By Chris Njoku, Owerri

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared its readiness for the conduct of the Imo North Senatorial bye-election holding on December 5, the All Progressives Congress(APC) Chairman in the state, Marcellius Nlemigbo has said the party’s candidate remains Frank Ibezim.

The Federal High Court in Owerri had on Friday November 6, declared  Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the candidate of APC for the Okgiwe Senatorial election.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Tegem, in his ruling, in Suit no FHC/Ow/101/2020, nullified the election of Frank Ibezim, on the grounds that he was disqualified by the party’s screening committee before the primary election.

According to him,  the next person with the highest number of votes,  Senator Ifeanyi Ararume,  automatically becomes the candidate of the APC for Okigwe Senatorial election.

Nlemigbo however maintained that the authentic candidate of the party is Ibezim.

The chairman, while speaking to our correspondent yesterday in Owerri, said  that the national leadership of the party has said that the candidate of the party who won the primary election remains Ibezim. ”So we are going into the election with Frank Ibezim,” he stated.

INEC Chairman, Ahmed Muazu,  had  said that the commission had virtually prepared for the election as all the non-sensitive materials required for the conduct of the election  ”have been dispatched to the  registration area level and delivered to the various local governments in Imo North Senatorial District.

By Chris Oji, Enugu

The police is Enugu State have begun investigations into the mysterious death of three children at Itchi, Igbo Eze South Local Government Area.

A statement by the spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, reads: “On November 23, the command received a report made at the Igbo-Eze South Divisional headquarters, that three children were found dead in a parked car in Itchi.

“Operatives of the division dashed to the scene and found two of the children still alive, while three others were already dead. The survivors were taken to the hospital while the dead were deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.

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“Chukwuebuka Ele (5); Chinyere Eze (F,4) and Chibugoh Eze (F,4) were found dead while Kingsley Eze (3) and Nmasichukwu Eze (F,12) were found alive.

“Investigations showed that the children left their homes in Nkalagu-Okpuku community to fetch water from a borehole in Itchi, on November 22, but were not seen till the following morning when they were found locked up in the said vehicle.

“The Commissioner of Police, Ahmad AbdurRahman, has directed that the case be transferred to the state CID and investigated.

“One suspect has been arrested while the public are enjoined to remain law-abiding, vigilant and promptly report crime to the nearest police station or call the command’s hotlines.”

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt 

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued a bench warrant on Commander of the Nigerian Navy Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Com. Sam Bora.

The court accused Bora of failing to appear before it and refusing to release an arrested suspect.

Justice Hilary Oshoma also ordered that the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, and his men, arrest and bring Bora to the court on December 3 to show cause why he should not be disciplined.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Christian Woke, said Naval officers arrested his client, Ledumbari Nafiri, on August 2.

Woke added that the Navy also denied his client access to his lawyer and defied a valid court order to release him.

He said: “My client was arrested in a commando style when the Naval officers invaded his house, took away his properties and held him incommunicado.

“When the court finally ordered that Nafiri be released, the order was served on Sam Bora, the Commanding Officer of Navy Pathfinder, Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt. But he refused to obey the order and instead transferred Nafiri to Abuja. The same order was served on the Abuja Naval office and they still refused to release him.”

Woke hailed the court’s decision, explaining that the warrant was issued against the senior Naval officer because he failed to honour the court’s summons thrice.

Though the Navy had yet to make official statement on the warrant, a senior officer said they were in shock.

By Bisi Olaniyi, Benin

Wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; her Kebbi State counterpart Dr. Zainab Bagudu; and Founder of Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; have called for actions to end all forms of gender-based violence against women.

The also advocated the prosecution of suspected sexual offenders.

The women spoke at a public lecture organised by the United Nations Information Centre and Women Arise to mark the start of the 16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls.

The event was themed “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect”.

Mrs. Obaseki urged stakeholders to work with relevant government authorities, especially law enforcement agencies, to stem the tide of gender-based violence and uphold the rights of women.

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She called for more legislation and concerted efforts to fund, collect, respond and prevent gender-based violence.

The governor’s wife noted that beside legislation aimed at protecting women and girls in the state, the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration had embarked on programmes and reforms to empower the girl-child and ensure the rights of women were upheld.

Mrs. Obaseki hinted that the state has launched the sex offenders’ register and set up the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to prosecute all cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Mrs. Bagudu said it was time for stakeholders to move from talking to transformation, through actionable plans whole Dr. Okei-Odumakin said: “Act, start a movement. Rather than watch abuse happen, stand up, speak up, intervene in potentially harmful situations, or alert others for assistance.”

The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. It holds annually between November 25(the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and December 10 (the Human Rights Day).

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said his administration cherishes the relationship with the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) because the maritime sector has great potential for the state’s economic advancement.

Diri spoke at a dinner organised in honour of the NIMASA Director-General, Bashir Jamoh, at the Government House in Yenagoa.

The governor noted that the riverine nature of the state made the partnership imperative.

A statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the visit marked the beginning of a new page in the relationship between the state and NIMASA.

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Diri noted that oil wealth would not last forever, hence the need to turn attention to the maritime sector, which holds great potential for the state’s advancement economically.

He said: “When we visited you in Lagos, you truly promised to return our visit. In Bayelsa State, our environment is almost 90 per cent riverine. Crude oil is losing value and we must open a new page for our economic prosperity. The new windows and our riches are in the maritime domain. Everything in the ocean is money.

“This partnership will open up employment for our youths. It is a new dawn of progress, development and prosperity in Bayelsa.”

Jamoh thanked Diri for the warm reception accorded him and his team, and congratulated him on his victory at the courts, describing it as divine.

He lauded the governor for his foresight ‘which had led him to look beyond oil’, saying such vision was in line with the mandate of NIMASA. Jamoh promised to work with the government to diversify the state’s revenue sources.

By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has said plans have been concluded to substantially offset salary arrears owed workers of the State University Teaching Hospital.

The governor spoke at the Government House in Umuahia when National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Prof. Innocent Ujah and his team visited him.

Ikpeazu promised that his administration is committed to resolving issues at ABSUTH, and called for support of health workers. According to the governor, what gives a medical practitioner joy is not just money, but saving lives. He also condemned the attack on some health workers by union leaders under the guise of a strike.

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He appealed to Ujah to further sensitise members of the union on the need to take saving lives more seriously, especially as a cardinal objective of the profession.

Ujah lauded the government’s giant strides in the health sector, including the employment of more health workers, establishment of the Tele-Health initiative and other strategic options in the sector.

He, however, appealed to the government to address the poor road network leading to ABSUTH, improve on the state of some General and Cottage Hospitals, non-implementation of COVID-19 hazard allowance to health workers, among others.

By Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

The National Boundary Commission (NBC) and Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) has kicked off the Imo/Rivers Inter-state Boundary Physical and Tracing Demarcation to resolve the boundary dispute between the states.

At a stakeholders’ meeting in Mmahu, Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, NBC Director-General, Sunday Adamu, assured the states the commission would be impartial.

He also inaugurated members of the state committee on boundary demarcation, saying the commission had set up a joint task team that comprised members of the commission and officials from the two states, to ensure a fair and just exercise.

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Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state’s Boundary Committee, Prof. Placid Njoku, promised the government’s partnership and support to ensure a smooth assignment on the boundaries.

He said: “The people love peace and advocate for justice, equity and fairness. Our government has sacrificed a lot to maintain peace and ensure adequate protection of lives in the border communities. Nevertheless, there have been continued border skirmishes and anxiety in Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Areas.

“It is my belief that today’s event affords the states the opportunity of taking a critically important step in the final drive to determine the common boundary of the states.”