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Tag: Ebonyi

  • 2019: Coalition of Ebonyi youths backs Buhari

    Coalition of Ebonyi Youths Organisation, under the aegis of 2019 Buhari /Ogbuoji Youth Support Network, on Saturday in Abakaliki, declared support to the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

    The group also said it was committed to ensuring the emergence of Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji as the next governor of Ebonyi in 2019.

    The group embarked on a solidarity road walk to mobilise the youths of Ebonyi for the re-election of Buhari and the election of Ogbuoji.

    The group said its commitment to the projects were due to Buhari’s outstanding performance and credible representation of Ogbuoji.

    The spokesman of the coalition, Mr Eseni Ukoh, in an interview with journalists after the road walk, said that Buhari has demonstrated his ability to take Nigeria to the next level.

    “What Nigerians want is good and transparent governance that will stimulate economic growth and development to improve the standard of living of the people”, Ukoh said.

    “The president promised to tackle insecurity, corruption, power, unemployment; improve infrastructure and agriculture and his achievements in these areas can be seen everywhere.

    “Ogbuoji is the only aspirant among other aspirants from the various political parties that possesses the experience, capacity and capability to wrest power from the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the state.

    “He is a sitting senator, a former Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Job Creation and one time chairman of the old Afikpo Local Government Area.

    “His entry into the All Progressives Congress (APC) has helped to restructure and reposition the party and the evidence is what we are witnessing today.

    “We are appealing to both the national and state leadership of APC to give him the party’s ticket and to let them know that no other aspirant that can deliver Ebonyi people from bad governance than Ogbuoji”, he added.

    The coordinator who also spoke on the alleged recall of Ogbuoji by some group allegedly sponsored by politicians in the state, described the exercise as a show of ‘shame’ and an exercise in futility.

    “They are only being afraid of the senator because they know that he is the only person that has all it takes to oust the sitting governor.

    “These people are very jittery and that is why they have employed all sorts of devious, laughable and anti – democratic means to distract the senator.

    “There are processes to follow in recalling a serving lawmaker by his or her constituents and not at a political rally.

     

    Read also:Buhari, Saraki and caustic electioneering

     

    “Ogbuoji is the only credible, experienced and competent person to lead the state and take Ebonyi people from the shackles of heavy taxation, political stagnation and general maladministration,” Ukoh said.

    The spokesman stressed that the coalition with membership drawn from across the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi would not rest on its oars until Buhari is re-elected in 2019 and Ogbuoji emerged the next Ebonyi governor.

    The Legislative Assistant to Ogbuoji, Mr Ifeanyi Ogba who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), commended the youths for the solidarity march and urged youths to support the re-election of Buhari and Ogbuoji ‘s gubernatorial aspiration.

    “This is not a political rally, it is a road walk organised by a coalition of about five youths organisations to support the re-election of Buhari and the election of Ogbuoji as governor.

    “The road walk commenced from Ishieke park at Water Works Road through Vanco and moved down to Ogbuoji ‘s campaign office along the Abakaliki-Enugu highway.

    “I commend the youths for the orderly conduct and the display of their zeal for a change in the governance of Ebonyi in 2019.

  • Direct primary and APC’s electoral chances in Ebonyi

    EBONYI State made sparkling history recently when a son of the state, Prof. Bernard Odoh, braced the tape as the first gubernatorial aspirant on All Progressives Congress (APC) to purchase the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms.

    Odoh’s action was remarkable for two main reasons. When the APC leadership announced the sale of forms and their prices, many people saw the huge sums as a clever way to undermine the not too young law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    But it happened that the first person to buy the APC governorship form was a young Ebonyi man. Odoh, at age 35, has been a source of encouragement to young people in the state. When he saw the way politics was used to shackle governance in the state, he resigned from the very influential office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), on April 2, 2018.

    Odoh has been a successful academic as a Professor of Geophysics in many universities in Nigeria

    The stage is set in Ebonyi State for a clash between the progressives and reverse progressives in the APC and later with the conservatives that had held the state down through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    From the panic it exhibited last Wednesday, it is obvious that PDP knows that the end is on the horizon for its rule of impunity and oppression of our rural communities and the low income earners.

    But the greatest political battle in the state would be within the state chapter of APC, where the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Senator Julius Ucha, have been engaged in endless political tussle for control and selfish ego.

    The continued division between Onu and Ucha has been the reason for the abysmal failure of APC to live to its full potential in the state. Onu wants to contest the gubernatorial election in preparation for 2023 when he wants to run for president. He positioned himself to be appointed Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) at the beginning of this administration, only to accept to serve as minister.

    We, in Ebonyi APC know that the minister insisted on zoning the chairmanship of APC to Ebonyi north for his gubernatorial ambition, even though he has been fronting one Christian Chukwu (Bible). When Ucha contested the governorship in 2011, Onu was National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

    On the other hand, Ucha has contested the governorship for two times after serving Ebonyi Central in the Senate for two terms. Nobody knows whether Ucha is interested in contesting the governorship again in 2019, but his fight with Onu has continued to put a wage in the progress of APC in Ebonyi State.

    Based on this irresolvable divide, we see the innovation by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for direct primary as the final arbiter and opportunity to unite Ebonyi APC under one leadership. The members of APC are tired of remaining in factions.

    If members vote for the candidates through the direct primary, APC would end up fielding capable and competent flag bearers for the 2019 election. Anything short of direct primary would keep oiling the revolving door between Onu and Ucha.

    Unless direct primary method is used to select APC’s candidates in Ebonyi, the factions might resort to another round of litigations. Of all the four aspirants that have purchased the governorship forms, two are from Onu’s faction; one came from Ucha’s faction, while the only youth candidate, Odoh, is neutral.

    The Onu faction has been making frantic efforts for indirect primary and the mood in the state is clear that any candidate produced through indirect primary would be as good as waving good bye to the governorship.

    We expect that APC members in Ebonyi State are all democrats, who should have welcomed Oshiomhole’s initiative with open hearts and arms. How can a candidate of APC be afraid to test his popularity and acceptability before party members that would end up working for his electoral success when he would ultimately contest the main election alongside the candidates of other political parties?

    The popular belief in Ebonyi is that indirect primary leads to rigging, violence and impunity for which PDP was rejected by our people. The direct primary should be used as measure to know those who are disposed for corruption and those opposed to it.

    Having made history by producing the first aspirant to purchase the governorship forms, Ebonyi State APC should not enter the bad books of President Buhari and the party leadership by upholding the anti-democratic methods made popular by PDP. If APC wants to win the election, let direct primary produce power to the people.

    • Alo, a child rights activist, writes from Abaomege

  • Abia, Ebonyi erosion: Ohaneze youths beg FG to intervene

    The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC) has appealed to the federal government to intervene in the menace perpetrated by erosions in some parts of Ebonyi and Abia States.

    It said the situation in Abakaliki Ugep road in Ebonyi and Isuikwuato in Abia are now death traps to motorists and other road users.

    These were contained in a statement issued in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital by its Deputy President General, Obinna Achuonye.

    The group said if the situation is not remedied, it might degenerate to a distasteful situation.

    “The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide urges the Federal Government to help in the area of erosion control in Isuikwuato and Abakaliki Ugep road, which is a death trap for motorists.

    “We applaud the mutual cooperation with President Buhari, especially with high regards to ensuring that the South East gets their fair share from the projects and economic programmes of the administration.

    “Governor Umahi remains an embodiment of unity among the Igbo, his approach to governance in Ebonyi is unprecedented.

    “We advice the state government to explore this relationship with President Buhari and the Federal Government, for mutual development,” the group said.

    The group further said it was endorsing both governors for re-election in next year’s general election for their transformative performance since they assumed office.

  • ADC gives automatic ticket to 118 legislators

    Fix Oct. 6 for Presidential primary

     

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, the African Democratic Congress rewarded 118 federal and state legislators who joined the party with automatic ticket, while planning to nominate its Presidential candidate on the 6th of October.

    National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu who disclosed this at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party in Abuja said the party decided to reward the lawmakers for coming out boldly to identify with the fastest growing party in Nigeria (ADC) at a crucial time in the history of the country’s democracy.

    He said that among those to benefit from the automatic ticket are five senators, Eighteen members of the House of Representatives and Ninety five me,bets of state Houses of Assembly.

    The ADC Chairman said, “We need to honour and appreciate them because they abandoned the ruling and bigger parties for a party that is just gathering momentum.

    “The development can be attributed to the fact that the lawmakers and Nigerians at large have agreed that an end must come to anarchy, insecurity, lack of focus and terrorism in Nigeria. And the best platform, right now, is ADC. They are from Adamawa, Ondo, Osun, Imo, Ebonyi, Ogun and Oyo states, among others.”

    Speaking on the party’s preparedness for the 2019 elections, Nwosu said that the primaries for aspirants contesting for the House of Assembly elections would hold on September 29, 2018, while governorship primaries would hold on October 2, 2018.

    He said the the party has also scheduled National Assembly primaries for hold October 4, 2018, and presidential, October 6, 2018, pointing out that “Aspirants have been coming to take forms for the presidential primaries. We will unveil our aspirants very soon”.

    He disclosed that the ADC has launched a campaign against vote buying and electoral corruption under the name: Coalition for Electoral Integrity, saying “We invite the media and the general public to join the party in enlightening the Nigerian electorate that trading their votes for money means mortgaging a very bright future and we must stop that”.

    He described ADC is a vision driven grassroots political party with Role-Modelling Leadership paradigm and is not in the ridiculous ‘Harvest-Bazaar’ money politics and ‘godfatherism’.

    Read Also: ADC to hold State congress to elect leaders in Ogun

    Speaking on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Nwosu said the party was confident of victory, pointing out that the party has received letters from labour unions, civil servants and other pressure groups in the state showing great support for the party’s candidates.

    Nwosu said, “We are assuring Osun State workers and the people, who, on their own, have shown great support for ADC’s Governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and his running mate, Rtd Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, based on their excellent public service records, that our candidates will take them away from the grip of insensitive leaders and lead them far away from poverty

    “The people of Osun should be assured that we will always stand by them at all times and will not betray the confidence reposed in us. We are set to hit the ground on September 15, 2018, with our mega rally, as the first step towards taking the state to the path of prosperity.”

  • Nigeria drifting into anarchy- Saraki

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Thursday lamented the growing division in the country, warning that the country risks drifting into anarchy if nothing is done quickly to address the problem.

    He said Nigeria has never been so divided like it is now and noted that the unity our founding fathers propagated is at the verge of collapse.

     

    Saraki, a presidential aspirant of  party spoke at the Government House Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital where he went to consult the state governor, David Umahi and members of the People’s Democratic party, PDP in the state.

     

    He said he chose to begin his consultation tour in Ebonyi because of quest for inclusiveness in governance.

     

    He commended the state governor for developmental strides and leadership prowess.

     

    “There is a high level of un-inclusiveness in the country. We must choose leaders that have capacity to move the country forward. What you are seeing in Ebonyi is not by chance, it is because your governor has capacity that that is why you are witnessing development. How then can you choose a man with capacity in your state without choosing also a leader with capacity at the national level.

     

    “We will fight poverty; we will fight corruption too and not do selective anti-corruption fight. We will develop solid minerals in Ebonyi State. We will bring private investors into the country and turn around youth involvement in governance by bringing youths to governance,” he said.

     

    Responding, Governor Umahi described Senator Saraki as a refined Nigerian and defender of democracy as well as friend to Ebonyi State.

     

    Governor Umahi reiterated his earlier promise to return power to Abakaliki bloc in 2023 after his second term, adding that his administration remains focused on the developmental agenda.

     

    “We will hand over a state that is most beautiful, best economy and richest in the country”

     

    He commended Saraki for standing firm over the various crises and urged that the National Assembly must work together to unite the country and turn its fortunes to the best.

     

    He called on the Senate President to look into cost of projects in the country to stop profligacy in execution of projects in the country.

     

    Earlier, members of the state Executive Council, led by the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe had presented to Mr Umahi, the governorship nomination form which they purchased for him.

  • 2019 : Ebonyi APC to pick candidates through consensus

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi says it will pick candidates for the 2019 general elections through consensus, as the approach “best suits the state’s peculiarities.’’

    This was the resolution reached after an emergency State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, held on Wednesday night in Abakaliki, with APC leaders, including past members of the national and state assemblies in attendance.

    Chairman of APC in Ebonyi, Chief Eze Nwachukwu, who addressed stakeholders, said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had given the state chapters the latitude to choose among consensus, indirect or direct primaries to conduct their primaries.

    “We are here today following a directive from our national secretariat, which has mandated all state chapters of the party to meet and adopt the mode of party primaries suitable for them in line with their own preponderance peculiarities.

    “We are going to report back to the national secretariat on whatever system or method we decide to adopt in this very crucial meeting,” he said.

    Nwachukwu explained that the security challenges in the state and alleged sponsored attacks on party faithful by rival political thugs would not allow the party to go for direct primaries.

    He added that the party would not be able to grapple with the challenges posed by direct primaries, even though it gives equal opportunity to all registered and card carrying party members to participate in selecting flag bearers.

    Members at the meeting, in a unanimous decision, voted in favour of consensus method as first option for the selection of party’s flag bearers for all elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

    They also voted to adopt indirect primaries where consensus arrangement failed to produce consensus candidate.

  • Umahi canvasses amnesty for treasury looters

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has called on the Federal Government to grant amnesty to political office holders accused of looting the nation’s treasury.

    Umahi made the call on Monday in Abakaliki when he declared open the anti-corruption, ethics and integrity training organised by Anti Corruption Academy of Nigeria for local government officials in Ebonyi.

    He expressed concern over the number of unresolved corruption cases and blamed the development on “wrong approach” by various anti-graft agencies.

    “Ebonyi is determined to inaugurate an anti-corruption office because corruption remains the bane of Nigeria’s underdevelopment.

    “The Federal Government should, however, be commended for its visible efforts in the fight against corruption in the country,” he said.

    The governor charged the anti-graft agencies to be resolute and firm in the discharge of their duties and resist political manipulation.

    He said that granting amnesty to individuals facing corruption charges would enable the government to recover stolen funds.

    He said the fear of the anti-corruption agencies had sent several treasury looters into hiding their loot.

    “We have so much of the looted funds either trapped in foreign banks, buried at cemeteries or underground and destroyed by termites,” the governor said.

    He advised the Federal Government to negotiate with suspects to enable them to surrender at least 70 per cent of the looted funds or invest the entire loot in the country.

    The governor said the training was designed to enlighten participants on the most effective way to fight corruption and ensure the overall development of the state.

    Earlier, a representative of the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Mrs Rose Okoduwa, said the training was intended to bring the anti-graft crusade closer to the grassroots.

    “We intend using the local government officials as vehicles of social re-engineering,” Okoduwa said.

    She commended the anti-corruption stance of the state government and admonished council officials to shun corrupt tendencies.

    “This will help to ensure that democracy dividend gets to the grassroots,” she said. (NAN)

  • Ebonyi seals rice factory for alleged poisonous

    The Ebonyi State government has announced the sealing of the popular Abakaliki Rice Mill due to alleged adulterated and poisonous rice sold at the mill.

    The Special Assistant to the Governor Internal Security, Kenneth Ugbala, broke the news after the State Executive Council (Exco) meeting.

    According to him, the closure followed a report by the Ministry of Environment that adulterated and poisonous rice was discovered at the market, which was selling the rice to the public.

    Ugbala said the rice was discovered to be poisonous, which forced the state government to close down the market till further notice.

    The governor’s aide said the market will be reopened after investigation clearing the market of the adulterated rice.

     

  • Ebonyi seals Rice factory over poisonous rice

    Ebonyi state Government on Tuesday announced the sealing of the popular Abakaliki Rice Mill due to alleged adulterated and poisonous rice being sold there.

    The Special Assistant Internal Security, Kenneth Ugbala stated this at the State Executive Council Chambers while briefing Journalists on the outcome of the Exco meeting.

    According to him the decision to close down the rice mill followed intelligence report from the Ministry of Environment that adulterated and poisonous wice was discovered at the market which was being sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

    He said the rice was discovered to be poisonous forcing the state government to close down the market temporary till further notice.

    The Special Adviser said the market will be reopened after investigations to discover and clear the market of such adulterated rice.

    Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Ugo Nnachi at the briefing said the Council also terminated the procedure for the disbursement of the SME loans which was being handled by Bank of industry.

    According to her, the state government ill now handle the procedure to ensure speedy disbursement to benefiting SMEs in the state.

    According to her, the state government decided to take over the disbursement due to the delays and inability of the BOI to carry out the disbursement since the funds were raised and lodged with the bank by the state government.

    Also, the Commissioner forSports and Youth Development said the Council approved N52 million for 2018 sporting year in the state.

    According to him, three sports competitions have been earmarked to take place before the end of the year in the state.

    These include the Dvaid Umahi Tertiary Institutions Games, DUMTIGA 2018 for ten tertiary institutions in the state.

    He revealed that N500,000 have been disbursed to each of the participating institutions to enable them prepare and take part in the games.

    Other sports competitions include the School Sports Competitions which will hold in October and the Divine Mandate Football Competition for all the 171 wards in the State.

    He noted that efforts are in top gear by the state government to set up a new football club for the state so as to properly harness the players discovers in these tournaments.

  • Ebonyi suspends income tax, traders’ permit collection

    Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has suspended the collection of consolidated revenue, income tax and property rates in the state until further notice.

    The governor, who announced this during a town hall meeting in Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium, said the suspension was to enable harmonisation and address grey issues of multiple taxations being collected by illegal tax collectors.

    Umahi also ordered that all collections of revenue in arrears should stop and noted that the government would not allow the oppression of anybody.

    He said: “All income tax is hereby suspended until further notice. We will advocate for an operation to catch them.

    “No collection of tax from market women without shops in the market and anyone culpable will be sentenced to five years in prison.”

    The governor also suspended the collection of tax and revenue from hawkers and abolished revenue collection across the local government areas and all activities of revenue contractors.

    He also approved N150 million grants for market women without shops in the state capital and urged each local government council in the state to assist petty traders.

    He noted that henceforth all revenue collectors in the state would appear in their uniforms for easy identification.

     

     

     

    Umahi directed Kelechi Igwe, the deputy governor, to set up a committee on revenue to hold a meeting with market women, traders, council chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to come up with an acceptable revenue they were to pay.

    The governor, however, ordered the commissioner for lands and survey to moderate house rents in the state.