Category: Southeast report

•Party says governor’s utterances inimical to democracy

The Anyi G’emeya Campaign Organisation (AGCO) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi to order before “he plunges the state into another round of bloodbath.”

It said the call was necessitated by Umahi’s request for security agencies to withdraw their personnel attached to opposition party candidates in the state.

The campaign organisation said the call by Umahi was not only against the tenets of democracy and the safety of candidates, but also at variance with President Buhari’s admonition for politicians to allow a peaceful atmosphere during and after the elections.

The alarm came on the heels of the bloody attack by gunmen on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Prof. Bernard Odoh, at the weekend.

Although Odoh narrowly escaped death, his driver was not as lucky. Odoh’s Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) was also torched by the gunmen.

Umahi reportedly made the call while handing over operational vehicles and equipment to some security outfits in the state last Tuesday.

In a statement made available to The Nation at the weekend by its Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Abia Onyike, the AGCO accused Umahi of always stoking tension and engaging in “medieval political arrogance and brigandage.”

The statement said: “The latest threats of Governor Umahi highlight and attest to his political infantilism, anarchism, which have made Ebonyi State the most terrorised state in Southern Nigeria in recent times.

 “Umahi, who has been in the habit of creating tension in the state, is once again unravelling his anti-democratic tendencies and anarchic political behaviour at a time when all Nigerians, including President Buhari, are preaching peace.

“This reckless act of the governor confirms the series of alarms already raised by the PDP and other political parties, who have become a cheap target for the unbridled violence unleashed on the state by the administration of Governor Umahi.

“It is very unfortunate that Umahi can descend so low to such a shameless level whereupon he engages in medieval political arrogance and brigandage to talk down on citizens because of his temporary power, which shall soon fizzle out in a few months.

“Whether he likes it or not, in three months, his power and immunity will desert him. He will become “Madu Emuma” or “Madu Mmaka” (an ordinary person). Power is not only temporary, but also very transient. “

The Catholic Diocese of Warri has slated Thursday for the ordination and installation of Rt Rev. Msgr Anthony Ovayero Ewherido as bishop of the diocese.

He will become the fifth bishop of the diocese, after the retirement of Most Rev. John Afareha, who turned 75 last year.

The planning committee of the Episcopal Ordination and Installation led by its Chairman, Rev. Fr. Jude Obuinu, disclosed this at the weekend, during a news briefing at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State.

He said the event would hold at the Holy Martyrs of Uganda Minor Seminary, Effurun.

The apostolic administrator of the diocese, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, announced the appointment of Msgr. Ewherido as the bishop-elect on December 28, 2022.

Addressing reporters, Prof. Obuinu said church dignitaries within and outside the Catholic faith, including the papal nuncio (Vatican ambassador) to Nigeria, Anthonio Guido Filipazzi, Catholic Cardinals, as well as representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are expected to attend the event.

Delta State Governor and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, Deputy Senate President and Delta governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, his PDP counterpart and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, among other government functionaries, are also expected at the ceremony.

Flanked by other committee members like Rev. Fr. Jude Sagbodje, Financial Administrator, Warri Catholic Diocese; Rev Fr. ThaddeusOkpowodu, Director of communications, Warri Catholic Diocese and Chief Emuobonuvie Enamuotor.

Obuinu said there would be security to ensure a hitch-free ceremony.

Giving a brief history of the founding of the diocese in 1964, he said as at the time of creation, “the diocese had only eight parishes. But as at today, we have about 154 parishes and 179 indigenous priests ordained for this Catholic diocese.”

Fr. Sagbodje said Ewherido’s appointment received warm welcome across the diocese.

He described the bishop-elect as an “answered prayer” and a “blessing” to the Warri bishopric.

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for Ovia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, Omosede Igbinedion, a lawyer,  has begun electrification  in Siluko community and 20 other communities in Ovia Southwest Local Government Area.

 Igbinedion began the project three days after she visited Siluko as part of her Ward to ward campaign ahead of the elections.

Already, the contractor has  started moving  poles to the communities.

Elders in the community complained to Omosede that their greatest need was to be connected to the national grid.

They said they have not had electricity for many years despite repeated promises by politician.

The former lawmaker assured the community elders that the contractor would soon be mobilised to commence the project with her personal money.

Igbinedion, who listed her achievements as a lawmaker said she has become aware of the needs of the people.

She stated that she would ensure the rural farmers had access to federal government support for farmers when elected.

According to her, I have heard what you want. I will not wait to be elected before commencing this important project to your communities.

“Do not believe the lies of other political parties. You have tested them and see the hardship they brought on us.

“Vote for me and all PDP candidates. Apart from this electricity , the farmers will get support and your wives will be empowered.”

Spokesman for Siluko community, Adegbenro Omofolarin, said Omosede has proven to be good politician.

Omofolarin said they were surprised that the electrification began sooner that they expected.

The elders adopted Igbinedion as their preferred candidate to represent them in the National Assembly .

•As PDP presents flags to Mbah, other candidates

Members of the G-5 Governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Friday stormed Enugu, the Enugu State capital for the flag-off of Enugu PDP 2023 campaigns, declaring Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as reliable and dependable.

Wike was accompanied by the Governors Seyi Makinde and Samuel Ortom of Oyo and Benue States respectively, as well as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the PDP, Alhaji Taofik Arapaja, among other national leaders of the party.

Arapaja and the National Vice Chairman Southeast, Chief Ali Odefa, had on behalf of the party, presented the PDP flags to the governorship candidate of PDP in Enugu State, Barr. Peter Mbah and other candidates of the party in the state ahead of the elections.

Speaking at the event at Michael Okpara Square Enugu, Wike said the coming of the G-5 governors and PDP leaders to Enugu was to tell the people of the state the they were solidly behind him.

He said, “Our coming here today is to tell you that we are solidly behind Ugwuanyi.  He is a reliable and dependable person.

“Ugwuanyi is somebody who you can go to war with and he won’t let you down and your two eyes will be closed.

“Ugwuanyi is somebody when he says yes, his yes is yes. No wonder the entire people of Enugu State are solidly behind him and they have come out to say, ‘my brothers, Ugwuanyi is our own.”

Wike stated that because of Ugwuanyi’s dependability, the G-5 governors would fully back the Enugu PDP governorship candidate, Peter Mbah and all the other candidates of the party in the state to ensure that Enugu remained PDP state after the 2023 elections.

“Since Ugwuanyi is our own, Mbah is also our own. We will all give PDP candidates the necessary support to ensure that you emerge victorious in the coming elections.

“Now that it is obvious that Mbah and all PDP candidates in Enugu have won, the opposition seems not happy. But we must celebrate,” Wike said.

He commended the people of the state for the support you are giving Ugwuanyi, assuring them that the young man who is going to take over from Ugwuanyi is going for consolidation.

Benue State governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom said with what they had seen, there was no doubt that PDP would win Enugu elections.

“We have come, we have seen and we are going with the impression that Enugu is PDP. This election is very critical. We have to thank you for the support you are giving to PDP,” Ortom said.

Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, while congratulating the party on the successful flag off of their campaign, said, it only showed that the party would have a successful election in Enugu.

He however cautioned them not to take the impending victory for granted but embark on more grassroots mobilisation for the party until the election is not won.

Elated Ugwuanyi thanked the people of Enugu State for their continued support and solidarity.

“I want assure you that in 2023, we will finish well and strong. And very soon, Peter Mbah will emerge victorious in the coming election.

“It has pleased the Almighty God that since 1999, our people have been voting for PDP. In 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019, Ndi Enugu voted massively for PDP.

“In 2023, by the special grace of God and with your support, PDP will emerge victorious again.”

President, Association of Resident Doctors, Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (Delsuth) Oghara,  Dr Harrison Adja, yesterday, narrowly escaped death after policemen in a patrol van opened fire on him in his vehicle in Agbor, Ika South LGA Delta state.

This incident is coming barely a month after the killing of a Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day by policemen.

Narrating his ordeal to reporters in Asaba Delta  capital, Adja said he was attempting to overtake a lone patrol van with registration number RBC 970 TN along the Benin-Onitsha expressway on his way to Asaba when  a policeman pointing a rifle at him, ordered him not to overtake them.

Adja said he indicated to them the inscription on his official vehicle, and did not overtake the van.

He said the policeman suddenly shot at his vehicle narrowly missing him and in the process destroyed his radiator, condenser and power steering pump and pipes of his vehicle.

He said he lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road.

His words, “I was driving on the Benin-Onitsha expressway and about overtaking a police patrol van when they(policemen) pointed their guns at me to go back, so I slowed down and was using my hand to demonstrate what was inscribed on my car, and the next thing I heard was God punish doctor… I was still behind them when they summarily opened fire at me, hitting the car and bursting the radiator, condenser and power steering pipes of my official vehicle.”

He said the incident occurred at midday in Agbor along the Benin Onitsha expressway by Uromi junction.

Adja said the policemen at Agbor Police Divisional Headquarters where he went to report the matter were hostile, adding that they refused to take his statement but kept him waiting for over three hours.

Delta Police Command, image maker, DSP Bright Edafe said investigation into the matter was ongoing.

Simon Utebor,
Yenagoa

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, has challenged the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to ensure he relocates the headquarters of international oil companies (IOCs) to the Niger Delta if elected next Nigeria’s President.

The IYC, in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, also reminded Atiku if elected not to renege on his promise of restructuring the country, ensuring equity, justice, fairness and the immediate upgrade of the management status of the federal government intervention agencies in the region from interim to substantive.

Ekerefe, however, described as fruitful the interaction between the former Vice President and Ijaw youths during his presidential rally, noting that the interaction was a good sign of commitment to the growth and advancement of the people of the region.

He said: “The interaction between us and Atiku secured series of promises from him that if elected President in 2023 he would restructure the country and ensure that equity, justice and fairness are enthroned in Nigeria.

“We also want to task him to ensure that if elected he would immediately upgrade the management status of the federal government intervention agencies in the region from Interim to substative including that of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).”

Imo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP), House of Representatives candidate for Abor Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency Albert Agulanna has been returned as candidate for the Federal Constituency after he was sacked by the Appeal Court.

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had nullified the Primary which was won by Dr Alberth Agulanna.One of the aspirants; Dr Uzoma Ugochukwu had challenged Agulanna’s victory in court, citing the venue of where the exercise was conducted is his prayer.

The previous primary was held in Owerri Municipal Council, as against the new Electoral Act which said all party primaries must hold within the District of the Constituency.

The court presided over Honorable Justice Rita Nosakhare Pemu granted Uzoma the cancellation he prayed for, and ordered that a fresh primary be held within two weeks.

In compliance with the court order, the party, on Friday, held a fresh primary election in which Agulanna polled a total of fifty votes to defeat his closest rival, Dr. Ugochukwu Uzoma, who polled two votes.

The party in a statement by state PDP Publicity Secretary, Collins Opurozor congratulated Agulanna on his election as the House of Representatives candidate of the Party for Abor Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency.

The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in Cross River State, Senator Sandy Onor has pledged that if elected the next governor of the state, within the first three months in office, he would have made a huge positive impact for the benefit of the state and its people.

Onor who addressed a press conference in Calabar at the NUJ Press Centre on Friday, assured that the NUJ will benefit in the scheme of things under his administration because he will upgrade the Press Centre to aide their professional practice and get the Union a brand new vehicle for easy of mobility.

The frontline opposition governorship candidate in the state noted that “even though I have gone round this state many times in the course of my work either as local government chairman, state chairman of ALGON, deputy national president of ALGON, chairman of the local government service commission and currently, the candidate of the PDP.

“My recent visit to the 18 local government areas have brought me closer to our traditional rulers, youths, women, religious leaders and a broad spectrum of stakeholders who are all unanimous in their disenchantment with the present APC administration in the state,” he stressed.

•As CBN officials visit Bayelsa, Delta hinterlands for cash swap scheme

Commercial bank customers in Abia State have lamented the inability of various financial institutions operating in the state to begin disbursement of the newly redesigned naira notes.

Our correspondent who monitored the availability of the newly redesigned notes in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state and Umuahia, the state capital reports that most bank customers who had come to deposit their old notes and exchanged them with the new notes left their banks in disappointment as the new naira notes remained inaccessible.

The Nation reports that banking halls of the commercial banks were full as customers make frantic efforts not to be caught up with the weekend as Mondays are usually observed as Sit-at-home in the southeast.

Those who had visited their banks to deposit their old notes were left stranded as they could neither get the new notes or lower denominations in return for their weekend expenses.

A visit to some of the markets in Aba has it that some traders have started rejecting payment with the old notes as they claim that they would not be able to dispose it before 31 deadline.

Some petrol station owners stopped collecting the old notes from 10am to enable them go to the bank to deposit the ones that they have.

Some bank staff who pleased anonymity told our correspondent that they would be open for business at the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) between the hours of 10am-3pm.

Meanwhile, officials of the apex bank on Friday stormed some hinterlands and coastal communities of Bayelsa State on a sensitisation mission for the newly redesigned Naira notes.

A CBN team from Yenagoa office led by Mr Teddy Kingsley went to Ogolomabiri, Basambiri, Akakuma-Ama, Agrisaba, Beniama and other communities of Nembe Local Government Area of the state to continue with the apex bank’s cash swap scheme to ensure the local populace change their old notes to beat next Tuesday’s deadline.

Kingsley said: “It’s quite a shock to a lot of people that there will not be an extension, but they are all very receptive and cooperating with CBN officials on the cash swap scheme. “We are making sure the agents are getting the money in the bank as fast as possible and bringing it back especially for the elderly that cannot go to town to deposit their money. “

Also Sunny Daibo, CBN’s Deputy Director of Finance who is the leader of the surveillance team of the apex bank and representative of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, told reporters, Friday in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, .

Expressing dissatisfaction with the attitude of people towards embracing the Federal Government’s cashless policy, the team leader said that there would be no extension of the deadline on the deposition of the old naira notes.

“Nigerians always wait till the last minute. This thing has been on since November. CBN says go and deposit your money in the bank. Some people will like to wait till the last minute,” he said.

“The cost of managing currency is enormous. We cannot continue to do things in the old ways and expect different results. With this policy every Nigerian can now open a bank account easily,” he added.

Nger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has raised the alarm over sponsored campaigns of calumny against the newly-inaugurated governing board of the commission.

The Director, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, in a statement yesterday, condemned series of bankrolled reports aimed at instigating crisis among members of the board.

The commission warned detractors to steer clear of the board and allow it to discharge its responsibilities to the Niger Delta.

NDDC slammed a report in one of the online newspapers titled: “NDDC chairperson aborts N25biliion payment as FG sets to domicile the commission at SGF office.”

The commission described the report credited to an unknown source as spurious, saying the wild allegations were the handiwork of enemies of Niger Delta.

The statement said: “These bogus stories are being spread by enemies of the Niger Delta region, who do not want the new board and management of the NDDC to succeed.

“These concocted stories are meant to sow a seed of discord among members of the board, who are united in their resolve to make a difference in Niger Delta.

 “Our initial reaction was to ignore the baseless lies, but we also realise that it is important to put the records straight by stating the facts as they are.

“The truth is that the board and management of the NDDC are now more than ever united, especially after the three-day retreat anchored on ‘Making a Difference’, which was held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State”.

The commission said some aggrieved persons and group were desperately trying to instigate crisis in the NDDC and later feast on the ensuing confusion.

The commission said: “What is playing out smacks of desperation of the highest order. In fact, it is undisguised blackmail by some persons and groups to instigate rancour in the NDDC and subsequently feast from the confusion that will attend their contrived disorder.

“We are fully aware of an increasing need to be seen to be more accountable to the public and to conduct our affairs in a more transparent manner.”

“Entrenching the tenets of accountability and transparency in our activities forms part of the thrust of the new leadership, as espoused by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana, the Chairman of the NDDC Board, Mrs. Onochie and the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.

“After our retreat in Uyo, we are now more than ever before, determined to work with new ideas to achieve the objective of fast-tracking the development of Niger Delta.

“The public should disregard the false story published online. Once again, we assure our stakeholders that the NDDC governing board will neither be distracted nor divided in its resolve to do things differently and make a difference in Niger Delta”