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  • Fed Govt budgets N24b for East West road

    The Federal Government has proposed N24 billion for the East West road from the N46 billion budgeted for the Niger Delta in 2019, it was learnt yesterday.

    But the House of Representatives has condemned the allocation of just 17 projects to the region. It described as unacceptable, “the litany of uncompleted projects across the region”.

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Usani Usani, presenting the 2019 budget proposal for the ministry, said the entire envelope for the ministry was N46 billion.

    Usani complained that the budgeting process needed to be reviewed, saying: “Projects in 2017 were rolled over in 2018 and in 2019. We are concentrating on ongoing projects. Only 17 new projects were initiated in the 2019 budget.

    “I agree perfectly that the budgeting process deserves a review because, for now, it appears budgeting is like a discussion.”

    On the breakdown of the proposal, the minister said N24 billion was projected for the East West road and N914.7 million for agriculture.

    Read also: FEC approves N6.17bn for dualisation of Ikot-Ekpene-Aba-Owerri Road

    He added that while 17 new projects were introduced in 2019 budget, N1.092 billion was budgeted for electricity projects, N980.9 million for building of schools and 4.5 billion was for Erosion control.

    The minister added that N970.7 million was budgeted for water facilities, while N349.025 million was for hospital and clinics.

    The House Committee, however, expressed displeasure over numerous uncompleted projects in the nine states of the region.

    Committee Chairman Etuk Ekpeyong said: “There are so many uncompleted projects littered around the Niger Delta. I want to draw the attention of the Ministry that this session is drawing to a close and the Ministry has to inaugurate some of these projects.

    “Why has the Ministry refused to allocate the houses? The level of waste in government is terrible. Houses have been completed but not allocated. It is like this all over the nine states in the region, and there is no step in the 2019 budget to show the Ministry’s will to allocate those projects. We should not allow these investments be a wasted.”

  • Court orders woman accused of killing husband to enter defence

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has ordered a woman, Maryam Sanda, to enter defence in her ongoing trial on murder charge, in which she is, among others, accused of killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

    Justice Yusuf Halilu, in a ruling yesterday, rejected Mrs. Sanda’s no-case submission and rejected her prayer to be discharged and acquitted.

    Justice Halilu upheld the no-case submission by Mrs. Sanda’s three co-defendants and discharged and acquitted them on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

    Mrs. Sanda allegedly stabbed her husband, who was said to be a nephew of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello, to death in Abuja on November 19, 2017.

    She was arraigned with her mother, Maimuna Aliyu; her brother, Aliyu Sanda; and their house help, Sadiya Aminu.

    The prosecution had charged Mrs. Sanda with culpable homicide, and offence punishable by death, under Section 221 of the Penal Code Act.

    The other three – Mrs. Aliyu, Sanda and Miss Aminu- were charged with causing the “evidence of the offence to disappear” by “cleaning the blood from the scene of crime with the intention” of shielding her “from legal punishment.”

    The offence is said to be punishable under Section 167 of the Penal Code Act.

    Read also: Sexual assault: Court grants teacher N500,000 bail

    At the closure of the prosecution’s case, the defendants made no-case submissions on which the court ruled yesterday.

    The prosecution closed its case on January 22, after calling six witnesses.

    Justice Halilu, in his ruling, said: “The no-case submission of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants is hereby upheld and they are hereby discharged and acquitted.

    “The submission of no-case to answer by Maryam Sanda, the first defendant, is overruled. I call on the first defendant to enter her defence.”

    According to Justice Halilu, the preponderance of evidence adduced by the prosecution, through its six witnesses, created “a thick cloud”, warranting the 1st defendant to present her own side of the case.

    The judge adjourned till May 6 for Sanda to present her case.

     

  • Ninth National Assembly: NSCIA warns CAN against incitement on leadership

    The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) yesterday faulted the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for allegedly inciting National Assembly members-elect to vote for principal officers along religious lines.

    It urged CAN to stop behaving like a political party. It  alleged that the intolerance and political partisanship of CAN and its alter egos were becoming alarming.

    The NSCIA, which made its position known in a statement by its  Deputy Secretary-General, Prof. Salisu Shehu, urged CAN to apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as a political party.

    It accused CAN of allegedly mounting surreptitious pressure on Christian judges serving in the various election petition tribunals across the country, under a pseudo-Christian organisation, to ensure the victory of Christians and/or their sympathisers.

    CAN  in a statement of appeal to the coming Ninth National Assembly, asked members-elect to  ”balance the appointments of your principal officers across religious divides to avoid domination and marginalization of any kind in the interest of equity, justice, and fair play as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

    It went on: “Although both the Senate and the House of Representatives have several principal officers, our focus here are the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. As it has been the practice since 1999, whenever the Senate President is a Christian, the Speaker of the House has always been a Muslim and vice- versa. And the same thing happens to their deputies.”

    But the NSCIA described CAN’s plea as ill-advised and ill-motivated.

    Read also: Your political interferences causing disunity, Christian group cautions CAN, others

    NSCIA said: “Given the trajectory of the recent activities of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), like other informed groups and people in Nigeria, cannot but wonder whether CAN still remain a religious body or a political party in a religious garb.

    “The Council is persuaded to believe the latter because of the Association’s posture as the counterfoil for and opposition to everything Islam and Muslims in this country.

    “We cannot also but wonder whether Islamophobia has indeed not replaced the more important responsibility of giving direction to millions of our compatriots who are law-abiding citizens of the Christian faith. It is really benumbing that CAN appears to be giving credence and relevance to the rhetorical question asked centuries ago: “if gold rust, what should iron do?”

    “Specifically, the statement issued by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji (Special Assistant Media and Communication to CAN President) on behalf of CAN is the last straw to break the camel’s back in the Association’s ill-advised and ill-motivated interventions in the polity.”

    The NSCIA reminded CAN that past National Assembly leaders were voted for on merit and without religious colouration.

    The statement added: “Is CAN suffering from selective amnesia or is it just obsessed with chronic mendacity? Was there no CAN between 2009 and 2011 when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu was the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Senator David A. B. Mark was President of the Senate and Senator Ike Ekweremadu was Deputy Senate President? Was there religious balance in 2007 when David Mark was elected Senate President and Patricia Etteh was elected Speaker? Was there no 1999 Constitution at that time?

    “Even prior to 1999, the two arms of the National Assembly were headed by Christians. For instance, while between 1979 and 1983, the Senate was headed by Joseph Wayas and the House of Representatives by Ume-Ezeoke, from October to December, 1983, Joseph Wayas and Benjamin Chaha were leading the respective chambers. Furthermore, in the aborted Third Republic, the Senate Presidents were Iyocha Ayu and Ameh Ebute while the Speaker was Hon. Anakwe.

    “Meanwhile, the NSCIA welcomes with pleasure the fact that CAN has finally agreed that the correct interpretation of the Section of the Constitution quoted in its letter to the National Assembly includes religious balancing.

    “It is in this spirit that NSCIA calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria to conduct a holistic census of all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including higher institutions, to determine whether there is anywhere Muslims constitute up to 30 per cent of the staff strength and thereafter ensure compliance with the sections of the Constitution cited by CAN.

    The chronic intolerance and political partisanship of CAN and its alter egos are becoming alarming as they are ardent at purveying blatant falsehood and fake news.”

    It urged CAN to apply to INEC for registration as a political party instead of serving as front for politicians.

    It said: “Let CAN apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be registered as a full-fledged political party as “politicians in cassock”, to quote the CAN President himself, rather than front for politicians who nurse the ambitions of holding political offices. In other climes such as Australia, Germany, New Zealand, etc., there are Christian political parties and CAN should rather be straightforward and apply to be registered as a political party, if the Nigerian Constitution allows that tomfoolery.

    “It is hypocritical for CAN and its alter egos to claim to be on the side of justice by forming the ‘National Peace Committee’ which is not surprisingly dominated by Christian clergymen. The pretense of the ‘Peace Committee’ had been exposed by the various comments/actions of their prominent members.

    “ For instance, a member, prior to the last election, took a partisan posture masquerading as a good doer and incited the people of Southern Kaduna against the government while another member, despite his level of education, could not avail himself of historical facts but rather chose to spit the dummy that “the low turnout at the gubernatorial election was a loud protest against the outcome of the 2019 presidential polls”.

    “All these are not surprising as it is on record that CAN itself had maliciously referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as a ‘bad product’.

    “The NSCIA is also well-informed of the surreptitious pressure CAN is mounting on Christian judges serving in the various election petition tribunals across the country, under a pseudo-Christian organisation, to ensure the victory of Christians and/or their sympathisers.  Even the recent release of the so-called National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) lends credence to this point

    “The indecorous and outright partisan statement by CAN which is meant to polarise the country has created doubt in NSCIA and any right-thinking person about the genuineness of the partnership of CAN with NSCIA. What is the essence of conferring with hate-filled religious leaders whose wish is for Muslims to be exterminated from the polity and Nigerian society?

    “All these must stop! CAN should save itself of creating hatred in the minds of well-meaning Nigerians through its divisive and evil-impelled interventions.”

     

  • Kano Election Petitions Tribunal chairman warns against external influence

    THE Governorship/National and State Houses of Assembly Petition Tribunal was inaugurated in Kano yesterday by its chairman Justice Nayai Aganaba, who  warned that there would be no external influence in dispensing justice to suits before them.

    The three-man committee comprises Justice Aganaba and two other members, Justice Ashu Augustine Ewah and Mustapha Tijjani.    Aganaba admonished the lawyers involved in the suits to conduct themselves in accordance to the ethics of the profession.

    He stressed that they should not be carried away by emotions during proceedings, adding: “As you see these politicians, they are all friends jumping from one party to another.

    “We lawyers should be cautious not to get too much involved and be left stranded at the end of the day, creating enmity between ourselves the lawyers.”

    He warned that the tribunal is not a tea party but a serious business and as such, there should be no acrimony, where senior lawyers would openly engage each other in open quarrel.

    He craved the indulgence of the lawyers to cooperate with each other and show mutual respect for each other as well.

    Chairman of the Kano Chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Musa Lawal Abdullahi assured the tribunal of their maximum support during the proceedings.

    He assured the tribunal chairman that they would avoid anything that would bring about unnecessary delay.

    “We the lawyers in Kano have assured him that we would do our very best to ensure that we are not going to do anything that would derail or delay their sittings.

    “In fact, we are going to give them our maximum support so that all the cases can be dealt with within the stipulated time,” Abdullahi said.

    There are 33 cases before the tribunal, comprising 11 House of Representatives and 22 State House of Assembly.

    Petitions of the governorship election is yet to be filed before the tribunal.

    The tribunal has only 180 days to attend to all election petitions brought before it by aggrieved political parties or their candidates.

     

  • Between Judicial Commission of enquiry and Bayelsa’s electoral crises

    Usually men and women perform various electoral functions to vote or be voted for into elective positions when the electoral umpires roll out dates and put in place laws that guide the conduct of such acts.

    While the umpires and government functionaries work hard to educate the citizens on the need for a violence free process, some individuals bent on seizing power use any means possible to make trouble and ensure they win.

    Interestingly, several places in the country were hotbeds and flash points of the total disruption of the systems put in place for free and fair elections during the period starting from the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and the State Governorship and Assembly elections between February and March this year.

    Unfortunately, despite measures taken to guide the actors on the need to eschew violence and tow the part of peace, youths and adults expected to guide them accordingly have been extra busy bent on scuttling the process to enthrone their wards and loyalists or impress their principals who in some cases may not be bothered at how they go about it.

    The youths who are being used to perpetrate electoral violence by the so-called leaders have never bothered to sit back and ponder what becomes of them after the elections, what roles are being played by the children of the leaders who use them to disrupt the process for their selfish gains. The major actors have never bothered to register their children, wards and relatives to even vote or join in the acts where human lives are wasted.

    During such periods as the primaries, electioneering campaigns, voting and collation processes, their families are moved out of circulation, clothed in expensive robes and flown out of the creeks, jungles, villages to the cities and foreign lands where they have their mansions.

    Worried by the mess created and the lives wasted in Bayelsa State, Governor Seriake Dickson set up a commission of inquiry in to the violence, mayhem and breach of peace during and after the General elections which ended after the forced rerun.

    REad also: NYSC DG threatens to withdraw Bayelsa corps members

    Knowingly, it has not been the best of news coming from the Bayelsa state Judicial Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Inikade Eradiri as several alleged actors invited by the commission shunned constituted authorities empowered to find a lasting solution to the cycle of violence.

    The invitation of such prominent figures in the state like former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva who is the leader of the All Progressives Congress APC, Honourable Israel Sunny Igoli a serving member of the state House of Assembly, the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Nelson Brambaifa, the Minister of state for Agriculture Senator Heineken Lokpobiriand Mr. Famous Danumiegha, the candidate of the APC for the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, had legal backings beyond the state.

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja had recently granted the Nigerian Police the Orders to arrest and prosecutes Hon Sunny Goli, the lawmaker representing Brass1 Constituency in the state House of Assembly.

    More so, the oil industry players are also accused of being major players in the electoral violence even as Justice Abang also granted the prayers of the Nigerian police to arrest and prosecute one Mr. Sam Kodjo, an Oil Surveillance Contractor and others over alleged complicity in the February   23, 2019 attack and abduction of Deputy Commission of Police, Kola Okunola in the Brass area of the state.

    The oil contractors’ name kept coming up during the first week of the sitting  as prominent  people who have appeared before the commission including Chief Blessing Ipigasi Izagara who is also the candidate for the Bayelsa East Senatorial District, former Chairman of Nembe Local Government  Area Chief Kurogbofa Walter – Benewari and the Vice Chairman of Nembe Local Government Area MrAiyebainaemi,  Walter -Benewari however told the panel that APC thugs attacked people in Bassambiri and Okipri areas.

    Even as over 35 witnesses have testified so far, the security agencies are not being portrayed in positive terms as their conduct is being flayed for turning deaf ears and watching lives being wasted by thugs.

    Unfortunately though, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Agriculture, has said the Commission of Enquiry set up by the Bayelsa State Government to investigate violence during the 2019 general elections in the state is a ploy to divert attention.

    Lokpobiri also described his invitation to appear before the panel as attempt to distract people of the state from the real issue of Governor Seriake Dickson’s alleged mal-administration in the past seven years adding that the said panel was illegal and strange to the extant laws governing elections, including the Electoral Act and the Constitution.

    The Bayelsa State Chapter of the APC had distanced itself from the panel and urged its members not to appear before it.

    APC Spokesman, Doifie Buokoribo, said that the PDP government in Bayelsa had no moral rights to be a judge in an election it partook in.

    Even as several lives were lost and a serving Deputy Commissioner of Police was abducted, he maintained that the panel was unnecessary and that there was no single political violence involving the APC in Bayelsa during the last elections.

    Dickson had on February 24 alleged that the APC led by Ex-Gov Timipre Sylva and Lokpobiri had colluded with the military to unleash violence and manipulate the polls and hence the justification for setting up the panel.

    Spokesman of the 16 Brigade, Major Jonah Danjuma, promptly denied the allegations and said that troops averted violence by arresting some political thugs during the polls. But how come lives were lost and the INEC ordered a rerun.

    • Nnodim, a legal practitioner lives in Abuja.

  • Can Obaseki win the war on cultism?

    Leviticus Okon, a member of Eiye Confraternity, was on his way to kill his third victim, a member of Aiye Confraternity, when policemen accosted their vehicle along Second East Circular road in Bénin City. Other occupants in the Toyota Camry car took to their heels but Leviticus was not lucky. He was apprehended and a locally made pistol was found on him.

    Police interrogators later discovered that Leviticus was responsible for some killings in the ongoing cult war between Eiye and Aiye confraternities. Several persons have been killed in the cult war in different parts of Bénin City and environs.

    The area worst hit by the cult killing is Upper Sokponba where several persons including a police Sergeant, Monday Ehigie and Manager of the hotel owned by Osaze Odewingie, Osato Okunkpolor were killed. Upper Sokponba begins from the popular Third Junction up to Abraka in Delta State. What worsen the situation in Upper Sokponba is that cultists now robbed people of their belongings.

    Residents in Upper Sokponba now rush home before 7pm or it would be difficult for them to get tricycle also known as Keke to take them home. Notorious areas along the Upper Sokponba are Erediauwa, Aifuwa, Three House, Nomayo, Uyiosa amongst others.

    Activities of the cultists and robbers have crippled business activities in the area especially for the beer parlour operators and traders who sell petty things at night to eke a living. Mr. Ogbemudia who owns a chemist near Three House said he now closed his shop by 7:30pm instead of 9pm. Ogbemudia said business was not booming as usual.

    It is now a nightmare for Tricycle operators at Aifuwa, Three House and Avbiama Junction to stay behind till 8pm. Before the recent cult killings, the tricycle operators used to work till 11pm. They said many of them have been robbed and beaten by cultists and robbers.

    One of them who pleaded anonymity said he has been robbed four times.

    “They used to carry bottle, knives and sticks. I have been robbed four times. They would beat us and take our money away.”

    On why they did not report the security situation to the police, he said they have reported severally but the policemen sent to the area only set up road block to extort money from commercial drivers.

    Last month, suspected cultists invaded the Oba Akenzua Secondary school and stabbed two students.

    Speaking to newsmen when he was paraded, Leviticus described the war between Eiye and Aiye confraternities as a generational war that would be difficult to stop.

    Leviticus who claimed to have killed only one person said the other cultist escaped with bullet wound.

    His words, “the first person I shot did not die. The other one died. We were on our way to kill another person when we were arrested.

    “The one we killed is a bus conductor. He is a member of Aiye. The fight is generation fight. The fight does not end.”

    But Governor Godwin Obaseki has vowed to tackle cultists and cult related activities in the state because of hundreds of investors willing to invest in the state.

    Governor Obaseki who noted that the investors had to be assured that the state is safe and secure for their businesses to thrive said his priority is to providing security and tracking of cultists and cult related activities.

    Obaseki spoke at an interdenominational church service to celebrate peaceful elections in the state and victory of the All Progressives Congress in the March 9, House of Assembly elections. The APC won all the 24 seats in the Edo State House of Assembly.

    He vowed to invoke the full wrath of the law on cultists adding that plans were on to set up a Special Security Squad on cultism in collaboration with the Nigerian Police.

    According to him, “I am going to go heavily on cultism. We are setting up a special squad on cultists. We must make Edo safe and make people know Edo is safe to do business.

    “I am giving full effect to the law on cultism. I will also not accept thuggery and ‘Agbero’ in this State. If we find anybody collecting revenue illegally. We will take appropriate action to deal with whoever is involved.

    “Security is now my number one priority. We have started investing in security. We have raised the Security Trust Fund and it is the sustainable ways of dealing with security. We will be knocking on your doors to support the Security Trust Fund.

    “We have a lot of economic plans. We have to convince the investors that Edo is save. The issue of cultism is going to be my next agenda. We already have a law in place against cultism. I am going to give full effect to that law. Please if you have any person or relation who is involved in cultism, tell them to desist from it.

    “In the next several months, I am going to go tough on cultism. With the new Commissioner of Police of Edo, we have set up a Special Squad on cultism, to deal with offenders and render it history in the state,” he said

    Read also: Obaseki boosts LG workers’ capacity on budget preparation

    The governor called on parents to urge their children and wards to stay away from cult-related activities as no one will be spared if caught in the act, adding that the necessary laws on cultism which were passed by the state House of Assembly will be effectively used.

    Governor Obaseki however said there was no excuse for non-performance on the part of the APC given the massive support from Edo people to the party’s candidates particularly in the state House of Assembly election.

    “Every achievement made by my administration so far has been divinely directed as God directs my everyday activity.

    “This victory throws up a lot more responsibility as the victory in the election shows the people trust our administration and we can’t afford to fail them.

    “All the 18 local government chairmanship seats in the state are occupied by members of the APC. All the newly elected 24 Edo State House of Assembly members from various parts of the state are APC members.

    “So with our party’s dominance of the political space, we have no excuse not to deliver. I want to rededicate myself and this administration, and reinforce our earlier promise to put Edo people first at all times and to make life more comfortable and better for them.”

    Edo State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bishop Oriname Oyonnude Kure, had in his statement urged Governor Obaseki to tackle cult activities before it gets too late.

    Kure suggested the setting up of a committee to look into ways of providing lasting solution to stopping cult activities in the state.

    He stated that secondary schools in the state were becoming citadel of cultism instead of learning.

    In 2018, the Edo State House of Assembly repealed the 2004 anti-cultism law and replaced it with a new law which prescribed 21-year jail term for secret cult members and 7-year imprisonment for anyone who harbours a cultist. The Bill also prescribes that all offences under the law shall be by summary trial and empowers the police to arrest suspected cultists without a warrant.

  • Death toll rises to ten in Jukun-Tiv crisis

    Death toll in the bloody communal strife between Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups in Taraba and Benue states has increased from three to 10 persons.

    As at yesterday, the two tribes were still burning houses, shooting and killing people at the border towns between Wukari and Ukum local government areas.

    A witness, Terwase Kyado, said seven bodies were recovered from the bush near Tse Atsenge, which was completely raised down.

    Women with children on their backs were seen fleeing when The Nation visited the troubled areas.

    A 56 years old man, Tyohumba Dooga, told The Nation that he trekked three kilometres without water and food.

    He said two of his brothers have been killed in the attack when Jukun overran his community in Tse Atsenga and set the settlement ablaze.

    Read Also: Buhari condemns Tiv, Jukun clash

    But, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has called for peace and understanding between the Jukun and Tiv communities.

    He condemned the conflict, which has led to loss of some lives and destruction of property, rendering many people homeless.

    Ortom said he and his Taraba State counterpart, Governor Darius Ishaku, have taken far-reaching measures to end the conflict and restore lasting peace to the border communities.

    He appealed to the people of the affected communities to support the peace initiatives of the two states to prevent further conflicts in the area.

  • IFAD-VCDP trains 60 youths on farm management

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has trained 60 youths from three states on farm machinery management in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    The state Programme Officer, Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), IFAD, Mr Nnamdi Aguncha, stated this in Onitsha.

    VCDP is an intervention programme by IFAD for rice and cassava production.

    Aguncha said the youth, selected from Anambra, Ebonyi and Ogun states, converged on Awka for the training to boost rice and cassava production.

    “The workshop, which centered on practical demonstration of the various ways of using the simple farm implements is to reduce drudgery and to encourage youths to take up agriculture as a business.

    “We conducted a survey in 2018 where we discovered that the population of youths in agriculture under the VCDP was low.

    “So, we looked inward and discovered that farming was tedious for them; and so, we decided to introduce some machinery to attract and support them,” he said.

    He said the youth were being trained on use of equipment like threshers, power tillers, de-stoners, harvesters and manual/mechanical transplanters, among the 20 farm implements.

    “We intend to support them with these machineries to create jobs for them and to use the machines to render services that will lead to increased production of rice and cassava.

    “The trainees will step down the skills acquired to others when they returned to their base,” he said.

    He said IFAD-VCDP will support the youth with 70 per cent cost of any implement chosen by any group that had made available their 30 per cent matching grant.

    Aguncha expressed hope that the training and support would rekindle youths’ interest in agriculture.

     

  • Child needs N12m for heart surgery

    The arrival of their twin daughters brought joy to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Nwaugha. Now, that joy is threatened as one of the babies has been diagnosed with a heart disease.

    Nwaugha hails from Ngor Okpuala in Imo State but lives with his family in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

    While the Nwaughas were basking in the euphoria of the babies’ arrival, the sad news came. One of the twins was diagnosed with a life-threatening ailment.

    According to a medical report, made available to our reporter by Mr. Nwaugha, the baby is diagnosed with a hole in the heart that needs urgent operation if the child would be alive to celebrate her first birthday.

    Nwaugha who is a federal civil servant has exhausted his money and needs the help of well-meaning Abians and Nigerians to come to the rescue of their family.

    Speaking to our reporter, Mr. Nwaugha who spoke amidst intermittent cries, said, “I am from Ngo Okpuala in Imo State.

    I live at No. 16, Road K, World Bank Housing Estate in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. I am a civil servant with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Calabar, Cross River State and I work in the accounts department.

    “One of my twin babies became sick after their delivery on October 26, 2018. They were delivered through CS (Caesarean Section). When we were still at the hospital after their delivery, the doctor who came to check on them noticed that one of the twins was breathing fast and hard.

    “In the two months that we spent at the hospital for close monitoring of the children, we were sent for scan from Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia to University Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. It was found out that the baby has a very big hole in the heart.

    “They said that the operation will not be carried out in Nigeria. They said it can be operated in India, USA and another country that I cannot remember.

    “They don’t have the machine in Umuahia to scan a baby of two months. But in UNTH, they have the machine which enables one to see the heart of the baby and the hole on the screen. We saw everything through the scan. It was through the scan that I started imagining what my baby was going through.

    “Before the arrival of the twins, I already had three children; a boy and two girls. The last of them is about five years.

    “At the moment, it takes a lot of things including money to ensure that this baby stays alive daily. It hasn’t been easy, from sleeping at the hospital to taking care of other kids at home and combining them with my work. We stayed in hospital for about two months while they were monitoring the babies.

    “We were later discharged after it was established that one of the babies has a hole in the heart. We were however asked to be coming to the hospital every Tuesday in the week to check the baby and to get drugs. The baby is eating well, but the major challenge is her breathing; her breathing is so bad that you can’t even sleep with her.

    “Taking care of the two kids and their siblings has not been an easy thing. Immediately I receive my salary, it goes into taking care of the medical bills and meeting some of the needs of their siblings.

    “My sister and boss in the office have been assisting me financially whenever I run to them. I sometimes go to get loan from my bank (Access). When the month ends, they go to remittal to collect it. Sometimes, I take salary advance to buy their milk and pampers and when they pay salaries, the bank, like I said, will take whatever that I borrowed and leave the balance for me. That has been the way we have been managing all these while.

    “We got to know about the treatment in India through the doctor that has been taking care of the baby. What is holding us back is the money that we will use to pay the baby’s hospital bills and cover other logistics.

    Read also: Day Corona tackled child’s mental health, depression

    “The doctors in Enugu and Umuahia said that it may cost us about N10m-N12m to cover our medical and flight expenses. We have already made contacts with about two or three hospitals in India, but we can no longer go further since we don’t have the capital to push further the matter.

    “That is why we are making this appeal to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and wife including other governors of the Southeast and philanthropists to please come to our help. This is a crucial time for our family. We need their help and cannot just sit and watch our child; Victory Chinwendu die helplessly. She deserves to live and we will go to any extent legally possibly to ensure that we get this matter solved.

    “I have equally been trying to reach the likes Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation, but all efforts seem to be futile.”

    The account number to make the donations is Fidelity Bank 5332205142 Nwugha Christopher O.

  • Military action necessary during 2019 elections, says CDS

    The Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin has defended the military action taken during the just-concluded 2019 elections.

    Olanisakin noted that if such actions were taken and deployment of the military personnel made, the security situation of the country would have been jeopardized.

    Speaking in Abuja during the orientation programme for Senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect, General Olonisakin noted that the deployment of the army during the election was constitutional.

    He insisted that the deployment helped to save Nigeria from being thrown into a war zone.

    The Chief of Defence Staff spoke on the topic, “Issues on Security and governance.”

    He explained that the security situation in the country during the election process would have been better imagined if the military had not been deployed to perform what he described as their secondary responsibility.

    He solicited for support of the National Assembly for effective funding for the Armed Forces to effectively and efficiently carry out its constitutional duties.

    He also said that the Armed Forces must be funded outside the ritual budgetary allocation adding that if the military must do what it ought to do, it must be funded appropriately.

    The CDS said that the military needs money outside the budgeted because it is not enough to fund the Armed Forces.  The army chief said that the Armed Forces was considering an alternative way of funding.

    The CDS said, “The armed forces of Nigeria derived its authority from p1 s3, 217 of the 1999 constitution which provides for the armed forces of Nigeria comprising of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Navy and the Nigeria Airforce.

    “During the just concluded 2019 general elections, the success of the electoral process was almost hampered by the security in some parts of the country. Many crises prone areas were properly maned by security services to ensure that the electorate were secured enough to carry out their civic duties of electing candidates of their choices.

    “There have been various arguments by different positions of political parties and other stakeholders of the legality and otherwise of the military in support of the civic authority in the election process. A critical area of support that was provided and perhaps  not very visible to the public is the deployment of military logistics capabilities. Especially naval and air access to support the movement of materials across the country.

    “I need to reiterate that this deployment is in line with constitutional role of the armed forces of Nigeria as earlier stated. Even in the last general election 2019, the security situation in the country during the election process is better imagined if the military had not been deployed to perform their secondary responsibility thus the effect of security on governance is an important aspect that lawmakers, military personnel and the civil public need to understand in other to make the right decisions.

    “A good understanding of these  dynamics would enable political leaders and public officials to make realistic decisions and enact laws to achieve national security objectives. Over the years, the armed forces of Nigeria has built various capacities to enable it perform our various goals. This capacity development is dependent on a number of factors including training and the availability of adequate platforms which has direct impact in improving the capability of the armed forces of Nigeria in the field and subsequent effect on national security.”

    “On the need to fund the Armed Forces, Olonisakin said, “However, the major challenge of the capacity of the armed forces of Nigeria is the limited budgetary allocations to meet the need of the armed forces of Nigeria.

    “I have often maintained that a well-trained and well equipped and adequately motivated armed forces of Nigeria cannot be funded through budgetary allocation alone.

    “Accordingly, the defence headquarters had proposed that we need to consider alternative funding options for the armed forces of Nigeria in addition to the budgetary allocation. The armed forces of Nigeria will continue to count on the support of the National Assembly to enact appropriate legislations that will support capability development of the armed forces of Nigeria. Security sector reform, appropriate funding and other initiatives through appropriate legislation to enable the armed forces support national security and good governance.

    “As it is often said, the fundamental reason for the existence of government in the provision of robust security proactive enough to enable a conducive environment for the pursuit of sustainable development for the society. Deriving from this is the fact that the truth for the existence of any nation, is rooted in the security sector. National security is unquestionable tied to good governance, and good leadership is the aspiration of every citizen in most countries in the world.

    ” These two fundamentals can hardly be achieved in the midst of both internal and external threats in the nation, most government across the globe always strive to ensure that the state is secure and free from crises that could compromise good governance. There is crucial link between good governance, national security and economic development. If security is not maintained, governance cannot be delivered and therefore it would be a great threat to the unity and integrity of the country. Hence, there would be no meaningful, sustainable development and similarly, security cannot be safeguarded if governance is delivered by an inefficient and disorganized administration.”