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Tag: Imo State

  • Youths stop ‘raid’ of Okorocha’s home

    THERE was tension in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Thursday, as angry youths prevented members of the government taskforce from breaking into the private residence of former Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    The government Recovery Committee, led by Jasper Ndubuaku, had raided the business places of Okorocha’s daughter and wife allegedly in search of stolen property belonging to the government.

    However, plans to raid Okorocha’s Spibat home, which houses the Rochas Foundation College of Africa, was met with stiff opposition as irate youths barricaded the entrance. They were said to have pounced on the committee chairman while his men escaped.

    It was also gathered that while the Ndubuaku-led committee was trying to enter Okorocha’s home, thousands of youths, believed to have been mobilised by the government, laid ambush for the former governor at the Sam Mbakwe Airport as he was reportedly visiting the state.

    But they dispersed after it was discovered that Okorocha was not returning to the state.

    Ndubuaku, who addressed reporters after the incident, said he was attacked by thugs camped at Okorocha’s compound.

    He said: “We went to search the compound with valid court order and inventory of the government properties we want to recover, but when we got to the gate, the security men collected the inventory and asked us to wait, while they check if the items were there.

    “While we were still waiting, some armed thugs came out from the compound and attacked us, I was shot severally and cut with machete but it could not pierce my body”.

    But Okorocha said the attempted invasion of his private home was a continuation of the harassment meted out to him and his family by the Governor Emeka Ihedioha-led administration.

    Read Also: Okorocha to supporters: resist attacks

    A statement by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, reads: “Our attention has been drawn to accusations by Chairman of the Imo State Property Recovery Committee, Jasper Ndubuaku, that former Governor Rochas Okorocha recruited thugs to attack him and his team when they wanted to invade his private residence at Sipbat, Owerri.

    “But we want to say the former governor has not been in Owerri for days now. Ndubuaku stormed his private home at Sipbat with more than 700 thugs – not forgetting that he told the public he recruited 6,000 youths to help recover government property when the committee was set up.

    “They were about to surge into the Sipbat home when youths sympathetic to the former governor rushed to the place to stop them. Ndubuaku and his thugs were there without any court order. And they have failed or refused to publish whatever they think the former governor has in his possession which they think belongs to the government as we had demanded. They also slapped Okorocha’s daughter, Mrs. Uloma Rochas Nwosu, in one of their altercation.

    “Their hostility against the former governor has snowballed since they saw the mammoth crowd that received him on his first visit back since leaving office on May 29. Governor Ihedioha should pursue peace and ensure peace. Trying to engage his predecessor on all fronts isn’t advisable”.

  • Governors plan relief for travellers as Enugu airport is shut

    SOUTHEAST governors have initiated relief measures to soften the pains for travelers as a result of the closure of the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu for runway repairs.

    The governors will meet tomorrow to fine-tune the plans, Enugu and Ebonyi State Governments said yesterday.

    Some of the measures partly unfolded include giving security cover and transportation to people flying into the region through the Oerri airport and the Asaba Airport.

    Enugu State Government, according to a statement by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, said: “Following the closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu for repairs, Enugu State Government is deeply concerned about the plight of air travelers from the state, who have to travel through Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State and Asaba Airport, Delta State to get to their various destinations.

    “The state government is specifically concerned about the challenges of transportation and security the air passengers will face.

    “In the light of the above, the governors will meet on Saturday, August 31, 2019, to among other issues, deliberate on the challenges and come up with a regional plan to be adopted.

    Read Also: Enugu gets new police commissioner

    “After the meeting, Enugu State government will announce its palliative measures and strategies to cushion the effect of the challenges on the air travelers.”

    The Ebonyi State Government said in addition to the security escorts it will provide free transport services and accommodation for its citizens in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

    It, however, called on indigenes of the state to reduce their trips, pending the completion of the renovation of the Enugu Airport.

    A statement issued by the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, Kenneth Ugbala, urged indigenes to be security conscious while traveling until all the palliative measures have been put in place within two weeks.

    The government urged its citizens to route their air travels to the alternative airport in Owerri, Imo State pending the completion of the renovation of Enugu Airport.

    The statement said:  “Ebonyi State Government under the leadership of Governor David Nweze Umahi, has expressed great concern over the safety of Ebonyi citizens and visitors to the state following the closure of the Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu.

    “Government also calls on her citizens to minimize the rate of traveling as much as possible within this period and being security conscious while traveling until all these palliative measures are put in place within two weeks from now”.

    “Following this closure and its attendant challenges on air travelers from Ebonyi State, the state government is making the following palliative measures for her citizens as long as the renovation works last.”

  • Tension in Imo as youths resist attempt to raid Okorocha’s home

    There was palpable tension in Owerri, the Imo State capital as angry youths resisted attempt to break into the private residence of the immediate past governor of the State, Rochas Okorocha by members of the taskforce set up by the government to recover government property.

    It will be recalled that the Recovery Committee led by Jasper Ndubuaku had in similar manner raided the business places of the daughter and wife of the former governor, in search of stolen property belonging to the state government, which they claimed where hidden in the business premises.

    However the plan to raid Okorocha’s Spibat home, expansive premises that houses the Rochas Foundation College of Africa, was met with stiff opposition as irate youths barricaded the entrance to the compound.

    Angered by the perceived harassment of the former governor, the youths were said to have pounced on the Chairman of the Committee and his men had escaped, sensing danger.

    Simultaneously, while the Ndubuaku-led Committee was trying to gain access to Okorocha’s home, thousands of youths believed to have been mobilized by the state government had laid ambush for the former governor at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, who was reported to be visiting the state.

    But they had to disperse after it was discovered that Okorocha was not returning to the state as they had believed.

    Meanwhile, briefing journalists after the incident at Okorocha’s home, Ndubuaku, said that he was attacked by thugs camped at Okorocha’s compound.

    According to him, he went to the former governor’s home to recover government properties that were hidden in the premises.

    He said, “We went to search the compound with valid Court Order and inventory of the government properties we want to recover, but when we got to the gate, the security men collected the inventory and asked us to wait, while they check if the items were there.

    Read Also: Okorocha warns Imo against harassment

    “While we were still waiting, some armed thugs came out from the compound and attacked us, I was shot severally and cut with machete but it could not pierce my body.”

    Meanwhile reacting to the incident, the former governor, said that the attempted invasion of his private home by agents of the state government without any Court Order, was a continuation of the harassment meted out to him and his family members by the Emeka Ihedioha led administration.

    A statement signed by the Media Adviser to the former governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, read, “our attention has been drawn to the Press Conference held today, August 29, 2019 by the Chairman, Imo State Property Recovery Committee Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku accusing the former governor of the State Owelle Rochas Okorocha recruiting thugs to attack him and his team when they wanted to invade the private residence of the former governor at Sipbat, Owerri. And we want to simply state as follows:

    “The former Governor, Owelle Okorocha has not been in Owerri for days now.  Mr. Ndubuaku stormed the private residence of the former governor at Sipbat with more than 700 thugs and he had informed the public when his committee was set up that he had recruited 6000 youths to help him recover government properties.

    “They were about to surge into the Sipbat residence of the former governor when the information came and youths with sympathy for the former governor rushed to the place to stop them.

    “Ndubuaku and his thugs were there without any Court Order. And they have failed or refused to publish whatever they think the former governor has in his possession which they think belongs to the government as we had demanded.   They had also in one of their invasions slapped the daughter of the former governor, Mrs. Uloma Rochas Nwosu”.

    It continued that, “their hostility against the former governor has snowballed since they saw the mammoth crowd that received him when he came back the previous week which was the first of such visit since he left office on May 29, 2019.

    “Governor Ihedioha should pursue peace and ensure peace. Trying to engage his predecessor in all fronts isn’t advisable”

     

     

     

  • Okorocha to supporters: resist attacks

    FORMER Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged his supporters to resist further attacks from the government. He said he would no longer tolerate unwarranted assaults on his person and relatives.

    Okorocha, who addressed a crowd at the Headquarters of the Uche Nwosu Campaign Organisation in Owerri, said he has returned to the state to protect his people from government agents who have launched a war on his followers and legacies.

    The senator noted that the state was still where he left it in terms of infrastructure development, saying his predecessor has done nothing apart from hounding past government officials since he assumed office two months ago.

    Read Also: Okorocha warns Imo against harassment

    He said: “I will no longer tolerate attacks from Governor Emeka Ihedioha. I am urging my supporters to rise up and resist further attacks from the government; nobody should intimidate you, Imo belongs to all of us.

    “They have brought back impunity to Imo State, kidnapping has returned, the state is no longer safe but let not your hearts fail because Ihedioha’s stay in power will be for a little while.”

  • Flood: Seven dead in Yola

    The Adamawa State Government has called for intervention of the Federal Government over intermittent flooding, a repeat of which caused havoc in parts of the state capital, Yola, on Thursday, with human casualty now put at seven.

    The state Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) had on Friday said five children drowned in parts of the city, but the Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, told our correspondent on Saturday afternoon that seven people had been ascertained to have died following the torrential rain and flood in the state.

    The situation is equally critical in Imo State. It was learnt that no fewer than 60 houses have been submerged in Orsu Obodo in Oguta Council Area of Imo State as flood ravaged the riverine community on Friday night. The Nation also gathered that no fewer than 2000 people, including women and children, have been displaced as a result of flooding in the area.

    It will be recalled that most communities in Oguta Council Area were submerged in 2012 during the flood that ravaged most part of the country.

    In Adamawa, the ADSEMA Executive Secretary, who had on Friday pleaded for time to conclude inspection of affected communities, said on Saturday that, “The authentic figure is seven; with lost properties that I can now say will amount to a lot in financial terms when we finish our evaluation.”

    He explained that in Kasuwa Buhu alone, several hundreds of bags of grains were destroyed by the flood, explaining however that the losses were still being complied and presented to the state government by the coming week.

    Kasuwa Buhu, located in Jambutu, Yola North LGA, is a huge market place reputed for a thriving trade in grains. Other communities affected by the Thursday flood in the Yola capital metropolis include Bachure, Kofare, Wurojabe, Damilu and Yolde Pate in Yola North and Yola South LGAs.

    In each of the communities, some houses and business premises were either completely lost or items in them destroyed, including Wurojabe, where  a man was said to have lost two children because his house collapsed and water rushed freely in.

    The Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Chief Crowther Seth, who paid a visit to some of the affected communities on Friday evening, said the losses were heavy and that the state government needed the intervention of the federal government to give succour to the affected residents and to solve ecological defects that predispose the capital city to frequent flooding

    “Adamawa State Government cannot do it alone. We have the issue of IDPs. We have the issue of Boko Haram and of herdsmen and farmers. So, we cannot do it alone. We appeal to the federal government to come to our aid as soon as possible,” the deputy governor said.

    According to some the flood victims in Imo State, they had gone to bed on Friday night while it was raining heavily without any premonition that the river was going to overrun the bank. “We were still in bed when the water started rushing into our homes and in less than 30 minutes, the whole place was covered by water.

    Read Also: Five feared dead as rain flood hits Yola

    “We could barely savage our property as we tried to save our lives first. We were not expecting such misfortune because our farms are submerged as well”.

    Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Oguta State Constituency, Frank Ugboma, has called for urgent intervention from relevant government authorities to resettle the displaced persons and alleviate their plight

    The lawmaker made the call on Sunday when he visited the flooded community to ascertain the level of havoc wrecked by the flood.

    But Ugboma who expressed regret on the incident urged Imo State Government to provide immediate succour for the displaced people.

    He said Oguta has been vulnerable to flood. “This is the constituency I am representing; our land is a flood prone area but I assure my people that I will surely present this problem to the floor of the house”, he said.

    He added “I feel the pain of all of you and we are making effect to provide urgent succour for all of you so be assured that the government is aware of your problem”, he said.

    Deputy Governor of Imo State, Mr. Gerald Irona, who accompanied the lawmaker during the assessment, attributed the incident to buildings erected on the waterways in the area.

    He appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to intervene in the matter for both relief materials and other ways of assisting the flood victims.

    Meanwhile, NEMA has given the total number of displaced people as two thousand, while also confirming that sixty houses were submerged in the area.

    The Head of Imo/Abia operations office of NEMA, Mr. Evans Ugoh, urged government to muster political courage to demolish some houses built on the waterways in the area.

    He said, on the sport assessment of the incident proved that while 60 houses were submerged, 2000 people were displaced.

  • Expert on Okorocha’s contribution to tourism

    The appointment of the immediate past governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, as the Senate Committee Chairman on Tourism is eliciting mixed reactions. While many believe he is the right person for the position, others have a contrary position.

    Some believe that the infrastructural decay Okorocha left behind is a disservice to tourism, since the sector could only thrive, if the infrastructure to get to these sites are in good shape.

    According to those supporting his appointment, Okorocha developed the state capital through building monuments and leisure facilities that promote tourism in the state.

    Ikechi Uko, a tourism expert and organizer of the West Africa tourism fair, Akwaaba West African Travel Market, Lagos, said: “I was invited in 2017 by a governorship candidate to write a tourism plan for his campaign.

    “I was taken round Owerri for a survey of facilities on the ground. I counted 175 hotels, four new conference centres enough to hold more events than any city in the South East. There was an attempt to start an airline using the airport as a hub; an attempt to start a carnival similar to Carnival Calabar.

    “He built statues which are supposed to help the whole tourism attempt. I saw a good plan that was badly executed. I told the candidate that the plan was good but the job was bungled.

    “Now, as an outsider, I judged based on what I saw. No sentiment attached. I was invited to assess what was on ground and I did my report. Imo State has the best hotels today outside Enugu in the whole of South East. Because the growth happened under his watch as governor, if we credit him with the bad, we should also credit him with the good.”

    Okorocha, as Imo State governor, was credited with building and developing leisure facilities that promote tourism in Imo State, especially the state capital, Owerri.

  • Ihedioha to prioritise science, technology in schools

    Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha has promised to give top priority to Science and Technology Education. He stated this at the NNPC National Science quiz competition, Southeast Zone.

    In a statement, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Education Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sunday Orisakwe, quoted the governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Education, Mrs. Magret Obi,  saying that he would ensure that the teaching and learning of science and technical subjects were emphasised in the state curriculum.

    To achieve this, he said his administration would revamp four technical colleges in the state to bring them up to international standard. The governor explained that his administration was doing this because he believed that science and technology is a catalyst to the socio-economic development of the state.

    Mrs. Obi expressed her gratitude to Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for encouraging the teaching and learning of science and technical subjects.

    NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Mr. Ndu Ughamadu congratulated the winners for their doggedness.

    Ughamadu, represented by Nnochiri Iheanyi, NNPC’s Deputy Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) said the NNPC’s CSR’s activities cover health, infrastructure, power generation, agriculture, sports and the arts. He explained that NNPC understands the value of education in the growth and development of any society.

    Furthermore, Science, he Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM Education), which is what the NNPC National Science Quiz Competition encourages, plays a key role in sustaining the economy by providing us with tools to understand the world around us and innovations to solve  problems.

    At the contest, where Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu states took part, Miss Ozuzu Adaeze of Logos International Secondary School, Awo-mama Imo State; Mbazu Justice Chinonso of CSMT Staff Secondary School, Ebonyi came first with the same points. Abia State came third. The winners will represent the Southeast in the final that will hold in Abuja.

  • Relief as police conquer Imo horror forest

    A police swoop on the Awara forest has resulted in the arrest of several suspects, eliciting hope that Imo State’s most dreaded den of violent criminals has been demystified. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    At last the forest of horror has been demystified, ending decades of horrific and blood-chilling tales of death and destruction.

    The Awara forest in Ohaji-Egbema Council Area of Imo State was the den of criminal elements. Recently, it took a turn for the worse, becoming a haven for notorious inter-state kidnappers and militants who escaped security operatives in the Niger Delta.

    This paper once reported the flourishing kidnap business in the massive forest covering such communities as Awara, Ilile, Opiti, Umuapu and Mgbirishi all in Ohaji-Egbema council area stretching to the boundary of Rivers State.

    Kidnap victims say there were several camps operated by different gangs in the forest where victims are chained to trees until their relatives pay ransom. In some cases according to revelations by the victims, some of the unlucky ones were slaughtered for ritual.

    In the last few months, these hoodlums became even more daring in their operations as they adopted guerrilla tactics. They lay ambush along Owerri-Port Harcourt Road and diverted travelers into the forest, where they were held until ransom was paid. Some of the victims ended up being raped, molested or murdered.

    Not even the poor were spared as the dare-devil kidnappers abducted anyone available, whisked them into the forest and collected ransom as low as N50,000 depending on the negotiation power of the victim’s family.

    The impregnable forest attained the notoriety of ‘Sambisa forest’, instilling fear in the spine of the people at the mere mention of its name.

    But the myth surrounding the forest has finally been demystified and the horror neutralized. The Imo State police command, led by the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, braved it and invaded the forest.

    Expectedly, they met stiff resistance as the kidnappers engaged the policemen in a gun duel that lasted all through the night. At the end of the ten-hour operation, three of the gang leaders were cut down, while others were arrested.

    This was followed by a mop-up operation where seven kidnap victims were rescued from the various camps in the expansive forest.

    Celebrating the feat, the police spokesperson, Frank Mba, while parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters in Owerri, said, “You will recall that on the 9th of April 2019, the Inspector-General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu launched Operation “PUFF ADDER” and consequently directed all Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of all zonal commands as well as all Commissioners of Police in all their states to replicate same in their area of responsibility. Today, I am glad to inform you all that the effort is yielding tremendous results.

    “We have been touring various state commands in the past few months to brief the press on the achievements of the Operation so far, as such, we are here today to showcase to you, the achievements of the officers and men of Imo State Police Command.

    “We are however aware that the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Rabiu Ladodo has briefed and paraded suspects to you on a few occasions since the launch of Operation “PUFF ADDER” but we are here today to present to you some of the exceptional breakthroughs of the Command in crime fighting and detection. On this note, I present to you a total of nineteen (19) suspects involved in various violent crimes as follows;

    “Following a tip-off received on 4/07/2019 that a gang of kidnappers were holding some victims hostage in a forest in Ohaji, operatives of the Command swiftly swung into action and stormed the kidnap hideout. On sighting the operatives, the hoodlums engaged them in a heated gun duel during which three of the hoodlums fell to the superior fire power of the operatives and two others escaped with serious gunshot injuries.

    “However, the above named kidnap victims held captive in the kidnap hideout as at the time of the incident were all rescued unhurt including a pregnant woman. The rescued victims were subsequently taken to the Police Hospital for treatment, the doctor on duty certified that they were all okay and the pregnancy of the woman was still intact”.

    It continued that, “Sequel to the bursting of the kidnap gang at Ilile forest in Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A Imo State and the rescue of seven (7) kidnapped victims mentioned above, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) following thorough intelligence gathering and digital data tracking analysis arrested the above named suspects at Port – Harcourt, Rivers State. Suspects have made useful statements to the police touching on the various roles they played in the crime.

    “On 15/06/2019, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested the above-named suspect at Umuokanne in Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A of Imo State in connection with the kidnap of the above named victims. Victims were kidnapped along Maginezum/West Brook Hotel on 14/06/2019 and have identified the suspect among the gang that kidnapped them. The hospitalized victim Uchenna Anagbue was seriously inflicted with injuries all over his body for attempting to escape from the kidnappers den. After he was recaptured, the kidnapper put him into a septic toilet soak-away and covered it but if not for the quick rescue of the SARS Operatives, he would have died. Effort is on to gear to arrest the remaining suspect at large.”

  • Police parade ‘killer’ of NYSC member, 18 others

    No fewer than 19 suspects responsible for various notorious crimes in Imo State and its environs were on Monday paraded at the state Police Command Headquarters.

    Among the suspects was Chukwuemeka Eze, who allegedly murdered a Youth Corps member, who just passed out of service after raping her.

    Police spokesman Frank Mba said the suspect “brutally raped and murdered the 27- year-old victim and subsequently buried her remains in a shallow grave to conceal the crime”.

    “The suspect after committing the crime took the victim’s phone to unlock, but the repairer contacted the Police and he was arrested and, thereafter, he confessed to the crime and took operatives to where he buried the victim,” he said.

    Also paraded were members of a notorious kidnap syndicate operating in the dreaded Awara forest in Ohaji-Egbema Council Area of Imo State.

    Read Also: NYSC to corps members: Avoid lobbying for relocation

    According to Mbah, the syndicate was busted during an operation that lasted over eight hours in the forest, following which seven victims were rescued.

    He said three members of the gang were killed in a duel with the Police, and two others were arrested.

    “We are here to showcase the sterling achievements of the Imo State Police Command under the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo. The Command has made a major breakthrough by storming a forest in Ilile village in Ohaji-Egbema and busted a notorious kidnap syndicate and rescued seven victims, three of the kidnappers, who engaged the operatives in a gun duel were cut down by our superior fire power, while two were arrested,” he said.

  • Lawyers, others advocate ‘strict compliance’ with rule of law

    The Owerri, Imo State Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has held its Law Week, with speakers noting that democracy will be endangered without strict compliance with the rule of law. Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU reports.

    For democracy to thrive, institutions of government must abide by the rule of law.

    This was the position of speakers at the at the 2019 Annual Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri branch.

    It held at the RockView Hotel Owerri, with the theme: Democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.

    The keynote speaker, Catholic Bishop of Bauchi Diocess , Dr. Hilary Dachelem, said the rule of law is crucial to democracy.

    He referred to a United Nations Declaration adopted on September 24, 2012, which says: “Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing and that they belong to the universal and indivisible core values and principles of the UN.”

    According to him, while the rule of law is fundamental in advancing democracy, emphasis must be on protection of rights and advancement of inclusiveness within the broader discourse on human development.

    “There is no doubt that the rule of law is unambiguously enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. The only surprising thing to any competent individual is the blatant disrespect shown to this constitutional provision by Nigerian rulers who had openly sworn to uphold it

    “Rule of law is opposed to authoritarian or despotic juntas which have zero tolerance for upholding the constitution.

    “In military rule, as we saw during the various juntas in Nigeria, civil liberties which often conflict with the will of the dictator are denied. What is more, people are ruled by decrees and force,” Dachelem said.

    Rule of law  is supreme,says bishop

    The Bishop said in constitutional democracies, the rule of law is supreme.

    “The majority will have their way while the minority their say. This is the beauty of the rule of law.

    “Everyone is equal before the law and everything is done according to the law. This means that both those who govern and the governed justify their actions in law,” he said.

    Dachelem identified the essential properties of the rule of law to include supremacy of the law, equality before the law, and protection of individual rights

    He identified the major challenges as high level of corruption in government, lack of clear separation of powers, societal class and their interests, broken justice system, tribalism, insecurity and insurgencies and poverty and ignorance:

    “All stakeholders ought to ensure the nexus between democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

    “This will no doubt bring about domestic accountability within democratic ownership frameworks.

    “Suffice to say that both democracy and rule of law are indispensable dimensions of the next generation of Millennium Development Goals/Sustainable Development Goals.

    “Indeed, in ideal democracies, human rights, goals and the rule of law are drivers of integral development

    “To save Nigeria, we must rely on capable hands, popular movements for democracy and the rule of law.

    “The time starts now and Nigerians are looking up to esteemed members of the Bar and the Bench to begin the revolution,” Dachelem stated

    What is rule of law to a layman?

    Chancellor and proprietor of Gregory University, Uturu, Prof Gregory Ibe gave a presentation entitled: Rule of law in Nigeria: the layman’s perspective.

    To him, human rights include economic rights.

    “The layman does not understand the right to vote when he is  hungry and shown that his vote could be bought.

    “He does not understand the right to life if he cannot find employment; human right, generally is meaningless to him if he is an illiterate person.

    “The layman is a practical being and wants to see his aspirations met.

    “He wants food on his table; he wants to be fairly treated and he is ready to contribute to the society,” Ibe said.

    ‘Imo committed to rule of law’

    Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice  Mr. Ndukwe Nnawuchi (SAN), said he accepted to serve because Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s commitment to rule of law.

    According to him, he advised that the state’s law officers unjustly sacked by the past administration be recalled.

    He said part of the rebuilding process is to be rule of law compliant.

    Nnawuchi said the state has asked anybody who has a judgment against the state to come forward for a discussion.

    The commissioner restated the state’s commitment to repositioning the Judiciary.

    “The administration of Rt. Hon Ihedioha will return Imo State to its lost glory,” Nnawuchi said.

    When was rule of law was absent

    NBA Owerri Branch, Mr. Damian Nosike, said: “In a state where the rule of law has been raped silly, derided, and scorned by the head of the executive arm of government, democracy and the rule of law can never be discussed adnauseam.

    “Rule of law is as important to our democracy as lactation is to new born baby.

    “What this new born baby has witnessed in the last eight years in Imo State is a premature weaning and starvation which has consequently stunted its growth and development.

    “But its future now looks bright with the emergence of a more responsible lactating mother.”

    Prof:judiciary must have integrity

    In a chat with The Nation, Prof.  R. Achara of the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria (UNN), said while other arms of government have power and financial control as the basis of their powers, the judiciary has integrity as a basis for its authority and power.

    He said: “The judiciary is a peculiar arm of government and this has been in place since the time of James Madison, when they were writing the Federalist papers over two and half centuries ago in the USA.

    “Prof.  Alexander Bickel  expounded that people should realise that of the three arms of government, the executive wields the sword, the force of the state, the legislature has the purse strings because they are the ones who determine whether money will be released or not.

    “But that the Judiciary has neither sword nor the purse but how does it stand where there is a contest?

    “What the judiciary has is reason and integrity, though they didn’t expressly mentioned integrity but it is implied in it.

    “My submission is that there is something that is unique. If you do a study of the judges we had in the throes of absolute government, when the military were in government there were no pretense of following any democratic process.

    “The military were in charge yet there was a lot of respect for our judges.

    “There were a few occasions where things went awry, but by and large, you would see the kind of respect those judges had.”

    How to redeem Judiciary’s image

    Achara wondered why judges were highly respected during military regimes and less so in a democracy.

    “My view is that perhaps, we as lawyers either on the Bench or at the  Bar, must reconsider our personal  integrity, our appearance of neutrality, our self-sacrificial behaviour in terms of the application of law to be able to gain the buy-in of the populace.

    “It is the populace that props up the judiciary because they don’t have any other thing other than trust.

    So, if we  had judges like Justice Kayode Esho, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Justice  Andrews Otutu Obaseki, even in recent times, we have  judges like Justice George Oguntade, we had a lot of such Judges and Justices in the judiciary who were exemplary in their conduct and judgments.

    “I don’t want to mention the names of current judges who are living up to expectation because it will be invidious for me to talk about them whether in good terms or bad terms.

    “There are currently good judges and they are the victims of the few bad ones and it is the bad ones that undermine the respect that is due to us as a family of lawyers and judges.

    “When they do wrong, they make us  to lose the respect that is due to us and this makes the public  treat us with disdain. It affects the populace we are trying to protect,” Achara said.

    Case  for constitutionalism

    Appraising the law week, Prof. O. E. Nwaegbo said: “The law week has been well planned, well executed. From theme, it could be concluded that Nigeria is not getting it right and we have shown that the rule of law and democracy  are intertwined; you cannot extricate them, one is important for the other one to thrive.

    “And if you don’t have democracy, you cannot have the rule of law and if you have the rule of law, then democracy can endure.

    “You need the two, but unfortunately in this country, corruption, tribalism, neo-patrimonism are factors that militate against the upholding of the principles of democracy.

    “Constitutionalism in this country has been thrown overboard and we need to wake up and ensure that the rule of law prevails because where you don’t have the rule of law, you cannot have democracy.

    “You cannot have peace and where you don’t have peace you cannot have progress. We need to revive our respect for the rule of law; we need to abide by the tenets of democracy and the elements of the rule of law.

    “For us to do that, the lawyers – the Bench and Bar – must take the initiative to make sure that the principles are upheld and not only that, the society as a whole must also make sure that the rule of law prevails in our society.

    “This should not be left for the Bar and Bench alone, the entire society must be involved, the Civil Society, the media must all engage because if the society is bad, every part of the society is bad.

    “So, the three main organs of government have a responsibility to ensure that they uphold the rule of law.

    “It is not only the judicial organ, but the legislature must operate on the basis of the rule of law and the executive must allow other arm of government to play their role.

    “So, it is obvious from the discussions that the executive is the main culprit in violating the principles of the rule of law.

    “We have a responsibility as members of the Bar and Bench to impress it on the society that the executive should allow other arms of government to carry out their duties,” Nwaegbo stated.

    The law week Committee Chairman, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu,SAN, praised participants for finding time to be part of the week. He lauded his Vice-Chairman, Mr. Soronnadi Njoku, for standing in for him while he was busy at the Presidential election petition TRIBUNAL

    Present were NBA First Vice –President Stanly Chidozie Imo, who represented the NBA President; NBA Financial Secretary Emeka Anosike, Justice Nonye Okoronkwo of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice Pascal O. Nnadi and Ag. Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu.

    Others are Justice E. F. Njemanze, Chief C.C. Onyeagbako, Justice Florence Duroha-Igwe, Justice Njaka  I.M, L.M. Alozie ( SAN), Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme of the Court of Appeal, Dr. C.K Okorie, Prof.Philip Ogbonna, Prof.  Nnamdi Obiaraeri, JTU Nnodum (SAN), F. A. Onuzuluike, among others.