Cross River APC Rules Out Automatic 2027 Tickets For NASS Members, Others

Cross River APC rules out automatic 2027 tickets for NASS members, others. The party, however, granted automatic tickets to Governor Bassey Otu and his deputy, Peter Odey.

The Cross River chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ruled out automatic tickets for serving members of the National Assembly and state lawmakers for the 2027 general elections.

The party, however, granted automatic tickets to Governor Bassey Otu and his deputy, Peter Odey.
This formed part of the decision reached at the party’s State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Calabar on Tuesday.

In the meeting, presided over by the state chairman, Alphonsus Ogar, the party commended the governor’s development strides.

It also lauded members of the National Assembly for their bold and courageous support for  President Bola Tinubu on the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

Mr Ogar expressed the party’s readiness for the 2027 general elections in Cross River.

Cross River

He enjoined all its elected representatives, from councillors to the Senate, including aspirants of subsequent elections, to return to their constituents to seek their blessings and support.

“This is because there is no automatic ticket for anyone except for the governor and his deputy,” Mr Ogar said.

Osun APC Chieftain Begs Tinubu To Intervene In Contributory Pensioners’ Plights

Osun APC chieftain begs Tinubu to intervene in contributory pensioners’ plights. The politician said that many pensioners were paid 50 per cent and 25 per cent lump sum.

Achieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to look into the plights of contributory pensioners in the country.

Mr Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, made the appeal while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Osogbo.

The APC chieftain said that delayed, non-payment of pensions, inadequate funding and corruption within the pension scheme led to hardship and financial stress for pensioners.

Mr Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said that since 2004, when the Pensions Reform Act(PRA 2004) on the contributory pension scheme was introduced by the Federal Government, the pensioner had not been treated fairly.

According to him, many pensioners, after two to three years are unable to access their pension while some are paid 50 per cent and 25 per cent lump sum.

The APC said that it was sad that many civil servants who had served the government for 35 years were being subjected to untold hardship after retirement due to delay and poor payment.

Mr Oyintiloye, who commended Mr Tinubu for approving N758 billion bond in February to clear 16 years pension liabilities, said that more needed to be done to save pensioners from untold hardships after retirement.

He urged the President to work with the National Assembly to review the 2004 Pensions Reform Act to enable pensioners to withdraw their retirement savings immediately after exiting the public service.

Mr Oyintiloye said that such a step would enable them to cater for themselves, venture into any business of their choice rather than living on 25 per cent lump sum of their savings and the monthly peanut.

He said that the life pensioners were living after retirement due to poor pay and delay could destroy the morale of those still in service and the coming generations.

APC

He stated, “I want to appeal to the President to look into the plights of pensioners under the contributory scheme. The 2004 Pension Act needs reviewing to enable pensioners to lead a decent life after retirement.

Due to poverty and delay in payment, many retirees cannot afford a decent meal, good health care, good housing, among others after retirement. The intervention of the President will go a long way in bringing relief to retirees and hope for those who are still in active service. That is why I am pleading to the President to intervene.

He has shown that he is a leader with the capacity to solve problems. His intervention will go a long way in bringing relief to these people and hope for those who are still in active service.’’

Governor Makinde Visits Burnt Aleshinloye Market, Halts Planned Demolition Of Affected Section

Governor Makinde visits burnt Aleshinloye market, halts planned demolition of affected section. Mr Makinde said that his administration would restructure the market and ensure proper architecture to avert recurrence.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday visited the Aleshinloye market, Ibadan, where a section got burnt on March 12.

Mr Makinde, while on-the-spot assessment of the incident, ordered suspension of the planned demolition of the burnt section until a proper alternative had been provided for the affected traders.

Recall that the fire outbreak occurred in the early hours of March 12, at the plastic and rubber section of the market, which destroyed goods worth millions of naira.

The governor made it known that his administration had provided some sort of palliatives to serve as immediate cushion for victims of the incident.

Oyo Gov. Makinde

He added that the state government, the Ibadan South-West Local Government Area and the Ibadan South Local Council Development Area would work on cushioning effect of the incident on traders in the next few days.

He, however, said that his administration would restructure the market, put in place a proper architecture that could avert future fire outbreaks.

“We have to enlighten the people. It is better to avoid anything that can lead to fire incident than to curtail it. So, the advocacy should be that people should store things, especially things with potential to get burnt with utmost caution,” he added.