The Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar, has challenged the governments at all levels to investigate how suspected herdsmen and other Nigerians acquire AK 47 and other arms and ammunitions.
He spoke on Tuesday in Nsukka, during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Nsukka Socio-Cultural zone.
“They have always asked us how the herdsmen acquired these ammunitions, but I throw the question back to the politicians; find out how people acquire the guns.
“Find out how the herdsmen that move with AK47 riffles acquire them,” he said.
The sultan attributed the seeming mistrust among Nigerians to misinformation and ignorance.
“We have refused to come together as a nation due to ignorance and suspicion. “Our visit here is to strengthen relationships, having started my youthful life in Nsukka 39 years ago.
“My coming here is at the right time, considering the loss of lives due to insecurity in parts of the country,” he said.
Abubakar said that no Nigerian would aim at killing an Igbo man in any part of the country for whatever reason, adding that they were only targetted because of their hard work.
“Nobody in the Northern part of the country has been aiming at an Igbo man to kill.
“Miscreants target them because they are the most industrious and the people that move the economy.
“That is why their shops and other businesses are mostly the target during unrests because the hoodlums are sure to find valuables in the shops,” he said.
The Sultan said that he was overwhelmed at the love shown him by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and residents of the state.
“As Nigerians we can be the best of families if we want to,” he said.
Abubakar said that Nigerians had the option to live as one united family, adding that such visits would continue to strengthen the ties between the peoples of the country.
He noted that the various ethnics and interest groups in the country can co-exist peacefully if there is justice.
Tag: Nsukka
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Sultan to Govt: Find out how herdsmen acquire AK47 riffles
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Residents hail Ugwuanyi for restoring Nsukka’s dignity
Nsukka residents have hailed Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for making the town befitting and enviable.
A cross section of residents spoke yesterday in Nsukka in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
They said with the road construction and installation of street lights in Nsukka and its environs; Nsukka’s dignity as a university town would be restored.
Mr. Fabian Onah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Nsukka Local Government, said the lights would beautify the town and help security agencies to fight crime, “since there will be no hiding place for criminals.”
He said: “The lights will help residents and security agencies to fish out people that hide under darkness to commit crimes.
“Ugwuanyi has demonstrated that he is a people-oriented governor.
“While some governors owe civil servants, Ugwuanyi pays workers on the 25th every month and executes developmental projects.
“I’m happy that the installation of lights and road construction in Nsukka and its environs are happening when I am the PDP chairman in Nsukka council.”
Mrs. Amaka Okwueze, a lawyer and human rights’ activist, said a good government was one providing basic amenities and infrastructure to impact on residents’ lives.
Said she: “The upgrading of Nsukka town and its environs with good roads and lights will not only impact positively on residents, but will also attract local and international investors.
“With street lights in every part of town, crime will reduce.
“I praise Governor Ugwuanyi for ensuring the state’s development.
“I urge residents to support him so that he will do more.”
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Nsukka residents seek exploration of gas, crude deposits
A natural gas and oil well discovered about 50 years ago at Ehalumona in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State has remained untapped since its discovery.
The residents have expressed the desire to see exploration activities at the site.
The natural gas and oil deposit in the area is said to be in large commercial quantity and estimated to last for over 50 years.
An indigenous oil and gas company, Seveen Energy was said to have acquired the site for exploration but abandoned it for what insiders called political interference.
The vast gas site was first discovered by CGG Company prior to the Nigerian Civil War in 1966. It has been overgrown with weeds and left in a deplorable state.
The untapped crude deposit found in abundance in the area has traces of the same deposits in other communities in Nsukka and also cut across local governments in the area.
The areas that have traces of the crude deposits include Obollo Ekeh, Ezebinagu, Isi Uzo, amomg others.
The major base of the oil is in Ehalumona and it has about 30% petrol and 70% natural gas deposits.
The residents of the oil rich communities have expressed worry over the inability of the indigenous company, Seveen Energy to carry on further explorative activities since the Federal Government awarded it since 2013.
The residents dislosed that the Seveen Energy company had carried out a siesmic operation they termed environmental impact assessment in February 2014 at the abandoned oil zone.
In 2008 the huge natural gas deposit attracted Geokinetic Gas and Oil Plc, for further exploration of the site but failed to continue.
A community leader, Cletus Akor disclosed that prior to the Nigerian civil war in 1966, the oil and gas deposits had earlier attracted CGG company where they carried it’s first seismic exploration but couldn’t continue as a result of the severity of the civil war.
The community youth leader, Oji Uzo expressed his dissatisfaction over the abandoned oil-rich zone, describing it as a waste of both human and capital resources.
He said: “This type of thing should not be joked with. Look at an endowment being overlooked, something that would have been a source of employment opportunities for jobless Nigerian youths is overgrown by grasses. When this company first came here, our youth were employed as labourers and some worked in other lucrative positions, but look at how delapidated it is, a treasure of a nation.
“They told us that they would test the natural gas which they did and carried a half tanker of the crude gas for test, but we have not heard from them again.”
Also, Mr. Jonathan Ugwuanyi disclosed that apart from the Natural gas located in the area that there are untapped natural resources like Gold, Coal, among other resources located in the area.
The traditional ruler of Ezebinagu /Ehandiagu communities, Igwe Daniel Ugwuanyi expressed his belief that the company may begin exploration of the natural gas soon.
He said: “If this gas deposit is explored, it will create job opportunities for the people as well as a source of revenue for the Federal and State government.”
He said that the gas deposit would likely foster the construction of the much neglected Nsukka, Ehalumona, Ehandiagu, Mbu-Ikem road,” he said.
He therefore apealed to the State and Federal government to react positively to the abandoned huge gas deposit located in Ezebinagu/ Ehandiagu communities.
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Nsukka masqueraders held for alleged robbery
The Police in Nsukka, Enugu State, have arrested two masqueraders for allegedly robbing a trader on Nsukka-Obollo-Afor Road.
The masqueraders were arrested in Ovoko community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that in the past few weeks, masqueraders had continuously mounted road blocks in such areas as Eha-Alumona, Ovoko-Obollo-Afor, among several other public roads, inflicting heavy wounds on motorists and dispossessing them of their valuables.
The police moved into action when the victim, Mr. Chinonso Ezewaji reported the matter at Nsukka Police Area command.
He said when two of the masqueraders were arrested, others ran away.
He said, “When the police team reached Ovoko along Nsukka–Obollor-Afor Road, where the masqueraders were operating, two of the policemen on a bus pretended to be giving the two masqueraders money; they stretched their hands to collect it and that was how we hand-cuffed them and others ran away.
“Eight masqueraders have been on that road since morning tormenting road users; the two of them we arrested have denied involvement in robbing the trader, but they have given the names of the culprits.
“When we searched one of the arrested masqueraders, we saw Indian hemp in his pocket”.
Spokesman for Enugu State police command, Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident, noting that the police has commenced investigations into the matter.
Amarizu urged communities to regulate and monitor those who wear masquerades as some of them were hiding on it to harass, intimidate and rob innocent members of the public.
“Police is not against any culture but community leaders must know the character of people they allow to wear masquerades in the name of culture.
“A masquerader has no right to mount a roadblock on busy roads where motorists, motorcyclists and other road ply on daily basis.
“The police has commenced investigations and must get to the root of this matter as issue of masquerades disturbing people has become a recurring decimal”, he said.
Narrating his experience, the victim (Ezewaji), a trader, said he was on his way from Nsukka to Obollo-Afor when the masqueraders in Ovoko stopped him, gave him the beating of his life, after which “they searched me and collected N57, 000 from my pockets”.
Meanwhile, the two masqueraders, who identified themselves as Kenechukwu Eze, a carpenter and Ejiofor Eze , bricklayer alleged that they were not part of the team that robbed the victim. They gave the name of the masquerader involved as Chima Mamah.
“We only collected N20, N100 and N500 from people; we didn’t participate in collecting the N57,000″, one of them claimed.
However, Kenechukwu Eze, while admitting that the police recovered India Hemp from him, said “If police will release me, I will not wear masquerade or smoke Indian hemp again. It is the left-over of the one we smoked before coming out”, he said.
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Nsukka canvasses ministerial slot for Ezea
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu North has said that the Enugu State ministerial slot be given to the party’s standard bearer in the last governorship election, Chief Okey Ezea.
It said the zonal committee met and elected Ezea as the nominee from Nsukka senatorial zone, maintaining that Ezea remained the best candidate having been the party’s standard bearer.
At a news conference, Chairman of APC Enugu North, Emecheta Ugwu, said since 1999, the zone had not produced a minister and ‘therefore for the purpose of justice, equity and good governance, we request that Nsukka senatorial zone be allowed to produce the next minister from Enugu State’.
He urged members and leaders of APC in the state to support Ezea to ensure that ‘our party stands united and stronger’.
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Ugwuanyi promises to develop Nsukka
Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has promised the people that he would ensure sustenance of peace in the state.
He added that his administration would modernise Nsukka, the university town founded over half a century ago.
The governor spoke yesterday at the Nsukka Government Field.
The governor explained that Nsukka was overdue for upgrade being the second largest urban town in the state.
Ugwuanyi said development projects would start on the streets of Nsukka in one month.
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Whither Nsukka people?
SIR: We have taken time to ponder over the fate of Nsukka people since the return of “democracy” in 1999. We have thought of the hopelessness of our people, their stinking poverty and deliberate deprivations unleashed on them by the PDP government. What has this government – federal and state – got to show in Nsukka? Is it roads, health facilities, employment, farm inputs, water supply or electricity? All they see are broken promises, failed and failing infrastructures.
By deliberate plot, PDP has a design to further weaken Nsukka zone. The party has side tracked all the Nsukka aspirants who have experience and who are highly educated. At the governorship level, the choice of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in preference for very articulate and political activists like Ikeje Asogwa, Sam Onyishi (Peace Mass Transit) Engr. Since his eleven years, eight months in the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has never spoken a word in the National Assembly, not even motion for adjournment!
The picture is not better with the PDP’s choice of the senatorial candidate for Nsukka. Here again the same scenario plays out. The game plan is simple: impose some one on Nsukka who cannot rival any of the other two senior senators from the other senatorial districts, namely, the incumbent senators Ekweremadu and Gil Nnaji who are also candidates for this election. So in the senate, the Nsukka man, Chuka Utazi, would be a green horn. The effect is that given his lack of experience and standing vis-à-vis the other contesting senatorial candidates, any major positions or slots in the senate meant for Enugu State would automatically go to senators from East and West senatorial districts. It is clear that PDP team in this election is not Nsukka first eleven. They cannot score the goals needed to move Enugu State forward let alone Nsukka, in the years ahead.
This is where Okey Ezea (Ideke) of All Progressives Congress (APC) readily comes in. He has the experience. He has the vision. He has a manifesto, a requisite blue print needed to move Enugu State forward. Above all, he is no body’s godson.
Should the evil design of the PDP cabals succeed, (God forbid) then Nsukka would be shut out in the scheme of things in the next dispensation. Nsukka man may be governor, but as has been pointed out, the voice would be that of Jacob but the hand would be that of Esau.
- Ifeanyi Ugwueze,
Concerned Nsukka Patriots, Nsukka
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Nsukka indigenes endorse APC governorship candidate
Nukka indigenes under the aegis of Nsukka Leadership Forum (NLF) have endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Ezea.
They made their position known yesterday in a statement to reporters in Enugu.
It was signed by the President-General, Jerry Onyishi and Publicity Secretary, Onyeka Ugwu.
The statement reads: “After very careful and painstaking scrutiny of the serious contenders for the position of the governor of Enugu State, we have come to the conclusion that Chief Okey Ezea is the most ideal candidate for the position.
“We thank God that at last, Nsukka zone is tipped to govern Enugu State for the next four years, renewable for another four years, depending on many factors, including performance.
“It is therefore imperative that the zone produces someone, who will make it proud through superb performance that will make Enugu State receive positive mention.
“We want someone, who will replicate, if not surpass Governors Babatunde Fashola’s or Godswill Akpabio’s achievements in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states. We conducted a detailed, thorough and critical investigations so that an unprepared person does not get and squander this golden opportunity to write Nsukka’s name in gold.”
Nsukka indigenes said their choice of Ezea was borne out of factors, including but not limited to his achievements as a businessman.
“Chief Ezea’s persistence is something extra-ordinary. It shows he knows where he is going, it shows he is on a mission. In the 2007 elections, he won the Enugu governorship election but was denied. He was offered compensatory positions, including a senatorial ticket or a ministerial position. He rejected both and kept fighting for the governorship.
“He was again robbed, but rather than being deterred, he has kept his dream alive and is firing on all cylinders. We believe he should be allowed to convert his persistence into action and we believe he will be an asset to the state.”
The group noted that a visit to the nooks and crannies of Enugu State showed that the people wanted a change, which Ezea would offer.
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Nsukka indigenes endorse Ezea for governor
Indigenes of the old Nsukka zone living in the diaspora have endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okey Ezea, for the governorship of Enugu State.
They spoke in a statement under the aegis of the Nsukka Progressives Union (NPU), titled: “Endorsement of APC governorship candidate in Enugu State”.
The three-paragraph statement, signed by the secretary, reads: “We, members of Nsukka people in Brazil, formally endorse the candidate of the APC in Enugu State, Chief Okey Ezea.
“After series of consultations, we decided to endorse him, being an astute leader with a vision.
“We are not considering party but personality and future of our state.”
Ezea said he was humbled by the support from his brothers in the diaspora.
He said: “By this stand, they have shown that they want nothing but the best for their state.”
The APC governorship candidate said Enugu should not be left behind in the wind of change blowing across the country, stressing that the people deserved better than they got in the last 16 years of PDP rule.
Ezea said: “From 2007, PDP government in Enugu State has collected N544 billion. If you look round the state, from Enugu to Oji River, from Enugu to Awgu, from Enugu to Nsukka, is it like a place they have spent N544billion? Yet, we cannot provide free education.”
He said he would provide details of local government allocation to the state for APC members so that they would show it to traders across the state, who had been deprived of amenities and infrastructures despite the billions of naira accruing to the state.
The governorship candidate urged the people to embrace change, noting that in Imo State under an APC government, children enjoyed free education and free meal.
Ezea recalled that in 2007, he won and they denied him victory.
“I thank God that a new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) exists today, which has promised to conduct a biometric election.”
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Nsukka professionals congratulate Ugwuanyi
•Hail Chime, PDP
The Nsukka Professional Group (NPG) has hailed Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for making House of Representatives member, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the party’s consensus candidate for next year’s governorship election.
In a statement by its president Dr. Basil Onugu and Secretary, Otoboeze Chikwado, the group noted that Ugwuanyi did not only emerge as the party’s consensus candidate but also has the qualities that made it possible for his fellow aspirants and other stakeholders to have confidence in, trust and respect for him.
The statement said: “There is no iota of doubt that Ugwuanyi is eminently qualified, competent and has the right compliment of skills set necessary to, not only sustain but also advance Chime’s enviable legacies to the next level. Above all, unity and peace remain not only a sine-qua-non but also most imperative for the sustenance of the current tempo of development in the state.
“Ugwuanyi is not only an epitome of peace but also large hearted and quite accommodating to the weak and the mighty alike. He is a team player of choice.
“We will also thank Chime and the leadership of the party in the state for their consistent demonstration of dedication and commitment towards ensuring that Enugu North Senatorial Zone produces the next governor in 2015. It is not common in our political clime to find leaders who are concerned about equity, fairness and justice, as demonstrated in the course of this exercise.”