The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yenagoa

  • Dickson: Nigeria heading for constitutional crisis if…

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson on Monday warned of a looming major constitutional crisis if the elections failed to hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Dickson, who briefed journalists in Government House, Yenagoa, said there was a need for all stakeholders to work collectively to avert the crisis.

    To avert looming succession crisis, Dickson suggested President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately convened an expanded emergency meeting of the National Council of State.

    He said the meeting should have the service chiefs, INEC, political party leaders and their candidates and other major stakeholders in attendance.

    He said the stakeholders in the meeting should resolve on the new date for the postponed elections, adding that INEC was wrong to have unilaterally chosen next Saturday for the rescheduled poll.

    He cautioned leaders against name-calling, appealing to them to work in the interest of the country to avoid plunging Nigeria into avoidable succession crisis.

    He said it was unpatriotic for anyone to be calling for the removal of the INEC chairman, adding the country would be on a crossroad if two critical institutions of INEC and the Supreme Court were undergoing crisis at the same time.

    According to the governor: “This postponement belittled our country. It doesn’t show us as a serious country. Unless all stakeholders drop the habit of name-calling and claiming to be rights, we are moving close to a major constitutional crisis.

    “If anything should go wrong, we will have a full blown crisis; crisis of succession at a time the Supreme Court is also undergoing crisis.

    “We should not call for the removal of the INEC chairman. If INEC is in crisis and the Supreme Court is crisis I don’t know where we are headed.

    “I call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of the country to convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of states to enable service chiefs and the INEC brief stakeholders on their preparations.

    “The meeting should involve the political party chairmen with the presidential candidates to examine the developing scenario which may plung our country into crisis. I believe that if we all sit down and know the circumstances, we should agree on a new date.

    “I disagree with INEC unilateral announcement of Saturday as a new date. I do not believe that all the challenges that INEC has can be resolved within six days.

    “A more sensible approach is needed. Our nation cannot afford another postponement”.

    The governor recalled that few hours to the postponed elections, Bayelsa did not have ballot papers for Presidential elections and stamps to authenticate votes.

    “Even now I am told there are issues of unserialised ballot papers”, he said adding that stakeholders expected customization of electoral materials.

    Read Also: Dickson: APC leaders don’t want me to receive Buhari

    The governor further commended Buhari for calling on security agencies to deal ruthlessly with troublemakers during the election.

    He said by such presidential directive, security agencies should no longer be encumbered from doing their jobs without fear or favour.

    He also disagreed with INEC on suspension of campaigns saying that his party would continue to engage the people in accordance with the established law of the land.

  • Buhari assures polls’ll be free, fair

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday visited Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he assured that he is all out for free, fair and credible elections starting on Saturday.

    He spoke at a meeting with traditional rulers at the secretariat complexes of the Councils of Traditional Rulers of the two states.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said: “I assure you that I’m all out for free, fair and credible elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC knows my stand on this.

    “Nigerians are assured of free and fair elections. Under this leadership, nobody will be allowed to intimidate other citizens. Nobody will be allowed to snatch ballot boxes and run with them. I will make sure that the votes count.” he said

    President Buhari commended the introduction of the Permanent Voters Card, PVC and Card Reader, and urged the nation to embrace the technology, arguing that without it, the sixteen years of misrule by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP would not have been brought to an end.

    “In 16 years, the PDP thought nobody could remove them from office. The introduction of the PVC and Card Reader made sure that our votes counted in 2015 and the votes of Nigerians will count in 2019,” he stressed.

    Read Also: Buhari sure of victory, says Ashafa

    On the issue of security, the President repeated his commitment to ensure the protection of lives, property and the territorial integrity of the nation, while urging the traditional rulers to play their part as expected of them.

    “The question of security begins with you,” the President told the royal fathers, even as he commended them for calming down the restive situation in the Niger Delta.

    “Through you, we have been able to persuade the militants to change their attitudes. I congratulate you on the roles you played that stabilized the security and the economy of the country,” he said.

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, at the reception commended President Buhari for his statesmanship and love for the country.

    On his part, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State called for a peaceful conduct of the elections.

    The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty Alfred Diette-Spiff, who commended the President for the appointment of citizens of Bayelsa into key positions and the infrastructure projects being put in place, added that the state deserved more.

    His counterpart in Rivers State, Dr. Dandeson Douglas Jaja, King Jaja of Opobo, while calling for free and fair elections, also appealed to the President to ensure that security agents remained non-partisan throughout the exercise.

  • Buhari vows to recover $16bn squandered on power by PDP

    …..President gets Ijaw name as mammoth crowd gather in Bayelsa

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday vowed to recover $16bn allegedly wasted in the power sector by the government of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    “Where is the power? Where is the money?” The President queried saying his administration would go after persons involved in the power deal to recover the money to continue with the ongoing development of infrastructures across the country.

    Buhari spoke at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where mammoth crowd of party faithful gathered for his reelection campaign in the state.

    Party faithful comprising men, women and youths adorned in APC vests and fez caps were seen drumming support for Buhari and chanting Sai Baba.

    The APC presidential candidate with his entourage landed at the Government House heliport and was received by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, his Deputy, John Jonah, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson and other cabinet members.

    Buhari was also welcomed to the state by the state leader of APC and former Governor of Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva; the Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, the state Chairman of APC, Jothan Amos and other party leaders.

    Buhari and his team comprising his Campaign Director and former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) proceeded to the Secretariat of the state Traditional Rulers Council where the candidate spoke to the council headed by the King of Twon Brass, Alfred Diette Spiff.

    The President was giving an Ijaw name, Ebiwari (good house) by the state Chairman of the party, Jothan Amos, who referred to as a symbol of truth to the admiration of the crowd.

    But the President insisted that persons who were involved in squandering the whooping power money would not go scot free.

    Read Also: My husband has passion for the masses – Aisha Buhari

    “You know we are building roads; the railway was virtually killed we are rebuilding it and there was no power, we are bringing power back. The previous government mentioned on their own that they spent 16bn American Dollars for power. But you are better witnessed than myself. Where is the power? Where is the money? We will follow them and eventually God willing we will get them and we will get our money back,” he said.

    The President insisted that the APC administration would continue to take seriously the problems of security, economy, infrastructures and fight against corruption.

    He said: “We are also promising that we will make people who occupy executive positions both in federal and state levels to be accountable to the people. If you could recall when I came in 2015 under our great party, the party articulated three issues which we campaign and were voted on.

    “These are security, economy and fighting corruption. On security, the people of the Northeast are the biggest witnesses of what we achieved because when we came, at least 17 local governments were under Boko Haram. As I speak now none is under them. But they resorted to train the young men and women wrap them up with explosives and ask them to explode it in churches, mosques, market places and in motor parks. That is even rare now.

    “On economy, when we came in we had very high importation of food stocks. We thank God that in the three previous raining seasons we realised bountiful harvest. The government contribution was to make fertilizer and other agricultural inputs available. That took away many able-bodied persons out of unemployment.

    “On fighting corruption, under this system it is very difficult. But I keep mentioning wherever I go that all those who have account to give should prepare to account for it. Those that are indicted were taken before the court and a number of them are in jail and a number of their properties had been taken away to be sold and put in the treasury and continue with infrastructure”.

    The President praised the efforts of the party leaders saying the APC was stronger and that its strength would be tested in the forthcoming elections.

    On his part, Sylva said the APC remained the stronger party in the state and thanked the President for assisting in payment of workers’ salaries through bailouts.

    Sylva said the Ijaw people could be forgiven the last time for not voting President Buhari because their son contested the election against him; they had no more reason not to vote for him in the coming election.

    He further accused the state government of spending N120bn to build an airport in the state without disclosing the identity of the contractor.

    Addressing Buhari on why the people of the state would vote for him, he said: “Mr. President you have also commenced and almost completed a major road in Bayelsa state connecting the community of the former President. You have also commissioned a major water project in Bayelsa, one in Otuoke and another one in Ekeremor, which was done from the Ministry of Agriculture.

    “Bayelsa has many reasons why they should vote for you again. I always say this to Bayelsans, it is as clear as crystal, visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that Mr. President is winning again. I tell my people that apart from the fact that Mr. President has done a lot, we must also vote for Mr. President because that is the winning team.

    “Our father Melford Okilo taught us that our alliance with northern Nigeria must be sustained. And for us as Ijaw people, that is what we have always known for. Let us not make any mistake. I learnt that some people came here to deceive Bayelsans, but we know them for whom they are. We call them ‘People Deceive People’.

    “For Ijaw land to grow, we need a forthright President like President Buhari. Izon means truth and it is our name as a people. We also know that the name Muhammadu Buhar stands for truth. Buhari is a truthful person so he is our natural alliance. That is why we must all vote for President Buhari.

    “He has brought many things to Ijaw land. I stand here as a son of Ijaw land, as a former governor and as a chairman of the Maritime University, which is also a school that was instituted by the President. Ijaw people have no reason not to vote for the President. This time we must vote enmasse”.

    On his part, Lokpobiri asked the President to ensure a level-playing filed in Bayelsa to enable the APC prove its worth in the state accusing the state government of squandering N1.3trn that accrued to the state for seven years.

    He said: “I have the mandate of the Bayelsa people to tell you that Bayelsa doesn’t want to be left of this moving train and winning movement. Right from the days of Melfford Okilo Bayelsans have always known the party that would win. This time around, Bayelsans have already seen that your reelection had already been concluded.

    “The only request we want is for a level-playing field to be provided for Bayelsans to show you that they love you. This state in the past seven years has received N1.3trn. This is excluding local government allocations, bailout funds and loans that run into hundreds of billions of naira.

    “But Bayelsa is still one of the least developed states in the country. Bayelsa is still one of the darkest states in the country. Bayelsa civil servants have suffered the highest level of retrenchment in this country”.

    He asked the President to bring his anti-corruption drive to Bayelsa and make the state government account for the money it received without commensurate development.

  • Polls: Displaced residents urge INEC to provide alternative voting venue

    The displaced people of Peremabiri, a coastal settlement in Bayelsa, have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) to provide alternative voting venue to enable them exercise their franchise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that hundred of the displaced persons led by their traditional ruler, Chief Progress Neverdie, submitted a petition to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Monday Udoh.

    Addressing officials at INEC’s headquarters in Yenagoa, Neverdie said that no fewer than 3,000 adults had fled Peremabiri to Yenagoa and neigbouring communities over threats to their lives my militants.

    He said that under the prevailing circumstances, it would be impossible for INEC to conduct elections in the area as the place was not conducive for political activities.

    “The reason we are here today is to bring to the attention of INEC the situation in Peremabiri, the community has been deserted following insecurity created by an ex-militant leader from Peremabiri.

    “People are not free to go about their normal businesses and because of the violence they (militants) unleash on innocent people.

    “The place is like a ghost town; we do not want to be disenfranchised on Feb. 16 and March 2 elections.

    “That is why we are here with a written request that alternative arrangements be made for my subjects to vote.

    “I am conversant with the provisions of the law to pave way for displaced persons to vote.

    “It is our hope that there is a window of opportunity for INEC to act so that my community people can exercise their civic responsibilities in the forth coming elections,” Neverdie said.

    Also, Mrs Polomi Suanaimi, the Vice Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government, said the council was making concerted efforts on the welfare of over 2,000 displaced persons currently in makeshift shelters.

    She said that both the local government and traditional institutions had resolved to wade into the crises so that the people could participate in the electoral process.

    However, Mr Lebai Samsi, Administrative Secretary of INEC in Bayelsa told members of the community, who carried placards in a protest march to the office that security was beyond the commission.

    He, therefore, urged them to report the situation to the police and other security agencies, adding that INEC relied on the law enforcement agencies to do its job of conducting elections.

    Samsi reassured that INEC remained committed to the conduct of free and fair credible polls on Feb 16 and March 2.

  • Panic in Bayelsa community over ritual killings

    There was panic in Akenfa community, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, following reported cases of ritual killings in the area.

    It was gathered that one Goodnews Stephen, who hawked meat pie, was found dead on Friday morning with her face mutilated and her brains missing.

    The body of the victim, who was said to have held from Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of the state, was reportedly found at a refuse dump behind the Akenfa community Secondary School.

    A source from the area said the latest incident occurred a few days after a mother of four was murdered the same way in the community.

    The source, who spoke in confidence, said the woman identified as Glory Omo-Ohwo, a resident in Akenfa -I Epie Community, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was a fish seller.

    The source said: “She woke up at about 5am on 29th January 2019, to dry some of the fish she had purchased.

    “But when her children were reported to have woken up later, they couldn’t find their mother. They only found one of her footwear.

    “Her lifeless body was later found in an uncompleted building next to the compound she resided, with her skull badly damaged”.

    Some of the residents attributed the new trend in the community to activities of desperate politicians and called on security agencies to stop further killings.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, could not be reached for his comments.

  • Bayelsans should die working for Atiku, says Jonathan

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that people from Bayelsa state, should die working for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Jonathan, who spoke at the PDP presidential campaign rally in Oxbow Lake Pavilion, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, described Atiku as a friend of Bayelsa.

    He said the late former Governor of the state and his former boss, Chief Diepreye Alamieyesigha would have also recognised him as a friend of Bayelsa if he was alive.

    Read Also:I will restore investor confidence in economy — Atiku

    He said: “My message is clear, in politics; you must have your people in mind. Political office is what is used to better the lives of the people, not for punishing people.

    “I can say categorically that Atiku Abubakar has been a friend of Bayelsa. Atiku recognises us and if DSP Alamieyeseigha was alive, you would have heard him clearly say that.

    “Atiku appreciates and loves the Ijaw people. He is the kind of person that we Bayelsans must die to work for. He is the kind of person that will help us. He will bring the whole Nigeria together.

    “He is the kind of person that can look around and say one of your sons can be the Chief of Army Staff, DG DSS or IGP. He is the kind of person that will say your son or daughter can be Chief of Defence Staff or minister of Defence because he has confidence in us just like we have confidence in him.

    “Our eyes must be open. Let’s not play the politics of the stomach. We have looked at all the candidates. All of them are good, but Atiku is the best. He sees the whole Nigeria as his own constituency and he will improve the quality of our lives”.

    Addressing the crowd that came to receive him, Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of failing to fulfill all their campaign promises.

    Atiku insisted that the APC failed to realise their promises on the economy, security and fight against corruption.

    Quoting the Amnesty International, the PDP Presidential candidate said the country is more corrupt now than when the APC took over the mantle of leadership from his party.

    He said: “We thank you all the people of Bayelsa for being loyal to PDP, for being loyal to Nigeria because this election that is coming is about the future of our county.

    “It is about the future of our youths and our women. Since APC came to power, they promised three things. They promised to repair the economy, to make it better than what they took from PDP but they have made it worst.

    “They said they came to fight corruption, today, Transparency International say, we are more corrupt than when PDP was in power. They said they came to secure Nigeria but today there is insecurity in the North East, North Central and North West. I appeal to you to continue voting for PDP”.

    In his remarks, the host Governor, Seriake Dickson, urged the people to vote Atiku describing him as a Nigerian with the desired understanding to restructure the country.

    Dickson said that Atiku had good understanding of the problems of the people and should be trusted with the people’s votes.

    The governor, who said that Atiku would be sworn in come May 29, 2019 described Bayelsa as the headquarters of the PDP in Nigeria.

    He alleged that while the PDP was intensifying campaigns in Bayelsa, the APC was devoting its attention and resources to the procurement of illegal arms.

  • Lawyers protest insecurity, colleague’s killing in Bayelsa

    Scores of lawyers on Monday protested the killing of one of their colleagues in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, by armed robbers.

    The deceased, Pumokumo Abel Ozi, a member of the Human Right Committee (HRC), in the state, was brutally killed by suspected armed robbers on January 16.

    Ozi was gunned down in broad daylight at Opolo along the Mbiama-Yenagoa road, a few meters from the Police Area Command.

    The assailants were said to have followed him from a bank where he went to withdraw money and opened fire on him when he refused to honour their order to open his car.

    The Marauders were said to have also shot his drive and the two other occupants of the car and snatched N2million he withdrew from the bank.

    Angry at the development, practising lawyers in the state under the aegis of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa and Sagbama branches, marched the streets demanding justice for their colleague.

    Dressed in black attire, the aggrieved lawyers took their complaints to the offices

    of the Commissioner of Police and the State Director of Department of State Services (DSS).

    They bemoaned rising insecurity in Bayelsa especially in Yenagoa, the state capital, saying the security agencies were not doing enough.

    The lawyers urged security agencies to uncover the circumstances that led to the killing of Gberigbe colleagues and bring the hoodlums to justice.

    The Chairman of the NBA, Yenagoa, Branch, Clement Buruboyefe, said the protest was against the general insecurity in the state including the killing of their colleague.

    He said: “As a body we had an emergency meeting and agreed that we would embark on a peaceful solemn protest to register our sadness over the death of our colleague and the state of insecurity in Bayelsa state in general.

    “The purpose is to call on all security agencies, not just the police, but other stakeholders in the security of the state to beef up security, not just Yenagoa, but Bayelsa in general.

    “We have also pointedly called on the police to investigate and apprehend the killer of our colleague and bring them to book”.

    Also speaking, the Chairman of NBA, Sagbama Branch, Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, said the protest was a solemn walk by both branches of the NBA in the state to protest the high rate of insecurity in the state.

    She said: “We are not happy with the insecurity in the state, snatching of phones, snatching of bags and money in broad daylight. People cannot walk free in broad daylight, especially in Yenagoa.

    “Women are being raped in broad daylight. Children are being defiled in broad daylight. Insecurity in the state on the issues I just raised is what brought about the protest. But that aside, the recent one that happened last week Wednesday was a dark Wednesday for the NBA in the Bayelsa state.“

  • INEC to politicians: we don’t need your help on logistics

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday warned politicians and political parties in Bayelsa State against volunteering any logistical support to the commission.

    INEC insisted that it had made adequate arrangements for the forthcoming general elections and would not accept any help from politicians.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, the Bayelsa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Cyril Omorogbe, also warned politicians, party supporters and political parties against violence.

    He said the commission would not tolerate hijack of electoral materials,   logistics intervention and sponsoring of political thugs to frustrate the electoral process.

    Omorogbe said INEC would deal with miscreants, hoodlums, political thugs and their sponsors.

    “INEC is ready to drag any desperate politician through the mud if found wanting”, he said adding that the commission was prepared for free and fair elections.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    On the commission’s logistics preparedness, he noted that arrangements had been made with different transport companies and more plans were still ongoing insisting that politicians must keep off from all the arrangements.

    He said: “We don’t expect any politician to lay hands, render assistance or interfere with issues of logistics. Anyone caught handling materials that they are not expected to handle will be arrested. Their jobs are not to handle our materials”.

    Speaking on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the REC said the commission distributed 108,520 out of the 295,318 received from the National Secretariat.

    He, however, said that 186,798 about 40 per cent of the PVCs were uncollected in the state.

    He promised to achieve 90 per cent distribution of PVCs with the new ward-to-ward strategy put in place by the commission.

    Omorogbe said the commission had also commenced training of ad-hoc employees for the elections.

    Also speaking, the Administrative Secretary, INEC, Mr.  Lebari Sampson Nduh, assured the people of the state of the commission’s commitment to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent elections in the state.

    He called on the residents to own the process and resist every form of intimidation and rigging.

    He warned against youths being used as political thugs in formenting violence in the state and warned hoodlums to stay away from the process.

     

  • Dickson to youths: Shun criminals masquerading as politicians

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the weekend implored youths to be wary of criminals and cultists masquerading as politicians in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Dickson said that the sole motivation of such unscrupulous characters was to destabilize and subvert the achievements of his administration in the past seven years.

    Speaking at a media chat in Yenagoa, the governor advised politicians not to overheat the polity in their campaigns insisting that people should be free to campaign and vote candidates of their choice.

    He said Bayelsa was one of the safest and most stable in the country as a result of the huge investments his administration made in the security sector of the state.

    He also urged parents and guardians to be committed in monitoring and observing the behaviour and activities of their children  as the government intensified the campaign against the scourge of cultism and drug abuse.

    The governor commended the security services for their determination and commitment to the safety and well-being of the citizenry.

    But he called on leaders at all levels to promote peaceful coexistence.

    He ascribed the frequent change of Police Commissioners in the state to a sinister plot by the leadership of the opposition in the state.

    Dickson stressed that while it was not within his constitutional powers to determine postings of police chiefs,  it was his responsibility to ensure that things were done properly to secure the state.

    He said the recent signing of the law amending the Community Safety and Vigilante Corps would create increased opportunity for the citizens to participate more effectively in the security of their state.

    He  noted that his administration took deliberate steps to stabilize the state through infrastructure and human capacity development in the past seven years.

    He said: “Bayelsa remains one of the safest and most stable states in this region and in Nigeria. This is as a result of a lot of factors and measures put in place by this administration. The leadership of this state has shown maturity in how we have been managing things, even matters that are provocative.

    “I want to commend the people of Bayelsa for their peaceful disposition and commitment to peace and order.

    “Though there are few challenges that are quite troubling, such as cultism and drug abuse, particularly as it involves young people, the security services are doing their best to ensure the state is safe and stable for the citizenry even during this Christmas period.

    Read Also: Dickson’s delicate political engineering

    “Political, traditional, community and religious leaders should mobilise people to ensure and promote peaceful co-existence and those taking advantage of lapses in the security and structural imbalances and weak judicial system to desist.

    “I also want to caution people, especially the youths of our state not to be misled by criminals masquerading as politicians who buy guns and ammunition to kill and main people. It is very important that people are free to canvass for votes and also vote their preferred candidates.

    “Politicians should not take advantage of their authority and power to overheat the polity but go on with their campaigns peacefully as those planning to wreak havoc in this state will be surely dealt with.”

    The governor further said that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),  which was established with the objective of aiding the development of the Niger Delta was doing nothing about the region.

    “NDDC is doing nothing. They are not even around to plan anything with anybody. Everything is just politics to them. When they started, they were doing one or two things but now, they do nothing.”

  • Rape: Ex-Bayelsa security adviser to spend yuletide in prison

    A former Security Adviser in Bayelsa State, Chief Richard Perekeme Kpodoh will remain in the Federal Prison, Onaka, Yenagoa throughout the yuletide.

    The Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, turned down an application of Kpodo, who was a security aide to Ex-Governor Timipre Sylva to transfer his case to another judge.

    Kpodo is standing trial for rape of a 26-year-old cashier in his hotel located in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The accused person, who has been in the prison, halted his trial following his application to have his case transferred to another judge.

    The trial judge, Justice Eradiri decided to adjourn the case indefinitely pending the determination of the application.

    But when the matter resumed on Friday, Justice Eradiri informed parties to the case that the Chief Judge declined the request of the accused.

    He said: “The Chief judge turned down the request made by the accused and the counsel to the accused, Julious Iyekoroghe approached this court with a motion on notice seeking that I disqualify myself from hearing the case.

    Read Also: Adamawa: Party primaries generate 396 court cases -INEC

    “The motion had alleged that I am biased based on denial of bail application and the comments I made that the charge was a serious one and therefore an indication of bias.

    “When bias is alleged, the issues to be examined is whether a reasonable person following the case will consider the judge biased, otherwise no judge will be able to conclude a trial as accused persons will endlessly allege bias.

    “Having examined the motion on notice and the response of the prosecution and conclude that the motion has no iota of merit and is hereby dismissed and the case is hereby adjourned to January 24 for defense”.

    In his response, the defence lawyer Iyekoroghe thanked the judge for the decision and notified the court that the decision would be challenged at a higher court.

    “We shall put this ruling to test at a higher level,” the lawyer said.

    Kpodo is standing trial on two counts of unlawful detention and rape of the victim, a 26-year-old female cashier at the hotel run by the accused.