The traditional ruler of Mgboko Umuanunu Ancient Kingdom, HRM Eze F.O Osuji has berated the member representing Obingwa/ Osisioma / Ugwunagbor Federal constituency, Hon. Eziuche Ubani over alleged poor performance.
Speaking to the lawmaker at the end of the Ward verification visit for proposed electoral wards in the community embarked upon by the Abia state Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC), the monarch was said to have lambasted Ubani for what he described as not being touch with his constituents.
A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity said the monarch decried Ubani’s style of representation. “People have been complaining about your behaviour. I have seen it myself that you are not doing well. You are supposed to be meeting regularly with the people as their representative. This is not how things are supposed to be. You have to attend to the needs of the people who elected you to represent them, not to be far from them,” he said.
The source further added that Ubani who was shocked at the outburst of the royal father, could not utter a word as he only promised to come back to see the monarch.
Residents of the area who were at the event confirmed the incident, describing the Monarch who retired as Major in the Nigerian Army as a no nonsense traditional ruler who does not condone evil.
247ureports.com gathered that across the three councils that make up the constituency, the people are said to be lamenting their fate as they allege that Ubani who chairs the House committee on Climate Change, has abandoned them since he was re-elected.
The Rivers State Independent Publishers Association (RIVPA) announces the sudden demise of our member, Mr. Kenneth Amabipi, publisher of the Newswriter newspaper.
Mr Amabipi passed away on Monday, 12th November, 2012 after a brief illness.
RIVPA wishes to commiserate with the Amabipi family and the entire journalism profession on this painful incident, and pray the God Almighty to grant the family and his loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss
Today, one of the murdered four students at Aluu community by the vigilante operatives of Aluu community – in the person of Lloyd Micheals was buried today at the Port Harcourt State Cemetry.
Lloyd was one of the four undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) that were lynched at Aluu community in Rivers State for allegedly stealing laptops and mobile phones.
Yesterday, a service of song was held for Lloyd. Today, he was buried. In attendance were, UNIPORT V.C represented by the dean, Students’affairs, prof Henry Leopold Bell’gam. Chairman Police Community Relations Committee, Hon. Henry Young – no police presence or the state government representatives.
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Following the murder, Lloyd’s mother, Mrs Toku, expressed shock that the crowd could watch as her son and his friends were gruesomely murdered.
Read what she had to say below;
When we got there, one of them was still breathing. He was gasping for breath, but the crowd…they were all there watching while my baby (Lloyd) was butchered. Come to my area and ask questions about my child; the child I trained. Penultimate Sunday, we went to church, Salvation Ministry; that is where he worshipped. We all went together for the second service. He stayed back for the remaining service. When he came back, he started preparing to go to school. I can still see him as I talk to you.
He brought out a book; ‘How Faith Works’ by David Ibiyomie and he said ‘Mummy, read this book and you will know what faith is all about. By the time I come back on Friday, you will tell me what faith is all about. Ever since, I have been moving around with that book, so that I could read and not get him angry when he comes back from school and ask me about what I learnt from the book.
Thursday was his daddy’s birthday. Lloyd called him and wished him happy birthday. When his daddy asked him if he would be coming home to celebrate the birthday with the family, he promised he’d come back on Friday after lectures. But on Friday morning, we got the call that my son was being beaten. How can I erase the fact that my son was lynched from my mind? He studied very hard and got admission into the university.
Abia state governor, Chief Theodore Orji says his administration will soon commence the commissioning of projects in the state.
Orji who gave the hint in a chat with newsmen during the inspection of the new secretariat building, new high court complex and international conference centre said he was impressed with the level of work done in all the sites he visited.
He stated that his administration has been able to fund the building of the projects due to its efficient management of resources available to it, stressing that any amount that comes into government treasury is utilized wisely.
The governor expressed his readiness to encourage the contractors for the speedy completion of the projects. He further assured that work will soon commence on other projects in the state immediately the rains subside.
President Goodluck Jonathan is to speak on matters that are currently of interest to the nation in the next edition of the Presidential Media Chat on Sunday, November 18, 2012.
During the Presidential Media Chat which will be broadcast live on the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), President Jonathan will answer questions and respond to comments from a panel of reputable media practitioners on a broad range of issues that are presently in the public domain.
The Presidential Media Chat will begin at 1900 hours and all other television and radio stations in the country are advised to hook up to the network services of NTA and FRCN to transmit the programme for the benefit of their viewers and listeners.
Heroin hidden in woollen carpets and footballs as well as other seized and forfeited narcotics were on Thursday November 15, 2012 publicly destroyed by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Badagry, Lagos. The Chairman/Chief Executive of the anti-narcotics Agency, Ahmadu Guiade who supervised the exercise where over 12.6 tons of illicit drugs were destroyed said that any society that fails to destroy drugs will end up being destroyed by drugs. The street value of the drugs is 13.6 billion naira.
ndlea chairman and stakeholders inspecting rugs ladden with heroin and jacket of methamphetamine at the event
The total weight of drugs destroyed in compliance with court order is 12,676.121kg. This includes 12,543.260kg of cannabis, 76.341kg of heroin, 43.770kg of cocaine, 3.600kg of methamphetamine and 9.15kg of amphetamine. “Any society that fails to destroy drugs will end up being destroyed by drugs. Cannabis like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine has serious consequences on health, economy and security of a nation. We shall not take any decision that will ruin the future of our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow” NDLEA chairman stressed.
officials setting 12,600kg of drugs at badagry
Giade also stated that medical or recreational reasons are not enough for Nigeria to legalise the use cannabis. In his words, “let it be made clear that Nigeria is not considering legalising cannabis or any other narcotic drugs for recreational use. The future of our youths is greater than any recreational consideration”. The anti-drug boss added that as a nation, there are legitimate ways to recreate. He listed sports, dancing, singing, wrestling, festivals and other legitimate socio-cultural activities as highly recreational.
Though drug barons tried to industrially conceal drugs, still the authorities have successfully detected drugs in many items. The Agency therefore assured that it will continue to counter the activities of drug syndicates until they quit the criminal act. “Every drug seized and destroyed, and every drug trafficker arrested and convicted reassures us that our society can be completely free of drugs. I implore you to support drug control programmes as we intercept more drugs and dismantle drug cartels in the days ahead”.
Consequences of drug trafficking and abuse include untimely death, loss of jobs, broken marriages and pain. The Agency therefore called for a collective action against drug trafficking. “Every Nigerian, male or female, rich or poor, young or old has a right to good health. In addition, they need a safe society to express their potentials and actualise their aspirations. We must take up our responsibilities as adults, parents and opinion leaders. I urge you to inspire the youths into becoming better adults and leaders” Giade urged.
The event was witnessed by stakeholders including royal fathers, heads of military, paramilitary agencies, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and students.
Israeli soldiers rest by their armoured personnel carriers (APC) stationed on the Israel-Gaza border on November 15, 2012.
Israeli troops massing on the border of Gaza pose a dilemma for a U.S. administration that supports America’s closest Mideast ally while trying to defuse an escalating conflict before it deepens the instability in a changing Arab world.
The Obama administration’s hopes for containing the crisis rest largely on economically fragile Egypt and its president, Mohamed Mursi, who was drawn from the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent organization of Hamas, which controls Gaza and sparked the latest confrontation by lobbing hundreds of rockets into Israel. The U.S. and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist group.
“Right now, the United States is torn between the solidarity with its closest ally in the Middle East and a desire to court the new Egyptian government and the Egyptian people, the latter in particular who are very sympathetic to Hamas and hostile to Israel,” said Daniel Byman, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington policy group.
Domestic political considerations are in play as well, as President Barack Obama faced criticism during his re-election campaign that he wasn’t doing enough to support Israel. In the Nov. 6 election, Obama won 69 percent of the Jewish vote, down from 78 percent in 2008, according to national exit polls.
Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center, a Washington policy group, said: “There’s absolutely no way this president is not going to demonstrate full and complete support for Israel on this issue, particularly as this involves jihadi groups which are operating with a fair degree of impunity.”
New World
The last time Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip, in late 2008, Obama was waiting to take office and the Arab world was a different place. Autocrats such as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hadn’t been felled by the Arab Spring movement and provided the U.S. and Israel with stability.
Four years later, Syria is in chaos, with mortar shells and random artillery fire hitting Israel’s north. The U.S. and its allies are convinced that Iran is edging closer to a nuclear weapon. Jordan, an important U.S. ally and long a source of stability on Israel’s eastern border, is facing growing unrest that has erupted in shooting, according to the Petra News Agency.
While Egypt remains a signatory to a 1979 peace treaty with Israel and its Suez Canal gives the U.S. Navy a route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, the Obama administration is still trying to forge ties with the new Islamist government in Cairo.
Public Opinion
As Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Mursi must reckon with pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli public opinion, even as he must maintain U.S. support for continued American aid and loans he’s negotiating with groups such as the IMF.
An administration official, who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record, said the Obama administration has asked Mursi, Turkey and Europe to mediate between Hamas and the Israelis. The message the administration sent to Egypt, the official said, was that the Gaza conflict risks greater threats to civilians and could escalate if it continues.
“Both we and the Egyptians agree there needs to be a de-escalation, and we urged the government of Egypt to take steps to support that kind of de-escalation,” deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner said yesterday.
Mursi shares the Obama administration’s goal of preventing any escalation in Gaza, even as he will protect his domestic political image while doing so, said Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland.
Regional Leadership
“He doesn’t want his opponents to taunt him by saying there’s no difference between him and Mubarak,” who often kept quiet in the face of Israeli actions in Gaza, Telhami said.
Mursi has styled himself a leader who can restore Egypt’s regional leadership. After Israel’s Gaza operation began, he recalled his ambassador to Israel, appealed to the UN Security Council to end the fighting, condemned Israel and sent his prime minister and intelligence chief to Gaza today.
Obama also faces the danger that the Gaza operation could further destabilize Jordan, which has a population that’s roughly half Palestinian. Riots over food prices and the lack of political reform have rippled through the kingdom. A crisis there would leave Israel surrounded on three sides by active instability.
King Abdullah
If King Abdullah doesn’t take the sort of symbolic moves in support of Palestinians that Mursi has made, “a lot of people could latch onto that to broaden claims against the king,”Telhami said.
Israeli leaders took into account the regional tensions that might be inflamed by the Gaza operation, Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said in an interview. “We’re factoring in instability throughout the region, how it impacts situations in neighboring countries,” Oren said.
“We pay a price in terms of some of our relationships in the world, in the media; but you have to weigh that against the lives of a million Israelis,” Oren said.
House of Representatives deputy leader and member representing Isoko Federal constituency in the lower chambers, Mr. Leo Ogor Okuweh
By Our Reporter, Delta state
As more condemnation and controversy continue to trail last weekend physical brawl between the House of Representatives deputy leader and member representing Isoko Federal constituency in the lower chambers, Mr. Leo Ogor Okuweh and the factional Isoko youth president, Comrade Isaac Ogaga Egbuwoku, both men have come to deny the brawl ever took place.
After having briefed 247ureports.com on the brawl, the youth leader has turned around to contradict himself – in his attempt to deny that he fought with the lawmaker.
Immediately following the show of shame the youth president – in talking to our correspondent – insisted that he fought with the lawmaker following his (lawmaker’s) inability to respect a deal reached with him to engage some youths to compliment the security men on ground during the public hearing held at Oputa Hall, Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State.
As at the time of this report the issue has generated over two hundred comments on a social media page christened “Umeh Need Road” but the embattled lawmaker apart from denying the fight and describing it as “injustice and unfair” on “Umeh Need Road” he has failed to come out to formally tell his own side of the story.
Here’s the telephone conversion that ensued with a Journalist and the Youth leader explaining and insisting that he fought with the lawmaker in his house.
Journalist: I hear say u dey beat Leo for e house for Ozoro?
Ogaga: We fight, the guy dey fuck up, e dey do anyhow, he no dey respect himself at all, he go give people work, he go dey talk to them like say na im boys, it’s not done like that na.
Journalist: Hello sir is it true that both of you fought?
Ogaga: We fought na, for e house, for he house na.
Journalist: He say make you arrange your youths before to maintain peace?
Ogaga: Yes na, we do everything, he say make I bring boys, I say ok, no give me money to pay them, give me money for the bus when you say make I rent, answer me, e no dey answer me, he just dey talk to me anyhow, I come tell am say make he no dey talk to me like say I be thug or this thing, I said give me the money, if you don’t want to give me, tell me let me go, he come dey tell me say make I go outside, I ask am say why I go go outside? Why should I go outside?
I come tell am say make he no dey address me like that because me as an individual I be big man as him dey, he no dey feed me, he no dey do anything for me so make him no dey address me like that. Na wetin make me de vex for am self. You cannot give people assignment and treat people with disdain, it’s not done anywhere. So the God wen save am be say, him boys when be wan fight me, he himself nearly fight dem, because supposing them fight me, I for carry that place, put that place on fire, I have over one thousand boys that were waiting for me outside. you understand?
Journalist: But no be say two of una fight sha?
Ogaga: Wetin be fight, he tear my cloths and I dey hold him cloth de do everything, because in fact he day behave like thug. Them tear my cloths, them scatter my things, but at the end of the day, him boys wen de want fight me, na him com they fight them, na him dey tell them say make them no touch me, I wish they touch me, the fight for no just be wetin happen for that place so, I for extend am. So, him boys say them go wait for me for outside, I say make them wait for me because I get boys outside, I get boys wen dey wait for me for outside and we go do the battle for outside na.
At the end of the day, na because Ogwa com beg me say make I apologize for am. I apologize for am but my apology to him was not because what he did was right, I was angry with him, it was because Ogwa asked me to apologize to him that was why I apologized. If not for Ogwa, I no go apologize for am, and nothing go happen if no be Ogwa, I no go apologize, you understand? na because say Ogwa na my person, Ogwa de perform, him say oh.. Egbuwoku, u no go stop?
I come say bros na because of u or I no go do am because I have not done any wrong, he gave me an assignment, the assignment he gave me, give me the money to pay for the bus not to even settle the boys cos I will settle the boys myself. You understand? So before that situation, I don complain give Eto say, see the situation oo, him say e go talk to am. I don complain give him PA Dr. Paul, him (Leo) com call Ogorugba, you know Ogorugba, him com call Ogorugba, Ogorugba say him no go ague, him (Leo) com call David Onojega, David com com, de wan attack me.
I com tell David say me I no dey fear you for anything ooo. Because of the way this man dey behave, I never com him house for a very long time ooo. This is somebody that gave me appointment to come to Abuja, I spent three days for Abuja stayed in Hotel, me and my deputy, were in a Hotel where I was paying 9,000 per night for three days two of us, you know how much this can cost.
The man take me to his house, na him SA Dr. Paul tell am say, ‘you gave this boys appointment to see you, talk to them, attend to them’ but at the end of the day we were not even able to discuss, he gave me twenty thousand naira that is not even part of my fuel, him will call you but because of Akukwata wen calm me down, presido no worry no do this no do that. So since that time I don’t talk to him, I don’t go to his house and I don’t do anything with him.
What he did was a national assignment, I was nominated by the Delta State youth council to represent Isoko National Youth Movement, that was why I was there, I went to show myself to him and he say he done ready hear, and say dem don forward my name to am. And I said we are about so so so number and he said no no no just one bus and I told him that 20 youths will contain one bus and he agreed to pay ten thousand for the bus. And for the boys he promised to pay when we come. We do reach na oo him no gree pay the boys, I say ok give me the 10k for the bus and I will settle my boys myself, that is not a problem. As I enter the house him say oooo you be youth guy.
I challenged him, I say oga you are treating me with disdain, you gave me an assignment and I expected you to respect my interest if not for my person as an individual but for the position am holding, but as an individual I am not a write off, I am a big man just like you, I have my personal house, my private cars am driving, the way you are maintaining your cars, the same ways I am maintaining mine, I have wife and children, the same private school wen your children de go na im my children dey go to, so you don’t treat me with disdain. You cannot treat me with that disdain. Him just turn na him say ‘I don tell u make u de go’ na im I com say why I go go when you give me assignment and you have not taken care of me? Na so them de behave?
So at that level, him com say I dey challenge am. Na im I com say why I no go challenge u? you are treating people like say them no be human being, even if you are treating people, u don’t treat me like that because as an individual I am a well to do person, then my family background, there is no political name that can be counted in Isoko 1 2 3 without been counted amongst people, so don’t treat me like that. So at that level, that im boy David, he torn my cloths everything but that no be my problem, him dey voke, I tell am say you as an individual can u fight me? I will beat you and kill you.
When Leo see the way him boys de com… I com say when una touch me, I have a thousand boys outside, we will set this house ablaze and nothing will happen, na then him com dey tell im boys say make them no fight me oo, make them no waylay me oo, say nobody should fight me outside but I was expecting and I wish they attack me, I don tell am say no cross Isoko North come Isoko South. Because I will be there and I will attack you. I no go mind I will personally attack him with my boys (on full regalia) so that was the situation.
The lawmaker did not answer calls made to his mobile phone nor did he respond to text messages. However, one of his aides said it was not true that Mr. Okuweh fought with anybody.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided by Justice Adamu Bello on November 15, 2012, dismissed the application of the former governor of Adamawa state, Boni Haruna and three others to quash the 28 count charges of fraud and embezzlement of public fund preferred against them.
The quartet who were re-arraigned on Tuesday, February 9, 2010,by the Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 28 count charges of fraud and embezzlement of public fund during the administration of the first accused (Boni Haruna) as governor of Adamawa state between 1999 and 2007, are Mohammed Inuwa Bassi, a former Minority Leader in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, John Babani Elias, an aide of the ex governor and Al-Akim Investment Nigeria Limited. They were first arraigned in 2008.
The former governor was alleged to have on or about the 13th day of November, 2002 at Yola fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Cheque no.0348501 dated 13/11/2002 in the sum of N 10,000,000.00 drawn on account number no 3613406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi , with intent that the said cheque may be acted as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap 410 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals ( certain consequential Amendments, etc) Decree no 62 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the same Act.
Similarly, he was alleged to have on or about the 12th day of March, 2003 while governor, fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, cheque no. 3049628 dated 12/3/2003 in the sum of N16,125,000.00 drawn on account number no, 361 3406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him, in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi with intent that the said cheque may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap 410 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals (certain Consequential Amendments, etc), Decree no. 62 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the same Act.
Shortly after the court granted the accused persons bail, they challenged the jurisdiction of the court to try them and also argued that the proof of evidence against them did not show a prima-facie and therefore the entire charges, an abuse of court process. They further argued that the offence for which they were charged took place in Adamawa state and
not Abuja ; therefore prayed the court to transfer the case to Adamawa state.
It would be recalled that written addresses were adopted in November, 2011 and the matter was adjourned to 31st January 2012 for ruling. But the ruling could not be given and the matter was further adjourned to Match 7, 2012. Again, the ruling was not ready and the matter was adjourned sine-die, as counsels phone numbers were taken with a promise to reach them through their phones.
At the resumed hearing of the case on November 15, 2012, the judge, in his ruling, dismissed the applications praying for the quashing of the 28 criminal count charge against them. He said the court is not empowered to quash the charges when witnesses have not been heard. The judge however ruled that the case be transferred to Adamawa state as Abuja has no territorial jurisdiction to hear the case. This, he said is in view of the precedent of the transfer of ex-governor James Ibori’s case from Kaduna to Asaba, Delta state.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday November 15,2012 re-arraigned former minister of works, Dr. Hassan Lawal and nine others before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 44 count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, conversion, and fraud to the tune of N75.7 billion.
Lawal and his co accused (Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola, Digital Toll Company Limited; Swede Control Interlink Limited; Proman Vital Ventures Limited; Nairda Limited; Siraj Nigeria Limited and Wise Health Services Limited), who were first arraigned on May 11, 2011, however pleaded not guilty to the amended charge.
The prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu sought the leave of the court to commence trial as, according to him, the prosecution was ready to move speedily with trial and indeed had a witness on hand to testify against the accused persons.
Testifying, Mr. Chike Nwibe, a deputy superintendent of police with the EFCC and a member of the investigating team, revealed how a contract to build what was known as Buto Bagana Bridge project across River Benue from Nasarawa to Kogi state became an avenue to swindle the state by the former minister and his accomplices.
He disclosed how, despite objections to the handling of the contract by stakeholders, the inability of the concessionaires to pay their side of the equity fund, and the resolution not to approve further payments for the project, the former minister went ahead to release the sum of N3 billion to Digital Toll Company Limited.
The company, registered a day before the contract was awarded and owned by the second accused, Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola was made concessionaire of the project which was originally given to Swede Control Intertek Limited (equally owned by the second accused) by the Federal Executive Council.
Nwibe further stated that apart from not paying 60 percent of the equity contribution in the Public /Private Partnership contract agreement, Digital Toll Company diverted part of the N6.4billion 40 percent contribution by the public partners (the Nasarawa, Kogi and Federal governments).
Other anomalies discovered during investigation including the award and payment of a satellite imaging contract to Sirag GIS Transport Limited to the tune of N438 million, even though the same project had earlier been awarded to Nairda Limited for N2.6 million and fully paid.
The case has been adjourned to 4th and 6th February, 2013 for continuation of trial.
