Category: South East

A former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, has urged Nigerians to reject the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidates in the coming elections.

Instead, he advised Nigerians to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates, for more infrastructural development.

Enang spoke at the weekend in Uyo during the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentarians Directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council of APC.

He said 16 years of PDP offered Nigerians nothing compared to eight years of APC, adding that what the country was experiencing was the end product of PDP’s years of mismanagement.

The former presidential aide advised Nigerians irrespective of political leaning to reject the PDP and vote for the APC in the forthcoming general election for more infrastructural development.

He said Akwa Ibom State, notwithstanding being ruled by the PDP, had benefited from the APC administration led by President Buhari through the establishment of a fertiliser blending plant, power plant, and construction of the damaged Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene highway.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) administration led by President Buhari has done what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not do for over 15 years of their administration in the country.

“In Akwa Ibom for instance, President Buhari has built a fertiliser blending plant worth $2billion, constructed a power plant worth N6.4 billion, released over N150 billion for the reconstruction of Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene highway and the Federal University of Technology.”

preparation for the January 12 presidential rally in Akwa Ibom State.

The Zonal Secretary of the party, Mr. Ita Udosen, praised Enang for what he described as an intelligent move to unite the party.

He appealed to APC members to heed the call and work together for the progress of the party in the coming general election.

•Bayelsa deputy governor, Diri’s wife, others honoured

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has won the Governor of the Year in the Fourth Edition of the Bayelsa Media Network Award (BMNA) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

At the award held at Siseli Ikoli Press Centre, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat, Bayelsa State Council, Wike was honoured for his uplift in the standard of living in his state.

He was also honoured for his giant development strides in infrastructure, good governance and his dogged role in his crusade against injustice, lack of transparency in governance, among other parameters.

The award was received on Wike’s behalf by the Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government of Rivers State, Evangelist Hope Ikiriko, who was himself awarded the Best LGA Chairman in the Southsouth geopolitical zone.

Receiving the award on behalf of Governor Wike, Ikiriko thanked the organisers of the BMNA for honouring the governor, saying the award would spur Wike to do more in the uplift of the people of Rivers and Niger Delta.

On his own part, he said the award would inspire him to do more for his people and promised not to relax on his laurels.

Also honoured were the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; wife of Bayelsa State Governor, Dr. Gloria Douye Diri; Bayelsa Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah; Amayanabo of Opu Nembe, Josiah Biobelemoye.

In all, 42 persons, who distinguished themselves in their areas of disciplines and professions, were honoured.

While Mrs. Diri was honoured as ‘Quineseential Symbol of Hope for the Girl Child, Women and the Elderly, Ehwudjakpo was bestowed with ‘Quintessential Symbol of Humility, Integrity and Good Leadership’ and Emelah was honoured with the award of the ‘Public Servant of the Year’ in Bayelsa State.

Speaking during the awards, the Project Manager, BMNA, Mr. Blessing Ozegbe, said the awards were a celebration of excellence, innovations, skills, acumen, ingenuity, expertise and philanthropy of men and women doing their best to better humanity and society at large.

He said the motive behind the awards was to recognise Nigerians who had excelled in their fields of endeavours and impacted on humanity and society at large.

The General Overseer of Christian Central Chapel International, Calabar, Cross River State, Bishop Emmah Isong, has said President Muhammadu Buhari would go after his corrupt aides this year.

He made this known during the crossover night service attended by thousands of worshippers.

Isong said: “Many personalities will be arrested and prosecuted for anti- corruption charges this year.

“The President is going to do this as a way of redeeming his image, as he rounds off his tenure so that you won’t say he didn’t fight corruption.

“His closest allies will be prosecuted so that people will say Buhari kept his anti-corruption promise.”

He also said;” This year, people will begin to defend themselves against terrorists, herders and kidnappers.

“People will start defending themselves because Nigerians will lose faith in the security system, the police and the army. Communities will gather and defend themselves.”

On the general election, he said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be very strict and many politicians would fall into the commission’s dragnet.

Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has called for more investments in youths and sports.

The lawmaker made the call at the final of her annual football tournament organised for youths of her constituency, held at Peace Comprehensive High School, Amuda Isuochi, Abia State, at the weekend.

She appealed to governments to invest more in sports and youths, to discourage them from engaging in restiveness and vices.

Onyejocha, representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State, in a statement in Abuja, advised the youth to embrace sports so that they could be self-reliant and become role models.

She said she was determined to support “sporting activities to promote social cohesion as well as provide an opportunity for the young ones to showcase their talents”, noting that sport in general is a powerful tool for socio-economic empowerment.

The federal lawmaker said: “We thank God that we have come to the end of the tournament. Note that the purpose of the tournament is for us to showcase our talents because you don’t know who is watching you and where this will take you to tomorrow.

“You never can tell. This is to encourage you to continue to be actively involved in productive and meaningful ventures to help become role models in the society.

You just have to keep yourself busy and be innovative.

“I hope governments at all levels across the country, corporate bodies and individuals will put more effort into promoting sport and make it even more attractive to our youths.

“Congratulations to all of you who participated in the competition. We all won. There is no winner and there is no loser. We are family. The competition was designed to bring the best out of you.”

No fewer than 1,500 indigent men and women in Anambra State yesterday benefited from the benevolence of Ide Global Movement, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

The beneficiaries, drawn from Awka North and South local governments,  were given over 700 cartons of noodles, 400 (50kg) and 100 (25kg) bags of rice, wrappers, fans, plastic chairs and drums, among other items.

Speaking at the presentation of the items at his Umuawulu home, the founder of the NGO, Chief Azubuike Ekweozor, said he was always fulfilled putting smiles on people’s faces, especially the indigent and vulnerable ones.

He said the decision to donate the items was informed by the harsh economic realities faced by Nigerians throughout last year, hoping that the items would cushion their sufferings.

“Despite complaints by most Nigerians of the level of suffering due to bad economy, God has continued to bless me and my family. It will only amount to ingratitude if I don’t extend same to others,” he said.

Ekweozor, who described the event as a ritual, urged the beneficiaries, especially the parents among them, to ensure proper training of their children so they could become responsible in future to take care of them.

“This ceremony has become an annual event. Remember during the COVID, we distributed foodstuffs, last year, we donated vehicles and other items. This year, we’re here again. “

As the 2023 general election approaches, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has implored Nigerians to choose leaders who would not play politics with development.

He said leadership was about vision, while politics was about position.

Diri, who gave the advice in his New Year broadcast yesterday, reiterated his call on politicians in Bayelsa and elsewhere in Nigeria to be tolerant and eschew violent conduct.

He said election should be a contest of ideas and choices and not an opportunity to settle political scores or an excuse for calumny, noting that citizens must insist on irreducible minimum required for those who sought leadership roles.

Diri said: “We must choose leaders that will not play politics with development. Leadership is about vision, while politics is about position.

“Indeed, our endorsement of people with a fixation with politics has only hindered the actualisation of the lofty dreams for our state and country by our founding fathers.

“We must therefore reject those who insist that they will rule not by building bridges of consensus, but by brigandage; not by the ballot but by the bullet. In the end, power belongs to God.”

He recalled that for several weeks across October and November last year, Bayelsa State was affected by flooding of unprecedented proportions, saying the devastation that occurred turned the state into an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

He noted that critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools and hospitals were destroyed and degraded, saying no fewer than 400 communities were submerged with over one million people displaced and several deaths recorded.

Diri said: “But by God’s grace, despite all of these, we prevailed. So, with our faith firmly anchored on our Heavenly Father, we look forward to a better 2023.

“As clearly stated in the state’s Budget of Sustainable Growth and Reconstruction for this year, our expectation is not bereft of careful planning. The necessary consideration has been given to the imperatives of recovery and reconstruction.

“We have carefully outlined an expenditure profile that instigates development and that is in keeping with our administration’s fidelity with our people in the prudent use of our collective resources.

“To repeat a point I often make, which is in tandem with this administration’s prosperity mantra, development should not be driven by political expediency or blind imitation.

“Rather, it should be by critically prioritising the current needs of the people and creating the conditions of a desirable future. Bayelsa cannot afford to choose the popular path over the prudent; the fanciful over meaningful development. And, most importantly, the sectional over the collective.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has declared 2023 as the year for the liberation of the state from over two decades of bad governance perpetuated by inept leaders.

In his new year message to the people and entire residents of Abia to welcome them into the “year of rescue”,  Emenike noted that 2023 would be a remarable year in the history of Abia.

“This is the year to end god fatherism in Abia, the year to send looters out of government house, the year to break the chain of transferring power among people bereft of ideas of good governance,” he said.

The governorship hopeful explained that with the arrival of new year, the 2023 electioneering has entered the homestretch, which would culminate with the election hence the need for Abians to prepare and vote for change.

He advised Abia voters not to leave anything to chance as the 2023 general election has presented “a great opportunity for us to take back our dear state from the plunderers of our collective patrimony”.