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Tag: abia

  • ‘Review tricycle ban in Abia’

    ‘Review tricycle ban in Abia’

    Commuters and commercial tricycle operators in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have urged the state government to review the restriction of commercial tricycle operation in parts of the state.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the state government, Mr. Godwin Adindu said, inter alia, “Following the resurgence of sundry crimes in the two metropolises of Aba and Umuahia, the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has reinforced the ban on the operation of Okada riders within the metropolis of Aba and Umuahia. All Keke operators should limit their operations to 7pm daily till further notice…The governor also warns all criminals in the state to run away from the state or face extermination.”

    Some commercial tricycle operators described the ban as a welcome development since it is geared towards checking crime, but added that it was negatively affecting their businesses. Commuters equally complained about difficulty in movement since the enforcement of the ban.

    The tricycle operators said, “We welcome the decision of the state government to tackle insecurity in the state. But we wonder why they should moved it from the 9pm it was before to 7pm. For us it is too early and on the allegation that most of the crimes committed by kidnappers and armed robbers were done using Keke, we want to say that in a twelve, there must be a Judas. But don’t they use cars to commit crimes? We have heard of “one chance” where some people pretending to be commercial bus drivers use their cars to dupe unsuspecting members of the public. Most of us, like most commercial bus drivers, load in one loading bay or the other. Nobody will use his keke registered with ASATOA or government recognised union for any illegal business. I am not saying that we (tricycle operators) are saints, but the basic thing is that the state government should properly equip the police and other security agencies in the state like Lagos recently did. Police on their own should build on intelligence gathering like their counterpart and also should learn to protect their source.

    “I live around Obohia, I must tell you that the level of crime around my area is very high and the response time or police and other security agencies whenever we are under attack is very slow. If you call police that robbers are in our area, they will either come and arrest innocent people or shoot into the air when the robbers must have completed their assignment.”

    A commuter who identified herself as Chinwe said she had to sleep in a hotel after a trip from Abuja before she could get to her residence the next day, as according to her, the road to her place is impassable except with a tricycle.

    She however, called on the state government to adopt a more proactive measures in combating crimes in the state and to see how they can partner with the police to make logistics available to the security agencies, stressing that the 7pm ban on the operations of commercial tricycle operators will do little to tackle insecurity in the state, but would cause more hardship on the people.

    “Life in Lagos is 24 hours. Go to Owerri, Akwa Ibom, Awka, Enugu State to mention but a few, you will agree with me that the state government has done enough to improve security situation in these towns. Why can’t such a thing be replicated in our state? We are talking a time when states are doing everything possible to encourage night life; a time for people to relax with friends including investors who may have spent more time during the daytime in one business meeting or the other. I am just coming back from Abuja after visiting Onitsha, Awka, amongst other cities, but I must tell you that business operators make more money at night than in the day time because government has it so. ASba is a commercial city that is being visited by people from other African countries and other parts of the world. We want to see business being on in Aba anytime of the day. People should be allowed free movement. Government should guarantee people adequate security. That is what we want and not banning of keke riders operational hours.”

    Some traders and shop owners who sell food and provisions, decrying the ban said that it is affecting their business negatively.

    A food vendor who sells noodles, fried eggs, beans and pap near Milverton said, “I and others that do the same business don’t have shops. We only sale in the night when owners of the shops we mounted canopy in front of might have gone home. That is to say that we do our business at night. Because of the ban,  we have recorded low turnout of customers. Some of our customers especially the male folk are bachelors. You know that they don’t normally cook; they from us before going home. But since the new directives came from the state government, our market has not been going well, no thanks to the state of the nation’s economy. So many of our customers now hurry to go home. Thereby negatively affecting our businesses. So, we want government of the state to look into the order and see how they can help us. If it continues, it is going to kill night life in Aba. “

    In a telephone chat with the Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Government, Mr. Godwin Adindu said it was part of proactive measures by the state government decided to nip rising cases of insecurity in the bud, stressing that security reports have it that most of the crimes committed in the state were done using tricycles. Adindu who said that the ban was a “contingency option”, however stated that the state government could reverse the ban as soon as security situation in the state improves and regretted the inconveniences the ban may have caused the residents.

     

  • Lawmaker cares for the needy in Abia

    Lawmaker cares for the needy in Abia

    The lawmaker representing Aba North and South at the House of Representatives has brought relief to the poor and ailing members of his constituency. On his 51st birthday, Hon. Ossy Prestige funded a medical outreach programme which involved blood pressure checks, eye and dental exams, among other procedures. Some were treated or given eyeglasses, some drugs, some referred to better equipped facilities.

    The outreach took place in Aba while the beneficiaries were drawn from communities in Aba North and South Federal constituency, though some from neighbouring Obingwa, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo also turned up.

    At the end of the event, about 100 persons were scheduled for eye surgery in Aba while those with complicated or serious cases were referred to various hospitals where they will be attended to.

    The beneficiaries said that it was the first time a lawmaker would celebrate with the poor in their constituency.

    They also called on other elected representatives and well-to-do to emulate Prestige.

    The lawmaker also announced his plan to sponsor eight members of the constituency for this year’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

    He said, “I felt that I should have my birthday with this category of people who are bedridden; those who are sick in Aba North and South Federal Constituency where I represent at the Federal House of Representatives, so as to give them hope and sense of belonging, that they have not been forgotten. These are the calibre of people that I want to celebrate my birthday with, because I felt that they would not have the best of life if they were on their various sick beds. I know that when they are healthy, they will thank God and that is part of the way I want to return the glory to God who has kept me alive and healthy until this period. My expectations are that a lot of people will go home healthier than they came.”

     

  • ‘Abia North prepared to vote APGA again’

    ‘Abia North prepared to vote APGA again’

    Chief David Onuoha-Bourdex is the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Abia North Senatorial election. In this interview OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE, he speaks on the nullification of the March 28, last year’s National Assembly election and the rerun ordered by the Court of Appeal

    How do you feel about the rerun election ordered by Court of Appeal for Abia North Senatorial zone?

    I feel disappointed because we had a timeline for the things we promised to achieve for our people. But, on the other hand, I feel the temporary setback would restore credibility to the process and legitimacy to us more than if the court had declared us as the winners of the election. It might interest you to know that among the candidates for the Senate seat, we are the party prepared for election. We had a contract with the people and we communicated our manifesto to the people. In my manifesto, which was well documented and given to the voters, we outlined the vision that would drive our senatorial representation. The document is aptly titled the change you deserve is coming; we promised to mainstream the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Abia North Senatorial district in the legislative agenda of the National Assembly. In the course of the electioneering campaign, I told our people that I have dreamt, envisioned and lived my dream of pioneering innovation, wealth creation and raising the bar of economic development in our society. You can therefore imagine our frustration when political jobbers that had no clear-cut vision or mission for the good of our people, used dubious methods to steal the mandate given to me by the good people of Abia North Senatorial district. Of course, I decided to challenge the vote to convince my people that we mean business.

    But, what gives you the confidence that you were the choice of the voters, being a new comer to politics?

    That is the point I am making; our people have never been allowed the freedom to choose their representatives. I say this without fear of equivocation. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had never won elections in Abia State. It has always been rigging, manipulation, inducement and falsification of results. It was those three evils of imposition, intimidation and impunity that became the undoing of the party in 2015. I saw that the people had become tired and frustrated by these serial abuses of democracy. That was part of the reason why I titled my vision document the change you deserve is coming. It is written in black and white; so we saw the change that was coming and told our people that clearly. We may be new in politics as your question suggested, but we have been around as leaders in various ways. That is how we earned the trust and confidence of the people. Those you call the old faces in politics are those that fouled the system; they are the ones responsible for the alienation of the masses. They are those who see politics and public office as opportunity to plunder, kill and maim. On March 28, the people voted against that trend, but they wanted to falsify the wishes of the people. But, we said no and made our voice strong because we are confident of the support and prayers of the masses. Now they have seen that indeed I possess the vision, the drive and self-actualisation to pioneer that change in Abia North’s political leadership.

    Former Governor Orji Kalu has been giving the impression that the election was nullified because of his petition…

    If you are looking for those that are good at making impressions, I am not interested. I am only interested in how to change the reality of warped and imposed leadership that had kept our people to the ground. I told you that I set agenda by which the people evaluated my candidacy for the senatorial seat. And what were the salient points on that agenda? I said it loud that we needed to reposition our people and our people to benefit from the polity. As an innovative entrepreneur, I know that we have huge potentials in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Bende and Umunneochi to lead the change in urban city development. So, I was able to unfold my vision to the people. How the available resources and potentials in these areas must be tapped through good political leadership with the capacity to interact and collaborate with others in the Senate, to harness and ignite these enormous potentials of our people in the areas of entrepreneurship, agriculture and commerce. So, it was not about impression, we did not want to impress anybody but we set out a compass for social action to uplift the people and create health and happiness in the zone. Did you read the personal attacks the other candidates are hauling on themselves? Both the PDP and PPA candidates are behaving like the sons Eli in the Bible; they are fighting themselves because they have nothing in stock for the good of the people. The rerun election is going to be a referendum on the candidates’ antecedents. The people of Abia North know their sons and daughters. They cannot be deceived by impressions.

    But, some people say Abia State has been voting the PDP since 1999 and that your party is not on ground….

    When you say some people, you did not say whether they are from the state, in or outside the state. Those people must be referring to the old things that I told earlier the people rejected. You remember how Jesus Christ said that those who came before were robbers and marauders? I am saying that those that held Abia down since 1999 came through the windows and even had to break the roof to grab the mandate. And in 2015, after 16 years of rape and plunder, the people’s eyes were opened and they said enough is enough. They rejected the highway men and settled for the new leadership with focus, humanity and vision. It is with that acute vision that we discovered that all the while our constituency suffered from high-level of weak industrialisation and commercial growth. We pointed out too that while the PDP was busy sharing money, our agricultural sector was relegated to the background, despite the large arable land at our disposal. Moreover, we were bedeviled by poor educational institutions, low social amenities and near absence of federal infrastructure, especially roads and bridges.

    With a different party at the centre, do you think you can achieve all that lofty vision and what are your chances in the rerun election?

    The political grass is now greener at the national level than before. What I mean by that is that the rejection of the PDP that started from the federal level can only make meaning if it trickles down. I am further strengthened by the rejection which my people handed to the old order. So, by voting for APGA in Abia State, the people have ensured that all things shall become new. You see the same way the PDP was rejected at the centre, our people in their wisdom have decided to vote APGA. We share in the national vision of purity, prudence and patriotism. You can see from the driving philosophy of APGA that the emphasis is on the wellbeing of the people, not in amassing too much money for the promotion of bribery and corruption.

  • I ‘ll play opposition role in Abia, says Otti

    I ‘ll play opposition role in Abia, says Otti

    Abia State All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate Dr. Alex Otti yesterday said that he will play an effective opposition role by scrutinising government activities and canvassing the alternative route to good governance.

    Urging party members to be calm over the recent Supreme Court verdict on the governorship poll, he said his followers should embrace the reality that the judgment of the apex court is final.

    Otti, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, was silent on his political future. He said: “We will go back to the party and wait for the collective decision. The next election is 2019. We will not talk about that so that we will not distract people.”

    However, the flag bearer said that he will always be associated with the push for change by the people. He said: “We will provide a virile opposition in Abia. The era of “carry go” politics is gone for good in the state. We will not be an opposition without an agenda. We will give kudos for things that are right and criticise bad policies and programmes of the government.”

    Otti said although the Supreme Court judgment is final, he has reservations because of the court’s lack of emphasis on the use of card readers as prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He also said that the judgment on Abia election had followed a similar pattern with the Supreme Court’s pronouncement on Lagos, Ebonyi, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states, adding that it smacked of a band wagon effect.

    Alluding to President Muhammadu Buhari’s remark about the judiciary, Otti said: “If you don’t fix the judiciary, every other thing will fail. We need an independent judiciary that should do the right thing.”

    Reflecting on the electioneering, the APGA candidate said democracy will be in jeopardy, if steps are not taken to enhance the sanctity of the ballot box.

    He stressed: “A lot of things must change. We have a long way to go. A situation whereby somebody wins an election and it is given to another person should not happen. We need to look at the process whereby some people are called politicians. We need to set the criteria. People are after what they called blood tonic which I did not promise. The cabal should give way.

    “INEC should not allow itself to be compromised. INEC officials should not hide the authentic result sheets and tender fake ones. We need legislations that will tackle electoral offenses so that we can have a more transparent and enduring process.”

    Otti thanked the party leaders and stakeholders who supported his bid, urging them to remain calm despite the court’s verdict. He also said that he will not tolerate any victimisation and repression of his supporters by the government.

    Otti added: “For us in Abia, we thank God for the opportunity to offer ourselves for service. We have accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court, although we do not agree with the judgment. The judges are human beings and they can make mistakes. They are not infallible. It is a matter that cannot be pushed beyond this level.

    “We have programmes that attracted votes. What is at stake is the welfare of the people. As a party, we will allow sleeping dog to lie. We believe strongly in God. We thank our people in Abia. We call on them to be calm and ensure that the state moves forward. I also called on the government to avoid anything that could lead to the breach of peace and stop the intimidation of our party members.”

  • Abia APC chief backs anti-graft campaign

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State, Dr Ephraim Iroakazi, has said that the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari was just what Nigeria needed to move forward.

    Speaking in Umuahia, Iroakazi said the anti-corruption crusade is credible and transparent but not influenced by the president.

    The anti graft agencies which have woken up to their responsibilities are not being controlled by President Buhari despite the fact that he is the president of the country, contrary to what people are saying.”

    Iroakazi said that people are getting to know about the magnitude of corruption in the country because of the exposition being done by the anti-graft agencies under the administration of President Buhari.

    He denied the accusation of selective prosecution from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying, “They were in government for 16 years with nothing to show for it, only corruption in high places and felt and it would continue forever”.

    Iroakazi said, “Corruption is a monster; it has the capacity to fight back. What is important is the political will of those fighting corruption. The PDP crying out is expected: they have been in government for 16 years”.

    He said that President Buhari has embarked on programs that would revive the economy and make life better for Nigeria and has set up a team headed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to rejuvenate and revive the economy.

    Iroakazi said, “What is happening is putting down required template that will put the economy on sure footing and emphasis is in the area of agriculture and natural resources for food security”.

     

  • Supreme Court affirms Akwa Ibom, Abia governors elections

    Supreme Court affirms Akwa Ibom, Abia governors elections

    The elections of Akwa Ibom state governor Udo Emmanuel and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State have been affirmed by the Supreme Court sitting in Abuja.
    Details later

  • Abia: Our votes must count -Wachuku

    Abia: Our votes must count -Wachuku

    Chuku Wachuku, a former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, spoke passionately about the current political situation in Abia State in this interview with Adejo David. Excerpts: 

    The most topical issue in Abia State today is the post-election matter. What is your take on it?

    As the chairman of the Governing Council of Abia State Polytechnic, a former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, the National President of the Association of Agriculture and Industrial Entrepreneurs Group of Nigeria and as an electorate who hails from one of the three local councils of the state where the last gubernatorial election was cancelled by the Appeal Court, I can say that I am an elder in Abia State and a stakeholder.

    Talking about the last governorship election in my state, I dare say that the election was largely free and fair. The people voted their choice, we all voted our choice, we voted Dr Victor Ikpeazu and that is who we want as our governor.

    It is not Supreme Court judgment yet, it is Appeal Court. There are three areas you go to get judgment; one is the election tribunal which confirmed Ikpeazu’s victory at the poll. Now the Court of Appeal has nullified this victory citing irregularities in three local government councils of Abia State, one of which is mine.

    It is very confounding to say the least; this has no basis anywhere in the Electoral Act. If you want to say re- run after you have established malpractices, well that may be fair enough, but voting must be established at the polling units. You don’t just have somebody come from Abuja to say he thinks someone was voted in.

    Card reader is salient to the Electoral Act; it is not an intellectual act. The people, who introduced card reader, introduced them as experiment and they know it could be faulty. So, that’s why they also introduced forms whereby if it (card reader) could not capture, you vote manually.

    Now, talking about the election, there was no violence, we voted freely and fairly and Ikpeazu won. This was admitted, the result was admitted by the INEC. Now, how can anybody turn around and tell me that my franchise must be denied.  So, I actually represent a new movement we call:  “Our vote must count”. We are in the process of collecting signatures of over 500,000 of our people; registered voters. We are going to publish this because we voted and our vote must count. What I am saying is that we have done elections already and we say our votes must count.

    So, this movement is made up of people of these three councils, viz: Isiala North, Osisioma and Obingwa. Are you telling me that out of about 250,000 votes of the entire number of people who voted will have to be cancelled and nullified? What basis are you going to declare somebody else winner?

    So, we are glad that at least the Supreme Court is looking into the matter; I am so glad that the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself raised the alarm about conflicting judgments here and there; the facts are there.  Even in the case of Lagos State, the Supreme Court ruled that the card reader is not the sole instrument to judge an election with.

    The same Supreme Court pronounced that the Zamfara governor is duly elected because the card reader should not necessarily come into effect. That is just part of the instrument; you cannot come out and disenfranchise more than three quarters of the electorates.  This is not a system where minority rules and majority keeps quiet. This is where everybody’s votes must count; there is no question of minority or majority here.

    Now, if the other candidate is from our zone, is he telling us that even his own vote too should not count, that you can actually cancel his people’s vote?  Did you establish any thuggery?  No.  Did you establish any irregularities?  No.  Did you establish any malpractice?  No. Just some mere allegations made by some incompetent individuals.

    What about the influence of APGA in the South-East?

    There is no APGA in Abia State. I can tell you authoritatively that there is no APGA in Abia State; there is no APGA in my local government.  Their state chairman rides about on okada. You may say that is no yard stick for measuring but these are rag-tag people who are funded by one money bag because everybody needs to have a platform to contest an election. No APGA in Abia State and there has never been.

    What is the way forward?

    We are waiting for the Supreme Court which I believe will be favourable and based on that, we have also calmed everybody’s nerve down, we spend more time telling the people not to take the law into their hands because the law is clear. If the interpretation of the Electoral Act is what it is supposed to be and as it will be interpreted by those academic and legal- minded people at the Supreme Court, then that mandate belongs to the governor.

    Again, you can’t have people like me with my background; you can’t have Chuku Wachuku and you say my vote cannot count. It does not just happen that way. So, this movement which has been launched is collecting over 500,000 signatures and we are going to publish it in the papers and that will show your votes, your polling where you voted and your signature and let me see how somebody can say you can just wake up and cancel 250,000 votes, does it make sense to you?

    Even a rerun will be considered an injustice but in any case, if you rerun it ten thousand times, Okezie Ikpeazu will still win. It is as simple as that, particularly now that they have seen his colour.

    What if he loses at Supreme Court?

    He is already an elected governor.  We elected him. We are law abiding citizens; at our level, we are governed by law. If the Supreme Court decides otherwise, we are law abiding citizens but I don’t think that will happen because these votes must count, you don’t disenfranchise three quarters of the electorate by a stroke of your pen. But we are not losing sleep over that because we know that Supreme Court will do the right thing. We thank God it is the last port of call.

    The rate of unemployment in the country is already alarming, considering your track record in this area, what can be done?

    As former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and also former President of the National Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI) and currently, Founder, Association of Agriculture and Industrial Entrepreneurs, you will credit me with knowing one or two things about jobs creation.

    Now, agricultural entrepreneurs and industrialists will rule our economy tomorrow. This is the sub sector that creates millions of jobs.

    How will this association work?

    It is an advocacy, you dialogue with the government, you dialogue with stakeholders to determine and promote common interest. Everybody will tell you that some of the biggest problems that small scale businesses are facing, especially at the entrepreneurial level, are that when they ask for loans, they are required to bring collateral that they can barely raise. Government has just got to come up with an effective way to actually surmount these hurdles. We intervene in this regard.

    Government has initiated so many policies with funds amounting to billions that nobody is assessable to. We can help in this regard.

    As a member of the National Council and the former President of NASSI, I can boldly tell you that government cannot create employment, employment creation is private sector driven? The government should stop wasting money on parastatals that end up producing nothing, end up consuming the budget assigned to them and not creating one job. You have organisations with over N4billion annual budget, yet they create nothing – no jobs, no value, just duplication and multi-duplicity of functions. Investing in agriculture and entrepreneurship will change all this.

    We are in partnership with a raw material developing cluster; we are going to be talking with the Minister of Science and Technology; I am bringing in the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and we are going to create clusters of industries in every local government in Nigeria. I am glad oil prices have crashed. I hope they crash some more because it will awaken that spirit of “can do” in us.  It will force us to produce what we consume and we will produce enough to even export and we are indeed exporters.

    The Abia State Government has been doing some serious jobs towards creating clusters. They are creating clusters in the required value chain and we are going to be partnering with them seriously and we are going to partner with many state governors. We are going to have to find a way to be ingenious about creating jobs.

    My advice to President Muhammadu Buhari is that he must do a critical input-output analysis. How much has the government put into our parastatals in the last five to ten years? What impact have we achieved?

  • Still on the Abia governorship tussle

    December 31, 3015 was a special day for Abia and its well-meaning people. It was a day God delivered a unique New Year package to His own people through a well-thought out verdict of the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri.

    The day began like any other until late evening when news filtered into the state that the Appeal Court had delivered its judgment on the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti.

    Otti had approached the Appeal Court to upturn the judgment of the Hon. Justice Usman Bwala-led governorship election petition, which affirmed the election of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor.

    The five-member jurists of the Court of Appeal, headed by Hon. Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, not only annulled the purported election of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the governor but declared Otti the winner of the election. The court resolved that Otti scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election. And Hon. Justice Omoleye, beyond pronouncing Otti the winner, ordered that he (Otti) should be sworn in.

     

    How Abians received the court of appeal judgment

    The jubilation that came with the eve of January 1, 2016 judgment was spontaneous and widespread. From Arochukwu to Umunneochi down to Umuahia up to Aba, Owaza and far end of Ndoki and Ohambele in Ukwa East Local Government Area of the state, the people’s joy knew no bounds. Villages, communities and cities erupted in wild celebration.

    The joy was palpable and infectious all over the state as residents danced and made merry all-night-long on the streets and churches, thanking God for finally taking firm charge of the affairs of the state. It was indeed a beautiful and divine as it coincided with the celebration line up to herald a New Year.

    This was the situation that pervaded and still pervades the state to date. Suddenly and just from the blues emerged the forces of evil, which have over the last 16 years held down Abia from growth and development.

    Swimming against the tide and in contrast with the popular feelings across the state, some disgruntled professional politicians began to hold nocturnal meetings, where the idea to sponsor serial protests against the judgment was hatched.

    So, barely 48 hours after the landmark judgment was delivered, PDP shenanigans, mixed with street urchins, took to the streets to molest unsuspecting motorists at the Aba-end of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in the guise of a protest against the judgment that brought joy and hope of economic and political emancipation to more than 90 per cent non-PDP Abians.

    Of course, it was clear that the intention of the few protesters was to create the false impression that the people of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction of the state were opposed to the judgment. But that aim was roundly defeated because in the real sense, such a protest ought to be spontaneous and instantaneous, coming on the spur of the moment. Rather the protest came two days after the judgment, giving it away as sponsored and an after-thought.

    The scanty size of the protesters, who later moved to the streets of Umuahia, turned out to be a child play, when a multitude of Abians thronged the major streets of the capital city on Wednesday, January 6 to celebrate Otti and the December 31 judgment.

    The celebrators, comprising supporters and admirers of the former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, took Umuahia by storm. The victory celebration attracted street traders, artisans, tricycle operators, motorists, market men and women as well as pensioners. The celebration was to continue in Aba but it was disrupted by the police on the orders of the state government.

     

    The April governorship election in perspective

    The story of the April 11 general election in Abia state can be comprehensively captured with a narrative of the bizarre drama that played out at the state collation centre on the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Umuahia.

    The exercise commenced smoothly even though the atmosphere was tense. The State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, who was flanked on both sides by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Selina Oko, and security chiefs in the state, kicked off the collation of the results of the election from the 17 local government areas.

    Midway into the exercise and at a time Otti was cruising comfortably to victory, having expectedly shot into a comfortable lead in nine out of the 14 local government areas (LGAs) collated, came the bombshell. Prof. Ozumba declared the results of the election in Obingwa, Osisioma and isialangwa North LGAs cancelled.

    He said: ‘’By the powers conferred on me, I hereby cancel the results of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialnagwa North LGAs based on incontrovertible evidence from international observers.’’ The cancellation was recorded by the local and international election monitors as well as journalists and security chiefs, who largely made up the audience.

    No sooner had he announced the cancellation than some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stole into the collation centre like a thief in the night.

    And in a brute and rascally manner, characteristic of the legendry Idi Amin of Uganda, they whisked the REC away from the collation centre to her office.

    Rising from a meeting, Ozumba, who now looked intimidated and mystified, immediately recanted, reversed the cancellation of the results and proceeded to re-admit them. At the end of the exercise, he declared the election inconclusive, with no clear winner. He ordered a supplementary election in selected polling units in Osisioma, Ugwunagbo and just one unit in Isialangwa North. No unit was listed for the supplementary in Obingwa, where the mother of all-rigging took place.

    This was how PDP arm-twisted INEC and paved the way for the declaration of Okezie as the governor, after awarding fabulous figures to the party in the three controversial LGAs.

     

    Post-declaration public reaction

    Ikpeazu’s declaration as governor was a sad commentary for Abians. Many people in the villages, communities and cities broke down psychologically with the INEC declaration. It was a dark Sunday for the good people of the state. INEC has dashed their hope of getting rid of PDP and everything it represented in the state.

    Relief however came their way, when Otti announced at a press briefing that he would challenge the result in the tribunal, pointing out that ‘’the battle has just be  started.’’ He described the INEC declaration of Ikpeazu as governor as ‘’a rape of democracy.’’

     

    Salient issues in Otti’s petition

    In his petition, Otti had alleged over-voting in Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa South LGAs, signing of multiple ward results in the affected LGAs by local government agents rather than the duly accredited ward agents. He also requested the tribunal to sustain the cancellation of the results of the three LGAs in line with the initial pronouncement of the returning officer, insisting that Ozumba had no power to reverse the cancellation. He also cited sundry other irregularities and malpractices that vitiated the credibility of the results in the three contentious LGAs.

    Surprisingly, these weighty issues, which characterised the election in the three LGAs and rendered it substantially non-compliant to the Electoral Act, were dismissed by the tribunal.

    The cloud of depression and hopelessness that enveloped the cities, towns and villages in the wake of the tribunal judgment endured until December 31, 2015, the eve of the New Year day. However, Abia and its well-meaning people experienced a fresh breadth on December 31 with the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

    The judgment was the needed tonic that brought life back to many Abians, who were dying by installment each passing day as they waited patiently for justice and the recovery of their mandate.

    This is the reason for the unending joy today in the streets of Aba, Umuahia, Obehie, Ukwa, Umunneochi, Ohafia, Arochukwu and Bende as well as the villages and communities in the state.

    In his official reaction to the judgment, entitled ‘’Justice at last,’’ Otti said, ‘’It is said that the windmill of justice may grind slowly but it surely does grind.

    ‘’After more than seven months of tortuous and needless legal tussle, the will of the people has triumphed!’’

    Also reacting to the judgment, Ikpeazu, who urged his supporters to remain calm, said that he would challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court through his counsel.

    Aside from wasting the scarce state resources, pursuing a matter that is already sealed at the Court of Appeal, appears more like a wild goose chase and an exercise in futility. And expecting the Supreme Court to reverse the unanimous decision of a five-member panel of jurists looks like mere wishful-thinking, a mirage and a near-impossibility.

    Indeed, it amounts to self-delusion for anyone to expect the nation’s apex court to uphold a proven case of massive electoral fraud, brazenly committed by PDP desperadoes to continue to foist themselves on the people against their wish.

    According to a popular maxim, anyone who goes to equity must go with clean hands. It goes to explain therefore that going to the Supreme Court with proven cases of over-voting, massive electoral fraud, corrupt practices, irregularities and substantial non-compliance to Electoral Act, with an intent to shortchange the people and deny them their popular choice, is akin to going to equity with soiled hand. And nobody goes to equity with blemish and expects justice.

     

    • Great Nwadike is an Abia indigene resident in the United Kingdom

  • Governors, senators storm Abia for Gov Ikpeazu’s mother’s burial

    Governors, senators and other top dignitaries, yesterday witnessed the internment of the remains of the mother of the governor of Abia State, Deaconess Bessie Ikpeazu, in Umuobiakwa community, Obingwa council area of Abia State.

    Leading the dignitaries were Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari; Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose; Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; Akwa Ibom State governor, Chief Udom Emmanuel; Ebonyi State governor, Chief Dave Umahi and the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.

    Other dignitaries who graced the event include Anambra State deputy governor, Chief Nkem Okeke, Senator Theodore Orji, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Theresa Uzokwevernor of Anambra State, Dr. Peter Obi among others.

    Speaking at the occasion, Ekweremadu described death as a fulfillment of God’s design for man on earth, which was inevitable and beyond human remedy.

    He noted that the deceased lived a fulfilled life on earth and has gone back to her creator, and urged Governor Ikpeazu to strive to deliver more democracy dividends to the people of the state.

    In his homily at the funeral service, President of the Eastern Nigeria Union Mission of the Seventh Day Adventist, SDA, Church, Pastor Bassey Udoh, said the late Deaconess Bessie lived for the less-privileged and touched many lives.

    Udoh, who admonished the people to live worthy lives in order to be remembered for their good works when they die, commended Ikpeazu for the democracy dividends he had delivered in the state since he assumed office, and charged him not to relent.

    According to the cleric, “Mama Bessie Ikpeazu has done her part. She touched many lives; people should strive to do good and make a difference wherever they find themselves. Life is not about what you acquire. It is not about position.”

    He urged the bereaved family not to mourn like people without hope, and advised them to take solace in the fact that Mama Bessie lived an exemplary life while on earth.

  • Care, jobs, facilities in Abia

    Care, jobs, facilities in Abia

    The weak have been strengthened, some deficiencies addressed in Arochukwu-Ohafia area of Abia State, reports UGOCHUKWU UGOJI-EKE 

    For people in need, the gesture was unforgetable. Basic necessities are few. The only primary school in one of the communities is almost a write-off. The youths need jobs while their parents pine away at unprofittable farms or menial jobs. Worse, many of the residents do not enjoy good health. That was why Hon Uko Nkole’s gesture will remain with residents of Arochukwu/Ohafia in Abia State for a long time.

    Nkole, who represents the area at the House of Representatives, provided health care for over 1000 patients from the locality. He paid for their treatment and gave them money for drugs. Nkole also took up the responsibility to re-roof Ndi Aku Ohafia Primary School, the one and only such institution in that community. In the language of the state, the lawmaker has ‘adopted’ the school.

    Most of the beneficiaries were residents of Ohafia, though some others came in from neighbouring communities. The great thing, though, is that the gesture will go round the district, Nkole said.

    The free medical treatment which was conducted at the premises of the Ebem Ohafia Primary School in Ohafia Local Government Area was in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Challenge Aids & Malaria in Africa (CHAMA).

    Speaking during a visit to some of the patients who are recovering after surgery at Uzondu hospital and Polyclinic Amaekpu Ohafia Nkole  said that he would offset their medical bills as well as provide money to buy more drugs to meet the growing need of patients that kept coming for treatment.

    Nkole said that he will also pay the bill for the roofing of the Ndi Aku Ohafia primary school, the first and only primary school in the area since its existence which is in a dilapidated condition.

    He said, “In line with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s policy of adopting a school, I am adopting the Ndi Aku Ohafia primary school to reroof the classroom block which has been in a very bad shape for years.”

    The federal lawmaker said he will help single mothers at Amangwu Ohafia get a job by providing 25 of them with sewing machines and  promised to pay for their shops.

    Nkole also promised that in next phase of the free medical scheme those with hearing impairment would be included even as he assured that he would draw the attention of the state government to the scheme for sustainability.

    Speaking at the event the Executive Director, CHAMA Mission, Dr Olugu Ukpai, said that for about 10 years the NGO has borne the burden of funding the free medical scheme alone and lauded Nkole’s response to their distress call.

    Dr Ukpai explained that the material and financial commitment of the Rep member has helped the organization to reach more people in need and urged individuals, governments and organization to emulate him.

    He lamented the level of poverty and ignorance in the area which he said were responsible for most of the health challenges, stressing that he was drawn into the vision by the death of his 16month twin daughter, Goodness, who died as a result of malaria.

    Reacting Rev Alfred Ogbonna Olugu a beneficiary, who was treated of malaria and eye problem, thanked God for raising people with the vision to assist the less privileged in society.