Category: South East

POLITICAL allies of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, under the auspices of Friends of Senator Douye Diri (FSDD), have thrown their weight behind the re-election bid of the governor in 2023.

They also prayed for God-send leaders to be enthroned across board in next year’s general elections in the country, rationalising that Nigeria had assumed the new normal in bad governance because most leaders lack the fear of God.

The President, FSDD, Chief Bodi Arerebo, said on Saturday in Yenagoa that the endorsement of Governor Diri necessitated their going to church to present him before God.

Arerebo, who is also a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, said Diri had proved his mettle since he assumed office over two years ago, noting that under his watch, Bayelsa had transformed greatly all spheres of governance in the state.

MEMBERS of the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State led by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Peter Ndubuisi Mbah on Saturday paid a courtesy call at the Government House, Enugu, to thank Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his rare leadership role in the emergence of their illustrious son, Mbah, as the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 gubernatorial election.

The jubilant people of Nkanu East LGA, who were accompanied by the clergymen, traditional rulers, present and former public office holders from the council area such as the former deputy governor of the state, Bishop Ralph Nwoye, former Member of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Anayo Edeh, the Member representing Nkanu East Constituency, Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor and the Council Chairman, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, expressed their heartfelt appreciation for lending his support to Mbah when it mattered most.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA, Hon. Edeh, the PDP LG Chairman, Prince Emeka Nwatu, the PDP Zonal Chairman, Enugu East Senatorial District, Hon. Nnamdi Nwafor, the Party State Youth Leader, Hon. Patrick Okoh, the Chairman, Nkanu East Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Igwe H.A. Edeani, former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Rita Mbah (who spoke on behalf of Nkanu East women), Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor, former Secretary to the State Government.

A 12-year-old girl Chikamso Ekeocha has narrated how she was tortured by her master and mistress who used hot red spoon placed on a burning gas to inflict injuries on her body.

Also, she said she constantly received strokes of the cane from her mistress, one Mrs. Njideka and her husband Uzoma at their residence at Area L, World Bank, Owerri, Imo state.

Narrating her ordeal to her class teacher in Igbo language on Thursday, Chikamso said that her madam lacerated her body with a cooking spoon which she placed on the burning gas and when the spoon was red hot she would use it to inflict injuries on her body.

Chikamso who hails from Ubomiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state lives as a maid with Uzoma and his wife Njideka. She had lived with the family for about 2 years.

She said that the fresh and conspicuous burns all over her body were inflicted on her by the said Mr. Uzoma because she rode the bicycle belonging to his kids.

“After receiving strokes of cane from Mrs. Njideka, a red-hot spoon (cooking spoon) placed on a burning gas was used by Mr. Uzoma to inflict all those injuries and the marks all over my body,” she said.

Reacting, the Publicity Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch Daniel Odiba, said that the association received the report on its various WhatsApp platforms showing a video clip of a dehumanised young child in her school uniform.

“This morning (Thursday) the various WhatsApp platforms of the NBA Owerri Branch were greeted with repeated posts of a video clip showing a dehumanised young child in her school uniform.

In the video clip a young girl about the age of 12 years was seen responding to questions (in Igbo language) from one who appeared to be her school teacher. She gave the following particulars.

“Upon seeing the video, the Chairman of the Branch, Ugochukwu Alinnor, promptly directed the Vice Chairman and Head, Human Rights Committee, Dr. Chioma Emuka to immediately follow up the case with a view to having the Bar intervene.”

He said the association swung into action and contacted relevant security agencies.

“Through concerted efforts, the principal perpetrator, Mr. Uzoma has been arrested while the wife Njideka is on the run. The child victim, young Chikamso Ekeocha is currently on admission and receiving treatment at Specialist Hospital Umuguma, Owerri, Imo state. Her biological mother has since arrived the hospital as well.”

“The NBA sincerely appreciates FIDA and other Civil Society Organisations who have shown sufficient efforts and commitment against this grave act of man’s inhumanity to a child.”

A suspected mentally deranged man has stabbed a middle-aged man, Chukwunonso Odo, to death in Umuagu Quarters of Asaba, the Delta State Capital.

The Nation learnt that the suspect, Wisdom Solomon had a disagreement with his father and later ran away.

It was gathered Solomon’s father pleaded with the people to chase and bring him back home.

Odo chased him but unknown, the suspect was armed with a knife.

An eyewitness said: “The man was fighting his father and he quickly pushed the father and ran away. So, the father announced a reward for anybody that can bring him back.

“Immediately, people around including Chukwunonso went after him but unfortunately the victim caught him but unknown to him, Wisdom had a knife with him and he was stabbed.”

Another witness said, “I quickly rush to the scene and saw Chukwunonso on the ground in a pool of his blood and we carried him inside a tricycle to the hospital.

“On arrival to the hospital, the doctor confirmed him dead and was moved to the mortuary but I saw him shaking one of his fingers and told them but they didn’t listen to me.”

Confirming the report, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, said the suspect could not be arrested as a result of mental illness.

DELTA State Government has raised alarm over the influx of fake revenue taskforce collectors into Asaba metropolis, the state capital.

A statement by the Chairman, Joint Task Force to Checkmate Revenue Leakages and Eradication of Illegal Revenue Collection, in Delta State, Mr. Malachi Moye, said many touts have been arrested and are currently languishing at Ogwashi-Uku Correctional centre.

He urged vigilance by members of the public.

He said the Joint Task Force to Checkmate Revenue Leakages and Eradication of Illegal Revenue Collection is the only recognised agency saddled with responsibility to enforce revenue collection.

According to him, the security agents have been mandated to arrest any revenue taskforce which is not from the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue Services.

NO fewer than 99 enumerators are currently undergoing training for 12 days ahead of the National Population Commission (NPC) Trial Census in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Enugu State.

Flagging off the training in Enugu weekend, the Federal Commissioner Representing Enugu State in NPC, Chief  Ejike Ezeh, said that the nine LGAs for the Trial Census had been selected three council areas each from the three senatorial zones.

Ezeh listed the participating LGAs to include: Nkanu West; Enugu North and Isiuzo council areas(Enugu East Senatorial Zone);   Udenu, Uzo-Uwani and Igboeze council areas(for Enugu North Senatorial zone) while Enugu West Senatorial Zone included: Ezeagu, Oji River and Udi council areas.

According to him, in total, 7,718 Enumeration Areas have been selected for the Trial Census to test run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.

The commissioner explained that the Trial Census would be used to test the new technology and innovations in the census enumeration both in terms of e-recruitment of personnel and use of special configured computer tablets for the exercise.

“The selection of the coverage areas has been scientifically and purposively carried out to achieve the objectives of the Trial Census.”

“However, some states have been selected for full LGA enumeration to test challenges around complete coverage under various scenarios such as in hard-to-reach areas, special populations, and rural-urban settings,” he said.

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State Jude Onyia is dead.

Onyia died in Agbor, the council headquarters, yesterday. He was said to be in his sixties.

Circumstances surrounding the sudden demise were still sketchy as at press time last night.

State PDP Publicity Secretary Ifeanyi Osuoza, who confirmed the development through a WhatsApp message, said: “Sadly, it is true. We shall miss him. It is our prayer that God will forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest.”

Senator Emmanuel Onwe, who represented Ebonyi Central, has denied allegations of fraud over a N500 million contract with the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP).

Onwe urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to unravel the alleged contract racket involving a company, Express Concerns International Ltd, and one Onny Igbokwe who parades as the whistleblower.

Senator Onwe was reacting to a petition by Igbokwe, through his lawyers, Kanu Ogbonnia .O. and Co, to the PAP me and the Federal Ministry of Justice, claiming that he and Express Concerns International Ltd were involved in an illegal N500 million contract deal.

According to the alleged petition, dated June 10, 2022, a copy of which was sighted by the Nation, Igbokwe claimed he was the founding father of the PAP training contract programme.

But Onwe said Igbokwe opted to drag him and the company in the mud when his attempt to defraud Express Concerns International Ltd of over N117 million for the execution of a training contract was foiled.

Onwe, who is the Director of the Agric Division of Express Concerns International Ltd, insisted that Igbokwe became aggrieved because he scuttled his criminal efforts to steal the 30 per cent mobilisation fund for a project meant to train Niger Delta youths.

According to him, Igbokwe’s intention was to divert the money for his personal use.

He said: “The information being peddled by Onny Igbokwe is false. This is nothing but pure criminal blackmail for that matter, arising from the greed of this crook called Igbokwe and his criminal co-travellers.

“An award of contract was made to Express Concerns Intentional Ltd on November 24, 2021, to train 90 Niger Delta youths. This so-called petition he (Igbokwe) is peddling arose from the fact that he demanded N84 million from me, which of course there was no way I was going to give him, from a contract that would not yield a profit of that amount.

“By the way, this contract is to train young people from the Niger Delta in rice farming, fish farming and poultry. Igbokwe brought these so called bankers from Abuja. We signed the relevant sections of the account opening forms and supplied our passports photographs and ID cards.

“And by we, I mean the Chairman of Express Concerns International Ltd, Chief Daniel Okeke, and myself. A board resolution was made and signed to that effect by the directors of the company.

“Unknown to us, what Igbokwe did was to strike out the sections that Mr. Okeke’s details were to be inserted. He struck out those sections and inserted his own details and made himself sole signatory to the account. He proceeded to forge a board resolution of Express Concerns International Ltd to perfect his fraud. Have you ever seen a situation where a witness to account opening is also signatory to such an account? This is precisely what Igokwe set up.

“The intention was to steal the money and probably kill me. We await the conclusion of the investigations of the relevant agencies. This is not the first time unscrupulous individuals are making attempts to blackmail me. The conspirators have not got what it takes so blacken my image because I stand tall in the ranks of the upright and the honourable.

“We have reported to security agencies and they are looking into this matter and, very soon, those behind this will be unraveled, because this is a racket…”

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has restated that the state is ready and safe to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in different areas of business.

Diri, who is leading a team to the United States of America for both trade and cultural events in the leading commercial cities of New York and New Jersey, said Bayelsa is rich beyond oil and gas resources and that his government is desirous to tap the huge agriculture potential of the state.

The Governor made this known while addressing Nigerians in Diaspora at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Consul-General, Ambassador Lot Egopija and the Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, Ambassador (Prof.)Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, at the Nigerian Consulate, New York.

He said Bayelsa International Airport, which had since commenced commercial operations to Lagos and Abuja, remained very strategic to the investments drive.

In a statement by the Director, New Media to the Governor, Dr. Kola Oredipe, the Governor informed the gathering that the ‘Government of Prosperity’ under him had made pragmatic steps to ensure safety and security of lives and investments in the state, insisting that Bayelsa remained one of the relatively secured states in Nigeria.

Diri said: “We came here on a two-prong visit: to bring Bayelsa State to the US and to the world, as a state that is ready and prepared to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and as a state that is culturally very strong, bringing our culture to the world.

“In the area of security, I assure you all that the state is safe. We have set up a special security outfit codenamed, Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps headed by a retired Brigadier-General. The corps is engaging over 5,000 community youths to join the statutory security personnel to keep everywhere secured.”

He continued: “Bayelsa State has been known as hub of oil and gas. Like you rightly know that commercial oil operations began in a community called Oloibiri in Bayelsa State as far back 1956. The world is now moving away from crude oil to cleaner energy. We have abundant gas resources and in fact, we have more gas reserves than the crude oil. So, investment opportunities abound in the state.

“As a government, we are equally diversifying into agriculture and mobilising our people to go into rice farming. It will interest you to know that because of the good soil and topography, Bayelsa can grow rice three times in a year. We cannot do it alone and that is why we have come here to speak to our brothers and sisters in diaspora to come and join us promote the investment potential in the state. We are opening up the state for FDI.”

On the current challenges facing the country, Diri called on all Nigerians to join hands to lift the nation out of the state of insecurity and political issues.

He added: “As you are aware, our country is undergoing some challenges, more of security and politics. Before now, in our generation, you can travel all the way from Port Harcourt to Sokoto, to Kano, Kaduna without entertaining any fear. Today, the story is different.

“And it behoves all of us, that what we enjoyed growing up as a country, having friends all across Nigeria, we must not allow Nigeria to die. We must all work together to ensure Nigeria remains one and not only remaining one, Nigeria will grow from strength to strength.”

The Governor thanked the two ambassadors for the great reception and hospitality accorded the delegation from Bayelsa State.

In their separate remarks, Ambassador Lot Egopija, Consul-General, Nigerian Consulate in the New York and Amb. (Prof.) Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, commended Diri for his forthrightness in driving investments into his state and that the two cities of New York and New Jersey had truly become great commercial centres in the US.

They urged the governor to tap into the existing bilateral and business relationship between the US and Nigeria and leverage on Nigerian diaspora to attract investment opportunities to Bayelsa State.