Category: Southeast report

Some of the Aspirants for the positions of house of assembly, house of representatives, senate and governor, under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State Chapter, have kicked against the plans to hold another primaries.

The aspirants who started this in Abakaliki, capital of the State on Friday said they will boycott the fresh primaries.

The national working committee of the party had scheduled the elections to hold on 28th and 29th of May, 2022.

However, midway into the exercise, the NWC announced its cancellation.

But the exercise went on and was concluded with the emergence of Ifeanyi Odii as winner of the governorship primary election.

However, the NWC on Tuesday wrote to INEC reiterating the cancellation of the primary election.

But the aspirants who spoke through a former house of representatives member and winner of Ebonyi central senatorial zone primary election, Lazarus Ogbee insisted that the already held primary must stand.

They warned that the party may end up not having any candidate or losing any position it wins in next year’s election to other parties like what happened to APC in Zamfara and Rivers in the past.

They noted that the rumour for a fresh primaries in the state, was an invitation to anarchy and crisis, and not healthy as the country is preparing for a general election.

According to Ogbee, the delegates that nominated the house of assembly, house of representatives, senate and governor were legitimately elected across the 171 wards of the state.

He added that the primaries were conducted in the presence of INEC and security agents.

He said: “candidates were nominated on 28th and 29th to fly the flag of the party, ranging from house of assembly, house of representatives and governor. I want to recall that the NWC of the party scheduled the primary in Ebonyi on 28th and 29th of May.

“It is on record that because of the little crisis in the party, there was no primary election in Ebonyi State when other states nominated their representatives.

“Three man delegates were elected in the 171 wards of the state. The delegates are in turn expected to vote for the candidate of their choice and this they did from the 28th and 29th of May.

“Today, we started hearing rumours that the same NWC has reversed themselves and directed that the same primary election be conducted on the same position. There was no reason or breach of the party guidelines that another set of primary be conducted in the state.

“It is on this note that we want to appeal to the party to allow peace reign in the state. I have never seen where two persons are contesting for the same position in the same party. We do not want to experience what transpired in Zamfara and Rivers states on the side of APC.

“We want the NWC to intervene in the matter and allow those they have nominated in their votes to stand in Ebonyi State PDP. All the delegates were picked from the 171 wards of the state. INEC has the list of delegates nominated in the 171 ward. We appeal that if there is any interest playing out, the appeal should be played down in the interest of the party.”

A philanthropist, Oma Uche-Oji, has initiated a programme, Super Kids Festival (SKF), to give children with disabilities a sense of belonging in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Oma, who spoke at the event held in Port Harcourt on Friday, said she initiated the programme following her findings that kids with special needs were not properly recognised on Children’s Day.

She said it was unfortunate that autistic children, those with Down syndrome and the disabled ones were not always integrated and celebrated alongside other normal children.

Oma said: “I noticed that it is hard to find a Children’s Day event that is all inclusive. They don’t pay attention to children with special needs, autistics children, Down syndrome or those disabled in one form or the other.”

She thanked her  sponsors,  especially, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri and about 21 schools that participated in the event. All the school’s that are part of the event.

Journalists from various media houses across the country have lauded the International Organisation for Migration, (IOM) for the training opportunities constantly given to them.

The journalists spoke at the end of a three-day training programme organised by the IOM in conjunction with School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos.

The programme which was facilitated by the Global Migration Media Academy (GMMA) paraded seasoned speakers who delved into their wealth of experience to impact knowledge into the participants.

Each presentation was thunderously applauded by the elated journalists.

Nigeria is one of the pilot countries to benefit from the newly established GMMA platform, a program to support quality reporting on migration by student and professional journalists. Other pilot countries include Mexico, Serbia, Morocco, and the Philippines.

The participants decried the training as unique, and totally different from trainings organised by other organisations.

“This is a master class, this reporter who took part in the training said, adding: “It was not the kind of training where lecturers come to bore you with irrelevant textbook quotes. Participatory approach was adopted and time was strictly adhered to. I sincerely appreciate the IOM for refreshing an enriching our knowledge and interest in migration reporting. I say kudos to them.”

Hauwa Bata of Radio Nigeria Peace FM, Maiduguri, Borno State, commended the IOM and its partners for putting the training together for journalists.

Speaking on what she learnt during the intensive training programme, she said: “I learnt how culture play a vital role in influencing migration  and how important it is for us journalists to educate people on the right steps to take when migration is concerned.

Bosede Adelaja of Vanguard Newspaper was full of praises for the IOM, describing the organization and its partners as groups that value and appreciate the place of training for journalists.

Bukola Abe of Radio One 103.5fm said: “The training was of immense benefit to my career in the media. “The need to reconfigure the society through shared societal patterns and ethnic models was stressed. I learnt about the spate of culture loss and the role of the media in instilling core values of each ethnic tribe as culture can be lost and extinct forever. I learnt as a media practitioner to change the narrative by using my pen to cause a change in the behavioural patterns of the people with an assurance that the impact of accurate information cannot be overemphasised.

IOM’s Awareness Raising Officer, Cyprine Cheptekpeny, noted that the training of journalists was aimed at improving reportage on migration.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State, Pastor Reuben Wilson, has challenged those who emerged candidates in various primaries to shun enmity and segregation and woo fellow contestants to brighten the chances of the party in the general elections.

Pastor Wilson, a former Niger Delta ex-agitator-turned politician, made this known in a statement made available to reporters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

The APC leader called on those who participated in the party’s primaries but lost not to see themselves as losers or failure, but rather take it as a stepping stone to their political victories in subsequent contests.

Wilson, however, congratulated those who emerged winners at the party’s primaries for the state House of Assembly and National Assembly polls.

The chieftain, who is also the Founder of Pastor Reuben Initiative for Good Leadership and Accountability (PRIGLA), a pro-APC group campaigning for peace, love and unity of members of the party in the state, advised that all hands must be on deck to make the party win the forthcoming polls across board.

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra State Command has pledged to ensure that suspects in the Corps custody were accorded their fundamental human rights.

The State Commandant, Mr. Everestus Obiyo made this declaration when he played host to members of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who were at the Command Headquarters, Awka for an audit of the Commands’ detention facilities.

He assured that the Corps would continue to observe the sanctity of suspects at all times.

Obiyo who conducted the delegation round the Command’s detention facilities, further promised to collaborate with the Commission towards minimising cases of human rights abuses.

Earlier, the NHRC State Coordinator, Mrs Ugwuanyi Nkechi commended the Corps on the protection of human rights and urged them to sustain the tempo.

She said the commission embarked on the visit to inspect detention facilities pursuant to Section 6(d) of the National Human Rights Commission Amendment Act (2010) in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba has adjourned ruling on the preliminary injunction in a suit challenging the N150 billion loan facility obtained by the Delta State government.

This followed arguments on the preliminary objection raised by both the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Delta State, Isaiah Bozimo Esq, and Ekeme Ohwovoriole (SAN) on behalf of the Delta House of Assembly who are joined as defendants in the case.

The defendant’s counsels both argued that the plaintiff lacks the requisite locus standi to institute the action and that the case discloses no reasonable cause of action.

Michael Ukusare Esq argued that the plaintiff, Efe Duku has the requisite locus standi to Institute the action as the Fiscal Responsibility Act entities him to bring the action.

Trial Judge, Justice Folashade Olubanjo, adjourned the matter to Friday 17th June 2022 for ruling or hearing of the interlocutory injunction filed by the plaintiff.

The Godwin Obaseki’s administration in Edo State has suspended its taskforce on development control and environmental issues, domiciled in the state’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainability.

The Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, a lawyer, yesterday in Benin, indicated that Obaseki’s administration would, in due course, inaugurate a new taskforce for sanitation, to enforce matters relating to environmental sanitation.

Ogie said: “Members of the public are advised to desist from engaging with the defunct taskforce on matters of development control and report anyone found parading themselves as members of the taskforce to the relevant security agencies.

“Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning, Urban and Regional Development is primarily empowered to regulate development control, including approvals of building plans and other such permits.”

A former Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr has described as huge the deposits of natural gas in some parts of Enugu State.

Nweke Jnr who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu State ahead of the 2023 election, stated this when he visited the site of a heavy gas flare at Caritas University, Amorji Nike, Enugu State

The gas flare started some almost two weeks ago after the borehole drillers engaged by the authorities of the Caritas University to sink a borehole for the institution had struck a gas belt in the course of their activity.

Speaking to newsmen when he visited the university premises to witness the incident, Nweke Jnr described the incident as a welcome development, which speaks of significant endowment of Enugu State.

He promised to pursue the inclusion of Enugu State into the league of oil and gas producing states in the country if he is elected as the next governor of the state in 2023 under them platform of APGA. There are gas deposits in Uzo-Uwani, Oji River, Eha-Alumona, Eha-Ndiagu.”

A High Court sitting in Owerri has restrained the former deputy governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere and five commercial banks from tampering with the salaries, pensions and gratuities of Imo workers pending the determination of a suit before it.

The banks affected by the order are Zenith, Access, UBA, Union and First Bank.

Imo State Government had appealed the judgement of an industrial Court which ruled in favour of the former deputy governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere ordering the government to pay him all his entitlements.

On Thursday, the court enforced the judgment by sealing the custodian of the state funds, Zenith Bank.

However, in his ruling on Friday, Justice M. E. Nwagboso, following an exparte motion filed by the Attorney General of Imo State against the affected institutions and individuals restrained defendants from effecting the order of the lower court.

Justice Nwagboso ruled that the defendants are restrained from” paying out or transferring out any funds from the account of Imo State Government or from the Federal account allocation committee or any other funds housing the salaries of workers, pensions and gratuities of pensioners without the express mandate of the plaintiff who is the attorney general of the state.”

Justice Nwagboso later adjourned the matter to June 12,2022.

Recall that Madumere after a High Court judgment by Justice Benjamin Iheka on September 25, 2018 declared his purported impeachment null and void, approached the court and instituted a legal suit to recover his arrears of unpaid entitlements.

An All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain in Imo State, Chief Tony Chukwu has apologised to the people of Okigwe district.

Speaking to reporters, Chukwu admitted that he should not have supported senatorial candidates against the bloc in the past.

The St Gregory knight noted that Okigwe, which comprises Okigwe and Onuimo Local Government Areas, has not produced a Senator yet

Chukwu recalled how before Senator Athan Achonu was supported in 2015, he and others led a delegation to Okigwe to plead with them to support Achonu, who won.

The philanthropist added when it was the turn of Senator Benjamin Uwajumaogu and Senator Frank Ibezim, he did the same.

Chukwu said ahead of the 2023 general elections, he would not approach the people with any candidate from outside the zone.

He hailed the Okigwe Elders Forum led by HRH Eze Oliver Ohanaweh, monarchs, clerics and others for backing Okigwe for Senate.

The people, according to the APC stalwart, will now have a sense of belonging and see other blocs as allies.

He said: “Mbano district (Isiala and Ehime) produced Senator Emeka Echeruo (1979-1983); Senator Agunanne (1992); Senator Ifeanyi Araraume (1999-2007); Senator Athan Achonu (2015-2016).and Senator Frank Ibeziem (2019-2023).

“Etiti District; Senator S.N. Anyanwu (2009-2011), Senator Matthew Nwagwu (2011-2015) and Senator Benjamin Uwajumagu (2016-2019).”

Chukwu urged people from Mbano district and other areas to allow Okigwe to occupy the National Assembly seat in 2023.

On Monday, the Okigwe Elders Forum met in Owerri and zoned various elective positions for the sake of equity.

In attendance were Prof. Maurice Iwu, HRH Eze Eddy Okeke, Dr. Edwin Anyanwu, HRH Eze B. N. Njoku; Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, Hon. Chike Okafor, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha and several others.