Lagos GAC Okays Sanwo-Olu For Second Term

The dream of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to get a second term in office got the seal of approval of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) on Monday.

According to Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, the governor was also given pass mark for staying through to the developmental agenda of Lagos.

He tweeted, “Breaking news: Lagos GAC gives nod to Governor @jidesanwoolu’s second term bid. The Governance Advisory Council at a meeting in Lagos today gave pass mark to Sanwo-Olu for staying through to the developmental agenda of Lagos. Congratulations dear boss!”.

GAC, the apex body within the state ruling political class of All Progressives Congress (APC) approved second term for Sanwo-Olu at its meeting this afternoon at State House, Marina.

With the APC governorship election primaries slated for May 27, the speculation on whether Sanwo-Olu will get a second term has become rife among the business and political elites in the state, especially members of the APC.

Governor Sanwo-Olu has not picked his nomination forms for the election apparently waiting for official endorsement of the party chieftains.

It would be recalled that his predecessor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode failed to secure a second term in office because he fell out of favour with the party structure and GAC members despite the popular sentiments that he performed very well enough in office to deserve a second term.

Imo govt faults NBS report on foreign investment

Imo state Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Statistics, Dr C.C. Osuala has described reports pitching Imo among states which foreign investments dropped or  failed to attract foreign investments during the year as a poor reflection of the true picture of developments on ground.

A recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the latest Nigerian Capital Importation for 2021 said the value of capital importation into Nigeria fell by 30.78 percent to $6.7 billion in 2021; from $9.68 billion in 2020 and stated how the 36  states of the federation fared.

Speaking to Blueprint in Owerri on the report, Dr Osuala noted that the Bureau was not vivid on the area of focus, adding that in capital importation, different areas or fields could be considered.

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Explaining further, he said NBS could not say whether it was in agriculture, commerce or any other field that it based its analysis, because capital importation could also be carried out in those areas as well as in many other areas of human endeavour.

He pointed out that Capital Importation “does not only mean capital or physical cash” as it could also come in form of importation of equipment, skilled labour, drugs etc and when done, capital is still attached to them or imported.”

He frowned at a situation in which the report said Imo performed below states like Anambra, which attracted $4.7 million; Kano which attracted $2.55 million; Oyo, $2.0 million; Ogun, $1.06 million etc, saying the foreign investments attracted in the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Statistics alone, without taking into consideration those of other ministries, was far more than what the aforementioned states attracted as foreign investments in 2021.

He further disclosed that the World Bank’s SFTAS grant attracted by his ministry for the state as a result of transparency in budgeting was more than what these states attracted as foreign investments, “a situation which leaves the report with some error.”

He said the state has continued to attract more as it just attracted $500, 000 from World Bank as a result of its budgeting performance in the first quarter of the year

(Blueprint)

Breaking: Marafa denies joining PDP together with Yari

Senator Kabir Marafa
Former Senator Kabiru Marafa on Sunday denied reports suggesting that he has together with former Zamfara state governor Abdulaziz Yari decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

On Sunday, PDP chairman in Zamfara said the opposition party has reached agreement with both APC stalwarts and that their formal declaration would happen soon.

But Marafa Sunday evening said, “All we know is that we are into negotiations with many political parties that have invited us to join them in the state.”

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According to Senator Marafa, while speaking in an interview with Tambarin Hausa, an online Radio in Zamfara “…For now any news that said we have decamped is falsehood.

“All that I know is that there are lots of political parties, not only the PDP, that have invited us and wanting us to join and up till now we are still discussing with them.

“To the best of my knowledge up till now we have not reached a decision with anyone of them.

“…It is not true that we have decamped to the PDP, whoever said so has erred.

“In my capacity, I’m calling on people to discard any information about the issue from any person, untill they hear from us,…We have not yet reached at any decisions.”

Senator Marafa however said that it was necessary for him and Yari to decamp out of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “over injustices meted on us by the former leadership of the APC.

“We have no choice than to move out of the APC.”

Senator Marafa said the new national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, did not look for him.

“Abdulaziz Yari, has told me that he (Abdullahi Adamu), has looked for him, they have discussed and I was told about the level of their discussion.

“…He has told me that he will travel and that I will represent him when to discuss on the matter, but till now I was not contacted,” he said.

(Blueprint)