The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kogi State

  • Kogi: Gunmen kill 24-year-old student

    Yet-to-be identified gunmen have allegedly killed a fresh student of the Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Idah, Kogi State, Sule Moses.

    The 24-year old student was allegedly attacked and killed by the unknown gunmen on Thursday, at a private hostel, located behind the school.

    The college provost, Dr Nuhu Anyegeu, described the attack on the student as ‘inconceivable and shocking and called on the police to do a thorough investigation to bring the killers to justice.

    In a statement on Saturday, the provost expressed regret over the death of the deceased, who he described as “a promising young man.”

    Read Also: Ekiti varsity student ‘kills’ boyfriend over hair money

    He appealed for calm and cooperation, particularly among the students of the institution, explaining that the incident was immediately reported at the Idah Police Station and that the deceased has since been buried in his home town in Dekina LGA of Kogi, amidst weeping and wailing by students of the institution.

    The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), William Anya, however said he was not aware of the incidence, but promised to find out and get back to our reporter.

    As at the time of filing this report, the police spokesman was yet to get back to our reporter.

  • Kogi/Bayelsa guber polls: INEC axes 14 candidates

    FOURTEEN of the candidates whose names were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states were on Friday disqualified by the commission.

    The electoral umpire said their nominations were invalid.

    Nineteen other parties willingly withdrew from the polls, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, said in Abuja.

    Disqualified  from Bayelsa are: Victor E. Izofapei of PDC (30years old); Deborah Ade  of SDP (31);Peter David of  ANDP (34); Princes Owali Willaims  of PPM  (27); Lucky Opio of RDMP (32); Sadjere Regan (31); and O. Ikolid Ayebanda  of YPP ( 34).

    Rejected from Kogi are: Musa Sodique of APP (34 ) and Usman Mihamemd I of DPP (31) .

    Running mates axed are: Ibrahim A. Abdullahi of ANP  (32); A. Bala of APM  (30); Omeiza Vincent of APP (34); Yinka Adeoye of ASD (33); Titus Adedeji Sunday of MRDD (33); Mohammed Bashiru Yakubu of SDP (34);  and Abubakar Aminat Mohammad of UPP (33)

    Okoye said that at the close of nomination, 23 political parties were cleared in Kogi with18 parties withdrawing from the race, while one party withdrew in Bayelsa, leaving 45 political parties in the race.

    “At the close of the time stipulated by sections 31, 33 and 35 of Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) for the submission of the names of nominated candidates, 49 nominations were received for Kogi.

    “Out of these, 41 nominations were valid, while eight were invalid. Subsequently, 18 political parties withdrew from contesting the elections. Therefore, 23 political parties will contest the governorship election in Kogi.

    “For Bayelsa State, a total of 52 nominations were received. Out of these, 46 were valid while six were invalid.

    “One political party has since withdrawn from the contest, leaving a total of 45 political parties to contest the governorship election in Bayelsa.’’

    Okoye recalled that INEC monitored the primaries conducted for nomination of candidates for the two states and also made public its preliminary review of the list and personal particulars submitted by the parties at the close of nomination.

    “After the review, we disclosed that some of the nominated candidates for governorship and deputy were below the minimum age prescribed by the constitution and that the Commission was considering further action.

    “In a letter dated Sept. 13, the Commission notified the concerned political parties of the invalidity of their nominations.

    Read Also: Kogi poll: INEC trains 210 security personnel

    “In Bayelsa State, six of the nominated governorship and/or deputy governorship candidates were affected, while in Kogi State there were eight such nominees.

    “Some of the affected parties have written the Commission admitting their error and requesting to submit new nominees to replace the under-aged ones.

    “However, this was after the deadline for submission of nominations on September 9, 2019. As such, the Commission could not accept any fresh nominations.

    “In like manner, since the parties did not submit valid nominations before the deadline, they cannot substitute the candidates on the grounds of death or voluntary withdrawal, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which assumes the prior existence of valid nominations.’’

    Okoye said that members of the public may recall that just before the 2019 general elections, INEC had cause to draw the attention of political parties to the same problem of nominating under-aged candidates.

    “That communication was a notice to the parties that future violation of such a basic provision of the Constitution will be unacceptable and could lead to severe consequences.

    “Accordingly, the Commission has informed the affected parties that their names and logos will not appear on the ballots for the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections due to the invalidity of their nominations.’’

    He said that in compliance with section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the full names and addresses of all candidates standing nominated would be published in the relevant offices on Monday, September 30.

    He added that it would also be made available on the INEC website.

    Addressing reporters earlier this month at the close of nomination for the elections, Okoye had confirmed that 101 political parties nominated candidates for the polls from the two states.

    Okoye said that though 64 political parties conducted primaries in Bayelsa State and 59 in Kogi, some of them did not submit any list and personal information of their candidates, while a few others failed to submit before the deadline.

    He added: “From our records, 64 political parties conducted primaries in Bayelsa as against 59 in Kogi.

    “Out of these, 52 political parties from Bayelsa and 49 from Kogi respectively submitted the lists of candidates and their personal particulars at the close of nomination at 6pm. on Monday, September 9.

    “While some of the political parties that conducted primaries did not submit any lists and personal particulars of candidates, a few failed to submit within the time limit prescribed by the commission.

    “Out of the 101 nominees for the two states, 91 are males, representing 90 per cent, while 10 are females, representing 10 per cent of all the nominees.

    “Of the 52 nominees for Bayelsa, six are females, while 46 are males. The corresponding figures for Kogi are four females and 45 male nominees.”

     

  • PDP will struggle to get 25 per cent of Kogi votes, says APC DG Adeyemi

    THE Director General of the Governorship Campaign Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress  (APC) in Kogi State, Senator Smart Adeyemi, on Wednesday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will struggle to get 25 per cent of total votes in the November poll.

    He said PDP has no candidate yet since its governorship primaries is still being disputed in court.

    The APC chieftain also said more than 15,000 defectors from the opposition and other parties will be received by the ruling party in the next few days.

    Adeyemi, who gave insights into the preparation for the poll, said even if PDP’s candidate, Musa Wada, survives the court hurdles, he cannot defeat the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello.

    He said: “The PDP cannot defeat APC in the forthcoming governorship poll in Kogi State. The main opposition in the state will strive to secure 25 per cent  of the votes.

    “In any case, PDP has no candidate because about 35 leaders of the party are in court to seek the nullification of the results of their party’s governorship primaries. Even ex-Governor Ibrahim Idris, who should be the backbone of the party’s campaign, has rejected any offer from the party.

    “The PDP is in disarray in Kogi State; it is too weak to win the governorship poll. But we are interested in PDP resolving its dispute to enable Governor Bello win in a free and fair poll.

    “APC wants a candidate to compete with at the poll. We are fully on the ground. It will be difficult for PDP to defeat Governor Bello.

    Read Also: Kogi poll: INEC trains 210 security personnel

    Adeyemi  noted that although more than 15,000 defectors from the PDP and other parties will defect to APC in the next few days, the party will not make any commitment to anybody.

    “As the election is fast approaching, APC is receiving more defectors on daily basis. We are not going to make personal commitment to any defector. We will not promise anyone slots of being a commissioner or Special Adviser or other personal gains.

    “We will accept people to join our party on the basis of vision, needs and aspirations of the masses. We want those who are committed to the ideals of  the APC,” he said.

    Also, the APC has appointed three deputy directors general for its campaign committee.

    They are:  Haruna Isa (Kogi West District); Abubakar S. Adagu Danguruma (Kogi Central District) and Idoko Musa Haruna (Kogi East District).

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Kogi governorship poll for November 16.

    Although 22 candidates are jostling for the governorship seat, the battle appears to be between APC candidate and his opponent in the PDP.

  • NGO seeks media support

    A NON-governmental organization (NGO), Search for Common Ground, has called for the strengthening of local journalists to constructively report the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State.

    The organisation spoke at the inauguration of a media training programme for journalists in Lokoja, the state capital.

    It noted the pivotal role of the media in the electoral process.

    The training programme was titled: Role of Media in Conflict Reporting: an Overview.

    Read Also: Kogi 2019: INEC clear 52

    The NGO urged the participants to be mindful of their role in the overall stability of the process.

    “We should be aware of our responsibility as journalists and recognise the power that your words and your language has. They can have instant impact that can help or hurt, hinder the progress towards peace or support it.

    “Be well informed about the issues and people you are writing about. Be balanced in finding out their interests, not just what interests the public. Challenge hate speech, even when it is hidden in metaphors and proverbs, by insisting upon clarity and simple language,” said Temisan Etietsola, the NGO’s Chief Resource Officer.

  • Flood: 150 communities submerged in Kogi

    OVER 150 communities are said to have been ravaged by flood across nine local government areas of Kogi State.

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Sanusi Yahaya, made this known in Lokoja, on Saturday at the state Emergency Operation Centre (EOC).

    He noted that the EOC had been activated as the state was already experiencing flood emergency as a result of river flooding.

    Yahaya, who doubles as the state coordinator, EOC, said out of nine local government areas along the banks of the rivers Niger and Benue, seven are severely affected.

    He listed the severely affected LGAs as: Ibaji, Kogi/Koton-Karfe, Lokoja, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Omala and Idah, saying over 90 percent of Ibaji communities have been submerged.

    “Particularly, majority of communities at Ibaji are under water, and many households have been affected and displaced.

    “As we speak, the water level has risen very high to about 10.60m today in Lokoja, from the report of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

    “In the last few days, many communities, settlements have been displaced as a result of flooding,’’ he stated.

    Read Also: Kogi Govt. set to inaugurate N4 billion Rice Mill

    He said that over 20 camps had been opened to accommodate flood victims.

    He advised residents of flood-prone and affected communities to relocate to safer places or move to the nearest camps opened by the state and local governments, to avoid loss of lives and properties.

    “With the activation of the state emergency centre, the state is collaborating with all the relevant stakeholders to make timely appropriate responses.

    “The state needs help. While we are working within the resources available to us, we need temporary shelter provision, food, non-food items and water, which the affected victims will need.”

    According to him, the number of households as at yesterday, around the Gadumo axis is 215, Ganaja 176, Galili 272 and Adankolo 246, all under Lokoja and Ajaokuta LGAs.

    He, however, noted that no human fatality had been recorded.

    He urged the federal government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to come to the aid of the state.

    He also appealed to individuals, organisations and other relevant stakeholders to assist the state.

     

     

     

     

  • Kogi poll: Ex-gov Idris, Ogbeha lead PDP campaign

    THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign for the November 16 governorship election in Kogi state on Saturday received a boost with ex-Governor Ibrahim Idris accepting to chair the campaign council.

    Also, Senator Tunde Ogbeha who represented the Kogi West senatorial district from 1999-2007 has been appointed deputy chairman of the council.

    Another grassroots politician, Badamasuyi Abdulrahaman will serve as secretary.

    The Kogi PDP chapter had suffered a hitch a few days ago when the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, turned down the offer to lead the party’s governorship campaign.

    Melaye has since been replaced with a serving member of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Yusuf who represents the Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency.

    Expressing optimism about PDP’s chances in the election, Yusuf said the party has got a trump card in the Musa Wada/Sam Aro ticket to win the election.

    Read Also: Kogi Govt. set to inaugurate N4 billion Rice Mill

    Describing the PDP candidate as experienced and properly educated personality, Yusuf said Wada rose to the top of his public service career through diligence, dedication, commitment, competence and integrity.

    “He has the administrative capacity, organisational capabilities as well as tremendous goodwill to positively turn around the fast-dwindling fortunes of our dear state.

    More importantly, with our faith in Almighty God, we are confident that our Creator will give us victory come November 16, 2019, Yusuf added.

    Stressing the collective desire of the people of Kogi State for genuine change, Yusuf said the Musa/Aro ticket would bring about meaningful growth and development as well as the resuscitation of the Kogi dream.

     

     

     

     

  • Bello wants urgent rehabilitation of Lokoja-Okene-Ekiti road

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate the Lokoja-Okene-Ekiti road.

    Bello, who made the call while speaking  with newsmen at his hometown, Okene, on Saturday, described the condition of the road as deplorable , and called for the urgent intervention of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

    He said that his administration had intervened in the maintenance of the road in the 2017/2018 fiscal year, but lamented that such maintenance could not stand the test of time due to heavy vehicular traffic on the road.

    Read Also: PDP urges INEC to warn Bello, APC against violence

    ”’Due to the constant damages done to the road by heavy vehicles, maintenance could not be sustained by the state government due to dearth of funds.

    ”As the major road that connects the North and the Southern part of the country, the road suffers heavy traffic and so, millions of Nigerians suffer the deplorable condition of the road,” he said.

    The governor decried the hardship commuters were experiencing, stressing that they were citizens who had fulfilled their civic rights by electing their leaders at all levels of governments.

    ”Therefore, commuters do not deserve to spend days on the journey they would have made in hours,” he said.

    He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to commence comprehensive rehabilitation of the road to alleviate the suffering of  commuters.

    NAN

  • 29 states, FCT, 80 LGAs ravaged by flooding

    THE Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has revealed that not less than 29 states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 80 local government areas across the country have been ravaged by flooding this year. The agency also lamented that over 200 of its weather forecast equipment, including observation stations, in different parts of the country, are being attacked on a daily basis. The Director-General of the agency, Engr. Clement Nze explained that theft and vandalisation of equipment is hampering its efforts at giving accurate data and information on the menace of flooding.

    Nze who made this known during a sensitisation workshop on “Security and Prevention of Vanadalisation of Hydrological Services Equipment”, in Lokoja, Kogi State, said that the agency’s observation stations, comprising 32 automatic stations and over 200 manually operated ones, in different parts of the country were attacked by some unpatriotic elements. According to him: “Instead of expanding and increasing the number and density of the stations, we keep moving in circles by replacing the existing stations that are being lost to theft, vandalisation and/or washed away by flood waters, year in year out”.

    Read Also: Flood: Residents urge demolition of shanties

    He noted that most of the equipment are not locally available and require huge financial outlay to acquire and put them in operation. He said that hydrological data aside its usefulness to the determination of the level and extent of flooding, remains critical to the provision of basic facilities like water, roads, agriculture and food security. He therefore called for a change of attitude towards the protection of hydrological facilities, so that the country can overcome the problem of flooding and environment related hazards.

    “Let us help to protect and own all hydrological equipment and installations within our domains in order to reduce vital losses to flooding and other water”, he said. He appealed to stakeholders to pay adequate attention to forecasts and early warning information being regularly released by the agency. He called for concerted efforts to reduce the menace of flooding by protecting hydrological equipment in the various communities

  • Crisis rocks Kogi PDP

    CRISIS is brewing in the Kogi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as an interest group has called on three of the 13 aspirants to withdraw from the party’s primary election scheduled to hold on September 3.

    The group, under the aegis of Concerned Kogi Professionals, has demanded the withdrawal of Abubakar Ibrahim, who is the son of former governor Ibrahim Idris.

    It also called on former governor, Idris Wada and his brother, Musa, to also withdraw from the contest.

    Stating reasons for the call on the three aspirants to withdraw from the race, the coordinator of the group, Dr. Tope Atte, cited extended family ties binding the three aspirants together.

    This, according to Atteh, could destroy the existing unity in the state chapter should any of the three aspirants emerge winner in the primaries.

    Atteh said Idris Wada and Musa Wada are blood brothers with the latter married to one of the daughters of ex-governor Ibrahim Idris. The ex-governor’s biological son, Abubakar, is also in the race.

    Atteh had led members of the group to meet the PDP National Secretary Senator Umar Tsauri in his office at the party’s Abuja secretariat yesterday, asking the party to disqualify the three aspirants.

    In a statement issued after meeting with Tsauri, the group said unless the three aspirants from the same extended family are forced out of the race, the party was doomed to be defeated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in event that any of them picks the ticket.

    The statement said: “There is palpable fear across the leadership and rank and file of our party that if this danger is not confronted and contained before we go into primaries, it may become intractable thereafter and could ignite series of actions and reactions that could lead to the failure of our party at the polls.”

    Read Also: APC in a quandary over Kogi’s Bello

    Describing the three aspirants as “extremely mutually antagonistic contestants” from the same extended family, Atteh lamented that the party’s stakeholders and elders have already been fractionalised along three parallel lines.

    The group further stated that anyone of the three who wins the primary election would be sabotaged by stakeholders and supporters of the other two contenders.

    Although the National Secretary was not available for comments, the PDP national leadership has consistently declared that it would not interfere with any of the processes leading to the emergence of a candidate for the election.

    While briefing reporters in his office on Tuesday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated that the constitution of the PDP forbids any member of the NWC, including the National Chairman, from interfering with the process.

    Ologbondiyan had clearly directed dissenting groups over the party’s upcoming primary election in Kogi and Bayelsa states to go back to their respective states and iron out their differences.

     

  • Bello trying to manipulate delegate list, aspirants allege

    Some of the aspirants for Thursday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state have accused the state governor, Yahaha Bello of trying to manipulate the list of delegates for the primary election.

    Sources close to some of the aspirants told The Nation that they have information that the governor was working with some unnamed officials at the national Secretariat to alter the delegates list because of fears that some of them may not vote for him.

    According to the APC electoral guidelines for the conduct of indirect primaries, only officials of the party from the ward, local government and state constitute delegates for the primary election scheduled to hold in Lokoja on Thursday.

    Aside the party officials who constitute delegates, there are also statutory delegates made up of members of the state and National Assembly as well as national officials from the state.

    The source showed The Nation a document they obtained from INEC which was supposedly transmitted to the commission on July 24, containing names of the delegates for the primary.

    Read Also: Bello warns against attack on Fed Govt.

    The source said “Bello is afraid that more aspirants have been cleared to contest against him. He is no longer comfortable and so he is doing everything he can to manipulate the list of delegates and import names into the list.

    “He was the one produced these officials from the ward to the state level down to the ward. But, right now, he is not comfortable with them and is afraid that they will vote against him because he abandoned them since they came into office.

    “He fought to have indirect primary approved for him by the party and also fought to get other aspirants disqualified. Now that more people have been cleared, he is not comfortable with the entire process and because he is desperate to come back, he is working with some officials at the national Secretariat to manipulate the list

    “Last week, he invited the ward and local government officials to Lokoja and was abusing some of them. He is no longer comfortable with the party officials as well as the indirect primary he canvassed for.”

    The source ask the national leadership of the party to allow a level playing ground for all aspirants band allowed the people of the state to nominate a person of their choice as the party flag bearer.

    There are 239 wards within the 21 local government areas of Kogi state and executive members of the parry in these wards and local government and state officials are delegates to the primary