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Tag: Ebonyi State

  • ‘My father was beaten to death inside police station’

    An 18- year- old undergraduate, Ebenezer Israel Inya has accused policemen attached to Kpirikpiri Police Division, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital of beating his father, Israel Inya Aluu to death while in their custody.

    The incident, according to Ebenezer, happened on Wednesday August 28, 2018, after he was arrested alongside his father and some of his friends at the Assemblies of God Church beside their house.

    It was learnt that Ebenezer, who lives on 4 Nri Street, and his friends were playing football on the street when their ball flew into the compound of the church located on No 2 Nri Street.

    The church officials then allegedly invited a policewoman, who is also a member of the church, to arrest the boys and Ebenezer’s father for allegedly disturbing the church programme by playing football around the premises.

    Ebenezer explained that they had earlier quarrelled with the gateman of the church after he seized their ball when it fell into the church premises.

    “I was playing football with my friends when the ball entered the Assemblies of God premises. We met the gateman and pleaded with him to release the ball to us but he refused and started insulting us, we then engaged him in a quarrel”

    “The pastor’s daughter came in and asked us what was happening and we told her that our ball flew into their premises, urging her to get it back”.

    “She promised to plead with the man to release the ball to us. After sometime, we returned to the church and pleaded with the gateman to release the ball to us, but he started exchanging words with us. The senior pastor of the church too came out and started insulting us, while the pastor’s children and worshippers started attacking us. They later asked us to go to our house so that the crisis could be resolved and we went back to our house”.

    He said some members of a para- military outfit attached to the church later lured him into the church premises where a policewoman arrested them.

    “I was about taking my bath in order  to come to our shop at Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) at the police headquarters when two security men came to me and asked me to come with them to apologize to the pastor so that peace could reign. I insisted that I will not go anywhere, but they threatened to call in the military if I don’t resolve the matter their way.

    “When we got to the church we saw a policewoman who was on maternity leave and was wearing mufti came with a handcuff to arrest us and we asked the offence we committed and insisted she must tell us our offence. She refused to give us the reasons and locked the gate. They started beating us inside the church. My dad who was in our house heard about it and rushed to the church. He said they should stop beating us again and that we should all go to the police station to iron things out.

    “They insisted that they were not going to the police station but must do everything inside the church. When they saw that the pressure was high, the policewoman took us out of the gate and started beating us. We got to the station with my dad and they detained all of us including my brother and beat us mercilessly.

    ‘’They (policemen) asked my dad to follow them to a room, and my father went in with them together with the leaders of the Assemblies of God Church. The next thing I saw was when they (policemen) came and released us and asked us to come and carry our father’s body”.

    Contacted, police spokesman, Loveth Odah confirmed the incident, saying: “On August 29, 2018, the Divisional Police Officer( DPO) of Kpirikpiri Division, said that there was a call from the Assemblies of God Church at Nri Street, Kpirikpiri, that (some) children were playing football and they played into the church premises.

    “So the security officer whose name I do not know seized the ball, because he said that it was a regular thing which he said disturbed the occupants during the church hour.

    “So, yesterday unfortunately the ball entered there and the security officers seized it. According to them, children started throwing stones on top of the zinc roof of the church. Along the line, the security officer decided to open the door to see who was doing it.

    “He saw the two children who were doing it. He accosted them into the premises and now called the policewoman who had handled their matter before.

    “The policewoman was actually on maternity leave. She was passing through the church to go and fill her gas cylinder.According to her, she parked her bike and entered inside (the church) to see what was happening.

    “The security man opened the door for her and the access paved the way for their father to enter with her into the church premises. According to the policewoman, they were all judging the matter as children’s play.

    “But the father to the children insisted that since he has accosted the children inside, by so doing, (they were)illegally detaining them, so the police must be aware of it. The policewoman assisted them to the police station and went her own way because she was not on official duty”.

    Contacted, the pastor in charge of the church, Reverend Joseph Nwakpakpa refused to comment on the matter. He instead warned our reporter to stop disturbing him.

     

  • Umahi doles out N4000m to NYSC

    Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi on Monday doled out N400m for to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC in Ebonyi State for the renovation of the scheme’s Orientation camp in Afikpko North Local Government Area.

    This is separate from the N5000 travel allowance he directed to be immediately given to each of the 2200 Batch B stream 1 Corps members who ended their orientation course today.

    The governor also gave the corps members who took part in the parade another N2million.

    He also gave out various cash sums to the staff of NYSC and the Military officers who trained the corps members.

    Addressing the corps members, Mr Umahi urged them not to allow themselves be used by politicians to twart the country’s democracy.

    According to him, politicians are planning to rig next year’s election and the corps members owe a duty to the country not to give in to the nefarious plots of such politicians.

    “I have no doubt that you were adequately motivated and sensitised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on your participation in the forthcoming 2018 General Election.

    Read Also: Ebonyi APC dares Umahi, vows to use stadium for rally

    “Let me inform you that your participation in that all important assignment is a rare opportunity for you to contribute your quota towards enthroning a credible leadership, good governance and above all, engendering a peaceful and prosperous Nation”.

    “In the light of the above, I charge you to discharge the INEC assignment with utmost sense of responsibility and good conscience by not allowing yourselves to be manipulated by desperate and unscrupulous politicians who will be willing to buy your conscience at all cost”.

    “Do not in any way give in to their antics, desperation and lure of cash or kind especially when you have to consider that posterity will judge you for the role you will play either positively or negatively during the general elections”, Umahi said.

    He said the N4000m will be used to renovate the road leading to the cam, renovate dilapidated  structures in the camp, provision ofdrainage and regrassing of the camp’s parade ground, connection of the co to national grid, solar street lightening of the camp and the road leading to the camp, etc.

    The Coordinator of the scheme in Ebonyi State, Ann Ngozika Ibe said that the corps members were posted to all the local government atras in the state except Ishielu local government area.

    “This decision is an aftermath of the 2008 Ezillk/Ezza-Ezillo communal crisis. We remain open-minded to post corps members to Ishielu LGA as soon as we receive the approval of the state government and clearance from relevant security agencies via the NYSC Natinal Directorate Headquarters, Abuja to do so”,she said. ENDS

  • NIGERCEM: Umahi assures foreign partners of adequate security

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Monday assured Ibeto Group of Companies and its foreign partners of adequate security of its staff and investment in the state.

    He stated that the revitalization of NIGERCEM Company, Nkalagu in Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi state would serve as a catalyst for the vast development of the State.

    The Governor stated this at NIGERCEM, Nkalagu when the Dream team Core Investors of Ibeto Group Ltd NIGERCEM factory led by Amanda Wester paid a visit to the industrial site of the company.

    The Governor assured the investors of the cooperation of the locals adding that the revitalization of the company would not only benefit the State but the entire country.

    According to him, we are at home with America and any support you need to make the project a success would be given to you by the present administration.

    Read Also: Umahi task corps members on national unity

    “I am so excited today. We are happy to have the technical partners here. We are at home with America as our partners. I want to assure the Nalagu people that the promise we made to you is being fulfilled.

    “I want to assure you of the cooperation of the locals. I am building the seven bridges and roads leading to Nkalagu have been worked on. We have a law that protects investors. Nigercem will be a catalyst for vast development of the state. We will continue to support Ibeto so that the project will succeed”, he said

    In his remarks, the Chairman of Ibeto Group, Chief Cletus Ibeto thanked Governor David Umahi for the enormous support it has been receiving from the state government towards the revitalization of NIGERCEM.

    He added that with America’s support as financiers of the project, NIGERCEM would soon bounce back.

    Ibeto further promised that a new cement plant would be commissioned at Nkalagu Cement Company.

    The leader of the American team, Ms Amanda Wester and management of Ibeto group of company later paid a courtesy call on the Governor at the state government house, Abakaliki.

  • Two young men killed in Cross River, Ebonyi communal conflict

    Two unidentified young men from Ukelle community in Yala local government area of Cross River State were reportedly killed yesterday morning by people suspected to be from Igbeagu community in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State.

    This happening just a couple of days after the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, visited both states to find lasting solutions to the problem between the two neigbouring communities.

    A resident of Ukelle who called The Nation on phone yesterday alleged that the two ill-fated young men were riding on a motorcycle at Izzi-Mfuma village, when youths suspected to be from Igbeagu ambushed them and shot them at close range killing them instantly.

    “This latest attack is unprovoked and we do know what to do anymore from stopping the Izzi people from killing us. Right now negotiations are on by all stakeholders, security agencies and even the government at the state and federal levels to resolve this problem, but it appears the people just love killing just for killing sake.

    “About three Sundays ago, while the deputy governor of Cross River State and that of Ebonyi were in a meeting to resolve the problem they were still attacking us. In fact while the meeting was ongoing they invaded some of our communities and killed three young men. One of them was beheaded and we don’t know where the head is till today. One Vincent Ojobo was the unfortunate young man that was beheaded. He was killed at Ijobolo 2 Village. The other two were killed in Ipollo Village.

    “As I speak with you Ukelle is a ghost town. The community has been deserted. Go to our villages like Ijibollo 1 and 2, Ogomogomo, Ogba, Ujama, Mfuma and Ipollo 1 and 2, they are like warzones. They have burnt down our houses. Our farmland and livestock have been destroyed. We can no longer go to our farms again for fear of our lives. The children are no longer going to school. In fact life has ground to a halt for us in this community.

    “We are begging the Government to come in urgently to protect. We are only always forced to defend ourselves, because we are not aggressors. But the Ebonyi people from time to time for no reason attack and kill our people indiscriminately. For how long will this continue?” the source who did not want to be named said.

    Cross River Acting Governor, Prof Ivara Esu, when he received Dambazzau in his office in Calabarexpressed frustration over the conflict, saying they were confused about how to go about the matter as all efforts to stem the problem has been futile.

    He was upset that meeting with their Ebonyi counterparts with service chiefs, traditional rulers, assembly members, the Director General of the National Boundary Commission, among other stakeholders from both communities to resolve the issue, the killing have still continued.

    He had said Cross River loves peace and in conflicts with neighbouring states, they are usually not the aggressors, but only try to defend themselves.

    Esu said state is bordered by Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ebonyi and Benue States which at one time or the other are in conflict with communities in the state over land.

    He begged the Federal Government and the NBC to do all that can be done to restore peace to the people of the state.

     

  • Nigerian prisons below UN standards – Dambazua

    Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau on Tuesday said the Nigerian prisons are still below United Nations minimum standard even as he revealed that efforts were being made to meet up with the UN requirement.

    The Minister who disclosed this in Abakaliki while inspecting the new prisons being constructed by the Ebonyi state government regretted that over 70 percent of prisons inmates in Nigerian prisons are awaiting trials.

    He was in the state on a two days working visit.

    Dambazau said the Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, was working hard to ensuring that prisons are decongested across the country.

    He however, noted that the task of decongesting the prisons did not squarely rest on NPS as the Nigeria Police and the Judiciary have enormous role to play.

    “We need to get to the UN minimum standard of rehabilitation of prisoners. But one of the most important things is to make sure the prisons are decongested, because 70% of inmates in Nigeria prisons are waiting trials. We need to deal with that issue but this cannot be done by the NPS.

    “Nigeria prisons are just a ware house for inmates who are either convicted or awaiting trials. If a warrant is given to them they cannot reject it. So, they have to keep the inmates. But we are working on how to decongest the prisons.

    “To deal with decongestion, we have to work with the police and the law court. The police must have to properly investigate before charging a matter to court. Otherwise, if you charge a matter to court without it being properly investigated,it certainly hamper speedy dispensation of justice; and the law Court we have to deal with unnecessary court adjournment”.

    “But what the NPS will do is to concentrate on the issue of rehabilitation of prisoners,because it doesn’t make sense when you send one to prison and he returns worse than he came”.

    Dambazau said NPS was also working hard to improve the welfare of both prisoners and the prisons officials as especially on the areas of training and capacity building.

    “Also, we are working on the welfare of prisoners and the prisons officials. Another thing is capacity building. The issue of capacity building was a serious when we came to office and we have been able to deal with it though the challenge is still there. But we have come up with trainings and capacity building”.

    He further disclosed that the days of indiscriminate promotion in NPS was over as every promotion would now be based on merit no matter your rank.

    “As a matter of policy, now, we have said nobody can be promoted from one rank to another without certain requirements. What you find is that we have two groups of persons who form the majority of the service.  One group, you find somebody within 1-2-3 years is getting promotions up to three times without working for it; and you have another group who stay for 10 to 15 years without promotion”.

    “And you will find out that both groups don’t have motivation. The first group will say, after all I can be promoted any time, why do I need to work hard; and the other group will say, I have been there, no promotion; why do I need to work. But now, we want to remove that, so that merit will determine who gets promotion. These are some of the reforms we are doing in the NPS”.

    While commending Ebonyi state government for their cooperation and support to NPS especially for embarking on the ultra-modern prison, Mr Dambazua urged other states to emulate the state’s gesture so as to improve the living standards of prisoners in their states.

    “So, we need cooperation and support from the state government. After all, if we check the prison, you will find out the majority of the inmates are Ebonyians and if you go to Kano, you will find out that the majority of the prisoners there are from Kano.

    “So, we need more of this and we thank you for this support. I have an idea of how much you spent on this project because I am also involved in this building process. That is why I know that Ebonyi state government is putting huge resources into this project and we really appreciate. I will even ask the Comptroller General to write letter of appreciation if he has not done that to Ebonyi state government”, he concluded.

  • Buhari’s government most corrupt since 1999 – Atiku

    Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has described the present federal government of President Muhamadu Buhari as the most corrupt since the return of democracy in 1999.

    Atiku spoke in Abakaliki on Tuesday while addressing supporters of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP, at the Ebonyi State Secretariat of the Party. He was in the state to campaign for Presidency under the party.

    He said the only achievement the All Progressive Congress, APC, led government can boost of is fighting corruption but argued that fighting corruption is not the only responsibility of government.

    “What is happening today in our country is in contravention with all our provisions of our constitution. In our federation, we are supposed to have an inclusive government but you know that this federal government is not inclusive.

    You know that this federal government is not united; you know that this federal government is incompetent; you know that this federal government is more corrupt than any government we have come through since 1999”.

    ”So, let nobody come and deceive you on corruption, they are more corrupt than any government that I know since 1999 and we shall be revealing their level of corruption. Fighting corruption alone is not the only responsibility of government”.

    “Our unemployment is accelerated high and there have never a time we had more than 11 million people, young people, young women thrown out of job. Today, we have more than 11 million unemployed people. Today, we have witnessed much insecurity in this country. Today, we are witnessing high inflation the APC government has brought to us in this country”, he said.

    Read Also: R-APC: PDP summons Atiku, Makarfi, others

    Atiku told the mammoth crowd that he was in the state to seek their support to throw out Muhammadu Buhari from Aso Rock.

    He said the coalition formed by PDP and about 40 other parties is the first step in voting out the president in next year’s general election.

    “On Tuesday, 40 political parties came together to meet themselves to present one candidate for presidential election. The coalition is going to have one candidate for presidential election, one candidate for governor, one candidate for senator, one candidate for House of Reps, one candidate for House of Assembly, one candidate for party chairman.

    ”We need this alliance because what I have seen in the last three years is what I have not seen in the last 35 years in this country. Therefore, we are determined, we are united and we are ready to make sure that in the next election whether state or national or federal, we will kick out APC in every state in this country”.

    “We have never experienced the level of poverty we are facing today. They are selling crude oil around $70 dollars per barrel, when we came in 1999 it was around $10dollars per barrel. I want to assure you that your party is ready to take that power but we can only do so through your support and your unity of purpose. You are our bosses, if you tell us to go right we will go, if you tell us to go left we will go but at the end of the day you must accept responsibility if you take us to the wrong direction”, Atiku said.

    While receiving Atiku, Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi said south east will negotiate 2019 presidency and that the zone will vote for a presidential candidate who will develop the zone.

    “The people of Ebonyi state, the people of south east will sit down with anybody that is asking our votes to rule this country to negotiate. South east will not follow wrong path again. Anybody that wants the votes of south east will sit on the table with the leaders of south east, we shall agree, we shall write it, we shall sign it, we shall seal it.

    “At a time I am the chairman of south east governor’s forum, we shall come together and all the areas of marginalization that we have been talking about, it is a time to discuss with our PVCs. The people of south east will be decided by the leaders of south east and any leader that is in agreement with our terms, we will follow the person”,he said.

    Umahi noted that Atiku has all it takes to be President of the country.

  • Ebonyi community gets new bridge

    A MORE solid bridge has replaced the old one that has since outlived its uses on Umubo-Onicha Road in Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo  area of Ebonyi State.

    The old Bailey Bridge had claimed lives and caused many injuries because its decades-old structures had dilapidated and were not really designed to be permanent.

    A member of the House of Representatives representing the area Linus Okorie built the project.

    Okorie while conducting reporters around the site said he fell into the river in 1978, and that many others have suffered similar or worst fate as a result of the poor state of the bridge.

    He said the situation forced him to build a new bridge for the people.

    He said, “As a young boy in 1978 I fell into the river there.  It has remained a Bailey bridge till recently when I intervened constructing a new bridge.”

    A resident of the area, Mr Rowland Ogbonna corroborated Okorie’s statement.

    According to him, he and his sister nearly lost their lives in 2011 on the bridge when an iron on the old bridge caused his brake to fail, plunging them into the ditch beneath.

    ”On 10 November, 2011, this bridge in question nearly claimed my life and that of my cousin, Ezeh Chinenye. I took her to the local govt headquarters to collect her local govt identification certificate after she gained admission into the university”.

    ”As we approached the bridge, I applied my brake, little did I know that my brake pedal will come in contact with the iron on the floor of the bridge and my pedal cut off immediately”.

    ”We fell through the rough and sharp iron blades into the ditch. People that came to our rescue thought that we were dead but thanks to Almighty God who through His infinite mercy preserved our lives to witness today (the construction of this bridge). Though the scar of the broken clavicle I sustained during the accident still remains but I am happy because the construction of this bridge will always give me succour to the wound”.

    Meanwhile, over 2000 persons in Okposi have received free medical treatment in the ongoing free medical health outreach by the lawmaker’s CaringHeart Foundation.

    The programme which began in Januray has treated over 10,000 persons free of cost in 6 town in the constituency courtesy of Mr Linus Okorie the sponsor of the programme.

    Speaking at the occasion, Mr Okorie said the programme is to augment the good works of Governor David Umahi in the health sector.

    ”What we met here is a record setting situation. One is concerned that so many people need health intervention.  Everybody is ill and we are very pleased that this call for intervention is yielding the kind results and the kind of response from our constituents. We will find a situation where the enlightenment will also linger and build a habit of getting closer to health facilities to attend to their needs”.

    “There is a general hospital in this Okposi area and it is one of those being renovated by the state government. If you go there now, you will find out that it is almost like teaching hospital. The government has also rightly put in place a manpower improvement scheme where they are going to not just build modern facilities, equip them but they are bringing also the necessary medical staff that will take care of it”.

    “What we are doing here is just a peg to support what the state Governor is doing to improve the lifestyle and living standard of our people”.

    Dr. Agu Martins, the Medical Doctor heading the Medical Team at the function said the Medical Team made two referrals to the General Hospital whose condition were very serious.

    ”So far, we have done two referrals in this Okposi outreach. One is a woman that we discovered in the scan that the baby is dead and she is bleeding. The other one is another woman that needs urgent attention”.

    “We discovered that she has a low line placenta and her blood pressure is also high. So, what we decided to do is to refer them to nearest hospital where they can get the right care, the general hospital here and we gave some money so that they can take care of the treatment”.

    “Our target is to make sure that we identify those with emergency care and treat the ones we can here. Then those that are not emergency that needs urgency, we plan their treatments at a better referral centre”.

    Meanwhile, a kidney failure patient from the community, Mr Ogonnaya Okoro who was at the health outreach has appealed for help from Mr Okorie to save his live.

    According to him, he was a business man in Edo state but the sickness has led to the folding of his business as all his money have gone into treatment and still it still persists.

    He said he needs money to continue his dialysis treatments which he has been unable to do which has worsened his health condition.

    Mr Okoro, whose body was swollen up called on the lawmaker and Ebonyi state government to come to his aid.

    ”I have a problem since five years ago. I have treated it before in a hospital in Abakaliki. I went there and they told me I have kidney problem. After treating me that time, I got myself. But it has been coming back every year. I went to hospital  in Oshodi, Lagos last year and did dialysis but I don’t have money to go back there for treatment”.

    “I don’t have money again to treat myself. I don’t have mother, I don’t have father, I am the only son. My mother has died, my father has died. I am begging government at all levels to come to my aid. I am also calling on Hon. Linus Okorie and public spirited individual to come to my aid”.

    “I am a trader. I am doing business in Benin Edo state. Since this sickness started five years ago, I am no longer doing the business; I no longer have strength to do something. I am 34 years, I am not married”.

    Okoro’s Elder sister, Ntasiobi Samuel appealed for support as the family has spent all they have in trying to get him cured to no avail.

    “He is my younger brother. Since five years when this sickness started, we have been moving from one hospital to another. It has cost us lots of money and we have borrowed a lot to ensure he gets better. My younger sister later took him to hospital last three years and he was given treatment”.

    “Last year, the sickness started again and we went back to Lagos. This year, it worsened and we started moving from hospital to hospital again and we don’t have money again to continue moving him to the hospitals”.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ebonyi Correspondents’ Chapel elects new executives

    Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ebonyi State Council, on Friday elected new executives that will run the affairs of the Chapel for a three-year tenure.
    The six-man executive elected were Jacob Ogodo of the Business News newspaper as Chairman;  Peter Okutu of the Vanguard newspaper as Vice Chairman; Samson Nwafor of Nigerian Pilot newspaper as Secretary.
    Others are: Sunday Agbo of the Orient Daily newspaper as Treasurer; David Uka of the Sunrise newspaper as Financial Secretary and Nabob Ogbonna of the Daily Trust newspaper as Auditor.
    The elected officials who had served first term of three years, were all returned unopposed.
    The Chairman, Jacob Ogodo, who spoke on behalf of the newly elected executives, thanked members of the Chapel for reelecting all of them, describing it as a show of trust and pledged not to disappoint them.
    He assured that the executives would fully collaborate with members in order to move the Chapel forward.
    “One thing I wish to assure you is that the EXCO will always consult members of the Chapel before taking any decision”, he said.
    He commended the state Governor, David Umahi for not only providing conducive and secured environment for Journalists to operate, but also seeing their welfare as a priority in his administration.
    “I wish to also, on behalf of the Chapel, sincerely thank His Excellency, Governor David Umahi, for not only providing a conducive and secured environment for Journalists to operate in the state, but also for taking our welfare as a priority in his administration. We assure the governor of our continual support and unbiased coverage of policies and programs of his administration”, he added.
    Ogodo applauded the chairman of NUJ in the state, Mrs Deaconess Osim for her motherly role and pledged that the Correspondents Chapel would continue to be a good ambassador of NUJ in the state.
    He also thanked the electoral committee led by Felix Uka, for giving every member of the Chapel a level playing ground to exercise their franchise.
    A leader of the monitoring group from NUJ, Mr. Emmanuel Irem,  applauded the Chapel for conducting themselves throughout the elections, saying it was the first time the Chapel held such a peaceful election in the state.
    Mr. Irem also commended the electoral committee for conducting free, fair and credible elections for the Chapel

  • Police discover bomb in Ebonyi PDP secretariat

    Ebonyi State Police command has discovered an explosive device suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device, IED at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Secretariat along Abakaliki Enugu Expressway.

    The discovery of the bomb resulted to emergency security meeting summoned by Governor David Umahi at the State Executive Council chambers, Government House, Abakaliki.

    Addressing journalists after the Security Council meeting, Governor David Umahi disclosed that the discovery of the IED came to him as a shock and expressed concern over desperation of the opposition to cease power at all cost.

    Governor Umahi alleged that all available security briefs from the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs in the state pointed to desperation of some persons in the opposition party.

    “The police discovered bomb in our PDP secretariat and from all accounts, the and information from the security briefs from the commissioner of police, the IED was a little bit old showing that it must have been planted by the desperate opposition people in one of the days I was at the secretariat for a meeting but God did not allow
    the thing to detonate and God will never allow it to happen to us”

    “Our suspects are the desperate opposition people who have become jobless and aggressive ahead of the 2019 general election because they think they can cease power by all means. I have directed the security chiefs to make full scale investigation into the incident and report to their various headquarters while we as government will report to Mr President”

    Read Also: Two killed in Ebonyi rival cult clashes

    Governor Umahi further decried spate of killings of the people of the state by militias suspected to have come from Cross River state and urged the people of the affected areas to defend themselves in the
    face of helplessness from various quarters.

    He lamented that despite his peaceful disposition to maintain peace between the people of Edda in Afikpo South and Oferekpe in Ikwo local government areas of the state between their Cross River state counterparts, the later have been consistent in killing of their Ebonyi brothers.

    “The council also received briefs from the security agencies concerning the worrisome killings of our people in Edda and Oferekpe areas by the Cross River state people. I have complained to Mr. President and Vice President, I have also complained to various quarters and nothing seems to be happening but since we have complained and nothing is happening, I have asked my people to defend themselves with stones. We are tired of complaining and we can’t allow ourselves to be killed like fowl”

    The Governor also condemned the cult related killings in Ohaukwu local government area of the state in which two persons were reportedly killed by rival cult groups and ordered the security agencies to intensify investigation into the killings and bring whoever that was culpable to book.

    He also called on Governor Willie Obiano to rescind his decision on renaming the Abakaliki street in Awka, Anambra state capital in the interest of unity and love Anambra and Ebonyi states have shared.

    Governor Umahi also constituted a special committee to be headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Hyginus Nwokwu to have an interface with Governor Willie Obiano on the matter on how best to reconcile the controversy and urged the people of Ebonyi state living in Anambra to remain calm that the issue will be settled amicably. Ends

  • Umahi condemns renaming of Abakaliki street by Anambra govt

    Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of Southeast Governors Forum David Umahi, has condemned the alleged renaming of Abakaliki street in Awka, the Anambra State capital by the state government.

    The governor made his feelings known in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Emmanuel Uzor after the renaming of the street to ‘Club Street’ caused uproar on the social media.

    The governor while calling on the people to remain calm said he has contacted his Anambra counterpart, Willie Obiano with the aim of getting him to correct the action.

    Ebonyi and Anambra are in the Southeast region of the country together with Imo, Abịa and Enugu states which are predominantly Igbo speaking states.

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    Umahi who noted that Mr. Obiano has every constitutional right to rename any structure,  be it road or any other infrastructure,  however pointed out that “in doing so,  what should come to mind should be the unity and perpetuation of legacies and sustenance of the sacred thing that holds us together as a people”.

    “While he condemns in its  entirety, Umahi has put everything in place to ensure that Chief Willie Obiano reverses the action of bringing back the Abakaliki street,  a name gazetted long time ago in the spirit of oneness in Igbo land”, said Mr Uzor.

    “There should be no part of Igbo land that should be discriminated upon. Ebonyi State has received the highest discrimination even from among her brother states and this is not healthy especially as we fight to unite our people and form formidable economic and political blocs”.

    “The Governor has put a call through to his brother Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on how best to resolve the conflict of interest especially as regards the social media claims that the street was taken away from Abakaliki people because they are not qualified to answer such name of a major street in Awka”