Court dismisses suit challenging primaries

Capt. Idris I. Wada(Approved PDP Aspirant)

An Abuja High Court on Monday dismissed a suit filed by Jibril Isa challenging his removal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its candidate for the December 3 governorship election in Kogi.

Justice Sunday Aladetoyinbo, who delivered judgment, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The judge also held that all the facts that Mr Isa called on the court to adjudicate upon happened in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Aladetoyinbo further held that against that backdrop, the suit ought to have been filed in Lokoja. Similarly, he held that Isa’s suit was an abuse of court process.

He said that Isa could not file the same suit in a Federal High Court and another in the Abuja High Court at the same time.

Besides, the judge held that Isa did not explore “any internal remedies” before going to court, even as he told the court that he also participated in the same primary of September 22, but lost.

The judge said that there was evidence to show that Isa signed that he would not go to court against any decision of PDP.

Isa had asked the court to declare the nomination of Captain Idris Wada, whom the PDP substituted his name with, as null and void.

He urged the court to hold that his nomination as candidate in January primaries should be validated and cancel that which the PDP conducted in September to replace him.

Isa had said that the only condition that would warrant a candidate’s substitution was as a result of death or willful withdrawal.

Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, counsel to Mr Wada, described the action of Isa as “desperate.”

“This amounts to litigation prostitution. He filed the same suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja and quickly ran to the FCT High Court to file another.

Also speaking, Okore Okuyebo, counsel to the PDP, told journalists that a Federal High Court did not validate the primary conducted by the party in January.

In that primary, the plaintiff won but could not be presented as the candidate because the tenure of incumbent governor Ibrahim Idris was still running.

“This is a decision also upheld by the Court of Appeal. The court’s judgment is a sound one. It examined whether the plaintiff is entitled to the relief he sought.

“The court looked at the exhibit, that is the judgment of Federal High Court and said no,” Mr Okuyebo said.

Neither Isa nor his counsel, Chris Uche was present in court for the judgment.

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Who is Arc. Abayomi Awoniyi?

Arc. Abayomi Awoniyi

ARC. ABAYOMI SUNDAY BENJAMIN AWONIYI

 
Abayomi Sunday Benjamin Awoniyi was born to the family of Chief Sunday B. Awoniyi of Mopa in Mopamuro local Government Area of Kogi State on the 4th of September, 1960.


SCHOOLS:
Fondly known as Yomi, he attended various primary schools before ending up at Adeola Model School Offa, Kwara State where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1970.

In 1971 he enrolled at Government Secondary School Okene (now Abdulazeez Atta Memorial College) for his secondary education. He later transferred to the famous Barewa College, Zaria where in 1976 he obtained the West African School Certificate, passing in Division One.
From Barewa College Yomi proceeded to the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and thereafter, was admitted to the Department of Architecture of the same University. He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master of Science degree in Architecture in 1983. To cap this he proceeded to the prestigious University College, London and graduated with Master of Science degree in Urban Development Planning 1984.


CAREER
Upon completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps in 1985,    Arc Abayomi Sunday Benjamin Awoniyi worked with Architects Group Practice in Lagos. In 1988 he became a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. That same year he became a partner at a firm of Architects - Awoniyi Associates and to date has many residential and institutional building designs and construction to his credit.

He is a director of a number of companies including Boja Industries Limited – an industrial packaging and plastic manufacturing company located in Mopa, Candid Oil Services Limited, Bold Concept Construction Company Limited and Howas Services Limited.


POLITICAL AND PUBLIC SECTOR ACTIVITIES
From the onset of this democratic dispensation in 1998/1999, Yomi Awoniyi has been actively involved in politics under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party. He contested for the Senate seat of  Kogi West Senatorial District but lost during the PDP Primaries held on 2nd December 2006.  He displaced uncommon sportsmanship by being the first to congratulate the winner. He went on to be an active supporter of the winner and participated robustly in ensuring a second term victory for the senator.

In 2000, he was appointed by the Federal Government, to the pioneer Board of the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority and was Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Board.

In 2005, he was again, appointed  to the Management Board of the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin and  served  on various committees of the Board.

In 2009 he was  retained in Ilorin and appointed to Management Board of the  Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute, Ilorin, Kwara State. He was Chairman of the Staff Welfare Development Committee,  until all Federal Government Boards were dissolved  in October 2011.

Yomi was appointed Member of the  Presidential Project Assessment Committee (PPAC) on the 4th March 2010  by President Goodluck Jonathan. The committee, a special one, is responsible for preparing an inventory of all on-going Federal Government Projects and looking into value for money issues. It is charged with the task of  assessing the components of  all projects with a view to fast tracking their delivery as envisioned  in  the underlining  government objective and policy.

PHILANTHROPY
To give bite to his philanthropic spirit, he founded the Yomi Awoniyi Organization which is involved in provision of scholarships to students in institutions of higher learning and making available  micro credit facilities.   

I appreciation of his contribution to his community, in 2006, the Elulu of Mopaland conferred on him the honourary title  - Lisa of Mopa.

He is a member of a number of professional bodies including the Nigeria Institute of Architects, the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Management.

Yomi is married and blessed with three wonderful children

HOBBIES
Yomi’s hobbies include
Reading management books and biographies Squash Badminton

Who is Captain Idris Ichala Wada?

Captain Idris Ichala Wada

CAPTAIN IDRIS ICHALLA WADA

BIRTH
Idris Ichalla Wada was born in Dekina on the 26th day of August 1950 to Alhaji Ejiga Wada of Odu in Dekina Local Government Area and the late Hajia Rakiya Wada, of Odu in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.

His father, Alhaji Ejiga Wada is a renowned community leader and a retired jurist who served for over 30 years as a judge in different parts of Kogi state.

His late mother, Hajia Rakiya Wada was a devoted housewife, mother and trader who worked hard to see to the stability of the home and the proper upbringing of the children.

SCHOOLS
 
Captain Wada’s quest for the proverbial Golden Fleece began in the 1950’s when he was enrolled into Primary School in Dekina for his primary education. In 1963 he was admitted to the famous Government Secondary School Dekina for his post primary education.

At Dekina Idris Ichalla Wada built a reputation for himself as an excellent all-rounder. He was not only a keen sportsman but also a brilliant academic. The one earned him the post of games prefect while his brilliance shone through in his West African School Certificate examination where he scored the best cumulative aggregate score any student could ever garner in the WAEC exam, an aggregate 6 distinction. This earned him a scholarship to study at the Federal Government College Sokoto where in 1970 he earned the Higher School Certificate, again passing in flying colours.

Given his academic pedigree, the choices of career paths available to Captain Wada were many. His first instinct was to follow his dream of becoming a doctor to fulfil his desire of helping to alleviate human suffering. Devine providence was however to point him in the direction of flying.

In recognition of his outstanding performance in the Higher School Certificate examination at the Federal Government College Sokoto, Idris Wada was awarded an International Civil Aviation scholarship, the only Nigerian in his set to be so honoured. With this his romance with flying began.

In 1970 he enrolled at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre to begin his training. He was in Zaria till 1972 when he moved to the Air Services Training College, Perth, Scotland for the next phase of his training. Still in continuation of his training, in 1973 he moved to Burnside-ott Aviation College, Opa-Locka Airport Miami, Florida. It was in Florida that in 1976 he received his Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATP), thus becoming a full-fledged pilot and instructor.

Before obtaining the ATP licence in 1976 however, he had obtained the Aviation Diploma, Commercial Pilot- CPL-IR & ME Rating in 1972; Qualified Flying Instructor Certificate (QFI) in 1973; and the Certified Flight Instructor Instrument Course (CFII) also in 1973.

In the course of his flying career, Captain Wada received the Fokker – F28 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate in 1978; Boeing 727 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate in 1979; Boeing 737 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate in 1980; Boeing 707 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate in 1984; Douglas DC8 Aircraft Type Rating in 1987; Hawker Siddely HS-125 Type Rating Certificate in 1993; BAC 1-11 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate, 1999 and Dornier-228 Aircraft Type Rating Certificate, 2002.

His aviation qualifications include:
Nigerian Airline Transport pilot Licence No. 992 British Airline Transport pilot Licence No. 104990 USA/FAA Air Transport Rating NO. 2223411 Qualified Flight Instructor Rating (QFI) – UK Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (QFFI) – USA Aerobatic Instructor Rating –UK Airline Training Captain – Nigeria Certified Flight Examiner – UK, Nigeria. 
Refusing to limit himself to the world of aviation, Captain Wada obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) in Business Administration in 2004 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2006, both of them from the University of Abuja.

CAREER

Idris Ichalla Wada’s working career began at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, in 1973 where at the age of 23 he became a Flight Instructor. In 1978 he joined the now the defunct Nigeria Airways and had attained the rank of “Captain-in-Command” by the time he left in 1983.

That same year he joined United Air Service as Chief Pilot and General Manager. He served in those capacities till 1985 when he left to establish and nurture Executive Aviation Services (EAS)    Nig Ltd. EAS as the brand was known, operated as a cargo airline servicing various destinations across the globe. It was later in 1993 to metamorphose into EAS Airline Ltd, an executive charter airline which subsequently transited into the world of passenger operations and ultimately became NICON Airways in 2006.

Between 1988 and 1992 Captain Wada was Managing Director of EAS Airline Ltd (UK). In 1993 he became Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EAS Airlines Limited which had now branched into passenger operations. When in 2006 EAS Airlines became NICON Airways Limited following a fusion with NICON Insurance, Captain Wada became Executive Vice Chairman of the organization. He bowed out of active involvement in commercial aviation early in 2008 to focus on community service and attend to his other businesses.  He currently sits on the board of various companies, including: Allport UK Ltd, Horizon Construction Ltd, Peace Microfinance Bank amongst others.
 
PUBLIC ASSIGNMENTS

Captain Wada has served as chairman or member of several Nigerian Government Aviation Policy Development and Review Committees. He has delivered several lectures and made several presentations at aviation seminars in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

He is a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD) and Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). He has been Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Tech.) Potiskum, Yobe State since 2008.

 He was:
Chairman, Ministerial Committee on Airline Operations -  2006 Chairman NCAA Implementation Committee on Airline operations for ICAO Audit                  2006 Vice Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria 2000-2007 
Captain Wada is a devout Muslim, a loving husband and a caring father. He is an avid golfer and tennis player, and a staunch supporter of Manchester United.  He loves music and is very passionate about reading.

Our Mission

    “Our mission in Kogi State” -

MY GOAL

“My primary goal in seeking the mandate of the people of Kogi State is to contribute to realizing a State that is socially responsive, economically viable and politically stable with a view to achieving an enduring solidarity and unity among the people. I shall thrive to forge a common identity through the building of a caring and sharing society which is inclusive and harmonious where the wellbeing, livelihood, and welfare of the people are enhanced. I shall address the state’s aspirations to lift the quality of life of the people through activities that are geared towards the promotion of sustainable development and social justice.”
Based on the above believe, together with all of you, we shall strive to assiduously implement the under listed programmes.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Poverty remains entrenched in Kogi State where 85 percent of the rural population lives below poverty line. In rural areas, poverty is highest among households that work in agriculture. At the same time, agriculture, which employs an average of 80 % of the people in the State is characterized by low productivity, and thus has not provided real employment, income and food security to the majority of the population in rural areas especially women.
Significant opportunities for income generation and employment creation exist in the agricultural and rural sectors in the State. However, to translate these opportunities into reality, bold measures are required to transform agricultural practices from low productivity traditional system to high value integrated agro-enterprises. In transforming the sector, a new cadre of agri-entrepreneurs with new skills and global market vision are needed. The next PDP government if given the mandate by the grace of God is strategically envisioned to achieve this mandate.
The drudgery associated with agriculture which discourages youths will be drastically reduced in order to make it attractive. In this regard, about 100 hectares of farm land will be cleared in each LGA which would be leased to individuals and or cooperative societies empowered to own and operate tractors. Agriculture would be operated as a commercial venture to get us out of the endemic low productivity by replicating the Kwara State-Zimbabwean farming model. We will subsidize and distribute basic agro inputs especially fertilizer, train and retrain agricultural worker to become agents of Change in the agricultural sector of the state.
The expected output of this revolution will not be allowed to waste as we shall partner with the private sector to establish viable agro industries that will add value to crops such as cassava, maize, beniseed and rice  to which Kogi State has comparative advantage. In addition, fisheries and livestock will receive the required boost.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Majority of our people live in rural areas. In order to make these areas economically viable, socially and culturally interactive, and politically relevant, we will concentrate on the task of construction of all year round motor able roads to most rural communities in the state. Other facilities like electricity, water supply, health care etc will also be provided.

THE CIVIL SERVICE
Our goal is to establish an  effective, efficient, transparent, responsive and accountable civil service systems through increased capacity-building, enhancement of public human resource competencies among bureaucracies, and increased collaboration among other civil and public servants. The civil service is the engine room of any government. If given the opportunity to govern this state in 2012, civil servants will be protected from the vagaries of politics as hard working and honest ones will be adequately rewarded while corrupt and dishonest ones will be punished according to the law. We will ensure that we have a quality civil service through trainings and retraining. The Federal Civil Service of Nigeria is today considered as a model for most states in the country. We shall thrive to domesticate those best practices in the areas of advancements, promotions, appointments and remunerations. In the same vein, retirees as senior citizens will be given special attention through prompt payment of gratuities and pensions.


HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Our urban centres and cities are fast becoming slumps due to either lack of proper planning or interferences on existing plans. Towards this end the Lokoja master plan recently commissioned will be strictly adhered to, while all our local government headquarters shall be considered urban centres in addition to the emerging towns like Anyigba, Egume, Ejule, Gegu- beki,Ihima, Ayetoro-gbede and Egbe. These towns and cities will be given the required face lift and attention to avoid environmentally related disasters. On housing, we will pursue the construction of 2000 housing units in Lokoja and the LGA headquarters.

EDUCATION
We will ensure the integration of education into our development agenda by creating knowledge based society; achieving universal access to primary education; promoting early child care and development; and enhancing awareness of youths through education and activities in order to build a Kogi identity that will be based on friendship and cooperation.
Thus our priority is to eradicate illiteracy by ensuring compulsory primary education for all and to promote gender equality in education, through advocating for equal opportunity regardless of social class, background or physical disabilities. We hope to have improvements in the quality and adaptability of education, through technical/vocational/skills acquisition training for teaching staff and students. We will Undertake periodic reviews of the various state scholarship programmes for the students.
In other to provide a solid foundation for the industrialization of the state and Nigeria, science and ICT education shall be given priority. All the existing science secondary schools and related tertiary institutions will be adequately equipped and funded to provide the needed drive in our industrialization agenda. A new comprehensive secondary school with boarding facilities will be established in Lokoja as the present science secondary school has been over stressed. We will strive to renovate all our dilapidated secondary schools in order to make teaching and learning conducive. Facilities at the Kogi State University, Anyigba will be expanded to cope with ever increasing demands for admission. More courses will be added while existing ones will continue to receive the required accreditation. Graduates of Kogi State origin will be empowered to go for further studies through scholarships as the products will become the academic staff of our tertiary institutions.

HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
Our primary objective here is to ensure access to adequate and affordable healthcare, medical services and medicine, and promote healthy lifestyles for the people of the state. We shall deliberately promote investments in primary health care infrastructure in a rational manner in order to ensure adequate financing and social protection for the poor and marginalized populations for better access to services in our efforts to achieve health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Specifically, existing General Hospitals in the state will be comprehensively renovated and equipped in order to provide the needed services to the people. More medical personnel will be engaged and encouraged to work in rural areas through incentives. We will remain committed to all externally funded health programmes in order to bring qualitative health care delivery closer to the people.


YOUTH EMPOWEREMENT AND EMPLOYMENT GENERATION
Youths are the leaders and elders of tomorrow. As people that will take over the mantle of leadership from us, they should as a matter of necessity, be trained, nurtured and groomed for the challenges ahead. Our envisaged programmes,in agriculture, education and health are all geared towards youths empowerment and job creation. Specifically, we shall establish vocation training centres and other specialized institutes that will carter for the interest of youths – boys and girls, in schools and out of schools.



TOURISM
Kogi State has a lot of potentials for tourism as relics of our founding fathers are abound in the state. These will be protected and made attractive for tourists. The beaches of the river Niger will be cleaned up to make it attractive for investors in the tourist industry. The five star hotels currently under construction at the beach hotel site shall be completed to provide first class services to tourists and investors coming to the state. There will be concerted efforts towards the promotion of cultural creativity and industry in order to enhance our identity and togetherness.


SOLID MINERALS DEVELOPMENT
Kogi State is home to solid minerals like iron and steel, coal, limestone etc. we will join voices with our legislators to mount pressure on the Federal Government to actualize the dreams of setting up the iron and steel industry at Itakpe and Ajaokuta. Reputable and viable investors shall be encouraged to harness the potentials that abound in the coal and limestone industry in the State. As a State, we shall protect our people’s interest in exploitation of these mineral resources.