The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • Gombe residents spend N5billion annually to buy water – APC governorship aspirant

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Gombe state, Alhaji Jibrin Barde, has accused Governor Hassan Dankwambo of running a deceptive government in the state, saying residents of the state spends not less than N5billion annually to buy water as a result of the failure of the government to live up to expectations.

    Jibrin said as a result of the failure of the PDP government in the state, Gombe state was now a time bomb waiting to explode.

    Barde told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the Dankwambo led PDP government in the state has mismanaged the resources accruing to the state in the seven years, while residents of the state capital spends over N5 billion annually to buy water because the state government failed to maintain the dam constructed in the state.

    According to him, the deception of the government has led to the total collapse of infrastructures, assuring that when elected, he will dedicate himself to the development of the state, adding that at the moment, every development indices you can think of have collapsed.

    He said: “I have reached the pinnacle of my carrier as a banker and it is time to give back to the society and the only way I can do that is to take the position of leadership. We have a clear vision of empowering the youths.

    “I want to ensure that governance can be done with a high corporate responsibility. The [PDP] administration is full of deception. It is a time bomb that is waiting to explode. When you have young energetic youth who are actually jobless. It is a fertile  ground for a lot of things. We need to harness these resources and that is why I have decided to join the race.

    “Our people have no access to potable drinking water, it doesn’t take the state government [anything] to maintain the dam that was constructed. The Gombe metropolis spends N5 billion annually just to buy water.

    “Our education system has completely collapsed. Some of the children do not have classes they study under the trees. The hygiene is below human standard. Our hospitals are just mere mortuaries. This totally unacceptable given the huge amount of funds the state government has received. The state has debt to the excess of N100 billion.

    “I was challenged by my 11-year-old daughter who I was taking her to school. She said now that your generation has failed and I look at her and I said ‘what do you mean?’ She said you are going to make my generation fail. It got me thinking.”

    He said further that “Leadership is about service I decided to look at that opportunity. I am seeking the flag of our party (APC) in Gombe state. Why I have decided to this is because we don’t have to sit on the fence any longer. My state consists of about 11 local governments in the north-eastern part of the country and in the last seven years, the resources that came our way has been mismanaged. All the development indices you can think of have collapsed.”

    On the ongoing reconciliation going on in the party across the country, he said “I don’t see any crisis in the party, to be honest with you. Reconciliation does not mean that there is crisis. The party is intact as far as I know. There is no division in the party. Disagreement is allowed. So it is a natural process and it healthy for a democratic process.”

  • 800 APC members defect to PDP in Kwara

    No fewer than 800 members of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kwara have defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Mr  Iyiola Oyedepo, the  Chairman of the PDP  in the state, received the defectors in Ilorin  on Friday during the visit of  executive members of the party in the North Central Zone.

    Dr Hanafi Alabere, who led the defectors from Alanamu Ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area, said they were fed up with the APC.

    Oyedepo, in his remarks, told the visiting zonal executives that no notable member of the party had  defected to the APC since 2015.

    He described the defection of  Alabere and his  colleagues  as a pointer to the popularity of the PDP in the state.

    Read Also: Ex-Kaduna governorship aspirant dumps APC

    The visiting Zonal Chairman, Mr Theophilus  Dakas,  commended the PDP  executives in the state for keeping the party intact inspite of its internal  crisis.

    He appealed to the members to continue to work for the progress of the party through sustained membership drive.

    Dakas, who said the party leadership had directed that power should be devolved to the ward level, commended members over the party’s performance in the Nov. 18, 2017 local government election…

    He gave an assurance that the era  of impunity and imposition of candidates in the PDP  was gone, adding that the people would  decide who would represent them.

    NAN

  • Oyo APC governorship aspirant begins voter’s registration campaign

    A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Prof Adeolu Akande, has started a campaign for the collection of Permanent Voters Cards in the state. The aspirant has erected billboards across the state for public service messages   urging residents to collect their PVCs.

    The messages were in English language, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo languages. One reads “Your Vote: Your Power. Collect Your Permanent Voters Card Today”.

    Another reads: “Your Vote is Your Power. Collect Your Permanent Voters Cards Today”. The message in Yoruba reads: Lofi Oruko Sile ki o si  gba Kaadi idibo Alalope re loni .

    The billboards have the picture of the aspirant in white caftan and blue  cap to match. Speaking on the campaign, a spokesman for the campaign organisation, Akeem Adetoyese, said the campaign became necessary because of the high number of uncollected PVCs.

    He said INEC’s records indicate that 649,000 PVCs have not uncollected in the state.

    Adetoyese said that this is worrisome when compared to the total number of votes cast in the 2015 governorship election, which was 800,000.

    He said: “We cannot afford to leave the mobilisation of voters to register and collect their PVCs to INEC alone. This is the duty of all and that is why we have taken it on as our social responsibility,” he said.

    Adetoyese said the Adeolu Akande Campaign Organisation is concerned about good governance, adding that the first critical step  in the state is for eligible voters to register to vote.

    He added: “Prof Akande is committed to the emergence of credible leadership in the state and he also believes in the right of the people to elect the candidates of their choice. They can exercise this right only when they duly register to vote.

    “He also believes that a good number of our youths who turned 18 years only after the 2015 elections will be qualified to vote for the first time in 2019.

  • Court insists on hearing Odigie-Oyegun, others in suit against APC’s tenure extension

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the move by some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to void the party’s decision to extend the tenure of members of its National Executive Council (NEC).

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in a ruling yesterday, rejected three key prayers in a motion ex-parte argued for the plaintiffs by their lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN).

    Those rejected include the  order of interim injunction restraining the party’s officials whose tenure extension is being challenged, from parading themselves as the party’s officials upon the expiration of their tenure on June 30, “unless they are democratically re-elected” at the party’s convention or congress organised for that purpose, pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

    The judge also rejected a prayer for an order of interim injunction restraining the third defendant (John Odigie-Oyegun) and other officials of the party elected between April and June 2014 from further parading themselves as officials of the party after June 30, 2018 “except they are re-elected at the convention or congress” of the party, pending the determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.

    He also turned down a prayer for an order of interim injunction restraining the second and third defendants (APC and Odigie-Oyegun) “from further holding the fourth defendant (Osita Isunaso) as the National Organising Secretary” of the party “unless he is democratically elected at a convention/congress organised by the second defendant (APC) for that purpose”.

    Justice Dimgba, while rejecting the three prayers, noted that it would be “improper to grant them without hearing the respondents”.

    The judge elected to grant accelerated hearing of the suit.

    He said the court would prefer to determine the substantive suit before June 30, when the actual tenure of the affected APC officials would be deemed to be expired, rather than grant the interim orders.

    Justice Dimgba ordered that the respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Odigie-Oyegun and Isunaso – to be put on notice to enable them respond to the application for interim injunction.

    The judge also granted an order permitting the plaintiffs “to sue the third defendant (Odigie-Oyegun) in a representative capacity for himself and on behalf of the state, local government area, and Ward officials of the APC elected between April and June 2014”.

    He also granted leave to the plaintiffs to serve the originating summons and all other accompanying processes in the suit on the third and fourth defendants (Odigie-Oyegun and Isunaso) by substituted means through the 2nd defendant’s (APC) office at Plot 40, Blantyre Avenue, Wuse 2, Abuja”.

    The judge also gave an order “deeming the service of the originating summons and all other accompanying processes in this suit on the 3rd defendant (Odigie-Oyegun) in terms of Relief Two above, as proper service”.

    Justice Dimgba has adjourned to March 28 for the hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion for interlocutory injunction.

    A similar suit is also pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja filed by another aggrieved member of the APC  in Imo State, Okere Uzochukwu.

    Uzochukwu claimed to be an aspirant to the state chairmanship  position in his state.

  • Women group endorses Ambode’s second term bid

    Impressed by his sterling performance to enhance the well-being of Lagosians as well as improvement of infrastructural development of the state, a group, Ojokoro Concerned Women Forum has endorsed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term.

    At a colourful ceremony held at the Ojokoro All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat, President of the group, Alhaja Fatima Balogun said Ambode met the people’s expectation.

    She said Ojokoro community benefitted immensely from the administration, noting that the people would remain grateful to him for the quality projects he executed in the community.

    According to her, if the first term of Ambode could be so remarkable, the performing governor should continue. “You don’t change a winning team, because one good turn deserves another.”

    She explained that preparation was ongoing to ensure that women in Ojokoro obtain their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) and get them ready for block vote during election for the governor.

    “Today marks the fourth anniversary of our women forum. It’s a yearly celebration but, we have decided to dedicate the anniversary to Governor Ambode in view of the great work he is doing.

    “I still remember that the Ojokoro women supported him when he asked for support during his electioneering campaigns in 2015. He has not let us down because Ojororo is a major beneficiary of the governor’s benevolence.

    “At least, we can point at roads construction, schools and hospitals to mention just a few which he executed in Ojokoro. Having appraised his record, we score him very high; as such he deserves a second term.

    However, Balogun advised the governor to give more appointments to women during his second term, stressing that women were better managers of resources.

    “When the governor gets the second term, we want him to continue with the great work he has been doing. We want continuity in all areas. Again, we want him to appoint more women in his cabinet when he gets a second term.

    “Nobody can push women to the side-lines. We urge him to accommodate more women in his cabinet during his second term, because women are always dedicated and passionate with their tasks.

    “In view of our huge number, we have started mobilising our women to fully participate in the continuous voter’s registration exercise. We want to make sure our governor is re-elected in order to continue the transformation of Ojokoro and its environs.

    “We are going to join his campaign train when the time comes and we will ensure that we deliver our promise,” she said.

     

  • APC has failed on campaign promises – PDP chairman

    Prince Uche Secondus, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman claimed that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed because it couldn’t fulfill its promises to the people.

    Secondus made this claim while addressing members of the PDP during his working tour to Dutse, capital of Jigawa on Monday.

    He said that the APC made a lot of promises to the people during  the electioneering campaigns but it has failed to fulfil the promises.

    “APC  said if they win, they will revive the economy, they will address the problem of insecurity and corruption”

    “Sen. Dino Maleye said before the floor of the house recently that in the 16 years of PDP government they collected a loan of only N6 trillion but APC government in just three years collected N11 trillion.”

     

    “Corruption has pervaded the APC government from the top to bottom, APC government is more corrupt than PDP’s own’, claimed Secondus.

    “There is insecurity in the country, you cannot sleep with your two eyes closed, there is poverty and hunger in all the houses in Nigeria, therefore APC is a government of deception”

    “I therefore urge us to come out en masse and vote for PDP so that we could fight hunger, poverty and the insecurity.”

    The PDP Chairman said that APC has come to divide the country while PDP is out to unite the country.

    “APC should therefore prepare to hand over to PDP as we also handed over to them”

    The Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Hassan Dankwambo, who is nurturing a presidential ambition, said that since the PDP left government in Jigawa, he has not seen any changes under the present APC administration in the state.

    Dankwambo urged the people to support PDP, which he said would win the 2019 election, by the power of God.

    Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, immediate Caretaker Chairman of the Party said the party has put all the the necessary machinery in place to wrest power from the APC.

    Alhaji Sule Lamido former governor of Jigawa charged the people to protect their votes on election day.

    The PDP National Chairman was accompanied on the tour by prominent Party stalwarts like former governor of Kano state Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, former Senate House Leader Alhaji Abdul Ningi, Amb. Aminu Wali, first civilian governor of Jigawa, Alh Ali Sa’ad Birninkudu, former Governor Kaduna, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad, who was the immediate past chairman of the PDP and many others (NAN)

  • Buhari’s proposed visit to Rivers: Wike must be called to order – APC chairman

    Buhari’s proposed visit to Rivers: Wike must be called to order – APC chairman

    The Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Davies Ikanya, has insisted that Governor Nyesom Wike must be called to order to stop overheating the polity, ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed visit to Rivers.

    Ikanya on Friday in Port Harcourt, through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media/Public Affairs Consultant, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, declared that he was not so sure of the soundness of Wike’s mind, especially for his (Rivers governor’s) uncouth words on President Buhari, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

    Wike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday in Port Harcourt, while kicking off the reconstruction of Egbelu Street and construction of link roads in East-West in Rumuodara, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers, stated that the Federal Government had not informed him of President Buhari’s visit and the reason behind the planned visit.

    He alleged that the proposed visit might be aimed at reviving the fortunes of the APC that he claimed to be dead in the state, fondly referred to as “Rivers of Blood,” in view of the fact that Wike emerged governor through violence, massive rigging, killing and beheading of many members of the APC.

    The Rivers governor urged people of the state not to be bothered about the politics or otherwise of President Buhari’s visit to the state, claiming that the state is very peaceful.

    Wike said: “Maybe the President is  coming to make sure that he will improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers State. Apart from Jesus Christ, we do not know of anyone who has risen a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up.

    “Let nobody bother him or herself that the President is coming for security reasons. We do not have security challenges in Rivers State. We have never had herdsmen killings or crisis in the state, except when some criminals tried to disrupt the  peace and they were checked. We resolved that challenge.

    “Since the administration has abandoned Rivers State for three years, this visit may be a blessing in disguise. The President may  use the visit to complete the Port Harcourt International Airport, the neglected East-West Road, the neglected sea ports and the rejected Port Harcourt-Aba Road.”

    Rivers APC chairman, however, stated that Wike attempted to incite the people of the state against President Buhari by insinuating that the Federal Government decided to abandon Rivers state since he assumed office in almost three years.

    Ikanya said: “Wike’s remarks are provoking, uncouth, inciting, unacceptable and should be withdrawn, as a matter of urgency, as members of APC in Rivers State will not for any reason risk the life of our dear President in the hands of Wike and his misguided cohorts.

    “Let Wike be warned that the proposed visit of President Buhari will not be like the visit of some Northern governors that visited Port Harcourt in 2014 to sympathise with their colleague, the then Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (now Transportation Minister), over the wicked humiliation he suffered in the hands of Wike and his collaborators, but the visiting governors were attacked and their vehicles damaged at the Port Harcourt International Airport by Wike’s thugs

    “It is difficult to forget how Wike as Minister of State for Education and the then PDP’s governorship aspirant, ordered his militia group, the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), to attack the visiting governors in 2014. In case Wike is planning similar attack on President Buhari, he will be disappointed this time.

    “Everybody knows Wike’s type of politics of violence, but no harm should be visited on President Buhari or any member of his delegation during the visit to commiserate with the people of Omoku and other parts of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State, for the sad and unfortunate killing of their loved ones during the New Year’s Day massacre of 23 innocent worshippers, after the crossover service, by associates of Wike.

    “Wike’s claim that APC is dead in Rivers State is laughable, because a party with two Senators (Senator Magnus Abe and Senator Andrew Uchendu), compared with Wike’s dying PDP’s one sleeping Senator cannot be said to be a dead party in Rivers State. Wike is the Chief Campaign Officer of APC for the 2019 general elections, based on his wicked policies against the youths, students, civil servants, pensioners and foreign investors. Although, Rivers people are sad over Wike’s lack of good policies to improve the lot of our people, but he (Wike) will unfailingly be voted out in 2019, thereby allowing the enthronement of a government that will be ready to work for the people of Rivers State.

    “If Rivers State is peaceful, as claimed by Wike, why is he budgeting a whopping sum of N22 billion to establish a private army unit, named Neighbourhood Watch, or is he saying that he intends to divert the fund to his private businesses? Wike should educate us on what his actual motive is, if we do not have any security challenges in Rivers State.”

    Rivers APC chairman also maintained that President Buhari’s visit to Rivers would not be for the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate Wike’s motor parks and markets, his major projects since he assumed office.

    He insisted that President Buhari had not and would not abandon Rivers state, considering the risks that APC members and other lovers of democracy took to get him elected, at the risk of their lives, in the hands of Wike, his collaborators and thugs.

    Ikanya said: “President Buhari has visited Rivers State on four remarkable occasions, through the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, SAN, to establish a peace pact in the Niger Delta region, inaugurate or kick off key projects. For Rivers governor, because of politics, to turn around to accuse President Buhari of abandoning Rivers State is unacceptable, wicked, evil, divisive and exhibition of ingratitude to a man who has done so much to develop Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.

    “Prof Osibanjo, with the express approval of President Buhari, visited Rivers State to kick-start the Ogoni clean-up, abandoned by the PDP government of the then President Goodluck Jonathan, with the connivance of Wike. The Vice President also visited Rivers State to kick-start the construction of the strategic Bonny-Bodo Road. Prof. OsInbajo was also in Rivers State on another occasion to inaugurate the world-class fertilizer plant, built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited in Port Harcourt, among other visits by the Presidency.

    “Wike forgot so soon that Dr. Jonathan, a son of the Niger Delta region, in his six years as the President of Nigeria, acknowledged that he failed Rivers State and the Niger Delta by not embarking on any meaningful project in the region, apart from imposing Wike as the governor of Rivers to promote insecurity in the state and other parts of the Niger Delta region.

    “The APC-led administration of President Buhari has proved within less than three years that the party has the best interest of Rivers State and Niger Delta region at heart, by the various interventions the Federal Government has embarked upon in the region within the last three years.”

    Rivers APC chairman also stated that Rivers state would benefit from the Calabar–Lagos Rail Line, the renovation/reconstruction of both Enugu–Port Harcourt and the West-East Roads, the renovation of the Afam power plant in Rivers State, resumption of work on the Port Harcourt International Airport, renovation and reconstruction of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Rail Line, among other projects that were abandoned by the previous PDP’s governments.

    Ikanya lauded President Buhari on the proposed visit to Rivers at this time, based on his love and commitment towards the development of the state.

     

  • Women playing major roles in growth, development of Nigeria – Peterside

    Women playing major roles in growth, development of Nigeria – Peterside

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that women are playing major roles in the growth and development of Nigeria.

    He also hailed the contributions of women to humanity, as the world marked the International Women’s Day yesterday.

    Peterside, who is also the Deputy Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, noted that women had greatly contributed sweat, industry, creativity, grace and intelligence to the emergence of generations and industrial revolutions that helped to shape humanity.

    The NIMASA chief, on Thursday through his media team, in an online statement, stated that any country that desired to make progress without giving due recognition to women was doomed.

    He paid glowing tributes to Nigerian women who had challenged the status quo and risen to the pinnacle of every profession.

    According to a United Nations’ (UN’s) report, one in three women experience violence in their lifetime, while 830 women die every day from preventable pregnancy-related causes, and only one in four parliamentarians worldwide are women.

    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, also reiterated that in all the positions he had held, women were given equal consideration like their male counterparts, assuring that he would continue to support every platform that seeks to promote the good of women and their emancipation.

    Read Also: Peterside vows to fight piracy

    He tasked those occupying different positions in and outside government to give women the leverage to achieve their dreams in life, insisting that women are the bedrock of any progressive nation and that any achievement they make reflects on the society.
    Quoting from a former first lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated that: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” the NIMASA chief urged Nigerian women not to be deterred in their quest to make the changes they desire in the society.

    He said: “The APC-led Federal Government has created many platforms, policies and programmes aimed at giving women the opportunities to become whatever they desire in life, in addition to giving women sensitive positions.”

    Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state in 2015, assured that an APC-led government in Rivers would give women equal opportunities in decision-making policies and activities, as well as providing the leverage to lift women out of poverty and contribute to the socio-political and economic wellbeing of the state.

     

  • No crack in Lagos APC over Oyegun – Party Chieftain

    No crack in Lagos APC over Oyegun – Party Chieftain

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, says there is no crack in the state’s chapter over its opposition to the tenure elongation of Chief John Oyegun-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    Olusi and other party elders in the state met in Lagos on Tuesday to take a position on the Oyegun-led executive’s extended tenure.

    The state chairman of the party, Chief Henry Ajomale, had on Feb 27 attended a National Executive Council meeting of the party in Abuja where tenure extension for Oyegun-led executive was ratified by one year.

    The party‘s NEC also approved a year extension for state executives of the party.

    Ajomale is the chairman of the Forum of APC state chairmen.

    Olusi told our reporters in Lagos that the state chapter’s position on the issue, despite the fact Ajomale was present at the Abuja NEC meeting, did not mean a crack in Lagos APC.

    Read Also: APC, Okowa, Kalu greet ex-president

    “There is no crack in Lagos APC. Nothing like that at all. Our opposition to the tenure elongation should not be misinterpreted.

    “Yes, Chief Ajomale was in Abuja where the tenure of the National Working Committee was extended by one year. That was in Abuja.

    “He came back home to Lagos and submitted his report to the party here for deliberations and consideration.

    “The elders of the party in the state met yesterday on the issue and we took the state position, which is that we are opposed to the tenure elongation.

    “We based our position on the party’s constitution which was clear about tenure of executive officers.

    “It is normal in a democracy to have different people having different positions on issues.

    “What we did  was just an expression of our democratic right,” he said.

    Asked if Ajomale was present at the Lagos meeting where the position was taken, Olusi gave an affirmative response.

    He said the position was the consensus of everyone present, including Ajomale himself.

    He said the atmosphere after the meeting was lively, indicating that Lagos APC was one house.

    “Chief Ajomale was at the meeting as well as other elders. The atmosphere was lively. We took photographs and exchanged pleasantries. There is no problem in Lagos APC,” he said.

    Efforts to speak with Ajomale on the issue proved abortive as he did not respond to phone calls.

    NAN

     

  • Revealed; Why Imo Catholic Archbishop is against Okorocha, APC

    Revealed; Why Imo Catholic Archbishop is against Okorocha, APC

    The main reason for the faceoff between the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and his erstwhile ‘spiritual father’ and the Archbishop of the Owerri Diocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna has been uncovered.

    It will be recalled that the Archbishop played a prominent in the emergence of Okorocha as the state governor in 2011 after he led a damaging campaign against the then Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who was accused of beating a Reverend Father, an allegation he was later absolved of.

    The cleric and the Imo governor had enjoyed a father-son relationship after he was sworn-in as governor in 2011 but things fell apart shortly after then.

    In 2015, the Archbishop had threatened to stop the re-election of the governor, who he said had failed to deliver on his electoral promises. He even went ahead to mobilize the Catholic against the governor.

    Since then the cleric had not made pretences about his hatred for the Okorocha-led administration and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The face-off got to a climax recently during a requiem mass at St. Michaels Catholic Church Ngwoma-Obube in Owerri North Council Area of the state when the Archbishop openly castigated Okorocha’s administration and told the people to vote out the APC and whoever the governor is supporting for any position in 2019.

    Read Also: Imo Assembly under fire for rejecting LG autonomy bill

    This almost resulted in a bloody clash between APC and PDP supporters that accompanied their different principals to the event, which also had the governor’s wife, Nkechi Okorocha, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Uche Nwosu and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim in attendance.

    Since then the media has been awash with news of assault on the Archbishop and being a predominantly Catholic state, the news spread like wild fire, even though the Cleric had denied that he was not physically assaulted as reported.

    Many people had erroneously attributed the feud between the governor and the cleric to the Archbishop’s insistence that the governor should pay the arrear of pension owed the pensioners.

    But the Nation findings revealed that the governor incurred the wrath of the Archbishop, when he refused to fund Catholic mission schools in the state, a situation that did not go down well with the cleric.

    After the return of the mission schools to the Churches in the state, the Governor Okorocha had given the Catholic Church N400 million takeoff grant but refused to part with further money, arguing that the state cannot afford to be funding all the schools belonging to the Churches, coupled with the fact the state is running a free education programme.

    But the Cleric dismissed the governor’s reason as a mere excuse, accusing him of being ungrateful to the Catholic family after the key role they played in his emergence as governor in 2011.

    The Archbishop according to investigations was alleged to be further infuriated when the governor turned down his request to post a Reverend Father as the Chaplain of the Government Chapel, which the governor said is interdenominational and could not be headed by a Catholic Priest.

    However when contacted, the Director of Communication of the Owerri Archdiocese, Rev. Father George Nwachukwu, said that Archbishop has nothing personal against the governor but is fighting on behalf of the people of the state.

    According to him, “the governor started very well in 2011 and he had a good relationship with the Archbishop until he deviated and the people started crying, the Archbishop being a representative of Christ on earth, stood up in defense of the people and there is nothing personal about that”.

    He continued that, “and on the issue of funding of Catholic schools, we have no problem about that the schools are doing well”.

    Also commenting on the alleged assault of the Archbishop by APC supporters, Nwachukwu, restated that the Archbishop was not physically assaulted, “I have told all the journalists that called me that the Archbishop was not physically assaulted but was only verbally assaulted and in this our part, we take verbal assault on such a person seriously”.