CrossFire Interrogator

BAYELSA PDP GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE FAULTS REC ON TRIBUNAL ORDER ... berates APC chieftains, thugs for disrupting inspection of election materials By Donald Sylva The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has accused the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Monday Udoh, of violating the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal order on the inspection of election materials. Senator Diri said in defiance of the tribunal's order, the REC allowed the All Progressives Congress (APC) to inspect sensitive and non-sensitive voting materials used during the November 16 governorship election. The tribunal had granted the prayer of the PDP counsel to inspect the materials. However, instead of complying with the order of the tribunal, the REC allowed APC, which is not a party to the prayer, to be part of the exercise. Diri in a statement made available to newsmen described the involvement of...

AWLO OFFICIALLY UNVEILS FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE AS THE HOST CITY FOR AWLC 2020 By Donald Sylva The African Women in Leadership Organization (AWLO) has announced and formally invited members of the global community to her 12th Annual African Women in Leadership Conference (AWLC).  In a press statement signed by the Founder/CEO, Dr. Elisha Attai, AWLO said the 2020 Edition of the Conference with the theme: Women, Peace-Building and Environment is scheduled to hold from 2nd to 5th April, 2020 at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Bintumani, Freetown, capital city of Sierra Leone. The statement reads in part as follows: “The aim of the conference is to confer and galvanize action towards creating the rubric for peace-building, while maximizing the environment to advance women’s potential. “With more than a decade-long history of impact, holding the reins of women’s leadership, the African Women in Leadership Organization (AWLO) continues to unlock ...

Bayelsa 2019 Governorship Poll: APC thugs Disrupt Election Document Inspection Exercise in Yenagoa By Donald Sylva A Press Statement signed and released by the Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, Mr. Godspower Keku, has stated that, sequel to the order granted by the Election Petition Tribunal for the inspection of Bayelsa election documents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scheduled the inspection to commence on the 11th of December 2019. The statement further stated that election documents for Southern Ijaw LGA have already been successfully inspected but that however, while the inspection of the election documents from Nembe LGA was in progress today (15 th , December), APC thugs led by one Denis Otiotio a prominent APC Bayelsa chieftain and a relative of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Cheif Timipre Sylva, invaded the venue with the aim to disrupt the inspection exercise. The statement also said tha...

DEMISE OF OBONG UFOT EKAETTE: PDP GOVS FORUM CONDOLES AKWA IBOM GOVT By Donald Sylva The late Obong Ufot Ekaette The PDP Governors Forum has condoled with the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, the government and people of the state, on the death of their foremost son, elder statesman and former Secretary of the Federation (SGF), Obong Ufot Ekaette, who will be laid to mother earth this weekend. A press statement from its Abuja Secretariat on Wednesday, signed by the DG, Earl Osaro Onaiwu said: “We are deeply saddened by the news and we commiserate with the Ekaette Family, people of Onna Local Government and Akwa Ibom State in general on the passage of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Obong Ufot Ekaette, a consummate administrator and bridge-builder who gave his best in the service of his country.” “He was a devoted statesman and devout Christian, who dedicated his life to the service of God, stability and growth of the...

TRIBUNE’S PLATINUM AWARDS: PDP GOVS FORUM CONGRATULATES MEMBERS …Says African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC are true agents of national unity  By Donald Sylva The PDP Governors Forum has congratulated its member-Governors who were honoured Tuesday at the MUSON Centre, Lagos during the Tribune’s Platinum Awards Ceremony. A press statement from its Abuja Secretariat on Wednesday and signed by the DG, Earl Osaro Onaiwu said in part:  “We are deeply touched by the development whereby out of the 15 eminent Nigerians or more rightly put, five governors; who have distinguished themselves in the service of the country to merit the Tribune @70  Awards, four are members of this revered forum. This goes a long way to show that their meritorious services to their people and the nation in general are not only outstandingly visible and impactful but can be rated in flying colours. “We congratulate Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); S...

BAYELSA NOT TAKING NEW LOANS ...No major loan in over two year ...Says fears over loans misplaced.....Daniel Iworiso Markson By Douye Timi Daniel Iworiso Markson The Bayelsa State Government has said that it is not making any effort whatsoever to obtain new loans in the state. The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who stated this in a statement on Monday also said that the Government had not taken any major loan in over two and a half years. Iworiso-Markson stated further that the government would not present any fresh budget to the House of Assembly for the year 2020. He explained that the 2019 budget would run till the end of the Administration on February 14, 2020. The Commissioner stressed that the Restoration Government under the leadership of the Honorable Henry Seriake Dickson, had not also received any loan advance from any financial institution. According to him, Governor Dickson is reputed to have led a transpare...

PDP YOUTHS ALLIANCE CHALLENGES JONATHAN, WIFE TO RESPOND TO AISHA BUHARI By Donald Sylva The Peoples Democratic Party Youths Alliance has challenged former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan to respond to the comment by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari that evil people have taken over the country to the APC. The Youth Group also urged the former President and his wife to provide answers to Mrs Buhari’s criticism of the Defence of Jonathan by the Presidency.  The Group’s Public Relations Officer, Mallam Saleh Abubakar, argued in a press statement in Jigawa on Sunday that Aisha Buhari’s poser justified the strong allegation of anti party against the former First family. He said that the very fact that the Presidency would jump to defend the Jonathans showed their unholy relationship with the APC which manifested during the election in Bayelsa.  He stressed the Presidency’s rush to defend Jonathan and his wife as rightly o...