8.4 C
New York
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Search
Subscribe

Ex Kogi Gov’s Marrital woes: U.S Judge dismisses Audu’s documents

247ureports
-
1

by Citizen Reporter

Says documents filled with irregularities and inconsistencies

Rules that marriage with wife is valid in Nigeria

 A marriage breakdown rarely brings out the best in people. The temptation to pursue vendettas for past grievances can become overwhelming. Politicians are not left out of this sad event, the politicians most angrily seeking revenge on the pages of newspapers are those who felt most hard done by the damage and to their careers.

Prince Abubakar Audu former governor of Kogi state’s divorce case in faraway America is probably the most public marriage meltdown we have seen in some time.

A typical divorce usually doesn’t generate media attention. But a contentious one involving a former governor facing multiple corruption and criminal charges both at home and abroad merits a look.

It is a do or die affair for Prince Audu Abubakar a two time governor of Kogi state and a gubernatorial aspirant in the fort coming elections in Kogi State

The Audu’s case, by simply looking at the motions and counter motions filed with the Montgomery County District Court record, has not been pretty.

In the course of the Divorce case Prince Abubakar Audu at one time claimed he was never married to Mrs. Aisha Audu his wife for 10 years and his first lady while he was governor of Kogi State between1999-2003, according to court documents he denied marriage and sought for marriage validity in the State of Maryland where his wife and children now resides.

In a deposition obtained from him under oath on Wednesday after being shown the magnitude of evidence presented by his wife to proof marriage he wisely changed his earlier statements and accepted that Mrs. Aisha Audu was indeed his wife. Also during the deposition conducted in the presence of a Montgomery County Court Officer, Prince Abubakar Audu under oath accepted that he was the sole owner of Goldwindow LLC a firm he earlier claimed was not his, and the firm he claimed owned his property at Potomac, Maryland.  It would be recalled that it was the same firm he used to evict his family from the Potomac residence last year after he claimed the property was not his own.

In a trial also yesterday to decide “Validity of Marriage” at the county court of Montgomery county Prince Abubakar Audu again tendered another document purportedly issued by the Kogi state court to correct a statutory declaration of marriage he presented as exhibit to the court that was alleged to have been falsified.

According to the DCR/Litigation for the Chief Registrar of Kogi State the dates and receipts in the document submitted by Prince Audu Abubakar was not in their records and no file existed in their record file and furthermore the character of the form used in the document was not in use in Kogi State, when asked by David Korteling lawyer to Mrs. Aisha Audu about the document and its obvious falsifications Prince Audu answered, “ The documents was done on my behalf by my personal assistant, all I do is just sign.” When asked by the District Judge for originals of the documents he answered he only has copies and his assistant might have the originals. Responding to the documents marked Exhibit 5, 6, 8, and 9 submitted by Prince Audu, Judge Michael Mason dismissed the documents and said they were unacceptable by the court as they were filled with enormous irregularities, inconsistencies and no proof of originals

Contrary to what he presents to the public and his comical attempt to make believe that his wife was after his properties, Prince Audu contradicted himself  when he informed the court yesterday that his wife was a successful business woman that owns a factory in Abuja has companies with interest in Power, energy, oil and gas.

Lawyer to Mrs. Aisha Audu asked serious questions about the credibility of Prince Abubakar Audu, during his cross examination major inconsistencies were uncovered, when asked if he was ever indicted for corruption he denied and also denied ever being arrested nor detained by the EFCC.

In his ruling Judge Michael Mason declared that preponderance on the evidence before him it is declared that Prince Abubakar Audu and Mrs. Aisha Audu were married and thus have a valid Marriage, and also using evidence submitted by Prince Audu it also showed that he had a marriage with one Habiba Audu (Deceased) at that time also. In view of these findings they were said to be involved in polygamy which is not an acceptable form of marriage in the State of Maryland due to that practice the court cannot “Dissolve” the marriage and cannot continue the divorce case.  The court also explained that Mrs. Aisha Audu’s brief residency in the State of Maryland was also another factor that was considered in the decision. Prince Audu’s request to have the judge null and void the marriage was also denied.

Furthermore, according to the judge the marriage is valid in Nigeria, and they both remain married until a divorce is obtained through acceptable means in Nigerian law. And for court purposes in the U.S the Maryland court does not recognize polygamy marriage.

Finally, the judge asserts that the Circuit Court in Montgomery County has jurisdiction to determine custody and child support for the children and that part of the case continues.

Meanwhile, an order of the court adjudicating, Prince Abubakar Audu in contempt of court for failure to pay child support order entered against him in a “Pendete lite order on May 17th, 2011 has been requested by his attorney’s to his wife, meanwhile a motion to reconsider yesterday’s judgment is being prepared as at press time by the wife’s counsel.

Chime orders purchase of 300 buses for sec. schools

247ureports
-
0

-to set up Road Traffic Authority

In keeping with its vowed commitment to continue to give priority
attention to education, the Enugu State Government has placed order
for the purchase of three hundred new buses for distribution to all
the public secondary schools in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke who announced
this while briefing the press at the end of the State Executive
Council Meeting in Enugu chaired by the Governor, Mr. Sullivan I.
Chime, said that the sum of more than One point five N1.551 billion
has been set aside for the purchase of the buses.

The Commissioner who was accompanied by his Culture and Tourism
counterpart, Mr. Joe Mmamelu, that of Education, Dr. Simon Ortuanya
and Mrs. Patricia Alum of Science and Technology said that government
embarked on the project to ease the problems of transportation facing
secondary schools in the state, especially during exams and schools
outings.

Mr. Ugwoke also said that the council approved a loan guarantee of
N200 million for the refurbishment of Nike Lake Resort Hotels to
improve on its first class hospitality to customers.

The Commissioner explained that money which will be paid back to the
bank that provided the facility by the operators of the hotel will be
spent on the total refurbishment of 88 standard rooms and 12 suites
now, while refurbishment in other sections will be carried out in
phases.

The council according to the Commissioner also approved that a draft
bill for the establishment of the State Road Traffic Management
Authority be sent to the State House of Assembly for its consideration
and possible passage into law.

He said that the bill if approved and passed into law would help
regulate control and manage road traffic within the state.

Mr. Ugwoke stated that the council approved the payment of the state
counterpart fund for the participation of three local governments in
the state in the Conditional Grant Scheme to the Local Government
Millennium Development Goals.

The six hundred million naira package will be shared in the ratio of
three hundred million naira representing fifty percent by the federal
government, one hundred and eighty million naira representing thirty
percent by the state government while the three benefiting council
areas of Aninri, Igbo-Etiti and Isi-Uzo will contribute N120 million
representing twenty percent of the entire fund.

Approval of the council was also given for the constitution of a
special committee to review all the agric related World Bank Assisted
projects/programmes in the state.

The committee to be headed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on
Health, Dr. Mrs. Edith Okolo, would help ensure that the impacts of
the programmes/projects are in line with the counterpart contributions
made or paid by government to finance them.

Maitama Sule, Fomer Nigerian Ambassador, a USA spy?

247ureports
-
1
Below is a report released recently by Wikileaks concerning United States of America [USA]’s data gathering operations in Nigeria through its local spies planted/stationed around the Nigerian presidency.
The report exposes, the former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Maitama Sule as a USA spy.
Read the secret wire report to the USA – of Maitama Sule’s supplied information.
——
 
NIGERIA: NORTHERN SUPPORT FOR YAR’ADUA WANING, THOUGH TEMPERED BY FEAR 
SUMMARY:
 
Maitama Sule (strictly protect), former Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations (1979-1983) and confidant of President Umaru Yar’Adua, averred that the northern political elite is increasingly apprehensive about Yar’Adua’s health and his capacity to continue to govern, and 
is fearful the North may lose the presidency to the South if Yar’Adua dies, although we note that there are other factors at play on this issue besides Yar’Adua’s health, particularly if the Supreme Court calls for a new election.  
While Sule believes that President’s performance during his first year in office has suffered due to his ailing health, he assessed Yar’Adua has succeeded in disentangling and distancing himself from former President Obasanjo.  Sule informed that Yar’Adua wants to further reduce Obasanjo’s influence both within the Villa and the National Assembly.  Consequently, Sule remarked, Yar’Adua intends to replace current Chief of Staff, and Obasanjo-loyalist, Abdullahi Mohammed.  (Nigerian press reported May 30 that Mohammed has resigned, and will officially vacate office June 2.)  
Sule confided that some influential northerners are currently pressuring former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Muhammad Gusau, to consider taking over as Chief of Staff.  
Also, Sule alleged that Obasanjo is working to bribe the Supreme Court to overturn President Yar’Adua’s April 2007 election.  While claiming 
that First Lady Turai Yar’Adua is heavily involved in corrupt activities, Sule insisted that President Yar’Adua is committed to remaining personally untainted by corruption. 
To that end, Sule asserted, President Yar’Adua recently turned down $60 million, which had been offered to him as the President’s personal “share” of Nigeria’s monthly oil earnings.  Although Yar’Adua, according to Sule, allegedly ordered his “share” to be deposited into the nation’s treasury, Sule also said First Lady Turai pocketed $60 million while Senate President David Mark and House Speaker Dimeji Bankole each pocketed $30 million.  We still contend however, that it is impossible for Yar’Adua not to know about his wife’s illicit activity even if he is not personally accepting bribes or engaging in such activity.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (S//NF) Maitama Sule (strictly protect), former Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations (1979-1983) and well-known confidant of President Umaru Yar’Adua spoke with PolOff at his Kano residence May 15 (see Ref A for Sule biographical information).  Sule lamented the northern political elite remains increasingly apprehensive about Yar’Adua’s health. 
Whereas earlier health-related predictions of Yar’Adua’s prognosis had been relatively positive, current estimates, Sule observed, paint a somber picture of the President’s strength, and consequently, his capacity to continue to govern.  With the prospect of Yar’Adua’s death while still in 
office figuring prominently in the minds of many in the North, Sule remarked that the North fears it may inadvertently forfeit its turn to hold the presidency.  Such an eventuality, Sule bemoaned, would impair the North’s ability to retain influence and help chart a more positive course for northerners, especially after eight years of what northerners deem Obasanjo’s injurious influence on the North. 
 
¶3. (S//NF) Sule believes that Yar’Adua has succeeded in distancing himself from Obasanjo, and appears more committed to attenuating Obasanjo’s influence within the Villa.  To that end, Sule said, Yar’Adua plans to reshuffle the cabinet to replace Obasanjo-loyalists within the Villa.  In particular, Sule noted that the northern political elite is working to convince former National Security Adviser Aliyu Muhammad Gusau to rebuff entreaties by Ibrahim Babangida to aid him in a return to power, and instead, accede to the position of Yar’Adua’s Chief of Staff, which is currently held by Obasanjo-loyalist Abdullahi Mohammed.  (Nigerian press reported May 30 that Mohammed resigned with effect from June 2.  Gbolade Osinowo, Senior Special Assistant to President Yar’Adua will act as Chief of Staff until a replacement is announced.)  
Sule said that Gusau has been reluctant to accept anything less than the presidency, given that he too wanted to be the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April 2007 presidential elections (Ref B). 
Sule admitted that Obasanjo’s influence within the PDP has not been as circumscribed as Yar’Adua had hoped.  However, by limiting Chief of Staff Mohammed’s (and potentially, other Obasanjo-loyalists’) access to the President, Sule argued, Obasanjo would be left in the dark since he would neither be able to influence Yar’Adua nor be privy to the ins and outs of the Villa.  Sule reasoned, as well, that a powerful Chief of Staff loyal to Yar’Adua would ensure not only that Obasanjo’s power within the Villa would be diminished, but also that the influence of the ambitious (though certainly not tied to Obasanjo) Secretary to the Government Babagana Kingibe would be reduced. 
 
¶4. (S//NF) Sule also intimated that Obasanjo, in concert with Senate President David Mark, is working to bribe the Supreme Court to overturn President Yar’Adua’s April 2007 election (see Ref C).  (In the event that the Supreme Court annuls the President’s election, the Constitution stipulates that the Senate President administers an interim government for a period of up to 90 days pending fresh elections.  However, 
Mark has his own political troubles as his election too had been overturned in late February 2008.)  
Moreover, Sule stated that in his judgment, the President’s lackluster performance over this past year should be viewed in light of his ailing health.  Despite his shortcomings, Sule said, some of the northern elite continue to politically support Yar’Adua not least because he is viewed as committed to preserving northern interests. 
 
¶5. (S//NF) While claiming that First Lady Turai Yar’Adua is heavily involved in corrupt practices, and especially real estate fraud, Sule insisted that President Yar’Adua is committed to remaining personally untainted by corruption. 
To that end, Sule asserted, President Yar’Adua recently turned down approximately $60 million, which had been offered to him by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as the President’s personal “share” of Nigeria’s monthly oil earnings (Nigeria has produced around 2 million bpd, though production has dropped recently to 1.8 million bpd). 
Allegedly, Sule said, the NNPC (beginning under former President Obasanjo’s administration) allocated USD 1.00 per barrel of Nigerian oil sold as a type of personal payment or “kickback” to the President.  While Yar’Adua reportedly ordered his “share” to be deposited into the nation’s treasury, Sule claimed that the First Lady pocketed her husband’s reported share, while Senate President David Mark and House Speaker Dimeji Bankole pocketed USD 0.50/barrel (e.g., $30 million).  
In light of the possibility that Obasanjo could have stolen billions of dollars under this arrangement, Sule told PolOff that Yar’Adua told him that he 
may use this information, perhaps one day in the near future, 
to indict Obasanjo for corruption.  The problem however, 
according to Sule, rested in the fact that Yar’Adua 
recognized that if he were to pursue Obasanjo, he may 
unwittingly subject his wife and close advisers to greater 
scrutiny, and risk his own political survival. 
 
¶6. (S//NF) Sule said that Yar’Adua had effectively quashed 
efforts by Obasanjo to direct Senate President David Mark, et 
al. to inflate allocation requests for the 2008 budget in 
order to funnel a substantial portion of those extra funds to 
Obasanjo (Ref E).  Sule told PolOff that the various chairs 
of the budget committees in both the House of Representatives 
and Senate were Obasanjo-loyalists.  The disagreements 
between the National Assembly (NASS) and President Yar’Adua 
over the passage of the budget resulted from Yar’Adua’s 
desire to limit Obasanjo’s influence over the NASS, and to 
assert his own authority, Sule opined.  Furthermore, Sule 
said the Senate and House had unsuccessfully attempted to 
extort money from the Presidency in order to pass the budget. 
 
¶7. (C//NF) Retired Major General, and current chair of the 
northern interest group the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ibrahim 
Haruna (strictly protect) told PolOff May 29 that although 
President Yar’Adua is a fellow northerner, he has been a 
“disaster” for Nigeria since his inauguration May 2007. 
 
ABUJA 00001018  003 OF 003 
 
 
Haruna opined that Yar’Adua, in one year, has not delivered 
on any of the promises he had made to the North.  To the 
contrary, Haruna asserted, Yar’Adua has been “reaping the 
rewards” of the presidency without having to “lift a finger.” 
 Haruna alleged that Yar’Adua has demonstrated during his 
first year in office that he is more interested in “owning 
oil wells” in the Delta than in conducting Nigeria’s 
political affairs. 
 
———– 
AN ANALYSIS 
———– 
¶8. (S//NF) We believe Sule’s assessment that Yar’Adua is 
successfully (albeit slowly) disengaging himself from 
Obasanjo is valid, and his information on the First Lady’s 
alleged illicit enrichment activities tracks with other 
reporting.  However, Sule may be exaggerating the political 
support Yar’Adua has in the North.  Or, at the least, Sule 
may be conflating the North’s support for Yar’Adua with the 
North’s desire to hold onto its turn for the presidency. 
Over the course of Yar’Adua’s first year in office and slow 
pace of reform, northern elite opinions of the President seem 
to have gradually shifted (see also Ref D), as they worry not 
only about his health but also forfeiting the presidency to 
the South.  While some have argued that Yar’Adua is committed 
to safeguarding northern interests, others have maintained 
that the President has proven to be both incapable and 
unwilling to do anything positive for the North (and the rest 
of Nigeria).  Certainly, several northern contacts with whom 
we have spoken have said, time and again, that the North 
fears it may lose the helm of political affairs should 
President Yar’Adua die in office or fail to return as the 
PDP’s candidate in any re-run of last year’s presidential 
race (in the event the Supreme Court overturns his April 2007 
election).  After one year in office, many northerners 
consider Yar’Adua equally as complicit as Obasanjo in the 
North’s underdevelopment, and accuse the President of turning 
a blind eye to his own region.  After all, one of the 
principal grievances of the North during Obasanjo’s past 
administration was not simply that Obasanjo was from the 
South and ignored Northern interests, but that Obasanjo 
successfully thwarted efforts by the North to exert its 
relevance in his administration. 
 
¶9. (S//NF) Additionally, many prominent northerners have 
spoken out against not only Obasanjo’s mismanagement of the 
Nigerian government’s vast resources, but also President 
Yar’Adua’s unimpressive record of performance over this past 
year.  It appears that the northern political elite’s desire 
to retain the presidency is separate, to a degree, from its 
support for this particular northern president, or even for 
concerns that Yar’Adua may be ineffectual or corrupt.  In the 
short term, desire for a Northern president may temper 
criticism for Yar’Adua in certain circles.  However, with 
time, it is difficult to surmise how the desire for the North 
to retain the presidency can sustain support for Yar’Adua 
unless he begins to pick up the pace. END COMMENT. 
SANDERS
 
REF: A. 07 ABUJA 2616 
     ¶B. 07 ABUJA 47 
     ¶C. ABUJA 799 
     ¶D. 07 ABUJA 1671 
     ¶E. ABUJA 643 
 
Classified By: A/Pol/C Heather Merritt, reasons 1.4 (b, c & d).  

How Godswill Akpabio Ruined the Vigil Night of Christy Essien Ibokwe

247ureports
-
0

It was Tuesday night in Lagos. The organizers referred to the event in honor of Christiana Essien-Ibokwe as the “Red Carpet Tribute Night.” In plain English, it could be translated to mean a wake-keeping by the rich and powerful in honor of Christiana Essien Ibokwe. Attendants were only by invitation. Invitation messages were sent to several but highly selected dignitaries. Those invited included the who’s who in the world of music, entertainment, business, academia, and politics. Godswill Akpabio was also invited, an invitation which turned out to have been a big mistake.

 
After all the usual protocol of jaw-jaw, he-he, and ha-ha, invitees were given the opportunity to heap whatever opprobrium they could muster on the late lady of music. Then it was Akpabio’s turn. Rather than console Christiana Ibokwe, something else, which was never expected, filled the air, which ended up ruining the event for the family of the late Christy, to the consternation of everyone.
 
What the family of Christy did not know was that one of the planners of the vigil night had accepted money from Akpabio to promote his propaganda messages. After the speech presented by a well-known University don (name withheld), Akpabio was supposed to be the next in line to speak. When Akpabio stood up to speak, he was still standing when all of a sudden all the light-bulbs in the room were dimmed. At the time, everyone thought maybe the family was going to show a documentary film on the life and career of Christy. But, no; it was nothing even close to the what everyone thought.
 
Appearing on the wide canvass screen was a documentary film showing roads in Akwa Ibom State. The documentary also showed the prison in Ikot Ekpene, the Police Station in Ukana, the Airport, the Governor’s Mansion, and, of course, Akpabio himself. The narrator extolled the accomplishments of Akpabio and all his virtues for Akwa Ibom State as if the night will never end. What it did not show was the blood-soaked body of Edidem Robert Obot as he slumped on the floor when Akpabio ordered him murdered on a mere suspicion that he was going to defect to the side of those Akpabio in his warped mind perceives as opposition.
 
What the documentary on Akwa Ibom State did not show was the naked body of Mama Udonwa, which was dumped by the road side after she was murdered simply because Akpabio couldn’t kill her son (Iniekong Udonwa), who was contemplating on challenging Akpabio for the governorship of the State.
 
The film did not also show the bullet-ridden and blood-soaked body of Chief Paul Inyang when he was gunned down on the orders of Godswill Akpabio over a mere suspicion that the late Chief was planning to dine and wine with those Akpabio refers to as opposition.
 
No, the film did not show any of that. It did not show all the kidnappings sponsored by Akpabio in the State. It did not show incidents of armed robbery, which has now become an institution in Akwa Ibom State. It did not show the young girls that ply the streets of Akwa Ibom and roam the brothels just because Akpabio has refused to create for them the opportunity for gainful employment.
 
While the film was extolling the lies of Godswill Akpabio, it covered up the hunger among the people and all the hardships that now seem to be part and parcel of the culture of Akwa Ibom people. It did not even mention that workers have not been paid since the beginning of 2011. It did not mention the sufferings of the people as a result of banning the only means of available transportation for the people. Rather, all the documentary showed was Akpabio this and Akpabio that.
 
As would be expected, the attendees were fumed with anger when it finally dawned on them that Akpabio was exploiting the burial event of a prominent and an outstanding lady to promote his ill-gotten wealth, a lady who, until her very last days on earth, used to write petitions upon petitions complaining about how Akpabio was engaging in a secret plan to kill her and other members of her family. While the documentary about Akpabio rolled, nobody laughed. Nobody clapped. And nobody raised any voice of objection. Instead, people, one-by-one, began to walk out of the room (including yours truly, who was also among those invited). By the time the husband of Christy ordered the so-called documentary stopped, no one was left in the room, except, of course, Akpabio and his team of entourage.
 
What a way to promote and revamped a bruised self-image! I think Godswill Akpabio’s mental illness has reached the level of uncontrollable proportion. Maybe Doctor Essien (his personal physician) needs to reduce the dose of his medication. If Akpabio’s behavior is not bordered on pure psychotic, how else can anyone justifiably explain broadcasting of a propaganda film at the funeral remembrance of a loved one? Especially if the person remembered, while alive, used to complain that the man disseminating the propaganda was her enemy? It is very clear that Godswill Akpabio is increasingly becoming the embarrassment of Akwa Ibom State. How Akpabio’s foolishness and stupidity is rubbing on every Akwa Ibom person can only be summed up in the words of  a none Akwa Ibom person who said this to an Akwa Ibom man that offended him; “You Calabar people de craze like una governor.”
 
  
  Essien writes from Portland, Oregon,

Gov Sullivan Chime in sex scandal

247ureports
-
130
by Citizen Reporter
Over  the weekend, it was gathered that a big sex scandal was on the offing in Enugu.At the centre of the sex scandal is the state governor, Sullivan Chime and his sister-in-law, Ebere Igwe. Ebere is the younger sister of Clara Chime, the governor’s wife and first lady of Enugu state. It was reliably gathered from sources in Enugu that the extra-marital affairs between Chime and his sister-in-law recently produced a baby boy.
A source in Enugu Government House disclosed that the romance between Governor Chime and Ebere, started shortly after he married Clara in October 2008. The lavish traditional marriage at Isuochi home town of the Igwe’s costed the state government over 500 million naira, not minding the fact that Chime was marrying Clara as a second wife having divorced his first wife from Ogakwu family in Udi town where he hails from. Immediately after the ceremony, Clara moved into the Governor’s lodge with Ebere her younger sister who just graduated from Abia State University. Unknown the first lady, this was the beginning of an affair between her husband and Ebere.
Few months after, the first lady noticed that the Governor was smiling at Ebere all the time and became suspicious of them. Not wanting to lose her husband to her younger sister, the first lady suggested that her sister should go abroad for her masters. However, by the time Ebere left the country for her masters’ programme abroad, she was already into a deep relationship with the Governor. She benefited a brand new Toyota car and frequent overseas trips from the relationship which continued even while she was studying abroad.
The affair however blew open sometime last year when Ebere returned to the country after her studies abroad and told the first lady that she was pregnant for the governor. Clara was so shocked to the point that she suffered a mental disorder. The first lady was taken to Rv.Fr. Njoku’s Upper Room Ministries at Emene Enugu for healing and when her mental state could not improve, her mother took her to a native doctor who succeeded in stabilizing her mind, even as the governor turned a blind eye to her situation. During the period of the first lady’s mental ordeal, her only son suffered malaria to the point it entered his brain. There are fears that the boy may not be normal again.
The first lady thereafter told her younger sister to abort the pregnancy, but she refused. The first lady sent thugs after her younger sister, and when the governor got wind of the plan, he made special security arrangements for her.  To make sure that the pregnancy was not tampered with, the governor sent Ebere to the United States where she eventually delivered a baby boy recently. However, the first lady swore not to allow her younger sister to come into government house again. Ebere’s whereabouts remain unknown , although an unconfirmed source said that she is nursing the baby at the governor’s Udi countryhome. The scandal has forced the first lady to maintain low profile to the point that she sends either the wife of the Secretary to State Government or Speaker of the House of assembly to represent her in public functions. She no longer attends her weekly prayer programme.
The latest scandal marked the climax of Governor Chime’s sex escapades. A few days before the last election, he was battered by a jealous husband at Permanent Secretaries quarters behind Enugu Government House. He had sneaked in for a show with a female permanent secretary who he monetized a home for, not knowing that the husband was on red alert. The man manhandled the governor. On several occasions the first lady suffered public embarrassment trying to recover Porsche cars her husband acquired for young girls using state funds. On one occasion, the first lady trailed Chime to an Abuja hotel based on a tip off and the first citizens of the state clashed before one of his female associates.
It also common knowledge in Enugu that Chime keeps permanent suits in hotels in Enugu like Golden Tulip and Neo-Court where she meets girls, atimes in groups to satiate his libido, comparable only to that of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Besides, he is known as a regular customer to night clubs and often soaks himself with alcohol.
His sexual escapades made most people in Enugu who were before now praising his urban road rehabilitation, to become very critical of his administration.
“We are tired of this his so called urban road rehabilitation. Since 2007, he has been rehabilitating road and we are in 2011. Our public hospitals are in a despicable state. Our primary and secondary schools are dead. We don’t have water in Enugu. The situation is worse in the communities and yet somebody is taking vain glory for patching roads and repairing street lights put by Jim Nwobodo in the 80’s. We have only about nineteen thousand workers in the state and he cannot pay minimum wage, yet he spends millions on luxury cars for girls” a concerned Enugu resident explained.
[247ureports.com is not responsible for the accuracy of the contents of the above report]

Ngor/Okpala: A Council Area in Need of Development

247ureports
-
0
Dilapidated public primary School in Eziama in Ngor/Okpala

Written by Nwaorgu Faustinus

There is no questioning the fact that Ngor/Okpala one of the oldest Local Government Areas in Imo State has not been given its pride of place in the scheme of things, politically or in terms of development. From 1999 to date one can hardly pinpoint one envious, jealousy-oriented or generating political position given to its daughters or sons at the international, national or state levels. Where this exists they prematurely fizzle out, perhaps a case of use and dump politics that has characterized politicking in this part of the world.

A few, mainly our sons, brothers, uncles, cousins etc whom most people believed managed to rig themselves back to elective positions after making mouth-watering promises during electioneering, turn their backs on their  constituency while allegedly lining their bottomless vaults with the common wealth and patrimony. When constituency-fund-driven projects are initiated, they are not only purportedly inflated, but also sparingly and selfishly executed with the ultimate purpose to attract the praises of sycophants or praise singers who have sold their conscience to the dogs and for porridge of yam. All appears we have accustomed ourselves to this grave injustice and marginalization. Complacency with the present state of affairs has become the in thing.     

Again, one finds it difficult to identify and appreciate state or third tier embarked-development projects that have direct impacts on its inhabitants. The bottom line is: Ngor/Okpala has been marginalized. Take a tour of the over twenty two communities that make up the council area, what is on ground in terms of infrastructure will surely sadden a dispassionate assessor. Is it in the area of roads, health centers, public schools, erosion control, poverty eradication, youth employment or job creation – it is saddening?

I remembered vividly the comment made by the current governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okoroha about the poor nature of Ngor/Okpala LGA roads when he was campaigning prior to the April 2011 gubernatorial election. The manner he spoke on the nature of roads in the area left no one in doubt that he will swing into action with a view to renovating and building new key roads which this writer had identified in his article titled “Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu and the challenge of Ngor/Okpala Council Area” which was published in some internet based media sites.

 Hundred days have elapsed since the Governor assumed the reins of power, socio-political commentators, guest writers, analysts of Ngor/Okpala extraction among others have continued to watch the state government and hope patiently that in no distant time, impact-directed-development projects will be bestowed on this disadvantaged council area that ultimately played noteworthy role in ushering Owelle Rochas into the Douglas House five months ago. Having performed somewhat averagely within the past one hundred days, by commencing road construction in some areas (not in Ngor/Okpala), payment of pensioners’ backlog of arrears and free transport to their LGAs, introduction of free education in state public schools, slight reduction in tuition fee, distribution of kerosene across the 27 LGAs etc have shown that he has the interest of Imolites at heart. These friendly initiatives for many a commentator is complete departure from the administration of his predecessor, Governor Ohakim who some believed acted like the biblical Rehoboam. Notwithstanding the above commendable positive gestures, for some commentators who hail from the council area, the appointment of one of their sons as attorney general of the state government is not good enough as he is there to serve the interest of himself, the state governments, his appointer’s, political associates’ and cronies’ – not the general interest Ngor/Okpala people.

Apart from the ever yearning need of appreciable infrastructural development in the council area namely, road construction, equipping and renovating  public schools and hospitals, rural electrification, locating industries, both public/private tertiary institutions and at least one commercial bank to create job opportunity for the teeming number of unemployed youths, it is also behooves the person representing Ngor/Okpala in the State House of Assembly to use his position to tackle the menace of golly erosion that has become a threat to those living close to Umuneke River. Those who use the votes of Ngor/Okpala electorates to ascend to elective pinnacle should not ignore the council area by bequeathing on it lasting and commendable development projects not just to be remembered but also to be reelected in subsequent elections based on what they were able to achieve developmentally during their first tenure or risk the melancholic fate that befall the Ex-Governor, Ikedi Ohakim who campaigned vigorously Ngor/Okpala to seek for votes and spent so much money but was shown the way out just for a change. The people from the council area are wiser ever than before as shown by what they did to Owelle Rochas’ predecessor during the supplementary elections and would not accept anything short of enduring developmental projects. The time to act is now. God bless Ngor/Okpala.

Nwao(r)gu, Faustinus wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State and be reached on 08035601312.

E-mail:ngor/okpalaresearcher@gmail.com or ngor/okpalaresearcher@yahoomail.com

2011 National Seminar On Economic Crime: A Communiqué

247ureports
-
0

WHEREAS the National Seminar on Economic Crime held from the 5th – 7th September, 2011;

AND WHEREAS the Executive Committee of the National Seminar on Economic Crime held its 8th Seminar under the theme “National Development: the Challenges of Global Economic Crimes”;

GIVEN that we as participants recognize and envisage that the National Seminar amongst others, seeks to assess the impact of corruption, money laundering, cyber crime, terrorist financing and terrorism on national development, the use of international anti-corruption instruments in addressing bribery and corruption in the Nigerian business environment, as well as provide a platform for practitioners to network and share experience and best practices toward improved cooperation in the fight against economic and financial crimes;

RECOGNIZING further that we as participants in this National Seminar on Economic Crime having come from different spheres of human endeavor and having lived and endured the negative effects of corruption and other economic crime, have resolved to formulate a common response to arouse deep critical analysis, adopt global best practices and align with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government for the eradication of corruption, economic and financial crimes in Nigeria;

ACKNOWLEDGING that as participants from different facets of the Nigerian economic environment, being professionals and persons in business, we urge government, leaders of thought and the organized private sector to support the work and aspirations of the National Seminar on Economic Crime.

THEREFORE, we make the following observations:

  1. That the prolonged delay in the trial of corruption cases is creating doubt in the minds of the public as to the sincere commitment of the relevant stakeholders in the anti-corruption crusade.  

 

  1. That the harmful effects of corruption and other economic and financial crimes on national development engenders poverty; unemployment; waste, inequitable distribution of income and the near collapse of our revered national ethics and cultural values,

 

  1. That corruption and money laundering distort the economy and result in capital flight which in turn fosters massive economic deprivation and insecurity currently being experienced in the country,

 

  1. That critical infrastructure must be developed and protected as a national asset to ensure that it does not fall prey to the vagaries of cyber crime syndicates across trans national borders,

 

  1. That Nigeria is yet to imbibe the current global trend in legislation as it relates to extra-territoriality of  anti-corruption regimes which  favors a more aggressive approach that targets the individuals within corporate entities, their accomplices wherever they are in the world as enunciated in the USA Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the UK Anti-Bribery Act,

 

  1. That law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies in the country are not making adequate use of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit’s intelligence in investigating and prosecuting their cases,

 

  1.  That there are disparate anti-corruption, anti-terrorism and economic crimes strategies being implemented amongst Law Enforcement Agencies which have resulted in disjointed administration of the anti-corruption as well as economic and financial crimes agenda in Nigeria,

 

  1. That the absence of a non conviction based asset forfeiture law in Nigeria is a major obstacle in the fight against economic crime,

 

  1. That the private sector is yet to adopt global best practices in corporate social responsibility,

 

  1. That the recent passage of the Freedom of Information Act is a watershed in the fight against corruption and other economic crime as it aims to advance transparency in government business,

 

  1. That the Comatose state of the Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman) discourages the public from buying into the Anti Corruption Crusade.

 

 RESOLUTIONS:

 

          The 8th National Seminar resolves:

 

       i.      That the Attorney General of the Federation should as a matter of urgency:

  1. Re-present the Bill for a Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture law as an important complimentary instrument in the Anti-Corruption fight,
  2. Initiate process for the establishment of special courts for the expeditious disposal of corruption cases,
  3. Take necessary steps to domesticate global Anti-corruption legislations which make corruption a high risk venture like the models implemented by the UK and USA regarding anti-bribery and foreign corrupt practices respectively, and
  4. Finalize work on the National Strategy on Anti Corruption which will drive the Anti Corruption Campaign.

 

     ii.      That the National Assembly should urgently consider reviewing the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011:

  1.  By reducing the reporting threshold for financial transactions to facilitate effective monitoring of funds movement, and
  2. By increasing the penalties for money laundering offences to make them  commensurate with the crimes in order to serve as deterrence to potential offenders,

 

  iii.      That the National Assembly should expedite consideration and enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Law to guarantee the safety of whistleblowers and encourage effective reportage of incidences of corruption and other economic crime.

  iv.      That the private sector must begin to see their responsibilities under the Corporate Social Responsibility principle as a compulsory and necessary duty and not as charity.

     v.      That the government must correspondingly perform its constitutional duty of utilizing public funds in a prudent and efficient manner to provide goods and services in order to make life more meaningful for the citizenry,

  vi.      That a comprehensive cyber crime and critical infrastructure law in Nigeria should be enacted to provide for effective monitoring and investigation of cyber crime,

  1. That Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA’s) in Nigeria should leverage the vast financial intelligence domiciled within the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in the fight against economic and financial crimes and terrorism financing,

 

  1. That there is need for consolidation of strategies amongst LEA’s as it relates to anti-corruption, anti-terrorism and economic crimes with each agency having clear scope of implementation and measurable performance indicators,

 

  ix.      That all critical stakeholders in the Nigeria project should as a matter of urgency, publicize and collaborate to ensure the utilization of the Freedom of Information Act as a potent instrument for the advancement of the cause of the war against corruption and economic crime.

     x.      That there should be a centralized National Database of all GSM SIM card subscribers, fixed telephone lines, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless lines and broad band  modems domiciled with the National Identity Management Commission to facilitate efficient and effective law enforcement and reduce the incidents of advance fee fraud, kidnapping, terrorism and other threats to national security.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The participants applauded the Executive Committee of the National Seminar on Economic Crime, the EFCC and all the organizing institutions for organising the seminar.

Adopted this 7th Day of September 2011 Abuja, Nigeria

Signed: Executive Committee, National Seminar on Economic Crime

Strike: NLC action uncalled for – Enugu State Government

247ureports
-
0

GOVERNMENT OF ENUGU STATE

8th September 2011

Strike: NLC action uncalled for- Enugu Govt

The attention of the Enugu State Government has been drawn to the reports that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered workers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike action over the implementation of the minimum wage. This is, to say the least, uncalled for and quite unfortunate.

It beats the imagination why the labour leaders should give such a directive even when it is on record that the Enugu State Government remains the only one in the geo-political zone to have fully complied with the implementation of the payment of the minimum wage. The implementation was reflected in the payment of the workers’ salaries for the month of August and this is verifiable.

As a matter of fact, Governor Sullivan Chime had even approved N18,500 as the minimum wage payable in the State. Furthermore, in the implementation of the minimum wage law, the salary of every civil servant in the state was also upwardly adjusted, just as the administration has paid the April to July arrears of the minimum wage. Therefore, the issue at stake cannot be about the payment of the minimum wage.

Government urges the workers to ignore such an ill-motivated directive by the NLC and continue with their duties because external forces acting out the scripts of people envious of the peace and progress in the state will not be allowed to dictate how we shall function as a state on a non-existent issue.

The Enugu State Government will continue to pay priority attention to the welfare of its workforce and that explains why it is the fourth state in the federation to have implemented the National Health Insurance Scheme. Government shall remain open to negotiation as a civilized way to resolving whatever grey areas with the workforce.

Chuks Ugwoke

Commissioner for Information

BreakingNews: Labor Shuts Down Enugu State

247ureports
-
0

Information coming out of Enugu State indicates that Enugu has shutdown.

According to information received by 247ureports.com from eyewitness reports on the ground in Enugu State, the State activities has come to a halt following earlier arrests by the State Governor of some top officials of National Labor Congress who had at the New Haven hotel to lead a demonstration relating to the N18,000 minimum wage. Those that were arrested included, TUC president, Peter Esele, NLC Dep. President, Mohammed, Natl Sec. Owei Lakemfa and others.

Following the arrest of labor demonstrators and reporters who had come to report on the demonstration, it was gathered that the Police officers in Enugu received orders from the police headquaters in Abuja instructing that the arrests of the labor demonstration should halt and that the arrested persons should be released. And so the police staged in Enugu halted the arrest.

But the Enugu State government changed tactics and resorted to hiring thugs to handle the demonstrating labor activist and leaders. The police, in turn, have begun arresting the said thugs and infomation indicates that some of the thugs have pointed to the State administration as having hired their services. .

Meanwhile, the knee jerk arrests by the State Government appeared to have resulted to the shutdown of activities in Enugu. This is as the workers in Enugu State who heard of the treatment meted to the labor leaders decided to close work and shutdown the State. The workers at the Power Holding Company of Nigeria [PHCN], Banks, Schools, Markets, Parks, Civil Security agencies, Civil Servants – have closed work in protest.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive report.

Ogboru is a Victim of Conspiracy?

247ureports
-
0

But for the fact that a job had to be done, reading through Doyin Iyiola’s unnecessary  ‘epistle’ entitled “Ogboru is a victim of conspiracy’’ in the Wednesday, August 31st 2011 issue of ‘’The Nation’’ is to say the least, a waste of productive man hours. It was a shoddy treatise: a synopsis of the frustrations of a terribly beleaguered and humbled political camp. The deepening sense of the wholesome reality of consistent defeats in the hands of both the electorates in Delta State, and the courts appear to have badly impacted on the intellectual psyche of the writer. The piece is eulogized as a sublime example of how not to ‘’maltreat’’ the English language. More worrisome however, are the absurdities and illogicalities our obviously, flustered writer on behalf of his bellicose D.P.P so incoherently tried to communicate.

For the records, Great Ogboru has never in his chequered political career earned or enjoyed the privilege of gaining the political or electoral mandate of the great people of Delta State. Not only has he lost in all the elections he has contested to the ruling P.D.P, he has also lost a sizeable chunk of followership because of his unfortunate posture as a “desperado, whose only ambition is to be the governor of Delta State at all costs”.   It is doubtful if any failed governorship candidate in Nigeria care equal or match Ogboru’s  penchant  for petitions and running to electoral tribunals with the same old song, IT WAS RIGGED! But, more poignant also, is the fact that no other failed gubernatorial candidate has recorded more losses in the election tribunals too, than Great Ogboru.

If anyone had suggested to him to discontinue his string of petitions and work with the one that was, and still is the popular choice of the people – Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, it should be because the essence of partisan politics is to improve on the equality of life of the constituents and to move the State forward. When a man has suffered multiple defeats both in elections and at tribunals and still declines to work with the magnanimous government of the day, it truly means “Ogboru’s constant resort to courts was self – serving and it betrayed his desperation to become the governor of Delta State’’.

Perhaps, Ogboru’s biggest problem is the synergy, he so poorly, constituted.Ogboru’s projection to Deltans in particular has been simply catastrophic. Today the name Ogboru evokes the image of the rebellious – rebelling against the wishes of Deltans  as expressed in all the governorship elections Ogboru has contested in till date and more drastically against the sanctity of an independent judiciary and the rule of law. Endure the following excepts from the write up by Chief Great’s media consultant, the very fluent Doyin Iyiola;

“Delta State like any other State in Nigeria needs effective leadership. The State has since 1979 being under relative siege. It has not really enjoyed good governance and it has had its affairs poorly managed by a leader with questionable authority.”

The  English is appalling, what would one make of the irrationality of his wretched reasoning. Iyiola and Ogboru will not mention the fact that they, like other Deltans now fly straight from one of Governor Uduaghan’s landmark achievements-the Asaba airport to any part of Nigeria. They will also not mention the peace and tranquility that has so methodically replaced youth restiveness which the worst governor Deltans will never have;OGBORU has so painstakingly strived to revive in the state.

Ogboru’s mouthpiece has ridiculously asserted also that the Government of Delta State under Dr. Uduaghan has deliberately delayed proceedings at the  petition tribunals in order to deny Ogboru justice. Iyiola makes this  claim in impeccable English thus : “and they deserve the blame for long period of hearing of Ogboru’s   petition.  The petition lasted three and half years. It was finally resolved in November 9, 2010 when  the election annulled and a re – run was ordered.” 

Please be pretentious about his curious English. Is Iyiola saying justice delayed, is justice denied?

The most flippant and indeed criminal of the D.P.P’s latest distractive tendency is the allegation that the P.D.P government in Delta State bought its victory at the election petition tribunal which delivered judgment on July 25, 2011. It hinges its rascally, irresponsible and criminal allegations on a report by Sahara reporters. This is a different song from the one Ogboru and his team  had sung in honour of the Judiciary on November 10, 2010, when the election petition tribunal had ordered for a re – run of the governorship election in Delta State.

With such comments, Ogboru seeks to bring the Judiciary he so frequently runs to, into disrepute! Now he seems ready not to bolster, but to erode the people’s confidence in the Judicial process. Ogboru should as much as possible continue to exercise his fundamental right to seek redress in the courts. But, he must learn to have faith in the Judicial system, otherwise, he is indeed a surmountable distraction.

Ogboru should realize that Democracy comes with a temperament. Its ultimate good is to attract sustainable economic, social and political growth. He cannot serve his people by force. He must be made to comprehend that in partisan politics it is the overall interest of the people, and in this case, Delta State that matters. He reserves the right to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the State, by embracing  the olive branch the amiable Governor Dr. Emmanuel EwetaUduaghan has always extended to him or continue to be a case study in manageable distraction.

Indeed, Great Ogboru is a victim of conspiracy. What is partisan politics if not conspiracy?  A political party afterall, is a group of people who share the same political vision and who plan, strategize and make the common vision to their constituents, translating into electioneering  victory based on the inalienable rights of the people to choose. The D.P.P brand of conspiracy is inferior, unlethal and poorly marketed to the great discerning minds that make up “the Big heart’’, Delta State.

Phrank Shaibu

Media Aide to Governor Uduaghan of Delta State

1...5,1445,1455,146...5,154Page 5,145 of 5,154

Advertisement




Advertisement




Advertisement




EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

The Impertial Observer

Contact us: 247ureports@gmail.com

FOLLOW US

2023 © 247Ureports

247Ureports Protects its' news articles from plagiarism as an important part of maintaining the integrity of our website.