The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kinsmen

  • ‘Yakowa’s kinsmen abandoned his projects not Yero’

    ‘Yakowa’s kinsmen abandoned his projects not Yero’

    Chairman of the League of Northern Independent Publishers (LENIP) Mordecai Sunday Ibrahim has debunked insinuations that Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero abandoned road projects awarded by his predecessor, the late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.

    Ibrahim, who inspected 31 road projects in the state, said some of the projects were abandoned by the late Yakowa’s kinsmen.

    Addressing reporters, Ibrahim said from his investigations some of the roads were abandoned by contractors, who after collecting the 25 per cent mobilisation fee, abandoned the jobs.

    He said this situation also applied to some Yakowa’s kinsmen, who got state government contracts.

    The LENIP chair said some of the abandoned roads were awarded to those related to the late Yakowa.

    ‘’That was why I said if Yakowa were alive to see this, he would not be happy. Yakowa would not have tolerated the abandonment of contract by anybody.

    “If he were alive to see that his kinsmen were involved, he would be sad and angry with them. It is no secret that some of the roads were awarded to Yakowa’s kinsmen.

    ‘’There is nothing wrong with Yakowa’s kinsmen getting the contracts. But there is everything wrong when they get the contracts and they abandon site after collecting mobilisation fee”, he said.

    “Anybody accusing Governor Muhktar Ramalan Yero of abandoning road projects is not fair to him, because he has not abandoned any project. He has awarded additional six roads. Some are completed, both at the northern and southern senatorial zones.”

    Ibrahim added that some projects were abandoned because the contractors do not have what it took to execute the contracts, noting that “some of them do not even have a wheel barrow. Some  collected the 25 per cent mobilisation and took off.”

    Asked why Governor Yero did not revoke some of the contracts, he said: “I know that if Governor Yero revoked the contracts, they will say he is denigrating Yakowa in his death.

    ‘’He has not revoked the contracts, yet people are saying he is denigrating Yakowa in his death. But I am aware some contracts are being revoked.”

    But he assured he was not sponsored to carry out the tour in defence of Governor Yero.

    “I am a citizen of Kaduna State. I am a tax payer in Kaduna State. I have the right to know how my tax is being used. If you collect tax from me and the money is not put to judicious use, I have the right to challenge such a government”.

  • Why we want Ibori released, by kinsmen

    Associates of convicted former Delta State Governor James Ibori have justified their call for his release from a London prison, where he is serving a 13-year jail term for corruption and money laundering.

    The call heightened at the weekend when his associates, kinsmen and politicians stormed Oghara to mark his 55th birthday.

    An activist, Ayirimi Emami, who was among hundreds of supporters who besieged Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area last weekend, said the embattled former governor did more to develop the state than his predecessors.

    He reaffirmed his stance that Ibori’s fate was more political, stressing that his infrastructural and human capital developments are visible across the state.

    Emami, who is chairman of Itsekiri Regional Development Council, said the incarceration of the former governor has failed to reduce his popularity, stressing that “despite being in prison, if Ibori happens to contest election now he will win because he is a man of the people”.

    Speaking in the same vein, Simon Otobo, Ibori’s kinsman, stated that the Urhobo people, who contributed to Ibori’s travails are regretting their actions.

  • CHINUA ACHEBE: His unfulfilled dreams, by kinsmen

    CHINUA ACHEBE: His unfulfilled dreams, by kinsmen

    KINSMEN of the departed literary icon, Prof Chinua Achebe, regretted the unfulfilled dreams of their illustrious son.

    They said Achebe had two important issues to settle in the sleepy community which he could not see to until his death.

    First was the settling of a boundary dispute with a neighbouring community.

    They also said the late literary icon was determined to ensure the right person was chosen as traditional ruler of the kingdom.

    The traditional ruler of the community, Engr Walter Amobi died about 15 years ago when Achebe was the president General of Ogidi Town Union.

    Since then, the community in Idemili North Local Government Area had been under a regent, Chief SN Okeke (Akunwata of Ogidi).

    Speaking with The Nation yesterday at Ogidi, Achebe’s ancestral home, the immediate past president general of the area, Chief Uba Onubogu, said those issues gave the literary giant sleepless nights.

    Onubogu said: “We know that those issues will be bothering him anywhere he is now because he was singing it that those problems were his greatest headache in Ogidi and he had started making moves towards realising them until he had that fatal accident.

    “It was the accident that made him not to fulfill his dream of bringing neigbouring towns around Ogidi together and not picking our monarch.

    “He had told us that he had made contacts with the state and Federal governments to settle the age- long disputes in the communities but as it stands, those dreams had died with him”.

    He blamed the accident for the inability of the community to access opportunities in government.

    Onubogu stressed: “If he had not had that accident that almost claimed his life that particular time, most of the things Ogidi community had been lacking would have been here, because his presence was always intimidating to anybody or government.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Kinsmen yet to recover from shock

    Kinsmen of the slain Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Chinwike Asadau have appealed to law enforcement agencies to unravel the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of the police officer.

    The kinsnmen said they were yet to recover from the shock of the news on the demise of their brother whom they described as caring and humble.

    Their spokesman, Rev. Dr. Chris Asadu, Senior Special Adviser to Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime on Inter Party Affairs and Conflict Resolutions, who hails from the same community with the slain commissioner of police, recounted yesterday how family members watched to know if the news was true or not.

    He stated that they were still hoping that the police would tell them exactly what happened, adding that the entire Nsukka town had been thrown into serious mourning.

    Asadu, who shared the same surname with the late commissioner, disclosed that he and the late police chief were members of an association formed to alleviate povertyin Nsukka, adding that the late police officer was very helpful.

    The immediate past Commissioner for Local Government in Enugu State, Prof. Frank Asogwa described Asadu’s death as a serious blow on the people.

    Asogwa stated that it was more painful that “my brother was killed right in his own state.”

    He expressed regrets that Asadu had left behind rare virtues which he exhibited throughout his service years in the force.

    Asogwa said: “His death is a big blow and great loss not only to Nsukka people but Enugu State at large. I think he is presently the only serving police commissioner from Enugu State. So, it is a hard loss to us.

    “He is a refined lawyer who was committed to his profession, full of integrity, humility and gentleness. In fact I used to tease him that he was not supposed to be in the police because he is not ‘a force man’.

    “When he was promoted as a commissioner, I received him in my house; we

    were so close and that’s why I’m finding it hard to believe that he is just gone. Even the officers and men that worked with him when he was at the Enugu state Police Command can attest to his great personality.”

    The professor of Law urged law enforcement agents to unravel the mystery surrounding the killing.