Category: SouthEast

The former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Uche Ogah, appears set to throw his weight behind the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okechukwu Ahiwe.

Ogah’s move is coming barely a few days after he lost his bid to claim the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State in a legal battle.

The Supreme Court had on February 9, in a unanimous verdict, affirmed High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the APC in Abia State.

With Emenike’s victory, Ogah was expected to congratulate him and join hands with his party’s candidate to win the forthcoming governorship poll in Abia.

But it was learnt that the former minister had already taken a first step in his new romance with the PDP, his former party, by donating his billboards to the party’s governorship standard-bearer, Ahiwe.

Ogah’s billboard at the Imo/Abia border towards Owerrinta has been replaced with Ahiwe’s banner, while Ogah’s two billboards at Ogbor Hill Aba have been converted to the use of the PDP candidate.

Chairman of Abia APC, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, said Ogah’s move had not come as a surprise to the Abia APC family, adding that “everyone knew that Ogah was sponsored by external elements to destabilise Abia APC.”

He said: “It is on record that he (Ogah) did not participate in the governorship primary of our party, nor did he even conduct the purported personal primary he claimed to have won. But he believed that with forged documents he could hoodwink the judiciary and earn another pay day from his sponsors.”

The Abia APC chairman said “the least we had expected from Ogah is to congratulate High Chief Emenike and direct his supporters to queue behind the governorship candidate of our party to further ensure victory for APC in Abia.”

However, Ononogbu insisted that “the door of Abia APC is still open to all aggrieved members as well as prospective members.”

The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has maintained at several forums that Ogah “is a mole in Abia APC”, hence his legal fights over the party’s governorship ticket was just a ruse.

Another chieftain of APC, Prince Benedict Apugo, had also publicly stated that in 2019, Ogah compromised the governorship ticket of the party, hence he could not be trusted with another chance.

If the former minister of state for mines and steel development finally turned his back on APC and worked against the party, the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, will be disappointed, it was learnt.

Tinubu had during his presidential campaign rally in Abia urged Ogah to end feud and legal tussle. He met him for an in-house resolution of his grievances.

“Uche Ogah please, stop all court actions and come and see me. Come home, let us resolve our matter in our living room,” Tinubu said, adding: “Our position here is clear: Ikechi Emenike is holding the flag of our party, APC.”

Ex-agitators from first, second and third phases of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have called on security agencies to unmask the identities of “enemies of the Niger Delta” blackmailing PAP’s Interim Administrator, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu.

The former agitators recalled that they earlier raised the alarm that enemies of the region had launched a campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Ndiomu to discredit their achievements in PAP.

Their joint statement was signed yesterday by the Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Strategic Communication Committee (STRACOM), Mr. Nature Dumale and the National President, first phase Ex-agitators, HRH Henry Ekes, Ovuru the 1st (aka Egbema 1).

The stakeholders in the statement, which was also signed by Heads of First Phase Ex-Agitators, Rivers, Granville Ideye;  Bayelsa, Ebite Ifiemi;  Second Phase, Sylvester Tambo and National Chairman, Third Phase, Gen. Tonye Bobo, described the attack against Ndiomu as criminal and unwarranted.

Dumale, who read the statement in Port Harcourt, said in their recent antics, the detractors circulated a report claiming that the Niger Delta elders and traditional rulers petitioned Buhari and asked for the suspension of Ndiomu over alleged corrupt practices.

He said names contained in the report were fictitious and could neither be traced to any elder nor traditional ruler in the Niger Delta.

Dumale insisted that the allegations contained in the report were as fictitious, false and preposterous as the faceless individuals making the claims.

He said: “The only interpretation to the action of these faceless individuals and groups is that they are desperately trying to stoke crisis in the Niger Delta.

“They want the Buhari administration to further lose credibility by targeting the only region that has remained peaceful despite the turbulence and separatist agitations in other parts of the country.”

“Using the revered traditional institutions to make false claims about one of the most illustrious sons of the Niger Delta like Ndiomu is criminal and blackmail taking too far. This is why we are calling on security agencies to investigate these characters, unmask their identities and arrest them.”

Dumale said all ex-agitators were behind Ndiomu and his efficient management of the amnesty programme, especially after their investigations into the allegations levelled against him gave him a clean bill of health.

He said monarchs in the Niger Delta, elders, chiefs and other stakeholders had also thrown their weight behind Ndiomu for sanitising PAP and sustaining peace in the region.

Dumale said: “We, again, warn that we, the owners of PAP, will not fold our arms and allow few unscrupulous elements, whose source of corrupt enrichment in PAP, had been blocked by Ndiomu’s ongoing reforms, to continue to stoke crisis in the region.

“As we strive to unmask the identities of these people and their sponsors, we are calling on the Inspector-General of Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the Department of State Security and other security agencies to go after them.

“The scaremongering of these agents of darkness is designed to cause riot, disrupt the mainstay of the country’s resources and disorganise the forthcoming elections in the region.

“These people are crisis merchants, who only make money by instigating violence. They derive pleasure to see people die. They sponsor protests and cash in on violent agitation for relevance.

“We call on the public to disregard these allegations. PAP has monthly budget of N5billion, which covers stipends for all ex-agitators, overhead cost and other expenses. How can one still steal the kind of money contained in the allegations of these people?”

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abak Five Political bloc in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District have united in support of the senatorial aspiration of the erstwhile Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

They  are also backing APC  presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

They called on the people of the senatorial district to disregard the statement by some political opponents of Senator Akpabio led by former Petroleum Minister, Atuekong Don Etiebet that the political bloc would not support Senator Akpabio, describing such stance as self- serving and dead on arrival.

Convener of the forum and a former member of the House of Representatives, Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed that the stakeholders of Abak Five, comprising state officers of APC from old Abak Division, the five chapter chairmen of APC, 55 APC ward chairmen, candidates of APC and critical stakeholders from the old Abak Division met to forestall being railroaded into a political decision that would mar their collective interest and well-being.

According to their communique, “stakeholders of APC in Abak-Five note with grave sadness the spurious claims of Etiebet, which noted that stakeholders in the region had reached a resolution not to support Akpabio and question how he arrived at such stakeholders to the exclusion of chapter and ward chairmen of APC; a party he audaciously parades himself as a caucus leader. How can he be an effective leader without the followership of people at the grassroots which we represent?”

“We reject in its entire entirety, the purported resolution by Etiebet that Abak-Five should support a candidate of another political party other than APC and view this reckless decision as an anti-party act that should not be condoned under any guise.

“As APC members from Abak-Five, we disassociate ourselves from the statement credited to Etiebet that Abak-Five will support the senatorial candidate of PDP in the forthcoming National Assembly election of February 25, with particular reference to the candidacy of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

“That we, the stakeholders from Abak-5, have unanimously resolved to support Senator Akpabio from Ikot-Ekpene/Essien-Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency because of his capacity, the oneness and unification of Annang and the conviction that he will bring more dividends of democracy without recourse to cleavage sentiments.

“That we, the stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five, endorse all candidates of APC beginning with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president, Obong Akanimo Udofia for governor, distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate; all House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of APC.

“We call on the National Chairman of our party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, state chairman of APC, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, the NWC and SWC to visit the full weight of sanctions as prescribed in our party constitution, on Atuekong Don Etiebet and co-travellers, for engaging in anti-party activities. This will act as a deterrent to other fifth-columnists and restore sanity in our party as we approach the general election.

 “Finally, stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five state without equivocation that Etiebet has no authority to speak on behalf of Abak-5 without the consent of the ward chairmen, chapter chairmen, state officers and stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five.

“We call on all and sundry from Abak-Five to ignore the claims of rejection of Akpabio by Etiebet, as such position is dead on arrival,” the communiqué stated.

The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has promised to build a multipurpose town hall for Ugwuezi community in Abia State.

Onyejocha, who is representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State, made the pledge during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting at Ugwuezi community, Umuehihie Amuda in Abia State.

She said: “As for the town hall, I already have that it in mind to build it even without you drawing my attention to it. This is my foundation and the first road I constructed as a legislator was in this community.

“This is why I believe that the gathering was not ordinary; it was ordained by God, who said it was the hour and time for us to meet and share our thoughts in accordance with His directives.

“I want to thank you all to agree on the certainty of a more prosperous future for our community. I also thank you for your endorsement, the gifts and especially, the love showered on me today.

“I am happy that we have agreed to work together as a family going forward. I thank you even more for expressing confidence in me.”

During the meeting, the federal lawmaker recounted how her life was programmed by God from birth.

She also told the gathering how God spared her life as a child on three occasions.

She said: “God preserved me for today and He will continue to preserve me for future. I am a child of destiny. All my experience growing up as a child were designed by God to prepare me for this day to serve.

“I lost my mother at the age of five and I experienced living with my grandmother to a certain point. While living with my grandmother, who was a trader then, I never lacked anything, but when she died, the devil threw up a bitter pill. But of course, I know that even with all I went through, God was just taking me through the phases of life to prepare me for what I am doing today and what I have become today.

“To be frank, I am not playing politics; I am a servant in my father’s (God’s) yard. All the times I lived with my grandmother, the experience was for today.”

More than 700 communities in various local government areas of Enugu State have applied to be given autonomous status from their mother communities by the state government, the state government has said.

This was disclosed by the chairman of the Committee for the Creation of Autonomous Communities in Enugu State, Prof. Felix Asogwa, at Iwollo where the Committee came to verify over 30 proposed autonomous communities in Ezeagu North and West Development Centres in Ezeagu local government area of the state to ascertain the authenticity of the applications from them.

Asogwa disclosed that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi set up the committee because of his belief that creating new communities would engender peace and development across the state, adding that Ugwuanyi is of the belief that creating new communities would help many communities to have a say in government.

“Governor Ugwuanyi is concerned that many people are desirous of new autonomous communities. He is of the belief that if different communities pursue this in unity and peace, it will engender peace and development.

“The governor also believes that creating new communities would help many communities to have a say in government. These are the reasons he created us. That’s why we called for applications.

“So far, over 700 communities have applied. It shows that many are desirous of peace and development.

“However, we found out that few people did the applications on behalf of others. But we know that communities are not owned by few people. That’s why we’re here for verifications,” Asogwa said.

Former governor of old Anambra state, Senator Jim Nwobodo, has berated opposition politicians in Enugu State for engaging in campaign of calumny ahead of the March 11 governorship election in the state.

Nwobodo said it smacks of desperation for the opposition elements in the state to engage in maligning the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Barr. Peter Mbah.

The elder statesman spoke to journalists in his Amaechi country home in Enugu South local government area of the state, in reaction to the certificate forgery allegation against Mbah.

Mbah is being accused of presenting a forged National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) discharged certificate, an allegation he has since denied.

Addressing journalists, Nwobodo said during his active political life, neither him nor late C.C. Onoh engaged in a campaign of calumny, stressing that they faced issues bordering the state.

The former governor expressed worry when he heard about Mbah’s alleged certificate forgery.

“When I heard the news, I was worried, deeply concerned. I called Peter and I said, ‘tell me the truth’. He told me that it was not true. He told me that he indeed took part in the NYSC and obtained his certificate.

“I am appealing to politicians to stop this kind of politics; we didn’t do this during our own time,” he stated.

Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Leyii Kwanee, has condemned attacks on All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rallies by hoodlums suspected to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, “this is attack on democracy.”

Kwanee, who spoke through the state Chairman, Ben Ogbogbula, said the latest attack on APC campaign rally venue in Omuma Local Government was tantamount to resorting to stone-age politics.

He said violence was never within the contemplation of democracy, adding that those who indulged in such barbarism “have no place in our civilisation.”

The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly noted with regrets that the attack on the campaign train of other parties was a reminder of the siege to the institutions of democracy and the rule of law by enemies of democracy, peace and development of the state in the 7th Assembly he co-led.

He said: “These continued attacks are calculated to intimidate the opposition, but the faceless perpetrators know they have failed already.

“Our democracy has evolved. Those who still do not understand that Nigerians will not give up their democratic rights to thugs and political bandits after the supreme price paid by the heroes of our democracy in confronting the military, should wake up to the realities.

“No amount of premeditated attacks such as witnessed in Omuma Council will cow the people to give up on their rights under the constitution and the law.”

Kwanee added: “As an opposition party, we sympathise with the APC and the Tonye Cole/Innocent Barikor governorship team over the losses they might have incurred.

“We stand by them and challenge those whose activities constitute threats to democracy and the rule of law to stop attacking campaign rallies in the state.

“Governor Nyesom Wike should tone down his fiery, confrontational political outbursts to eliminate the feverish political climate already created. Let Wike’s supporters absorb the lesson that power is transient by discarding the archaic approach of intimidation of the opposition in a democracy.”

He called on the Commissioner of Police (CP), Okon Effiong Okon, to redouble efforts to prevent further attacks on political rallies and fish out perpetrators of the attacks for prosecution.