The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

A vision for Awka

Anambra State residents seem to betray a sense of discomfort when it comes to the look of their capital city, Awka. Its wood carvers and blacksmiths are legendary but there has been little more to remember the city for.

Things are starting to change and the people may be cheering up. Flyovers are springing up and suddenly there is a feeling that Awka, with an estimated population of over 1m, is finally revealing its beauty.

Lying some 25 miles east of the commercial city, Onitsha, Awka hosts two higher institutions namely, Paul University owned by the Anglican Church, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University belonging to the Federal Government. There is also its lone carnival called Imo-Oka celebrated annually.

Today, after years of neglect by previous administrations in the state, the community has started picking up in terms of aesthetics and development.

Governor Willie Obiano pledged to bring it to par with other big cities in the country like Enugu, Owerri, Lagos and Port-Harcourt, among others. He is living up to his words. Just three months after he took over the reins of power, he started building three flyovers in the city.

The aim is to alleviate the suffering of the people in the city since the federal government seems to have abandoned the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway which has claimed over 100 lives in accidents.

The three flyovers are located at Amawbia Junction, Akwata Junction, and Arroma Junction, all along the expressway.

Obiano said it was a promise he made to the community, when he was campaigning for the governorship in 2013 to transform the state capital into a wonderland.

It is not only the project in Awka the governor is working on; he is also working on what he called the three arms zone at Agu-Awka. He promised that the construction of the flyovers would take one year to complete after they were awarded to IDC construction firm.

When the contract was awarded, the state Commissioner for Works, Callistus Ilozumba, an architect, told The Nation that the three flyovers would cost the state N5b.

The governor is working in tandem with the Awka Capital Development Authority which has presented a master-plan to the state government on how to make the city the number one capital city in Africa. He equally wants to build a shopping mall covering about four football fields, and a 5,000-capacity conference centre.

All the projects, according to the state chief executive, would take his administration nine months to complete.

On June 24, it would be nine months these promises were made by Obiano, and out of these, only the three flyovers are visible in the capital city.

Furthermore, he promised that another five-star hotel would be built in Awka to make it a befitting capital, while every road in the city must have electric light.

He said, “What we need is the cooperation of the people and let me assure the people that anybody who disturbs work on any of these projects would have to see the bad side of the state government.”

Speaking with The Nation, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh said the implication of what the governor did was that Awka would soon be like New York with high-rise buildings.

Umeh said, “Obiano is in a hurry to transform the state and he needs the support of everybody; people should join hands to make the governor’s dream a reality”

Hon. Rebecca Udorji, the state Assembly member representing Awka North on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), told The Nation that despite party affiliations, they would give Obiano a helping hand in making Awka look like other cities.

For Comrade Obi Ochije, the chairman of Ezinano, comprising 20 villages in Awka, Obiano has shown the zeal in making Awka look like a capital city.

He said that past administrations came and saw the capital city as one of the distant communities in the state without giving it a look in.

Ochije said, “The capital city was neglected and abandoned, but we thank God for Obiano who has remembered that the town houses the state capital.”

Also, the chairman of Awka South Market Amalgamated Traders Union (ASMATU), Chief Anayo Nweke, told The Nation that if the flyovers were completed, Obiano would have out-performed every other regime in the state.

“We feel ashamed anytime people from outside visit what is called Anambra capital city because I do not believe that there is any capital city in the country that looks abandoned and neglected like Awka.”

“People are now happy with Obiano and they will be much happier with him if he completes these projects that will beautify the capital city and we can’t wait to see when the day will come.” Nweke said.

Many people in the state believe that if the flyovers are completed, it will bring night life to the community which had not been there before now.

It is not life after dark that thrive in the city.

Movement will be enhanced as will life itself.

Before the flyovers, traffic was somewhat belaboured, though it could not be said that there was perpetual gridlock.

Still, there is no denying the fact that the capital city will lift its aesthetic profile. That will attract more people and increased business.

And come to think of it, the carvers and smiths may not complain.

March 6, 2015
Group interacts with candidates

The traditional ruler of Okahia in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State HRM Eze Okey Ananaba has praised the state police command for initiating a peace accord signed in Umuahia, the state capital, by party candidates.

The peace pact was to ensure a hitch-free election in the state, the state Police Commissioner, Habila Joshak said.

It was unclear whether the peace deal was inspired by a similar agreement reached earlier by presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his counterpart in the foremost opposition party, the All Progressives Congress Party (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at his palace when the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti visited him, Eze Ananaba said the accord would have no meaning except it was enforced.

The revered monarch admonished politicians to shun violence, urging them to play politics with the spirit of sportsmanship.

He said, “What is of paramount importance to the traditional rulers is the peaceful conduct of the elections,” adding, there would be no meaningful development in an atmosphere of violence and rancour.

The monarch also called on registered voters in the state to endeavour to collect their permanent voter cards or PVCs in order to vote the candidates of their choice, urging them “to cast their votes according to their conscience on the day of the elections.”

Otti promised to run an all-inclusive and people-oriented government if elected into office.

He assured that his administration would ensure even development of the state, promising not to discriminate against any section of the state.

“I will give everybody a sense of belonging and there will be even development across the different parts of the state,” he said. “I will not discriminate against any person or section of the state, whether they voted for me or not.”

The former Diamond Bank MD beckoned on the monarch to sensitize his subjects on the need to get their PVCs and feel free to vote for the candidates of their choice.

“People should collect their PVCs and vote according to their conscience, he said, adding that they should not allow themselves to be intimidated by anybody.

Otti said that he joined the governorship race in order to redeem the people.

March 6, 2015
A shooting range for combatants

These days when insecurity is not just a northeastern challenge but also a huge national concern, the revival of a shooting range in Imo State is something to cheer. At a comfortable location in Obinze, Owerri West Local Government Area of the state, soldiers have been taking position, sizing up targets and squeezing the trigger at practice sessions.

The army is happy about the development. And so is the community which hosts the 34 Artillery Brigade off Owerri/Port Harcourt Expressway which operates the practice facility.

It was a joyful moment for soldiers and officers at the brigade as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Shehu Yusuf inaugurated the reconstructed small arms shooting range.

He disclosed that the shooting range which was abandoned will enhance the professional skills of soldiers in the brigade.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Obinze Barracks, the GOC described the reconstruction of the range as a milestone and commendable achievement by the Army, adding that it was not a mean feat to construct the practice facility.

THe noted that the reconstruction of the range ended the challenges encountered by the brigade in taking soldiers to other places like Elele in Rivers State for routine shooting exercise.

He said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) would be impressed with the reconstruction of the range, pointing out that Soldiers need regular training to ensure they are alive to their responsibilities at all times.

He further observed that the 34 Artillery Brigade by the “feat achieved in reconstructing the shooting range has made it a veritable stage for the annual range classification exercise by the Army which helps to test its capability based on the training they received”.

The GOC expressed satisfaction with the representation of all security Agencies in Imo State at the commissioning ceremony, stating that it clearly demonstrates the cooperation among the Agencies in the state.

He described the synergy as the most effective way of combating crimes and other security challenges that may arise in the state.

Earlier in his address, the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Lanre Bello observed that the shooting range was constructed in the 1990s but later abandoned until the recent reconstruction.

He said, with a good measure of pride, that soldiers under his command will no longer have to travel to Elele Shooting Range for routine exercise, stressing that good man-hour was lost on a daily basis conveying Soldiers to Rivers State, hence the need to renovate the abandoned shooting Range.

The Commander noted that the shooting range is fully functional and available for use by soldiers and other security agencies in the state and expressed optimism that the 2015 range classification would take place at the Obinze Barracks.

The event which was attended by all heads of federal security agencies in the state and other dignitaries, featured a demonstration shooting exercise by the special guests led by the GOC 82 Div.

Obinze, a boisterous community in Owerri West Council Area of Imo State, plays host to the 34 Artillery Brigade and this informed the high level of security in the community located along the Owerri/Port Harcourt Expressway.

Today the sprawling community has become one of the safest and fastest developing autonomous communities in Imo State. Some of the residents, who spoke with The Nation, attributed the growing commercial activities in Obinze to the presence of the Army.

Mr. Chinaza Ilechukwu, an Obinze based businessman, stated that, “We are grateful to have the 34 Artillery Brigade because Obinze is now the safest place in the entire Imo State as a result of the soldiers. Crime is at the barest minimum and you can hardly hear of any case of kidnapping or other heinous crimes. Nobody intimidates anyone; we live our lives freely and everybody is happy”.

Chuks Mbata, a civil engineer, said, “The presence of the brigade has actually secured Obinze community and unlike in other places where residents are assaulted by soldiers from barracks, the soldiers here are very disciplined and friendly”.

“In Obinze people go about their businesses till dawn without fear of molestation and the soldiers are always around to provide security.”

March 6, 2015
Man held for selling son

The Abia State police command seems to be making progress. No fewer than nine suspects have been paraded for alleged crimes ranging from kidnapping to ATM fraud. One man was said to have sold his son for a fee.

Speaking in Umuahia while parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) Joshak Habila said the command was determined to reduce the level of crime rate in the state.

Habila said that the strategies the command put in place to check criminality has been yielding fruit as the command had made tremendous progress in apprehending criminals at different locations in the state.

He said that the command rescued a man who was alleged to have been kidnapped by two suspected kidnappers and were demanding ransom from his family in Port Harcourt.

The CP said that one Sarah Onuegbu of Nworoma street Port Harcourt, Rivers state reported that her brother Callistus Agunmuo of 48 Ikwere Road Port Harcourt called her on phone that he has been kidnapped by four men.

Habila said that the kidnappers had asked her to come to his house with the ransom and his men swung into action, “During which the duo of Light Nwalozie and Anthony Ukaegbu were arrested, while the victim was rescued without any ransom”.

He said that his command has also arrested one Ezenwoko Gideon of Ohuru Amangwu who has been terrorizing Obingwa and its environs, adding that Gideon has been on the wanted list of the police for several kidnap cases.

The CP said that the command had earlier arrested his gang, “But Gideon ran away and later resurfaced and has been linked with several kidnap cases in recent time with the Obingwa council area of the state.

Habila said that his command arrested one Chika Azubuine of Akpunekpu village and Victor Young of Obiekwensu village both of Isiala Ngwa South council area who are experts in ATM robbery.

He said that the suspects attempted to rob the ATM of one of the first generation banks in that area, adding that investigations led to the arrest of Enyeribe Chidi, Obinna Francis, Iwejuo Chilaka and Izuochi Iwejuo from their hideout in Obiekwensu village.

The CP said that the items recovered from them included iron bars, three ATM cards, one handset, four SIM cards, one motorcycle, two locally made singe-barrel shot guns, a DVD player, two motorcycles without registration numbers among others.

The Abia CP said that a woman named Gladys Sunday of Ahiaba Okpuala in Isiala Ngwa North council area reported to the police that her brother, Sampson Uchenna Sunday aged 32 years had been stabbed to death.

Habila said that Gladys told the police that her brother was stabbed to death by one Chizaram Amandu aged 40 years from Umuagu Eziala Nsulu of the same council area.

He said that the suspect after committing the act ran to the police to report that he fought with a man, adding that during investigation, “It was found that the suspect stabbed the deceased with a knife at his neck which led to his death”.

The CP said the police found out that the suspect had gone to the back of the man’s house and when the deceased confronted him he attacked him with the knife and claimed that he was hunting for snails at the back of the dead man’s house.

He said that on being questioned by the police questioned that the suspect said that he fought with the deceased, but did not know that his action will lead to his death and regretted his action.

Habila also paraded a man for selling his one year and two months old son for a paltry sum of N300,000, while the suspect who is alleged to have bought the boy is on the run, the father is currently under arrest by the police, while the boy has been rescued.

The CP said that the suspect, one Maduabuchi George Okey, conspired with one Obinna Erondu to sell his son, Chizoba Maduabuchi aged one year and two months for the sum of N300,000.

He said that trouble started when his wife Eberechi Maduabuchi raised alarm that her baby was missing, “The police swung into action, traced and rescued the boy from the house of one Erondu at Mbutu Umuogwo village, who is now on the run”.

March 6, 2015
Aba road rehabilitation begins

road rehabilitation effort has started in Aba, Abia State’s commercial nerve. Over 150 trailer loads of materials were said to have been deployed to the exercise spearheaded by the governorship candidate of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), Sir Chikwe Udensi.

No fewer than 10 roads were said to have been fixed in the exercise, which involves sand-filling and other forms of remedial work.

The roads include St. Peter’s Catholic Church Road, Eziukwu-Aba, Uratta, sections of Power Line, Hospital Road, Ohanku, Obohia, Old Express, Eziukwu and Omuma roads.

Udensi, a former national secretary of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and security consultant to the police, spoke with reporters shortly after inspecting a section of Omuma Road (St. Paul).

He said he embarked on the rehabilitation to address the suffering of the residents, particularly those who lived in areas with poor access roads.

“I embarked on the rehabilitation of these roads because the people have suffered and I can’t wait to become governor before I do something that will end their sufferings.

“As I speak with you, we’ve taken delivery of over 150 tipper trailer loads of chippings and if they will not be enough, we hope to order for more so that the roads could be put in good shape before the rains come.”

He said it was disheartening that Omuma Road which connects the city centre with Ariaria International Market and Ebiri Omuma in Rivers State has been in a sorry state, leaving residents to groan.

He promised to begin the clearance of the debris which covered about a kilometer of the road by this week to enable the actual rehabilitation start. He lamented that people who paid taxes lived under such circumstances.

“It is shameful that people should be allowed to live in such squalor when a responsible and responsive government should have done a little by rehabilitating the road and providing drainages,” he said.

Responding to a question, the PPA governorship candidate said if he could use his personal money to rehabilitate roads in the city, he would not only rehabilitate all the roads in the city but change the mindset of the people on governance through delivery of democracy dividends as soon as he becomes the governor of the state.

He therefore urged the people of the state to vote for him and indeed other PPA candidates during the elections for the change that is needed in Abia.

March 6, 2015
Police, candidates sign peace accord

The Abia State police command in conjunction with security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have convened a meeting where all the political parties in the state and their governorship candidates as well as senatorial and House of Representatives contestants have signed a peace accord ahead of the general elections.

Speaking at the meeting, the AIG Zone 9, Gwuari Akila who chaired the occasion, said that this type of situation had earlier taken place in other states across the country and that this is the turn of Abia state.

Akila said that the day is a great one for the command with the peace accord which all the political parties and their candidates in the state have come to signed to ensure peace before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

The AIG said that the meeting was called to appeal to the parties and their candidates to ensure that the political terrain in the state is not over heated, especially during their political campaigns.

He urged the political stakeholders to conduct themselves, while their political activities should be conducted according to the laws of the country to usher in the next democratic dispensation.

Akila said, “This meeting has been called to remind them to conduct themselves before, during and immediately after the general election to avoid any political motivated violence.

“The politicians and the political stakeholders in the state are being reminded to avoid going astray and I’m happy with the number of political stakeholders in the state that attended this meeting. This shows that all of you want peace in the state.”

Responding the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Chineye Nyerere Anyim, thanked the security agencies in the state for organising the meeting, adding that his party is against any violence and assured that they will abide by the accord.

Anyim said that they need a level playing ground for all political parties in the state irrespective of those in power and those that want to take over power and decried the ban by the state government on other parties from using state property for their campaigns.

He urged security agencies in the state especially the police not to be bias and not to allow themselves to be used by the party in power to subvert the will of the people during the elections.

In his contribution, the senatorial candidate of the APC for Abia Central senatorial seat, Hon Acho Obioma said that there is need of the security agencies in the state to be up and doing and not to be seen favouring any particular party.

Obioma said that all political parties should be given equal opportunity in terms of security coverage before, during and after the general election, even as he pledged to go home and educate his supporters and urged other candidates to do same if the accord is to stand the test of time.

In his response, the state chairman of the PDP, Senator Emma Nwaka said that his party will abide by the peace accord to the letter, adding that all they knocks his party has received from other party candidates is a normal one for a party in power.

In his speech the deputy governor of the state, Sir Emeka Ananaba commended the police for organising the peace meeting and urged the political parties to go beyond the accord by educating their supporters to avoid violence during the elections.

The partieswhich attended the meeting were APC, PDP, ACPN, APGA and the PPA, with the governorship candidates and their national assembly candidates, some of them like PDP and APGA governorship candidates were represented by their running mates.

March 6, 2015
Igbo rally coming

A huge rally is on the way for Igbo people in Lagos, and it is for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

A group under the aegis of Ndigbo United Political Coalition (NUPC) has started a house-to-house campaign to deliver bulk votes for the APC in the forthcoming general elections.

Leader of the group in Badagry Division, Chief Livinus Nnodebem, said NUPC would sensitise the large Igbo community in the state to vote for the entire APC candidates who are contesting various political positions.

In a chat with reporters at the group’s secretariat in Maza-Maza, Lagos, Chief Nnodebem said the political coalition included Igbo citizens that were committed members of the APC.

He said the political group took the campaign for the 2015 general elections to the grassroots to ensure that the party gained the deserved victory in the state.

“Lagos is our place. Any Igbo man or woman in Lagos will do anything possible to make sure that APC wins the gubernatorial election because of the vast property we have in Lagos,’’ he said.

Chief Nnodebem faulted the claim that Ndigbo never spoke with one voice, saying Ndigbo respect hierarchy and would not deviate from the decision taken by fathers or elders.

‘‘If I call my people and say we are going to a particular direction, it would remain like that. Nobody will argue about that. Right from the beginning, we have been giving APC our bulk votes.

“APC has never lost in my area and it cannot lose in this election,’’ he said.

He further said the Igbo electorate in Badagry division would cast their votes for the APC, but urged the party to bring in Igbo representatives into the mainstream of decision-making process to ensure equal representation at all levels of the party in the state.

‘‘We are not asking for rice and money but to have a sense of belonging. What we want is to be recognised in the state. The average non-native in Lagos State is not interested in your billions of Naira. He is interested in the candidate. Although the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has enough money to spend in this election, that cannot help it to win Lagos State,’’ he assured.

Also speaking, chairman of the group in Oriade Local Development Area, Chief Ben Nnabuife said the APC has made remarkable impact in the lives of people of the state.

“As a leader, I can tell you categorically that we speak with one voice. We are sensitising our people on the need to reach out to fellow Igbo men and women in their neighbourhood to vote en masse for the APC.

Already, we have identified with APC in Lagos State and are present in other local government areas.

Chief Nnabuife added that 45 per cent of Igbo constitute the voting population in the constituency he resides in.

Meanwhile, APC governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has inaugurated the state campaign of the group.

February 27, 2015
Security personnel meet ahead of polls

In the run-up to the elections, the police, military and para-military organs have met in Aba, Abia State, to fine-tune strategies for a violence-free ballot, reports SUNNY NWANKWO

The Aba police have met with other security agents to strengthen ties and further seek ways of ensuring a credible ballot in the commercial nerve of the state.

The meeting chaired by the Aba Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Peter Wagbara deliberated mainly on building synergy among them as well as ensuring that elections in Aba and its environs would be successful.

Wagbara said that the postponement of the 2015 elections has given the police and other security agencies the opportunity to re-strategise to ensure violence-free polls on March 28 and April 11.

He was optimistic that with the opportunity the shift in dates provided and the new strategy being put in place, the 2015 polls would be more peaceful than the past ones even as he called on the residents of the city not to be afraid to come out and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice.

The Aba police boss stated that the Forum which involves the Police, Army, Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Prisons Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigerian Navy, meet frequently for better understanding, cooperation and collaboration as well as serve as an opportunity for security agencies to see themselves as one family.

He further urged the agencies to see the need to maintain security in their areas of authority and ensure that the forthcoming polls were violence-free.

Some of the personnel, including Maduako Emmanuel, Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in charge of Aba Prison, described the meeting as productive and one that has fostered a better relationship among the agencies in Aba and its environs, adding that it has helped them to spell out what each department has to do.

“The meeting has been effective; one thing it has done is that it has brought security agencies together and it has also made us to understand our roles as far as security is concerned. I suggest it should be continuous,” Madubuko said.

On their preparedness towards ensuring free, fair and credible elections, the Aba Prison boss said, “One thing you will know as civil servants particularly, the security agencies are not involved in partisan politics; our own is to ensure there is security.

“Some of our men will be properly involved in the election on that day; there are some people who had already been assigned to various parts of the city and within the prisons we need to ensure that there is security around it in case of any trouble.

“What we are going to tell our officers is to let them know what they are to do to maintain security on that day.”

February 27, 2015
Gospel artistes thrill Abia youths

After the success of the first edition in Aba, youths in Abia State could hardly wait for the second mega-praise fiesta. So when it was staged in Umuahia, the capital, they lapped it all up.

By 10pm, the Ceramics Ground venue along Umuahia-Aba Road was already filled up by youths from different parts of the state including some from nearby Akwa Ibom and Imo states. They came to come hear their star gospel artists glorify God and minister to their souls through songs.

From upcoming artistes to star singers such as Buchi, Samsung, Frank Edward, Voice of the Cross, Uzochi Njoku were all handy to set the environment on a higher spiritual atmosphere as the audience who were already familiar with the gospel artists’ tracks sang along with them as they performed on stage.

The organisers of the event said it was aimed at reawakening in Abians especially the youths, the consciousness of drawing nearer to God, after whom the state was named.

They were also optimistic that at a time when elections were by the corner and the youths expected to be actively involved in the process and some vulnerable in the hands of politicians, there was need to expose them to the ways of God in order to consciencitise them against manipulations.

Some of the youths who spoke to our correspondent could not hide their joy, stressing that the programme had not only provided them the opportunity to meet their role models, but also served to boost their spirituality and faith.

They suggested that the programme should be an annual or bi-annual event, hoping that future events of sort would help to encourage the youths and the entire Abians the opportunity to draw closer to God at all times.

The chairman organising committee, Mr. Oracle Nwala, a lawyer, expressing his happiness over the turnout of people despite the short notice on the change in venue, said the event was a success and that the objective of the programme was realised.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA Dr. Otti who made a special appearance at the event got a thunderous ovation from the crowd when he promised that he was going to sustain the event when elected the governor of the state and pointed out that Abia state whose named was originated from the Bible needed to function as Gods people.

Otti while enumerating his programmes for the state which he would execute after his swearing-in on May 29 further used the opportunity to reinstate his commitment to the people of the state with the promise to give the state a facelift and turning around the economic fortunes of the state.

February 27, 2015
A royal cleansing in Imo

After a theatre of protests and a military siege, monarchs in royal gear, flowing robes, dangling beads, ivory staff but without their red caps, showed up to purify the Imo State Government House. OKODILI NDIDI reports

The state seat of power has hosted quite a sequence of drama lately. First, some women clad in black, later said to be widows, staged a protest. It was not about any harsh times, which sometimes take a toll on women living without their spouses and breadwinners. It was soon clear that the women in black were working for the Minister of State for Education, Prof Viola Onwuliri, who had fallen out with the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

On the fateful day, the rampaging women tried to overwhelm security men attached to the Government House in an attempt to gain entry into the premises and confront the governor for “harassing” the Minister, who is also a widow.

The protest turned sour when another group of women loyal to the governor confronted them for wishing the governor dead by writing his name on the mock coffin.

Soldiers and other armed security men were later drafted to the scene and eventually, the tumultuous crowd were dispersed but not before many of the women were wounded and properties destroyed.

The governor, who arrived at the Government House at the peak of the chaos, said it was a plot conceived by the Minister to incite crisis in the state. Okorocha added that the Minister claimed to be enjoying the support of President Goodluck Jonathan in undermining the governor’s office and insulting Imo people, warning that the patience of the people should not be tried beyond limits.

When the dust settled, traditional rulers in the state also visited the seat of power to play their part. They came clad in their royal gear, flowing robes, dangling beads, ivory staff but without their red caps. It was an unusual gathering of traditional rulers at the Imo Government House. Their esoteric dresses and drawn faces implied that their mission was far from the usual one to the seat of power. Their mission was to cleanse the Government House which was said to be desecrated by a group of protesting women who invaded it with a mock coffin.

Meanwhile, the traditional rulers who were form Ideato South Council Area of the state, where the governor hails from, condemned the act by Onwuliri who they said mobilised the women to undermine ”the good works of Governor Okorocha in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, the chairman of Ideato Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Ethelbert I. Ajaraogu disclosed that the entire monarchs had earlier visited the traditional ruler of Amuzi, the hometown of the Minister in Ahiazu Mbaise Council Area of the state, Eze Innocent Ugochukwu, to caution the Minister against a repeat of such act in order to avoid the “wrath of the land”.

Eze Ajaraogu pointed out that “Governor Okorocha was duly elected into power by the entire Imo people and has performed excellently well in the past three and half years which has earned him the support of Imo people for a second term in office during the oncoming election”.

He wondered “how any well-meaning indigenes of the state will want to oppose a man who has the well-being of the masses at heart”.

He said, “We came to the Government House to neutralise whatever evil such act may have attracted and to jointly pour libation to cleanse the Douglas House and pray for divine guidance and protection for the governor”.

He posited further: “Our son, Governor Okorocha did not cheat anyone to come to the Government House but was duly elected by the entire Imo people, so no one will hurt him. The people are with him and he shall come again.”

Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman, Eze Peter E. Ewuziem noted that for over 40 years he has been on the throne, adding:

“This is the first time anyone carried a coffin to the domain of either civilian or military leader, any person who planned this evil must receive it back”.

Also, in a separate meeting of the traditional rulers across the state, the monarchs demanded an apology from the Minister for desecrating the land.

The monarchs observed that the action of the Minister, which has been widely criticized, amounted to a desecration of the traditions and customs of the people, which they said will not be tolerated by the traditional institution.

The chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, stated that the activities and utterances of the Minister concerning issues in the state lately has been unbecoming of a woman of her position.

He said, “We are still mourning the death of her husband, Professor Celestine Onwuliri, who was a worthy son of the state but since after his death, Viola has gone wild, going about the place making trouble and getting involved in matters that do not concern her.”

He continued that, saying, “She is not the only female Minister in the country; she should borrow a leaf from other women who have not used their position to incite crisis in their states. Viola has the right to join any political party and work for any candidate of her choice but she must not desecrate the land.”

Ohiri added further that the traditional rulers are still wondering why the Minister, who is not running for any elective position, should be the one overheating the state, “we don’t know Viola’s business in the state but we want to confirm if the mock coffin she was carrying was that of her late husband or any other Imo son she wish dead.”

His words: “We have resolved that she should tender an unreserved apology to Imo people for ridiculing the customs of the people. She has the rights to do her politics but she must not desecrate the laws of the land.”

However, when contacted, the Media Assistant to the Minister, Mr. Emmanuel Emeruem described the allegation as blackmail from the Government House, conceived to tarnish the image of the Minister.

He said, “Nobody carried any mock coffin; they were just widows from across the state, who were protesting the injustice meted out against one of their own before they were attacked by thugs sponsored by the state government.”

February 27, 2015