Following the report that the governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako has been served impeachment notice by the House of Assembly of that state, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governors’ Forum and the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has called on the leadership and members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly to drop the impeachment move in the interest of the peace of the nation.
Governor Okorocha also advised the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter and see that the impeachment move against the Adamawa State Governor is brought to a halt, adding that with the horrible security situation in the country at the moment, it would smack of insensitivity for anybody to be talking about impeachment of a sitting governor.
The APC governors’ Forum Chairman equally urged the stakeholders in Adamawa State not to allow a state already having security challenges to be driven into another round of crisis which the impeachment effort could launch the state into.
The Imo State governor opined that the energy that would be spent on the impeachment exercise could be expended on the effort to recover the Chibok girls from their abductors that have held them hostage for months now.
According to the APC governors’ forum chairman, the outside world would not take the country serious if in the midst of all these security challenges across the nation, we would be talking about impeaching a governor.
He called on all those concerned to allow peace reign by forgetting about the impeachment move against the Adamawa state governor.
60years old man with his friend, a 34 years old man was arrested by Jigawa hisba
Police command for their involvement in raping a 9years and 10 years old
girl in baranda village of dutse local government area of jigawa
state
This was disclosed by the state commandant of the hisba police command
in the state Alhaji Aliyu galamawa shortly after arresting the culprit
in dutse
Galamawa said those arrested include Alhaji lawan katangar gabari, 60
years of age who raped nine years old baby shafa atu ibrahim of baranda
quaters in dutse local government area of jigawa state – according to
him, the commandant said Alhaji lawan katanga is a bussineman in
katanga village of dutse local government area of jigawa
Like wise the hisba also arrested Muhammed zubairu age 34years from
kawari quaters of kiyawa local government – he was also arrested for raping a 10
years old salamatu hudu of baranda quaters – a situation which led
aggressive youths to surround them in baradan town agitating elders
support to allow them to take law in to their hands
Galamawa said it was the district head of baranda who called the hisba
command and notified them that there was problem in his area – a
situation which lead the commandant himself to mobile his officers
to arrest the suspect.
In the same vain the command had received a report by one shafa atu
Iliyasu of yalwawa quaters that one police officer Danladi Abubakar
attacked her in a bath room while taking birth in their house while
her parents was out during office hours. According to her, the police used
power to hold her neck and forced her to commit adultery with him
shafa atu said originally they were from malali quaters of kaduna state – her parent were transfered to jigawa for national assignment adding that
the police officer who attacked her in the birth room was her neighbor – adding that the officer had observed that her parent were not in the house that was why he freely attacked her and succeeded.
Galamawa further stated that the hisba command has reported the matter
to Dutse divisional police assuring that the division has signaled the
headquarter. All effort to arrest the suspect by the hisba comman proved
abortive because of his official title
When contacting the police public relation office DSP abdu jinjiri, he said the command is not aware ofthe matter and that he is yet to receive any signal from dutse division about the matter but he assured that whenever they receive the information police will swing in to action to ensure that the suspect is arrested
Information reaching 247ureports.com indicates that the embattled national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] has been declared the authentic chairman of the party. According to the judgement, Victor Umeh remains the authentic chairman of the APGA.
Maxi Okwu was declared the loser.
The declaration was made at about 10am June 18, 2014 at an Abuja Appeals court.
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, yesterday revealed that his government has approved the sum of N500 million as counterpart funding to curb the problem of erosion in the state.
He said his government is working with the Federal Ministry of Environment and the World Bank to reduce flooding and check erosion menace in the state.
Obiano revealed this when he paid a courtesy visit to Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam in the Ministry’s headquarters at Mabushin, Abuja.
The governor noted that his government has begun the process of putting in place environmental laws that will help check bush burning, tree cutting, and blockage of drainage systems.
He said: “There is need for sensitization on bush burning, cutting woods and terminating gutters or drainage systems abruptly can lead to erosion.
“We are putting a law in place so that we can enforce that. The law will help in the near future to begin to stir the tide in our favour with respect to having a firm control on erosion.
“We have paid the Federal Government 500 million. The money is purely on erosion. The Anambra State government, the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Environment are working on eleven erosion sites. We are adding an additional eight to the site and all these will require money to be done.
“We have put down our initial counterpart contributions. We are looking forward to the other party meeting their own part of the deal. We really would like to do things before the rain starts coming. That’s the only way we can stem this tide early.”
In her response, the Minister of Environment said the federal government had mapped out 18 erosion projects to be carried out in the state.
Mrs. Mallam said: “We know the issues of erosion in the state. The new map project will be launched in the state soon to fight erosion. The ministry will continue to support your government.
“The Federal Government has earmarked 18 projects to be carried out in the state. I advise Nigerians to keep the environment clean in other to avoid the catastrophic effects of erosion” the minister said.
The Imo State Government wishes to acknowledge the official reaction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State Chapter, which has also been published in some both local and national Newspapers on the bombs discovered at the Living Faith Christian Church aka, Winners Chapel, on Sunday, June 15, 2014.
As a busy government, we won’t take up all that the Imo PDP said in their full-page publications. We will only take exception to some sensitive remarks on the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha made by the party and react, to that effect.
The Imo PDP attributed the Bomb incident to, “The influx of Boko Haram militants and sympathizers in the State and the unexplainable use of the premises of the State Government owned Imo Newspapers Egbu road as a quasi military training ground for them” by Governor Okorocha.
Imo PDP also said, “We are also worried that from the security breaches in Imo State since the advent of the Okorocha Administration, it is clear that somebody very high in the State must have been given assurances to the purveyors of the fundamentalist carnage in parts of the country that Imo State affords them a refuge location”.
As a government absolutely concerned with the good of Imo State and her people, we won’t have much to say on the PDP’s usual claims. But we take the liberty to say that the PDP in Imo State, in its desperation to come back to power in the State at all cost has not only thrown caution to the wind but has gone senile. And it is very unfortunate.
The party with its claims, has justified the fears of the State Government that some desperate politicians for 2015 in the State, most of them in the PDP, might hide under the phenomenon, called Boko Haram to cause havoc in the State. And we humbly wish to call on the police to leverage on the Imo PDP claims to look beyond the Boko Haram angle in investigating the bombs found in the Winners’ Chapel Owerri last Sunday.
To tell you how God works, the same day the PDP in Imo State was labouring in vain to accuse Governor Okorocha of being the cause of the Winners Chapel Bomb incident in Owerri, more than 560 suspected Boko Haram elements were arrested in Aba, in Abia State governed by the PDP.
Several Government locations or establishments had, before now, been bombed in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory where the PDP superintends and do we now say, President Goodluck Jonathan was responsible? The answer is no. To say the least, frustration is not a good English word and Imo PDP has the word as a qualifying adjective.
The Party in the State had tried all it could to reduce the esteem of Rochas Okorocha and his government in the State, Imo people refused and have continued to refuse to oblige them. They said, Rochas roads are inferior, Imo people asked them, for 12 years which one did you give us. No answer. They said, Rochas free education is half-packed, the people asked them, for 12 years which one did you people give us. No answer. So on, and so forth. Now they are also experimenting with the Boko Haram episode to incite the church in the State against Governor Okorocha and his government. Unfortunately, Imo people know better.
Why didn’t the Imo PDP accuse Governor Okorocha over the bombing of Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s house? the Imo PDP knew those who bombed Ohakim’s house. It was a clear case of snake swallowing snake.
Scores of traders affected in Onitsha by the demolition exercise carried out by government agencies has cried out to Anambra State Government to rehabilitate them.
The traders, who spoke to newsmen in Onitsha said that their sources of livelihood had been adversely affected by the demolition.
They lamented that their shops were demolished in spite of a court order by Justice P. A. C Umeadi of Awka High Court.
The traders alleged that while the demolition was going on, some miscreants were busy looting their valuables, stressing that goods looted during the exercise include building materials, motor parts and assorted drinks worth millions of naira.
The spokesman of the traders, Mr. Samuel Okafor told journalists that they were taken unawares because the demolished Ekeson Park had been an object of litigation.
“We were surprised when we came to work this morning and met over 30 security men including policemen and soldiers fully armed and over 50 able-bodied Task Force members here with their bulldozer and pay loaders demolishing all the structures including the corporate office.
“They chased us away and even towed our buses to an unknown destination and cordoned off the entire place while hoodlums had a field day.
“Two of the hoodlums lost their lives here. One collapsed and one was hit by a lump of block while trying to carry away a carton of motor parts as they demolished our stores,” he said.
It was reliably gathered that more than 80 lock-up shops and the corporate office headquarters were demolished during the exercise.
rof. Dora Nkem Akunyili, OFR, former Director General of NAFDAC, ex-Minister of Information, one of the most adored public servants, a woman of courage, who waged a successful war against counterfeit and fake drugs in Nigeria, became a terror to fake drugs cartels; regardless whose business was involved, she followed the NAFDAC policies to the core; is gone to rest peacefully with the Lord. Dora would be missed, most especially at this point in time in Nigeria history when the country’s reputation is at its lowest ebb again; she succumbed to complications arising from uterine cancer at the tender age of 59 years. She ought to have been 60 July 11, 2014.
She might have had fibroid surgery sometimes in March 2013.
My last communication with her before flown to India from Nigeria for more medical attention was: “Prof. Just checking on you. I hope you are doing well. My family wish you well. God bless. Femi”. As usual, she instantly responded, “Thanks Femi, my brother, I am fine. God is in control. Greet your beautiful wife for me.”
At her condition then, she appeared at the National Conference in a very high spirit, as one of the Anambra Delegates. She was resolute in her belief in a better Nigeria. She refused to be enslaved within the confines of her home, by appearing at the National Conference, as another demonstration for who Dora was. She was not embarrassed about her condition; she disregarded conference members’ reactions to her look; found time to chat with delegates; and addressed the Conference in her usual tone; without hidden from the public. What a courageous ‘Woman of Valour’.
A conference member who sat next to her, looked at her with some disgusting body language, as she warmly asked him if he did not recognize her; while some were very sympathetic of her situation. My wife shed tears at the glance of her picture then.
Dora last public appearance at the National Conference, Abuja, 2014
She believed that Nigeria is an easy country to govern “…once you do not compromise your principles and ideals, people have a way of conforming to whatever is the laid down standard.” We hope most of the public officials would borrow from that statement in their public services. She also believed that, “When people understand the job, when people have a passion for the job, when people have a drive, when people have an inner motivation, the job becomes easy even with the difficulties around it.”
Dora was known for her positive ‘heavy tongue’ which she would lash at you if and when you made an attempt to lure her away from her principles especially working in the Nigeria public office.
Displaying Her positive ‘heavy tongue’
As the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria, (April 2001-2008), Dora transformed the chaotic food and drug regulation in Nigeria. She brought into that Institution, NAFDAC, a new culture of excellence and honesty and to an extent to the entire Nigerian public service; while some scholars have written-off any good thing coming out of the Nigerian public sector, as currently (June 2014) demonstrated on the abducted Chibok Girls.
Despite several threats and attempts on her life, even with juju tortoise in her office at a point in NAFDAC, she captained NAFDAC ship successfully. The American Visa lottery, she won, protected her siblings from the dangers of the fake drug barons by moving them to the United States of America.
She recalled on a fateful day criminals came to her house, while the assigned Police security did not come to work that night; as done in Chief Bola Ige case; a sitting Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who was killed right in his bedroom after his police orderlies left their post to eat.
According to Dora, “Oh, those criminals, they did a lot. There was a time they went to my house at Abuja and looked for me. Fortunately, I had left for Lagos. I had an emergency in Lagos and I left from the office. They came to my house that same night beat my cook almost to pulp, repeatedly asking him: where is she? They ransacked everywhere. If I had slept in that house that night, only God knows what would have happened.”
God saw her through successfully at NAFDAC until her illness took her away when her experiences and services were most needed in Nigeria, rebuilding the country image at the hands of the terrorist group.
Dora, as the information Minister, stood out of the National Executive Council on the truth about Yar’Adua’s ill-health, concealed from the public. Her memo to the Federal Executive Council, February 3, 2011 requested the council to transmit a letter to the National Assembly for a smooth transition, to the reality of the ailing Yar’Adua’s predicament, shocked hell out of the federal cabinet.
Dora provided the momentum for the National Assembly to recognize Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, then Vice President, to assume duties as Acting President. Her memo added more enemies, in addition to those created with fake drugs agents as DG, NAFDAC; nevertheless, it endeared her to majority of Nigerians who saw her as an embodiment of courage.
That was part of her crusade to revert the negative image of Nigeria across the world with the slogan ‘Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation’.
Dora was never intimidated; always bold, and to the point. In one of my TV/Internet programs, ‘Nigeria This Week’, she almost took over the interview. She was emphatically and respectively blunt, ‘Like what?’ , with her serious look; for you to restate your question so as to give you the accurate answer without mincing words.
What an intelligent brilliant well cultured Amazon.
Dora as the Zonal Secretary coordinating all PTF projects in the south east in 1999, returned 12, 000 pounds to PTF, for her diagnosed pancreatic problem surgery, which turned out to be ‘irritable bowel syndrome’ in a London Hospital. PTF raised the money for the surgery; under General Buhari, as the Head of PTF then. Buhari wrote behind her commendation letter that: “I did not know that there are still some Nigerians with integrity.” We hope most of Nigeria public officials would emulate that principle.
The photo (above) shows Akunyili standing, arms akimbo and smiling in between two grim-looking Police officers seated on black-colored single leather sofas with rifles on their hands in an office walled with award plaques.
When I visited her office in 2007, after she appeared on my Internet TV Talk Show, ‘Nigeria This Week’, Atlanta, I was amazed and stunned; by the number of over 700 National and International Awards, excluding church organizations, displayed on a full length of her office wall. Prof. Akunyili was an internationally renowned Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader.
As a renown Scientist and a Scholar, who had presented over 600 papers, delivered in various Local and International Conferences; published four books and written scientific articles published in 37 local and international journals; her attempt on an elective political office did not materialize.
In one of her interviews, explaining ‘a professional in politics…not a professional politician,’ she clarified that “Professional politicians are people that cannot do any other thing. It’s their job. For me, {Dora} I can do too many other things. For professional politicians, it is their first and last job. It is what they have regarded as ‘this is my job for life.’ Politics is their job, A to Z. On the other hand, a professional in politics is like somebody like me who is a pharmacist. I can go into practice; I can go into consultancy, I can teach, I can go in to the laboratory anywhere in the world.”
Definitely, counterfeit Nigerian politicians would continue to lead Nigeria into a bottomless pit, while professionals, intellects, or technocrats, as we widely called them, would be finding it difficult to penetrate the dirty filthy Nigerian politicians and the political process.
Dora demonstrated the best suited place for an average Nigerian Professional in handling Nigeria economy, or growth, heading most of the Government agencies where they could display their creativity, without being political about their services to humanity.
As of today, (June 2014), the country is wading off the needed professionals in active politics as they consider them (Professionals) as ‘STRANGERS’ in their motherland. When it comes to partisan politics, the professionals have the Iron Gate that could not be broken, preventing their performance, as they would be dancing to the political music against the ethics of their profession.
An average Nigerian today (2014) believe in NAFDAC, in establishing an Institution. An average Nigerian believes that any consumable that do not have NAFDAC label on it, is not real and should not be purchased or guzzle.
How many Nigerian public officials could stand out to be counted in doing their public services without playing politics, or favor in fairness to humanity like Dora?
Dora was a jewel in Obasanjo’s administration’; very patriotic, an unbiased umpire, a dedicated public officer, an uncommon Nigerian. She was an embodiment of courage.
Joining the entire universe, my family commiserate with the family of Dora, Edemobi and Akunyili, the country in general, and Anambra State in particular.
Dora Nkem, may God grant her soul, eternal rest, and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Dora is an immortalized Amazon.
Life is not how long, but how well!
Sleep on Dora! Sleep on Nkem!
Sleep on! Sleep on!! Sleep on!!!
Femi Ajayi is a Professor of Policy, Management & Conflict Resolution, at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State
With less than 10 days to the scheduled House of Representatives’ probe of the alleged N10 billion spent on chartered private jet by the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Deiziani Allison-Madueke, two key entities of the oil and gas sector have disclosed that they would not appear before the probe panel.
Hearing on the matter has been scheduled to be conducted at the House on Thursday, June 26 by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
But the duo of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Petroleum Prices Marketing Corporation (PPMC) have officially written to the committee to register their refusal to honour the invitations extended to them to appear before it.
This is coming just as the embattled minister was alleged to have vowed not to appear before the committee until the matter, which is still pending before the courts were resolved.
In the wake of the crisis, Allison-Madueke had approached three different courts to seek perpetual injunctions to stop the probe.
While Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja refused to grant the request to stop the probe and fixed hearing for today the other two courts were yet to take any action on the matter.
The two corporations are accused of bank rolling the cost of the charter jet based their positions.
In two separate letters, however, NNPC and PPMC informed the committee that they would not appear before the committee since the matter was already before different courts of competent jurisdiction.
Both argued in the letters, which were addressed to the committee chairman, Hon Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, that it would be prejudice to appear before the committee since all the information being requested from them were already subjects of litigation.
It was also learnt on Tuesday that there are mounting pressures on the committee, as well as the House leadership to stall the probe, which prompted the minister and NNPC to go to courts to obtain injunctions when it became clear that the House was bent on going on with it.
Addressing news men on the matter on Tuesday, Olamilekan declared that there was no going back on the probe as directed by the House.
“As we speak, we are set to commence the probe. There is no court injunction barring our committee from doing our job. So, whether they appear or not, it is not our problem. The law is very clear on this. We will do our job, write our report and submit our report to the House,” he said.
A 33 Year old Fine Art Teacher, Godwin Onoyiwa of Delta Career College, Warri has been sentenced to 14 years in jail with hard labour for raping a 9 year old female student of the school.
The Court presided over by Honourable Justice P. Onajite-Kuejubola of Effurun High Court handed down the 14 years old jail verdict on the Teacher after she pronounced him guilty of the one count charge of rape proffered against him by the State.
While delivering the judgement, the court stated that ” …This act is a dastardly act that must be discouarged and it must not go unpunished. Male teachers whose parents entrust their wards in their care must desist from such act. I hereby sentence you to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour” the court held.
According to reports, Godwin Onoyiwa committed the offence on tjhe 23rd day of September, 2008 after the usual Extra Morale Lessons organized by the School for its students had closed. The victim (name withheld) who was searching for her missing school bag was lured inside the Teacher’s office where she was defiled after being overpowered by the randy teacher who could not control his amorous desires that eventually landed him in jail.
The victim who gave a lucid account of how she was raped by the teacher while giving her evidence in court, told the court that she was warned not to disclose the evil act to anybody or else she will be severely dealt with. she said the teacher also threatened to fail her in her exams but nemesis caught up with the teacher when the mother of the 9 year old raped victim noticed the unusual behaviour of her daughter which prompted her suspicion.
“when I told him that I was looking for my school bag, he asked me to wait in his office so that he can get the the keys to the classroom my bag was locked. As I was waiting, he came and covered my mouth with his hands to prevent me from shouting and raped me. I even bit his hands” the little recounted.
The victim was said to have owned up to her mother after a tissue paper socked with fresh blood was recovered from her underwear. Medical examination conducted on her also revealed that she was raped as it confirmed that her hymen had been broken during the rape encounter.
