President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari has re -assured Nigerians particularly the people of the north eastern region that his administration will fight the lingering Boko haram insurgency to a half and resettle displaced people.
Buhari who gave the assurance when the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, and Shehu of Borno alonside other leadres from the state paid him a visit in Kaduna also promised to focus on re-activating the Lake Chad in addition to deploying enormous resources to resume vigorous search for oil along the Chad Basin in parts of Borno State.
Buhari said he was very much aware of the problems of the northeast and will not waste time in taking them up one after the other. He said his administration will enhance collaboration with neighboring Governments of Chad, Niger and Cameroon to curtail the trans border movement of Boko Haram insurgents, cut supply of arms, cut recruitment and training of fresh recruits.
He said stability of the northeast was a must project for his administration noting that nothing can be achieved unless peace was restored to the troubled region.
The President-elect also assured the delegation the receding of lake chad will be addressed through the transfer of water from the central African Republic to the lake to boost it commercial activities for fishing and irrigation farming. He recalled that he once red a document raising fears about receding of the Lake Chad which he handed over to then President Olusegun Obasanjo but now that he would be coming as President, he will handle the matter. Buhari said the Lake has the potentials to create millions of jobs through irrigation and many other commercial uses it was associated with many years ago.
While acknowledging delays in oil exploration activities in the Chad Basin, the incoming President said he was very much aware of exploration activities in the area since 1978 as Minister of Petroleum.
He said he had visited a site in Borno State as a Head of State to assess exploration activities. He maintained that he was very conversant with the issue and would take it up as President when he settles in office. General Buhari said he had many years ago, suggested the need to take the search for oil in the north seriously not only to increase the export potentials on Nigeria but also to balance cross regional perceptions and manage agitations so as t:o enhance the stability of the country.
He promised to pay special attention to the economic potentials of the northeast so as to make it attractive for investments.
Governor Kashim Shettima who led the delegation in company all traditional rulers, elders, elected National and State Assembly members and other stakeholders, had earlier disclosed that they were at the resident of the president-elect to congratulate him over his historic victory at the polls and to also remind him of problems affecting Borno State which he already knew.
The Governor said the people of Borno feel so much attached to General Buhari given his background as someone that served as Military Governor in the State. He said the citizens looked up to him with so much hope because the President elect was very much familier with the problems of the State and how it has suffered in the last six years owing to massive killings of its people and extreme destructions of communities and public institutions. He pleaded with the incoming President to pay special attention to the affairs of the Borno.
The Shehu OF Borno Alh Abubakar Ibn umar Garbai Al Amim El-kanemi,appealed to the president Elect to consider making the Federal Government take over the welfare of youths volunteers fighting insurgency in the State, noting that Borno State Government has been spending so much on that in addition to huge expenditures in managing the Boko Haram insurgency besides spending on capital projects and payment of salaries of workers. The Shehu also appealed for Buhari’s intervention on resumption of commercial airlines to Maiduguri international Airport, which has been suspended almost two years ago.
Chairman of Borno Elders Forum, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari expressed optimism that with incoming President’s track record of service, elders in the State have so much fate in him to address the needs of Borno citizens and also to move the nation forward.
The Iranian army displayed on Saturday a self-developed version of the advanced Russian S-300 missile system during a military parade south of the Tehran, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Undated photo of a Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system on display in an undisclosed location in Russia
Tehran decided to design its own version of the S-300 missile, the Bavar 373, following a postponement by Russia of the sale of the anti-aircraft weaponry to Iran five years ago. Earlier this week, Russia announced it would finally lift the ban and deliver S-300 systems to Iran, in a move that would give the Islamic Republic’s military a strong deterrent against any air attack.
On Wednesday, Iranian Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan stated that the Bavar 373 air missile shield possesses similar features to the Russian S-300, Fars reported. The Iranian news outlet said that the Iranian missile system has “increased mobility, agility and reduced launch-preparation time” than its Russian counterpart.
“Iran’s Air Defense Base has carried out great task in recent years, including the designing and manufacturing of Bavar 373 air defense missile system, which has the same capabilities as the Russian S-300,” the Iranian commander said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has furiously protested the planned Russian supply and phoned President Vladimir Putin to try to persuade him to reconsider, but was rebuffed. Israel fears the S-300s would complicate any military intervention as a last resort to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive. It also fears Iran could supply the missile defense systems to Syria or Hezbollah, diluting Israel’s air supremacy over the region.
Moscow has stated that a preliminary agreement between the P5+1 world powers and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program rendered the ban on missile sales no longer relevant.
Obama noted that Putin had previously suspended the sale “at our request. I am frankly surprised that it held this long, given that they were not prohibited by sanctions from selling these defensive weapons.”
Obama also said he’ll sign legislation expected to pass the Senate and House giving Congress a say on a final deal. He called it a “reasonable compromise.”
The legislation would block Obama from waiving congressional sanctions against Iran for at least 30 days after any final agreement. That would give lawmakers time to weigh in.
Thanks to the vigilance of an INEC staff, a fake result which allocated high vote margin to the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate Rochas Okorocha, in the recent inconclusive governorship contest with Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and others, was detected to have been recorded on a result sheet carrying the serial number of a Northern State. On further check, it was discovered that eleven (11) other such fake results had been admitted and declared by INEC, all favoring Rochas Okorocha. This incontrovertible revelation remained uncorrected.
In Oru East LGA, a heroic Electoral Officer Mrs. Emmanuella Opara shocked stakeholders including the state Returning Officer Professor Ibidapo Obey and the State Resident Commissioner Dr. George Ada, of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] when she confessed that she and her colleagues were held hostage for several hours by thugs who forced her to write results of the governorship polls, under gun point, in favor of the All Progressive Congress (APC). This account by Mrs Opara was corroborated by agents of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and UPP. The authentic votes where PDP received a very significant vote margin (over 35,000 votes) out of the over 41,000 votes cast, was re-written to allocate APC 11, 000 votes and about 1000 votes for PDP.
Mrs Opara said “We were held hostage by thugs who took us to a house where we were forced to write the results of the governorship elections and I and the collation officer for the Oru East local government had no choice but to do what they asked us to do in order to save our lives …..i”.
Given these accounts, and the courage of Mrs Opara in coming forward, at the risk of her life, INEC rather than admit her original report, went on to cancel the entire result of the LGA- thereby inflicting on Mrs Opara’s additional emotional trauma, penalizing Chief Ihedioha and rewarding Okorocha the perpetrator of the abuse and fraud.
In Ezinihitte LGA, where the PDP candidate Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha is from, two hours after INEC declared the result that gave Chief Ihedioha over 40,000 vote’s margin, an unscrupulous INEC operative had unilaterally went behind and changed this figure to 29677 (PDP 29677 vs APC 7755), shaving off almost 20000 votes from Ihedioha’s votes. This lower figure remains on the record of INEC.
There were other widely reported incidences of thuggery and intimidation unleashed on the Imo electorate by Okorocha, his deputy Prince Eze Madumere and their agents. For instance, Madumere and his agents were caught red handed snatching and carting off election materials to unknown locations. In Ezinihitte Mbaise, fake policemen, who confessed that they were working for the APC were arrested. In Ideato North and South LGAs, there was massive violence and swapping of ballot papers, while Ideato North and Oru LGAs experienced snatching of ballots. Also evidence abound that no election was held in Ideato south, but figures (PDP 2317 vs APC 32708) were awarded to favor Okorocha.
In another disturbing incident, Ugonna Omeronye, a young man and the leader of the 10,000 youths fired by Okorocha at the inception of his administration, was grisly murdered at his home, in cold blood by suspected agents of APC, on the eve of the gubernatorial election, after he had tweeted a call to action to his colleagues to get out and vote for the PDP.
Attesting to these instances of massive electoral irregularities a group of 100 observers under the umbrella of coalition of Imo NGOs/CSOs on Good Governance, disclosed during a media chat in owerri that “There was a scenario whereby a person or a group of people will hijack the electoral materials to the comfort of their homes to thumb print and rig the election in favor of their political parties……INEC should cancel the April 11 Governorship and Houses of Assembly polls in Imo State to enable the people exercise their constitutional franchise of voting, a process where the voters will not be coerced or intimidated to vote for a particular candidate but a candidate of their choice…… while election did not hold in some places, results were announced in those areas and this was the highest point of electoral malpractices…A man sat down where voters cast their ballots to ensure that every voter votes for his party. In fact, after thumb printing, you give your ballot to his boy to check if you truly voted for them and then place the ballot into the box by himself”. They went on to reassure that “We have all the evidences to buttress our point of irregularities in the election process..” The group then opined “… that the commission will give a listening ear to us because they are a responsible body. We are directly working with them because we were accredited by them to observe the process so if we file our reports, they should look into it critically because we are not a political group, we are not partisan. But if they refuse to see reason with us or give us good reasons for their refusal, we will take a legal action on them.”
These cited electoral violations are odious, troubling, disgraceful, inconsistent with Imo State values and egregious enough to incur the immediate disqualification of Rochas Okorocha. Yes show him the red card! That INEC has not done that, but is rather rewarding Okorocha with an inconsequential selective rerun that essentially takes away all valuable votes from Emeka Ihedioha, leaving Rochas with his votes almost intact, is totally unacceptable.
INEC must demonstrate that it is an impartial umpire, not a partner-in-crime with Rochas Okorocha to steal and defraud Ndi Imo of their mandate to Emeka Ihedioha. INEC should disqualify Okorocha without further delay! In addition to the demand for disqualification, other options INEC should consider are to either un-cancel and release all votes cast and declare whoever has the highest votes the winner, or cancel and redo the entire election.
For the sake of peace and tranquility, INEC should immediately retract from its current unacceptable trajectory and adopt any of the remedial options prescribe above, or be held responsible for any ugly incidences, anarchy or mayhem that could arise from sub-optimally adjudicating this barefaced, vagrant and corrupt violation of our peoples rights and democratic franchise. Let it be clear, Imo citizens will resist any imposition of a Governor.
(Professor Edward Oparaoji is the convener of the Diaspora Imo Citizens Coalition, with members across the globe, and Headquartered in Washington DC, USA)
L-R: Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor; Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Folusho Phillips; Director General, NESG, Mr. ‘Laoye Jayeola; and former MD, SPDC, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, during a visit to the NESG by Shell leadership… recently.
The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has extended the acclaimed Community Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) to Anambra State with the recent launch of the initiative at the Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital.
The scheme is in partnership with the Anambra State Government; the Idemili CHIS Board; and two Health Maintenance Organisations (HMO) – Proserve and Avon.
“The initiative will increase health care access for the people, particularly women and children who form a large percentage of health care seekers,” said SNEPCo Managing Director, Tony Attah who was represented at the launch by SNEPCo’s Business Relations Manager, Kanu Ijere.
The launch, preceded by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Iyi-Enu Hospital and the two HMOs, was witnessed by the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nathan Ojekwu, the Catholic Bishop of the Niger, Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Owen Nwokolo; the traditional ruler of Nkpor community, Eze C.A. Ibegbunam; and the South East Zonal Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mrs. Gertrude Mma Ossi, amongst others.
The Shell Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Babatunde Fakunle, commended the Idemili communities, Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital and the HMOs for the collaboration and for their commitment towards the success of the project.
The Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital which serves more than six communities – Idemili North, Idemili South, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Onitsha North and Oyi – is the oldest facility of its kind in the south eastern part of Nigeria. It was established by the Church Missionary Society in 1907 and has the distinction of being the birthplace of the prominent author, Chinua Achebe among many other epochal births.
Prior to the launch of the community health insurance scheme, SNEPCo had supported the Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital by strengthening service delivery through stakeholder workshops, capacity building programmes, surveys and the donation of emergency and diagnostic medical equipment such as mammography and dialysis machines worth over N300 million.
The community health insurance scheme was first launched by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) operated joint venture at the Obio Cottage Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Obio scheme enables people to pay a subsidised annual premium to enjoy a wide variety of health services including vaccinations, pregnancy and childbirth care and surgical operations. SPDC has extended the scheme to the Rumuokwurushi Model Primary Health Care Centre near Port Harcourt.
Shell Companies in Nigeria have supported community health projects in the Niger Delta since the 1980s, with equipment and pharmaceutical donations as well as the construction of hospitals and implementation of malaria and HIV/AIDs control programmes.
REALITY is full of contradictions. By the time Oronto Douglas passed on to the great beyond, we were on different sides of the Nigerian political divide. He on the side of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and I on the side of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). In spite of this difference in the best way ahead for our dear country, Nigeria, we remained the best of friends, brothers and more. Oronto was broad-minded. Bitterness was not in his dictionary.
Sometime in 1989, Oronto and I met at the University of Port Harcourt. He had come from his school, the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), to meet with Dr. Kimse Okoko of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies. On account of our activism in our respective campuses, both of us knew our names, but not faces. So when this chance meeting took place, we instantly became friends. Oronto was a progressive student leader. At RSUST, he was Editor-in-Chief of the University Press Club. He was also chairman of the Editorial Board and Editor-in-Chief of The Rivers Man (an organ of the National Union of Rivers State Students). At that time, his home state of Bayelsa had not been created out of Rivers.
There has been an attempt – consciously or unconsciously – to paint a picture of Oronto based solely on his role as Strategy Adviser to President Jonathan. This is a great disservice to his memory. The name Oronto Douglas was already a huge resource when he joined government. To my mind, Oronto’s greatest contribution in life lies in his role in civil society building. As an environmental human rights advocate, his record may be equalled but never surpassed. At a time, he was the most outspoken, most consistent and most fluent voice on resource control, self-determination and environmental security in Nigeria. At community-organised programmes, think-tanks and universities all over the world, he spoke on justice for the Niger Delta. He met with world leaders, including President Bill Clinton, and gave parliamentary briefings in Ireland, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, etc., on issues of environmental rights and livelihood. Community people were at the heart of Oronto’s lifework. He helped found civic groups like the Environmental Rights Action (ERA), Chikoko Movement, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Community Defence Law Foundation (CDLF), and others. He mentored activists and inspired activist groups such as Niger Delta Women for Justice (NDWJ), Odua for Nature Conservation (ONAC), Ijaw Council for Human Rights (ICHR), and others. Oronto, it was, along with our mutual friend and brother, Dr. Ike Okonta, who pulled me out of mainstream journalism to work in the non-profit sector as Campaigns Coordinator and Head of the ERA office in Lagos. Oronto worked day and night. I recall that he single-handedly wrote the leaflet: “100 Reasons Why the Ijaw Want to Control their Resources” for the ICHR in the thick of the Kaiama Declaration. It was my duty to edit and prepare it for publication.
On 30 October 2000, I sent an e-mail to Oronto from Accra, Ghana. I was attending a conference as a representative of ERA. In the mail, I suggested to him the idea of working on three books. One, Mr. Niger Delta: Conversations with Oronto Douglas. This was patterned after Regis Debray’s Conversations with Allende and Jeffrey Elliot’s Conversations with Maya Angelou. Two, a collection of Oronto’s leading articles, speeches and papers. I did not have a working title for that then, but it was something similar to Nelson Mandela’s No Easy Walk to Freedom. Three, a political biography.
In my October 2000 mail, I wrote: “I’m working on these not to promote your person, but the social position you represent. Your prime position as a symbol of the struggles of the Delta. If I don’t get to do it, one person from the West will certainly dream it up. We will have to publish first and let any publisher interested in the West take our permission to reprint.”
Fifteen years after, it is sad to report that of the three works, only one is ready for publication. That is the collection of papers and speeches. It is titled, What the White-Tailed Monkey Told Me: Reclaiming the Niger Delta Dream. Now that Oronto is no more with us, seeing this project to its logical end has become a task that must be done.
Many comrades contributed to the making of the Oronto brand. I recall that Dr. Ike Okonta had suggested to him the idea of writing an autobiography. Ike actually drafted the outline for the work. Oronto started it but never finished.
Following an invitation from then Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Oronto joined government as Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Bayelsa State in 2004. It was a difficult decision. There were those in our movement who believed he had ‘sold out’. Part of the argument was that even if it made sense to be in government, he should not be in the Information Ministry. He would make a greater impact as Environment Commissioner, they argued. I remember Oronto consulted widely, including people like Professor Julius Ihonvbere, who was then a Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Ihonvbere, who was my teacher at University, encouraged Oronto to accept Alamieyeseigha’s offer of appointment – whatever the portfolio. My position then, and now, is that every platform is a platform for struggle. We cannot continue to claim that we are bright people, yet, allow semi-literates to remain in government and power. Progress lies in engagement and participation. Change is not restricted to created spaces. Invited spaces can also lead to change. Oronto fought battles in government. It was while serving as Alamieyeseigha’s Commissioner that he was nominated to represent Bayelsa State at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC). At the NPRC, he was a member of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Being the fighter that he was, Oronto disagreed with the committee’s main recommendations. The point of disagreement was the ideal legal and institutional framework for the management of Nigeria’s natural resources. He went on to present a minority report.
In his report, Oronto said, “While every Nigerian would be happy to live within a legal framework where the right to a clean and healthy environment is guaranteed and reinforced by the provision of justiceability, as correctly urged by the report, it is awkward and something of a double-speak for the main committee report to be silent on the need to remove laws that are iniquitous in their actions from the overall body of laws in the land, the constitution of Nigeria.”
Oronto went on to make a case for the abrogation of the Land Use Act, the Petroleum Act, and all the other legislations that deny the people the right to control their natural resources. In addition, he called for a new Nigerian constitution “freely made by the Nigerian people and enacted via the process of a referendum.”
Oronto returned to government in 2007. This time at the Presidency as an aide to the Vice President, who later became President.
It is sad that Oronto left us too soon. But we take solace in the fact that in his short life span, he left a deep and lasting influence on most of us that came in contact with him.
Whether as a student leader, an environmental human rights campaigner, non-state actor or government official, his contributions were outstanding.
After interacting with Oronto for close to three decades, I affirm that he was a good man. He was a bold and innovative thinker. He was a friend, brother and more.
The real Oronto was a prophet of resistance.
Rest, OND, Rest!
Doifie BUOKORIBO is a media and political strategist, development consultant, and social and political activist. He has worked as a public affairs journalist, environmental human rights campaigner, and public servant. He can be reached at: Email: doifieo@yahoo.com; Twitter: @doifiebuokoribo
The North Central caucus of All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the National leadership of the party over the decision to officially zone the office of the Senate President in the 8th Senate to the North central geo-political zone.
The North Central caucus which is made up of APC State Chairmen of the North Central zone namely; Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger and Plateau States described the zoning arrangement as fair and just.
The North Central caucus of our great party, the APC, wishes to express its satisfaction with the official decision of our great party at the highest level of decision making to zone the office of the Senate President to the North Central geo-political zone.
We commend the National leadership of our party for taken this fair and just decision even in face of intensified pressure from our sister zones.
There is no doubt that this zoning arrangement reflects a rich understanding of the diversity of Nigerians and the geography of the nation.
For us in the North Central zone, work has just started. And we can assure the National leadership of our party that the office of the Senate President would help to consolidate on our successes in the recently conducted general election where we delivered 100 per cent state Governors and 13 Senators to the APC.
Signed on behalf of North Central State Chairmen by: Alhaji Hadi Ametuo, APC State Chairman, Kogi State.
President-elect, General Buhari has been cautioned to be wary of persons whose track records in service has been questionable overtime due to the lip-service of government in tackling corruption in the country.
This according to the group has become necessary in light of the low credibility ratings of the out-going administration by both international and local players that corruption starts with the appointment of unscrupulous elements into government.
The group, National Advocacy Crusade Centre,[NACC] through its Executive Secretary, Olayinka Alao, in a statement, decried the high level of corruption in the country and warned that if drastic measures are not taken to curb systemic corruption which starts with the appointment of unqualified persons into sensitive positions the country may be plunged into recession.
The group particularly made reference to the Executive Director of NEXIM Bank, Ms Folake Itohan, revealing that there are stealth moves by Folake to influence her appointment as MD of the Bank, having fraudulently rose to the top without due process.
The group further revealed that she courted one Alhaji Ibrahim Imam who is perceived to have high-powered links within the President-elect camp to deliver her into the office of Managing Director but was turned down and warned that they might be others in the society close to the Mr. Integrity not by principle and urged the fearless anti-corruption crusader cum President to be vigilant to avoid anyone from smuggling her on board through dubious means.
The statement said that she agreed to pay N200million to him to work around her appointment. It was also revealed that she promised to make monthly remittance of N10million to Alhaji Imam if she is given the appointment.
The group expressed curiosity over her position as Executive Director of NEXIM Bank, saying that her appointment in the first place did not meet up to the basic requirement, adding that the process was not transparent and lacked merit, but rather was handpicked for such a top job by the powers that be, throwing merit, integrity and competence to the wind. This source confirmed from NEXIM bank through one source that has caused institutional damages to the system as it has become the duty of her subordinates to groom and nurture her just to meet up with the technical aspects of the job which she is acquired through the back door.
Our checks also revealed that her appointment was in total violation of the CBN rules and regulations for appointment into executive positions of banks that candidates must have risen to the level of Assistant General Manager before he or she could be seconded to the top for any reason. However, in Salami’s case her contacts in high places was just enough to add up and one begins to wonder when such would end as God has given Nigeria a new President.
Olayinka however, called on the “president-elect, Gen Buhari to look into her appointment and possibly revert her to her former position as Manager, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as she has not performed well enough to earn her present posting, instead abused her office by engaging in unethical and unprofessional conduct.
He further urged “the incoming government to immediately take decisive action against corrupt elements within the corridors of power that have continually drained the economy of the country through dubious activities.”
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano helping one of the beneficiaries take the first step with the new prosthetic leg during the first phase of the programme sponsored by his wife in December 2014.
On the heels of the impressive showing of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by her husband the BoT Chairman and Governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano in the just concluded general elections, and as she gets set to distribute the second phase of prosthetic limbs to about 200 physically challenged beneficiaries on Tuesday April 2015, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano has come under another malicious attack aimed at damaging her credibility.
Purveyors of falsehood on social media have once again concocted another lie that she slapped someone even as she is in faraway United States of America where she went to visit her children. Mrs. Obiano who is expected back in the country early in the week in readiness for the all-important function of prosthetic limb distribution to the physically challenged which will hold at the Women Development Centre, Awka is once more target of another campaign of calumny. The first phase of the prosthetic limb distribution programme sponsored by the wife of the governor held before the Christmas in 2014 had over 300 beneficiaries.
The fact that some criminal elements will go to any length to manufacture lies with the intent to cause the government of Obiano harm, including denigrating the wife is a cause for concern to discerning Ndi Anambra and should be condemned. Such frivolous writings are irresponsible and have no place in the new Anambra being fashioned by the governor ably supported by his wife, and Ndi Anambra.
Chief (Mrs.) Obiano is the founder and focal Person of the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), a non-profit, non-partisan pet project which has mandate to care for the less privileged and reduce women-child vulnerability while maintaining the dignity of the physically challenged amongst other programmes. Since coming on stream, CAFÉ has done a lot to mobilize and give support and succour to indigent families as well as the physically challenged, through its welfare packages.
Also through CAFÉ Chief (Mrs.) Obiano supports the welfare programmes of the Obiano’s administration which promotes strong and healthy families through assisting and supporting vulnerable groups amongst Ndi Anambra to feel the impact of government and eventually contribute to the socio-economic development of the state.
A socio-political group, South East Progressives Assembly (SEPA) has cautioned against electoral fraud and irregularities that may be perpetrated to subvert the popular will of Abia people and undemocratically award the governorship of the state to Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) during the Saturday April 25 rerun election in the affected polling units of the state.
In a statement signed by Ebere Uzoukwa and Comrade Munonye Maximus, President and Secretary respectively and made available to newsmen, the group alleged collaboration between the military and some corrupt INEC officials to divert the results sheets and fabricate outrageous figures which will award victory to the APGA candidate at the end of the day.
“The South East Progressives Assembly has been alerted of the nocturnal meetings involving the Abia State Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti, some INEC officials, representatives of the State Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba and top military officer from 82 Division of the Nigerian Army to perfect plans on how to rig the Saturday April 25 rerun election and return the ex-Diamond bank chief as governor of Abia state at all cost.
“We gathered that the said meetings have the sponsorship of a former governor of Abia state, a former Chief of Army Staff from the state, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Nigerian-born African richest businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“A whopping sum of One Billion Naira(N1,000,000,000) is said to have been earmarked to prosecute and actualize this infamous project of ‘Return Alex Otti At All Cost’. It is therefore our fervent wish to remind INEC and other stakeholders that Abia people have already spoken on April 11 through their massive votes to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu. He presently leads Dr. Alex Otti of APGA with 80,053 votes. The total votes in contention in the affected polling units though with 179,224 registered voters are not more than 90,000 after considering non- collection of PVCs and other recurring factors.
Therefore, with voter apathy that will naturally characterize the election and INEC only approved card reader accreditation, no sane person can ever predict victory for Dr. Alex Otti as he cannot garner votes that will cancel Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s 83,053 lead. This obvious fact perhaps informed the reason why Otti and his co-travelers desperately plan to fabricate results to steal Dr. Ikpeazu’s mandate on Saturday April 25. But we are optimistic that Abia people will definitely resist any move to subvert their collective will and aspiration.
The group accused Otti of desperation and inordinate ambition to take over Abia at all cost.
‘’ SEPA opted to independently investigate this ex-banker in respect to his activities as an employee of the Diamond bank. Our findings are revealing and shocking. As a socio-political group that lacks powers to indict, we therefore seize this opportunity to call upon relevant government authorities such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to as a matter of urgency commence investigation on Dr. Alex Otti. But one thing we must not fail to disclose is that the Arochukwu-born ex-banker is desperately seeking constitutional immunity to evade prosecution.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Area Office in Katsina-Ala, Benue was gutted by fire in the early hours of Sunday, April 19, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN reports that the office serves as the commission’s collation centre for the Benue North-East Senatorial District.
Mr Louis Ochai, INEC Public Relations Officer in Benue, who confirmed the incident on Sunday in Makurdi, said the commission was yet to ascertain the cause of the incident.
He explained that no sensitive materials were destroyed, as all sensitive materials as well as card readers were removed immediately after the elections.
NAN reports that the April 19 incident brings to three, INEC office gutted by fire in the senatorial zone in the past three weeks.
