There are indications that the National leader of the All Progressives Congress )APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its national chairman, Chief John Oyegun are divided over the choice of the party’s candidate for the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa state.
Sources within the APC said that its foundation members have warned against fielding the likes of a former chairman of Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha and Warman Ogoriba in the governorship election.
While Tinubu was said to be favourably disposed to the candidacy of Timi Alaibe Oyegun is rooting for the foundation members of APC.
Notable members of the party who spoke under condition of anonymities expressed dismay over the decision of the likes of Tinubu and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to support the candidacy of Alaibe.
They specifically queried what makes difference between Alaibe and Chief Timipre Sylva.
A concerned senior citizen in APC said, “There are several cases of alleged fraudulent acts against Alaibe as Director of Finance and Managing Director of NDDC. How on earth could the leadership of the party be supporting such candidate?
“It really shows that they did not mean well for the state. The records are there. How can somebody come overnight and be laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party?
“Alaibe is living in the past. He has no control of the youth in the state. Our leaders should not be deceived. We have old members that are credible. There is need for us to look inward for credible candidate.
“As party members, we are saying no to impostors. This is not Lagos but Bayelsa state. Tinubu should leave us alone. If the party decides to do otherwise, we will go back to PDP, after all we have found no offence in Governor Seriake Dickson.
This development is causing ripple among the leadership of the party, especially its national leader and Chairman.”
The growing divide between the previous administration of the Anambra State government and the present administration may have resulted to a new low point for governance in Anambra State. Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from competent sources indicate that the operators of the Anambra Mass Transit system [ANIDS] established during the Peter Obi administration, have begun converting the Anambra State owned vehicles to private vehicles – and selling them off at discount prices without the knowledge of the state government.
According to available information, the operators of the Anambra Mass transit system have reportedly launched the gradual privatization of the mass transit system which was set up by resources sourced from the treasury of Anambra State. The top boss in charge of the ANIDS operation, Benji Uba – who is also a close business ally of Peter Obi is said to have refused remitting proceeds from the mass transit operations to the State government – citing that the mass transit operation never belonged to the state government – that it was a private operation belonging to him – curtesy of the then Governor Peter Obi. According to Benji Uba, ANIDS belongs to him.
Through this accession, the operators of ANIDS have slowly began to change the licensing of the various ANIDS vehicles from publicly owned to privately owned. Already the over four hundred [400] taxis vehicles procured by the state government have been sold off – without the knowledge of the state government. Many of the mini buses used for interstate travels – numbering over 1000 are said to be unaccounted for. Benji Uba justifies his actions by claiming the then Governor Peter Obi only used his influence as the Governor to set up the ANIDS transport outfit. But cursory inquiry reveals that the then Governor Peter Obi utilized N20million from the Local Government Area [LGA] funds as grant to launch the ANIDS transport operation.
The revelation comes amidst Obiano’s effort to up the internally generated revenue [IGR] of Anambra State from below 1billion per month toN3billion per month. The Obiano administration is reported to have begun collection of IGR through innovative ways that as have already yielded promising returns.
The reckless vituperations of the perpetual factional Chairman of a disorganised party, PDP would have been completely ignored by the hierarchy of our great party APGA, but as the saying goes if bad precedence is allowed to stand, it confuses the vulnerable.
The man Ken Emeakayi is renowned for causing confusion mostly within their already confused and frustrated political assembly. A man that has thrived in controversies since his venture into politics.
It is easy to understand why he is keen to wipe sentiments considering that PDP hawks have lost power at the centre, they have all retired back to the State now and this open letter by Ken Emeakayi is a clear signal of intentions from this mad group, the PDP.
Ken Emeakayi took it upon himself to write an open mail to the working Governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano, Akpokuo Global to prove to his confused colleagues that he is equal to the task of carrying out their evil plans in Anambra so that they will consider giving him a chance.
He started by addressing our BoT Chairman and Leader as “My dear Governor”, a calculated approach to suck in the gullible into believing that he means well, an old trick that has since gone out of fashion.
He then went into execution by apportioning unmerited orders to the Executive Governor of our State, demanding that the State Governor and our government should with immediate effect present him with the accounts of almost all the activities of government. In line with his opening style of sucking in the gullible, acting out a cheaply orchestrated script, he questioned the authenticity of the activities of government, trying hard to create doubts on the integrity of the Governor and the life changing projects that the government has embarked on since inception.
For the benefit of Ndi Anambra, APGA as a party sees Ken Emeakayi’s demands as the ranting of a drowning party that is lost in self delusion, a party that does not have the capacity to sort their internal crises, a party bereft of any good intension, even for self.
Of course, a political party that is as divided as PDP at this moment should be focussed on how to resolve the mountain of issues they have accumulated over the years in this political journey due to their bullish, crude and intimidating style of politicking.
What someone like Ken should be preoccupied with now should be ways to find common grounds that may allow his party to at least start repositioning to know if it can ever be possible for them to come close to power within the next fifty years. This supposed distraction from them adds credence to the good works of our ably working Governor, it is only a man that is doing well that attracts such unwarranted attack, especially from a politically disabled family like the PDP that is seriously panicking about their political future, hopeless and helpless future, predictably doomed.
Ken Emeakayi on the first order is sacked from the PDP by a faction, he equally has sacked the members of another faction, those members have sacked another faction, sacking galore, CONFUSED NA DIMA KWA.
The approach used here by my friend Ken Emeakayi is again an out of fashion trick, to throw in confusion into the camp of the leading party as to divert attention from the mountain of problems confronting Ken Emeakayi and the PDP.
Dikeanagbalizu, who is the Secretary of your faction, is it Dikeudo or Onwa? Which day will you be in court, will it be in Sapele, Jos or Akwanga? You all are comedians, unfortunately governance and the destiny of Ndi Anambra is not a comedy, it is the business of the focussed and politically strong willed like Akpokuo Global and our traditional party, APGA.
Let me allow Ken to stand on the existing protocol to talk, pending….
Ken Emeakayi, without shame went ahead to express pretentious concern on the state of our Local government system describing it as non-functional and redundant, he forgot that the constitution is clear on the relationship between the State and Local Governments. The State has an overriding role over the Local Governments. For the past year and few months, the elected Executive Chairmen and the Councils have been working in harmony with the State Government. This is the reason why today, there are so many projects going on all over the State. Local Governments and the State share the same people, Ndi Anambra and so far Ndi Anambra are happy with the working synergy between these two tiers, nothing else matters. What Ken would have been happy with would have been constant antagonism and confrontation between the two tiers but because things are working peacefully, he needs to wipe sentiments and consequently revolt from the Local Governments so that the confusion that his party thrives on will erupt. This is a calculated attempt to instigate lawlessness, revolt and calumny against Ndi Anambra that he claims to have their interest at heart.
Ken Emeakayi needs to be reminded that less than ten years ago, Ndi Anambra saw hell in the hands of the PDP, these unnecessary instigations to destabilise the State remain the main reason PDP will never smell power in Anambra again, thank you Ken for reminding us.
Let me remind Ken that the decamping of former Governor Obi from APGA to PDP was done after he had served Ndi Anambra with the committed backing and loyalty of Ndi Anambra that are predominantly APGANS. As a party, we wish former Governor Peter Obi well in his political sojourn into oblivion but let me remind Ken that Peter Obi’s successes remain the legacies of APGA and no one should under any guise lay claims to those legacies. On this note, it is then absurd that the party that burnt our common wealth as a people during the time of Governor Obi and Ngige will turn around to pretend to be born again prodigals. If Ndi Anambra, Ndi APGA did not stand with former Governor Obi and fasted with tight belts on our stomachs while the structures were being rebuilt, would Ken Emeakayi and his cohorts have a progressive State like we have today that they would be interested to come back to destroy, God is not sleeping, He answered our prayers when we were in agony, he felt the pain of Ndi Anambra when we were under the bondage of PDP, we are free by His grace, mercy and love, God shall continue to protect His own..
When Ken Emeakayi is instigating the Local Government Chairmen and the Counsellors that are mostly hot blooded youths, can he please explain to Ndi Anambra what his intentions are if not to start from where the PDP stopped about ten years ago, to bring back uncertainties, death, retrogression and under development. Ndi Anambra collectively shout, “HOLY GHOST FIRE, NO WEAPON FASHIONED AGAINST US SHALL PROSPER !!!”.
For the interest of Ken Emeakayi and his fellow anarchists, it is not possible for an APGA government to abandon projects started by a previous sister government. APGA is continuous, change of leadership is not change of visions of better life and opportunities for Ndi Anambra, let Ken hold it there.
In a hurry to lumber unfounded accusations on the Governor and government of Anambra State, Ken Emeakayi forgot that the responsibility to conduct elections in the Local Government lies with an electoral college properly instituted within law and independent in all ramifications, the ANSIEC. What business does the Governor have with conducting elections in Ihiala or Nnewi North Local Governments?. Would Ken Emeakayi have preferred that the Governor left these Local Governments to suffer from power vacuum?. I want Ken Emeakayi to tell Ndi Anambra if these two Local Governments today are not functioning effectively, thanks to the wise decisions of the State Governor and APGA government to appoint Sole Administrators. Is there any share in governance that these Local Governments are not partaking ?
The allegation about drawing millions of Naira allowances for the National and State Chairmen of our party is laughable. From which account do the monies come from and which accounts are they paid into? The onus is on Ken Emeakayi to provide evidences of such ridiculous , cheap and frivolous accusation. With the kind of contacts that Ken Emeakayi claims to have, he should be in a position to obtain these information from the banks, after all PDP is a known desperate and up-to-no-good party that would stop at nothing to defame. Ken Emeakayi should shut up and hide his face in shame, Ndi Anambra know these little old tricks, none of it works anymore, we had been deceived in the past, the worst person to fall for cheap tricks is the person that has been tricked previously, borrowing the words of late Dr. M. I. Okpara, “first fool no be fool, second fool na proper foolish”
On this same strength, Ken went ahead, afraid of tomorrow to make himself a soothsayer by looking into the future of Anambra and predicting that the Governor does not have intensions of conducting Local Government elections. Let me tell Ken Emeakayi clearly, Akpokuodike cannot be bullied into taking any action that will not be for the progressive common interest of Ndi Anambra, putting all things into due consideration. Ken Emeakayi should not go into pre-emptive panic as to prepare his mayhem soldiers. Let him equally consult with ANSIEC, the official independent institution with the responsibility of conducting these elections in the State. Governor Obiano’s position remain to encourage any position that means well for Ndi Anambra. Intimidation and bullying will certainly not work, not in Anambra anymore, not under APGA led ably by the working and courageous Willie.
The delusion holding the entire political rascals called PDP in Anambra State is incurable, otherwise where did Ken Emeakayi get the courage and audacity to demand for the accounts of the State as it concerns the Local Governments and flyover projects. As men with great stretch and reach, Ken should have armed himself with these information before raising his frivolous and ridiculous concerns. These actions are the reasoning of desperate and reckless group that have dubious intensions to pollute the minds of the gullible. Before raising concerns concerning costs, it would have made sense if Ken Emeakayi and his gang had taken time to collate evidence to present to Ndi Anambra. Is Ken Emeakayi the accountant general of the State or of the Federation? Is he a staff of the EFCC, ICPC, POLICE, ARMY, CIVIL DEFENCE, even BOYS BRIGADE or MAN “O” WAR? Why would he believe that Ndi Anambra expect the Governor to be bullied into taking actions that undermine the serious business of governance. Of course, the costs of these projects are open documents that can be accessed by well meaning citizens or government agencies when needed. There is no contract in this government that does not have contract values clearly stipulated. If Ken Emeakayi is not being cheap, he should be reminded that the Governor announces the values of any project from the point of award. Ken Emeakayi need be reminded that the business of governance is never done in secret, otherwise the consequences are obvious. Ken still needs to be reminded that the background of Governor Willie is working Obiano is professional founded on financial management and due process. Governor Obiano attained the highest height of his profession after serving different corporate organisations for long. Ken Emeakayi, with due respect does not understand half of the things he is talking about, because he finds Akpokuo in the field of politics, Ken has developed the impetus to delve into areas he has no knowledge about, talking like the confused and desperate PDP, sorry Ken.
If Ken Emeakayi wants to talk about the APGA party secretariat under construction at Awka, he should direct that question to us at the party and not Governor Obiano. APGA is a well structured political party that has discipline and party visions and missions clearly defined. We are ambitious as a party and we intend to serve our people for long, that is why we are investing into the life of the party. To answer Ken Emeakayi childishly as the question demands, APGA sought and secured the piece of land as a party. We followed all due processes required by law and have our Certificate of Occupancy in our hands. I guess Ken will ask us to show Ndi Anambra our C of O next, we will not do that except where necessary and to the right groups. Instead of learning from the visionary and inspiring footsteps of our party, Ken and his PDP want to turn all good intensions 0f Akpokuo into bad. Let me once more remind Ken Emeakayi that APGA government is solidly in charge in Anambra, it will not be a crime for the government to support us, after all we gave birth to it, but we have our ways of raising funds and carrying out all duties that are needful for us to evolve our dear party. Unlike the disorganised PDP, APGA has very committed followership that believe in everything APGA, it is so because we do what we say, Ndi Anambra have tasted PDP before and the verdict is clear, there is no political party more palatable than APGA, we are not interested in any confusion from anyone no matter the guise.
I want to remind Ken Emeakayi that he is a full citizen of Anambra without minding his negative tendencies towards us, he has the right to go to ANSIEC and find out the true situation of things as it concerns Local Government elections, Governor Obiano will not do everything. Let Ken try rebranding, this is a new age, digital thinking and creative approach, all things old are obsolete.
Finally, I want to alert Ndi Anambra on this evil agenda of the commotion group, the PDP, a party that we rejected completely due to their inability to provide us with one tangible dividend of democracy when they were in power in Anambra. The nightmares that they caused us, which we were gradually forgetting is beginning to raise its ugly and nasty head again.
Ndi Anambra please listen to me, PDP lost power at the centre, they are restless and are seeking for areas where they will once more release their mayhem. These people have resolved again, with quantum resources at their disposal to revert us back to the old days of PDP. We MUST all stand to defend our common patrimony. If we do not wish the long gone experiences of the old to revisit us as a people, this is the time to tell these lost sons and daughters that we are not ready for their nonsense, never again.
Governor Willie Obiano is working even with the constraints of the resources available to us at the moment, we MUST support him to be encouraged to do more. Willie’s background is clearly on resource prudence and management, we do not need cow boys like Ken Emeakayi and his factional group to confuse our working Governor and Government, the consequences will be unimaginable.
If we do not want to revert to the days of insecurity when our illustrious sons and daughters were not coming home due to kidnapping and robbery, if we do not want to revert back to the days we used to sleep on top of trees and go on night vigils as to keep alive, if we do not want to revert back to the days that governance used to be full of mediocre and clueless individuals, we MUST defend our government by supporting our working Willie and APGA our party to the fullest, we assure Ndi Anambra that we shall never let them down.
As our motto says, we shall remain our brother and sister’s keepers, please ignore the likes of Ken Emeakayi and his co rabble rousers, nothing good will ever come out of PDP.
Be assured, Ndi Anambra, Willie is certainly working !!!
It was again high drama at the Lafia Governorship Tribunal today as the Third Respondent: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) abruptly closed its case without featuring any of the 24 witnesses it had forwarded to defend its case!
INEC was expected to appear in court with witnesses to answer to charges of irregularity lodged by Former Minister of Information and the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April 11 election in Nasarawa State . Maku’s lawyers led by Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama had submitted a detailed account of irregularities against INEC, including a comprehensive statistical evidence showing that it was APGA that won the election and ought to have been declared and given the certificate of return in Nasarawa State!
The APGA Candidate had also tabled a comprehensive report of inspection of election materials showing proofs of irregularities, including vote inflation, uncustomised ballots, mutilated result sheets, illegal cancellation of results, unsigned ballots, among others to prove APGA’s case against INEC and Governor Tanko Almakura.
Rather than feature any of the witnesses INEC pledged to present in Court today, the Commission just retabled the disputed results it declared on 13th April and abruptly closed its case.
The situation in court was that of bewilderment and surprise. Maku’s Lawyers, commenting on the development expressed pleasant surprise that INEC couldn’t produce a single witness to answer the specific and concrete cases of irregularities raised by Maku and APGA against the conduct and outcome of the April 11 Governorship election in Nasarawa State.
APGA/Maku’s Lawyers averred that so far none of the respondents has disputed in court any of the charges raised by the petitioners against the conduct and result of the April disputed election in Nasarawa State.
The drama in Court today was a continuation of a pattern of upsets that began last week Wednesday when Gov Almakura’s lawyers abruptly closed his case after the Governor’s witnesses began to testify in favour of APGA, stating that it was the Former Minister of Information that won the election in their respective areas on April 11.
Almakura’s lawyers expressed shock at the depositions of Almakura’s witnesses in favour of Maku. The Governor’s lawyers led by Yusuf Ali (SAN), requested and got one day adjournment to meet with the remaining witnesses before continuing the following day. But to the surprise of everyone in court, rather than continue the following day, Almakura’s Lawyers abruptly withdrew all the remaining witnesses and closed their case on Thursday morning without any further explanation.
The Governor’s Legal Team had forwarded a long list of 24 witnesses to help defend their client. They were expected to close their case after 10 days of presentation and review of witnesses in court. It all ended abruptly in few hours in two days.
On Monday the second respondent, the APC also ended its presentation abruptly after its first two witnesses ended up denying their own witness statements under cross examination by Maku/APGA’s lawyers!
One of the APC witnesses under cross examination even denied his own signature on the witness statement, stating that t was not his own. Uncomfortable and anxious about the damage from the first two witnesses, APC lawyers withdrew the remaining 53 witnesses and closed their case under two hours rather than the 10 days allotted to them under the schedule of the Tribunal’s proceedings.
With today’s dramatic turn of events, the Respondents have all pulled back their witnesses, apparently to curtail damage on the floor of the tribunal!
Reacting to the development, the APGA governorship candidate, Labaran Maku in a phone conversation expressed satisfaction with the proceedings so far. Maku declared that the failure of the three respondents: Gov Almakura, the APC and especially the INEC to feature their witnesses clearly showed that they were afraid of exposing themselves further on the crimes they committed in the name of election between April 11 and April 13 in Nasarawa State.
He said it would have been a surprise if INEC allowed its witness to appear in court as the witnesses of the First and 2nd respondents had already sufficiently embarrassed INEC by averring that APGA won the April 11 governorship election! What INEC did, Maku stated, was to reduce its shame by hiding its witnesses from the court!
Maku said his case is as clear as the sun at noon and thanked God for revealing the truth about the electoral fraud that was perpetrated in Nasarawa State in the conduct of the April 11 election, adding that the truth will prevail over fraud and falsehood!
A probe ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari into how the ISIS chief Ahmed Al Assir, secured Nigeria’s visa to visit the country is already causing crisis in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), leaving the fate if its boss David Paradang unknown.
Reports however revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has order a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Visa to the wanted terrorist who has been on the wanted list of several governments.
Ahmed Al Assir were said to have been arrested at in Lebanon Airpor on his way to Nigeria through Egypt.
The Lebanons judiciary has accused him of involvement in the death of 17 Lebanese solders and sentence him to death.
A competent source in the State House who does not want to be named revealed that the President was worry about the development, saying Buhari government will not continue to watch while a para-military agency incharge of Visa frustrate government efforts to stamp out terrorists from the country.
Reports had quoted an official of the ministry of foreign affairs who spoke on the condition of anonymity, that the ministry of foreign affairs has been directed to explain how the wanted terrorist was able to get Nigerian Visa.
“The reported arrest of the wanted terrorist is a huge embarrassment to Nigeria and the President has directed that the matter should be investigated. The embassy in Lebanon has been directed to furnish the ministry with details of how the man got the visa. The National Intelligence Agency Officer has been directed to provide details of what happened” the officer said.
Investigations by our reporter revealed that the NIS boss, has been running from the pillar to post to save his job from the probe.
A staff of the Service at the National Headquarters confided in some journalists on Thursday that the NIS boss was contemplating a major shake up especially at the Visa department.
It will be remembered that under Mr. Paradang as NIS boss, March last year, the Nation lost more than 15 job seekers to a botched Immigration recruitment.
From the commando-styled attempt to forcefully remove former Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra State from Office by a detachment of the Nigerian Police led by AIG Raphael Ige, to their ignoble rolesquestionable impeachments during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and now their role in the National Assembly crisis, the Nigerian Police cuts the image of an institution in total need of redemption.
President Muhammadu Buhari issued a Proclamation in accordance with Section 64(3) of the 1999 Constitution, stating the date and time for inauguration of the 8th National Assembly. The Constitution does not permit even the President himself to reverse his Proclamation. Yet it was only that same morning that some powerful forces within the All Progressives Congress, APC, chose to resolve the lingering problem of the choice of presiding officers. But they had 72 clear days since after the March 28th National Assembly elections to deal with it. The rest is history.
What will also go down in history is that it was a day the police locked up all entrances into the National Assembly complex, allegedly on the orders of one APC big masquerade. The aim was to prevent Members-elect and National Assembly officials from gaining entrance into the chambers until APC were through with their morning tea session. It took live reports and barrages of criticisms on various national electronic networks for the police to bulge.
Unable to hold the nation hostage, hell was let loose on the National Assembly for not breaching the constitutionally enshrined Presidential Proclamation in favour of APC’s meeting. Besides, the argument that they could have won had they not embarked on the wild goose chase at the ICC is untainable. That meeting could as well have been a tactical withdrawal. The flopped meeting was only initiated to arrest a glaring defeat, which the endorsement of Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Senator Bukola Saraki by the PDP portended. After all, the full compliments of the APC members during the Speakership election could not deliver Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Sadly, rather than submit to popular choice by the National Assembly members, which was further reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of confidence on the Senate leadership July 28, the belliegerent forces resorted to the shameful fisticuffs in the House, while their errand men in the Senate resorted to lawsuits and spurious allegations of forgery of the Senate Standing Rules.
Yet, such spurious allegation was all the police needed to go unabashedly partisan and unprofessional, once again. Not only did the police gallivant into the internal affairs of another arm of government, the Report of the controversial investigation, as copiously served the public by a national daily, is so bad that it can easily pass for one of Lai Mohammed’s press statements.
The investigation is one-sided, taking testimonies from only the members of the Senate Unity Forum, namely Senators Suleiman Hunkuyi, Ahmad Lawan, Abdullahi Gumel, Kabiru Marafa, Gbenga Ashafa, Robert Boroffice, and Abu Ibrahim. The Senators of Like Minds, a pro-Saraki group and rival of the Unity Forum was totally ignored by the police.
All members of the 7th Senate interviewed by the police were either APC Senators or aggrieved and ‘food-is-ready’ PDP ex-lawmakers who were not only mourning their loss of the party’s nomination in the 2015 general election, but had also since defected to the APC. The ex-Senators were Babafemi Ojudu, Solomon Ewuga, and Ita Enang who was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ruless and Business.
No PDP Senator, either of the current or 7th Senate was interviewed. Contrary to report by a section of the media, except Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC) who was interviewed in his capacity as a member of the 8th Senate, no member of the 7th Senate leadership such as Senator David Mark, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, were questioned by the police.
Interestingly, rather than investigate how Senate/House Rules are made, and whether it has been the tradition for the bureaucracy to produce Standing Rules for each new Senate/House, the police focused on whether the 2011 Rules was amended by the 7th Senate or not- as though anyone was claiming that the 7thSenate amended its Rules in the first place. The Police deliberately proceeded from the wrong assumption that the defunct 2011 Rules for the defunct 7th Senate expressly applies and must be unconditionally inherited by the 8th Senate. Such inglorious pursuit of predetermined conclusion can only explain the police’s delibrate avoidance of serving and former PDP and pro-Saraki Senators in their investigation.
The police also jettisoned the testimony of Mr. Ben Efeturin, who is also the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, the Clerk of the Senate, and about the longest serving legislative bureaucrat in the National Assembly, whose parliamentary bureaucratic expereince dates back to the Second Republic. Efeturin, by the admission of the Police Report, said that “the Senate Standing Orders 2003, 2007, and 2011 followed the same procedure as that of 2015”. The police Report also admitted that he said that “in the parliament, amendment of Standing Orders is by practice and not by procedure”.
As far as the police were concerened, the Senate Standing Rules 2015, which only provides for open secret ballot (to enable Senators elect their leaders in a free and transperent manner) or the one that sought fairness in the distribution of commiittee positions did not follow due process because the Senate Unity Forum and APC said so. Nothing else matters.
It did not also matter to the police that the first Senate Rules for this democratic dispensation (Senate Standing Rules/Order 1999) was made by the bureaucracy. Likewise, each Senate gets a new Standing Order or Rules book upon inauguration and is at liberty to amend it to taste for its four-year tenure. Provisions in the defunct Ruless book are never sacrosanct to an incoming Senate, but are only valid to the extent that they were reproduced in the new book. Thus, an allegation of forgery would therefore only have made sense if any amendments were made to the 2011 Rules and used by the 7thSenate within its lifetime without recourse to stipulated procedure for amendment.
A Standing Rules book expires alongside the particular Senate it served. If it were not so, there would certainly not have been any need for Senate Standing Rules 2003, 2007, 2011, and now 2015 for each Senate. What we would have simply had is “Senate Standing Rules 1999 (as amended)” as is the case with the 1999 constitution, showing that it is still one and the same document.
Yet, the police were quick to conclude that “This practice where some group of Senators amend the Ruless without following legal procedure is not only criminal but portends danger for our growing democracy and should be discouraged”.
The question is: since there were no Senators from that 4th June when the Senate adjourned sine die to the morning of 9th June when the new Senate was inaugurated and Senators were handed the 2015 Standing Rules, what have “some group of Senators” got to do with Senate Standing Rules 2015? More so since the leadership of the 7th Senate expired on 4th June and had no hand in the running of the National Assembly for that interval.
So, whether the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, is falling over himself to be retained by the new government or the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Dan’Azumi Doma who headed the sham police investigation struggling create a rotten teeth in a healthy mouth to be appointed as Arase’s replacement, it needs be made clear that it is actually the Police’s reknowned bendability and penchant for pleasing any government/people in power that portend grave danger to our democracy. It is certainly not the National Assembly bureaucracy acting within its traditional administrative competence or Senators electing leaders of their own freewill in line with Section 50 of the Constitution.
Indeed, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, succinctly captured the concerns of Nigerians over the ways of our police, when he held in one of the litigations around the Standing Rules, that the Court “find the involvement of the 1st Defendant (Police IG)- being an Agency of the Executive Arm of Government dabbling, albeit on an invitation of certain members of the Senate, into the internal affairs of the Senate a little bit worrisome”.
Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has called for “a strategic healthcare service reorientation” in the nation’s health sector in order to “achieve the goal of Universal Health Care in Nigeria as encapsulated in the provisions of the National Health Act 2014.”
In a keynote address he delivered at the 10th Annual All Fellows Congress and Scientific Conference of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Dr Okowa asserted that “an important step in this reorientation process will be a robust Health Insurance Scheme that gives access to affordable and quality health services backed by an effective legislation.”
Speaking on the topic, National Health Act: Translating the Law into Quality and Accessible Healthcare, the Governor called for the full implementation of the Universal Health Care system in the country because “it progressively saves lives, increases economic growth and ensures prosperity for all citizens.”
The Universal Health Care, which is health coverage for all citizens of a nation, provides healthcare and financial protection for all citizens by removing the incidence of paying for health services from out-of-pocket at point of service. It could be Government funded (tax paid) national systems or health insurance systems (funded by governments, citizens, or some mixture).
While declaring that “the right to health” supersedes all other rights, Dr Okowa stressed that “providing affordable quality and accessible healthcare should be a foremost cardinal policy and programme of any government because nation building efforts or national developmental aspirations cannot succeed or be sustained unless adequate attention is paid to the population’s health status.”
He argued that the National Health Act remains Nigeria’s best option at achieving quality and accessible health care for its citizens adding. According to him, “translating and implementing the provisions of the Act to achieve quality and accessible healthcare for all citizens of Nigeria will require the various segments of the health delivery system working in synergy.
“The National Health Act 2014 provides, for the first time, an all-encompassing legal framework for delivery of affordable and quality healthcare in Nigeria. In synergy with an efficient Health Financing System, the ensured quality health service becomes affordable and accessible with the citizens of the nation becoming the ultimate beneficiaries.
“What I feel we need now is a clear national strategy that defines the comprehensive vision of a healthcare system that creates value for both the patient and the healthcare provider and the processes required to achieve it. The central focus of a healthcare delivery process should be centered on continuously increasing value for the patient with value defined as “Health Outcomes Achieved per Naira Spent”.
Dr Okowa challenged the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to play an active role in the implementation of the provisions of the National Health Act. “The College,” he advised, “should utilise this opportune moment of a new government to re-assert itself in health policy development in Nigeria. The first step is for the College to encourage all its members to make themselves very conversant with the Act and all its provisions for strategic engagement.”
The Governor said that his administration has made the attainment of the Universal Health Care and provision of quality and accessible healthcare service in the state a cardinal programme as encapsulated in the government’s S.M.A.R.T agenda. Towards this end, he disclosed that an Executive Bill on Delta State Contributory Health Commission has been forwarded to the Delta State House of Assembly with effort to get it passed into law in the course of the year.
He predicted that when passed into law, the bill will “significantly increase the demand for health services,” in the state and solicited the partnership of the College in the attainment of this goal. “A healthy and prosperous Delta State is what we desire and I earnestly look forward to partnering with the College and other stakeholders to translate this vision to reality,” he concluded.
The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
We humbly request your urgent order for thorough investigation and possible prosecution of the Chairman of the Independence Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for suspected compromise on the series of petition we presented to him for over one year now.
The petitions border on the serial corrupt activities of some officials of the former administration of Sullivan Chime in Enugu State.
Our decision to approach you sir, is borne out our suspicion that the affected persons have approached the Commission for cover-up.
For instance, the principal suspect in all the petitions, Ifeoma Nwobodo, a.k.a Chief of Crime, is still unrepentantly moving around in a long convoy of cars and openly threatening to deal decisively with all the petitioners having bribed her way through the agency. We are now in self exile for our dear lives.
Her overbearing influence has grown to the point of being now tipped for the position of the Accountant General of Enugu State. Her indispensable choice is due to a planned need to have her very close to the seat of power to enable her regularize some of the shady deals they perfected while in office so that the signatures will be consistent. This has been largely confirmed by the continued stay in office even after the regime of their boss, of almost all the kitchen cabinet members of Chime.
Several other culprits mentioned in the said petitions are now occupying strategic positions in the present administration. For example, Uche Nwobodo is now re-appointed in his former position of Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Development and Implementation. It was in this capacity that he and Ifeoma Nwobodo through “Direct Labour” criminally short-changed the State to the tune of billions as contained in our petitions.
Again, Corneluis Nnaji who still partook in the “Direct Labour” scandal and also who used his position as ALGON boss to hoodwink his colleagues into deploying local government funds to execute Ifeoma Nwobodo’s political campaigns is today the alternate Chairman of Enugu State Local Government Reform Committee just to take advantage of the opportunity to straighten records.
Because of their criminal activities local government system is in comatose today in Enugu State. It has been a season of protests for non-payments of salaries.
For the avoidance doubt sir, please find attached our series of petitions which the Chairman of ICPC considered frivolous to be investigated. We have absolutely lost confidence in moral competence to function as the head of an anti-corrupt outfit given his deliberate refusal to dispassionately discharge his constitutional roles.
They were all received at the Commission on the dates on them for guidance sir.
We therefore request that the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption recently inaugurated be made to review these sensitive matters that combined to put Enugu State in a very tight economic corner.
Thank you.
Comrade Fred Idoko
–
See petition below-
Social Advocacy Initiative of Ndi Enugwu World Assembly
August 27, 2014.
The Chairman,
Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
ALLEGED GENERAL ABUSE OF OFFICE AND CONTRACT IRREGULARITIES RANGING FROM CRIMINAL INFLATION OF FIGURES, PATRONAGE OF FAKE CONTRACTORS TO CONTRAVENTION OF THE PROCUREMENT ACT, COMMITTED BY IFEOMA NWOBODO, GOVERNOR SULLIVAN CHIME’S CHIEF OF STAFF AND OTHERS: CALL FOR I.C.P.C INVESTIGATION
As an organization we are committed to patriotic promotion and defence of justice and transparency in the society particularly good governance in Enugu State.
And therefore aware that the legal mandate of ICPC is basically to prohibit and proscribe punishment for corrupt practices and other related offences and especially being guided by its vision and mission statements as well as antecedence, we are constrained to formally request the prompt independent intervention of the agency for thorough and holistic investigation of the above subject given the unabated public interests and outcries that have continued to trail this matter.
Again we humbly wish to inform you that in line with our objectives we have since brought this sensitive subject to the kind attention of His Excellency, Mr. President, relying on the enabling Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and allied offences Commission, ICPC, Nigerian Police Force and Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Acts respectively. This is for timely and dispassionate intervention.
Also we are particularly compelled to make this patriotic request following a media declaration by one Willy Ezeugwu that EFCC and the Police have since investigated this matter and made their findings known to the parties involved. Please find attached photocopy of This Day Newspaper page 9 of July 18, 2014.
However there were recent series of newspaper publications to the effect that one Chief (Mrs) Ethel Nebo-Abasili wrote a petition dated February 13, 2013 to the Inspector-General of Police entitled “Save my Soul: Threat to My Life, Harassment and Intimidation by Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Enugu State” in-which she clearly made the above allegations against Ifeoma Nwobodo and many others. Even though that very edition of the newspaper was not read in Enugu as they were hijacked in transit and destroyed by the agents of government as directed and supervised by Ifeoma Nwobodo as it has now become a practice in Enugu, it can still be read online via justice at last for ousted enugu ubeb chairman using any internet search engine in addition to the attached photocopy of This Day Newspaper page 46 of June 28, 2014.
According to the publication, Chief (Mrs) Ethel Nebo-Abasili alleged that the crux of the onslaught against her by Mrs. Nwobodo was her “principled stand against irregularities in award of contract.”
(Quoting directly from the petition) “When I assumed office in 2009, I accessed the funds in respect of the matching grant for year 2006. In accordance with ENSUBEB laws, I constituted the tenders Board but it was not allowed to function
because I got a letter from the then Commissioner for Education informing me
that a committee for the award of contracts had been set up by the Executive
Council. See App. (1).
I was a member of that committee and it was headed by
the former secretary to the State Government Mr. Martin Ilo. The
Committee decided on the sharing formula for year 2006: see App (2) .This method of sharing contracts and projects clearly
shows that contracts are awarded to INDIVIDIDULS AND NOT TO CONTRACTORS. At the end of the exercise the list including lot numbers, names of sponsors and companies were submitted to Government. See App. 1 (a &.b)
For years 2007 and 2008, the matching grant was accessed once and the same pattern of sharing was used but the number of people and groups INCREASED BECAUSE THE PROJETS COVERED TWO YEARS. The same formula
was used as follows (a) Governor’s office represented by chief of Staff
Ifeoma Nwobodo, (b) Governor’s Aides, ( c) Governor’s family, (d) Governor’s immediate Constituency represented by Mr. Marcus Agu former special Adviser to the Government on Due Process now Special Adviser on Education, (e) Her Excellency’s family represented by her brother Tony Igwe and her sister Ngozi, (f) Her Excellency’s Office/NGO (CHIME) i.e wives of Commissioners, (g) Commissioners and Special Advisers, (h) Chairmen of Boards and Parastatals, (i) People Democratic Party (PDP) i.e. all elected officers of the PDP at the state Level and all elected to PDP Local Government Chairman, ( j) Enugu State
House of Assembly, (k) Traditional Rulers and Religious Organizations, (l) Whatever remained was left for SUBEB and UBEC and was minimal”.
“As soon as my Board set the machinery in motion, for carrying out his Excellency’s directives, the Chief of staff Ifeoma Nwobodo invited me to her office on January 3th 2012 and told me that his Excellency directed that the abandoned projects would be handled mainly by party (Peoples’ Democratic Party) stakeholders who had complained about not enjoying sufficient democracy dividends. She told me that the project would be executed by Direct Labor and that the money in respect of the project would be withdrawn and put in a special account. Her suggestion was not surprising to me because most projects in Enugu State (Not ENSUBEB) are done by Direct Labor.
“I was skeptical about withdrawing the money in bulk and opening a separate account for it, as this could be misconstrued as an attempt to defraud the board. I told her that it would be better to leave the money in the bank where it was officially lodged and the contractors could be paid from there. We also agreed that since it was just a case of abandoned projects, and since this job had earlier been advertised before the Awards of Contracts in the first place, an internal advert would do. On the issue of stakeholders to be given
the contracts, she said she would send them to me and I should ascertain from
their companies as they came. She later sent me a typed list of the companies
of stakeholders, which I used to ascertain the actual owners of the companies.” “As soon the Action Plan was approved, the Commissioner for Education in a letter Ref ENS/MOE/COM/253/11/227 dated 10th July, 2012 informed me that a committee had been set up for Award of ENSUBEB Contracts. He listed the names
as follows: Barrister Nduka Ikeyi –Chairman, Permanent Secretary Due Process Government House — Secretary, Mr. Abel Nwobodo Jnr (Special Adviser on projects) — Member, Mr. Sylvester Nwoye, Deputy Director P.R.S ENSUBEB — Member, Director P.R.S Ministry of Education — Member. I was completely excluded from the contract Award in my Board. The Commissioner for Education directed me to send letters to them in this regard; I complied with the directives. See App. (9) 27) 22).
Sir it is pertinent to inform you that ENSUBEB has a competent Director of P.R.S qualified to lead the P.R.S department and to handle the project department because of his qualification and experience, His name is Mr. Chris Ugwu. Four days before the constitution of the
committee on the Award of the contracts, he was removed from the Board. In
order to achieve some selfish ends, he was hurriedly removed and Mr. Sylvester Nwoye a Deputy Director who read only Economics was brought to replace him. Four days after he resumed duties in my office, his name was listed as a Member of the Contract Award Committee to represent ENSUBEB. All the applications sent in respect of the Award were collected by Mr. Uche Abel Nwobodo. The Contract Award Committee rather than considering all the applications only considered a few and approved only four companies to execute a contract of 583 projects. See App 10 24).
BY THE PROCUREMENT ACT, NO CONTRACTOR IS EXPECTED TO TENDER OR TO BE AWARDED MORE THAN ONE PROJECT OR ONE LOT, BUT IN THIS CASE THE COMMITTEE APPROVED ONLY FOUR COMPANIES TO EXECUTE 583 PROJECTS, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS NOT POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT AND DID NOT FOLLOW DUE PROCESS. The companies’ names so approved were: New Techniques Nig. Ltd, Raycon Nig. Ltd, J & J Techno Nig. Ltd and Akiota Work Nig. Ltd
And so sir the 3.6 Billion and 583 projects would be carried out as follows: Four companies to handle the 583 projects, Eremite Ltd. to roof all the School buildings in the State, Intercolour Paints Ltd is only to supply all paints for
the projects (while) Chief of staff Ifeoma Nwobodo and Mr. Cornelius Nnaji Chairman Enugu East Local Government Area to supply the furniture — school Chairs at the unit cost of N29, 000 (Twenty Nine Thousand Naira). I pointed out to them that the unit cost for the chairs was N8, 000 (Eight Thousand Naira ) by UBEC but the Executive Secretary Mr. Dan Onyishi was directed by the Chief of Staff to increase the Budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education to accommodate the increase and that will be an extra N21, 000 (Twenty One Thousand Naira) per chair. .…….. ………On October, 30″‘ 2012, I had a meeting with the chief of staff, in which I told her that, the process and the method of award of contracts was wrong, and that it was unfortunate that she confused His Excellency to award this contract in this manner. She shouted at me raised threats and abuses on me and told me that His Excellency would do nothing as she was in control of Enugu State. She even boasted that His Excellency only views while she approves, and walked me out of her office. She told me there and then that I was joking with my life.
“She even threatened to deal with me and ensure that His Excellency removes me as Chairman of ENSUBEB. A group of boys in a vehicle pursued my car trying to overtake it and making effort to block me, but I narrowly escaped. Same day at night, there were gunshots in front of my house. I am in great danger. I could not sleep in my house last night and so had to escape to a church where I passed the night to avoid being killed”. (Then in my office) “.. and when I announced that the Bids could not be opened, I was attacked by Uche Abel Nwobodo and his thugs from Government House. I narrowly escaped death in my office; and later over thirty policemen and soldiers rushed into my office and remained there for days, while Mrs. Nwobodo phoned me and was mad at me. A distress call warned me to leave Enugu and that if I stayed till the next day, it would be difficult to leave town as the Chief of Staff had given directives to shoot me. I left Enugu hurriedly at 6.45 pm and took the new road to Abuja. I was on exile for two months during which period my 34 years old son who works in the Office of the Commissioner for Agriculture died. I could not see his corpse and I had no privilege of being at his burial”.
“When the Chief of Staff, Ifeoma Nwobodo could not collect the bids from me or kill me, she, along with the Secretary to the State Government hurriedly dissolved my Board, which is tenure-based (to finally have her way) and I am challenging it in court……I have worked assiduously in my job to justify the confidence His Excellency reposed in me; unfortunately, my efforts to move education forward is being watered down by people like Mrs. Nwobodo who are in government and whose main preoccupation is to frustrate genuine efforts of hardworking and committed individuals like me, while ensuring that they give His Excellency the erroneous impression that they are loyal to him,”.
ENUGU STATE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION BOARD, ESUBEB
As in our memo to His Excellency Mr. President, ( find attached photocopy of Daily Sun Newspaper page 11 of July 15, 2014) we still maintain that it is our passionate prayers that you kindly direct a thorough and holistic investigation with a view to establishing the veracity of the highlighted claims above. It is equally our sincere opinion that this is a highly- sensitive matter especially when viewed from the emotional and psychological pains and frustrations associated with someone losing a son and not witnessing the burial for fear of being murdered also. Meanwhile following are the issues still agitating our minds and that of larger Nigerians:
Was IGP actually in receipt of the said petition? What action(s) did the police take? Why was the newspaper under review not read in Enugu?
Did “the Chief of Staff set up Education Sector Committee with herself (Mrs. Nwobodo) as the Chairman”? If yes, where did she derive her powers from given that she is just an appointed aide of the governor?
Was there actual “irregularities in award of contract” as alleged especially as “the Executive Secretary, Mr. Dan Onyishi was directed by the Chief of Staff to increase the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education to accommodate the increase to N29, 000, and that will be an extra N21, 000 (Twenty One Thousand Naira) per chair”?
Did “the Commissioner for Education in a letter Ref ENS/ME/COM/253/11/227 dated 10th July, 2012 stated that a committee had been set up for the award of ENSUBEB Contracts…(in-which the) Committee rather than considering all the applications only considered a few and approved only four companies to execute contracts totaling 583 projects? If yes, what is the position of the Procurement Act in this case?
Was Sylvester Nwonye actually qualified for the position of PRS?
Why would Uche Abel Nwobodo be the one to collect bid documents for ENSUBEB? Who are the promoters or sponsors of the companies namely New Techniques Nigeria Limited, Raycon Nigeria Limited, J&J Techno Nigeria Limited, and Akiota Work Nigeria Limited as well as Eremite Ltd and Intercolour Paints Ltd? How eligible were they as at the contract award?
What is the basis or extent of involvement of Cornelius Nnaji who was barely six months old then as a council chairman? Was he actually fronting for Chime or who? Was he actually earmarked to supply the chairs whose prices were criminally inflated?
Who actually dissolved the ENSUBEB Board, and why? How has the Board been faring since Ifeoma Nwobodo allegedly took control especially in the award of contracts? Is it true that contracts are done by direct labour in Enugu State?
Was there actual threat to life, how and by whom? What has been Governor Chime’s reaction to all these?
We rest our case as we and the whole world anticipate your usual decisive actions towards stemming the dehumanizing growing impunities and hydra-headed corruption in Enugu State”.
It is hence our opinion that this grave crime of organized embezzlement of public monies and brazen circumvention of established public transactional laws by those in positions of trust and authority shall neither be trivialized nor politicized using EFCC, at the expense of the poor and steadily-impoverished masses of Enugu State, and also in apparent disregard to the intensified fight against corruption by the federal government, especially as EFCC is said to have since resolved the issue.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DEPARTMENT
Additionally sir, we humbly call for a comprehensive crosscheck of the financial records of the Project Development and Implementation, PDI Department headed by Uche Nwobodo also mentioned above, especially between 2011 and 2014. This is highly imperative given that Ifeoma Nwobodo, Governor Chime’s Chief of Staff uses this MDA in addition to the ESUBEB lately to siphon state funds through the perennial criminal patronage of phantom contractors and with the fraudulent resort to using Direct Labour (?) to execute state projects as raised earlier. Through this means she ensures that only contractors that guarantee her kick-back get jobs. And it is note-worthy that in PDI and ESUBEB under her armpit, contracts are not awarded to companies but to individuals, which obviously was why she sacked Mrs. Ethel Nebo-Abasili for attempting to resist her and insisting that due process must be followed in award of contracts. But for Uche Nwobodo’s PDI, it is business as usual. Hence there is an urgent need for the list and details of the contracts so far executed under the two agencies including the contacts of the contractors and amount of money involved. We have severally requested for these data relying on the Freedom of Information, FOI, Acts to no avail.
13 BILLION NAIRA STATE SECRETARIAT COMPLEX
Again, we call for independent and detailed scrutiny of the Contract Agreement between the Enugu State Government and the Arab Contractors for the Construction of the 13 Billion Naira Secretariat Complex.
Investigation shall reveal how Ifeoma Nwobodo uses the contracting firm to launder monies abroad through her incessant trips to UAE. It was her criminal and unilateral inflation of the contract sum from 8 to 13 billion naira that generated the controversies that cost the former Accountant-General of the State, Eunice Ugwu, her office. The upward review was neither deliberated at the Executive Council nor appropriated for by the Enugu State House of Assembly. The details of the project are shrouded in secrecy because of selfish interests.
BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION
We hereby call for your critical examination of the overall state budget implementation at least between 2011 and 2014 to see how Ifeoma Nwobodo uses “Governor’s Office” to misappropriate state funds under the guise of budgetary allocations. For example a cursory look at the Enugu State Budget Estimate of 2012 will show among others also how she used a sum of thirteen million naira, N13M, to purchase just public address system and millions for Capacity Building that never took place. Please find attached Vanguard Newspaper page 29 of August 21, 2014 and a copy of 2012 Budget Estimate.We have as well made series of request to see and know how the four months state allocations from the federation accounts were disbursed while Governor Chime was away for treatments as well as who benefits from the millions budgeted for Government House poultry and annual “furnishing of Banquet Hall”. That again will throw more light on how she loots the state treasury with reckless abandon.
ENUGU STATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Enugu State Housing Development Corporation was surprisingly listed among the loan defaulters of the failed banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yet huge sums of money are being appropriated annually for the parastatal which equally realizes monies from sales of houses in the state. But Ifeoma Nwobodo has severally announced that the debt had since been offset. If that is the case, then we request that you kindly help us and by extension the tax-paying people of Enugu State, to unravel why in the first place, the debt of 2 billion naira was incurred and the approval as well as source (bank account) from-which Ifeoma Nwobodo paid it up. Meanwhile find attached CBN publication on This Day Newspaper of October 15 2009 to that effect.
INTER-MINISTERIAL BREACHES
In the same vein, it was alleged that Ifeoma Nwobodo authorized the state Ministry of Lands and Urban Development to make an illegal demand of N700 million as accumulated approval fees and penalties for building illegal sites, out of-which N85, 785, 000 has been paid by a telecom service provider, MTN. It is again our candid appeal that you assist us to establish the basis for this payment and also who received it. This among others falls under the purview of the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources as can be verified from the Laws establishing the Enugu State Waste Management Authority. Find attached photocopy of the Gazette andThis Day Newspaper page 12c of July 18, 2014. Ifeoma Nwobodo should also be made to explain her extent of involvement in the failed N200 million Free Internet Service project which was to be undertaken by Zinox Technologies Limited. If as she recently announced that the money was refunded, what was the reason, how much was actually refunded and where is the proof?
CRIMINAL DIVERSION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS
Using the two local government council areas of Nkanu-West and Enugu-East financial administration and management between 2010 and date as case study, you will discover how Ifeoma Nwobodo encouraged the criminal retirement of non-existent projects just to cover up for the Enugu State Local Government councils funds being used for her privatel ventures.
For instance and apparently making a veiled reference to Ifeoma Nwobodo, a socio-cultural body known as Nkanu-West Progressives Forum in an advertorial on page 49 of The Nation Newspaper of September 5, 2011 (attached) stated that “it was sadly observed that the only LG that MUST SURELY pit the anti-corruption agencies against Enugu State Government later is the present Nkanu-West. It is highly inevitable!Funds are being embezzled with reckless abandon…it was surprisingly alleged that a top government simply gets between 3 and 5 million naira a month from the Council Chairman as a royalty meant to feather the nest of the functionary …it was verified that no single meaningful project was executed in Nkanu-West LGA in the last 2 years except the purchased electricity transformers that are today lying desolate in the various homes of the recipients due to lack of facilities to put them to use, and the 3-4 room shabbily constructed semblance of health centre, that are not functional and which cost N21 million even without perimeter fence and equipment…….
…it was discovered from the text of Chairman’s 2011 Budget Proposal to the Legislative Chamber, that a whooping sum of N5 million was allocated to just procurement of 700 wooden desks for primary school directly opposite his Obinagu-Uwani Akpugo house (and that of Ifeoma Nwobodo), for-which the councilors declined consideration let alone approval(yet he went ahead to implement it)………it was also reported that the Chairman claimed to have spent a sum of N17 million in newspaper advertorials for Governor within the last 16 months and another N10 million recently to “buy” the secretaryship of Enugu State PDP for the local government, which according to the supervisor, Government House (through Ifeoma Nwobodo) acknowledged…….it was also shockingly revealed by Chairman’s aide that the Secretary of the Joint Allocation Committee is in discreet agreement with Okenwa (the Chairman) to ensure that the Revenue Allocation records favour Nkanu-West LGA, after every meeting, and or-which he was asked to ignore the Enugu State House of Assembly Committee who came to perform oversight function at the LG.”
The organization further called on Governor Sullivan Chime “to adopt whatever necessary measures to dispassionately resolve this sufficient contradiction, particularly as the chairman has resorted to name-dropping to the point that Mrs. Nwobodo is now being portrayed as the Sole Administrator of Nkanu-West”. It also added that “by this, if the much-celebrated Freedom of Information Bill is truly a timely relief, then the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, Police cause the leadership of Nkanu-West LGA to make public its financial records in relation to Revenue Allocation, contract awards and project implementation/expenditure”. It is equally our request that the investigations be extended to the 17 local government councils of Enugu State to determine how Ifeoma Nwobodo has been milking away tax payers’ money through State/LG joint project funding. Over 8 months into the administration of the present local governments in the state, there is nothing on ground to show for the monthly federal allocations they receive. The only on-going project is the premature electoral campaigns being funded collectively by the council chairmen using salaries and wages of non-existent political appointees to retire the N10 million they individually contribute monthly.Their annual budget proposals with proofs of legislative approvals and projects executed with the details of the contractors as well as staff strength are to be scrutinized to determine the magnitude of the organized corruption going on in the system.
Again, Ogonogoeji-Ndiuno-Ndiagu Road Project in Akpugo Nkanu-West LGA was abandoned till date simply because the money for it was used by the former council boss, Ekene Okenwa, to fight Ifeoma Nwobodo’s political battle but still was retired as having been done. Till date, he is yet to declare how much he realized from the sales of a mini-housing estate and market stalls both at Agbani where Ifeoma Nwobodo was given substantial units of the buildings. For further details on the Eke-Agbani Market fraud, this telephone number is very useful: 08037909606. Another case is the Enugu-East LGA under Cornelius Nnaji who has equally been mentioned earlier in the inflated contract scam. He is the person that uses his position as the Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, to extort his colleagues under the guise of raising funds for the political ambition of Ifeoma Nwobodo. Cornelius Nnaji who is also the Director-General of Ifeoma Nwobodo Campaign Organization inflated the contract sums for the rehabilitation of his village town hall in Nike and renovation of the council headquartres. We still insist on you taking a look at the financial records of the local governments, particularly those of Enugu-East, Enugu-North, Enugu-South, Isiuzo, Nkanu-West and Nkanu-East within the last four years at least to see how much that are being spent frivolously in favour of Ifeoma Nwobodo. Every effort made by the State House of Assembly to look into the series of abandoned projects within the rural areas was stopped by Ifeoma Nwobodo for fear of being exposed.
In addition to the Arab Contractors, the two major facilitators of her money-laundering crime through special accounts are Ken Ene Oko of Fidelity Bank, Rangers Avenue Branch and Iheanyi Nwogu of Access Bank, Ebeano Branch, all in Enugu. Another useful link is one Douglas (08033133683) that works in Enugu State Accountant-General’s office who has been going from one bank to another streamlining all their muddled-up accounts in anticipation of possible review. It would be recalled that according to Mrs. Ethel Nebo-Abasili, “the Chief of staff Ifeoma Nwobodo invited me to her office on January 3th 2012 and told me that his Excellency directed that the abandoned projects would be handled mainly by party (Peoples’ Democratic Party) stakeholders who had complained about not enjoying sufficient democracy dividends. She told me that the project would be executed by Direct Labor and that the money in respect of the project would be withdrawn and put in a special account. Her suggestion was not surprising to me because most projects in Enugu State (Not ENSUBEB) are done by Direct Labor”.
GENERAL ABUSE OF OFFICE/SUNDRY BREACHES
And then to underscore her insatiate quest for criminal amassment, Ifeoma Nwobodo who before corrupt enrichment worked as an accountant at the Nike Lake Hotel and lived in a rented Duplex with her husband who is a newly-appointed Judge in Enugu State High Court at GRA near Onoh Quarters, Enugu; apart from using her private company to take up management of the Nike Lake Hotel now has these among others to her credit:
Bought a duplex at Coal City Garden, Enugu, where her parents presently live,
Built several nos of duplex at the Golf Estate, Enugu, through the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation,
Built a mansion at Ridgeway Road, GRA Enugu where she currently lives,
Built a Twin Duplex at Ekulu Housing Estate a.k.a Zoo Estate,
Owns a Duplex at the CBN Quarters Estate Trans-Ekulu still built by Enugu State Housing Corporation.
Owns two Duplexes under construction at the Liberty Housing Estate behind Federal Secretariat/NTA Complex, Independence Layout, Enugu,
Bought houses in Abuja
Owns highly expensive and mostly bullet-proof cars.
All these are evidences of a public officer living above her means. But once again, we have implicit confidence in your ability to live up to your calling particularly at a time such as this when ICPC seems to be the only hope of the greater percentage of the public especially concerning the afore-mentioned claim of EFCC verdict.
Thank you and please accept the assurances of our highest regards even as we beg for your kind permission to send a copy to the Presidency and also with a promise to supply further details as investigations progress.
The hope of expatriates from the Republic of West Germany to build a medical city in partnership with Juliocci Nig. Ltd in Delta as obtainable in advanced countries may have been dashed as Delta State Government says it can’t pay 25 percent counterpart fund to drive the project in the oil rich state.
The expatriates and the partnering local company made the presentation in the office of Secretary to the State Government, Ovie Festus Agas, on Wednesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Chuks Ajunwa, Executive Director of Juliocci Nig. Ltd, who made the presentations, gave vivid descriptions and the compartments of the medical city, saying the project would encompass various departments as obtainable in any modern hospital anywhere in the world, especially Germany, where the expatriates come from.
He said the proposed medical city would cover over 150 hectares of land and would cost a projected cost of N1bn Euros.
But Agas, speaking on behalf of the state government, said considering the financial implication of the project and the descriptions, it was too large for the state to afford its share, hence it can’t pay 25 percent requirement to kick off the project in a designated town in the state.
Agas said the financial state of Delta would not permit the state to go into any partnership that is financially involving with the expatriates to build the medical city, as the major preoccupation of government was to create avenues for private investors who were desirous of investing in the state.
Agas said “I want to say that as laudable as these projects might seem, they look rather big and frightening. A medical city that could cost N1bn Euros is plenty of money. These figures are frightening, I need to be realistic. One of the problems of Nigeria and Delta State today is dwindling oil revenue. Therefore the Nigerian nation and Delta State have the huge challenge of financing projects”.
He said rather than go into massive project execution, “when Okowa’s government was inaugurated, the governor openly stated that the government would concentrate on governance while the state will provide an enabling environment for private sector to thrive or prosper. By that we are saying we are opened to well meaning investors like you”.
The SSG told the expatriates that rather than provide 25 percent financial counterpart funding which the state might not be willing to go into, it would provide land for the project and security for the construction workers, saying this would replace the state 25 percent equity funding for the project.
He said “what I’m saying is that we will provide land which should be our equity contribution, we will also collaborate with the federal government to ensure adequate security for you as partners. But we have constraints in the provision of the 25 percent funding. We wish to partner with you but we have our challenges. As a state, we wish to be sincere to all who are interested in our state.”
He also told the expatriates that rather than rushing to funding another medical city, the state government would be more interested in upgrading the Delta State University Teaching Hospital in Oghara, the country home of the former governor of the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori.
Proceedings at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, took a dramatic dimension, Wednesday, when a middle aged man who was presumed dead made a surprise appearance in court.
Hon. Christopher Anirah, was subpoenaed by the tribunal to give evidence in court, in the on-going trial in an election petition between Hon. Gibson Ighofose Akporehe, of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Hon. Evelyn Omavowan Oboro, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Akporehe, a former candidate in the just concluded House of Representative election for Okpe, Sapale and Uvwie federal constituency, through his counsel, Mr. Charles Umweni, had told the tribunal that the witness he intends to call, ( Anirah ) cannot come to the tribunal to testify because he was dead.
He told the tribunal that Anirah died of cardiac attack, and cannot be subpoenaed to give evidence in the on-going case.
But, at the resumed hearing of the matter in Asaba, on Wednesday, somebody who claimed to be Anirah stormed the tribunal and stepped into the witness box to give evidence when the chairman of the three-man tribunal panel, Justice Adebukole Banjoko called out the name.
The move temporally created commotion in the tribunal as the bewildered audience started shuffling and murmuring in low tones following the sudden appearance of a ‘dead man’ in court, prompting Justice Banjoko to call for calm.
Akporehe of APC is challenging the election victory of Oboro. Joined in the suit are; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commission (REC), PDP and eight others. Christopher Anirah is Oboro’s star witness in the matter.
Anirah , during examination, by respondents counsel, Mr. Onome Egbon, told the tribunal that he was the rightful candidate of APC for the Okpe, Sapale and Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State in the 2015 national assembly election until his name was fraudulently substituted with that of Akporehe’s name on account that he (Anirah) was dead.
He told the tribunal that Akporehe allegedly, “forged a death certificate from a General Hospital that I died of cardiac failure and hypertension”, with which he deceived INEC to remove his name from the list of contestants for the election.
He also told the tribunal that somebody who posed as his family member was made to testify that the death rumor was true to convince INEC to carry out their evil plan of substituting his name.
Anirah further stated that he has received several death threats through phone calls warning him not to come near the tribunal premises to testify in the on- going matter between Oboro and Akporehe as doing so will be at the risk of his life , adding that the threat has since been reported to the security agents
According to him, “The notice was supported with a forged death certificate signed by a non-existent Dr Jude Omoefe from a non-existent Government Hospital Okpe, Orerokpe. It says Christopher Anirah died of cardiac failure and hypertension. Also backing the notice is an affidavit of death dated Jan. 15, 2015 and deposed to by Okonji at the Ughoton Customary Court, Ughoton, Delta State.
An emotional Anirah took the tribunal through the sequence of events beginning from when he won the primaries to the morning of March 28 when he was finally told that he had been substituted. In between, he got wind of the “evil and desperate plot to rob me of my mandate”, but all his efforts to protect it ended in futility.
He narrated to the court that “after the primaries, I travelled briefly out of the country. When I returned on Jan. 23, I heard that one Cyril Ogodo, the deputy state chairman of my party, had sold my mandate to one Gibson Akporehe. The party claimed not to know about it.
“When I formally reported the matter to the party, the state chairman, Erhue, and the gubernatorial candidate, Emerhor, instructed the deputy state chairman, Ogodo, to go back and restore my name, which he did after collecting some amounts of money from me.
“Surprisingly, after my name had entered the final list of INEC, I got wind of their plan to substitute me on the ground that I was dead. I now wrote to APC and INEC (he also tendered copies of the letter). I went there myself to submit the letters in which I informed them that some people were faking my death in order to substitute me. That was on Jan. 24.
“Before then, during our campaign at Orerokpe, the APC governorship candidate told the people at the rally that in a few days time they would know who would be the House of Representatives candidate and a commissioner between me and Akpore. After the rally I met him and asked why he made such statement knowing I was the candidate. He just smiled and didn’t say anything.
“Five days later, I got a call from INEC in Abuja that if I was alive I should come to their office at 7 a.m. the next day. The call came at about 9 p.m. That same night, I left Sapele at 11 p.m., drove overnight to INEC in Abuja where I met Mr Ibrahim Bawa, the head of legal unit of the commission.
“They interviewed me during which I gave them evidence that I was alive. They then assured me that I could not be substituted because I was alive. They said that they were not happy over the issue, asking why the APC of all party did such a thing. They said I should meet the APC national chairman who signed the letter of substitution to revoke it.”
Acting on the INEC advice, Anirah said that he went to Odigie-Oyegun, who he said apologised and promised to call a meeting to discuss the matter in order to have the substitution letter revoked. As it turned out, that was never to be.
He continued; “What I saw was that on March 27, a day to my election, Oyegun, Cyril and Otega conspired and went back to submit the same letter to INEC that I was dead and then submitted the same forged death certificate.
“On the strength of that, INEC headquarters then wrote (he also attached a certified true copy of the letter) to its office in Asaba, Delta State, that I was dead and should be substituted I was informed at 8 a.m. on the day of the election that I had been replaced.”
The complainant added that since then he had been making efforts to have the alleged culprits arrested all to no avail.
“I want Nigerians to help me fight this injustice, because if they let these people succeed it could be another person tomorrow. It is unfair and inhuman for a man that is alive to be technically erased from the surface of this earth.
“My mother, children and friends are yet to get over the shock they experienced when they got the news that I was dead.
Meanwhile, Oboro in her preliminary objection filed from Peter Mrakpor’s chambers, is asking the tribunal to dismiss Akporehe’s petition for lack of merit , saying it is an abuse of court process.
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