PATIENCE’S EVENT CAUSES GRIDLOCK IN ABUJA

Traffic gridlock caused by the Women for Peace and Empowerment rally organised by First Lady Patience Jonathan in Abuja yesterday.

Motorists and commuters who had anything to do in the heart of Abuja yesterday faced hardship as all roads leading to the Central Area District were closed for a rally organised by First Lady Patience Jonathan.

Mrs Jonathan brought women from the 36 states of the federation into Abuja for what she tagged “Celebration of Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment” thereby creating big traffic crisis.
Many workers especially those whose offices are in the Federal Secretariat near the Eagles Square, venue of the rally, could not access their offices as the area was cordoned by armed security men.
Our reporters who monitored the situation reported that workers who insisted getting to their offices trekked long distances.
Commuters coming from Nyanya-Mararaba axis passing through the Police headquarters had to stop at the popular Bullet Junction, while those passing through Ahmadu Bello Way to Banex Junction, had to stop at the ministry of finance bridge as the roads were barricaded.
Some commuters who spoke to our reporters lamented the situation, saying it caused them a lot of hardship. A commuter who simply gave his name as Francis said, “As you can see, everybody is trekking. I have been trekking from Bullet Junction. I am going to NICON (Transcorp Hilton) Hotel. If not because of this, I would have boarded a taxi. I’m not happy at all.”
A female commuter who was going to her office in Wuse II said she trekked for more than a kilometre to connect her place of work.
“I’ve not seen any taxi around here. It’s really pathetic for most of us as you can see,” she noted.
Another commuter John lamented that he was very tired and was not sure of getting to work effectively with the kind of situation.
A taxi driver told our reporter that the rally caused serious traffic gridlock in some parts of the Central Business District, especially in places like Area 11, Central Mosque, NNPC/Defence College Junction among others.
Other commuters who spoke with our reporters said  although they had experienced similar situation in the past, yesterday’s case was the worst as it was not a public holiday, perhaps suggesting that it would have been held on a weekend.
The people of Lagos last year raised an alarm when the First Lady visited for one of her programmes.
Apart from heavy security and blockage of roads, a police chopper hovered round the venue of the event for several hours providing checks.
Women professional bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), market women, religious organizations, wives of military personnel, paramilitary organizations and delegates from the states among others participated in the event.
Speaking, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo who was special guest of honour reiterated government’s commitment to the empowerment of women saying it targets capturing 500,000 women and youths in its Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) annually.
He said President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has significantly increased women’s participation in politics and decision-making stressing that government is committed to the conventions, treaties and protocols it ratified for the protection and empowerment of women
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TUKUR RECONCILES WITH G-5 PDP GOVS

TUKUR RECONCILES WITH G-5 PDP GOVS

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

.Nyako, Aliyu absent at peace meeting

The peace efforts in the ruling People’s Democratic Party appeared to have recorded some gains with a reconciliation meeting held last night between national chairman Bamanga Tukur and three of the five governors who have been vociferously critical of him.

Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) held a closed door meeting with Tukur at his residence in Abuja, after which a spokesman for the PDP chairman said they had reconciled.
But the two other governors in the so-called G-5 team—Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Adamawa’s Murtala Nyako—did not attend the meeting.
Tukur’s spokesman Oliver Okpara said in a statement that during yesterday’s meeting “it was resolved that they (governors) have returned to the leadership of the party and that all that happened in the past which involved grievances, accusations and counter accusations were done because of gap in communication amidst disinformation from some quarters between them and the leadership of the party.
“And having listened to the national chairman, they are now properly informed about the happening in the party and promised that from henceforth, they will work in harmony and unity with the leadership of the party and also pledged their loyalty under Dr. Bamanga Tukur.
“National chairman after listening to them also promised as a father to forgive and forget all that has happened in the past and assured of the leadership of the party to work together with the governors stressing that any member of the party that feels aggrieved over any activity of the party  should utilise all the internal mechanisms and platforms set out by the party to reconcile aggrieved members under the cardinal three ‘R’s of the national chairman which is Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebuilding.
“The chairman said that their visit was a confirmation of consultations adopted by the leadership of the party to ensure total reconciliation of aggrieved members as set out by the National Reconciliation Committee headed by (Bayelsa State) Gov. Dickson.”
No specific reason was given for the absence of Nyako and Aliyu, but Okpara said the participating “governors apologised on behalf of the other governors notable (sic), Adamawa and Niger state governors.”
When contacted, the Niger State governor’s spokesman Danladi Ndayebo told Daily Trust he could only say that Aliyu had travelled abroad.
Nyako’s absence is telling, as his feud with Tukur had been at the heart of the crisis in the party.
The PDP chairman last year edged out the Adamawa State party executive loyal to Nyako, igniting hostilities between him and the governors.
As the crisis snowballed, the Tukur-led national working committee of the party suspended Wamakko but later recalled him after series of condemnation.
Nyako’s spokesman Ahmed Sajoh could not be reached by telephone for comments last night, but secretary of the governor’s PDP faction in Adamawa Mr Pheanece Philemon said they would welcome a genuine reconciliation.
Philemon said his faction must be recognised by the national secretariat because the congresses that brought the Joel Madaki faction were not approved by the national executive committee of the party.
He said also that reconciliation would only by possible if Tukur operates within the framework of the law.
One of the issues fuelling hostilities between the governors and Tukur is the schism in the Nigeria Governors Forum. Tukur and the Presidency back factional NGF chairman Jonah Jang while the G-5 governors support Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amechi who won the forum’s elections in May.
The three governors at last night’s meeting, which lasted between 4pm and 8pm, insisted that Amaechi remains the chairman of the forum, a party insider told Daily Trust.
The governors had held a similar meeting with President Jonathan recently where they were said to have demanded for the sack of Tukur. But during yesterday’s meeting they denied making such demand, a source said.
Instead, they said their grievance with the party was that they were not being carried along and that it seemed they had been marked for the worse treatment by the party.
The governors were said to have informed the PDP chairman that their visit was both reconciliatory and consultative, explaining that he was part of the political leaders they had intended seeing as part of their efforts to finding solution to the many problems in the party.

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