Category: South East

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri have advocated an effective mortgage system to meet the housing needs in the country.

The two leaders made the call in their separate remarks at the groundbreaking and foundation laying ceremony of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Doctors’ Estate located on the outskirts of Otuokpoti community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

The Doctors’ Estate project, which is an initiative of the Doctors Welfare Cooperative, under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa chapter, is to be funded through a partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

Speaking at the ceremony, Jonathan said housing was one of the basic needs of man that could be addressed through an effective mortgage system for people to own affordable houses.

The former president, who thanked the resident doctors for finding him worthy and deserving the honour to have the estate named after him, said the project when completed would not only contribute to socio-economic wellbeing of its residents but also to the entire the state.

Jonathan assured the NARD that he would give the necessary support to ensure the smooth execution of the project to bring their vision to fruition.

In his remarks, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said the state government was quite elated over the project initiated by the Doctors’ Welfare Cooperative of FMC, Yenagoa.

Diri, who was represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, called on the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to review its mortgage policies and procedures to make it more inclusive and feasible for more professional groups and individuals to key into it.

Earlier in their separate addresses, the Chairperson of the Estate Committee, Dr. Divine Iroli, and state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Ongowari Torunana, said the estate was named after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to immortalise him as an illustrious son of state and in recognition of his contribution to the development of the medical profession.

There’s anxiety in the People’s Democratic Party PDP in Anambra state, over none conduct of three man-adhoc delegates congress in the state.

The situation has put the party and its members in a fix, as some of them are alleging that few persons have hijacked the process.

As a result, all the 2023 aspirants for elective positions, numbering over 70,0 have petitioned the National Working Committee NWC of PDP to, as a matter of urgency, to correct the anomaly.

The Anambra PDP members fear that if the situation was not corrected, it might lead to the Party not fielding candidates in the 2023 general elections.

The aspirants’ decision was contained in the communiqué issued at the party’s secretariat in Awka, at the weekend after the party’s meeting.

It was read by one of the aspirants and the current member, representing Ekwusigo constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Onyebuchi Offor.

Last weekend, the five-man PDP panel for the congress, led by Jibrin Ahmed, failed to conduct the exercise because of their inability to produce the original copies of the result sheets.

However, some of the decisions of the party at the meeting, included calling the national leadership of PDP, led by Dr Iyorchia Ayu to repeat the cancelled exercise or the wards and LGA executives could conduct it.

According to the aspirants, “We note with pain and dismay the inability of Jibrin Ahmed led committee to conduct the three-man ad-hoc delegate election that was to hold on 30th April but was rescheduled to 1st May, 2022 due to unavailability of original result sheets.

“We reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of our great party and trust their ability to lead us to victory in the forthcoming general elections,” the stakeholders said.

The Abia State chapter secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) located on Finbarr’s road in Umuahia, the state capital is reported to be under lock and key.

Reports have it that stern-looking security agents on Thursday prevented staff and visitors to the secretariat from accessing the premises.

It was reported that the closure of the party secretariat was an order coming from the powers that be in the party in the state.

At the time of filing the report, the secretariat was still under lock and key, but the presence of the heavily armed policemen were not sighted at the time of visit.

A party official that doesn’t want its name mentioned said there was no cause for alarm.

According to the source who stated that the party was observing one day of rest, asked party officials as well as workers to stay at home and rest.

The PDP secretariat has witnessed the presence of protesters who were against and for the chairman of the party; Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere and other party executives over their style of leadership and alleged attempt to manipulate the three-man delegate list of the party.

The Delta state monarch and Chairman of Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, Orhue 1, Major General Mujakperuo Retd, The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom and Chief O’tega Emerhor have expressed confidence on Chief Ede Dafinone’s potentials to represent Delta Central Senatorial district at the red chamber.

The monarch had also described the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial aspirants, Chief Ede Dafinone as a capable, experienced and with intimidating profiles to occupy the Delta Central Senatorial seat.

The monarch made this statement when Chief Dafinone visited the monarch and his council of chiefs in his palace at Orerokpe in Okpe Local Government Area, to intimate him of his interest to run for the Delta Central Senatorial District.

Echoing similar sentiment, leader and founding father of APC in Delta State, Olorogun Otega Emerhor has said, Dafinone has the strength, the capacity and technicality to represent the Delta Central at the upper chamber of the Nigeria National Assembly.

Responding at the separate visits, Dafinone said he had visited the palace and Olorogun Otega Emerhor to seek for their prayers, blessings and advise in order for him to succeed as the senator to represent the people of Delta Central Senatorial District.

Many residents in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, have appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike to intervene in the waste management crisis rocking the city.

The residents described as unacceptable the mounting refuse littering different parts of the state capital and defacing the beauty of the garden city.

It was observed that since the state government disengaged private waste management contractors for their negligence, different parts of the city were being littered with refuse.

It was observed that residents earlier raised the alarm that the contractors were no longer performing optimally before their contracts were terminated.

The government in a statement signed by the Governor’s Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, terminated their contract on 29th April.

The statement said: “The decision to terminate their contract with the Rivers State Management Agency (RIWAMA) stems from their inability to fulfill the contractual obligation to ensure cleaner and healthier environment for Rivers’ citizens.

“In the interim, the Rivers State Government has directed the Chairmen of Port Harcourt City and Obio-Akpor Local Government Areas to immediately take charge of the evacuation of waste in their respective jurisdiction, pending the announcement of new waste contractors by Monday.”

The umbrella body of Ijaw leaders and elders, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), has condemned the arrest, ‘kangaroo’ arraignment and detention of a prominent Ijaw son and member representing Degema-Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Farah Dagogo, on the orders of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

The condemnation is contained in a statement on Saturday by the INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba.

The INC said that the continued detention of Dagogo without conviction in a court of law was a clear violation of his fundamental human rights.

The statement said the illegal arrest and detention of Dagogo, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was an alleged orchestrated design by the Wike administration to persecute the Ijaws who were resolved to come together to contest the governorship of Rivers State.

The INC said: “May we ask: when did the constitutionally guaranteed right to contest an election become a crime?

“As a former Minister of State in the President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal administration, did the then Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who had become an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, threatened or ever arrested and illegally detained Governor Wike even though they were at loggerheads?

“When did Rivers State become the private empire of Governor Wike that indigenes need permission from him to decide their individual political future? The INC is particularly miffed at the trumped up charges against Hon. Farah Dagogo that he hired cultists to disrupt the PDP screening exercise, which was presided over by his governor-colleague, Senator Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.”

The Ijaw Congress reminded Governor Wike that Dagogo is as eminently qualified as any other Rivers man or woman to contest for the office of governor on the platform of the PDP.

Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s campaign governorship group, the Ikeoha Campaign Organisation has called on security agencies in Enugu State to fish out and prosecute all perpetrators of violence against his supporters during the ward delegates congress in Enugu State last week.

Ekweremadu is one of the top contenders for the governorship position of Enugu State come 2023.

Addressing a press conference over an alleged attack on the senator’s supporters during the ward delegates congress in the state last week Saturday, the director general of the organization,  Hon. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, described the attacks as part of the unsuccessful attempts by people, who decided to play against the rule, to scuttle the actual legitimate process.

He listed some places where violence was visited on the senator’s supporters to include,  Oduma Ward 4, Aninri LGA; Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North LGA  Agba Umanna Ward, Ezeagu LGA, among others, saying that similar thing incident which happened early April was duly reported to the governor and security agencies.

The governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has threatened legal action against one of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship aspirants in the state, Mr. Ncheta Omerekpe.

Omerekpe had during his visit to PDP stakeholders and would-be party delegates accused the state government of mismanaging a $300 million dollar loan he helped the state to secure from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Mr Omerekpe also claimed in the same video that he facilitated another investment from the same African Development Bank in the area of Agriculture to the tune of about 2 Billion Dollars for the State Government but that the investment was frustrated because some officials of the State Government demanded a bribe of $200million from the investor.

Our correspondent reports that the video of Omerekpe’s statement since it surfaced in the public has generated bad blood within the PDP and the general public.

In a swift reaction, Ikpeazu in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka on Friday debunked the claims that the PDP gubernatorial aspirant helped the state to secure the said loan from the AfDB.

According to Ikpeazu, contrary to Omerekpe’s claims, the state was yet to access the said $300 million loan from AFDB which he (Omerekpe) in the said video accused the state of mismanaging.

Part of the statement from Ikpeazu’s CPS read “for the avoidance of doubt, let it be made abundantly clear that as at today, the Abia State Government has not accessed any loan of 300 Million Dollars or any amount whatsoever from the African Development Bank. Not a penny! Not a single dime!

“While serving as the then Deputy General Manager of ASEPA in Aba, Dr Ikpeazu helped in the preparation of certain technical documentation for the Abia State Government in their discussions and negotiations with the African Development Bank under the ABA INTEGRATED PROJECT ON SANITATION, ROADS, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, ETC.

“When Dr. Ikpeazu was elected Governor in 2015, he inherited the discussions and has been in the forefront of leading the negotiations with the African Development Bank and has had several interfaces with the Bank’s topmost Management Team both in their Nigerian office at Abuja and their headquarters in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.”

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command, has intensified its war against economic sabotage bursting activities of a syndicate, which developed an illegal route to divert fuel to neighbouring countries.

The command also assumed custody of 17 suspected oil thieves and six wooden boats arrested by the Nigerian Navy along the waterways in an ongoing onslaught against oil thieves in Rivers.

The State Commandant, NSCDC, Abu Abdu Tambuwal, in a statement signed on Friday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Olufemi Ayodele, said the feat was made possible through sustained intelligence.

He explained that the group of illegal oil dealers was transporting petroleum products through border states to neighbouring countries.

He said the command’s anti-vandal border patrol team swung into action and effected the arrests of Nwachi from Umunna road Afikpo North, Ebonyi State and Chukwudi from Okwuonu street Aba, Abia State.

Tambuwal said: “Credible and sustained Intelligence revealed that some oil dealers were diverting petroleum products via states sharing borders with Rivers State and thereafter channel the products to neighbouring countries.

“The anti-vandal border patrol team swung into action and impounded a blue and white colour 50,000 litres capacity truck with registration number Abia EZA 850 YF  conveying  Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called Petrol.

“From the statements volunteered under caution by the suspects, we gathered that the truck in question took off from Conoil Depot at Ibeto road in Port Harcourt where the product was claimed to have been loaded.

“They further maneuvered to the border between Rivers and Imo State where they were arrested. Meanwhile, preliminary investigation report showed that the product’s waybill stated that the product should be delivered at Omo Wealth in Ikwerre Local Government, Port Harcourt.

“The suspects further claimed that there was a mistake while writing the waybill and that they decided to take the product to Imo State.”

Tambuwal decried the defiant behaviour of individuals dealing illegally on petroleum products and sabotaging the nation’s economy saying they were contravening the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004 Laws of the Federation, the Anti-Sabotage Act, the Petroleum Act and its regulation.

He said in line with the dictates of the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (HSOP) on arrests, detention and prosecution of vessels and persons in Nigeria’s maritime environment, 17 suspects and six wooden boats were handed over to the NSCDC  by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder n Port Harcourt.

“Investigation is currently ongoing and at its expiration, the suspects would definitely be charged to court accordingly.  It is quite despicable that in spite the fact that the government is committed to preventing fuel scarcity some economic saboteurs are busy diverting the product in order to suffer Nigerians.”

The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Mr Lawal Abubakar, says no fewer than 46 suspects have been arrested for various offences between March and April in the state.

They were arrested for various offences including conspiracy, murder, rape/defilement, kidnapping/abduction, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, theft, vandalism and cultism.

This is contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Friday.

The commissioner said that the operational successes led to the rescue of four kidnapped victims, recovery of 25 firearms of different makes and 31 live ammunition of different calibres.

He said other items recovered were 53 live cartridges, three vehicles, six tricycles, two motorcycles and other incriminating exhibits.

He lauded the support received from security stakeholders that made the achievement of the operational breakthroughs possible within the state.

Similarly, the commissioner said that on April 27 at about 11 p.m., one Onyemaechi Okorie,19, of Uburu in Ohaozara council area of Ebonyi, allegedly murdered his co-worker in a construction site at Independence Layout, Enugu.

“Police operatives in New Haven Police Division, swung into action and arrested him.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect engaged the deceased in a serious fight and used a rod to hit him on the head.

“The victim was immediately moved to the hospital for treatment and later confirmed dead by doctors on duty and the corpse deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”