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Tag: relocation

  • South East Senators, Rep seek relocation of Boko Haram suspects from Anambra

    South East Senators, Rep seek relocation of Boko Haram suspects from Anambra

    •Obiano to residents: “I can’t use Boko Haram to play politics” in Rivers 

    The South East political class is mounting pressure on the federal government to relocate from Anambra State, the Boko Haram detainees who were recently transferred to the Ekwulobia Prison in state.

    The South East Senate Caucus said yesterday that the relocation was imperative in the interest of peace and security.

    Senator Mao Ohunabuwa (Abia North) who spoke for the caucus in Abuja claimed there was  no justifiable reason for the transfer of the Boko Haram detainees  to a state  far away from where the suspects were arrested.

    Simultaneously, a member of the House of Representatives, Eucharia Azodo (Aguata, Anambra), sent a petition to the federal government to reverse its decision to transfer    the detained  Boko Haram members  to her state, while Governor Wlillie Obiano of Anambra State who is  being accused of complicity in the transfer by political opponents deplored what he called attempts to politicize the issue.

    Ohunabuwa said that the presence of the suspects in Ekwulobia is capable of creating avoidable tension and fear of the unknown in the area.

    He asked for their relocation immediately and threatened to raise the issue on the floor of the Senate should they be retained in Ekwulobia.

    He said that such prisoners should be confined in the states where they committed the crime or any other state in the north with maximum prisons.

    Ohuabunwa also regretted the renewed killings by the insurgents saying that no effort should be spared to flush out the insurgents from the country.

    And in her petition to the federal authorities, Azodo said  the relocation of the detainees to Ekwulobia Prison has  serious security and socio-economic implications for  the people of the state.

    She said her constituents are not comfortable with the prisoners’ presence in their midst because the Ekwulobia prison does not have the capacity to accommodate such high risk inmates.

    “Ekwulobia Prison in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State is not a maximum security prison,” she said.

    “The prison originally has the capacity to house 85 inmates but it is presently overburdened with 135 inmates. The new 47 Boko Haram inmates will over stretch the prison and that could pose dangerous consequences for the community and entire state.

    “The arrival of these detainees has led to anxiety across the state with places like Onitsha, Ekwulobia and other major cities of Anambra State witnessing protests.

    “Many businesses including markets, filling stations have been closed as a result of the arrival of the Boko Haram detainees.”

    According to the lawmaker, the people feared the possibility of jail break that could lead to a culture of violent attacks within the communities.

    “There is a general fear of the possibility of a jailbreak aided by their (Boko Haram) members. The relocation of the prisoners to Ekwulobia is in flagrant violation of the avowed wishes of the peace-loving people of Anambra State.

    “Even though the management of prisons is on the Exclusive list, I urge the federal government to rescind its decision to relocate the Boko Haram detainees to Anambra.?”

    Governor Obiano who has come under attack for allegedly conniving with the federal government on the transfer of the detainees to his state declared yesterday that contrary to insinuations, he would not play politics with the pains and agony of his people.

    He appealed to the people of the state to go about their normal businesses while he continues to engage the relevant authorities on the recent transfer of the detainees.

    The governor through his media aide, James Eze said: “We wish to inform the general public that Governor Obiano NEVER made any comments to any media. Since the eruption of this controversy, Governor Obiano’s position has been consistent. For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Willie Obiano is aware of the strong feelings provoked by Boko Haram among NdiAnambra and the people of the South East.

    “Therefore, he shall never use this subject of pain and anguish to play politics. Those who are not held back by any moral considerations in their pursuit of power, cheap popularity and vendetta are free to play with the agony of the people for their narrow interests.”

     

  • Relocation of Akwa Ibom election tribunals to Abuja prompted by security threats—Leaders

    Relocation of Akwa Ibom election tribunals to Abuja prompted by security threats—Leaders

    •Say ‘concerned elders’ are chasing shadows

    Some Akwa Ibom elders/leaders have hailed the relocation of the state’s election petition tribunals to Abuja as  a welcome development in view of “genuine and continuing security threats” in the state.

    The Real Elders/Leaders group said the behaviour and utterances of certain leaders and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the early sittings of the tribunals in the state made it inevitable for the national  judicial authorities to move the tribunals to Abuja.

    “The PDP began  with the lawless attitude of bringing supporters and thugs in not less than 20 buses to the tribunal premises at every adjournment of the case. These supporters and thugs were known to be disrupting court proceedings and jeering at counsel for the opponents of the PDP,” the leaders  led by Atuekong Don Etiebet said in a statement in Uyo.

    Also in the group are Otuekong Sunny Jackson Udoh, Dr Maurice Ebong,HE Nsima Ekere,Obong Rita Akpan, Dr Ime Okopido and Chief Edet Nkpubre.

    Responding to  the objection raised to the relocation of the tribunals by  the Concerned Akwa Ibom Elders led by Senator Anietie Okon, the Etiebet group dismissed the suggestion that the relocation  was a plot to subvert the will of Akwa Ibom people in the governorship election.

    The group insisted that contrary to “the baseless speculation by PDP members that the tribunals were moved to Abuja for political reasons, it is on record that their relocation was ordered by the President of the Court of Appeal in exercise of her power to do so once she made the determination that it was not safe for the tribunals to continue to sit in Uyo. The argument that the tribunals could not be moved to safer grounds in the face of persistent security threats to both the tribunal members and witnesses for petitioners before the tribunals reflects gross ignorance of the law.

    “The President of the Court of Appeal has the power to extend the jurisdiction of the tribunals so that they can sit and dispense justice in a neutral and safe location, which is precisely what she has done with regard to the Akwa Ibom State Election Petition Tribunals as well as the tribunals for Rivers, Taraba, etc, all of which faced direct security threats before the relocation.”

    It alleged that PDP supporters were “known to be disrupting court proceedings and jeering at counsel for the opponents of the PDP”

    Continuing, the Etiebet group said: “Most certainly, the President of the Court of Appeal must have acted on good intelligence in reaching the decision to relocate the tribunals. The strenuous effort by these elements to impugn the integrity of the President of the Court of Appeal is unfortunate and ought to be condemned by all right-thinking and responsible members of society.

    “The allegation by Senator Okon on behalf of the so-called concerned Akwa Ibom elders that the APC is seeking to influence the outcome of the election petitions is the latest outburst in a series of baseless insinuations by PDP members against the APC and even the President and Commander-in-Chief.

    “Recently, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, and the Akwa Ibom State chairman of the PDP, Mr. Paul Ekpo, alleged without a shred of evidence that President Muhammadu Buhari is part of a plot to influence the election petition tribunals in Akwa Ibom State and other states to reach a verdict in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “We believe it is cheap blackmail for the PDP to peddle false alarm of political interference by the President and the APC in purely judicial matters. Their baseless allegation is an affront to the independence of the judiciary and the principle of separation of power.

    “The PDP position on the issue of where the tribunals sit seems to suggest unfortunately that Presidents can and should interfere with the work of election tribunals.”

    They asked the police and the State Security Service to take note of alleged threats by the Concerned Akwa Ibom Elders to “instigate the breakdown of law and order in the state, if the tribunals are not relocated to Uyo and if the verdicts of the tribunals on the election petitions do not go their way.”

    They faulted Okon’s position that “the jubilation that greeted news of the relocation of the tribunals in some quarters in Akwa Ibom State was evidence that the relocation was meant to achieve a sinister purpose.”

    Their words: “We believe Senator Okon and his group missed the true meaning of the joy of Akwa Ibom people about where the tribunals are sitting now. The people rejoiced because they know that another excuse for more bloodshed has been removed; the people rejoiced because they know that witnesses can testify and the tribunal members can hear them in an atmosphere that is free of threats, intimidation and fear.

    “While the tribunals sat in Uyo, prospective witnesses for APC candidates received daily death threats. PDP thugs and supporters inundated the tribunal venue to intimidate members and witnesses whom the thugs feared would help the petitioners to get justice.

    “If the PDP in Akwa Ibom State did not hope to gain undue advantage from the sitting of the tribunals in Uyo, they should not expect to be disadvantaged merely because the tribunals have relocated to Abuja.

    “It is a shame that the so-called concerned elders under the leadership of Senator Anietie Okon are crying wolf about non-existing political interference in the work of the tribunals, rather than addressing themselves to the critical issue of the card reader fraud that is hanging around the neck of PDP candidates in the elections like the Sword of Damocles.

    “The question Nigerians expect Akwa Ibom PDP to provide an answer to is how they got the figure of 1,122,836 as total votes cast in the governorship election, more than 997,000 of which were declared for their candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel, whereas the INEC card reader statistic showed that only 437,128 voters were accredited for the election, which the electoral unmpire had directed to be conducted exclusively through accreditation with the card readers.”

  • Abuja residents reject mass relocation in 2015

    Indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of Greater Gbagyi Development Initiative (GG-DIN) have described the purported plan to relocate the original inhabitants of Abuja to a proposed permanent site in 2015 as unrealistic, unattainable and unacceptable.

    In a statement signed by the President of GG-DIN, Prince Gbaiza Gimba, they reject in totality any such relocation as historically it has not worked and tantamount to dislocation, further impoverishment and deprivation of their people and that it shows clear and shear shallowness in the approach developed by the government in recent years to solving the artificial problem of how to deal with the original inhabitants of Abuja.

    Gbaiza said they read with great shock the comment in the news by Senator Smart Adeyemi, Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, that original inhabitants of Abuja are to be relocated to their permanent site in 2015.

    He said, “The purported plan to us is tantamount to further human rights abuses and does not in any way make provision for the livelihood of our people as it treats us as refugees and other unthinkable things. The plan to carry out wholesome or unwholesome relocation of the indigenous peoples of Abuja to the fictitious permanent site without any prior consultation or discussion on the matter is unacceptable and is genocidal.

    “We have met with Senator Smart several times and believe in his sincerity, feelings and wishes for the indigenous peoples of the FCT.  Our problem is with their praxis, with the poor intellectual and elitist solution for our predicament that was artificially imposed on us.

    “We find exception to Senator Adeyemi’s remark that our people sell houses given to them. The so-called houses are a dislocation from our homes. They take our homes and give us houses. They take our lands and give us nothing and compensate their bank accounts and those of their cronies.

    “Why would we not sell those houses when we are artificially turned into destitute and there are no economic activities and sustainable system attached to the houses given to some of us? How do we feed our families?  How do we send our children to schools and cater for their welfare. How do we cater for our children and women? Where do we farm to continue our existence? How do we maintain our culture and tradition? Where is the economy in the so called relocation centres?”

    Gbaiza said that the government should leave them alone where they are and provide them with development programmes that befits their status as original inhabitants and owners of the land FCT, saying that what is good for the Niger Deltans is good for the Abuja indigenes.

    “We are not homeless and there is no justification for relocating us away from the center of development at the Federal Capital. If the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan that he wants to make us happy is true and sincere, he should leave us where we are to enjoy the development of the Federal Capital, rather than sending us on exile.

    “We never asked for houses as we are not homeless neither are we destitute. We have homes, houses and accommodate others. We are asking for development. Relocation is not development but abuse of power and oppression as far as our people are concerned. We have cried for decades and government and political office holders have been deaf because they aggrandize for and covet our land.”

     

  • Arts & Culture workers protest relocation

    The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), Lagos Council, yesterday protested the “hasty relocation” of its members from the premises of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

    The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, recently ordered agencies on the premises of the National Theatre to relocate to allow the concessioning of the premises to private developers.

    Among parastatals affected are the National Gallery of Arts, National Council for Arts and Culture, National Institute for Cultural Orientation and National Troupe of Nigeria.

    RATTAWU said its members were relocated to a dilapidated building with a “rusty and unserviceable elevator”.

    It said the act negates Decree 47 of 1991, which states that the National Theatre “should protect and promote our cultural heritage”.

    In a statement by its Chairman, Comrade Godwin Itotowa, RATTAWU said: “The National Troupe cannot be productive where it was relocated to because there are no theatres and other enabling facilities.

    “The art works of the National Gallery of Arts are in a store under the custody of the National Theatre. The implication is that these art works will rot away. They are meant to be displayed and properly kept, not to be stored. The gallery workers are without their work materials and a gallery.”

    Urging Nigerians to prevent the “killing” of arts and culture, it said: “There are no galleries, libraries, theatres, craft shops and work shops at the new locations.”

  • Lagos traders protest ‘relocation plan’

    About 100 traders, under the aegis of Ifesowapo Market Association, have kicked against an alleged plan to relocate them from Pelewura Market on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos.

    The traders went to the House of Assembly on Monday and urged the lawmakers to intervene.

    In a letter to the Speaker, signed by the association’s Chairman, Joseph Olawuyi, and Secretary Bamidele Adeyemi, the traders said: “We have been at that location for over 20 years. Our market is an enclosure, so we neither sell by the road side nor cause traffic gridlock.

    “We pay our dues and taxes to the local and state government authorities, partake in environmental sanitation and observe government rules and regulations in markets. We are active participants in government activities and programmes.

    “So it came to us as a surprise that we shall be moved from our market to create space for a cable car station that is being proposed by a private company.

    “We are not against any laudable programme of the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration to develop the state, but removing us from our market without providing an alternative market for us on Lagos Island is like giving us a death sentence.

    “We are entrepreneurs and we engage many youths as workers and apprentices. Pelewura Market Annex is where we eke out our livelihood. How do we survive if we are removed without being given an alternative market space?

    “We all have children, families and other dependants; how do we take care of them and ourselves? Your urgent intervention in this matter will be a stitch in time to save nine.”

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry, Bisi Yusuf, thanked the traders for conducting themselves with decorum and assured them that the Assembly would look into the matter.

  • Bakassi refugees resist relocation

    There was confusion at the weekend when officials of Bakassi Local Government in Cross River State, led by the Chairman, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, attempted to relocate refugees, who were allegedly evicted from Cameroon, to the resettlement camp in Ekpri Ikang.

    Ekpri Ikang is in the new Bakassi Local Government, which was created by the House of Assembly in 2007.

    The refugees, who are camped in the primary school in Akwa Ikot Edem, Akpabuyo Local Government Area, were allegedly chased from their homes in Efut Obot Ikot community in the ceded Bakassi Peninsula on March 7 by Cameroonian gendarmes.

    They have been in the school since then.

    The government officials were chased away by the refugees, who said they were not moving, except to a place of proper resettlement in Dayspring.

    It was a pathetic sight. Women and children were wailing. Men were resisting the efforts of security operatives, who came with the council officials, to move them.

    The leader of the relocation team, Iyadim Iyadim, addressed the refugees, but some of them blocked the camp’s entrance.

    They alleged that the gesture was a move to take them back to a hostile environment, where they were driven out in 2010.

    Their leader, Asuquo Etim, said: “We have said we are not going to Ekpri Ikang. We said so even when the deputy governor came here.

    “We are not going there because of the nature of that environment. We don’t like it.

    “The chairman came to force us to that place, but we told him we would not be able to go there because there we were attacked, robbed and even our women were raped.”

    Another refugee, Bassey Okon, said: “In 2008 after Bakassi was ceded, we were taken from one place to another; from Ikang primary school to the council headquarters.

    “After that they gave us N15,000 to start life afresh. Imagine, I was given N15, 000 to cater for my family of five.

    “Later, they allocated the housing estate to us but one day they came and drove us out and re-allocated that same estate to people who were not refugees.

    “Due to the trauma, I went back to Bakassi Peninsula to see if I could make ends meet, and the Cameroonians brutalised us and you are saying you want to take us back to Ikang again to torture us as was done some years ago.

    “We will not go to Ikang. We prefer to die here, if government would not resettle us in the place of our choice, which is Dayspring.”

  • Relocation of burial site tears Moslem community apart

    Tension is brewing in Onitsha over allegations by the Moslem community that the Chairman of the Onitsha South council area, Mr. Ugochukwu Ezeani, is plotting to relocate them to the burial ground. They, therefore, petitioned the Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, over that. He said the plot was to illegally eject them from the commercial city Their leader, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, who made the allegations, disclosed that the council chairman as part of his plots to relocate them to burial ground swiftly shifted the electricity poles in the Bridgehead to the place they were occupying. Alhaji Mohammed said: “To perfect his plans, he (Ezeani) shifted the electric poles from their original positions to the space the government permitted us to stay to give wrong impression that our shops are under the electric line. But this was done in bad faith just to force us out as he had vowed.” But in a swift reaction, the council boss told The Nation that his council is more focused in developmental strides than looking for where to relocate burial grounds. He said the governor had assured the Moslem community that all is well with them severally but detractors will always cash in on any meaningful development done in the council to raise false alarm.

  • Yobe denies officials’ relocation

    Yobe denies officials’ relocation

    The Special Adviser to Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, has said the alleged relocation of government officials to neighbouring states due to insecurity was unfounded.

    Bego, who reacted to the statement credited to the Niger State governor, Dr. Babagida Aliyu, that insecurity was taking it toll on the Yobe State government affirmed that the situation was under control in the state.

    He said: “We state categorically that no government official has relocated to Kano or Jigawa nor has anyone given up in Yobe State or anywhere in the country. As Muslims and Christians, we believe in the scriptural encouragement that ease will follow every hardship.”

    The governor’s aide further remarked that security agencies were working hard to make the state safe with the co-operation of the citizens through vigilance. “This is even more so with the hard work of our security agencies and the vigilance of ordinary citizens.”

    He further stated that the on-going fight to ensure peace and security in the state would be achieved because all hands were on deck to mitigate the situation. “The sacrifice that we make as individual and collectives and what we actually do as leaders and people in positions of authority.”

    Expressing his concern for the insecurity in the North and the country that the Governor Ibrahim Gaidam administration remains faithful to its mandate and would continue undaunted to deliver on its mandate.

    “It therefore came as a huge surprise that Governor Babangida Aliyu relying on a speculative reports from one newspaper, would speak of government institution taking flight out of the state.”

    “I wasn’t very happy when I read in the papers that in Yobe State, the legislators and commissioners were moving to Jigawa. That means we are already giving up because if the government institution moved, it means those who are after us have defeated us and had taken over.”

    The further expressed the belief that the Niger State governor should have contacted his counterpart on the issue before using a newspaper report to make such weighty comments.

    “If Governor Aliyu was unable for whatever reason to contact Governor Gaidam, one would expect him to show circumspection using a newspaper report to make such weight comments.”

    Governor Aliyu had said during the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation lecture series in Abuja that insecurity had forced top Yobe State government officials to relocate from Damaturu, the state capital to neibouring states.

    “As chairman of the Northern Governor’s Forum and leader who continues to make a mark on the lives of the people, we hold Governor Aliyu in highest esteem and hope that this clarification will help inform his comment about Yobe State in the future,” Bego said.