A prominent leader at Ase-Omuku community in Ndokwa East Local Government of Delta State, Chief Okwudili Obi, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to caution officers of the state command over an alleged plot to invade the community and arrest some indigenes on “trumped up charges”.

A statement yesterday in Warri by Obi said in 2010, a crisis broke out in the community as a result of the operations of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), causing a rift between Ogbue family, led by Chief Obi and Onyeonwu family, both of Umusumei Orie kindred.

The statement appealed to Police Commissioner Ari Mohammed Ali to prevent his men from further invasion of the community and illegal arrest of people, “as this may degenerate into a communal crisis.”

It said: ‘’The crisis that occurred in the community between  Ogbue and Onyeonwu families started when Francis Obi (younger brother to Chief Okwudili Obi), on November 19, 2013 was brutally murdered in front of policemen, who came with the deceased to investigate a case of arson by groups suspected to be Onyeonwu family members.”

The community leader, who was a signatory to the peace treaty, said the crisis was eventually resolved by the Delta State Government

He condemned his earlier arrest and detention, as a result of which he (Obi) “is currently down with stroke.”

The statement added:  “We are calling on the Inspector General of Police and the Delta State Commissioner of Police to caution their officers and men not to interfere in the affairs of Ase-Omuku community.”

Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Andrew Adaze Emwanta and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Col. David Imuse (rtd.), have clashed over Governor Godwin Obaseki’s move to demolish Central Hospital, Benin, to build a motor park at the city centre.

Imuse fired the first salvo through Edo APC Assistant Publicity Secretary Victor Osehobo by declaring that instead of allowing Central Hospital to give way to a not-so-befitting motor park, Obaseki should swallow his pride and embark on the second phase of Edo Specialist Hospital at the current site, as planned by his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a former APC national chairman.

Enwanta, who spoke on the phone, however, asked Edo APC leaders to stop their destructive criticisms of the Obaseki administration.

He said they should join the focused and performing governor to move the state forward.

Imuse said: “In October, our party, the APC, raised the alarm over the planned demolition of Central Hospital, Benin City by the PDP government, led by Governor Obaseki, with a plot to convert the over 100-year-old legacy asset of all Edo people into a motor park.

“APC then saw no wisdom in the reason advanced by the state government for the proposed demolition, which is to make way for a modern motor park to decongest the city centre and generate additional revenue for the state. We labelled such thinking as weird and evil, but also unacceptable.

“No right-thinking government will prefer to replace a viable health facility, which it should equip and staff to better cater for the well-being of the people, with a motor park.

“The state government lied in its response when it said it was merely transforming, rather than demolishing the hospital, as most of its facilities were obsolete and not supportive of modern-day medical service delivery.”

The commissioner for Communication and Orientation, however, insisted that Obaseki’s administration was committed to advancing quality health care of the citizens.

He said the health care sector had received boost in the last five years, which he noted was evident in the commitment shown by the government towards prioritising the health needs of residents.

Emwanta said structural reforms were to be carried out by the government on the premises of the hospital.

The lawmaker representing Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Sen. Gershom Bassey, yesterday said that only truth could save the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

He spoke at a rally at the PDP secretariat in Calabar to celebrate the Yuletide and carry out consultations before deciding if he would declare to run for governorship in 2023.

The senator, who came with 188 support groups, noted that the party must stand on the truth, which was agreed on in 2015 by stakeholders.

“In 2015, as a party, we said it was the turn of the Northern Senatorial District and we zoned the governorship to the North.

“This was because in 1999, Mr. Donald Duke from the Southern Senatorial District became the governor and after eight years in 2007, PDP zoned the governorship to the Central Senatorial District.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has promised to punish those who worked against it in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

Its stakeholders said an Election Review Committee would be set up to look into the remote and immediate causes of the party’s failure at the polls.

The decisions were taken yesterday at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in Awka.

Leaders of the party were in attendance, including Sen. Ben Obi and its governorship candidate, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo. But former governor Mr. Peter Obi and Sen. Uche Ekwunife were absent. Although they were represented.

Board of Trustees (BoT) member Sen. Ben Ndi Obi said he would champion the sanctioning of members, who sabotaged the party during the election.

He said: “We should sanction those causing problems in the PDP. I’m ready to champion it.”

“The disunity in the party has denied us a lot of things. We have people like Peter Obi, Uche Ekwunife, Josephine Anenih, among others as strong members of this party to lead PDP to greater heights, yet, we fail each time.

“We did not lose the election, we were winners. We had different categories of people during the election, including enemies within the party. Even at that, we must clean up PDP in Anambra State.”

The Chairman, Sir Ndubuisi Nwobu, said the party was stopped during the election by seen and unseen forces.

He, however, said committed members were not relenting in making sure that the PDP became stronger in other elections, especially as 2023 draws near.

Nwobu hailed Ekwunife for her steadfastness in the party despite pressures from somewhere elsewhere

He said: “Those who left us will still run back to us as 2023 approaches. We are ready to give them seats where it befits them at the back.

“Every action must have repercussion. We need to re-strategise, we have to reorganise our party, but we should work in harmony and by that, we will reposition PDP. Tomorrow holds a better platform for us.

“Before the election, our party was bubbling and hopes were high, until after the primary.

“We need to set up an Election Review Committee to appraise what went wrong and how to move the party forward.”

Ozigbo said PDP did not lose the election, adding: “We were winners.

“We had different categories of people during the election, including enemies within the party. Even at that, we must clean up PDP in Anambra State,” he said.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday presented a cow and bags of rice to the Edo State Youth Leader of the All Progressives  Congress (APC), Tony Adun, aka Kabaka.

The governor had demolished his multi-million naira hotel in Benin, before the September 19, 2020 governorship election.

He said he presented the items in the spirit of Christmas, noting that his government belonged to all Edo people, irrespective of religion, ideological differences or political affiliation.

Following Obaseki’s invitation, Adun was at the Government House, Benin to receive the gifts to celebrate the festivities with members of his family.

The governor said despite belonging to a different party, he would not be an enemy, but a friend of Adun.

He added: “I am governor to all Edo people, irrespective of political affiliation.”

Obaseki, represented by his Chief of Staff, Osaigbovo Iyoha, said: “I welcome Tony Kabaka to the Government House. In the mood of Christmas and reconciliation, this cow and bags of rice are for you and your family to celebrate the Yuletide.

“We are brothers and a family. Irrespective of events of the past, we are still friends.”

Kabaka hailed Obaseki for his kind gesture and forgiving spirit.

He said: “Your Excellency (Obaseki), may God bless you for these gifts. I thank you for having mercy on me. I never expected this from you. I am happy with what you have done for me today (yesterday).

“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. I am happy, as this will show a good example to others that despite our various political divides, we are still brothers and family.”

By Damian Duruiheoma, Enugu and Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

Fire yesterday gutted a part of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) headquarters, located at Independence Layout, Enugu.

The broadcast outfits are the operators of the Sunrise FM and ESBSTV stations.

Items estimated at over N200million were destroyed, our correspondent learnt.

The Nation gathered that the fire, which began about 6:30am, was caused by an electrical fault.

The quick intervention of the state Fire Service saved the station from being totally razed down.

Read Also: Goods worth billions razed in Abuja supermarket fire

It was further learnt that the swift intervention of the fire fighters prevented the fire from spreading to other areas.

While no casualty was recorded, the two-storey building with broadcast equipment worth several millions of Naira, was affected, a source told our correspondent.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has visited the ESBS. He ordered that the radio/television station should be back on air as soon as possible.

Belongings worth millions of Naira were yesterday destroyed in Ebonyi State in an inferno near Mile 50 Layout, Abakaliki.

The Nation learnt that a residential building and more than seven shops were razed.

The Federal Fire Service, Ebonyi Command, confirmed the incident.

It said the incident occurred at Aliugbala-Eze Street, near Eze and Bros junction.

A statement by the Assistant Superintendent of Fire, Yakubu Zekeri, said nobody died.

He said the quick drafting of firemen to the scene curtailed the spread of the fire.

Zekeri, who led fire fighters to the scene, said belongings worth millions of Naira were destroyed.

He advised residents to switch off their electrical appliances when going out or going to bed.

“This will prevent fire outbreak should there be a power surge in their homes,’’ Zekeri added.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), has filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, which ordered an end to continued gas flaring in Iwhrekan community, Ughelli South Local Government of Delta State.

Iwhrekan community is one of the host communities to Otorogu Gas Plant, the biggest in West Africa, where Shell has been flaring gas for decades.

Justice J. Nwokorie of the Federal High Court, Benin, had in a case instituted by Mr. Jonah Gbemre, on behalf of Iwhrekan community, ordered SPDC to restrain from flaring gas in the community, as well as “take immediate steps to stop the further flaring of gas” in the area.

The suit had SPDC, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as first, second and third defendants.

Justice Nwokorie said that the “actions of the 1st and 2nd respondents in continuing to flare gas in the course of their oil exploration and production activities in the applicant’s community is a violation of their rights to life (including healthy environment) and dignity of human person guaranteed by sections 33(1) and 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution…”

The community, in suit no FHC/B/CS/53/05, had sought the court for a “declaration that the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to life and dignity of human person provided in sections 33(1) and 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution and reinforced by Arts 4, 16 and 24 of the African Charter on Human Procedure Rules (Procedure and Enforcement) Act. Cap A9, Vol. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 inevitably include the right to clean poison-free, pollution-free and healthy environment.

“A declaration that the actions of the 1st and 2nd respondents in continuing to flare gas in the course of their oil exploration and production activities in the applicant’s community are a violation of their fundamental rights to life (including healthy environment) and dignity of human person guaranteed by sections 33(1) and 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution and reinforced by Arts 4, 16 and 24 of the African Charter on Human Procedure Rules (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap, A9 Vol. 1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“A declaration that the failure of the 1st and 2nd respondents to carry out environmental impact assessment in the applicant’s community concerning the effects of their gas flaring activities is a violation of Section 2(2) of the Environment Impact Assessment Act, Cap. E12 Vol. 6 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and contributed to the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to life and dignity of person.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents by themselves or by their agents, servants, contractors of workers or otherwise howsoever, from further flaring of gas in the applicant’s community.”

Dissatisfied with the judgment, SPDC filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin with a suit No. CA/B/419/2017, asking the appellate court to determine if the lower court judge had the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Shell is also appealing that the evidence relied upon for the judgment by the trial judge were not scientifically proven by Mr. Gbemre and Iwhrekan community before judgment was given in their favour.

The appeal suit, which is slated for hearing on January 20, 2022, at the Court of Appeal, Benin, has Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as applicants, while Mr. Jonah Gbemre (for Iwhrekan community) and Attorney General of the Federation as respondents.