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‘APC hasn’t been able to live up to the change they promised’ – PDP Chieftain, John Ngbede
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Benue State, Sir John Ngbede, in this interview expresses opinion that the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), may to its extinction in 2019.
Do you see the PDP wresting power from the ruling APC in 2019 with the barrage of crises rocking it even at the national level?
When we get to that bridge we will cross it. When we get to 2019, you will know. The PDP has mechanism of resolving its own crisis. And the crisis you are hearing about is resolvable. Don’t forget that there are moves to reconcile Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi. And I think that move is still in place. That is why I am telling you that PDP has its own way of reconciling its members. So, I don’t think there’s anything wrong yet and by God’s grace, we will overcome.
There are also crises in other political parties. You should be hearing that the APC is also having its own crisis. The Tinubu group is not happy with what is going on. By the time we get to 2019, there will be so many calculations, so many formulas to be adopted, and so many alignments and realignments and at the end of the day, the face of what you are seeing today may even change tomorrow. And may be the APC may not even be in existence again. Another political party may just take over.
Does that also imply that the PDP may not be in existence?
PDP will be in existence. The APC may also be in existence. But then, the face of things will change. You know things can change. Nobody believed that APC would win the 2015 election in Benue State. At a point, almost everybody decamped from the APC to the PDP. But as you are deciding your own, God’s decision is final. That is why whatever the APC is doing today to suppress our members, let the APC not forget that it is not only the PDP members that cast votes in elections, the voters are there.
Even though our members also cast votes, they should know that it is not all the voters that are members of political parties and these voters are still there. So, whatever the APC is doing today, thinking that they want to extinguish the PDP, they should not forget that the voters are watching.
Are you insinuating that some bigwigs in the APC might return to the PDP?
Are you not aware that some bigwigs in the PDP also left for the APC during the senatorial repeated election of Benue South because they learnt that the APC is in power? But, go and ask them how they are faring in that party now.
At the moment, it appears that there are two factions of the PDP in the state. What are you doing to reconcile these factions?
I don’t believe that there are two factions of the PDP in Benue State. You may hear people say there are two factions but to us in this office, we don’t have two factions. Somebody cannot just wake up and come from another party to claim leadership of the party in the state. We are all aware that the man who claims that he is the chairman of the Sheriff faction is in the APC. So, how can he jump from the APC to become a factional chairman in the PDP? Then, don’t forget that the leadership of the PDP in the state today was inaugurated by Sheriff. At the time we were inaugurated, there was nothing like any faction in this state. There was not even a protest of any sort or a petition written against the leadership of this party at the time we conducted the state congress.
How would you describe your experience and challenges after assuming office as Benue State PDP Chairman in the past few months?
The experience has been great. I’ve been into politics for a long time now. So, when I assumed office, I know there were going to be many challenges because I had never been in the position of the executive of the party before. But I have been an active participant in the area of politics in Benue State. I have been in different political parties right from the Nigeria Peoples Party days when I was in the youth wing, down to Social Democratic Party and so many other political parties before now. Since coming into office, I’ve been trying to look at many things that had gone wrong which made people to leave the party.
So, all we are trying to do is to make sure that we do everything humanly possible to make sure that those who left are able to come back and ensure party discipline. There is need for every member to subject himself to the leadership of the party both at the local government, state and even at the national level. We should be able to know that the party hierarchy is there.
What is your assessment of the ruling APC?
I leave that to you people to judge whether they are doing well or not. Ask the ordinary man on the street and he would give you a honest assessment, whether he is happy or not. Whatever the opinion of the ordinary man on the street is, is also the decision of our own party.
What is the view of your party on the suspended local government elections in the state as well as the appointment of 23 sole administrators to man the council’s affairs?
We were not happy that the local government election which we were preparing for was suspended. We kicked against it but as government in power, they had their way. They had asked the directors of local government areas to act for a certain number of months because they exhausted the limits to which the caretaker chairmen could remain in the council areas. However, the tenure of the directors could not go beyond a certain number of months, so they came up with the idea of sole administrators which is against the constitution, even though the amendment of the local government law was passed by the House of Assembly. As a party, we are also against the appointment of the sole administrators and we are going to challenge that action in court.
How do you perceive the fight against corruption at the federal level and in Benue State?
Nobody would ever support corruption and no member of PDP should support corruption as far as I’m concerned. What President Muhammadu Buhari is doing is also receiving the blessing of the PDP but what the party is against is when the fight is only targeted at its members. Some members of the APC are also accused of corruption and that’s where the problem is, otherwise as a party we cannot fault what the president is doing. However, it should not be one-sided because there is every need to eradicate corruption in this country so we must give the president all the necessary support. Don’t forget that our members are also giving him necessary support, especially members of the National Assembly to make sure he succeeds.
Apart from the fight against corruption, the Buhari administration seems to be clamping down on Boko Haram. How would you rate his performance in this area?
Buhari has tried in this area but the former President Goodluck Jonathan too tried his best to a certain level. During the campaigns, the APC said when they come, they would immediately eradicate terrorism in Nigeria, but then the fight has taken up to a year plus now, so that shows the level which Boko Haram was rooted in the country.
Would you say the APC has lived up to their electoral promises?
I don’t think the APC has been able to live up to the change they promised Nigerians. People will tell you these days that the change has turned to chain, so when you hear the ordinary man crying, it means that the party has not lived up to its promises. We also hope for when the APC-led government will live up to its electoral promises to the people of the state. But, one aspect that I must commend the government is in the area that it has not abandoned most of the projects started by the past administration. You don’t just come and abandon what your predecessor had started but you come and continue. When Akume left, Suswam continued with his project and now, Governor Ortom is continuing with some projects of his predecessor. I’m happy about that
Adron Homes Chairman Hosts NSE Ibeju-Lekki Executives, Explores Strategic Partnership
The newly approved Ibeju-Lekki Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), which recently emerged as the 91st branch of the Society, has paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman/CEO of Adron Homes and Properties Limited, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, at the company’s headquarters.
The delegation of engineers, led by Engr. Olufemi Dare, FNSE, the Chairman of the Branch, described the visit as a strategic step towards strengthening relationships with corporate organizations that have consistently upheld professionalism and structural integrity in their projects.
In his remarks, Engr. Dare praised Adron Homes for its exceptional commitment to quality housing delivery across Nigeria and beyond, emphasizing that its reputation for structural integrity and innovation in real estate development stands as a reference point for engineering excellence. He further informed the Adron Chairman that the branch would be conferring an award of recognition on him at their forthcoming official inauguration ceremony, in acknowledgment of his outstanding contributions to housing development and infrastructural growth in Nigeria.
The discussions also explored potential partnership opportunities between NSE Ibeju-Lekki and Adron Homes in engineering, professional development, and sustainable housing innovations.
Responding, the Chairman of Adron Homes, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King, warmly welcomed the delegation and expressed delight at the prospect of a lasting partnership. He acknowledged the critical role engineers play in national development, while also noting the numerous challenges facing the engineering sector in Nigeria. He stressed that these challenges can only be surmounted by engaging qualified and dedicated professionals, a principle upon which Adron Homes has built its reputation.
According to him, “Engineering is the backbone of any meaningful infrastructural advancement, and as developers, we cannot afford to compromise on professionalism. This is why I am excited about this partnership and look forward to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the NSE Ibeju-Lekki branch.”
The NSE Ibeju-lekki delegation included Engr. Tiramisu Bello, MNSE (Vice Chairman); Engr. Omolola Adetola, FNSE (General Secretary); Engr. Taiwo Musa, MNSE (Assistant General Secretary); Engr. Ayodele Agunloye, MNSE (Financial Secretary); Engr. Opeyemi Olabisi, MNSE (Technical Secretary); Engr. Oluwadare Raji, MNSE, among several others.
On the part of Adron Homes, the Chairman was joined by key members of the executive team, including Adenike Ajobo, Managing Director; Tolani Roberts, Deputy Managing Director, Business Investment and Development; Mr. Kunle Ifeanyi Konwea, Director of Brand and Communications; Maureen Echefu, Chief Press Secretary, among others.
The visit not only highlighted Adron Homes’ enduring commitment to professional engineering standards, but also set the tone for a new chapter of collaboration between the real estate giant and the newly inaugurated NSE Ibeju-Lekki Branch, with both parties pledging to drive innovations that will redefine housing and infrastructural development in Nigeria.
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
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