Category: Niger delta

 Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

EBONYI State House of Assembly on Tuesday set up a seven-man committee to investigate the murder of Monday Otubo (21) and Emeka Nwali (17) at Ezzagu community in Ishielu Local Government.

This followed a petition by Arinze Chukwu (Ishielu South) in the House of Assembly.

Policemen last month allegedly killed the duo while on a mission to rescue some businessman said to have been abducted in the community.

The police claimed the deceased and others shot first, thus forcing the police to return fire.

While the police claimed the duo were part of the gang that abducted the businessmen, the community debunked this, and accused the police of extra-judicial killing.

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The community indicted the businessmen of scamming the community in a Ponzi scheme, leading youths to detain them pending a refund for the victims by their boss .

The seven-man committee is chaired by Deputy Speaker Odefa Obasi.

Other members are Victor Chukwu; Christian Usulor; Humphrey Nwuruku; Kingsley Ikoro; Onu Nwonye and Mrs. Chinwe Lilian Nwachukwu.

 Bassey Anthony, Uyo

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has warned Governor Udom Emmanuel to stop insulting its leaders for their objective criticisms.

State Acting Chairman Ita Udosen, who addressed a news conference in Uyo yesterday, condemned Emmanuel’s verbal assault on Senior Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs Ita Enang.

Udosen said: “If the governor does not desist from insulting APC leaders, we shall resort to holding him in contempt .

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“In his media chat about two weeks ago, Governor Emmanuel made denigrating statements on Senator Ita Enang because he expressed his opinion on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report which rated the state second on the unemployment index.

“Like many other indigenes worried by the report, Enang expressed his concerns at the high unemployment problems in Akwa Ibom.

‘’He was embarrassed as an indigene considering the monthly revenue earned by the state.

“Ita urged parents to desist from buying Internet subscriptions (data) for their children to sing the governor’s praises on social media.

‘’As a party, we emphasise that Senator Enang’s assertion is faultless and we stand by everything he said.”

Nwanosike Onu, Awka 

TWO governorship hopefuls on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform – Obiora Okonkwo and Ifedi Okwenna – have said they want Governor Willie Obiano’s job in 2021 to lead the way for others to follow.

Both spoke in Ogidi and Awka while declaring their intention to the people.

Okonkwo said it was unfortunate things had not gone well in the state 29 years into its existence despite available resources.

He promised to correct the anomalies, if given the opportunity.

He said: “Let us creatively focus on our self-development and transformation, and let others see us as a model to copy.

“Our peoples’ indomitable spirit is legendary, and if we could recover from effects of the Civil War in record time, there is nothing we cannot do if we put our minds to it. It just requires great leadership with its key attributes of a clear vision and a tenacious spirit.

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“Even more than leadership, democracy is about followership; an informed and attentive citizenry that strives to hold the leadership accountable; that insists on full complement of their constitutional rights and refuse to accept crumbs.

“In the last 29 years, we have seen the best and the worst of our political leaders in Anambra, and as her 30th anniversary in 2021 coincides with the governorship election, we should all unite to reinvent, reinvigorate and revitalise her.

“If it is the will of God, and should my party, PDP, find me worthy, I plan to present myself and, in unity, we will rebuild our state.”

Okwenna, who was former Governor Peter Obi’s commissioner for Environment, regretted that Anambra had continued to slide since Obi left office.

The governorship hopeful said he would take over from Obiano to replicate what people like the late Dr Michael Okpara, Chief Sam Mbakwe, Dr Chris Ngige and Peter Obi did in their era.

 Chris Njoku, Owerri 

IMO State Governor Hope Uzodimma has urged the seven-member Governing Council of Imo State University (IMSU) to sanitise the institution.

Uzodimma spoke on Monday when he inaugurated the committee at the Government House in Owerri.

He said: “This presents a golden opportunity for us to revive an Ivory Tower that only 20 years ago was the pride of Imo people, but which today, unmistakably, is in a pillory.

“I expect that your council should come up with a template that can sanitise Imo State University and make it a true citadel for learning and character formation.

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“The template should outline a road map for quality education offered by quality staffers in a first class learning environment. It should also find a middle road between the ‘free education’ in the institution, which the Nebo report described as a sham, and the provision of quality education, which will neither task the resources of parents so much nor make government a laughing stock as provider of questionable free education that is inimical to quality scholarship.”

The governor promised the council that his government would partner them to succeed.

Members of the council are Bishop Ugorji (Chairman); Chief Executive of Zinox computers, Leo Stan Eke; founder of Orange Drugs Nigeria Limited Tony Ezenna; Sir Louis Ezeigwe; Chief Ernest Nwapa; Prof. Chinedu Nebo and Mrs. Victoria Ekezie.

Okodili Ndidi, Abuja

A CHIEFTAIN of All Progressives Congress (APC) Uche Nwosu has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for remodelling Enugu International Airport.

Nwosu, a governorship candidate in Imo State, said with the upgrade, second Niger Bridge and proposed Enugu/Aba/Port Harcourt rail, Buhari had justified the mandate Igbo gave him.

He noted that with the airport operational, Southeast would be opened to commercial activities to impact its economy.

Nwosu urged the Igbo to support and partner Buhari to identify ‘our areas of need that should be addressed’.

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He said: “With the completion of these projects, President Buhari has shown that he is committed to infrastructural development in Southeast. It is not just about appointment. My appointment, for instance, or that of any other person, can’t meet the challenges in the zone; and once it does not put food on the table of the common man, it means nothing.

“You can have 100 people appointed into government from one zone and they don’t have roads, airport, bridges; their schools are not constructed, so what then is the benefit of the appointments? The appointment I cherish is infrastructure development. If President Muhummadu Buhari has built the second Niger Bridge, if he has transformed the Enugu airport, if he has done the Port Harcourt-Owerri road, the Owerri-Aba road, then it is the best appointment, that is the kind of appointment I expect, not the appointment that will bring nothing to the zone.”

 Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

IMO State Commissioner for Environment Iyke Njoku has urged those working to unseat Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to channel their resources to more fruitful ventures as ‘no power can remove Uzodimma from office’.

Njoku, who is Uzodimma’s kinsman, spoke at Aboh Mbaise council headquarters when a 2019 governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Obioma Akagburuonye, defected to All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said: “Nobody can remove Governor Hope Uzodimma from Douglas House, irrespective of the machinations by our opponents. Uzodimma came into power through God; anybody plotting anything against him will fail.”

The commissioner vowed that APC, under Uzodimma’s leadership, would no longer allow power slip from its hands.

He praised Akagburuonye for joining the party, saying his move would save Mbaise people from perennial political mistakes.

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“We, as Mbaise people, took big risks in the past by putting all our eggs in one basket. But with people like Akagburuonye coming into APC, Mbaise won’t be found wanting anymore,” Njoku said.

Akagburuonye said he was joining APC to work with  leaders to develop the state. He urged party members not to see him as a threat, and the opposition not to see him as an opponent because his defection was God-ordained.

He promised to use his membership to emancipate his people.