Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has enjoined corps members serving in the state to imbibe and exhibit a high standard of moral values in their daily activities adding that education devoid of morals was incomplete.
The Governor who stated this while declaring open the orientation course for the 2011 NYSC Batch C posted to the state, regretted that some youths who had gone through the four walls of the university or other higher institutions of learning had constituted themselves into menaces and embarrassment to the society through their involvement in criminal activities.
The State Chief Executive who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, however commended the Management of NYSC in the State for the great work they had been doing in the lives of the youths as evidenced in the activities of corps members who had served or are serving in the state.
The Governor noted that Enugu State was dotted with worthy and laudable projects executed by previous corps members who had served in the state adding that such achievements would not have been possible if not for the commitment, discipline and support of the NYSC Management.
The Governor assured the corps members of creating a conducive atmosphere for them to serve in the state.
In an address, the Chairman of the NYSC State Governing Board and the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Chijioke Agu, enjoined the corps members to utilize every available opportunity to integrate with the people of the state, adding that Enugu State is very friendly and accommodating.
He reminded them that their assessment began in the camp and that their conduct in the camp would determine their overall performance at the end of the service year. The Chairman implored them to conduct themselves in a manner expected of leaders of tomorrow. He further assured them that the State Government would reward excellence and outstanding service.
In his remark, the State NYSC Coordinator, Elder Joshua A Olowokere, enjoined the corpers to be obedient to all camp rules, as indiscipline would not be tolerated. The Coordinator commended Governor Sullivan Chime for his support and co-operation to the organization.
In a speech after administering oath of service to the corps members, the State Chief Judge represented by Justice Eddy Onyia, charged the corps members to be law abiding and to avoid unnecessary movements that might lead to road mishaps.
The Chairman of Awgu Local Government Council, Mr. Uche Anioke in his speech assured the corps members of security of their lives and property and hospitality of the people of Awgu Local Government and Enugu State in general.
A total of 2120 corpers were sworn in at the ceremony. 1,012 of them are males while 1,108 are females.
In response to media reports in which the Acting National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, was quoted as alleging that the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, had been told the reasons he was excluded from the governorship primary and that such “sins” would be made public in due course, the governor challenges Baraje to come clean on these “sins”, perhaps, for necessary “atonement”.
For the avoidance of doubt, Sylva says at no time did Baraje discuss the so-called sins with him. We are aware that the PDP national chairman has been giving different “reasons” to different people on the illegal exclusion of the governor. But at last, Baraje has exposed the fact that there was no reason known to law and commonsense for the exclusion of the governor.
With Baraje’s tone of voice, we fear that after having excluded Governor Sylva without any justification, there is now a desperate attempt to cook up reasons, how ever untenable and tenuous, as an afterthought.
Governor Sylva feels it is saddening that PDP is descending to this level and believes they are up to something sinister.
Sylva has served the PDP and the people of Bayelsa State creditably well. So, it is for the people of Bayelsa State to reject him at the poll if they do not want him as their governor anymore. It is illegal and unjust for PDP to exclude the governor from contesting without any cogent reason.
Baraje also alleged in the report that Sylva’s case is not the first time a sitting governor would be disqualified by PDP, saying it had happened in the case of the former Anambra State governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju.
We wish to refresh the memory of Baraje, if he does not know or has forgotten, that Mabadinuju was never disqualified by PDP. He contested the party primary and was rigged out. But in the case of Bayelsa State, Sylva is not even given the opportunity to compete with whosoever has been “anointed”.
We feel sad that instead of drawing useful lessons from the Anambra debacle, the current leadership of the party, under Baraje, is celebrating it. Not only did PDP lose the state, so many lives were lost and a lot of odium was brought on the party because of power. None of those losses has been recovered till date. We do not wish this to happen in Bayelsa State.
Baraje’s behaviour reminds us of the former Communist Russia, where when the leader of the party did not want even a mere football match to hold, he would instruct the local commissar to lock up the football field. And the local commissar will never be able to give any reason for that course of action. But when the people persist and demand reason why the football match should not hold, he would simply retort that the football field is “sick”.
We challenge Baraje to come out with the reason why Sylva was illegally excluded from the contest.
Governor Sylva notes with grave disappointment the charade and odium that were orchestrated in Bayelsa State on Saturday in the name of PDP governorship primary. He calls the exercise a ridiculous imitation of democracy that insults not only Bayelsa State but also the Nigerian nation. He says the exercise cannot stand because, one, Mr. President and all the statutory delegates – seven members of the National Assembly from the state, all 22 members of the House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP, and all the eight local government chairmen – were not present.
He wonders the sort of primary that took place without 98 per cent of party members and party representatives.
The governor wishes to reiterate that he and his supporters are still in the PDP and he is still in the gubernatorial race. He thanks the Bayelsa people for the keeping peace despite the provocation. He also salutes the state’s statutory delegates who refused to lend their dignified presence to Saturday’s charade.
Sylva is in touch with his lawyers and they have assured him that the illegal primary cannot stand. The governor will not allow those who resorted to self-help to get away with their evil. The governor is a democratic and is committed to pursuing this matter through democratic means until justice is done and the ills of the last few days are undone.
The governor assures all Bayelsans and other Nigerians that their state would soon reclaim its democratic identity and emerge even stronger. As Ngugi wa Thiong’o says, “There is no night so long that it does not end in daybreak.”
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said that popular actor and comedian, Omidina Babatunde also known as Baba Suwe was treated fairly and professionally while in the Agency’s custody. The Agency described claims by the comedian that he was treated like a common criminal as untrue.
It is on record that he was treated in accordance with the law, particularly with respect to the observance of his right to human dignity, presumption of innocence, search and other investigative processes in line with best international practices.
He acknowledged same in court before the public on Tuesday November 1, 2011. Omidina told the court that he was never harassed in any form by officers and that he was allowed to use his medication regularly. He however added that his breakfast was served late. He was not chained and treated as a common criminal as alleged. The use of hand-cuff or leg chain is to control suspects that are violent and belligerent.
Omidina was calm, friendly and cooperative while he was under observation. There is no justification for him to have been chained. It is not true that he was chained. Having agreed in the open court that he was treated fairly and was not harassed, the sudden volte-face by the actor is therefore shocking.
NDLEA as a refined security Agency has a track record of qualitative care for suspects. The anti-drug agency also stated that screening of passengers is a normal process to prevent illicit drug trafficking in the country. All passengers are treated equally without bias or discrimination.
The Agency also added that the scanning machines in all the international airports are functional and manned by competent officers. There are no grounds to doubt the efficiency of the machine when about seven suspects that tested positive about the same time the actor was arrested have all defecated the drugs they ingested.
The Agency is committed to effective drug control, protection of lives and promotion of the image of the country. This is a statutory responsibility that we are committed to discharge conscientiously in the interest of the country. The support and goodwill of members of the public is highly appreciated. The Agency however appealed for the continued support of stakeholders and promised to halt the activities of drug barons in the country.
Today, as I flew into Port Harcourt ‘International ‘airport from Lagos, I finally came to terms with the fact that Nigeria, my beloved country, the ‘giant’ of Africa is still a toddler nation, 51years and counting after it attained its flag independence. To be sure, like millions of our country men and women, I had always felt that our leaders in the past, perhaps because they were lacking in knowledge and were bereft of proper formal education, had laid the nation bare and stolen her blind. I have known all along that our infrastructure was shambolic and that our systems did not conform to world standards. But somewhere inside of me, I had this feeling that what we needed was a decent, university-educated young man or woman at the helm of affairs of the nation to ‘move us forward’.
Thus, when Yar’ Adua took up the mantle of leadership, I heaved a sigh of relief and looked forward to the coming of a quantum leap forward. But ill-health intervened and we all understood the President was severely incapacitated by this act of God. Knowing Nigeria, one was not surprised that Yar’ Adua’s kitchen cabinet took over and kept a stranglehold on the country until his demise. Then comes Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. And I thought at last, God has looked upon our nation with a smile on His face. He has given us a man who has attained the ultimate price in learning- a Phd. And the man has had strokes of good luck attending to him all along over the last decade. From a non-partisan at OMPADEC, he had been picked as Deputy to Alams; had become Governor when Alams desecrated his office and thenceforth to VP and as the saying goes, the rest is history. As extras he hails from the minority Niger Delta region and he has a wife who goes by the name patience. To cap it, he took for himself an Architect as Vice President. I honestly felt that the time to build a new Nigeria was with us. When during his proper election campaign he promised Nigerians a dose of his good luck, my joy knew no bounds.
Alas, I was a fool. I failed to remember that the dress does not make the monk. I was blind to the fact that you could go to school and acquire all the degrees in the world but the school may not go through you and you are worse than the uneducated. When he made his speeches at home and abroad and he sounded and reasoned like an Ijaw fisherman (Please my brothers, no offence is intended, we are together), I thought he was just suffering from stage fright and that soon he will come to his own and be a master of statecraft. Was I mistaken? You bet!
Back to today. I fly into Port Harcourt and the entire nation is milling around. I am shocked but not surprised. While in Lagos I had read the papers which suggested that the PDP was to hold its gubernatorial primary election in Bayelsa State tomorrow in spite of a Court Order directing it not to do so. I had also heard that the President would personally be on hand to pick who will govern him in Bayelsa while he governs Nigeria. Every Nigerian already knows that the President does not want the incumbent governor (T. Sylva) to even contest the primary thereby abridging the latter’s constitutionally guaranteed rights. And I thought- where is the Phd? Where is the learning? Where is the refinement that comes with education? I was forced to come to the painful conclusion that what we have as President is an ‘educated” brute. Bayelsa has been flooded with ‘foreign’ troops (Police and military) over the past several days. The entire PDP machinery has been mobilised to Bayelsa to neutralise Chief Sylva. But that is not enough for President Jonathan and his Dame (coincidentally she is also flying into Port Harcourt today). The President has to personally be on ground in Yenagoa to subvert and pervert the rule of law- his mantra.
It is unfortunate that Nigerians, unlike the rest of the civilized world does not put a price on acts and or omissions of people in power. Otherwise, Nigerians would have been shocked (some say we are beyond shock) to know what it is costing the nation for this mobilisation of the Federal might by Mr. President to fight a political battle even within his own party and kitchen. You may call me partisan, but I have it on good authority that the President’s fear is that even if he, the no 1 citizen was to face Mr. Sylva in an open contest in Bayelsa, he will lose to the governor. The reason is obvious. It is not because the governor is a super star or miracle man. It is the nature of our politics. The governor of each State controls the party structure of that state. Mr. Sylva did not invent this situation. The President cannot and must not be allowed to use even worse illegality to correct the apparent anomaly.
Finally, it has dawned on me that we as a nation will remain toddlers for a long time to come. The rest of mankind are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and here we are, messing around with brute force, sharing offices and the spoils thereof. Boko Haram has put paid to foreign investment (except perhaps in oil and gas), we have no roads, our airports are a national disgrace, our boys and girls cue to find places in Ghanaian schools, our hospitals are still consulting clinics or worse still, mortuaries, electricity is still a luxury and unemployment remains dangerously high. Yet all that this man with a Phd can think is to fight for who rules Bayelsa State. The only picture that readily comes to my mind is the Igbo hunter who, having gunned down the elephant and put it on his shoulder, attempts to use his toe to pick a snail. Absurd, you may say. But that is all I see.
Henceforth, I will take any insult thrown at our nation without batting an eyelid. When they call us monkeys, I can understand. We are not so different. When they call us pigs, I see where they are coming from-are we not so dirty, literally and metaphorically? When they say we are lawless, it is a truth that is as bright as daylight. Bring on the insults. We are Nigerians. We deserve them all. Thanks to the Goodlucks of this nation.
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Friday to reinstate Libya’s membership on the Human Rights Council after its new government pledged before the world body to defend human rights and establish the rule of law.
The General Assembly suspended Libya from the U.N.’s top human rights body on March 1 as part of the international effort to halt Moammar Gadhafi’s violent crackdown on protesters. It accused Gadhafi’s regime of committing “gross and systematic violations of human rights.”
With Gadhafi’s death and a new interim Libyan government in place, the assembly adopted a resolution by a vote of 123-4 with six abstentions to restore Libya’s rights on the council. The four countries voting “no” were Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Before the vote, Libya’s deputy U.N. ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the 193-member world body that the “new Libya” deserved to return to full membership on the Geneva-based council after Gadhafi’s 42-year rule which saw massive violations of human rights.
He stressed the commitment of the National Transitional Council and all Libyan authorities “to respect and adhere to all the obligations of Libya in the field of human rights and … pay great attention to establish rule of law.”
Libya’s suspension was the first from the 47-member Human Rights Council since it was formed in 2006. Based in Geneva, the council is charged with strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
Reflecting the views of the resolution’s opponents, Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Jorge Valero accused NATO of violating Security Council resolutions aimed at protecting civilians by conducting a bombing campaign and “massacring” thousands of civilians, and by providing military assistance and support to Gadhafi’s opponents.
The ouster of Gadhafi’s regime would have been impossible without the involvement of NATO, which maintains its 7-month air campaign was consistent with the Security Council’s resolution and aimed solely at protecting civilians.
Several opponents of the resolution also criticized the circumstances surrounding Gadhafi’s Oct. 20 death after he tried to escape from his hometown, Sirte, in a convoy that was struck by NATO on a highway on the outskirts. Gadhafi suffered some injuries and tried to flee on foot but was captured, beaten by a mob, and died later that day in mysterious circumstances, prompting international demands that Libya’s new leaders investigate his death.
Dabbashi told the General Assembly that “the new Libyan authorities understand and agree that some violations did take place during the confrontation between the revolutionary forces and the forces of the tyrant following the arrest of Gadhafi.”
“This will not be overlooked,” he said. “However, these are isolated, individual incidents which are being carefully investigated in order to realize justice, the rule of law and to make sure that they are not repeated.”
Dabbashi said Libya wanted to assure all countries “that no violations of human rights will take place on Libyan territory in the future — and if it happens, its perpetrators can never get away with it.”
Anybody conversant with the activities of professional detractors in FCT would have by now seen established pattern in their operation. Not long ago, Senator Sidi Ali, the ousted Senator representing FCT joined issue with Hon. Danladi Zhin, the Chairman of Kuje Area Council. The grouse of Sidi Ali was that all the developmental projects completed by Zhin’s administration in his first term in office were inflated. Sidi Ali utilized National Accord Newspaper in advertising has so-called petition to EFCC. The same tabloid was deployed this time around by Hon. Jiba detractors, incidentally, with the same caption: “EFCC swoop on FCT Area Councils over massive fraud” The opening paragraphs the report was still the same with that of Sidi Ali’s, in the process, exposing it as a hatchet job.
The logical deduction that could be made from the uncoordinated attack on Hon. Jiba is that his political traducers were clever just by half. Hon. Jiba’s critics probably reasoned that exploring Sidi Ali’s option wholesale will expose their base intention, it will mean admitting that Hon. JIba had executed developmental projects, but at an inflated prices also. They were now left with the only option of wishing away his developmental efforts so far. It also presents National Accord Newspaper as one that has no pedigree in investigative journalism. Standard journalism practices demands that if they don’t have reporter in AMAC for direct feedback on events, it would have been incumbent on them to cross check material given to them before publication. Inter newsroom collaboration with other Dallies would have afforded them the opportunity of obtaining report on projects completed by Hon. Jiba so far, and save them the embarrassment of being seen by reasonable people as mare blackmailing outfit.
A report in The Nation Newspaper of 17th June 2011 appeared to have made nonsense of the position of Hon. Micah’s critics on the so-called non performance in AMAC so far. The entire report goes thus: Caption, PDP begins monitoring of political office holders. “The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] yesterday began the assessment and monitoring of the activities of its elected officers. The Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, who spoke while inaugurating some projects executed by the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council [AMAC] Micah Jiba, said the party had developed a blueprint for monitoring, observing public office holders elected on the platform of the party. “The directives to our officials, Local government chairmen and state governors is to concentrate on the projects that are of important to the life of the people,” he stated.
Mohammed, who was accompanied by some members of the NWC and former National chairman of PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade, added: “This time around, there will be a robust monitoring of the performance of all our elected officials. Those found not performing will be encouraged and guided”. While saying that the essence of monitoring and assessment exercise is to ensure that elected PDP official delivers good governance to the people, he noted that the PDP is conscious of the fact that it will only win future elections if PDP office holders perform to expectation.
He congratulated Jiba for the project he executed since May last year, saying he did not betray the trust placed on him by the AMAC. “It is our pleasure and pride that PDP’s manifesto is being praticalised with people we trusted and entrusted with power” he said. He, however, enjoined the AMAC chairman to ensure that priority is given to traders presently occupying shops in Karu when the market is rebuilt to international standard.
Jiba told the PDP chieftains that his administration project at Dnako village,18-kilometers township road in Jikwoyi, foundation-laying of new karu international market and another township road at Durumi. Impressed by the electrification project at Dnko village, Bangyi Tezhibeyei, presented a white ram to the PDP Acting National Chairman and assured the entourage that the resident of the village will help to secure the facilities.
President Goodluck Jonathan had during the groundbreaking ceremony of the new PDP national secretariat in Abuja, directed the national leadership of the party to monitor the activities of those elected in the office on the plat form of the party in order to ensure they deliver on their campaign promises to Nigerians”.With this verifiable fact about the practical performance of Hon. Micah Jiba in AMAC above, rational Nigerians will agree with this writer that the author[s] of the story in National Accord Newspaper on the 6th of August 2011, were either not living in FCT or that they are desperate Pull Him Down [PHD] fellows. To start with, the former Acting National Chairman of PDP who is now the Minister of Defence lives in Abuja and can be reached for clarification/verification on issues if doubts exist in the minds of Micah’s traducers. Thankfully, Senator Barnabas Gemade from Benue State was in Alhaji Bello Haliru Mohammed’s entourage on the day projects completed by Hon. Micah Jiba were inaugurated. He too, can be contacted in Abuja by these arm-chair critics of Jiba’s performance in office.
For comprehensive avoidance of doubt, here are comments from verifiable sources on superlative performance of Hon. Jiba as published in AMAC directory: “……I knew I need to come and support this very young and hardworking chairman. I say a round of applause for him. This is what achieving result is all about and we support you. We congratulate you; we congratulate the entire people of Abuja municipal Area Council for this success. We wish you the best, the very best. This is not all you are going to achieve but you have done this in 100days. I wish you the very best, I congratulate you “Mr. Chairman.”
Chief Olusegu Awolowo Mandate Secretary, Area Council Service Secretariat. At the commissioning of project to commemorate, Jiba’s 100day’s in office, July 16th 2010.
“……..The first one hundred days in office represents an important milestone in assessing a leader at least on an administration the world over….. One hundred days in office is enough for you to show that you are a capable leader……”
Immediate past FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed (Rep. by FCT Perm. Secretary) while commissioning project to mark Hon Jibas’s 100days in office.
“…….Our gathering here today is to rejoice and celebrate an achiever who has come to serve his people, who have something to show within first 100days especially, those who voted for him that their trust was not in vain after all….”
Former FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed (Rep by FCT Perm Secretary) while commissioning project to mark Hon Jiba’s 100days in office.
“…..We have noted with admiration and support for Hon. and able Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council. Please join me to congratulate Hon. Jiba for a job well done to appeal to the people to utilize the project judiciously….”
Immediate past FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed (Rep by FCT Perm Secretary) while commissioning projects to mark Hon Jiba’s 100days in office.
“…..I am glad to grace this occasion, as a grassroots man who believe that the child of a poor farmer must rise to the pinnacle of his God giving career. I want to thank Hon. Jiba for fulfilling his campaign promises to the people. Chairman, I want to commend you for fulfilling this promise this afternoon.
…….I will commission these projects today, so that we can achieve environmental cleanliness in FCT, in AMAC in particular.
……Everybody should maintain this market so that it will not be an eyesore”.
Words of Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, Rtd, Outgoing Minister of State, FCT at the commissioning of the newly constructed Utako Market Extension Complex, 6th May, 2011.
The above words on the marble were made by the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed and the Minister of State FCT, first at projects commissioning ceremony, to mark Micah’s 100 days in office. Secondly, at the projects inauguration ceremony to mark Hon. Jiba’s one year of purposeful leadership in AMAC.
It could be clearly seen that non performance criticism of Micah’s administration collapsed upon critical analysis. On the issue of allegation of lack of prudence in tenement rate management, this writer will like to recommend FOOT PRINTS Magazine- A directory that contains the entire projects executed/contracted by Hon. Micah Jiba in the past one and half year in office for the purpose of better information. The directory contained a graphic detail of completed projects in the following areas: [A] Educational Empowerment [B] Road Construction [C] Primary Health Care System [D] Youth Development & Empowerment [E] Potable Water Scheme [F] Sustainable Rural Electrification Scheme [G] Agriculture And Rural Development [H] Market Development & Internal Revenue Drive. There is no doubt that Hon. Micah Jiba traducers misfired on his performance in office so far, for National Accord Newspaper, maintaining a reporter in AMAC will help them to track the performance of Hon. Jiba and help boost their investigative ability.
Emeka Oraetoka
Information Management Consultant & Researcher
Wrote in from Garki-Abuja
P.O.Box 18928
e-mail:oramekllis@lycos.com
For those who may not have known that in Ebonyi state, contracts are awarded by the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi to his contract firm, M and J Construction Company and that of his Deputy, Chief Dave Umahi, Brass Construction limited.
In this Interview, Mr. Chaka Nweze, of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Ebonyi state, who was the local government council Chairman of Ohaozara LGA under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and hails from the same community with the National Chairman of the ANPP, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu spoke on issues that bother the state. How he became council boss The truth of the matter is that shortly before I became the council chairman, I was A very strong member of PDP, and the PDP government then under Sam Egwu was a very masses-oriented government, a lot of developmental projects were scattered all over the places and so it was easier for people to make up their mind where they wanted to go to. At that time, we had little or no opposition in the state, even though Ogbonnaya Onu was running for governorship in ANPP, people had made up their mind to go PDP way, so at that time it was easier for us and people voted massively for PDP irrespective of the fact that Onu came from the same area. No, it is not true. In 2007, you cannot ascertain what happened because crisis ensured before the election. There was an allegation that I made away with election materials which was not true because it has been investigated and proven not true. It was like an imagination, people were massively supporting my party at that time where I ran the local government and when Onu was running, he approached me to talk to the people to vote for him. Even though, ordinarily, I would have done
that, but as a party man, I felt it was like anti-party for me to tell the people not to vote for my party and vote for Ogbonnaya Onu who incidentally is my brother. So I had this problem and I said no its either I resign from PDP and join him or remain in PDP and vote for my party. So when I took that decision, it was difficult for Onu to harvest votes from my place, so what he did was set the people against me. On the Election Day people had already made up their mind that I was going to carry the election materials which I never did, so around 7: 30 am at the pre-election briefing at the INEC office, houses were set ablaze, the traditional ruler’s house was set ablaze; Dave Umahi’s house was equally set ablaze among other houses.
The 2007 vote for PDP in Ohaozara
Why he left PDP for ANPP four years after.
Yes, it is not a matter of complain, it is a matter of the content of the complaint. The content of the complaint may be different. Why I left PDP was, I and a whole lot of other supporters of PDP were not comfortable by the way and manner the PDP was being run under the leader of Engr. Dave Umahi when he was the state party chairman. When the crisis was starting, we made strong complaint to the National Headquarters of the PDP that the way and manner the party was being run was tantamount to spoiling the party and that something urgent need to be done. That advice was not heeded to and we even went to the office of the then National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo that the founding members of the party are being sidelined out of the party. I was suspended for a flimsy reason that I don’t attend party functions. I was never invited to any party function even Obinna Ogba who was the party chairman was suspended for the same reason and I challenged them to show me evidence of invitation to any party function that I refused
to attend. Those were the flimsy reasons they were giving and a substantial number of us including Idu Igarawey were all suspended and we saw it as a ploy by very few individuals who have the high propensity to eat what belongs to everybody and so that was a way to edge most of us out of the government.
The running of Ebonyi state
If you check the way and manner the state is being run, the way contracts are being given out, you find out that it is just few individuals. I may not go into mentioning names but I can bet you that when time comes, I will but contracts in Ebonyi state revolves around not more that 5 or 6 people in a state of more than two million people and some of these jobs that are being given out are not even being executed. That was how most of us started complaining, that we can’t run the state like this; that we can’t run the party like that. We even issued a threat that if nothing changed, we will leave the party and when nothing was done, we left because we have freedom of association and we are all human beings. We needed a platform that we could use to run an election and remember they had suspended us and so we took our decision. I am sure you will be surprised how I found myself in ANPP, it was not a unilateral decision of mine, it was a collective decision and you know politics is a group game. A decision was taken because ANPP was seen as a party that was already on the ground comparatively to other political parties like the PDP. So we needed a platform that is already rooted that we can fine tune. Irrespective of whatever transpired between me and my brother (Onu) is in the past and does not really matter. What mattered was that we needed to move ahead and incidentally the man at the head of affairs of the ANPP is my own brother despite what happened in the past, it does not mean we are not brothers. So it was an easier place for me and the rest of us to move into ANPP.
The ANPP and election petition tribunal
Yes, so far so good. We didn’t just go to tribunal because we wanted to go there. We went to tribunal because we felt we won the election. As a matter of fact we won the election because the people of Ebonyi state needed a change because of the way and manner the state is being run so we needed a change and the change people of Ebonyi state needed was demonstrated at the polls despite the intimidation of the ANPP, using money inducement, police and the army, people still came out and voted. We also went to the tribunal because we know that by electoral act, whoever has the highest number of valid votes that meets the 2/3 spread in all the LGA wins. So we did our calculations and so far, the tribunal is coming out well, the result of the forensic analysis is out and if I have to be specific, you cannot believe it, approximately one hundred and seventy something thousand votes were thumb printed by less than four hundred people from the forensic examination.
But the tribunal refused to accept the result of that forensic examination.
Yes. Most times you are at the mercy of the judges but we are right now on cross appeal. It is unheard of in legal profession that you grant a petitioner to go all out and prove his case and the petitioner has gone out to bring expert to prove facts of his case and you say you are not taking it so why did you grant the motion to do forensic? That is why we are on appeal asking that they should take what they have asked us to do which we have done and I am sure that once the forensic is admitted, the truth will be out. The allegation is highly unfounded. You don’t have only one clergy, the clergy is made up of so many men of God and they have many associations. If the clergy is disenchanted with the way the state is being run, even if I am the head of CAN, I can voice out what is being done in my state that I don’t like. If clergy A says he was not part of it, it does not mean that clergy B was not part of it and it is not all the clergy in Ebonyi state that is saying we are not part of it. The clergy is just voicing out what they feel is wrong in their state after the entire tribunal door is open to all.
The clergy and advertorial
ANPP and PDP
Yes off course because the ANPP is the masses movement and the person at the helm of affairs will be executing masses oriented projects and for crying out loud, what is governance, the well being of the governed. ANPP is not unmindful that any mandate you have now is a mandate given by the people.
Bridges are not what government is all about. Government is about getting your priorities right. The question would have been, how do we better the lives of common men in Ebonyi state? You cannot tell me to cross any bridge when there is no food on my table; it is only when there is food on my table that I could move out, what does a bridge mean to me when I cannot even eat?
November 17, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir today presided over the final session of the cabinet paving the way for the formation of a new one.
Sudan official news agency said that Bashir thanked the ministers and state ministers for their work stressing that those who are not picked to join the new government should not feel that they have underperformed.
The Sudanese leader said that reshuffling is a normal process necessitated by the policy to decrease the number of ministries and ensure the participation of other political forces.
Even though Bashir disbanded the government he has yet to announce his new cabinet amid conflicting reports on the participation of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The spokesman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Ibrahim Ghandour said that his party is keen on enlisting all political powers including the DUP and National Umma Party (NUP) and to close doors in front of foreign intervention.
But Ghandour warned that the NCP cannot wait any longer for those parties to join saying that the people want a new government that would fulfill their aspirations. He stressed that it is up to president Bashir to make the final decision.
The NUP led by former Prime Minister al-Sadiq al-Mahdi has already formally rejected participation in NCP-led government while the DUP has been giving conflicting signals.
The Governor of Adamawa State, Gov Nyako has returned to Yola, the State capital following his trip to Saudi Arabia for the 2011 hajj pligrimage three weeks ago. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates the governor returned Yesterday evening.
The governor had collapsed in Saudi Arabia at the holy ground when he had bent over to pick a stone in order to fulfil his religious rite. His collapse, as gathered, was the result of fatigue. Following his collapse, he was said to have been stepped on by the crowd of people who were also participating in the religious rites. His ADC was said to have rescue him from being further trampled upon.
From Saudi Arabia, the governor was flown to Germany cutting short the trip to the Holy Ground. Sources close to the government house in Yola indicate that the Governor may have been briefly admitted to a German hospital. This is as other sources within the Yola government quarters denied that the governor was admitted in a hospital. They stated that he went to Germany to visit the former Nigerian dictator, Ibrahim Babangida at a hospital in Germany.
Gov Nyako is scheduled to travel to France with President Jonathan tomorrow.
Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the former Senator of the south senatorial district of Anambra State, in the person of Barrister Ikechukwu Obiorah, has sued the government of Anambra State along with the Nigerian Police Force and Paul B PLC [a court injunction] against the continued construction of the Anambra Liaison Office located in the Central Business District in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory [FCT].
The court injunction which the former senator pasted at the entrance of the abandoned construction site – stated that the court has ordered for work to be halted on the site until further notice. The injunction, as a result, has put a stop to the efforts of the Anambra State government to complete the project that was abandoned by Senator Obiorah’s company 8 years ago.
As 247ureports.com reported previously, the Federal government of Nigeria had issued an ultimatum to the ggovernment of Anambra State to act on the abandoned building or have it demolished by the federal government. The building, according to the federal government, poses a security risk to the sensitive neighboring structures in the area.
