NewStats: 3,259,576 , 8,170,553 topics. Date: Sunday, 25 May 2025 at 04:07 PM s112p

The of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, today continued their protest in Abuja.

The of the group also known as Shi'ites were seen at Banex in Wuse 2 Abuja, where they are currently being contained by the police.

Reports by Dailytimes said the Police and the Shiites are currently engaged in serious shootout which has forced all shops in Banex and other business complexes within the area to be locked down who ran for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullet.

One person has already been reported dead following the renewed clash.

The Clashe between the Shiites and Police which started yesterday and resulted to the killing of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, a reporter with Channels TV and the of IMN.

https://journalist101.com/2019/07/23/one-dead-as-shiites-invades-abuja-again/

The police in Enugu State has confirmed the death of 8 persons in Igogoro community of Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North LGA of Enugu State.

The victims were said to be trapped inside a tank in a construction site where they died from carbon monoxide suffocation.

Six of the eight victims were reported to be indigenes of Amachalla community that share common boundary with Igogoro village

Reacting to the development, the Police spokesman in, SP, Ebere Amaraizu said; "No fewer than eight persons have been confirmed dead in Enugu underground water safety tank."

In the statement obtained by Journalist101, SP, Amaraizu confirmed that the "incident occurred at a building site located at Igogoro in Igboezee North local government Area of Enugu state on 22/7/19."

The statement attributed the incident to  a yet to be identified worker in the site who on that fateful day and in the process of trying to evacuate water from the said tank got trapped inside the under ground tank. When he wants forthcoming, his co-workers in the site and having waited for him to know avail went to assist him and were also trapped there and became unconscious.

They were later recovered by ersby and police operatives who arrived at the scene and rushed the victims to general hospital Ogurute, Igboeze North LGA where the Doctor on duty confirmed them dead.

Meanwhile, the state commissioner of police suleiman Balarabe has expressed shock at the incident which he described as "unfortunate." He has also directed for a full scale investigations into the incident just as their dead bodies have been deposited at the hospital mortuary.

https://journalist101.com/2019/07/23/tragic-police-confirms-8-dead-in-enugu/

The Channels Television reporter shot at the scene of the clash between of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), better known as Shiites, and the police is dead.

His death was announced during the 10pm news bulletin of the station.

The Reporter, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was identified as Precious Owolabi.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/22/sad-news-channels-tv-reporter-shot-during-shiites-protest-is-dead/

The Artisan football team in Enugu State yesterday, slugged it out with the Ogui Road team in a football tournament organized by Honorouble member representing Ezeagu constituency at the State House of Assembly.

Hon. Obieze who organized the event as an avenue for reaching out to young talents, especially youths from his neighbourhood, where he was born and brought up, hosted the State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, lawmakers from the state House of Assembly, LGA Chairmen, Politicians and many residents of the state who stormed St. Michael’s Parish in Artisan in their numbers to witness the tournament.

The football loving Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi whose midas touch made Enugu Rangers win the Nigeria Professional football league after over 2 decades was on ground to cheer the players and and organisers of the tournament and expressed his happiness that the younger ones are being meaningfully engaged.

The winner of the tournament was determined through a penalty shootout as the game ended in a 2-2 draw after regulation and extra times.

The team from Ogui Road went ahead to win the tournament by scoring a total of goals in the shootout while their rival, the Artisan team managed to convert 2 balls from the spot.

Commenting on the exploits made by Hon. Obieze via the event, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Uche Ugwu, representing Udi North Constituency commended Hon. Obieze on his efforts in organizing the tournament as a means of empowering the youths.

According to Hon. Ugwu, “It’s a very good and encouraging one. I thank the organizers, and Hon. Chima Obieze, the sponsor for this initiative. It’s an encouragement on sports which is a very good thing to embark on now because it’s a way to engage the youths, keep them busy and I encourage them to continue.”

Hon. Ugwu who noted that he saw a lot of talents displayed during the tournament, said the players will go places if they should continue to improve on their skills.


Also speaking at the event, member representing Nkanu West Constituency at the State House, Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu said, “the tournament is a laudable one and Hon. Obieze should be very much appreciated for putting this together because he grew up in this place.”

The state lawmaker urged the Rangers Football Club in the state to select talented young men from the team of players who played at the tournament.

Hon. Okwu Chinedu Otaka, lawmaker representing Aninri in the State House hailed his colleague, Hon. Obieze for putting up the initiative to capture young talented footballers.

“The tournament is quite impressing. It’s a thing of joy. Football is not only about money but the ion, the unity, the understanding, and the coming together, something that will bring people together. I think it’s a step in the right direction. The organizers did well, in fact, it’s a record of what we expect from the istration of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. I’m very happy it was organized in a peaceful atmosphere and the talents I see here should be tapped. If given the opportunity, these talents will do better than this,” the lawmaker noted.

Hon. Eneh Chinedu, Councillor representing Enugu North Ward 9 who was part of the organizers said the tournament was organized to make the youths happy and prepare some of them, who might play for the Super Eagles and other clubs, for the future.

Similarly, the Assistant Parish Priest Fr. Okpara Jacob Okonkwo of St. Michael’s Church, the venue of the event, described the tournament as a wonderful initiative to empower the youths even as he promised to continue ing them both physically and spiritually.

He said, “I’m very excited in what I’m seeing here. It’s a wonderful development and we have hope that through these young men(players), we can equally get some wonderful players who can play for our country, Nigeria.

“This Church is ing this tournament and as you can see, we started with opening prayer before they started the match. We’ve been ing them and will continue to them both physically and spiritually.”

Earlier during the programme, Hon. Obieze explained the reason the tournament was organized was to improve the welfare of the youths, especially as it concerns sports.

“We want to make them happy, make them begin to think positively and I also believed there are opportunities for some of them becoming something great from what we see here. Of course, Rangers FC have already invited two of the players who would be going for their interviews or test run in Rangers very soon. I’m confident that they’ll be picked. I feel very good for organizing this initiative,” he said.

Highlights of the event include the presentation of the cup to the winners of the tournament, Ogui Road team, the first and second runners-up, outstanding players in the tournament and cultural dance.

https://journalist101.com/2019/07/22/the-colourful-finale-of-gov-ugwuanyi-china-town-super-cup/

The lawmaker representing Ezeagu constituency in Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Barr. Chima Obieze has decried what he described as "deliberate plan by the Nigerian State to continue to subdue the Igbo man."

Hon. Obieze made this known during a programme organized by Ohaneze Ndigbo Youths - "Ndigbo Igwebuike," in Awka, Anambra State.

According to the Lawmaker, "today, our Youths and Merchants must continue to go to Lagos for ease of doing business because successive Nigerian Governments have continued to play politics with the dredging of River Niger and possibly having a Seaport in Igboland.

"Today, when Ifeoma from the Southeast scores 300 in JAMB and Umaru from Northwest scores 150, Umaru will be given ission to study Law and possibly become a CJN someday while Ifeoma will be denied ission and possibly end up as a trader.

"Our people are denied many useful appointments that would make us have confidence that; we too are Nigerians. This is done in total disregard for our diversities as a country and the need to foster unity" Obieze lamented.

Barr. Chima Obieze also faulted the failure of leadership in Igboland stating that "the failure of leadership on the part of Igbo Political Leaders especially the Governors who have failed to selflessly come together and have a socio-economic/political blueprint for the overall development of our region" should be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Going forward, Obieze said Nigeria should "drop the military constitution which seems to unduly favour a section of the country" stressing that "the people of Nigeria must come together and renegotiate the of their togetherness."

He called on credible and respected Igbo leaders to rise up and show leadership by standing in the gap and bringing our governors together to speak in one voice and jettison the idea of sacrificing the collective interest of the people on the alter of their tall personal ambitions.


Speaking earlier in the event, a former member of Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Tony Uche Ezenwulu urged the youths to be security conscious and ready to defend their land. He also challenged them to be self reliant as everyone will not be employed by the government.

He challenged them to emulate him and go into farming holistically as there are a lot of areas they can explore in agriculture and make a living out it.

Also in the programme, the Senator representing Anambra Central in the red chamber, Sen. Uche Ekwunife said she's always in solidarity with whatever the youths of Igbo nation are doing and encouraged them to always be good ambassadors in whatever they do.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/21/theres-an-urgent-need-to-address-the-situation-of-igbo-youths-in-nigeria-hon-obieze/

Hon. Barr. Chima Obieze, member of Enugu State House of Assembly has taken his message of youth empowerment to an entirely new dimension with the introduction of football tournament amongst youths in the part of the state where he was born and brought up.

The choice of "China Town" - a densely populated area in Enugu metropolis according to Hon. Obieze is like a "home coming having grown up in the area."

The tournament named after the Governor of Enugu State, "Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi China Town Super Cup" is being moderated by Enugu State Football Association. The participants in the tournament are resident of; Artisan quarters, Secretariat quarters, Coastain quarters (Njamanze), Relay quarters, Bridge quarters and Ogui road.

Speaking on the importance of the football tournament, Hon. Obieze reiterated that "this event is to help keep the young ones busy and away from crime.

"I am doing this as another means of explaining these youths to the future ahead, talents abound here and what they need is a little push, an exposure to enable the world see them, these and many more do we wish to achieve.

"I am very sure that after this tournament, many talents will be discovered and their story will change. I'm convinced we have all it takes to produce another class of Okocha, Alloy Agu, Uche Okechukwu, Taribo West, etc. in Enugu State" Barr. Obieze concluded.

The grand finale to determine the winner of the competition that started over a week ago will be on Sunday, 21st July, 2019 and the venue is St. Michael Catholic Church, Asata Enugu by 1PM.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/19/hon-obieze-sponsors-gov-ifeanyi-ugwuanyi-super-cup-for-residents-of-china-town-asata/

The two suits instituted by Ned Nwoko at the Supreme Court challenging the emergence of Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi as the candidate of the PDP representing Delta North district in the Oct. 2, 2018 primary of the party held in Delta.

In their judgement, the five-man of justices lead by Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/16/ned-nwoko-looses-to-nwoboshi-at-supreme-court/

The 2019 general elections might have come and gone but the gains of that election (despite the flaws of the process) can't be wished away.

The "Not Too Young To Run" bill was another catalyst that propelled a lot of young, vibrant and intelligent Nigerians to throw in their hats into the political arena to challenge the status quo which seems to leave political contests in the hands of "perennial politicians".

Hon. Comr. Sylvanus Favour Okeoma is one of the shinning stars from Enugu State that explored the "Not Too Young To Run" bandwagon to inscribe her name in the hearts of the people.

Not minding the corrosive political terrain, Comr. Favour was undeterred in her resolve to speak for her people - Awgu North Constituency, in Enugu State House of Assembly she went ahead and pitched her tent with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as the political platform to realise her dreams and fulfil her "mission".

When the turbulence nature of Nigeria politics and as they say in local palance "powers that be" rose it's ugly head to stop her, seeing how fast the name "Sylvanus Okeoma" was tuning into a movement, she refused to yield and made it known to them that, she's a "Woman on a Mission" - a statement that later became her campaign theme.

Sylvanus Okeoma's venture into politics dates back to her days as an undergraduate at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, when she became the Vice President of the citadel of learning and went ahead to become the President - a height no woman has ever achieved in the institution and she still hold the record till date.

Despite the disappointments, highhandedness of the political umpire and her opponents in the election (that obviously had more financial war chest to prosecute the election), Comr. Favour wasn't discouraged in her desire to touch lives positively.

After the election, she organised a medical outreach as a way of saying "thank you" to the electorates that stood with her despite the forces they were up against.

She's also not resting in her ion to be a better person thus have been involved in series of trainings such as;

•Women in politics training:
Organized by
National Democratic Institute. NDI
at Abuja.

•Capacity Building.
Organized by Yiaga African/ Not too young to run at Abuja

•Leadership and conflict management skills for electoral stakeholders training Organised by European Center for Electoral , ECES
at Victoria island Lagos

•State youth agenda setting for good government workshop.
Organized by
Westminster Foundation for Democracy at Enugu

•One day reflection meeting on young female candidates and the 2019 general election organized by READY TO RUN at Abuja

• Evidence based reporting on corruption training
Organised by SCRAP_C and Yiaga African

Hon. Comr. Sylvanus is currently the Youth Coordinator, Nigeria Young Women Political Forum, NYWPF and also focused on using her NGO to reach out to the unreached in the society and engage in many advocacy to combact illiteracy.

Her NGO is also interested in promoting women participation in politics.

As the 2023 election begins to crawl in, this "Woman on a Mission" will definitely be a force to reckon with.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/13/woman-on-a-mission-hon-comr-sylvanus-favour-ekeoma/

The Exit Package to the 2016 Npower Graduate Volunteers whose programme will end soon has been revealed by the Federal Government. According to the Presidency, 500,000 volunteers ready for community policing.

A total of 500,000 volunteers from across the 774 local government areas of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are being prepared for the community policing programme, the presidency said. This followed the proposal of the federal government and the 36 state governors to recruit the NPower volunteers for the community policing to tackle the shortage of manpower in the police.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, had after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari penultimate Friday, said plans are on to use N-power beneficiaries to kick-start community policing in the country.

Speaking on the community policing, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on job creation and youth employment, Mr. Afolabi Imoukhuede, said they have supplied data to the NSF and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on the volunteers.

He said two batches of the N-Power programme, numbering 500,000 scattered across the 774 local government areas of the country are ready for community policing. ‘We are working with the governors because we have supplied the data to them and to the IG of police.

“We know the security challenges we have and we also know the challenges and limitations of the Nigeria Police Force, we know that they wanted to recruit another 10,000 but the governors felt as Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of their states, 10,000 in the whole of Nigeria is small and how many are you going to give every state?, he added.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/14/npower-fgs-exit-package-for-2016-beneficiaries/

Simmons Coopers Partners, a company in which Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has a major stake, has been linked to another firm, Ocean Trust Limited, which is alleged to have been part of a N100bn scam involving Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LP, the Punch report exclusively.

Ocean Trust Limited, which has been fingered to be the conduit pipe for diversion and laundering of funds by Alpha Beta, listed Simmons Coopers (the Company the Vice President has a great stake) as its company secretary, and documents obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission by Saturday PUNCH sports this claim.

Simmons Coopers was listed as one of the companies in Prof Yemi Osinbajo (now Vice-President) had a stake in his asset declaration form in 2015, according to the statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

In a petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in July 2018, Dapo Apara, the erstwhile managing director of Alpha Beta, had alleged that Alpha Beta owed the Federal Government N100bn in unpaid taxes spanning over 10 years, adding that the firm usually laundered funds through another firm, Ocean Trust Limited.

He alleged that the firm was being protected by powerful politicians.

The petition by Apara’s lawyer, Adetunji Adegboyega, read in part, “Over the years, the company (Alpha Beta) has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable.

“But our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm view that it is time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting.

“Our client is of the firm belief that it is time for the commission to step in and conduct a holistic investigation into the activities of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LLP with a view to uncovering the massive corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, etc., going on in the company.

“Kindly note that one of the companies being used to perpetrate money laundering by the company is still another company named Ocean Trust Limited.”

Osinbajo’s reaction

When ed on the relationship between Osinbajo’s firm, Simmons Coopers and Ocean Trust, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media, Mr Laolu Akande, said he would not comment on the matter unless Saturday PUNCH showed him the document indicating Simmons Coopers was Ocean Trust’s company secretary.

But, a source close to Osinbajo told Saturday PUNCH that “the Vice President has since 2014 left the firm. There is no interest there anymore.”

The source added, “And I think you should talk to the EFCC about its own decisions. It does not make sense that the EFCC will say it is not prosecuting or, as you say, investigating or probing (the allegations) because of what you claimed.”

However, Osinbajo in 2015 listed Simmons Coopers as one of his companies in his asset declaration form.

Where is Ocean Trust?

Saturday PUNCH, which investigated Ocean Trust Limited for three months, conducted a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

It was noted during a CAC search that the firm was ed with number 419706 on January 5, 2011, and is located at 684, Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos and had Gboyega Iyiola and Kunle Akinniyi as shareholders at the inception both of whom relinquished their shares two days later on January 7, 2011.


One of documents exclusively obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission
Incidentally, the property where Ocean Trust Limited is located shares the same address with the office of former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State known as ‘Freedom House’.

All efforts to Ocean Trust Limited proved futile as investigations by Saturday PUNCH showed that the company might no longer be in operation.

Also, attempts to speak with its management turned out to be a wild goose chase.

When one of our correspondents visited the company’s address at the Freedom House, Plot 684, Idowu Taylor Street, a fair-complexioned lady, who said she was an employee of Ocean Trust Limited, told Saturday PUNCH that the company was no longer located there.

When asked if it was true that the firm was being used to launder funds for Alpha Beta, the lady, who refused to identify herself, asked our correspondent to send an email which she would forward to her boss.

Over three weeks after one of our correspondents sent her an email, a response was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report on Friday.

A visit to Ocean Trust’s second listed address at 42 Norman Williams Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos yielded no positive result as the compound looked deserted having been overtaken by weeds.


Saturday PUNCH met with a lady, who simply gave her name as Blessing, and confirmed that the place was being used by Ocean Trust. She, however, said she could not speak on any issue as the place was only a correspondence office.

After a brief chat, she gave one of our reporters a phone number that she claimed belonged to an ant with Ocean Trust.

When Saturday PUNCH called the number, a man who picked the phone said he was not a member of staff of the company.

After one of our correspondents told Blessing that the ‘ant’ denied working for Ocean Trust, she referred him to the head office on 9 Grace Anjous Street, Lekki Phase I to make an enquiry.

When one of our correspondents got to the address, a male receptionist initially confirmed that the office belonged to Ocean Trust.

However, after an introduction as a journalist, he retracted his statement and said the premises belonged to Paragon Holdings and only delivered correspondences to Ocean Trust.

He said, “Ocean Trust is not one of our partners; they used to use here to receive correspondences, but they no longer come here.

“They are not our partners again. Here, we only deal with their files, both physical and electronic.”

While questioning the receptionist on why he had earlier itted that the place belonged to Ocean Trust, another man emerged from one of the offices in the building and said Ocean Trust was no longer in existence.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, Ocean Trust is not functioning. We only receive correspondences for them, but in of business, they stopped existing before the end of the (former Lagos State Governor Babatunde) Fashola’s istration. We don’t even know who they are. They’ve folded up since.”

EFCC yet to take action

One year after Apara’s petition, the EFCC has yet to take any action on the matter.

The EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, had said in February that the petitioner should send a reminder as the petition could not be traced.

In a recent chat with Saturday PUNCH on why the commission had refused to respond to media inquiries for over a month, the EFCC spokesman asked one of our correspondents to give him more time to react.

Efforts made thereafter to get a response from the EFCC did not yield result.

As of Friday when this report was being filed, Orilade had yet to respond.

Apara, who accused the firm of tax evasion to the tune of N100bn, also told Saturday PUNCH that the EFCC had yet to him a year after the petition had been submitted.

“I have still not been ed by the EFCC,” he said in response to an inquiry.

Alpha Beta’s controversies

Alpha Beta Consulting was awarded a contract by the Tinubu-led government after a recommendation by a committee comprising the then attorney-general of Lagos State, Prof Osinbajo (now the Vice-President); Mr Wale Edun, the then commissioner for finance; and a former commissioner for economic planning and budget, Yemi Cardoso.

The firm was subsequently given exclusive rights to collect taxes on behalf of Lagos State and was believed to receive about 10 per cent commission from the revenue it collected for the state.

However, pro-transparency groups and opposition politicians have constantly alleged that Tinubu owns Alpha Beta.

In 2012, a Lagos-based medical doctor, Dominic Adegbola, filed a Freedom of Information request to state authorities, seeking detailed information on all Alpha Beta contracts with Lagos State since 1999.

But the state’s Attorney-General then, Ade Ipaye, (now Osinbajo’s chief of staff), rejected the request, insisting that the FoI was a federal law that did not apply to the states.

However, in November 2017, a state judge ruled that the FoI was applicable to Lagos State. The judge said the law was duly enacted by the National Assembly and did not require domestication to take effect in states.

When one of our correspondents visited the office of Alpha Beta at the Lagos Water Corporation Building, Ijora Causeway, Lagos, the company’s Head of Corporate Services and General Counsel, Mr Omogbemi Adelagun, said the matter was already in court and, therefore, he could not comment on the issue.

“If the matter had not been taken to court, we would have been able to react to it. So, right now, we cannot say anything until the court rules on the case,” he said.

Alpha Beta LLP had, however, said in an advertorial in response to the allegations levelled against it by its former MD that the accusations were illogical and false.

The advertorial read in part, “Alpha Beta has been visibly engaged by the Lagos State Government since 2002 as a forensic, internal control and enhancement adviser. In working with the state, Alpha Beta helped develop the state’s centralised transaction platforms, the precursor to the present-day Treasury Single .”

The firm said at the time it entered into the contract with Lagos State, the state was taking in the sum of N600m in internally generated revenue per month but things had since changed for the better.

Former MD heads to court

Meanwhile, the Alpha Beta’s former managing director, Apara, has approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, “directing an investigation to be made by the Corporate Affairs Commission into the conduct of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited.”

Apara, who said he had been and remained a director of the firm since its incorporation, with control of 30 per cent of its shares value, also alleged that the financial records of the company filed with the CAC and tax authorities did not reflect the actual profits of the company or of its directors.

He alleged among others in the suit that he and shareholders of the company were being owed their remunerations.

Also praying for the takeover of the management of the company by an appointee of the court, the suit urged the court “to appoint a receiver or a receiver manager of the property of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited.”

The suit, couched as a “petition” and brought under the Companies Proceedings Rules and Order 5 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, was filed on November 9, 2018 and marked FHC/ABJ/PET/2018.

When ed on the telephone, a former Senior Partner at Simmons Coopers, Babatunde Irukera, said he had never heard of Ocean Trust Limited and wondered how Simmons Coopers could have served as its company secretary.

Irukera, who is now the Executive Secretary, Consumer Protection Council and had served as managing partner at Simmons Coopers during the time in question, directed our correspondent to another partner, Victoria Alonge.

Alonge told Saturday PUNCH that she had never heard of Ocean Trust Limited and asked Saturday PUNCH for more time.

She said Simmons Coopers had checked all its records and had not found Ocean Trust in its books, adding that it had no record with the CAC.

When one of our correspondents dictated the contents of the document linking Simmons Coopers with Ocean Trust, Alonge expressed shock and asked that the document be sent to her.

She, however, maintained that Vice-President Osinbajo was a man of honour and honesty and would never hinder the EFCC from doing its job.

Alonge said, “Simmons Coopers has never had any dealings with Ocean Trust. We are also doing our own investigations. We checked our Abuja records and Ocean Trust is not stated there. This is new to us and it cannot be insinuated that Prof Osinbajo is stopping the EFCC from doing its job.

“For us, there is nothing to hide. As a partner, I should be in a position to know. We are still checking our records and we haven’t found anything.”


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/13/osinbajos-firm-fingered-in-a-n100-billion-fraud/

Appeal court sitting in Abuja has granted Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), a N100 million bail.

In a certified true copy (CTC) of a judgement dated July 10 and seen by TheCable, the appellate court asked the retired colonel to provide sureties in like sum.

The suit marked CA/A/806/2018 has the director-general of Department of State Services (DSS), and attorney-general of the federation (AGF) as respondents.

Dasuki has been in detention since 2015, despite being granted bail by different courts. In July 2018, Ijeoma Ojukwu, a judge of a federal high court in Abuja, granted the ex-NSA N200 million bail with two sureties.

The judge had held that the sureties must either be civil servants of grade level 16 in the federal civil service or private citizens who have landed properties in the municipal areas of Abuja.

However, while ordering his release, the appeal court reviewedthe bail conditions, saying his sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The court said they must depose to affidavits with recent port photographs affixed to them.

“Each of the sureties shall furnish evidence of ownership of property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) worth N100,000.00,” the judgement read.

“Where there is need for any interview with the Applicant by the Respondents in respect of those allegations, the Appellant shall not be detained and such interview shall be conducted on working days only, between 9.00 hours to 18.00 hours.

“The International port of Applicant shall remain with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court below for the time being.

“When those conditions are complied with, the Chief Registrar or Deputy Chief Registrar of the court below shall notify the respondents to that effect and the Applicant shall be released forthwith from custody of respondents.

“The Appellant shall he paid the sum of five million naira (5,000,000.00) compensation by the respondents for his unlawful arrest and detention in consonance with section 35(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

The ex-NSA has been accused of diverting funds meant to tackle the insurgency, an allegation he denied.


Culled from TheCable


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/13/appeal-court-orders-the-release-of-sambo-dasuki-reviews-his-bail-conditions/

The National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Inuwa Abdulkadir, has dragged the party before the court.
He has also given the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, a seven-day ultimatum to retract an alleged defamatory publication against his person, tender a public apology and pay N500m as monetary compensation or be prepared to face legal action.

These facts were gathered from two separate letters obtained by Saturday PUNCH, in Abuja, on Friday.

In one of the letters entitled, ‘Re: Allegations of misconduct and disloyalty levelled against you from the North-West Zone of the party,’ written on July 9, 2019 and addressed to the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Niyi Adebayo, who is also the chairman of the APC investigating anti-party activities, Abdulkadir said he had taken the party to court and it would be inappropriate for him to appear before the Adebayo-led .

In the letter, which was received by the party’s national secretariat on July 10, 2019, Abdulkadir said, “As you may recall, I did inform you that I was in Sokoto at the said time (of invitation) where I would be appearing before the state High Court on the same 4th July, 2019 in respect of an action between my humble self and our party, the All Progressives Congress, and others arising from some false and malicious allegations touching on my integrity which the petition before your committee is premised.”

He advised the Adebayo-led committee to stay action on its activities and await a final pronouncement on the matter as anything to the contrary would have legal consequences.

In the second letter, which was addressed to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Abdulkadir threatened to institute a separate suit against the party’s spokesperson if remedial actions were not taken to address the defamation of his character within seven days.

In the letter written by Inuwa Abdul-Kadir and Co (solicitors, advocates and consultants), and addressed to the publicity secretary, the national vice-chairman (north), alleged that his reputation was brought to public ridicule by the APC spokesman in an interview published in print and online media.

The solicitors’ letter read in part, “My attention has been drawn by several persons to statements credited to you in the course of making a reder to a personal letter written by the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuiabu, to the National Chairman of the APC (hereinafter referred to simply as the party), Adams Oshiomhole.

“In the said reder, as published by various newspapers and other social media, you were credited with making the following statements concerning Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former national chairman of the party and the entire of the NWC of the party that served with him.

“The Adams Oshiomhole-led APC yesterday said the party lost some states to the Peoples Democratic Party due to indiscipline and inaction of the NWC under Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

‘The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in an interview with journalists, said the former NWC led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun lacked the courage to confront the political despots who could not operate by the party’s rules.”

Abdulkadir said he was honoured to have served with Odigie-Oyegun in the NWC, noting that the statement and others like it disparaged their individual and collective reputations in the eyes of the right-thinking of the society.

Abdulkadir said by virtue of the fact that he held a traditional title in the Sokoto Emirate Council and had, at various times, held public offices, which included minister for youths and sports of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, attorney-general and commissioner for justice in Sokoto State, Issa-Onilu’s statement was defamatory.

He gave the APC spokesperson seven days ultimatum to, among others, retract his statements or be prepared to meet him in court.

In response to calls and a text message on the subject, Issa-Onilu sent a text message which read, “I’m in a meeting.”


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/13/deeper-crisis-hits-apc-as-the-national-vice-chairman-drags-the-party-to-court/

Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election has added his voice in the condemnation of the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin daughter of Afenifere leader, Ruben Fasoranti.

In his reaction via his verified twitter handle, Atiku condemned the killing and called on the security agencies to "initiate speedy and thorough investigations to bring her killers to book."

His tweet, “I condemn, in the strongest possible , the killing of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, the Chairman of Afenifere. This is one death too many.

“I call on the security services to initiate speedy and thorough investigations to bring her killers to book and stem the epidemic of insecurity in our land.

“My prayers and deep comion go to Chief Reuben Fasoranti, his family and the entire hip of Afenifere.

“My family and I stand shoulder to shoulder with you at this trying time, even as we pray for the repose of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin’s soul. Peace must return to Nigeria, by every means possible. Enough of this. Enough of this.”

[b][url]https://journalist101.com/2019/07/12/atiku-reacts-to-the-killing-of-afenifere-leaders-daughter-by-suspected-herdsmen/[[/url]/b]

ENUGU— The People of Akiyi-Umulokpa Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State has made a ionate and urgent appeal to the government of Enugu State under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to come to their rescue and help them rebuild a collapsed bridge in their community that has kept them disconnected from their neighbouring towns for Seven Years now.

The inhabitants of the community who made the appeal when our correspondent visited the area, said the bridge which collapsed since 2012 during the istration of the immediate past Governor Sullivan Chime, has continued to pose as a major burden to the people of the community.

The bridge we learnt connects Akiyi-Umulokpa village to their local government Headquarters - Uzo-Uwani is also the major leeway into the community.

The bridge was said to have collapsed when the former Local Government Chairman of Uzo-Uwani, Cornell Onwubuya was supervising the construction of an alternative road that connects Umulokpa, the headquarters of Uzo-Uwani and Olo in Ezeagu LGA.

Community sources said the collapse which has created disconnection between villages, occurred when the construction company- TOMANDO CONSTRUCTION COMPANY tried to convey materials for their construction work, added that the bridge has not received any attention from the government since its collapse seven years ago.

Speaking to our correspondent, Mr. Madubuike, a native of the community wondered why Umulokpa, one of the oldest LGA headquarters that existed in the old Anambra State will be totally neglected in such a manner.

"We are host to Umulokpa, one of the oldest LGA in Enugu State existing even in the old Anambra State. What's the explanation for this neglect and what is looking like hatred for our people?" he asked.

He went further to say that the hardship their people has been made to go through all these years "is better imagined" as they have been living
in pains.

Speaking on the economic meltdown the collapse of the bridge has brought to them, a lady that identified herself as Uzoamaka and spoke in her native language said "we are practically living from hands to mouth, we can no longer trade with neighbouring communities. If you want to take your crop produce to the market using the alternative route, you will spend a great fortune on transportation thus leaving you with little or nothing after selling your products.

"Imagine crisscrossing Amagu-Umulokpa, Ibite-Olo then Oba-Ofemmiri all in a bid to sell your farm produce?" she concluded.

Appealing to the State government to quickly come to their aid, the community said hoodlums now hold sway in the area as they have since capitalized on the abysmal condition of the road to carry out various nefarious activities since the road leading to the collapsed bridge has been overtaken by a thick forests.


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/12/enugu-community-that-has-been-disconnected-from-other-communities-for-seven-years-cries-out/

The Police command in Enugu State has reacted to the rumor of bomb blast in the state stating that it "is an attempt by mischief makers to cause panic and fear in the minds of the law abiding of the public."

Reacting to the rumour, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, SP Ebere Amaraizu encouraged the of the public to ignore the "misleading information" and go about their lawful businesses.

The statement read; "The Attention of Enugu state command of the Nigeria police force has been drawn to the video in circulation in some sections of the social media on an alleged bomb blast at otigba junction in Enugu state and hereby wish to inform of the public particularly those who may have been misinformed with such that there is no bomb incident and explosion in Enugu state.

"Hence, of the public are advised to ignore the misleading information and go about their normal lawful businesses as this is an attempt by mischief makers to cause panic and fear in the minds of the law abiding of the public."


https://journalist101.com/2019/07/11/enugu-state-police-reacts-to-reports-of-bomb-blast-in-the-state/

As the super eagles prepare to meet their next opponent in the ongoing Total Africa Cup of Nations, wealthy Nigerians are making frantic efforts to keep the moral of the team very high.

Africa's Richest Man and the Chairman of Dangote group, Aliko Dangote promised the super eagles a whooping $50,000 (estimated to be 18 Million Naira) For each goal scored in the semi final game.

In the same manner, oil billionaire, Femi Otedola has promised to over the boys a mouth-watering some of $25,000 (estimated to be 9 Million Naira) for each goal scored as well.

It would be recalled that Aiteo Group, one the major sponsors of the Super Eagles gave the team $75, 000 for the three goals scored in their 3-2 win against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

https://journalist101.com/2019/07/11/any-goal-scored-by-super-eagle-in-semi-final-is-worth-27-million-naira/

The inauguration of the 7th Enugu State House of Assembly have come and gone but the lawmaker representing the people of Ezeagu in the State House, Hon. Barr. Chima Obieze is leaving no stone unturned in marshalling out the plans he has for his constituents.

Speaking to Journalist101 correspondent after his inauguration on the 10th of June, 2019, Hon. Obieze said he owes it all to the people of Ezeagu for finding him worthy to represent them.

“I thank the people of Ezeagu for finding me worthy to be their voice and representative in the State House of Assembly. Indeed, it is a rare privilege to be the one representing one of the most politically conscious people in ENHA. We have in many ways contributed immensely to the growth of Enugu State and Ezeagu constituency in particular, through people-oriented legislation,” he said.

On his legislative exploits in the 6th Assembly, Hon. Obieze was actively involved in the age of the Enugu State Child Right law 2016, istration of Criminal Justice Laws of Enugu State, among many others. He had a very robust contribution in the executive bill known as the Enugu State Health Sector Reform Bill.

Motions and House Resolutions are not left out as he has constantly left an opinion on the stand of Ezeagu people in any issue that comes up on the floor of the House.

Hon. Obieze have sponsored and co-sponsored over 15 motions. Prominent amongst them "the motion urging the federal ministry of works to provide a pedestrian bridge for the people of Ezeagu living by the Enugu Onitsha Expressway" and "the motion urging the Deputy Governors of Enugu and Anambra states to come together and establish the boundary between the people of Ibite Olo in Ezeagu and Oba Ofe Mmiri in Anambra state.

As the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, his committee conducted positive oversights aimed at increasing productivity, ending waste, ensuring due process and investigating corrupt activities within the ministry.

His midas touch was also made manifest as the Chairman House Committee on Works, Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Obieze and his committee embarked on a periodic oversight visit of all Local Government Areas in the state, ensuring that quality works are being delivered to the good people of Enugu State in both urban and rural areas, keeping contractors on their toes and ensuring that all construction works are done in accordance with the provisions of the Bill of quality and nothing less.

For the second time in the history of the ENHA, the committee led by Hon. Obieze toured the 17 LGAs in the state successfully, inspecting all ongoing works by the state government in the various local governments.

Speaking on how accessible he is to his constituents, Hon. Obieze said, “I have continued to engage my constituents at different levels to discuss and find solutions to their respective challenges.

“My office in Enugu State House of Assembly (ENHA) remained the most visited office in the complex because my door is always open for any of my constituent that wishes to see me.

“I also have a constituency office at Akama-Oghe which is open every weekdays from 10am to 4pm.”

“We have attracted many MDG projects,” Obieze said while speaking about his constituency projects. The projects he said includes “motorized boreholes, solar streetlights, health centers, etc.

“We have also attracted SUBEB projects which involves the construction of classroom blocks, renovation of existing ones and provision of academic materials for the schools.”

“Youth empowerment is not left out,” he said. “About 78 of our youths were empowered to go into commercial agriculture in different value chains. They were trained for 3 weeks in their respective fields and given grants ranging from 3 to 4 million naira each to set up their farm businesses. These funds were made available via a partnership project (Commercial Agriculture Development Programme, CADP) between Enugu State Government and World bank.

“We have also formed the Ezeagu Young Farmers’ Cooperative to encourage my young constituents to go into Agriculture and to collectively have access to any government assistance on Agriculture.

“We were able to give scholarships to over 50 students from Ezeagu and over 40 percent of this figure is up to university level.

“Like I always say, in Ezeagu, I am not the best neither am I the most educated, I am not the richest nor the wisest but my people have said I should continue to speak with their MANDATE! It is a rare and undeserved gesture. I will give my best to ensure that I justify the confidence my people have reposed on me in the next four years,” he said.

On what to expect going further, Obieze said he will assure his constituents of a more “robust representation.”

“I will pursue vigorously, a bill for the review of the tenancy law of Enugu State. This bill will be before the 7th assembly in the nearest possible time and many more people oriented bills that will transform the lives of our people with keen interest on bills that will aid job creation and youth empowerment will be presented to the 7th Assembly” he assured.


https://journalist101.com/2019/06/12/hon-chima-obieze-his-achievements-in-6th-assembly-what-to-expect-from-him-in-the-7th-assembly/

The leadership of Concerned Citizens of Enugu State for Ayogu Eze in a chat with the wife of Distinguised Senator Ayogu Eze, Mrs Nkechi AyoguEze.

The Leader of the group in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Mrs. Eze Fidelia, JP said their visit is aimed at intimating the incoming FirstLady of the State on the activities of the group and their efforts in mobilizing voters for Senator Ayogu Eze in the Guber election in the State.

Mr. Finbarr Abah, From Udenu said they are convinced that a Senator Ayogu Eze Governor will be of tremendous benefit not only to Enugu State but the entire South East zone because he is a leader per excellence.

He said he is convince that with the numerical strength of their group, they will contribute immensely to the electoral victory of Senator Ayogu Eze.

Eze Sunday, from Igboeze North said that they are confident that their , spread across the entire state will leave no stone unturned in preaching the gospel of Senator Ayogu to the entire state and assured her that with them, they have little or no work to do in their area.

In her response, Mrs Nkechi AyoguEze thanked them for the show of solidarity and their efforts so far.

She assured them that all their efforts is not going to be in vain as they will surely reap the rewards for their hardwork and commitment to the project.

The attention of Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a report on auto fire incident involving PDP campaign vehicles in Enugu and wish to deplore in very strong any act of arson or violence whatsoever perpetrated by any person or group in the name of politics. Much as we should sympathize with owners of the said vehicles over this undesirable conflagration and thank God no life was lost, we regret the hasty conclusion of the PDP that the fire incident was a case of arson involving the opposition parties in the state even when they acknowledged to have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities whom they Claimed they had implicit faith in their capacity to bring the culprits to book . We view this preemptive allegation with suspicion and are compelled to presume this was a self perpetrated arson involving the PDP aimed to elicit public sympathy over their wobbling reelection bid while painting the opposition parties in bad light .

We urge the police to take all necessary steps to unearth the people behind these creeping acts of violence, which appear to be coming as a foretaste of the unsavory broth being prepared for the people of Enugu State in the forthcoming elections by those desperate to retain the power that is rapidly slipping out off their hands.
The import of what the PDP release on the incident referred to as "..the apparent confusion in some opposition camps given that there is practically no attempt on their parts at campaigning to the Enugu electorate" and "this despicable resort to arson" is not lost on us. We have nothing to say to them on this except to once again urge the police to diligently investigate the matter to find out the true culprits.

However, we need remind of the public that barely a month ago when the campaign office and vehicles of an acclaimed APC governorship aspirant, a known protege of the state governor who foots the bills of all his political activities, was set on fire, this same disingenuous attempt was made by agents of this government to blame the APC for the incident. But the allegation couldn't go any farther as it turned out that the arson was contrived, processed, cooked and served on his own property by the said aspirant working in cahoots with agents of the state government all in desperate attempts to smear the image of our Principal who is an easy going peacefu man. It is on record that our principal is the only leading candidate to have publicly call for peaceful conducts by politicians in the State in the run-up to the elections.
The claim that 'there is practically no attempt at campaigning' on our part is another of their usual falsehood, in reality, the only party campaigning towards the elections in Enugu State is the APC. We have done a highly successful zonal rally at Enugu North and Enugu East where we enlightened the people on the failings of the Ugwuanyi government, why it must be changed and the great alternative we bring. This is preparatory to our local government tours which are just about commencing . We are firing from all cylinders, Our governorship house-to-house campaign is going on, our Senate, Houses of Representatives and Assembly candidates are campaigning practically everyday in their wards and constituencies.
On the other hand, what the embattled PDP has done is organise what they call 'zonal meetings' where their hordes of discredited, underperforming politicians simply gulp and empty kegs of palmwine but hardly telling the people what they have done or intend to do because they have nothing to show in all of their four years of uninterrupted bubbling and good-timing in government.

The attempt to tar the APC with the soot of violence will continue to fail. Because the people of Enugu State know very well which of the parties has subscribed to violence by recruiting extremely violent men into their fold as leaders. We have no doubt that it is these muscle men that are already scripting and directing these low-hanging acts of violence preparatory to full-blown mayhem by which they hope to win election having seen how very unpopular this government is.
On the other hand, there is no single Shady character in Enugu APC fold. Therefore, when it comes to violence and or men who are likely to perpetrate it in the forthcoming elections in Enugu State, APC is light while PDP is pitch darkness. This much is the truth and our people already know .
While we continue to remind the PDP in the state that elections should not be a do-or-die affair as they continued to recruit hardmen into their fold, we call on our teeming ers to remain law abiding and continue focusing on campaigning for our candidates for the various elections, we Once again call on the police authorities to find the arsonists in our midst and expeditiously bring them to book. In that way, the hidden mischief would be exposed and the truth will be known .

Okey Ezirigwe,
Spokesman, Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation.


https://journalist101.com/2019/01/14/is-enugu-state-pdp-preparing-the-grounds-for-electoral-violence-in-the-state/

The Senator Ayogu Eze campaign organization has frowned over what they called “trying to pull wool over our people’s eyes” in response to the purported award of contract for the construction of roads in 3 Local Government Areas hitherto ignored by the state government.

In a press statement by the Spokesman of SenatorAyogu Camapign Organization, Okey Ezirigwe, he said “the heightened desperation of the embattled Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led government of Enugu state to hoodwink the people with spurious roads contract award in the neglected local governments of the state”.

The spokesman further queried the timing of the award of the contract and asked what the state government has been doing before now.

“The time for this late hour gimmick on the electorate is long gone. What tied his hands in four years that he slept his time away all through the period only to rouse from self imposed slumber to inaugurate projects that won’t ever be completed?”

He further called on the people of Enugu State that this is purely aimed at deceiving them and nothing more, “We therefore alert the people of Enugu state, disappointed with the sleeping on duty governor, that the emergency roads contract award are not genuine but act of desperation by a drowning regime to manipulate itself out of imminent defeat”

The full statement reads;

The Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation has observed with dismay, the heightened desperation of the embattled Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led government of Enugu state to hoodwink the people with spurious roads contract award in the neglected local governments of the state.

And we are asking, why now? Has he been suddenly bitten by a bug?

This deceptive government is simply trying to pull wool over our people’s eyes the same way the governor has been dangling phony appointments to lure weak minded individuals to back his disintegrating government.

No amount of intrigue, cunning, chicanery or sleight of hand will sway our people in their resolve to vote him out.

The time for this late hour gimmick on the electorate is long gone. What tied his hands in four years that he slept his time away all through the period only to rouse from self imposed slumber to inaugurate projects that won’t ever be completed? We advice him to stop frittering away our scarce resources on trying to deceive a people whose mind is made up to show him the way out of the Lion Building by starting projects he knows will never be implemented.

Our people know that he is a manipulative narcissist who like Nero is only interested in promoting his self image and glory in billboards and expensive newspaper photo optics, TV and social media advertorials. Our people have been taken for a ride enough. They’ve decided to end this imperial reign of self glorification and adulation. It’s time to enthrone an able government that will work for the people and not seek to bribe every Dick and Harry into silence about his overt and embarrassing incompetence.

Our people want water in their taps which we shall provide within our first year in office; they want employment and new and cleaner cities. Our pensioners are dying of hunger as their entitlements pile over the years unattended to. We urge this government to stop this grandstanding and pay them gratuities and pensions. They labored for our people and deserve their pay in dignity on retirement. We thank them for their rising for us and their resolve to end a government whose only visible achievements in four years are billboards glorifying an imaginary humility.

We therefore alert the people of Enugu state, disappointed with the sleeping on duty governor, that the emergency roads contract award are not genuine but act of desperation by a drowning regime to manipulate itself out of imminent defeat to further perpetuate mediocrity, docility and ineptitude.

Okey Ezirigwe
Spokesman
Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation

FULL TEXT OF AYOGU EZE'S REMARKS AT THE OPENING OF HIS CAMPAIGN OFFICE BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, ON NOVEMBER 23, 2018.

Since we ed this business, the energy level has changed - Sen. Ayogu Eze, Enugu Gov. Candidate.

APC!.... Next level!
APC!.... Next level!

Your Excellency, the delectable, intellectual, highly focused visionary, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Osibanjo, SAN, GCON....we can’t even all the accolades because our Vice president is a man of many attainments.
......

I don't want to fall foul of the regulations of the INEC. The one that has started is your own. So what we're going to do today is just to open this office and get it ready for the campaigns when they start.

And I want to assure you that we have a message for Mr. President. Tell him that we're sleeping on the same bed and dreaming the same dream.

His five points agenda in the Next Level declaration, including jobs, security, infrastructural development, economic enhancement in the area of education and, political inclusiveness and so many other things are also part of what we're dreaming to do here. He doesn't need to come preaching here because we understand him. We have also listened to you, having been the anchorman of the messages of the President.

We know you want to create five million jobs, we know you want to create several thousand other jobs arising from improving the school feeding system. We know sir that your Anchor Borrowing System, your NPOWER and Economic Enhancement Programmes are getting new fillips and are being reworked. We're confidently behind you sir.

We're going to invite you at the appropriate time to come and host some of those your popular programmes that I have seen you host in other parts of the country for our people because we need to energize our people the more.

Finally sir, the message for Mr. President is, listen to nobody who tells you that they want to give you 25 or 30 percent. The president owns this place whole and entire. Ndi be anyi, o bu eziokwu? .... No be so? Na we go determine who go divide the show, not them. Nobody can give us 25 percent sir. So let nobody go to Abuja to tell you that they are friends of the APC.

These are people who have spent four years deceiving people like him (Jim Nwobodo) that they are coming to the party. They didn't come. He's a very heart broken man because some people lied to him that they are going to the party. Four years down the line, they didn't .

A man that is convinced of the same opinion is of the same opinion. They're of the same opinion still... They'll not change.
So, enough of this deceits, Sir. So when they come again to Abuja, tell them politics is played in Enugu not at the corridors of power in Abuja.

Your Excellency, they should not see you in your office. They can not come to Abuja and tell you they will give you 90 percent. The Ninety percent is here not in Abuja. We'll give it to you here.

So, when they come next time, tell them to go home and meet the people on ground. Because since we came to this business, the energy level has changed, Sir. The energy level has changed sir. And the energy level has got a new boost with your arrival. We are now like people who are drunken with political energy. We're drunk o, with the energy you have brought to us.

You will see the multiplications of the popularity, of the fame, the activity of APC going forward. And your Excellency, when we invite you to come and flag off our governorship campaign, we'll unfold our programme. Today is about your programme.

And anybody who tells us that the president doesn't like us, is talking jazz. Because, number one, the two elections that the president ran before this one, his vice presidential candidates were Igbo people, Chuba Okadigbo and Edwin Umezuoke. That's history, you can't change it.

One of the projects that is reflected in the Next Level document is the Second Niger Bridge. It’s a mammoth development. The president did tell us that we're laying foundation, foundational work is neither easy nor glamorous. That's what he told us. It's not easy. It's not glamorous. It's difficult to appreciate. But those foundations are necessary, Sir. If we don't lay them, we'll continue to make mistakes.

So we Mr. President to lay the foundations Sir.
Because you see this house, if the substructure is weak, the superstructure will collapse. So the President has done the substructure. The superstructure is now coming. The Igbos are waiting.

One of the messages you'll see on our billboards is "Taking the east back to the heart of Nigeria". And that's exactly what we'll do. This is our presence ....we welcome you to Enugu. Don't listen to tale bearers coming to Abuja. That's what we beg you. A lot of tale bearers are organizing by themselves. The other day, they came here.

The same set of people. So you see their hypocrisies. They had a meeting and said they have endorsed Atiku. I switched on my television the next day, they were with Mr. President. So, who are they really endorsing, sir? These are fake people. The Igbos have not held any meeting. He (Jim Nwobodo) was not there. He is one of the truest sons of Igbo land. Before the Igbos make a decision, they'll form a caucus and take a decision. Those people are speaking for themselves. They're not speaking for our people because Igbos are in APC, Igbos are in other political parties.

We cannot be endorsing individual candidates across the cultural zones. That's a fraud. A big time fraud. What gives out the fraud, the same people who stayed in Nike Lake here to endorse Atiku were in Abuja to converse with Mr. President.

The same people! Are they not ashamed at all? Are they ashamed at all?
Mr. President, please don't listen to them again. These are fake people.

You are welcome here, thank you .

The leadership of Enugu North LGA Elders Council pledges to deliver Sen. Ayogu as the Governor come 2019.

The group, which visited the campaign office of Senator Ayogu in Enugu was led by Jude Nebo who is the Chaiman of the Elders forum and Oledika Michael, who's the Secretary of the forum.

According to the Secretary of the forum, the hip of the forum cuts accross all works of life, retired service men, civil servants, religious leaders and businessmen and women from all the 13 wards of Enugu North LGA.

The secretary of the group said they are here to "pledge their unalloyed for his Excellency and assure him they are very ready to do anything whatsoever within the ambits of the law to see him in Enugu Lion Building".

The group said they are not here to endorse His Excellency as is obtainable in some quarters but they're here "to work in solidarity as words and endorsement isn't enough".

According to the chairman of the forum, Jude Nebo, "the forum in line with their desire to see to the success of His Excellency has started an underground mobilization to see him enter the Lion Building as the next Governor of Enugu State".

In his welcome speech, His Excellency, Sen. Ayogu Eze, represented by the DG, Ayogu Eze Campaign organization, Barr. KGB Oguakwa thanked them for their visit and show of love and solidarity.

"Sen. Ayogu Eze's political ideology is that everyone is important and has equal stake in politics"

"Your Visit today is very symbolic, this is a proof that Lion Building is waiting for us because the Landlords of the Lion Building have come to him"

"His Excellency is worried about pensioners, he is worried about the poor state of our health sector, he is worried about the overall welfare of the people and that's why he's in the contest".

"Your Visit today has reenergised our resolve to save the state and is a pointer that we need to run faster because your organization is wonderful" he said.

Barr. Oguagba thanked them for including the women in their midst as they are pivotal in the success of every political process.

He encouraged them to keep up the good work because by default and what they have done so far, they are already part of the campaign.

The All Progressive Congress in Enugu State has cried out over what it called “threat to democracy” as it accused the ruling People’s Democratic Party of destroying billboards and other campaign materials of candidates of the APC.

Chairman of the party in the state Dr Ben Nwoye who made the allegation while addressing newsmen at the party secretariat accused the current istration of o stifling the media in despite littering the state with billboards.

Nwoye said all advertising space in Enugu metropolis has been hijacked and life size billboard of the incumbent Governor being eulogized by praise-singers even as no meaningful achievements has been recorded.

The APC Chairman disclosed that the billboard of the APC’s governorship candidate at Shoprite junction and that of the senatorial candidate for Enugu East Senatorial zone at Enugu Stadium were destroyed using the instruments of the State.

“By our last check/count, the PDP led government has over 2294 billboards across the 17 LGA areas in the state.

“Despite having this huge number of billboards, they now want to stifle the APC in Enugu State by intimidating owners of billboards ensuring we don’t get a space to Mr. President and our own gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Ayogu Eze”.

“Because they have no achievements to showcase in those LGA and round the streets of Enugu, they showcase billboards, to worsen the situation, wherever the APC finds a space, and mount their billboard, no matter how remote the area is, they ensure it is dismantled, destroyed burnt to ashes and the ashes carted away”

“It becomes very important for the public to know this, the APC paid up 2 million advance payment to Rocanna limited for an available space at the airport round about, to welcome His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, the Vice President of Federal Rebublic of Nigeria and to lunch his campaign in the southeast due to the strategic position of Enugu in the Southeast.

“The government of the PDP muscled Rocanna into retaining our money, the product itself that’s the print itself which costs over 600,000 and refusing to mount the billboard which is supposed to be in the paid position for 3 months. He has the materials and he’s informing us that because of the interference of the State government, he can no longer allow us to use the billboard as a way of advertising our party and the achievements of President Muhammad Buhari to the people of south East” Barr. Nwoye said.

 

Nwoye who promised a rousing welcome for the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo on Friday, for the book launch of the leader of the party in the state, and immediate past Governor, Sullivan Chime, said the party will deliver President Mohammadu Buhari and all APC Candidates in the state unlike the abysmal 30 % votes being promised the President in some quarters.

When ed, the CEO of Rocanna Limited, Robert Oji, said he was not aware that billboard paid for by candidates of the APC in the state have not been mounted.

Meanwhile, the state PDP chairman, Augustine Nnamani did not respond to calls made to him to clarify claims by the APC in the state.


https://journalist101.com/2018/11/21/2019-polls-a-dangerous-trend-developing-in-enugu-politics/

Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Works, Lands and Housing has reacted to the reduction of land use charges by as much as 50% by the government of Enugu State under the governance of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

The Governor had in consideration of the requests made by property owners in the state approved 50% reduction on land use charges. According to the house committee, this has once again shown the the Governor places on the welfare and yearnings of the people and believe this singular act of kindness and love will have a chain reaction that will trickle down to all strata of the society

“The committee believe that this step wil have a chain reaction that will affect even the amount of rent paid by Enugu residents who are tenants”.

The committee also appreciated the immediate completion of work at district Hospitals in Agbani, Udi and Enugu North LGA which is a clear demonstration of the Governor’s willingness to deliver on his campaign promises.

Satisfied with the level and quality of the job done, the house committe Chairman Hon. Barr. Chima Obieze while speaking to Journalist101 said; “the Governor not only makes sure that contracts are awarded but goes further to ensure its completion and that the jobs are solid”.

Hon. Obieze while speaking to Journalist101 after meeting with of the Committee said the committee reviewed the level of developments going on in the State under the ministries of Works and Lands. He said though the Governor has done outstandingly well, he is confident that given another four years, the state will experience uncommon infrastructural development.

” No doubt, His Excellency has outdone himself considering the lean resources at disposal.

“More still needs to be done for our people and we are confident that given another 4 years, His Excellency wil change the dynamics and bring more dividends and good governance to the State”.



https://journalist101.com/2018/10/15/house-comte-lauds-gov-ugwuanyi-on-reduction-of-land-use-charges/

In a never seen before manner, the Member representing the people of Ezeagu in Enugu State house of Assembly, Hon. Barr Chima Obieze in his bid to return to the house has told his people what he will continue doing for them if he’s returned to the house.

The manner he choose to present his manifesto for seeking re-election might not be unconnected to his deep-rooted relationship with the youths of his constituency which earned him the title “Commander of Youth Affairs and Aspirations”

Hon. Obieze in his poetic manifesto promised the people that he’s going back to the State House of Assembly to continue making laws and even new ones that will better the lots of the youths and of his constituency.

Enjoy the beautiful rendition by Hon. Obieze

I offer myself again this day
To serve you even better…
To give my best further
To speak for my people with a stronger voice
To stand with you
To continue to listen to your positions,
To defend your mandate!
I offer myself again today
To remain your friends
And partners in progress
For the common good of our people
To seek ways to empower our people
With human & physical development
To seek out new laws
Laws that will better our lives & society
And push for them…
To continue to interact with all of you
To continue to inspire a new generation leaders
To be your representative in the Enugu State House of Assembly for another term.
With a firm promise that,
Whatever we have done in the last three & a half years,
Given the chance,
We will do more & do them even better.
Together, with God, we shall make our marks
We shall leave our footprints
We shall succeed.

Viva Deus!

God bless Ezeagu
God bless Enugu State
God bless the federal Republic of Nigeria

God bless you all!

HON BARR CHIMA OBIEZE





https://journalist101.com/2018/09/04/house-assembly-aspirant-poetically-renders-manifesto/