In Taraba, Suntai Still Calls The Shot From Hospital Bed

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FOLLOWING THE CRASH OF HIS airplane IN YOLA, ADAMAWA STATE, WHERE HE AND his AIDES SUSTAINED VARIOUS DEGREES OF INJURIES, MANY THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE POWER VACUUM KNOWING THAT HE JUST SWORE IN A NEW DEPUTY GOVERNOR DAYS BEFORE THE CRASH. BUT INTERESTINGLY, FEELERS FROM GOVERNMENT CIRCLES SHOW THAT SUNTAI STILL CALLS THE SHOT FROM THE HOSPITAL BED IN GERMANY, WRITES WOLE AYODELE

Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai who is currently recuperating in a German hospital after surviving a plane crash penultimate Thursday, is still calling the shotS as governor of the state. Suntai, was flown to Germany last Saturday in a Swiss Air Ambulance, a Challenger 604 with registration number HB JRC after being treated at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola and National Hospital, Abuja where he was visited by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Before being flown abroad, his condition was said to be critical, but stable as confirmed by President Jonathan and the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital while fielding questions from journalists after his get-well visit to the governor at the hospital.

Though no official information was provided about the degree of injuries he sustained in the crash, unofficial reports indicate that he has a broken shoulder and limbs as well as lacerations on his face and this has raised fears that he may remain in the hospital for a while. This presumption, THISDAY gathered, ignited calls and campaigns for his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar to take over as acting governor of the state in line with the provision of the 1999 constitution precisely section 190 (1)(2) as amended which stipulates that the deputy governor should take over if the governor is on leave or is unable to discharge the functions of his office.

Sub-section 1 reads: “Whenever the Governor is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to that effect, and until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary, the Deputy Governor shall perform the functions of the Governor as Acting Governor.”

Sub-section 2 reads: “In the event that the Governor is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mention in sub-section (1) of this section within 21 days, the House of Assembly shall, by a resolution made by a simple majority of the vote of the House, mandate the Deputy Governor to perform the functions of the office of the Governor as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits a letter to the Speaker that he his now available to resume his functions as Governor.”

However, with the condition he was before being flown abroad, it was impracticable for the governor to transmit a written letter to the Speaker of the House of Assembly as stipulated in sub-section 1 leaving the House of Assembly without any alternative other than to invoke sub-section 2.

Few hours after news of Suntai’s crash was broken, there was a report that a clique comprising of National Assembly members from the state that has been at logger head with Suntai sponsored some hoodlums to chase away the deputy governor from his official lodge ostensibly to debar him from assuming office as acting governor.

But in total contradiction to the report, another clique comprising of top officials and close associates of the governor was said to have perfected plans to frustrate Garba Umar and prevent him from stepping temporarily into Suntai’s shoes. The clique is rumoured to be positioning the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ambassador Emmanuel Njiwah to act as governor in the absence of Suntai.

Debunking the report of his being chased away by hoodlums from his official residence, Alhaji Garba, who was only sworn-in as deputy governor of the state on October 5th, following the impeachment of the former deputy governor, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi described the report as not only mischievous, but misleading.

According to him, “The report is totally false, mischievous, and misleading. In fact, there are no thugs in Jalingo in the last five years. I was sworn-in as deputy governor of the state. The governor is only sick and not dead. He is in a stable condition as confirmed by Mr. President and the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Abuja. I remain the deputy governor of the state,” he declared.

And in collaboration with Umar in the wake of calls that the deputy governor should assume as acting governor of the state, the House of Assembly declared that Suntai remains the governor of the state notwithstanding his condition.

Taking a swipe at those calling for Umar to assume duties as acting governor, the House says Suntai would remain as governor until his physicians confirm that he is no longer physically and mentally fit to continue to be in office.

Giving the position of the House in a telephone interview, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Ishaya Gani told THISDAY that Suntai would remain the governor and Umar his deputy until a medical report from his physicians indicate that the governor was no longer physically and mentally fit to function as governor.

“Medical doctors of the governor have to confirm that he’s not fit to continue in that office before an acting governor would be sworn-in. I doubt if it is possible to swear-in the deputy governor at this stage because there is no report that the governor is no longer capable to function in that office,” he declared.

Continuing, Hon Gani noted: “Here, the governor is still alive and from reports, he is still physically and mentally fit to act and function as governor. Therefore, there’s no basis at this stage to swear-in an acting governor.”

Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Abel Peter Diah said the situation on ground does not warrant the swearing-in of the deputy governor as acting governor, saying there is a condition to be fulfilled before that can happen.

According to him “The situation on ground does not warrant the deputy governor to be sworn-in as acting governor. There’s a condition to be fulfilled, but we’ve not gotten to that stage,” adding “that the present situation in the state is totally different from the situation that necessitated the swearing-in of Goodluck Jonathan as acting President.”

However, some members of the Assembly who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity said no matter the level of loyalty of members for Suntai or their sentiments for him, the path of constitutionalism must be strictly followed and adhered to as they insist that the state is bigger than any individual.

“We are praying for the governor’s speedy recovery and return from abroad. But the constitution is very clear on this issue and I don’t think there’s anyway the Assembly or anybody can change that. If the governor does not return on or before the expiration of the 21 days stipulated in the constitution, the Assembly would have no alternative than to follow the provisions of the constitution”, says a member representing one of the constituencies in the Southern zone of the state.

Meanwhile, Suntai’s condition is said to have improved tremendously since his admission at the German hospital and has been giving directives to Umar on phone to run the affairs of the state.

Specifically, he was said to have given the deputy governor the authority to approve and release funds for the running cost and payment of salaries of staff of Taraba Publishing Company Limited, publishers of Nigeria Sunrise, the state owned newspaper. Suntai was billed to give approval for the release of the Sunrise fund a day after he was involved in the crash and the SSG, Ambassador Njiwah met with the deputy governor to resolve the issue. Umar was said to have put a call through to his boss who directed him to release the fund.

Beside the Sunrise fund, THISDAY gathered that the governor directed his deputy to give approval for some other pending issues as well as release funds for same though reliable sources say the governor might return to the country next week or before the 21 days stipulated by the constitution for the House of Assembly to mandate the deputy governor to act as governor.

As the clock continues to tick towards the 21 days prescribed for the declaration of Umar as acting governor, and the people of the state and Nigerians generally continue to pray for Suntai’s speedy recovery, Suntai continues to call the shots and exercise his powers as governor even on his hospital bed in far away Germany.

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Source: This Day

The Emerging market of Private jet ownership in Nigeria

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Nigeria has now taken a front seat in the business of private airplane ownership which is now a trend and competition among the rich in the country.

More exciting revelations have emerged that the penchant for private jets acquisition has cost wealthy Nigerians over 1 trillion Naira in five years.

The luxury trend actually rose by 650% between 2007 and 2012, this has increased the rate of private jet acquisition from 20 in 2007 to over 150 in 2012 which has placed Nigeria and china as the fastest growing private jets markets in the world.

A republished report by Forbes magazine said that that in the last five years, wealthy Nigerians had spent over $6.5 billion acquiring new private jets, which made it the continent’s biggest market for private planes

Contrary to media reports that there are more than 100 private jets in Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, said that there are only 71 operating in Nigeria.

The NCAA’s spokesperson, Mr. Sam Adurogboye disclosed in an interview that only ten private jets are registered in Nigeria while 61 others are registered in foreign countries.

“Foreign registered means the aircraft is registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of another sovereign state or country while Nigeria registered means it is under the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority registry of aircraft,” Adurogboye said.

“Where you register your aircraft has the oversight (function) over the aircraft. Any aircraft that has 5N at the tail means it is Nigeria registered. 5N was given to Nigeria by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization),”he said.

Such aircraft, Adurogboye added, “fly in and out. They can be here today and elsewhere tomorrow. They pay for landing, parking, overflying and fueling.”

He did not disclose how much it costs to register a private jet with the NCAA but said “it is a little amount of money.”

He said, the figure of 130 private jets in Nigeria published in the local and foreign media, including in Forbes, was false.

“I don’t know how they got their figures. As I am explaining to you, we just have 10 Nigeria registered private aircraft owners and 61 foreign registered.”

He said all the aircraft in Nigeria were registered in company’s names rather than private names.

He could not, however, give our correspondent the name of the companies, whose owners can easily be found from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.

The rising cost of maintaining four private jets has forced flamboyant Nigerian pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo, to set up a commercial airline that uses four airplanes that had hitherto served as part of his private fleet.

According to findings, the cost of chartering a private jet ranges between $6,000 and $8,000 per hour, while chartering a helicopter costs between $8,000 and $10,000 per hour.

Industry analysts are of the opinion that each chartered aircraft operator makes an average of four flights per week, with each lasting three hours on the average.

Using an average of $7,000 per hour, the seven chartered jet operators make at least $588,000 (N88.2m) every week, broken down to 12 hours each, multiplied by $7,000 and the number of operators.

Further investigations revealed that chartered aircraft operators were now engaged in intense competition over Nigeria’s emerging niche market, as they had introduced diverse upscale products to capture the country’s bourgeoisies.

Both the chartered jet and helicopter markets have been buzzing with activities in recent times, according to operators.

Industry sources revealed that more foreign operators were planning to enter the market very soon.

The development, it was gathered, had forced the indigenous operators to begin re-strategising by buying new jets and helicopters.

A visit to some of the chartered jet and helicopter operators’ terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, revealed a fast emerging market.

At the Caverton Helicopters hangar and Apple Green aircraft maintenance hangar beside the international wing of the airport, workers enthused about the prospect of a growing market.

Various manners of VIPs from the corporate world and government circles usually throng the terminals to patronise the services of the operators.

Governors from a particular region in the country and key senators are known to be regular faces at the terminals.

It will be recalled that recently, the Rivers State governor Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi acquired a Brand new Bombardier Jet at the cost of 45 million U.S dollars, placing him on the list of wealthy Nigerians with private jets.

 

Obama Expected to Win Ohio, Say YouGov/Xbox Poll Respondents

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In the presidential election next week, it’s all coming down to a few states, Ohio chief among them. According to HuffPost pollster aggregation figures, Obama has the edge in the “birthplace of aviation” state, averaging 48.5% compared to Romney’s 46%.

But according to the latest YouGov/Xbox poll, Ohio has slightly more Romney supporters than Obama supporters.

That said, while slightly more respondents said they intend to vote for Romney, a majority of the same respondents said they expect Obama to win. And here’s the twist: According to economist David Rothschild, “when the intention (i.e., support) and expectation of respondents in a poll point in opposite directions, the expectation is correct over 75 percent of the time.”

YouGov/Xbox is the poll Microsoft and YouGov have been running through Xbox LIVE. To vote, you answer questions in a preliminary questionnaire that surveys your gender, age group, geographical location (by state) and general voting preferences (Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc.) before answering the poll question(s) on tap.

I didn’t participate in the Monday, Oct. 29 poll that generated the above results, but to give you a sense of how this works, today’s poll questions include stuff like: “Is your opinion of Barack Obama favorable or unfavorable?”, “What is your opinion of Mitt Romney?” and “How serious a problem do you think global warming is?”

In Monday’s YouGov/Xbox Poll, Rothschild says 12,479 U.S. respondents were interviewed, 642 of those indicating they live in Ohio. Of the latter group, 48.3% indicated support for Obama and 51.7% for Romney. But 51.1% of the same Ohio-based respondents said they expected Obama would win (as opposed to 48.9% for Romney).

But wait, shouldn’t intention matter more than expectation in an election? It sounds like common sense, right? Not necessarily. According to an academic study on voter expectations co-conducted by Rothschild and University of Michigan Business and Public Policy professor Justin Wolfers, “polls of voter expectations consistently yield more accurate forecasts than polls of voter intentions.”

One possible reason for this: Expectation questions incorporate more information, says Rothschild.

Every person possesses a batch of both public and private information about the election, and when a pollster asks them about their intention, the pollster is extracting only a small portion of that information; the pollster is just getting the respondent’s support on that day. The expectation question captures information about the respondents social network (e.g., who the respondent thinks her friends and family will vote for) and more public information (e.g., what the respondent is seeing in the news), along with the respondents’ intention to vote and support for one or the other candidate.

It’s an intriguing idea, one that’s especially interesting considering this “expectation” survey is being conducted through such an unconventional medium (the Xbox 360).

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2012/11/02/obama-expected-to-win-ohio-say-yougovxbox-poll-respondents/#ixzz2B6qRQx1v

We must ‘root out’ Al-Qaeda from Mali: Nigerian president

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Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (AFP/File, John Macdougall)

ABUJA — The west African regional bloc ECOWAS is committed to restoring peace to Mali and ensuring that Al-Qaeda is pushed out of the country’s north, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Friday.

“We must take action to root out the Al-Qaeda, drug traffickers, kidnappers and other criminal elements who are turning northern Mali into a home for terrorists,” he said during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Jonathan, who visited Mali recently, sought the support of Germany and the European Union, an official statement from his office said.

“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is committed to restoring peace and normalcy to Mali, and therefore seeks the support of German and the European Union,” he told Westerwelle.

Jonathan said contact with Malians during his visit there showed a desire for peace and a commitment to removing the rebels from northern Mali.

He said that Nigeria’s contribution to Mali would include technical support for the military, the statement said.

ECOWAS has decided to deploy a regional force to Mali, where a coup overthrew President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22.

The north of the west African nation fell under the control of armed Islamist groups, some linked to Al-Qaeda, in the wake of the coup.

On October 12, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution preparing for the deployment of such a force for Mali, giving ECOWAS 45 days to firm up its plans.

Westerwelle, who arrived in Nigeria from Mali for a meeting of a bilateral commission, said his country was interested in the destiny of the sub-region, and was willing to help restore peace and normalcy to Mali.

Westerwelle said at the start of the meeting that Germany would work with Nigeria “to overcome the threats and the challenges in the region.”

Afterward, he said: “We cannot accept that terrorist activities find a new safe haven in north of Mali and work from this safe haven and bring their terror and their atrocities all over the world, including Europe.”

He added: “We discussed what we can do together to work against these terrorist activities of foreigners in the north of Mali. We are clearly committed to cooperate with Nigeria, of course with ECOWAS and the African Union. This is our common responsibility.”

General Muhammadu Shuwa (rtd), Orderly, Guest Shot Dead

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GENERAL MUHAMMADU SHUWA (RTD)

Gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram this afternoon shot and killed General Muhammadu Shuwa (rtd), a well-respected soldier due to his exploits in the Biafran war of the 70’s.

Shuwa was killed inside his Gwange 1- Maiduguri home alongside his military guard and a guest.

THEWILL gathered that the gunmen who committed the dastardly act arrived his home pretending to be guests paying homage to the General after the usual Friday afternoon prayers.

Gwange district of Maiduguri is the hotbed of Boko Haram insurgency.

Confirming the killing of the war hero in a press statement, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said: “At about 12 noon today (Friday) at General Muhammadu Shuwa (Rtd) house in Gwange 1 area of Maiduguri metropolis, while the General was seated in his house with some guests, four men initially thought to be his visitors and guests for the Juma’at prayers entered his house and opened fire on the General and his guests.

“One of the guests died on the spot while the general died on the way to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.”

“The JTF troops located in the area immediately cordoned off the area and search for the assailants is ongoing to apprehend the terrorists.”

“The terrorists that carried out the killing of the late General will be brought to book,” he said.

Recall that the JTF Wednesday warned of a plot by the Boko Haram to assassinate politicians, civil and public servants amongst others.

The military has urged residents to volunteer information.

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Source: TheWill

Commander: Iran Self-Sufficient in Military Productions

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TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian military commander stressed that Iran enjoys the ability to supply the country’s Armed Forces with their needed military tools and equipment without foreign assistance.

Speaking on Friday, Head of Iran’s Foundation for the Preservation of Works and the Dissemination of Sacred Defense Values Brigadier General Hassan Seifi said that Iran’s Army has achieved self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and the abilities of Iranian scientists have enabled the country to make significant progress in this field

He stated that the country takes advantage of the smartest high-tech military and defensive munitions and equipment.

“Unlike Western countries which hide their new weapons and munitions from all, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army is not afraid of displaying its latest military achievements and all countries must become aware of Iran’s progress in (producing) weaponry,” he was quoted by press tv as saying on Friday.

The Iranian Armed Forces displayed the country’s latest home-made military tools, weapons and equipments in large military parades in Tehran on September 21.

The annual September 21 parades mark the start of the Week of Sacred Defense, commemorating Iranians’ sacrifices during the 8 years of Iraqi imposed war on Iran in 1980s.

During the parades, the Iranian armed forces displayed different weapons and military tools and equipment, including different kinds of fighters, choppers, drones, ground-to-ground missiles, air-to-ground missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, tactical and armed vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electronic and telecommunication equipment, light and mid-light weapons, different kinds of artillery and mortar-launchers, air defense systems and engineering and logistic equipment.

The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircrafts, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran’s wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by the US.

Fraudster Arraigned over Lottery Scam

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IBOK BENNET PRESTON OUTSIDE THE LAGOS HIGH COURT IKEJA

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday November 1, 2012, arraigned one Ibok Bennet Preston before Justice Abebisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on a ten count charge bordering on forgery and possession of fraudulent document to the tune of $4,500 (Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars).

The accused is said to have fraudulently issued forged Union Bank of Nigeria Plc receipts, letters and several other documents purportedly obtained from the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), using a fake name: Rev. Christopher Wallace, with intent to defraud unsuspecting individuals over a contrived European Winning Lottery programme.

One of the charge reads: “ Ibok Bennet Presto on or about the 3rd of August 2012 at Lagos within the IKEA division with intent to defraud knowingly forged a Union Bank of Nigeria Plc receipt with No. 0003704 and thereafter issued the said receipt in the sum of the One Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($1,500) to you with the name Rev. Christopher Wallace being part payment for the European winning Lottery programme paid on behalf of one M.E Rabmovich and purported the said Receipt to have been issued by Union Bank of Nigeria Plc”.

When the charges were read to the accused person he pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the EFCC, Ben Ubi prayed the court for a short date for the commencement of trial and that the accused person be remanded in prison custody. Counsel to the accused person, J.I Njoku however urged the court to consider his bail application and that the accused person be allowed to remain in the EFCC custody.

Justice Akinlade remanded the accused in the EFCC Custody and adjourned to November 27, 2012 for hearing of the bail application.

Nigeria Must Not Negotiate With Terrorists! – By Hon. Bitrus Kaze

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Hon. Bitrus Kaze, Member House of Reps Jos South-Jos East Federal Constituency

Like the proverbial birds of the same feather that flock together, the Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalist have made public those they want as negotiators including not surprisingly, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. Anyone who has been following on the internecine violence perpetrated especially North of the Niger by these merchants of death should understand their choice of Gen Buhari. Eventually the men behind the masks are beginning to unveil.

In my view, Gen Buhari like the Boko Haram is a religious extremist who cannot be trusted to negotiate for sustainable peace in Nigeria. In the build up to the 2003 Presidential elections, Gen Buhari was reported to have ask Muslims across the country to vote only for the presidential candidate that would defend and uphold Islam. Even before the emergence of Boko Haram, Gen Buhari had vowed not to “stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country.”

If it is too much to say Gen Buhari has a soft spot for Boko Haram, the incontrovertible facts show that he has consistently instigated violence in Nigeria. In his desperation to rule Nigeria again, Gen Buhari ordered his supporters in 2011 to “finish” anyone who tampers with the votes, whatever that means. Sheik Lemu may have attempted although unsuccessfully to vindicate him, but at least his Presidential Panel on Post Elections Violence acknowledged Gen Buhari’s “provocative utterances” which according to them appeared to have been “misconstrued by many voters to include recourse to violence.” Nigerians won’t forget in a hurry that after his woeful loss to President Goodluck Jonathan, many voters resorted to violence leading to unquantifiable loss of innocent lives and properties.

Against this backdrop therefore, it is unthinkable that anyone will expect peace from an engagement with an advocate of violence like Gen Buhari. By nature, thorn bushes do not yield bananas! The terms under which Boko Haram terrorist are seeking negotiations in the first place invariably offend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which government has sworn to uphold, protect and defend. They are asking for what they have been bombing Nigerians for all these murderous years. Any government that considers as cardinal the protection of lives and properties of its citizens cannot contemplate any negotiation with those demanding for the release of captured terrorists who are in the custody of security agencies awaiting trial. A government that has not compensated victims or reconstructed any place of worship destroyed by these suicide bombers has no business sitting at the same table with terrorists under any guise.

On the verge of 100th anniversary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, President Jonathan cannot afford to be deceived into mortgaging Nigeria’s national sovereignty in the name of dialoguing with terrorists in Saudi Arabia or anywhere. Desperate power mongers like Gen Buhari will more than likely misconstrue this as an opportunity to negotiate for 2015 albeit in the name of peace. There is no country in the whole wide world that has ever  succeeded in checkmating terrorists by negotiating on their terms. Peace and terror like light and darkness do not and will never mix.

Signed

Bitrus Kaze

Member House of Reps

Jos South-Jos East Federal Constituency

Plateau State

The Deceit of Sun Newspapers and Their Money Launderer Publisher

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Below is a citizen report submitted from Umuahia, Abia State.

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Social media sites were agog with a special report on Aba and in the SUN newspapers estimation, a city under neglect. Let me state here that Aba, like many other megacities is confronted by myriad of challenges. Let me also state here that the pictures being bandied in the SUN NEWSPAPERS represent height of first class deceit.

No thanks to the internet that leaves us with little or no opportunity of verifying the veracity of claims we are inundated with. At the risk of repeating myself, Aba is experiencing challenges but by no means what idlers, loafers and custodians of jaundiced journalism are making out of it. OUK is already maintaining a permanent place in the dustbin of history or if you like; gallery of antiquities. OUK killed Abia when he resolved to be richer than the State. OUK is recognized in history as the only Governor that has no single capital project to his credit after eight years. OUK has tried unsuccessfully to get the attention of TAO.

As expected TAO rebuffed all his emissaries because OUK connotes evil, wickedness and fetishness. No sane person would want OUK anywhere around him. It is therefore understandable if he resorts to blackmail.
For the avoidance of doubt, Emelogu Street (which SUN wickedly published) was recently refurbished and one of the best access roads in Ngwa Road Area of Aba at the moment. Need I say more, what they still have as the picture of Ukwu Mango was what they recorded before 2007. Ukwu Mango has been reconstructed after over thirty years of neglect by successive administrations. I am not surprised because SUN Newspapers has the personality of the owner: deceit, falsehood, wickedness and trading in half truths.

Let us note that:
1. SUN NEWSPAPERS for those who do not know, is owned by former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. That establishment is one out of the very many avenues through which OUK laundered billions of tax payers’ money while he was Governor. It is therefore understandable when this medium presents itself as a willing tool to distort and peddle false information.
2. It is a ‘weekend’ newspaper that unfortunately runs daily. Weekend newspapers in the history of journalism are soft sell papers, whose primary function is to entertain. They use screaming headlines and trade in jaundiced journalism. People who are seeking for the truth and core facts, obviously do not refer to SUN NEWSAPAPERS. They are largely patronized by readers who are not seeking the truth but desire to be entertained.
3. SUN NEWSAPAPERS was borne out of greed, selfishness and wicked antecedents of OUK. OUK as Governor appropriated large sums of money to revitalize the state –owned AMBASSADOR NEWSPAPERS. It is heartrending to know that instead of investing in the state, he diverted the funds to establish hi – tech SUN, by implication killed AMBASSADOR. If OUK was honest, if he had the interest of Abians at heart, why did he ensure that AMBASSADOR was moribund until he left the Government House? What was it OUK had that Abia State could not afford, so much that he destroyed the state to build his empire?
4. It is a known fact that the gory pictures posted in the SUN were scenes recorded in Aba while OUK was ‘Action’ Governor. OUK it was who was hounded out of Aba stadium (play the clip of Enyimba and Iwuanyanwu Nationale at Aba 2006 season) in protest of the poor network of roads and degraded environment. What rented the air was, “Orji, Gaa kpoo dirty! O gi bu Mugu” (Orji go and clean Aba, you are the mugu not Aba people).
5. Aba is being gradually recovered from abashed neglect and criminal conspiracy supervised by OUK. For the eight years he was in government, he could not assess New market Road where his ‘father’ lived. SUN did not post images while this reign of terror lasted. They also failed to tell us by way of special report the real relationship between OUK and his ‘father’.
6. SUN has refused to tell us how Millions of Abia Tax payers’ money was allocated to them to travel to Igbere during Eunice Uzor Kalu’s Igbotomma in 2007. If they are honest, they should tell us with what funds they chartered an aircraft from Lagos and consequently spend nights at Damgrete during the time. Were those Editors and Top management blind at the time?
7. Let us say they were blind. Have they equally lost sense of history so much that they could not trace how Aba came to their perceived sorry state. Where were they when a group of media experts did a tour of States in Nigeria while OUK was Governor? Wouldn’t they have given us a special report on the reasons for the non – performance of their launderer publisher?
8. Did SUN not read in CAFONLINE that while OUK managed Enyimba, that cheques in favour of the Club were issued in the name of SLOK GROUP?
9. Is it not possible for SUN to do a special report on servicing of debts incurred by OUK while he was Governor? Is it difficult for them to tell us the last minute effort at milking the State dry by OUK and the subsequent collateral damages that have caused the State?
10. Did SUN know that where Nnanna Kalu, OUK’s former sleeping member of the House of Representatives, cornered as site for his industry was originally proposed by government as a refuse dump site? That singular act had grave implications and deserves a special report. We are waiting for SUN to do a special report on that.
11. Wouldn’t they have done a report on HOW OUK RIPPED ENYIMBA OFF? In case they did not know, for the eight years Enyimba reigned, they did not have anything to show for it because OUK ran the Club like his personal estate. Is it not newsworthy that a Club who were African Champions for two years under OUK neither had neither a corporate account nor a functional operational office? How come HENRY UMAHI did not periscope that, to add voice to the blueprint on how to manage our Sports?
12. Who sold Golden Guinea Breweries for a penny? Is SUN not aware that OUK mortgaged the collective future of Abia Youths by his gangster style of leadership? Does that not qualify for a Special Report?
13. OUK and his Odiuko supervised the mad erection of shops in Ariaria and promoted the slogan of ‘share and sell’. If SUN is honest, they should do a comparative analysis of what obtained in Aba while OUK was Governor and now.
14. SUN should apply their investigative Journalism sense and report back to us why Osusu, Omuma and the famous Orji Uzor (Cemetery) Roads collapsed after three months. A newspaper is supposed to stand in the gap and advocate for toothless masses. Why is SUN not telling us why for the eight years OUK ruled, he could not give Abians a single capital project.
15. If they are not out to deceive unsuspecting members of the public, why did they fail to disclose information on how they were established? I had thought that the least a Newspaper could do is to gift their readers with privileged information.
16. The money used in establishing SUN NEWSPAPERS would have been enough to build 70% of the roads in Aba. Where is the newspaper’s sense of vigilance if they could sit by and benefit from money laundering?
17. OUK could pass for the most slippery human being I have encountered in my whole life. He has applied every means from the mundane to the sublime to attract the attention of TAO. He has sent thousands of emissaries to negotiate for peace with the TAO led administration. The latest being the Alhaji from the north who is negotiating for OUK to return to PDP and pleads that TAO accepts OUK.
18. OUK has written hundreds of letters begging the State Government to pay SUN N27M, election debts he could not pay himself but has criminally said it is advert fees due to his brainchild SUN NEWSPAPERS. OUK established SUN with Abia money and still wants the government to provide funds for their recurrent expenses. How absurd!
19. If OUK has genuinely repented and in the mood for peace (I wonder), why did he not cause SUN to publish the billions of Abia money he wasted in the establishment of his very many personal businesses.
20. I blame TAO for indulging a man who struggled so hard to under develop the state entrusted in his care. I blame him for delaying in telling the world how deceitful and wicked OUK is, given that OUK generously impoverished Abia and laid the foundation for degraded environment.
21. OUK should know that power is not acquired by blackmail.
22. I challenge anybody who thinks those pictures are Aba as at now to give us a picture of Fauklks Road end of Free Zone up to A line. That is the lead picture they published. That image was recorded before 2007. Anybody who is taking the challenge should swear by his entire family.
23. OUK is working hard to dispel visitors from Aba. He is working so hard to tell a lie repeatedly to make it look like the truth.
24. Leaders have memoirs. I challenge OUK to publish his for the eight years he supervised criminality in Abia State. It would make the Guinness Book of Records because that would be the most laughable chronicle to ever appear on the shelves.
25. TAO should expedite actions in telling Abians why it would take a little longer to reposition a State mortgaged by its past leader OUK.
26. I urge TAO to either bring OUK to justice to take justice to him. OUK has insulted the intelligence of Abians enough sand deserves to be condemned to the dustbin of history.
27. I urge TAO to change SUN to AMBASSADOR just as he did to State office in Abuja that OUk criminally named after himself

 

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