who she claimed vowed to deal with her for refusing to do their bidding in a case before her.
Vanguard

Refund $262m to Federation Account, Senate panel orders NNPC

 
   

29 May 2014, Abuja – The Senate Committee on Finance yesterday recommended that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) should refund  $262 million to the Federation Account. The committee said  $665.896m was yet to be remitted by the NNPC.  It  also asked the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to remit to the Federation Account $447.817,884, being balance of royalty and Petroleum Profit tax (PPT).
The committee urged the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy. The committee, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, since was never any unremitted $49.8billion as alleged by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. It stated that the Central Bank of Nigeria, NNPC, Ministries of Finance and Petroleum agreed that the NNPC should account for $20billion. These assertions were contained in the report of the committee, which was laid before the Senate yesterday. The committee noted that the sum of $218.069 million remains unremitted, being Federation Account share from the Third Party Financing arrangement.
It said that royalties and taxes amounting to $447.827million, being Federation Account share from the $6.815billion liftings by NNPC on behalf of NPDC, remain unremitted. The report urged the Senate to note, among others, that the “total crude oil liftings January to July 2013 was $67 billion and not $65billion as the CBN Governor had presented. There was never any unremitted $49.8billion. All the agencies: CBN, NNPC, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Petroleum Resources had agreed after reconciliation meeting that $47billion out of the $67billion had been credited to the Federation Account. Amount to be accounted for therefore was $20billion. The sum of $5.254billion PMS subsidy certified by PPPRA, part of the $20billion to be accounted for, was adequately covered by the Appropriation Acts 2012 and 2013.
“The sum of $3,512billion DPK subsidy certified by PPPRA for the period January 2012 – July 2013, being part of the $20billion to be accounted for, was not appropriated for by the National Assembly. The total sum certified by PPPRA for Kerosene DPK) subsidy not appropriated for by the National Assembly was N353.370billion ($2.148billion) for 2013 respectively, making total for the two years N685.91billion ($4.430billion).”
The committee report only covers accounting for $67billion crude oil revenue between January 2012- July 2013. “The Committee together with Appropriations Committee will continue its investigation on causes of shortfall in revenues, which covers issues such as SWAP, Strategic Alliance etc, as relates to the petroleum industry as par Senate Resolution S/RES/007/03/13.”  The committee recommended among others that the Senate should accept the subsidy deducted by NNPC from January 2012 – July 2013 of $5.254billion (N823,803billion) since it was certified by PPPRA and appropriated by National Assembly.
“This is without prejudice to the outcome of the Forensic Audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and Pricewaterkhouse Coopers Limited (PWC),” the report added. It said further that: “whereas it may be good policy to encourage indigenous players by giving them greater participation, however continuing transfer of Federation OMLs to NPDC who in turn transfer same to Third Parties with lots of tax and other revenue concessions will deprive the federation of vital income. Therefore, all such transactions should be conducted in a transparent and competitive manner and devoid of revenue concessions. NNPC to refund and remit to the Federation Account the sum of $262million being expenses it could not satisfactorily defend in respect of Holding Strategic Stock Reserve; Pipeline Maintenance and Management Cost; and Capital Expenditure. There is the need for the subsidy regime to be totally discontinued with. All stakeholders should be consulted and carried along as much as possible before abolishing the subsidy.
“Further legislative action by the Senate should be taken after receipt of the forensic check/audit currently being undertaken at NNPC by the Auditor-General of the Federation and PWC. The NNPC should strictly adhere to international best practices in keeping records. NNPC should not control the revenue account of NPDC in order not to undermine its separate legal status and make accountability more difficult. That PPPRA should henceforth not certify subsidy payments/deductions when there is no appropriation for such.
“NNPC should always ensure due process and diligence in their operations. The Senate also mandates the Committed to follow up and receive the forensic audit/checks reports from the Auditor-General for the Federation and PWC, study same and report back to Senate.”
The committee noted that after a careful study of all submissions, it found: “That all parties, i.e. CBN, NNPC, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Petroleum Resources  had resolved through reconciliation undertaken by them that $47billion had been received into the Federation Account out of the total oil lifting valued at $67billion between January 2012 and July 2013. That on the remaining $20billion to be reconciled, the committee’s findings are as follows:
“The amount deducted /withheld/expended by NNPC on fuel subsidy between January 2012 to July 2013 was $5.254billion (N823.802billion). This was certified by PPPRA and the National Assembly has appropriated funds in 2012 and 2013 fuel subsidy in the sums of N888.101 billion ($5.737billion) and $971.274 billion ($6.274billion respectively. The amount expended on subsidy on kerosene (DPK) between January to July 2013 was $3.512billion (N543.890billion). This was certified by PPPRA. This was not appropriated for by the National Assembly in both 2012 and 2013 Appropriation Acts.
“The subsidy deduction in the sum of N180billion ($1.2billion) by NNPC in 2012 bug relating to fourth quarter 2011 was certified by PPPRA. The CBN position was that this deduction needed PPPRA certification. PPPRA verification alluded to on the NNPC subsidy claims are in practice book keeping verification rather than physical verification of products and claims.” The committee said it also found that on Third Part Financing liftings by NNPC which CBN put at $2billion and called for more explanations, as follows: “That the actual value of Third Party Financing lifting was $2,430,750,973. That the amount confirmed by the Accountant-General as having been remitted into the Federation Account  between January, 2012 and July, 2013 was $1,370,172,650.36. That the share belonging to Mobile Producing Nigeria Limited in Third Party Financing arrangement with NNPC confirmed by them orally and in writing was $848,687,581.
“That the amount confirmed by the Accountant-General of the Federation as having been remitted into the Federation Account in December, 2013 which is outside the period January 2012 – July 2013 was $300,000,000. Therefore, the sum of $218,069,354 remains outstanding or unremitted by NNPC which it explained was in escrow account and will be remitted when it matures.” On the $6billion liftings by NNPC on behalf of NPDC, which CBN observed that part of the revenue belongs to the Federation Account, the committee said it found as follows:
“NPDC strategic alliance are within the laws of the Federation as submitted by the Attorney-General for the Federation and Minister of Justice. Total liftings during the period in question was $6,815,188,626. Share of revenue to go to the Federation A. Lung was $2,175,635,436. Amount of Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) confirmed received by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) from the NPDC and remitted to the Federation Account was $863,000,000. Amount of Royalty confirmed received by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from NPDC and remitted to the  Federation Account was $864,817,552. Royalties and Taxes not remitted to the Federation Account by NPDC within the period under consideration was $447,817,884.”
On other expenses and crude losses, which the Committee appointed Independent Professional Accountants to audit, the committee said it found as follows: “Crude and refined oil losses were certified by Committee Consultants as $0.809billion against the $0.760 reported by NNPC. Pipeline surveillance cost increased from $2.23million in 2012 to $11.15million in 2013 without corresponding decrease in pipeline oil losses. Actual PPMC’s Staff Salaries and upfront benefit claimed in NNPC submission were overstated by $7.58million and $29.35million for the 2012 and 2013 respectively.”
The committee gave the amount expended above budgeted or not budgeted for at all in respect of PMS and DPK in 2012 and 2013 as follows: “2012 PMS = N90.693billion ($585million)
2013 PMS = “Over expenditure expected  since certification of Aug-Dec 2013 was only an interim one. 2012 Kerosene (Expended but not budgeted) N353,370,145,245.07 ($2.282billion),
2013 kerosene (amount expended but not budgeted) N332,539,367,830.95 ($2.148billion).” In respect of a motion moved by Senator Babajide Omoworare (Osun East) that N700million was expended illegally on Kerosene subsidy daily, the committee said it found  based on PPPRA certification that: “In year 2012 amount expended was N353.370billion which gives N965.49million daily; and
“In year 2013 (interim) amount expended was N332.539 billion which gives N908.578 million daily.”


- The Punch

EXPOSED: How Dame Patience blocks Jonathan, Military from rescuing the girls – Source

Since the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School Chibok in Borno State and the eventual acceptance by the presidency that the girls were actually kidnapped, after initially keeping sealed lips indicating that such event never occurred, there have been several reports that the government is almost reaching a deal with the Boko Haram sect to free the girls.

patience and the girls

In spite of all the reports and high hopes raised by them, the girls have remained in captivity nearly three months since they were abducted. Nothing concrete has come out of the several reported negotiations going on between the government and the Boko Haram leadership.

In what could however be responsible for the delay in the rescue of the girls, the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has been alleged to be standing in the way of the effort to bring the girls back home.

According to NewsRescue, a trusted inner-circle confidant of the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that the First-Lady/president’s wife, Patience Jonathan is behind the refusal of the State security services and defense forces to rescue and free over 200 girls abducted from a school in Chibok, mid April.

According to the source who demanded absolute confidentiality, the President told him that his wife said, “the girls and their families must suffer as she suffered humiliation in the eyes of the world,” further threatening the president that “he should get rid of her (President’s wife) first, before he dares to order the rescue of the abducted girls.”

The source said that this is why several successful efforts to free the girls were aborted by executive order of the president at the last minute. Source said the American experts involved in rescuing the girls were exasperated — that despite accurate intelligence shared which made safe rescue missions possible since several weeks ago, Nigeria simply refused to give the order.

It would be recollected that a Boko Haram sympathizer and chief negotiator, Ahmad Saldika was flown in from the UAE to negotiate the release of the girls in early June. He had successfully struck a deal and took a video showing the girls with Boko Haram to the presidential Villa, however at the last minute when the swap of the girls for non-combatant Boko Haram ‘sympathizer’ prisoners was to be conducted, the president suddenly called in from France where he was attending an anti-terror summit, and aborted the mission. He said that this was due to pressure from his wife.

The source also reminded us that when the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh had revealed to Nigeria that they knew exactly where the abducted girls were, the presidency displayed its anger towards him for making this known to the public.

National conference member Fati Ibrahim, Chief of defence Alex Badeh and Rep. Beni Lar

He explained that president Goodluck Jonathan’s hands were tied by his wife who felt so humiliated when videos, songs and even T-shirts of her crying and making incoherent utterances [#DiaRISGODo] went viral. Source said, she took it very personal with the victims, the teachers and families for turning her down when she invited them over for a coffee meeting to crush the globally spreading scandal of the abduction.

Source further said, the First-lady has never felt so humiliated in her life, and recognized that the scandal of the abduction and failed efforts including her and government denials, and publication of a fake rescue after the event, made this (abduction) incident the major challenge to a second term ambition. As such, she said for as long as she lives, the girls must remain in the forest and die with the terrorists.

According to our reliable informant, it is open knowledge in executive and top military circles that the 200+ girls could be rescued within 24 hours of an order by the president however such order was not forthcoming due to ‘domestic matters.’

“If you want the girls out tomorrow, talk to Patience,” he concluded.
Osundefender

Jonathan’s Aide, Delta PDP Chair In Free-for-all

 

Sola Adebayo and Kola Eke Ogiugo

       

Hell was let loose yesterday in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, when the Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs Mariam Ali, and the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, engaged in a free-for-all.
The show of shame took place at the secretariat of the party in Asaba.
The secretariat was practically turned into a boxing ring as the combatants threw decorum into the winds. Their clothes were torn into shreds while the commotion lasted in the presence of their aides, members of the party and top officials of the state government as well as security agents.
Yesterday’s show of shame was not the first for Ali a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP. In 2011, she had in a similar fashion, in the company of her daughters, assaulted officials of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council at their Wuse Zone 6 office, for marking her property in Asokoro for demolition.
LEADERSHIP Weekend learnt that the members of the party and top government officials had gathered at the secretariat to witness the formal presentation of official vehicles to the chairmen of the party in the 25 local councils of the state.
Although the sitting arrangement on the high table triggered the crisis, LEADERSHIP Weekend learnt that the ambition of two of them to seek the nomination of the party to represent Delta North in the Senate in the 2015 election might have fuelled the animosity between them.
Ali and Nwaoboshi hail from Delta North. Two of them had declared interest in the seat currently occupied by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, who is seeking the gubernatorial ticket of the party.
The BoT member, who is also the wife of a former national chairman of the party, Dr Ahmadu Ali, had earlier protested that no seat was reserved for her on the high table despite her status as a national leader of the party.
Ali, who had earlier sat comfortably on a chair on the high table, was ordered to vacate the seat by security agents, who claimed that it was meant for the state’s deputy governor, Prof. Amos Utuama.
It was gathered that Nwaoboshi joined forces with the security agents to force the party’s BoT member to surrender the seat.
The development was said to have angered Mariam Ali, who reportedly confronted Nwaoboshi to demand the reason for the shabby treatment.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the claim by Nwaoboshi that he was not aware of the status of Mariam Ali as a BoT member of PDP infuriated her. The heated argument by the two PDP leaders degenerated and members of the party watched helplessly as two of them engaged in fisticuffs.
Sanity did not prevail until their clothes were turned to shreds. They were later helped into their cars by some party leaders.
Nwaoboshi, who later spoke to journalists, said Mariam Ali was the aggressor.
“Despite the provocation, I did not retaliate, even when she slapped me twice and tore my dress to shreds. She could have been lynched if not for my intervention and that of security men and the elders of the party,” he said.
Nwaoboshi said Ali would be punished for her conduct. “The party leaders have decided to report her to the party executives of her local government and wards but the state executives would write a report to the National Executive of the party over the misdeeds of Ali,” he added.
Ali could not be reached for her reaction before press time last night. She ignored the persistent calls our correspondent put to her cell phone.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday also commissioned 25 vehicles bought by the state branch of the PDP for its chairmen at the local government level.
Governor Uduaghan, during the commissioning, held in Asaba, observed that the national Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu had brought a new lease of life to the party that has positioned it to win all forthcoming elections in the country.
“Today, we have a game changer as chairman of the party at the national level. The fortunes of the party are turning around,” the governor said, explaining that the vehicles which were provided by the state PDP were to facilitate the movement of the local government party chairmen.
According to him, “our state chairman is developing and uniting our party and at the local government level, the chairmen must have structures and continue to reconcile members of the party because, we believe in grassroots politics.
“We have developed enough persons to win every ward election, especially in Delta state because there is no party in Nigeria that has its presence in every ward apart from the PDP.”
Governor Uduaghan used the occasion to appeal to members of the PDP to always be slow to anger, saying, “I want to appeal to all of us, let us not react in anger. There are people who are always there to annoy you but we need to be slow to anger. We need everybody to move forward and with all that happened before 2011, I did promise God that what I want to do is to unite the party.”
He also urged leaders of the party at the local government levels to ensure that the forthcoming local government elections are devoid of rancour, stressing that all disagreements and challenges should be resolved before the elections so that nobody would be given any room to move to other political parties.
State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi had said that the 25 vehicles were to facilitate movements of the chairmen of the PDP at the local government areas to enable them function effectively for the good of the party.
He thanked Dr Uduaghan for his support for the PDP, noting that the state secretariat of the party, which he described as the best state secretariat of any political party in the country, was ready for commissioning.
Also speaking at the occasion, leaders of the party in Delta North, Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial Districts, Chief Godwin Iwegbue, Chief George Sefia and Hon. Solomon Areyenka respectively, assured Governor Uduaghan that the fortune of the party was increasing in the state.
The party passed a vote of confidence on Governor Uduaghan, his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN); Chairman of the PDP in the state, Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi and other leaders of the party at the ceremony.
This was sequel to a motion moved by Chairmen of the PDP in Bomadi Local Government Area, Chief Pius Labo which was seconded by his counterpart from Ughelli North local government area, Chief Shedrach Imonieroh.
 Leadership