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Tag: Abia State

  • Abia APC in final push for Saturday polls

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State is in a final push to secure victory in Saturday’s governorship and state Assembly elections.

    Leading the mobilisation is Chief Ikechi Emenike, a prominent factional member of APC in the state.

    He spoke in a statement yesterday by his Media aide, Sir Mike Ozoemena: “We are making the final push for victory… Emenike has, after campaigns in all 17 local governments, scheduled final meetings in all councils.”

    The statement went on: “The meetings to be held on the last day of the governorship election campaigns, being Thursday (today), will be hosted by selected leaders of the party in all councils.

    “Council leaders to host the meetings are: Aba North, Sir Mike Ozoemena; Aba South, Deacon Obinna Atuonwu; Obingwa, Grant Nwaogu; Ugwunagbo, Justice Onwumelu; Osisioma, Chief Aham Clement; Isiala Ngwa South, Chief Ngozi Nwoko; Isiala Ngwa North, Solomon Alozie; Ikwuano, Chief Chinedum Adindu; Umuahia South, Dr Bob Uwaga; Umuahia North, Obilor Ogbonna; Arochukwu, Chief Uche Okoro Orji; Bende, Dr Kingsley Ononugbu; Ohafia, Chief Onu Onyioha; Isuikwuato, Chief Oby Ndukwe; Umunneochi, Fabian Okonkwo.”

    The statement added that the meetings would hold simultaneously  in all councils.

    “They are geared towards mobilising and sensitising party leaders and faithful at the polling units, wards, and councils for victory on Saturday,” it said.

    Expected at the meetings are party chairmen and executives in the councils, ward chairmen and executives, youth and women in the wards.

    “Also invited are the leadership of the personal structures of Chief Ikechi Emenike in the wards and councils namely: Emenike Youth Vanguard; Emenike Teenagers; Emenike Daughters and Emenike Mothers (different from party women leaders).”

    Emenike urged Abians to “Nigerians on the Next Level of progress for the country under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari by voting for APC candidates on  Saturday”, the statement said.

  • I’m still in Abia gov race, says Alex Otti

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has debunked rumours making rounds that he has withdrawn from the race.

    There were unconfirmed reports that Otti and Dr. Uche Ogah, gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had met in Umuahia South Local Government Area at the home of one of the chieftains of the APC for a possible coalition ahead of the Saturday March, 9 governorship election against incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, which ended in deadlock.

    It was gathered the meeting had barely ended when rumours started flying around in the state that Otti had agreed to step down for Ogah.

    But Otti in a release on Monday through Kazie Uko, Director, Media and Publicity Alex Otti Campaign Organisation debunked the claims, stressing he is still in the race, adding that he hasn’t stepped down for anybody.

    Part of the release reads “…Consequently, the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation hereby states unequivocally that the reports by an online media blog that Dr. Alex Otti has stepped down for the APC candidate, Uche Ogah, is false and deliberate attempt by desperate politicians to demoralise and confuse the Abia electorates.                                                                                                                                                                                                          “The Alex Otti Campaign Organisation urges Ndi Abia to remain focused in our resolve to vote Dr. Otti, on Saturday, March 9, 2019 thereby enthroning credible leadership at the government house in Abia State and not be distracted by false rumours by rejected and hopeless politicians and their collaborators in the fake media.

    Read Also: ‘How we ensured peaceful polls in Abia’

    “Just on Friday, March 1, 2019 the Accord Party governorship candidate, Barr. Emeka Uwakolam, led his deputy and teeming number of his party members to the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation where he formally stepped down for Dr. Otti, declaring that the APGA candidate stands tall above all the other candidates in the race.

    “Whereas this elicited excitement and hope across the political skyline of Abia State, it must have obviously sent shock waves across the camps of the opposition APC and the PDP, prompting the resort to fake news and propaganda by enemies of Abia State.

    “Abia people should be rest assured that Dr. Alex Otti is determined to win the March 9, 2019 election on the platform of APGA and will not trade that for anything. Just like we did in 2015, APGA will win the 2019 election, this time with even wider margin.

    “We urge Ndi Abia to remain vigilant and not allow anybody to pull wool over our eyes as we conclude the journey to reclaim our dear state next Saturday, from the hands of marauders who have plundered the state for past 20 years.”

  • Protest rocks Abia over INEC’s inability to declare election result

    The inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abia State to announce the result of Aba North and South Federal Constituency election seven days after the election was concluded is generating bad blood among the supporters of the three major political parties (APGA, PDP and APC) in the zone.

    Apparently worried by the INEC delay of announcing the result, residents of Aba North and South Federal constituency took to the streets of Aba and Umuahia shutting down economic and commercial activities in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State in peaceful protest over the continued silence of the electoral umpire.

    The Nation had reported that the Returning Officer (RO) for Aba North and South Federal constituency INEC, Prof.  Iwe neither declared the election inconclusive nor declare the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hon. Ossy Prestige who has the highest number of votes cast winner of the election even after entering the outcome of the election in the final result sheet on Sunday (February 24) night.

    This is as he claimed that a candidate in the election submitted petition to him over the conduct of the election.

    Our reporter who monitored the protest that saw the protesters move round major streets of Aba and Umuhia, later headed for the state headquarters of INEC where they went to register their displeasure and to also submit a petition to the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state capital.

    The protesters bearing placards with different inscriptions “it is Prestige that we voted for, declare the result. “Our votes must count. “INEC don’t thwart the will of the people of Aba. “INEC delay of result declaration, an injustice, Prestige is the winner. “INEC give us our results. “We say no to rerun. “Ossy Prestige is the people’s choice” among other inscriptions also gave INEC 24hrs to declare the result of the election or they may be forced to take laws into their hands.

    One of the protesters, Mrs. Nene Michael speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia State capital said  “Abia North and Abia Central results have been collated and announced. We don’t know or understand the reason why our own result has not been declared. Both women, the old and the young in Aba are all angry that after casting their votes, INEC is yet to make public the name of the candidate that they widely voted for as the winner of the last election of Aba North and South Federal constituency.

    Read Also: INEC says it has no issues with Abia North’s result

    “All that we are saying is that the outcome of the election should be made public. Ossy Prestige should be declared winner of the just concluded National Assembly and Presidential election of February 23.

    Another speaker, Hon. Jeff Okafor, speaking on behalf of Aba residents said “Aba people came out enough mass to vote for him and Nkwonta. We are calling on INEC to declare the result for everyone to know his or her stand. We are bringing this protest to your doorstep to register our complaint and dissatisfaction about the inability of INEC to declare the result of the election in Aba South and North Federal constituency.

    “We are here to have a peaceful demonstration. We are here only on one mission and that is to remind the electoral umpire of this state that enough is enough. We have taken enough in this state, especially in Aba North and South Federal constituency.

    “We all know that elections took place in all the polling units in Aba North and South and results duly collected. The results were duly signed by the agents of various political parties present who equally collected their respective result sheets. We also have our copies and we wonder why they have not been able to declare the result.

    “We are pleading with INEC to save Aba from this impending violence. If there is an attempt to tamper with the people’s choice and mandate, Aba will go on rampage. We are equally using this medium to warn those vying for upcoming elections in the state whose hands are in this, that we the Aba people are watching and we are seeing their impact and they are telling us that we shouldn’t trust them. They should give the winner,  Hon. Ossy Prestige the certificate of return.

    “We are giving them 24hrs to know what to do or face the impending danger that is looming. INEC should be hold reliable for any crisis that would come up as a result of the actions of INEC. INEC should do the right thing.

    “INEC Chairman; Prof. Mahmood said that he is yet to cancel any election in any part of the country. We are wondering why our own is not announced. Abia is one of and if not the only place that there was free and fair elections always, but up till now we haven’t seen our results.”

    Mr. Henry Nna also adding his voice argued while INEC in Abia has failed to announce the result of the election four days after the election was concluded.

    “President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari participated in the election that Hon. Ossy Prestige also participated. The President has long been declared winner of the election. The same result collated in Aba was part of what was used to declare him (Buhari) the winner. What’s still holding the declaration of Aba North and South Federal constituency result? We don’t know when Returning Officers started receiving petitions from someone or on behalf of someone who is losing an election and cancelling result of an election that he has duly signed.

    “We are not here to fight. We are not here to make troubles. We are here to register our unpleasant request to INEC. This is injustice and a call for anarchy. This is not fair to Aba residents. We have spoken through the ballot. There are elections that you cannot rig. No one will rig elections in Aba. This is one of the elections that you cannot rig. The election was very free and fair. They tried to manipulate it, but that couldn’t work and their plan is to hold on to this result. How long are they going to hold on to the result? APGA polled 15, 040 votes, PDP got 9,565 while APC polled 2,867 votes. The winner of the election should be declared.

    “The person that they want to impose on us is the same person that Aba people vehemently rejected in 2015 because of his poor performance and now,  they think that this is an opportunity for them restore him back to power.

    “If INEC goes ahead to impose this man on Aba, economic and business activities in the city will be paralyzed. We are asking INEC to release the result of the election as an unbiased umpire that they are.”

    However, events went bad as policemen suspected to have come from the state command

    Who arrived in a hilux van started firing teargas canisters at the protesters, injuring and arresting some of them in the process.

    Our reporter gathered that the incident happened shortly after the protesters addressed journalists and were waiting for an official of the INEC to come and address them.

    Some of the protester who spoke to our reporter from their hideouts alleged that the policemen injured many of them with their gun buts and later went away with some of them.

    They said that some of the protesters who were said to be badly injured and asthmatic were admitted in various hospitals where they until the time of this report are receiving medical attention.

    The chieftains who condemned the action of the policemen wondered when it has become against the constitution for people to hold peaceful protest and questioned why the police could descend heavily on people who are demonstrating peacefully over the “irresponsibility” of INEC returning officer who decided to pervert the will of the people through his actions.

  • IGP condemns attacks on police officers

    ACTING Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has condemned attacks on policemen across the country.

    A Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) was attacked in Brass, Bayelsa State, on Sunday and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was also attacked at a collation centre in Umuahia, Abia State.

    The police boss, in a statement in Abuja yesterday by the Force spokesman, ACP Frank Mba, who described the attack as unprovoked”, ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of persons involved.

    The IGP also said five suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack on a police officer in Umuahia.

    The statement added: “The IGP, who described the incident as unwarranted and unprovoked, warns that under his watch, such brazen acts of impunity will not be condoned.”

    The IG, who said the attacks on the personnel of the Force shows the risk involved in policing, called for support from stakeholders.

    “These attacks have once again highlighted the risks and hazards inherent in policing our clime, and the need for stakeholders and government at all levels to continue to support the officers and men of the Force in the discharge of their responsibilities.”

    He also praised Nigerians, who identified with the Force by denouncing the actions against the police officers performing their legitimate duties.

  • Soldiers invade Abia communities over killing of colleague

    Soldiers from 144 Battalion in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have reportedly invaded the Ukpakiri and Umuezugbe communities in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state in search of killers of their colleague.

    The Nation gathered the soldier was killed near a military outpost located between Ukpakiri and Umuezugbe communities along the ever busy Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway.

    It was learnt the soldier, who was not on duty at the outpost, had apparently gone out to attend to his needs but the hoodlums who operated on a Motorbike, thinking he was armed, shot him with the intention of running away with his gun.

    The shooting of the soldier was said to have attracted his colleagues who could literally did nothing to save the life of their colleague who bled to death.

    It was learnt that the soldiers angered by the situation, cordoned off the area including the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway where movement of vehicles and persons were obstructed.

    Sources within the Ukpakiri community told our reporter that the soldiers who called for reinforcement later invaded the Umuezugbe and Ukpakiri communities in an attempt to fish out the perpetrators.

    Read Also: Soldiers arrest 40 over cult killings

    According to the sources, the invasion of the soldiers in the two communities with subsequent massive arrest of members of the communities led to massive movement of people from the communities to a safer place.

    They feared the people might not be able to participate in the National Assembly and Presidential election scheduled for tomorrow over fears of being arrested.

    Unconfirmed reports have it that many indigenes and residents of the communities who were bartered by the soldiers are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals in the state.

    A military source, who spoke anonymously with our reporter, gave the name of the deceased soldier as Corporal Musa Umar.

    The military source stated the villagers know the bad eggs among them, urging them to cooperate with the military by fishing out those behind the dastardly act.

    He stated the intention of the perpetrators were to snatch the soldier’s gun for an illicit operation.

    “You know that election is by the corner, these bad boys are going around looking for weapons that they will use to commit all manner of crimes during this election period.

    “It was a police officer in Aba last week and just on Thursday, it was army checkpoint.

    “We have placed our men on alert and anyone who attempts snatching a soldier’s gun will regret doing so.”

    Another source within the 14 Brigade Headquarters said: “You can’t kill a soldier and go scot free. Restrictions on any on the road were during the cordon and search.

    “That road is free. You can go there yourself to see. But the community knows the bad eggs amongst them.

    “They should cooperate by pointing them out. You can’t kill a soldier and go scot free.

    “Elections would hold in the community and in Abia State as a whole as we are poised and ready to deal with trouble makers. But law abiding citizens have no problem.”

    At the time of filing the report, it was learnt other suspects arrested during the raid of the two communities have been released, except two caught with weapons and a motorbike suspected to have been used for the operation.

  • Female lifeless body found in Abia community

    Residents of Umuabai Afara road in Umuahia the Abia state capital have been thrown into confusion as they woke up Friday morning to meet  lifeless body of a yet-to-be-identified lady.

    The lifeless body of the deceased lady, it was gathered caused the residents to be gripped with tension as many suspected that she could have been killed for ritual purpose but was later dumped in the area after apparently that they were being trailed.

    Some residents of the area, who spoke anonymously, said they woke up on Friday morning to behold the corpse dumped on the side of the road in their area.

    According to some of them, the deceased must have been strangled to death by some unscrupulous people for reasons best known to them, but later dumped her body in the area.

    Meanwhile, operatives of the State Police Command who arrived the scene carried out some preliminary assessment of the corpse before evacuating it.

    A female police officer with the Human Rights Department from World Bank Police Station, who led other policemen to evacuate the corpse, said that they got to know about the incident when some residents of the area reported the incident to the police.

    The police officer who did not want her name mentioned in print said they were at the scene to remove the corpse because health workers from the Umuahia North Local Government Area were not on seat to evacuate the corpse due to the public holidays declared by the Federal Government ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday (today).

    She added that the corpse would be deposited in a morgue within the state capital, while the police would commence investigation to ascertain what led to the death of the deceased.

    When contacted the Police Public Relation officer in the state Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident.

    He said the police got information about the incident and moved in to evacuate the body, adding that investigation to identify the deceased and arrest her killers had commenced.

  • Aba residents worried about corpses on streets

    Residents and shop owners at SAMECK Junction and Uche Street in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State have raised concerns over possible outbreak of airborne diseases from decomposing bodies in their residential areas and business premises.

    Some of the residents, who spoke at the scenes of the decomposing corpses, lamented the negative effect the decomposing bodies were having on their businesses and health, stressing that all efforts to get the attention of the Aba North Health team have failed.

    They urged the authorities to do something urgently.

    Some shop owners at SAMECK said they could no longer transact their businesses around the places affected because of the stench from the corpses.

    A resident who gave his name as Ikedi Onyejiaka said that the body of a suspected robber lynched at SAMECK Junction left them gasping for breath, hence they have shut down their shops since Saturday when the body of the armed robber started decomposing..

    Health experts in Aba have cautioned residents over the health implications of burning suspected armed robbers and leaving their corpses on the streets.

    The health experts drawn from the offices of the environmental health departments of Aba North and Aba  South Local Government Areas advised residents to hand over suspected criminals to the police and avoid polluting the streets with burnt corpses.

    In a telephone chat, Head of Department (HOD) of Environmental Health in Aba North Local Government Area, Mrs. Ngozi Ochor disclosed that leaving corpses in the streets to decompose is hazardous to the health of road users and residents living in the area.

    “The terrible health implementations of this act cannot be over emphasised. When our air and our environment are polluted the reality is that our health is at risk.

    “If corpses are not disposed away from our streets, our environment becomes uninhabitable and extremely hazardous.

    “It contaminates almost everything around us and expose both the young and the old to danger because disease carriers like flies will perch on them and move to contaminate everything around including food,” she said.

    On the two corpses found in Eziama and SAMECK Junction which falls under Aba North, Ochor disclosed that steps have been taken to evacuate the corpse in order to avoid people from contracting disease.

    Speaking on the solutions and preventive measures necessary to be taken, Mrs. Ochor said, “I’m telling Aba residents to allow the police take care of certain things.

    “I don’t encourage criminality, but the health implementations of keeping corpse in our streets are too many.

    “They can hand over criminals to police and that will save us all from contracting diseases. Our health is at risk whenever they do things like this. Let the law do the justice.”

    Also, the HOD of Aba South LGA, Mrs. Chinyere Nwaigwe also said that the health implications of leaving corpses in the streets of Aba are better imagined than experienced.

    She said that the health implications of such situations led to creation of a unit that takes care of unidentified corpse in her office.

    Nwaigwe said that getting information on such makes their job easier as it helps them dispose such corpses easily and save the public from impending diseases that follow such acts.

  • ‘Probe Abia REC for using PDP members as ad-hoc staff’

    Three social-cultural groups have accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Abia State, Mr Joseph Iloh, of using People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members as electoral officials in tomorrow’s election.

    The Concerned Abia Leaders, Abia Renaissance Group and Abia Elites for Good Governance urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.

    They also petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), National Security Adviser (NSA) and Inspector General of Police (IGP).

    The groups called for Iloh’s investigation and the immediate redeployment of INEC returning officers, collation officers and ad-hoc staff in Abia.

    They warned that retaining them means “that pre-determined election results will be declared after the rescheduled poll of February 23, 2019.”

    The Concerned Abia Leaders, through its president Mr Emeka Ukonu, a lawyer, and the Secretary General, Chief Desmond Obioha, urged President Buhari to investigate INEC’s list in Abia State which the group claimed is filled with 90 per cent PDP card carrying members.

    “Despite not holding brief for any political party, we shall not support any action (s) that will jeopardise the electoral process.

    “Contrary to the tenets of electoral process and democracy, which are anchored on transparency, probity and accountability, the officials of INEC in Abia have been compromised by the PDP for ulterior motives in a bid to short-change the will of the people.

    “Your Excellency Sir, it may interest you to note that most of the returning officers across Abia state are members or associates of top chieftains of the PDP. The personal relationships between the leadership of the INEC and top chieftains and members of the PDP in Abia state are not only worrisome but undemocratic.

    “All these atrocities couldn’t have been possible without the knowledge and support of the INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu and Resident Electoral Commissioner in Abia state, Mr. Joseph Iloh,” the groups alleged.

  • Aba residents concerned over decomposing corpses

    Residents and shop owners at SAMECK junction off Faulks road and Uche Street in Eziama in Aba North Loacl Government Area of Abia State have raised concerns over possible outbreak of airborne diseases following rate of decomposing bodies within their residential and business premises.

    Some of the residents, who spoke at the scenes of the decomposing corpses, lamented the negative effect the bodies were having on their businesses and health.

    They lamented all efforts to get the attention of the Aba North Health team have failed.

    They feared that if nothing urgent was done to save them from the impending dangers associated with the decomposing bodies; their situation might grow from bad to worse.

    According to some shop owners at SAMECK, they could no longer transact their businesses around the places affected because of stenches.

    A resident, Ikedi Onyejiaka, said that the body of the suspected robber lynched at SAMECK junction off Ariaria had left them gasping for breath, forcing them to shut down their shops since Saturday when the body of the armed robber started decomposing.

    However, Health experts in Aba have cautioned residents over the health implications of burning suspected armed robbers and leaving their corpses on the streets.

    The health experts drawn from the offices of the environmental health departments of Aba North and Aba  South Local Government Areas advised residents to hand over suspected criminals to the police and avoid polluting the streets with burnt corpses.

    In a telephone chat, Head of Department (HOD) of Environmental Health in Aba North LGA, Mrs. Ngozi Ochor disclosed that leaving corpses in the streets to decompose are hazardous to the health of road users and residents.

    “The terrible health implementations of this act cannot be over emphasized. When our air and our environment are polluted the reality is that our health is at risk.

    “If corpses are not disposed away from our streets, our environment becomes uninhabitable and extremely hazardous.

    Read Also: Armed men kill policeman in Aba

    “It contaminates almost everything around us and expose both the young and the old to danger because disease carriers like flies will perch on them and move to contaminate everything around including food,” she said.

    On the two corpses found in Eziama and SAMECK Junction which falls under Aba North, Ochor disclosed that steps have been taken to evacuate the corpse in order to avoid people from contracting disease.

    Speaking on the solutions and preventive measures necessary to be taken, Mrs. Ochor said,”I’m telling Aba residents to allow the police take care of certain things.

    “I don’t encourage criminality, but the health implementations of keeping corpse in our streets are too many.

    “They can hand over criminals to police and that will save us all from contracting diseases. Our health is at risk whenever they do things like this. Let the law do the justice.”

    Also, the HOD of Aba South LGA, Mrs. Chinyere Nwaigwe also said that the health implications of leaving corpses in the streets of Aba are better imagined than experienced.

    She said that the health implications of such situations led to creation of a unit that takes care of unidentified corpse in her office.

    Nwaigwe said that getting information on such makes their job easier as it helps them dispose such corpses easily and save the public from impending diseases that follow such acts.

     

  • FG kicks off road for tax refund projects

    The Federal Government has flagged-off its roads for tax-refund initiative with Dangote Construction handling a 16-kilometre Ofeme Community road network in Ohuhu in Umuahia North local Government, Abia State.

    The community road project which is expected to be delivered under the FG’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme enables private sector like Dangote, Unilever, NLBG and others to invest in road construction, making it possible to upgrade access roads to industrial and manufacturing clusters and reduce cost of transportation which results into reduction in the cost of food and other services, thereby curbing inflation.

    Speaking during the flag-off ceremony in Ofeme Abia state, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelemah, called on the people to give the contractor the needed cooperation to enable it complete the road project in record time of one year stated in the contractual agreement.

    Also speaking, the Federal Controller of Works, Abia State, Engr. Nwankwo Chuwudike, who represented the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Raji Fashola, said “the road would not only enhance the standard of living of the Ofeme community, it would also lead to reduction in the cost of transportation and ultimately help in poverty reduction.”

    He called on the people of Ofeme to own the project while also “appealing to all road users, and the youths of this community to be supportive, patient and mindful of road diversions during construction, while we hold the contractors to their bond of timely and quality delivery of this service.”

    Federal Government recently resolved to continue with massive infrastructural development across the country under Executive Order #007 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in January. Six private sector players will execute 19 road projects under the Executive Order 7. They are Dangote Industries Limited; Lafarge Africa Plc; Unilever Nigeria Plc; Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc; Nigeria LNG Limited; and China Road and Bridge Corporation Nigeria Limited.

    These Investors will be investing in 19 Eligible Road Pilot scheme projects, totalling 794.4km which have been prioritised in 11 States across each of the 6 Geo-Political Zones.

    The Minister of Finance Mrs Zainab Ahmed who chairs the Scheme’s management committee said that “Executive Order #007 of 2019 on the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme will incentivise private sector investment in Nigerian roads across key economic corridors and industrial clusters, relieving the Government of the burden of funding the initial outlays for these investments.”