PDP is a scam, HURIWA slams party for shunning zoning 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA)on Thursday, slammed the Peoples Democratic Party for throwing open its presidential ticket ahead of its primaries slated for May 28 to 29 2022.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described PDP as a “huge scam” for jettisoning the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the Southern region, especially the South-East. 

The group, which said the PDP has shown that it does not respect equity, fairness, and justice, urged Nigerians to get their Permanent Voters Card  ready to oust the PDP and the All Progressives Congress should any of the party field a northern candidate at the end of their individual presidential primaries at the end of May. 

The National Executive Committee of the PDP had on Wednesday night at its 96th meeting held in Abuja dumped the principle of zoning and threw the presidential slot open in 2023.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “We condemn the decision of Peoples Democratic Party to throw its presidential ticket open thus throwing the spanner in the works and campaigns of elder statesmen including Pa Ayo Adebanjo, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Edwin Clark, Ohanaeze President George Obiozor, amongst others that the PDP and the All Progressives Congress should zone the office of President to the South-East.

“PDP’s decision not to heed the wise counsel of these elder statesmen is blameworthy considering that the South-East is the only zone that has not produced a democratically elected President out of the three major ethnicities since Nigeria’s Self government after over 60 years existence as a Sovereignty.

“Throwing the contest open has confirmed that PDP has scammed the South-East even after the zone has suffered marginalisation and exclusion from the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Since 1999, Nigeria’s fourth Republic, the South-South (Goodluck Jonathan) has been in power as Vice-President and President from 2007 to 2015. Obasanjo (South-West) was President from 1999 to 2007 while Atiku Abubakar (North-East) was his deputy for the eight years. Buhari (North-West) has been President since 2015 and would leave in 2023 while Yemi Osinbajo (also from South-West) has been his deputy.

“No South-East politician has been President or Vice-President since 1999 and before. PDP’s decision shows that itself and APC indeed plots to retain presidential powers in the North because it is likely that APC will do the same thing as PDP. 

“What PDP has done shows clearly that it is indeed a 419 political contraption and our plea is that Nigerian voters who don’t have PVCs should get their cards so as to reject both PDP and APC should both feature Northern candidates for President.

“HURIWA must warn PDP that its decision will divide Nigeria in such a way that Nigeria may collapse because a lot more elite and hitherto patriotic groups and persons in the South will openly oppose the so-called ‘One Nigeria’ which is not different from ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ mantra. The South-East should be the zone to produce President in 2023 for peace, unity and stability of Nigeria beyond 2023. Nigeria’s end is near.”

May 12, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

SMK: The Philanthropist

By
Sefinatu Ohunene Umaru

A philanthropist is a person who donates time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better world. Some philanthropists are known for giving away substantially to society and the candidate for the Kaduna South Senatorial seat, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) happens to be one. He has regularly donated his time, resources and talent for the benefit of the good people of Kaduna South Senatorial District.

His philanthropic activities span from education, providing succour to the indigent, empowerment and influencing employment opportunities in addition to providing legal services. Specifically, they include:

 a. Eduction and Empowerment:

1. Setting up an informal scholarship scheme for youth seeking higher education. This scheme has over a hundred (100) beneficiaries across higher institutions in Nigeria in just its first year.
2. Funding preparatory JAMB and SSCE candidates.
3. Partnered SMEDAN to conduct skill acquisition training and empowerment schemes for artisans and micro small scale entrepreneurs.
4. Providing business start up seed capital to over three hundred (300) female entrepreneurs. b. Health:
5. Outreach programmes that offer free screening, check up, basic surgeries, drugs treatment and therapy
6. Distribution of mosquito nets for mothers and their children to combat malaria
7. Outreach has conducted over three thousand (3,000) free surgeries

c. Agriculture:

1. Distribution of fertilisers by the truck loads
2. Distribution of improved seedlings

d. Amenities:
As a former member Federal House Representative –
1.He was able to influence the installation and deployment of solar powered street light in Kwoi Town.

2. moved a motion on the floor of the green chambers for the urgent rehabilitation of the Kwoi -Kurmin Jibrin Road, an important road artery in Southern Kaduna.
3. Provision of transformers for rural electrification, solar, mechanical and manual (hand) powered boreholes. e. Employment:
4. Ensured Southern Kaduna youth were not sidelined when the following agencies conduct recruitment:
   i. Federal Fire Service
   ii. Nigeria Immigration Service
   iii. Nigeria Railway Corporation
   iv. National Information Technology Development Agency
   v. Nigerian Postal Service
   vi. National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies
   vii. DSS
   viii. Animal Research Centre, Vom.
   ix. Etc.
5. Reinstatement of sons and daughters wrongfully dismissed from employment in the private sector. He also ensured those retired received the gratuities and benefits due to them. f. Humanitarian Commitment:
   Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) has a special gift of compassion and is always at his best when it comes to touching the lives of the less-privileged. Over the years during his birthday, he always extends his hand of love to those in need as he celebrates with widows and orphanages.

He has also provided succour to victims of ethno-religious crises in Southern Kaduna with provision of meals, medical supplies and education for victims in IDP camps. Also, during the lockdown brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) donated palliatives to indigent families and those whose means of livelihood were negatively impacted.

In terms of philanthropic activities, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung stands at the head of this assembly and brought true light to life to the people of Southern Kaduna, thus touching their hearts.
He believes that philanthropic gestures alone cannot solve all societal problems and that only effective and people friendly legislation could. With the right legislation, the right atmosphere that will harness the economic potentials of Southern Kaduna and create employment opportunities can be done.

Let all sons, daughters, residents and lovers of a better Southern Kaduna come together and Get Involved by supporting him to represent Southern Kaduna Senatorial District come 2023.

Thank you.