By Bassey Anthony, Uyo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State has arraigned Prof. Peter Ogban before the High Court at Ikot Ekpene for electoral fraud.

Ogban, who was the Returning Officer (RO) at Ikot Ekpene for the 2019 general election, is accused of trying to manipulate the votes of two parties in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election.

INEC said for fraudulently manipulating the scores of two parties, Prof. Ogban committed an offence punishable by Sections 1,2,3 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

Read Also: INEC reschedules pending by-elections for Dec 5

Ogban pleaded not guilty.

His lawyer, Anthony Ekpe, prayed the court to grant his client bail.

Justice Augustine Odokwo admitted the defendant to a bail of N300,000 with surety in like sum, including his passport photographs.

The case was adjourned till December 15 for full trial.

From Nsa Gill, Calabar

Police in Cross River State have arrested Ekpe Nkombe a.k.a Lion, for the kidnap of Mrs. Patricia Orok, wife of a former member of the House of Representatives, Prince Orok.

Commissioner of Police Abdulkadir Jimoh said the Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS) acted on a tip off.

Jimoh said: “We received a distress call and the ACKS in Akampka swung into action and Nkombe was arrested. Lion who was earlier sighted making calls around the vicinity few minutes before the kidnap operation was arrested on reasonable suspicion.

Read Also: Akwa Ibom denies extra budgetary expenditure in 2019

“Ten 7.62MM live ammunition were recovered and investigation is on.”

It was gathered that Nkombe, on sighting policemen, smashed his phone, perhaps to obstruct investigation and destroy other incriminating evidence.

Mrs. Orok was abducted from her home at Uyangha in Akampka Local Government Area on Sunday and taken to an unknown destination by six gunmen.

She was eventually rescued and had since reunited with her family.

From Bassey Anthony, Uyo

Akwa Ibom has denied allegations that it fraudulently made extra budgetary expenditure running into multi billions of naira in its 2019 budget.

The government was reacting to an investigative report supported by John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting.

The report, published in a state-based newspaper and some online platforms, said the government incurred over N10 billion on aircraft maintenance, purchase of cars, special projects and governor’s hospitality, among others.

But the government said the findings were inauthentic.

Read Also: Senate to get harmonised 2021 budget December 3

Commissioner for Information and Strategy Iniobong Ememobong, at a news conference yesterday, said there were errors in the first budget.

He said: “The authentic version which was sent to the legislature and Auditor-General were imputed on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) platform, and agrees with the details supplied.

“It is therefore startling to find an extensive ‘investigative’ publication based on a spurious report, which has a similar cover design with the authentic report.

“As a government, we take financial reporting seriously and have consistently complied with the IPSAS requirement, though generally acknowledged as cumbersome, due to its uncommon coding system.”

From Chris Njoku, Owerri

National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka has kicked against the ‘lopsided’ constitution of Ohanaeze Electoral Committee for the 2021 election.

Igboayaka, who accused outgoing President-General Nnia Nwodo of compromising the committee, said it was unconstitutional for Nwodo to ask the Southeast governors to nominate two of the three persons per state to make up the committee.

According to Igboayaka, constituting the committee used to be the prerogative of the state executives. ‘But today, Nwodo is giving the Southeast governors the upper hand to nominate two persons each out of the three nominees per state, to make up the 15-member electoral body’, he said.

Read Also: 2023: Ohanaeze, others warn Umahi against Igbo presidency chances

Igboayaka reemphasised that Ohanaeze Ndigbo can’t be a political clique for the governors, stressing that any attempt to sell Ohanaeze will be resisted by Igbo youths both at home and in the Diaspora.

He said: “Nnia Nwodo wants to avoid having the Igbo elders/Imeobi scrutinise his actions. Constitutionally, the Imeobi is the body to set up the electoral committee, the NEC only recommends. But swearing in the committee without recourse to Imeobi amounts to usurpation of Imeobi’s constitutional duties.”

He regretted that since Nwodo’s tenure, the Ohanaeze General Assembly, the group’s highest decision making body, has not met once. “Imeobi has only met thrice, the last time being in February 2019 when he endorsed Atiku Abubakar as Southeast presidential candidate,” Igboayaka added.

He, therefore, warned Southeast governors and Nwodo to follow due process and respect the group’s constitution in the interest of the Igbo nation.

President of the union in Imo State Ezechi Chukwu said he was not aware of the governors’ nominees. He insisted that the state executives have made their inputs which are subject to ratification.

Our Reporter 

The Army would today open a two-day inter-agency training workshop to formally kick off Exercise Crocodile Smile VI in Enugu State.

A statement yesterday by the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, reads: “In line with the Army’s Training Directive 2020; 82 Division will be hosting a two-day inter-agency training workshop to formally kick off Exercise Crocodile Smile VI.

“The workshop will hold today and tomorrow at the Division headquarters’ auditorium. It is designed to further boost existing cooperation among the various security agencies operating within 82 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR).”

Cross River State is partnering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Dantata group to create 20,000 agro-based jobs for youths, it has been learnt.

Governor Ben Ayade stated this yesterday when officials of Dantata Group and CB visited his office.

He said: “The meeting between CBN, Dantata group and Cross River is to cement a factor and create opportunity first for livestock, cattle and poultry. I have made an offer of job opportunities to 20,000 young people with immediate effect but you are actually going to be your own employer.

“We will provide the money. We have signed an agreement with CBN to provide us money to support 20,000 young farmers.”

The young farmers, Ayade explained, will be deployed in cotton production, livestock, maize and soya beans farming, rice farming, cocoa processing, groundnut cultivation, among others.

The governor added that the state, in partnership with Dantata group, will also set up an abattoir in Obudu cattle ranch to grow cattle, beef production and exportation within the West African sub-region.

According to Ayayde, his administration was taking the lead in agro-industrialisation because ‘this is the only way we can create jobs and reduce youth restiveness, and allow young people to realise their full potential’.

He argued that with massive arable land, it was an anomaly for the country to continue to import food. “The advent of COVID-19 and the EndSARS protests are like a clarion call that time has come for us to end food imports. So I identify fully with President Muhammadu Buhari’s philosophy and policy of ban on imported foods to force us to start creating jobs for young people,” he added.

Leader of the Dantata team Alhaji Tajuddeen Dantata, who is also chairman and CEO of Dantata Food and Allied Product Company Ltd, said his company was delighted to partner with Cross River in agro production.

He maintained that the time has come for Nigeria to take its destiny in its hand in terms of food production. “We have to really work on ourselves because we have to produce what we eat and eat what we produce. We can’t sit and continue to be fed with whatever comes,” he noted.

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has sworn in Justice Stellamaris Onyenso as the Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal.

The governor also inaugurated Lady Uzoamaka Onuigbo as a Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service.

Ikpeazu reminded Justice Onyenso that expectations were high on her duties, but was confident she will deliver. He enjoined her to embrace reforms and leave her office better than she met it.

Justice Onyenso thanked Ikpeazu for the honour done her and promised to perform with uprightness.

Lady Onuigbo also pledged to support the Ikpeazu-led administration and contribute her quota to the state’s development.