By Great Osibe, Awka, Anambra

Politics may not indeed be a game for the chicken hearted. This was amply made manifest during last weekend’s botched Grand Rally believed to have been bankrolled by the Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo.

So hideously manipulated that the local media were not even brought into the picture in an event some pundits believe was aimed at wearing the toga of a state congress for the covert anointment and selection of a PDP governorship candidate.

The rally was planned by the said Nwankpo’s backed Anambra State Congress Group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had Pastor Emma Obiora as Chairman, Hon. Chris Uche Okoye and Hon. Maurice Anolue as chairman and secretary of the Planning Committee respectively.

But the hawks in PDP were not taken unawares as they rose to the occasion to file a suit stopping the so called Grand Rally..

The Federal High Court presided by Honourable Justice M.T. Salihu in suit No. FHC/AWK/CS/300/2012 filed by a factional chairman of the PDP Prince Ken Emeakayi, through his counsel, I.C. Nsofor against the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Pastor Emma Obiora, Hon. Maurice Anolue and Hon. Chris Uche Okoye, restrained the 3 – 5^th respondents, their servants, subordinates, workmen, agents or privies from presenting, parading and holding out themselves, as the chairman, the secretary and the chairman of the Planning Committee of the Group, and from convening, continuing to convene meetings and/or rally of the group on Saturday December 2012 as scheduled pending the determination of the motion on notice for order of mandamus by the applicant.

The order made by the presiding Judge, also directed the 1^st and 2^nd respondents and all police officers under their command, to ensure compliance with the order of court in the suit if and when granted and ensure compliance wit the judgment order of court in suit No. A/171/2011, to avoid any breakdown of law and order in Anambra state , pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for order of mandamus.

The police and other security operatives enforced the orders to the letters, cordoning off the Emmaus House venue of the occasion, and forcing hired supporters from the local government areas back to base.

So embarrassing was the botched rally that political observers have continued to wonder why top Nigerians who were expected to grace the burial of the younger brother to the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, chief Innocent Meni Jonathan at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Of Bayelsa, were slated to grace attend the Awka rally.

Listed to attend the Fresh Congress Group’s Rally in Awka, Anambra State capital were Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was to serve as the chief host, with billionaire business moguls, Prince Arthur Eze, the chairman of Atlas Oranto Petroleum Limited and Sir Emeka Offor,the Chairman of Chrome Group Limited were invited as chairman and co-chairman of the occasion respectively..

Also to attend were David Mark, the Senate President,WAziri Aminu Tambuwai, speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Princess Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation, Senator Ben Ndii Obi, Special Adviser to the President on Inter-party Affairs; Nze Nwankpo, Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters and Senato Joy Emordi, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters.

The others listed in the invitation to attend the event were Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Second Republic Vice President, Olisa Metuh,PDP NATIONAL Publicity Secretary, Ijaw Nation activist, Dr. Edwin Clark, Alhaji Mohammed Gusau, all elected PDP members from both the National and State Assemblies

Some of those whose names were included in the invitation card have faulted the scheduled date for the rally, but said they preferred to hide their identity.

But for the court action, the rally would have been a disgraceful one as almost all those that were to attend were billed to attend the Otuoke burial same day.

The suit though a set back was a mixed grill.

Investigations revealed that the not-so-well organized rally was to serve as a test ground of people’s acceptability of the President’s man who many have vowed to fight to finish if he dared come.

It was gathered that about three other unregistered groups have put together to provide similar platform for Nwankpo, who is coming into Anambra political landscape with Anambra Responds, a project said to work for the interest of the flood displaced persons.

When contacted on phone, Emeakayi stated that the suit was filed to the masquerade behind the Fresh Congress Group to unmask himself pointing out that politics in Anambra State had gone beyond a hide and seek game more so for such a high profile slot as the governorship.

Emeakayi who parades himself as the Chairman of the PDP in the State expressed worry with the timing of the event which he said was calculated to embarrass the President as it coincided with the burial of Jonathan’s younger brother at Otuoke, Bayelsa state where all those that were listed in the invitation would attend.

He doubted the motive of the group which he said was not known o the PDP and threatened to seek further clarification with the Independent National Electoral Commission, whether Fresh Congress Group had anything in common with the just deregistered Fresh Party of Pastor Chris Okotie or not.

But in a swift reaction, Pastor Obiora in a media chat in Awka yesterday said all those invited to the event including Ekwueme gave their blessing to the event, pointing out that “we (Fresh Congress Group of PDP) are no faction of PDP but we are grassroots politicians who want to make peace at the grassroots.”

According to him, the sponsors of the botched rally were the enemies of the state and party who wanted to stop the party and later defect to another party at the appropriate election time to seek for the endless aspiration.

He stated that “the main objective of the rally was and still remains to provide an enabling rallying point for a small segment of about 8,000 members only of the grassroots supporters of PDP in the state drawn from all the 21 local government areas under the umbrella of FCG to tell Anambrarians, Nigerians and the rest of the world that they are tired of fractionalization, divisions, confusion, court suits, imposition of candidates, godfatherism etc in Anambra state chapter of PDP.

“The requested such a platform to voice out their grievances against what led to a failure of PDP to win the governorship elections in Anambra state in 2007 and 2010 respectively. They wanted to use the platform to suggest to the Presidency and the National Executive Committee of PDP certain measures to take that will enable PDP take back the governorship of Anambra state in 2014.

‘Unfortunately, the enemies of PDP in Anambra state who are hell bent in destroying the party in the state, and in their usual manner orchestrated another court injunction to stop a peace intentional rally which could have served as a rallying point for all factions in the state to come together under one PDP umbrella…”

The FCG chairman pointed out that the group lost about N37 million following the order of the court which stopped the rally, noting however, that the purpose of stifling the group was not realized rather it had made it more popular and acceptable.

According to him, time would tell about the relevance f the group, stressing that by the next three months, Fresh Congress Group would take over Anambra State and deliver power to the PDP come 2014.

Though observers see the development as another round of ugly political development which the PDP is used to, but wonder why the loyalists of the Presidential aide chose to toy with his first major political outing by tending to embarrass the party national leadership on the day the President was billed to bury his brother. Nwankpo, according to political watchers, is not new to political somersaulting having even failed in his ward in the last major election held in the state.. His supporters are even becoming wary.

The perceived neglect by the management of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Nembe community of Nemebe Local Government Area of Bayelsa state has continued to cause confusion in the area as women and youths disrupted and hold hostage of Senior Traditional rulers over alleged lack of support for the oil and gas committee by its leadership which has Chief Nengi James as Chairman .

Some of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs had a fortnight ago stayed away from the protest action staged by women and youths of the existing communities and fishing settlements in Nembe Kingdom to stop oil exploration activities at the Oil field of the Shell Production and Development Company (SPDC) over failure to meet the demand of the oil and gas committee.

It will be recalled that the SPDC had last week convened a meeting with the community leaders and the proposal of the oil and Gas committee put forward before the company before the shut down was adopted, as the issue of electricity had continued to posse a problem.

According to the communities, the action was triggered by the continued disregard of the SPDC to the agreement reached at the meeting with the company on the need to provide two CAT 200kva before the yuletide season and pending when it will be possible for the company to build a gas turbine for the community.

247ureports.com gathered that the women numbering over two hundred and armed with placards stormed the venue of the enlarged meeting of the Chiefs in Nembe and accused them of frustrating the efforts of the people and accepting gratification from the SPDC.

The Meeting of the Chiefs, which was being held under the Nembe-Ibie was stopped midway and doors to the Town Hall was locked to prevent them from escaping, just as the women demanded that such treatment of the traditional heads will continue if they fail to support the ongoing protest against the SPDC in the area.

The crises currently rocking the leadership of the United Nigerian Chaplaincy (UNC) has assumed a very dangerous dimension, with the abduction of the embattled Chaplain General, Jide Jisos Ejie and his wife on Tuesday evening by a gang of four, at Mbaukwu, Awka South LGA of Anambra state on his way to attend a family meeting in his country home in the town.

Ejie who spoke to journalists on his hospital bed in a private hospital in the state said he was driving in hs Sports utility Vehicle (SUV) official car with the UNC written boldly on both sides from Nkpor to Mbaukwu along with his wife when he noticed a black Toyota Hilux pick-up vehicle with four occupants trailing them

He increased his speed and ran into the Anglican church at Nibo while they drove past. He waited for about 20minutes and continued the journey. But as he negotiated the last hill to Mbaukwu, the same Hilux vehicle zoomed out at a neck-break speed from nowhere and blocked his vehicle, forcing him to an instant halt.

The three men rushed out wielding Uzzi assault rifles while the fourth waited on the steering running the engine. They quickly grabbed Ejie and his wife into their pick-up and blind-folded them.

They took them to unknown destination and later that night brought an old former letter heading of the UNC asking him to sign under gunpoint that he has resigned. He refused at first but his wife mounted pressure on him to consider her and the children, he therefore changed his mind, signed with some intentional alterations/errors. That was how they were blindfolded again, and taken out into the darkness. They saw the flickering light of a GSM mast and followed it into the waiting hands of Isiagu vigilante, late Thursday night. The vigilante nearly shot them as a result of a red alert signal that a band of gun-totting criminals hand snatched an SUV and had encounter with a police team from the Central police station Awka and one of the officers. It was then the DPO of CPS confirmed through a phone call that Ejie’s SUV was recovered earlier by the men of the State Security Service (SSS).

Ejie had been locked in clash of confidence and leadership crisis with some of his state officers who he alleged embezzled the funds of UNC.

The deputy police public relations officer, Emeka chukwuemeka who responded to reporters’ enquiry said the headquarters was yet to be properly briefed on the development.

*as community chides elected officials for neglect

*commends Anambra Majority Leader, Oseke

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The bougeorning insecurity which appear to have defied all solutions in Anambra state and elsewhere in the country may have forced governor Peter Obi to now adopt the use of helocopter to move around in the state.

Apart from reshuffling his security details and close staff, the governor yesterday flew round the state functions lined up for him in an airforce helicopter. He flew into aguata, and Isiagu in Awka South LGA to commission some projects executed by some legislators in an helicopter

The people of Isiagu community have commended the majority leader of the Anambra state Assembly, Chief Harford Oseke for his commitment to the welfare of the people in fulfilling his electioneering campaign promises to the community.

The President-General, Mr ThankGod Anagor in his welcome address commended Oseke for the completion of a three classroom block being commissioned by Gov Peter Obi which was he built and donated by the lawmaker to Isiagu Community Secondary School.

The President General noted that this was the first time an elected representative of the people from the area is giving back to the people, especially to Isiagu. He said, “this is unique, as no other lawmaker in the state or National Assembly had ever sited and completed any project inthis community before. We therefore thank and commend Honourable Harford Oseke for remembering Isiagu …”

He thanked Obi for the construction of access road and the on-going work on the bridge across the Obizi stream. But appealed for the fulfullement of the specification in the capital city development master plan that specified building of a world class ultra-modern market and stadium complex, 500 units police housing estate, doctors’/staff quarters at Isiagu health centre and the equipping of the secondary school library with books/teaching/learning aids, completion of its phase two classroom blocks, supply of computers, fence and a borehole in the community school. The community also asked for the linking of the Enugu-Onitsha Highway with the construction of Amansea-Ndiora-Ndikpa-Isiagu-Umuawulu-Awgbu-Amaokpala road bye-pass.

Obi who praised the commitment of Oseke promised to positively consider some of the requests.

Oseke told journalists that spent N8million to build the school block, under three months, which was part of his campaign promises to the community. He said he has continued to commission life-enhancing projects to his constituents. That so far he has built culverts at Umuawulu, Nibo and Amawbia; primary health centre at Amawbia and installed a 300KVA transformer at Nise. He has also sponsored and given scholarship to 30 youth in skill acquisition-welders, electricians and computers operators. He established Obizi Unity Cup for the discovery of hidden but abundant hidden talents in the area.

President Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the family of the former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye and the entire Anglican Communion on the death of the patriarch earlier today.
In a condolence message, President Jonathan described late Archbishop Adetiloye as a great man of God who would be missed not only by members of the Anglican Communion, but all Nigerians.

The President noted that Archbishop Adetiloye will be long remembered for his zeal and passion for evangelism and planting of churches and his interest in not only the spiritual life of church members but also their education, health and economic wellbeing.
Eulogizing him further, President Jonathan said that the former Primate lived a good life devoted to unconditional service of God and humanity.

Recalling the notable achievements of the late Primate especially his promotion of religious tolerance in the country, President Jonathan said that Archbishop Adetiloye whose tenure coincided with military rule in Nigeria, exhibited immense courage in his robust interventions in national discourses as he spoke forcefully against undemocratic governance.

He prayed that Almighty God would grant the soul of the revered Archbishop eternal rest.

Today, Friday December 14, 2012, saw the prosecution witness contradict the earlier testimony that Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume had made telephone contact with members of Boko Haram 73 times. This was evident when the prosecutor read to the court an International Mobile Equipment Identity [IMEI] number of a mobile phone belonging to Ndume – which was different from the digits he gave in his testimony before the court on Tuesday December 11, 2012.

The star prosecutor witness representing the State Security Service [SSS], Aliyu Usman, a forensic examiner had testified on Tuesday before the court that the last four digits of the Nokia E7 ended with 3050, but when asked to read out the IMEI today, Usman confirmed that the last four digits was no longer 3050 as earlier reported. He revealed the last four digits were 3055.

Today’s revelation discounts what the prosecutor star witness statement on Wednesday where he testified before the court that there were 73 communications between the Nokia E7 with the IMEI 3050 allegedly belonging to Ndume and the convicted spokesperson of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga – who allegedly owns the Nokia 2700 which has 9226 as the last four digits of its IMEI.

As 247ureports.com learnt, Usman had been given two mobile phones by the chairman of the Special Investigation Panel [SIP], James Ene Izi for analysis. His preliminary analysis discovered that the duo had contacts between October 3, 2011 and November 3, 2011 of up to 73 times.

Justice Gabriel Kolawale adjourned till January 16, 2013 for continuation of trial.

Ndume is standing trial on terrorism-related charges before an Abuja Federal High Court.