The Nation Newspaper

Tag: crisis

  • Cross River APC crisis deepens

    Cross River APC crisis deepens

    The crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State seems to be deepening.

    National Vice Chairman, Southsouth, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, has described the special congress to elect a substantive state chairman as null and void.

    At a special congress conducted by the Mohammed Indembawa-led five-man election committee last Saturday in Calabar, Mr Etim John beat Dr Matthew Achigbe, to become chairman.

    But Eta, an indigene of the state, told The Nation that the Acting Chairman, Sir John Ochala, was still in charge.

    Eta said an injunction, which was served on the party, discontinued the exercise.

    He said: “Since a court order has been served, the parties must resort to status quo until the exhaustion of the litigation process regarding the issue in contention. I had instructed the committee based on the court processes served us in Abuja and Calabar, to stop the exercise.

    “As national vice chairman, it is my duty to see to the operations of the party in my zone. On the basis that we are law abiding and cannot go against the law, I hereby nullify the congress.

    “The issue of filling the position of state chairman of the party had been in contention, thus attracting the litigation. Those celebrating such a nullity as a victory have further exhibited their folly of the law and displayed flagrant disregard for court orders.

    ‘’There have again exposed their folly of the law and of due process. It is a caricature of sort that these folks still live with the mentality of their former political platforms.  The national echelon of the party will not condescend to such illegality and constitutional breach of defying a court order.”

  • Why fuel crisis lingers, by IPMAN

    Why fuel crisis lingers, by IPMAN

    The Federal Government’s inability to improve fuel supply is caused by  dysfunctional refineries, failure to pay marketers their over N800 billion subsidy debts and poor maintenance of the majority of the 22 depots owned by the  Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), The Nation has learnt.

    Other reasons are the cost of fuel import and marketers’ inability to access foreign exchange (forex).

    It was gathered that many of the 22- state owned depots were not working  because NNPC lacked the capacity to meet fuel requirement.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that NNPC is rationing fuel due to high cost of importation. During a visit to the NNPC Satellite depot in Ejigbo, a suburb of Lagos, it was discovered that the corporation supplies the depot between five and 10 million litres of fuel  weekly, instead of 21 million litres.

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Southwest Chairman,  Alhaji Debo Ahmed, said many of the depots were not working optimally.

    In a telephone interview, he said Aba, Port Harcourt, Owerri,  Ibadan and Mosimi depots were functioning at low capacity.

    He said the failure of the NNPC to distribute fuel evenly nationwide was also a cause of the problem.

    Ahmed said: “Often times, NNPC supplies fuel to private depots at N156 per litre instead of N133 per litre, a development which made some marketers to sell fuel at higher rate than the official pump price. This, among others, contributes to the pocket of crisis, which the downstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry is facing.’’

    Also, the IPMAN’ Chairman, Ejigbo Sattelite Depot, Mr Alanamu Balogun, said: “Fuel scarcity persists despite the establishment of two depots in Apapa, Lagos, last week, by private investors.”

    He said the inclusion of Folawiyo and Emadel depots to the depots in the country is yet to improve fuel supply. He said Ejigbo depot was battling storage problem as its five bigger storage tanks are not working well, adding that the development made the depot to use the smaller tanks for operation.

  • Another three persons die in Mushin crisis

    •Police: we lost a Sergeant

    A Junior Secondary School (JSS) two pupil, Samuel Okechukwu and two others identified as Ambali Adeyemi and Akeem Mumuni yesterday lost their lives in Idi-Oro and Akala areas of Mushin to the continued clash between policemen from the Area ‘D’ Command and hoodlums.

    This brings to eight number of lives lost to the fracas.

    The Nation learnt that Okechukwu died due to inhaling of tear gas shot by the police.

    Eyewitness on Alhaji Lasisi Street, Idi-Oro said the boy was returning from school when he got entangled in the crisis.

    “Okechukwu collapsed when he got choked by the tear gas. He was rushed home but could not be taken to the hospital due to the intensity of the fracas. His parents were helpless and painfully watched him died at home,” he said.

    Another eyewitness said Adeyemi and Mumuni were caught in the middle of the crisis.

    Residents alleged that the police destroyed and looted their property.

    According to them, some officers went away with generator, office machines, crates of beer and other valuables.

    A transporter accused the police of betraying the hoodlums who deal in hemp.

    The hemp’s dealer, he said, were angry because they do not expect the police to seize their goods after settling them.

    He said: “I learnt that the hemp’s dealer contributed over N1m for one of the police’ bosses and even repaint Alakara Police Station recently. If you collect things from them, how can you say you want to fight them?

    “Despite these, the police came to seize hemps worth millions of naira and arrested some of the dealers. How can they do that without the guys fighting back?”

    Meanwhile, Police yesterday confirmed that a sergeant, Abam Mohammed, died in the clash between hoodlums and police in Idi-oro, Mushin.

    In a statement, the command said Mohammed died at the Mainland General Hospital, Yaba,  where he was rushed to after he was hit by bullet during the clash.

    The statement reads: “At about 8am, the Area Commander of  Area ‘D’ Mushin, upon receiving information that a bullion van marked MUS 834 ER, loaded with arms and substance suspected to be Indian hemp, was being escorted by unknown armed men to 4 Umoru Street, Odi-Olowo, Mushin, where some hoodlums were hibernating, to deliver the items,  quickly led some policemen to the scene. On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums opened fire which was repelled by the officers. Two of the hoodlums were fatally wounded while Ayomide Oluwadayo, 40 and five other principal suspects were arrested.

    “However, a member of the police team, F/No. 431273 Sergeant Abam Mohammed hit by bullet during the encounter was rushed to the Mainland General Hospital  where he later died.

    “Two pump action guns with 50 unexpended cartridges, 35 bible size, 16 full and four half sacks of Indian hemp were recovered.  Corpses (sic) deposited at the hospital’s morgue for autopsy.”

    The command said efforts were being being made to arrest other fleeing hoodlums and impound the bullion van.

    It said security had been beefed-up in the area.

    Also yesterday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Imohimi Edgal  warned youths against confronting law enforcement officers with firearms.

    Edgal said if persuasion failed, the command would   arrest and prosecute law breakers no matter how highly placed.

    He spoke during a meeting with stakeholders, traditional rulers and opinion leaders in Surulere, Coker-Aguda and Itire-Ikate.

    In attendance were Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs Muslim  Folami, Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Yinka Akinriade, Itire-IKate LCDA Chairman Ahmed Apatira and his Coker-Aguda counterpart,  Mrs Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe.

    The meeting followed  developments in Aguda, Itire and Akala where some youths  engaged in acts of brigandage, sale and use of illicit drugs, cultism and gang wars.

    Edgal sought public cooperation to eradicate cultism,  drug abuse and other forms of social vices prevalent among  youths in those areas.

    He urged parents and elders of Itire  to learn from their Ikorodu where over 860 youths renounced cultism and surrendered their firearms to the police.

  • Poly students seek Buhari’s intervention in crisis

    Poly students seek Buhari’s intervention in crisis

    Students of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the rector crisis.

    Their appeal was conveyed at a briefing in Abuja by a former president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Samson Okoduwa.

    The students last year protested at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja over allegations of high-handedness, mismanagement and corruption against the acting Rector, Mr. Sanusi Jimah.

    They urged the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to make public the outcome of an interview conducted for the position in 2016.

    The students alleged that the acting rector was running the institution as a personal office by giving appointments to his friends and cronies.

    Okoduwa alleged that students were not issued identity cards in 2016/2017 session despite the management collecting N1,500.

    The Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mustapha Oshiobugie, said elections into the SUG were deferred because of security reasons.

    He said the students were issued identity cards to enable them write their second semester examinations.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • FG urges restraint in media coverage of farmers/herders’ crisis in Benue

    FG urges restraint in media coverage of farmers/herders’ crisis in Benue

    The Federal Government is seeking ‘utmost restraint’ by the media and the public over the  recent farmers/herders’ clash in Benue State.

    This,according to Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed,is necessary    in order not to further inflame passion and worsen the situation.

    Mohammed,in a statement in Abuja, said while the Federal Government “is working hard to address the situation with a view to preventing a recurrence, not just in Benue State but everywhere across the country, it is incumbent on the media and public commentators not to engage in actions that can aggravate the crisis.”

    But he explained that the appeal does mean that  the media “should not cover the crisis nor asking public commentators to desist from commenting on it. All we are saying is that both must be circumspect.”

    He added:’’The current poisoned atmosphere of incendiary comments, unrestrained use of pictures and footages that offend human sensibilities as well as fingerpointing can only exacerbate the situation and complicate ongoing efforts to end the crisis.’’

    Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government is “absolutely saddened by the loss of lives and the destruction of property resulting from the crisis, and recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in commiserating with the Benue Governor, unreservedly condemned the killings and also assured of the necessary security measures to prevent further attacks and bring the perpetrators to book.”

     

     

     

  • Fuel crisis blackmailers ’ll be punished, says Buhari

    Fuel crisis blackmailers ’ll be punished, says Buhari

    Our problem ‘more of process than restructuring’

    Ogoni clean-up on

    Rice import to stop

    Boko Haram beaten

    Power hits 7000mw

    The government will fish out the blackmailers behind the crippling  fuel scarcity,  President Muhammadu Buhari promised this morning.

    In his New Year address to the nation, the President regretted the untold hardship the fuel crisis caused Nigerians during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    In an address that touched on many areas of national life, the President said this year is critical to the achievement of the change mantra that the Buhari Campaign adopted to win the 2015 election.

    He had a word for advocates of restructuring. Nigeria’s problem is more of process than the restructuring of the polity, the President said.

    He stressed that the Boko Haram insurgency had been “beaten”.

    Buhari spoke of his administration’s resolve to dwell more on the completion of major infrastructure with special emphasis on road, rail and power.

    He explained that the country last month generated 7,000 mw of electricity and distributed 5,155MW – “the highest level ever recorded” to consumers.

    On the economy, Buhari said: “You will recall that it was not until last year that we got out of the economic recession into which the country had fallen as a consequence of past unsustainable economic policies which projected short-term illusory growth.

    “The government is slowly stabilising the economy. It was in order to change the steady and steep decline that we adopted the more sustainable policies and programmes captured in the Economic Recovery Plan. Diversification efforts have resulted in improved output, particularly in agriculture and solid minerals sectors. The relative exchange rate stability has improved manufacturing sector performance.”

    The Niger Delta got some news – the Ogoni clean-up is on course,” Buhari said.

    The President explained: “I join my fellow citizens this morning to welcome and celebrate the New Year 2018. This year promises to be pivotal in our quest for change.

    “Unfortunately, I am saddened to acknowledge that for many, this Christmas and New Year holidays have been anything but merry and happy. Instead of showing love, companionship and charity, some of our compatriots chose this period to inflict severe hardship on us all by creating unnecessary fuel scarcity across the country.

    “The consequence was that many could not travel and the few who did had to pay exorbitant transport fares. This is unacceptable, given that NNPC had taken measures to ensure availability at all depots. I am determined to get to the root of this collective blackmail of all Nigerians and ensure that whichever groups are behind this manipulated hardship will be prevented from doing so again.

    “Such unpatriotism will not divert the Administration from the course we have set ourselves. Our government’s watch word and policy thrust is CHANGE. We must change our way of doing things or we will stagnate and be left behind in the race to lift our people out of poverty and into prosperity.”

    “The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is one of the drivers of this Government’s commitment to renew and increase Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure in order to achieve global economic competitiveness as targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

    “With regards to Railways, we have set ourselves ambitious targets. Already in construction stage is the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway.

    “The line should reach Ibadan from Lagos by the end of 2019 and will carry two million passengers per year and five million tons of cargo will be transported every year giving a substantial boost to the country’s economy.

    “Construction of the Kano – Kaduna segment is expected to commence this year and reach Kaduna by the end of 2019. By the end of 2021 the two ends will be joined so that we will have standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route.”

    “The Abuja – Kaduna route will be boosted by additional rolling stock next Thursday and will be able to handle one million commuters annually.

    “At the same time I have approved and negotiations will be concluded in the first part of this year for the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri line covering Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Enugu, Awka, Abakaliki, Makurdi, Lafia, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yola and Damaturu.  The Abuja to Itakpe line will go through Baro and terminate in Warri with the construction of a new seaport at Warri.

    “Negotiations are also advanced for the construction of other railway lines, firstly from Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic passing through Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibia to Maradi.

    “Secondly, Lagos to Calabar the “Coastal Rail”  through Ore, Benin, Agbor, Asaba, Onitsha, Sapele, Ughelli, Warri, Yenagoa, Otuoke, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo and Calabar.  In the next few years, all these Nigerian cities will be linked by functional modern rail systems, giving enormous boost to the social and economic life of our people.

    “With respect to the Abuja Capital Light Rail, progress has reached 98% completion, as at 64% completion when we assumed office.  Only test runs remain before start of operations.”

    “Twelve railway sub-stations around the capital over a 45.2 kilometre route will serve as a catalyst and a pull factor to the economy of the area.  The Light Rail System will reduce traffic congestion and carbon emission in line with the Administration’s policy on climate change.”

    The President said that the Management of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has been reconstituted and has been charged with a 12-week rapid intervention in road repairs to cover all the geo-political zones.

    Government, he said, is undertaking repairs and maintenance of 44 roads within the six geo-political zones.

    He said “Twenty five major highways will be funded under the N100b SUKUK facility. Each geo-political zone will benefit by an equal amount of N16.67b. The following major highways are to receive special attention: Oyo – Ogbomosho, Ofusu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu, Yenagoa Road Junction – Kolo Otuoke – Bayelsa Palm, Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriage Way, Onitsha – Enugu Expressway, Kaduna Eastern Bypass, Dualization of Kano – Maiduguri Road, Dualization of Abuja – Lokoja – Benin Road, Dualization of Suleja – Minna Road.

    “In addition, Government has approved work to start on the re-construction of Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano road which is in a state of disrepair. Work will soon start and is expected to be completed in 2019.”

    While stressing that more Nigerians across the country are experiencing improved power supply to their homes and businesses, he however noted that power remained a concern to the government because too many people still do not have regular and reliable supply.

    He added “The Payment Assurance Guarantee Scheme which started in January 2016 has enabled the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader to raise so far N701 billion to assure Generation Companies of at least 80% payment for any power delivered to the national grid.

    “Consequently, generation has now reached 7,000MW. On December 8, 2017 the country achieved 5,155MW of power delivered to consumers, the highest level ever recorded.

    According to him, the Administration is working with the privatised distribution Companies to overcome the continuing challenges of distribution.

    These massive public works, he said, should spearhead the recovery and lead millions back to employment.

    On economy, he said “You will recall that it was not until last year that we got out of the economic recession into which the country had fallen as a consequence of past unsustainable economic policies which projected short-term illusory growth.

    “The government is slowly stabilizing the economy. It was in order to change the steady and steep decline that we adopted the more sustainable policies and programmes captured in the Economic Recovery Plan. Diversification efforts have resulted in improved output particularly in agriculture and solid minerals sectors. The relative exchange rate stability has improved manufacturing sector performance.”

    Noting that Nigerians have to get used to discipline and direction in economic management, he said that the days of business as usual are numbered.

    Speaking on agriculture, the President said “Two years ago I appealed to people to go back to the land. I am highly gratified that agriculture has picked up, contributing to the government’s effort to re-structure the economy. Rice imports will stop this year. Local rice, fresher and more nutritious will be on our dishes from now on.

    On restructuring, he said “In respect of political developments, I have kept a close watch on the on-going debate about “Restructuring”. No human law or edifice is perfect. Whatever structure we develop must periodically be perfected according to changing circumstances and the country’s socio-economic developments.

    ”We Nigerians can be very impatient and want to improve our conditions faster than may be possible considering our resources and capabilities. When all the aggregates of nationwide opinions are considered, my firm view is that our problems are more to do with process than structure.

    ”We tried the Parliamentary system: we jettisoned it. Now there are shrill cries for a return to the Parliamentary structure. In older democracies these systems took centuries to evolve so we cannot expect a copied system to fit neatly our purposes. We must give a long period of trial and improvement before the system we have adopted is anywhere near fit for purpose.”

    With the electioneering season approaching, he appealed to politicians to avoid exploiting ethnicity and religion by linking ethnicity with religion and religion with politics.

    ”Such must be avoided at all costs if we are to live in harmony.

    ”In this respect the rest of Nigeria could learn from the South Western States who have successfully internalised religion, ethnicity and politics.

    ”Political discourse should be conducted with civility, decorum and in a constitutional manner. We all have a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and entrench the rule of law.

    ”We should draw encouragement from the series of by-elections conducted by INEC last year which were generally violence free and their outcomes adjudged to be free and fair.” he said

    The President also reassured Nigerians that security of life and property is still top of his government’s agenda.

    ”We have since beaten Boko Haram. Isolated attacks still occur, but even the best-policed countries cannot prevent determined criminals from committing terrible acts of terror as we have seen during the past years in Europe, Asia, Middle East, elsewhere in Africa and in America.

    “Terrorism and urban crimes are world-wide phenomena and our security forces are continuously adapting their responses to changing threats.

    “With regard to rampant cases of kidnappings, we are taking immediate short-term measures to combat this new evil creeping into our societies.  Tighter police methods and swift and severe punishment for those proved to be engaged in kidnapping are on the way.

    “With respect to Niger Delta, Government is still engaging responsible leadership of the communities to help in identifying and addressing genuine grievances of the region. Our clean-up programme in collaboration with the United Nations is making satisfactory progress.

    The President expressed his heartfelt thanks to all Nigerians “who prayed for me during my illness last year. I feel deeply humbled by your prayers and good wishes and I am more determined than ever to serve you to the best of my ability.”

  • MOSOP president cries out over imminent crisis in Ogoniland

    MOSOP president cries out over imminent crisis in Ogoniland

    The President of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Chief Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, has cried out over imminent crisis in Ogoniland, following attempts to resume oil production.

    He said in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the weekend that no firm would be allowed to take Ogoni oil through the backdoor, without discussion with stakeholders in the four local governments of Ogoniland, namely Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, especially at a time when clean-up of the polluted Ogoni environment had not been carried out.

    Pyagbara said: “If there is interest in resuming oil production in Ogoniland, the Federal Government and prospective oil companies should initiate a broad-based discussion with representatives from sectors of the Ogoni community. This process of engagement must ensure that the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Ogoni people is embedded within the framework of any discussion with the oil sector and the government relating to resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, taking into cognisance benefit sharing arrangements and the understanding of a credible environmental impact assessment of proposed oil operations in Ogoniland, to include social and health dimensions, as well as start public consultation process, as is the present industry standard, as recommended by the UNEP report.

    “MOSOP wants to state that it has not endorsed any oil company to take over oil operations in Ogoniland, as this is a process that requires consultation with stakeholders in Ogoni. It is in this regard that MOSOP recently set up a five-man committee to develop a new template and harmonise existing processes for engagement with the government and oil industry, that will be approved by the Ogoni people and presented to any interested party.

    “We are taking this opportunity to inform the people about the imminent crisis and violence the government of Nigeria and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC)/Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the oil production arm of the NNPC, plan to inflict on Ogoni people. We want to stress that no oil production can take place in Ogoni without a process of clean-up achieved and broad public discussion about the future of oil operations in Ogoniland.”

    He said he was aware of the efforts of officials of oil companies to resume oil production in Ogoni, with some of them not following due process.

    Pyagbara said: “In recent months, there have been intense and deliberate attempts by the oil industry to return to the Ogoni oilfields through the backdoor, without any broad-based discussion with the Ogoni, with the potential of igniting a blaze of conflict and violence that will skirt this forceful attempt to return to the area. It is especially disappointing, because we have seen divisive efforts to re-enter Ogoni for oil production over the last decade, all of which have ended in failure. In each case, the lack of transparency and attempts to deal with local actors in isolation was the fundamental failure.

    “MOSOP wants to state that the Ogoni issue had been a conflict involving three main parties: the Federal Government, oil industry led by Shell and Ogoni people. Any attempt to deal with any of the matters that had been raised, as a result of the conflict, must involve the three critical actors as stakeholders in a joint project of finding a solution to the Ogoni crisis.

    “In the present attempt, the Federal Government and SPDC have acted in disdain to the Ogoni and forcefully want to give out the Oil Mining Licence (OML) over the Ogoni oil block to a company, without initiating any consultation with the Ogoni community. The Ogoni will resist this attempt.”

    He said while the Ogoni appreciated the Federal Government’s efforts to implement recommendations contained in the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the environmental assessment of Ogoniland, the people were concerned about the slow pace of the implementation of the report, occasioned by unnecessary bureaucracy, lack of independence and funding, declaring that it was time to break down the bureaucratic bottlenecks that had been hampering the effective implementation of the UNEP report.

    Pyagbara said: “While MOSOP is open to discussions relating to the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, it rejects the present approach of the Federal Government, through its oil production wing, NNPC, resorting to the old divide-and-rule tactics, which it had used and failed before, in an attempt to cause a renewed polarisation of the Ogoni community and put them against one another. This approach is condemnable, detestable and will be resisted by the Ogoni.

    “It is instructive to note that while the government of Nigeria commissioned the UNEP to carry out an assessment of Ogoniland, whose report had called for a total clean-up and restoration of Ogoniland, it is disappointing that the same government is going about trying to force its way through the backdoor to begin operations in Ogoniland, without addressing the key concerns that had been raised by the Ogoni over the years.”

    The MOSOP president said the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) must put in place a process that would address the implementation of emergency measures needed to deal with the critical issues of water, health and infrastructure, as a matter of priority, insisting that Ogoni people could no longer continue to drink the poisoned water that was threatening their lives and those of the future generations.

    He noted that the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people was concerned about reports about the approval for release of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight insurgency in Northeast, saying MOSOP condemned the flagrant display of unabashed discrimination, demonstration of crass insensitivity and neglect of sections of the country.

    Pyagbara said the environmental terrorism going on in Niger Delta was more serious than the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast, adding that in environmental terrorism, no blood would be spilled and no bone would be broken, yet thousands of human beings, animals, trees and herbs would be dying daily as a result of pollution of the environment.

  • Community seeks resolution of crisis

    The people of Obot Itu in Itu Local Government of Akwa Ibom State have agreed to live in peace with Obodio community in Odukpani Local Government of Cross River State.

    The Clan Head of Itu, Chief Nyong Inyang, spoke during a sensitisation visit by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), to pave the way for demarcation.

    The Nation learnt that Obot Itu is one of the communities in Itu that have been in conflict with Ikot Offiong in Cross River State.

    Inyang said Obot Itu and Obodio had been living together for centuries.

    He noted that since 1914 when the crisis started, Obot Itu had been deprived of their means of livelihood.

    The clan head said judgments given from 1914 to date between Itu and Obodio had always favoured Itu.

    “The people of Obot Itu in Itu Local Government and Obodio in Odukpani Council are persons of the same kindred and have been living together for ages.

    “We urge the government to intervene and promote peace in this area. Let justice and equity reign.

    “The people are molesting our women. They have taken over our farmland,” he said.

    Inyang appealed to the government to repair roads in the community, stressing that this will revive the economy.

    Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor Mr. Moses Ekpo said  the Federal Government would resolve the dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River communities by putting a demarcation mark on the boundary.

    Ekpo, represented by a permanent secretary in his office, Mr. Nkopuruk Ekaiko, said on July 11, there was a joint meeting with Akwa Ibom and Cross River to sensitise boundary communities on final boundary demarcation.

    He said the Federal Government would not rest until neighbouring communities live in peace.

    Ekpo appealed to the people of Obot Itu clan and other boundary communities to remain calm and eschew violence.

    “The boundary demarcation is not to divide communities that have been living together, but for administrative purposes.

    “You must cooperate with the government to bring peace and development to your communities,” he said.

    The deputy governor, who also chairs the state Boundary Committee, warned youths not to allow themselves to be used to unleash mayhem.

  • Ekiti monarch returns seven months after crisis

    Ekiti monarch returns seven months after crisis

    The Onigogo of Igogo-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Adewumi, has returned to his palace after fleeing for seven months in the heat of a crisis.

    The monarch and his family left Igogo, a community in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, on May 19, after irate youths attacked his palace and other property, folowing a chieftaincy dispute.

    The youths were protesting the arrest of a contestant for a chieftaincy stool for alleged impersonation.

    They believed the monarch masterminded the arrest.

    The Council of Traditional Rulers and prominent indigenes intervened and the tension was doused.

    This paved the way for Onigogo’s return to his palace yesterday.

    Oba Adewumi was accompanied to the town by over 40 traditional rulers.

    The indigenes welcomed the king back amid drumming, singing and dancing.

    They wore customised dresses, including T-shirts embossed with the monarch’s picture, saying they were happy to have Oba Adewumi back on his throne.

    The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe and Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola urged the people to embrace peace.

    Addressing his subjects, Oba Adewumi said he had put the crisis behind him.

    The monarch urged indigenes to work for a better relationship to accelerate development of the town.

    He prayed for peace, development and growth of his kingdom.

     

  • Ayade: world, Fed Govt paying lip service to Southern Cameroon crisis

    Ayade: world, Fed Govt paying lip service to Southern Cameroon crisis

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has expressed worries about the crisis in Cameroon, which led to the refugees fleeing to Nigeria.

    He told Federal Commissioner of the Refugee Commission Mrs. Sadiya Umar-Farouq and Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS High Commission for Refugees Antonio Canhandula  that he was speaking as a human being and not as a governor.

    He maintained that “in the video clips going round the world today, I think humanity is being debased and I think United Nations must sit up because what you are doing is medicine after death and is lip service”.

    Flaying what he described as reactionary on the part of the Federal Government and the UN, Ayade said: “You cannot watch the dislocation of family structures, kids being separated from their parents, husbands separated from their wives and all you do is to rush with food to their corridors and create squatters and camp for them and you think that is United Nations? You have failed. What is united about that? There is nothing united, if we are indeed a United Nations, the issue on Cameroon should be at the forefront of UN today.”

    Insisting that he was yet to see any serious issue being made out of the crisis on either Cable News Network (CNN) or British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the governor said: “Any form of relocation of a people, no matter how temporary is a failure of the world to address the issues that border on humanity and I think UN must take this message very clearly that it has gotten too involved in the politics of redistribution of wealth and has forgotten its essence which was peace, unity and love.”