Rivers APC cancels congresses over court order – TheNigerialawyer

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress said
it had cancelled the ward, local government and state congresses
slated for September 17, 21 and 28 respectively.

The State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chirs Finebone,
said the congresses were put on hold as a result of the court order
that restrained the party from holding the exercise.

Recall that a Rivers State High Court had on Thursday last week
ordered the party to refrain from conducting its ward, local and
state congresses, pending the hearing and determination of a suit
marked PHC/3098/19 filed by Ibrahim Umah and 22 others.

The interim injunction also ordered the state chapter of the APC
(defendant in the suit) and the claimants (Ibrahim Umah and 22
others) to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the
matter before the court.

But speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, Finebone
explained that the congresses would not hold because the APC would
not defy the court order.

“The congress for tomorrow will not hold. For whatever it is
worth, you cannot defy that; you cannot defy the court order.
Obviously, we are not holding the ward congress because of the
court injunction. Also, you cannot hold the next congress (local
government congress) without the first one.

“For the fact that you are compelled not to hold the first one,
you cannot contemplate holding the second one because the second
congress is dependent on the outcome of the first.

“The court has issued an exparte injunction, which many of us
have not even seen the prayers because we have not sighted the
processes. But whatever it is will be addressed by our lawyers. Our
lawyers will be in court and they will address the issue.

“The ward congress slated for Tuesday (today) cannot hold
because that is the day the court adjourned to sit on the matter.
Even if the court vacates the order that day, definitely, it (ward
congress) cannot hold that day,” Finebone stressed.

He, however, explained that members of the party in the state
were aware of the latest development, adding that the state APC was
organized and would always take the right decision.

He said, “When it comes to organisation, the APC in Rivers State
is well organised and very often, I see our party here as more
organised than the communist party of the entire old Soviet
Union.”

Recall that the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the APC in the
state had vowed to boycott the congresses, alleging that the crisis
rocking the part in Rivers was not resolved before dates for the
exercise were fixed.

The faction also alleged that its members were not consulted
before the setting up of a caretaker committee that would oversee
the congresses.

Summit Speakers Chart Path for Kwara’s Economic
Development

Building a virile economy, either for a country or a state, is a
collective task.

While the government plays her own part, citizens are expected
to fulfil their l side of the bargain, by complementing the
efforts.

These were the unanimous views of participants at the maiden
Kwara State Economic and Poverty Alleviation Summit held in Kwara
Hotel Ilorin.

The auspicious event themed, “Role
of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Youth Participation in the
Economic Wellbeing of Kwara State,” was organized by Centre for
Hunger and Poverty Alleviation and Research (CHPAR).

The Executive Director of CHPAR, Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman
said the state is blessed with enormous potentials in human,
materials and natural resources capable of making it a global
‘economic hub’.

He therefore called on critical stakeholders with brilliant
ideas to address the issue of youth joblessness and perceived
socio-economic backwardness in the state.

“During our research, we noticed that there are profound
strategies which can be used to solve developmental challenges in
the State. We realized that we can all come together and brainstorm
on how to contribute our quota towards the socio-economic growth of
our Dear State. Hence, we decided to convene the Kwara State
Economic and Poverty Alleviation Summit,” he said.

Speaking on the same vein, the guest speaker, Mr. La-Kadri Yusuf
said the State once boasted of a thriving economy, however with
focus and concentration on white-collar jobs, most of the youths
abandoned artisanal business ventures, and opted for limited
skilled jobs.

He urged the State Government to invest massively in youths so
as to boost creativity and drive economic growth in various
productive sectors.

Another Speaker, Asiwaju Mashood
Shittu, maintained that if Kwara is desirous of building its local
economy, then it must identify, nurture and groom young
entrepreneurs.

He said: “The wellbeing of our youths should be paramount to all
of us. This is because the wellbeing of our youths play a vital
role in the wellbeing of our economy.”

Shittu, however advised the State Government to create an
enabling environment to enable creative minds and young
entrepreneurs to harness their creative talents.

The Speaker, Kwara State House of
Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi, asserted that the summit
is coming at a time the State is steadily witnessing remarkable
transformation under the purposeful leadership of Governor
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosing that the State Assembly would
give accelerated hearing and passage to a bill establishing the
“Kwara State Social Investment Programme” which was recently
forwarded to them by the Governor.

The Speaker, who was represented by Hon. Olawoyin Magaji, the
House Majority Leader said: “I wish to assure the organizers of
this great and special summit, that our State Assembly will
support, partner and collaborate with you. Just like Centre for
Hunger and Poverty Alleviation and Research, the Kwara State of
House of Assembly desire to see our beloved State speedily attains
quantum socio-economic growth and human capital development, in no
distant future.

By PRNigeria^[1]