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Tag: Chikwendu Kalu

  • Ikpeazu presents N139.542 billion Appropriation Bill for 2019 fiscal year

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Friday presented N139,542 billion Appropriation Bill for the 2019 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly.

    The bill, tagged “Budget of Consolidation,” has a Capital Expenditure outlay of N71.7 billion, representing 51.4 per cent, and Recurrent Expenditure of N 67.8 billion, representing 48.6 per cent.

    Ikpeazu said the budget outlay was slightly less than that of 2018, which was N 140. 9 billion.

    He said that the decrease was mainly due to his administration’s resolve to prepare a budget that conformed with the current economic reality in the country.

    He further said that the 2019 budget estimate was conceptualized to help realize the objectives of his administration’s five pillars of development agenda.

    Read Also:  Ikpeazu mourns ex-CJN Kutigi

    “In 2019, our focus will be on continuity and sustenance of the gains  achieved by this administration in the areas of agriculture, education, health, infrastructure and youth cum women empowerment,” he said.

    Responding, the Speaker of the house, Mr Chikwendu Kalu, promised that the house would give prompt attention to the budget estimate.

    Kalu said, “Your Excellency, the legislature has during the presentation observed carefully packaged budget in line with the international transparency principle. We are in this together.”

    Meanwhile, the house also on Friday passed a Supplementary Appropriation Bill of over N9.8 billion, presented to it by the governor for the year ending December 31, 2018.

    NAN

  • 2019: Speaker urges Nigerians to ensure credible elections

     Mr Chikwendu Kalu, the Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, has cautioned Nigerians not to undermine free, fair and credible elections in 2019 in order to sustain democracy.

    Kalu gave this warning in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia on Friday.

    According to him, Nigeria is bigger than any individual; therefore, the national interest must be of paramount importance.

    The speaker called for ethical rebirth and attitudinal change among Nigerians in enhancing the much desired transformation of the nation’s economy.

    “As far as I’m concerned, there is the need to work around our attitudes and ethics; it is about laws, and our attitudes.

    “The Nigerian society is not disciplined. We don’t obey the laws made for ourselves. The earlier we play by the rules of the law, the better for us in 2019,” he said.

    Kalu expressed worry about the inability of the executive to implement the laws made by the legislature, saying that it had hindered the progress of the country.

    Read Also: Why I declared early for 2019 elections —Buhari

    On the spate of killings, the speaker said the present security architecture was not strong enough to guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

    “That is why we are clamoring for the establishment of state police. I think it has passed the second reading in the National Assembly,” he said.

    On the wave of defection among the political parties, Kalu said it had nothing to do with political parties; rather it is about Nigerians exercising their freedom of expression and association.

    He said he foresaw a situation, where Nigerians would in this regard; vote out some politicians they felt had not done well in 2019.

    The speaker also called on the people of Abia to support Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu for his second term bid in 2019.

    He said the governor had performed well in the state, and would do more, if given the necessary support.

     

    NAN

  • FRSC confers honourary special marshal on Okei-Odumakin

    FRSC confers honourary special marshal on Okei-Odumakin

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday conferred honourary special marshal to rights activist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin,  for defending FRSC officers reportedly attacked by security operatives attached to the Speaker of Abia Assembly, Mr Chikwendu Kalu.

    The Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made the conferment on Okei-Odumakin, President of Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA), at WA Office on Omole Estate, Lagos.

    Two FRSC personnel were on July 15 reportedly shot by policemen attached to Kalu.

    The officers were said to have stopped a vehicle conveying the speaker’s wife, on the Umuikaa-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway. The officers reportedly stopped the vehicle over a traffic offence.

    “Legal action is a process, and we can all see what the inspector-general of police has already done; the policemen involved have been tried and dismissed.

    “For the speaker, we have engaged our solicitors. We have filed all the papers now; legal process is not what you wake up today and conclude; you must follow the process.
    “The wife will be charged with traffic offence. The husband too will be charged. Let us meet in the court.

    “Denying it is wrong; he should have accepted what has happened publicly and closed the matter, but now that he has denied it, we will meet in court,” Oyeyemi said.

    He said that the corps would continue to partner with civil societies which, he said, had a crucial role to play in road management through advocacy, public education and enlightenment.

    In her address, Okei-Odumakin commended FRSC leadership for the honour.
    She called for synergy between civil societies and security agencies for effective road management, giving the assurance that WA would not let Nigeria down.

    “There is need for consensus building between FRSC, civil societies and the general public. As a civil society, we have done many things with law enforcement agencies.

    “We will continue in our advocacy, education and enlightenment to ensure that road users obey road rules and orders,” she said.

  • FRSC seeks arrest, prosecution of Abia Speaker, wife

    FRSC seeks arrest, prosecution of Abia Speaker, wife

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has called for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the recent shooting of two of its officials in Abia.

    The Public Education Officer and spokesman of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, made the call on Tuesday while reacting to the reported dismissal of a Police Corporal, Iroh Orji, over the incident.

    Orji, who was an orderly to the Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, allegedly pulled the trigger on the FRSC officials at their duty post on July 15.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, announced Orji’s dismissal from the Force on Monday, saying that he was found guilty of the offence during an orderly room trial.

    Kazeem told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the policeman’s dismissal was a welcomed development.

    He, however, called for the criminal prosecution of Orji and others involved in the shooting, including the Speaker, his wife and an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    He said “the corporal’s dismissal is a welcome development, which shows that the police have zero tolerance for acts of indiscipline and lawlessness among their men.

    “But, we call on the police to institute criminal proceedings against him and others involved in the act of criminality against our men.

    “We have made this demand in writing to the Director of DSS in Abia, who said he had made recommendation to headquarters for disciplinary action against the operative.

    “The director said the recommendation had to be verified and approved by headquarters before action could be taken.’’

    Kazeem said that FRSC had also written to the police command in the state seeking the arrest of the speaker, his wife and the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident.

    The speaker, Mr Chikwendu Kalu, is alleged to have ordered the shooting of the FRSC officials, but he has denied the allegation.

    NAN recalls that the incident occurred at Arungwa Junction (near Aba) on the Enugu-Port-Harcourt highway.

    Kalu’s wife, Victoria, was said to be travelling to Aba when the FRSC men flagged down her vehicle and attempted to book her for seatbelt violation.

    A heated argument ensued during which she allegedly pounced on the road safety officials with the help of a female DSS operative, who was travelling with her.

    Eyewitnesses said that the woman called her husband, who arrived at the scene and allegedly ordered his orderly to shoot the FRSC officials.

    When the speaker visited the victims at the hospital the next day, he was said to have been denied access into the ward where the FRSC officials were receiving treatment.

    One of the wounded officials said “I saw him at the scene. What if we had died, he would have come to see our corpses.”

    But, the speaker blamed the incident on “over-zealousness’’ of the security officers involved.

    “I strongly condemn any over-zealousness on the side of any security personnel, be it anyone, not to now talk of being the Police, FRSC, the Army and Department of State Services.

    “I think I will be the last person to encourage it because it doesn’t augur well with state and the country at large,’’ he said.

  • Police dismiss cop for firing at FRSC officials in Aba

    Police dismiss cop for firing at FRSC officials in Aba

    The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade, said on Monday that the force haf dismissed Police Corporal Iroh Orji, for shooting two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at Aba.

    Oyebade said this while addressing newsmen on the activities of the command.

    He said that Orji was tried and found guilty of the offence and had to be dismissed from the police.

    He said that “the command and the police hierarchy condemned the action of the corporal,” describing his action as a negation of the laid down rules of the force.

    He said, “Police do not advise its members to use their arms and ammunition recklessly.

    “Any armed police officer is expected to protect people not to shoot at them,” he said.

    The corporal, who was an orderly to the Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Mr Chikwendu Kalu, reportedly allegedly shot at the FRSC officials at their duty post on July 15.

    The incident took place at Arungwa Junction (near Aba) on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

    It was learnt that Orji accompanied the speakers’s wife, Victoria, on a trip to Aba when the FRSC men flagged down their vehicle, alleging that she (Victoria) did not fasten her seat belt.

    It was further gathered that Orji shot at the men during an argument that ensued, when the FRSC men insisted on booking them for seat belt violation.

    Oyebade regretted the incident, saying that it was capable of causing disaffection between the police and other sister security agencies.

    “All the security agencies in the state have been working in synergy with one another.

    “Regrettably, this type of ugly incident is capable of bringing us at loggerheads with other agencies and it will not be healthy for our operations,” he said.

    NAN reports that 29 suspects were arrested for various criminal offences, including armed robbery, kidnapping, child trafficking and car snatching.
    Oyebade said that they would be prosecuted at the end of the investigation.