Category: South East

AS the organisers of the Bayelsa Media Network Award (BMNA) is set to announce the Best Governor Award in December 2021, loyalists of the three governors nominated by the organisers have become apprehensive.

The three governors nominated for the award to take place on December 26, 2021 are Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Out of the three governors, one of them will clinch the award as the organizers said the best would surely carry the day after a voting process that would ascertain the true winner as the BMNA Best Governor of 2021.

With the three governors already nominated, the choice of who emerges the best governor at the award’s ceremony appears tough and challenging.

The organisers said that Diri, Wike and Bello had individually performed creditably well in different areas of developments in their various states.

They noted that the governor that would carry the day after voting by citizens would be crowned with the prestigious award.

The profiles of the three nominee governors are intimidating and impressive.

Douye Diri is the Governor of Bayelsa State. He was a senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District at the Nigeria’s ninth National Assembly. As governor, he has awarded numerous projects. He saw to the commencement of Bayelsa International Cargo Airport. His administration remains resolute to the welfare of workers as seen in his prompt payment of salaries and pensions.

Nyesom Ezenwon Wike, a Nigerian politician and lawyer, is a sitting current Governor of Rivers State. He is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was educated at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Yahaya Bello is a Nigerian politician, businessman and current Governor of Kogi State. The astute politician has turned Kogi State from one of the most insecure states to one of the safest in his time.

AHEAD of the 2023 general elections, a former presidential aspirant and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, (APC) Stanley Osifo has called on the National Assembly to reconsider the inclusion of independent candidacy clause in the Electoral Act amendment.

In a telephone conversation with The Nation in Benin-City the Edo State capital yesterday, Osifo emphasised that independent candidacy that produced Emmanuel Macron as president of France can also work in Nigeria if given space in the constitution.

The Edo-born politician said there are many Nigerians with good antecedents who don’t believe in party ideologies or want to be cowed by political nomenclature but can turn things around in Nigeria if given opportunity to serve.

In a reaction to direct primaries inclusion in the Electoral Amendment Bill recently passed by the National Assembly that was also rejected by the APC governors, the former presidential hopeful described the system as the best option to pick flagbearers for elections, saying democracy as a system of government is not constituted for a few people.

OVER 52 cases of electoral violence against women were recorded before and during the just concluded governorship election in Anambra State, Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre (GPSDC) has revealed.

Executive Director, Mrs Eucharia Anekwe who disclosed this yesterday in Awka at the launch of Anambra Women Agenda (AWA) said the cases were recorded during the “Stop Violence Against Women in Politics,” (Stop-VAWIP) campaign.

The Stop-VAWIP campaign is in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Anekwe regretted the growing cases of violence against women, stressing that the campaign was targeted at addressing the ugly trend.

She said, “Women’s political participation in Anambra has retrogressed in the past eight years due to act of electoral violence such as threats, hate speech, assault and blackmail directed at them, hence the Stop- VAWIP campaign.

“During the campaign which started weeks to the governorship election, we recorded about 52 victims who narrated their experiences as aspirants, elected officials, election officials, voters and other electoral stakeholders.

“This is why we brought together a coalition of women organisations called ‘Nwanyibuife’ to raise awareness of violence against women in politics and election in the state.

“This coalition planned strategic advocacies and came up with the Anambra Women Agenda to address gender-based violence and drive the progress and development of women in the state.”

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr Glory Nwaka said the agenda would improve women’s participation in leadership, governance and elective politics in the state.

On her part, Gender Advisor, NDI, Mrs Roselynn Musa described violence against women in politics as an intolerable violation of women’s rights which poses fundamental challenges to democratic values and electoral processes.

“NDI supports programmes that strengthen electoral integrity and uphold the values of equality and inclusivity that lie at the heart of democracy,” she said.

THE ranks of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State swelled at the weekend following the defection to its fold of two-time chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area of the state, Itam Ettah aka Bomboy.

In a rally held at Obol Lopon square, Ugep, headquarters of the council, Ettah defected to the ruling party from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP with thousands of his supporters citing “our dear governor, Professor Ben Ayade’s purposeful governance, massive industrialisation drive and the need to socket our state to the epicentre of national politics and align with the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari” as reasons.

Recalled that Governor Ayade ditched the PDP for the APC in May, taking with him critical PDP stakeholders in the state, including  virtually all his political appointees, all local government chairmen and their councillors, 18 out of the 24 member House of Assembly, some members of the National Assembly, state and ward executives of the PDP among others.

The former council boss who thanked the governor for rising to the occasion when he was kidnapped by hoodlums sometime ago, said his defection to the APC signals the end of his former party, the PDP in the Yakurr.

Speaking at the rally, the newly elected Cross River APC chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar Eba commended Ettah for joining “the progressive family and a winning team’.”

INDUSTRIALIST and international oil merchant, Prince Arthur Eze, has expressed confidence in the ability of Professor Charles Soludo, the Anambra State governor-elect, to reposition the state and make it more viable and peaceful for the people.

Also, in an earlier statement he issued through his Special Adviser on Media, Chief Oliver Okpala in Abuja, Prince Eze expressed joy at the emergence of Soludo, which he described as the “perfect realisation of a people’s longstanding wish and desire.”

Eze also described Soludo as “a world class economic colossus and technocrat whose earlier presence in government remains indelible.”

He, however, urged the governor-elect to place the interest of the people above all considerations.

The business mogul who urged the people of the state to rally round Soludo to revamp the ailing sectors of Anambra, prayed God to grant him uncanny wisdom and grace to steer the affairs of the state.

Prince Eze, who made glowing reference to President Muhamadu Buhari’s congratulatory message to Soludo of APGA, urged the nation’s politicians to rise above blind partisanship and primordial interests.

A driver, Mr. Henry Ujah has been sentenced to three months imprisonment by a Magistrate Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State for driving against traffic.

The accused was apprehended by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state capital in August for alleged Route Violation (RTV), Road obstruction (ROB), Obstructing Marshal on duty (OMD) and Dangerous Driving (DGD).

He was sentenced by the court with option of ₦23,000.00 fine after being found guilty.

Reacting, State Sector Commander, Adeoye Irelewuyi stressed that the interest of the Corps is not in the fines imposed on offenders, but in saving lives and property of motoring public in the country.

He said Route Violation amounted to dangerous driving, warning motorists in the State to desist from driving against traffic or risk conviction and jail terms or pay a fine of N50,000.

He said, “The Corps is not interested in the fines imposed on the offenders but in saving lives and property of all motoring public in Nigeria. All these are corrective measures the Corps has put in place to avoid indiscipline by road users.”

SENATE President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan has called for the patronage of made-in-Nigeria products as the country battles the effect of the global effect of the continued rise in dollar.

Lawan stated this in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State during a state visit to commission Enyimba Automated Shoe Company (ENASCO) built by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration.

According to the Senate President this is a period that Nigeria should focus more on products that will serve as substitution to imported goods, adding that Nigeria is at a time when there is no need spending money on foreign exchange.

“ENASCO is one project that anyone who sees or hears about will tell you that there is mastery of vision here because the future belongs to our youths.

“The stability of any community, any society or country depends on the opportunity given to the youths to pour out their energy into productive use.

“This place will not only be the epic centre of automated shoe production in Nigeria, but in the entire West Africa.

“It is the mission of the federal government to collaborate with state governments to provide employment opportunities and environment where the leaders of tomorrow should work and enjoy the opportunities available to them to earn a very decent living and have great promising future.

“For us to have a prosperous country, we must embark on massive import substitution. We cannot continue to import everything. We don’t even have foreign exchange any more.

“So this project in addition to providing in the local communities and in Abia in direct and indirect ways, the leather industries in Kano and other places will also get employment opportunities.

“This project deserves every possible support from every federal government agencies; Ministry of Industry, Bank of Industry and the Central Bank of Nigeria must be looking at their direction.

“What governor Ikpeazu has done is to say that nothing is impossible. Despite the lean resources to states, you have been able to come up with this kind of project. It shows how prudent, efficient and economic that you are with the resources available to you. Abia is lucky to have a governor like Okezie Ikpeazu.”

In his speech Governor Ikpeazu who described the project as a dream come true stated that his administration was pushed to think outside the box in the face of the global meltdown in 2015 facing the country at the inception of his administration.

Ikpeazu who commended President Buhari for supporting the growth of small businesses in the state through the establishment of Ariaria Gas Turbine Electricity Plant in Aba noted that with constant power supply, small businesses will thrive.

A young author, Zainab Jimoh, has said COVID-19 vaccine is not harmful.

She urged Nigerians to embrace it.

The twelve-year-old, who is a Senior Secondary School pupil, spoke yesterday at Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako West Local Government of Edo State, at the launch of her second book titled: “Year 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.”

The kid writer, who aspired to be like the renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, said the book would enlighten and educate the public about the danger of COVID-19.

She said: “I want Nigerians and other people across the globe to know that the deadly virus exists.

“I love reading, net surfing and researching. I discovered my writing skills when my English teacher gave an assignment in class, asking us to write stories and compositions. Then, I knew I had the zeal inside of me to always want to write. When I sit, I am able to think and something drives me to just write.

“My parents have always stood by me, encouraging me and providing me with all I need in the pursuit of my goal, as a writer.

“My writing journey started in 2019, when I wrote the book: ‘Faruq the Destiny Child.’ With COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the whole world, I began to ask questions about it. This is what brought about my second book.”

The father of the writer, Fatai Jimoh, described his second child as exceptionally brilliant and a good writer, with a bright future.

The author’s father said: “Being an engineer, I wanted Zainab to follow suit, but she opted for writing.

“I discovered my daughter’s ability to write, when she was in primary 3. She cried to write the common entrance examination, which came as a shock to me, because she was not of age then, but I allowed her and to my amazement, she performed exceptionally.”

The father admonished parents not to dictate to their children on their career choice, but to support and encourage their dreams and aspirations.

The Chairman of the book launch, Sikiru Ademola, said that the young writer should be encouraged and motivated.

Miss Kasi Usani 21, an undergraduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic, who represented Cross River State, has emerged winner of the 2021 Face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant contest.

The queen went home with a car, an endorsement deal.

She will be involved in running a project with the World Kindness Initiative Nigeria (WKIN) and signed to FONDCUP Nigeria Limited and NDDC for one year.

Kasi beat eight other contestants from other Niger Delta states, to emerge the winner of the coveted contest.

Edo State’s Miss Faith Iguodala Etinosasere emerged first runner up, while Grace Ekrakene from Delta State was the second-runner up.

Kasi Usani’s duties, as the crowned queen preaching love, kindness, peace and unity amongst the Niger Deltans.

She is to show Nigerians and the world that the Niger Deltans are beautiful and hardworking people.

Senator Annie Okonkwo has congratulated Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the just concluded November 6 Anambra governorship election.

Okonkwo in a statement said the will of the people of Anambra State prevailed in the November 6 Anambra governorship election.

Okonkwo, however, urged   the Anambra governor-elect to extend his hand of fellowship to all the governorship candidates that participated in the just concluded election to build a better Anambra.

According to him, the current challenges in Anambra State cannot be tackled by one person. “I am appealing to Soludo to rally other stakeholders to tackle the problems confronting the state and the South-East in general.”