Category: South East

There is tension in Akwa Ibom State, as a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo will tomorrow deliver judgment in the alleged forgery case against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno.

One of the aspirants in the May 25, 2022 PDP governorship primary, Mr. Akan Okon, had approached the court seeking the disqualification of Eno for alleged multiple forgeries.

The allegations bordered on multiple forgeries of the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), discrepancies in places and dates of birth, as well as the issues surrounding the authenticity of his permanent voter card (PVC).

The matter, which is before Justice Agatha Okeke, was originally slated for determination on November 28, but had to be shifted to November 11, to dispose  pre-election cases in good time for the poll proper.

Governor Udom Emmanuel, who announced Eno as his preferred successor in January, is said to be running around with other party stakeholders, in a frantic last minutes’ efforts to save his candidate from being booted out of the governorship race.

Sources, who spoke in confidence to this reporter, said the governor had reached out to many influential contacts across the country to help him save Eno from being disqualified by the court.

Opposition parties have taken advantage of the alleged forgery case to lampoon Eno, PDP and Emmanuel, faulting the governor’s integrity and claim to excellence in the unfolding allegation in the case of multiple forgeries.

•’APC will be on ballot paper’

Former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi has urged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Pastor Tonye Cole, to have an open mind, forgive and embrace everybody in the state when he wins the election next year.

He spoke yesterday at an event to unveil the party’s manifesto and inaugurate the campaign council of Cole and Dr. Innocent Barikor.

Amaechi, who preached a sermon on forgiveness, said the secret of his becoming governor in 2007 was his willingness to forgive those who made him to go into exile in Ghana.

He urged Cole not to wait until he hears from God first, but should rather take the decision to let go of every offence, to allow God step in and make him the next governor of the state.

Addressing the crowd, Cole said if elected as the governor in 2023, he would stand on three pivots of social welfare; peace and security; and developmental infrastructure, adding that his manifesto “has the people as the core of everything we will do.”

He said despite the travails of the APC in Rivers State, it would be on the ballot paper for next year’s election, expressing confidence in its victory at the polls.

On his manifesto, Cole said: “We will ensure citizens’ participation in policy making, create feedback mechanism to enable us feel the pulse of the people and make ourselves and our appointees accessible to the people.

“We will prioritise spending, ensure proper management and minimise waste, while pursuing economic policies that will bring long term benefits.

“We will apply resources to provide sound training and state-of-the-art equipment to support the police and other security agencies to combat crime and ensure law and order.”

Stakeholders in Anambra State have called for participation in the 2023 population and housing census, to ensure accurate data is generated for policy making, planning and other developmental drives.

They said participation in the exercise would also help in addressing political marginalisation, underdevelopment, lack of social amenities, unemployment, among others.

The stakeholders, drawn from the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), among others, spoke at a workshop organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) to finalise and present grassroots final list of localities for the coming exercise.

Read Also: BREAKING: Many feared dead as gunmen attack Anambra police checkpoint

State Director, NOA, Charles Nwoji, said inaccurate data contributed to political marginalisation, inadequate provisions of basic amenities, among others, stressing that census, which he described as the hallmark of national development, would assist in re-writing such societal history.

Secretary to State Government Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu urged the NPC to pay attention to peculiarities in the state, to ensure the state was properly counted.

Chukwulobelu, represented by Mrs. Onyinyechi Edokwe, enjoined the participants to take the message of the workshop to the grassroots, to ensure residents participated in the coming national census.

Akwa Ibom State Government has disbursed N2.254 billion for the payment of gratuity to retired civil servants.

The Accountant-General, Pastor Uwem Andrew-Essien, who made this known yesterday in a statement, said of the released sum, N1.254 billion was for the gratuities of the retired civil servants.

He added that N1billion was for retired primary school teachers and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) members.

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The gesture, Andrew-Essien said, was in keeping with the promise of Governor Udom Emmanuel to ensure that the well-being of the citizens was prioritised.

He said beneficiaries of the ongoing gratuity payment were those who retired and were scheduled for payment in May and June, 2016.

The Accountant-General hailed the governor for prioritising workers’ welfare, even in the face of economic crisis.

Anambra State governor’s wife, Dr. Nonye Soludo, has urged 70 graduating students from the state’s skill acquisition centres to be committed to their craft and pursue their career with truth and hard work.

She advised them to use the skills acquired to create opportunities for self- employment, promising to check up on their successes.

Presenting empowerment kits to the graduating students, Mrs. Soludo said her husband’s administration was keen on investing in youths, and had started schemes that targeted youths.

She said the training and empowerment were to prepare the graduating students for future by giving them skills and platforms to be financially independent and become useful to their homes and the state.

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Women Affairs and Social Welfare Commissioner Mrs. Ify Obinabo identified skill acquisition as one of the ways to resolve the challenges posed by poverty among women and youths.

She urged the graduating students to use their skills to make better living for themselves, their families and the society.

The students, empowered in collaboration with Ebuka Okafor Foundation, were trained in skills, including hairdressing and cosmetology, catering, hat making and bead stringing, fashion design and dress making.

They were given equipment such as sewing machines, hair drying machines, mechanised ovens, among others.

There is a twist to the planned disruption of operations of oil mining lease (OML) 34, in Delta State, as the Chairman of chairmen of the 28 host communities, Michael Oghenegueke, has denied the threat.

ND-Western Company and NNPCL Exploration & Production Joint Venture is the operator of OML 34.

Oghenegueke, debunking media reports of a five-day ultimatum issued to the oil company over continued negligence, failure and refusal to fulfil the mandatory obligations, said leaders of the host communities, who met last Saturday, resolved to investigate the development and take actions.

Oghenegueke, who is also the executive chairman of Otu Jeremi community in Ughelli South, said the publications did not have his and other chairmen of host communities’ approval.

Read Also: Bayelsa residents report fresh oil leak from Aiteo’s OML 29

He said the company and the communities had a method of resolving their issues and not through the pages of newspapers.

Dismissing claims of disagreement between the parties, he said the management of NNPC E&P Ltd and ND-Western had been doing their best to sustain the cordial relationship that had existed with the communities.

He described the publications as a ploy by mischief makers and fifth columnists to cause disaffection between the host communities and the oil company.

The President General of Iwhrekan Community, Rufus Onokurefe, said they had always opened a window of engagement to the company, when issues of concern arose.

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has denied banning political rallies.

He said the government was ready to appear in court with five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to challenge a planned suit by Civil Society Organisations (CLOs).

The governor was reacting to threats by CLOs to institute legal action against the state over a plan to restrict parties from using schools, markets and other government facilities for campaigns and rallies.

Umahi last week issued an executive order restricting parties from using schools, markets, parks and other government facilities for campaigns and rallies.

Read Also: Opposition kicks as Umahi imposes N5m fee for use of schools for rallies

Information and State Orientation Commissioner Uchenna Orji said the governor assented to an Executive Order No 3 of 2022 prohibiting the use of primary or secondary school premises or fields, markets or motor parks for rallies or processions or gathering of similar activities.

Parties are expected to pay a refundable fee of N5million to enable them use the facilities.

The governor said yesterday on the floor of the House of the Assembly during the presentation of the 2023 budget estimate that the Education commissioner must be informed should any party want to use any school for campaigns or rallies, adding that no boarding school must be used for rallies or campaigns.

He said all parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), must pay for billboard adverts.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Population Census (NPC) in Abia State, Chief Johnny Nwabuisi, has said the 2023 population census data would be accurate.

Nwabuisi, who spoke yesterday at a media briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Umuahia, to announce the beginning of online recruitment of ad hoc workers for the 2023 population and housing census, said NPC had concluded arrangements that would ensure the exercise would be thorough.

Read Also: NPC will be transparent in ad-hoc staff recruitment – Official

The NPC commissioner, who said over 1.5million ad hoc officials nationwide were expected to be engaged during the exercise, added that the commission would use personnel who were ICT (Information and Communications Technology) compliant to perform the exercise that would be technologically driven, with Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) holders as the least qualified ad hoc officials.

Nwabuisi said the population census data capturing process would be electronically done, adding that the commission adopted the process to guard against falsification, corruption or any form of data manipulation, as there would not be any form of paper work during the exercise.

On the fears that the exercise would clash with the general election, he said the census would hold next April.

Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel yesterday presented a budget of N 697.005 billion for the 2023 fiscal year to the House of Assembly.

The budget named ‘Budget of Completion’ is predicated on an oil benchmark of $70 per barrel at a production rate of 1.69 million barrel per day, with an estimated exchange rate of N435.57/USS.

A total of N344 005 billion is for recurrent expenditure, while N353.000 billion will go into capital expenditure.

Emmanuel said the budget was prepared in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) Accrual template.

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri yesterday presented N385.2billion budget estimate for 2023 to the House of Assembly.

Ministries of Works, Infrastructure, Education and Agriculture topped in the allocation list.

The Appropriation Bill tagged ‘Budget of Sustainable Reconstruction’, is expected to be largely funded by 40 per cent from the Federal Allocation receipts, 39 per cent of 13 per cent derivation fund, five per cent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), four per cent of grants and 12 per cent from loans.

Diri said considering the 70.7 per cent implementation of the 2022 budget for nine months, the 2023 budget proposal would take care of the personnel cost estimated at N63billion; overhead cost, N95billion; capital expenditure, N167.5billion and pensions & gratuity, N14.7billion.

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Also public and debt servicing is expected to gulp N33.7billion and contributory pension, N4.7billion.

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi yesterday presented the 2023 Appropriation Bill of N139,398,280,640.00 to the House of Assembly.

Tagged ‘Budget of Divine Mandate Consolidation and Continuity (C to C)’, the governor said revenue to finance the budget was expected to come from the federal allocation and other revenue heads.

He said his administration would implement about 41.67 per cent of the budget.

Umahi noted that the budget consisted of a recurrent expenditure of Fifty-Eight Billion, Three Hundred Sixty-Seven Million, Seven Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty-Eight Naira (N58,367,774,468.00) covering 41.87% of the total budget.

He said Eighty-One Billion, Thirty Million, Five Hundred Six Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Two Naira (N81,030,506,172.00) covering 58.13% of the total budget estimate was earmarked for capital expenditure.