Some few years ago,I was a young Banking Officer working in Onitsha when Peter Obi announced that he would not used tax payers money in servicing criminals . Before then ,the previous administration of Ngige was using N10m monthly to service bad boys around Anambra state. Peter Obi signed and paid the N10m the first month ,the second month ,he refused to sign and banned all activities of touting business in the State .
Ngige used village sense to deal with the issue of insecurity in the State . Peter Obi used trading sense of profit and loss in terms of naira and kobo but then i disagreed with both methods as an economist for so many reasons .
When you pay an illegal group as a security measure, you are empowering them thereby encouraging illegality. When you stop paying them for economic reasons ,the society will bear the blunt. The indirect cost to the society will set off the anticipated direct benefit to the Government .
As a young Banker ,I argued then that Peter Obi should have put public policy framework to deal with the situation instead of a blanket announcement. Such public policy should have established an estimated number of people in the business, how many people are benefiting from the business? Who are their leaders ? How do Government channel the energy of the former touts to productive activities in the short term and make touting business unattractive? Is there responsible agency with hot phone lines to intermediate between the victims of touting and government to ensure that the public policy on touting is executed to the letters? Peter Obi did not implement the above advice .As a Governor ,he was fortified with security officers paid with tax payers money!
Alas , I paid for Peter Obi refusal to pay N10m ! Just three days after Peter refused to pay N10m to bad boys, on my way from work in the night ,I was robbed with gun on my head along Ziks round- about,Onitsha .I lost N20,000 I withdrew for my sick mother. Three weeks after,I stopped to buy fuel for my generator set with my friend ,Chidi inside my car ,the bad boys numbering three all with pistol surrounded us ! That encounter ,we lost all our mobile phones,some valuables and few naira with us. This is the indirect cost to the society . Peter Obi Government saved N10 million monthly but I lost more than N100,000(just an individual) within 2 weeks of Peter Obi refusal to pay .
Prof Soludo knows that these touts he wants to stop has established a consumption pattern that must be serviced . In advanced society, citizens are paid monthly to stay away from crime and as an inducement for consumption to sustain the purchasing power of the economy.
I will recommend that a committee be set up immediately to address the spill over effect of banning touting business in the State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has meted out punishment on one of its officers responsible for recording and leaking a video of Ex-Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano in custody.
Obiano trended on social media on Sunday after a video footage of him clad in shirts and shorts in an EFCC detention facility emerged online.
Below is a statement from the commission sent to ABUJAPRESS on Monday, signed by its head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.
“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a trending video showing the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano in the custody of the Commission.”
“The Commission wishes to distance itself from the said video which is completely at variance with the established Standard Operating Procedure of the EFCC.”
“A discreet investigation ordered upon discovery of the leak has revealed the errant officer behindY the odious act and he is currently being subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.”
Anambra state Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo today, Monday, 21st March, 2022 announced three new political appointments. This makes it a total of six political appointees the Governor has so far announced.
The three new appointees are:
(1) Mr Ernest Ezeajuyi, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Anambra state
(2) Mr Richard Nwora Madiebo, morning Chairman, Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS)
(3) AVM Ben Chiobi (Rtd.), Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Anambra state.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday struck out an application by the embattled Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, seeking to stop the execution of the judgment of the court that removed them from office on account of their unlawful defection.
The judge threw out the suit following confirmation that a valid appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, challenging the verdict that sacked them for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
After several minutes of arguments by Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh SAN, counsel to the governor and the deputy as well as Chief James Ogwu Onoja SAN for PDP, the attention of the court was drawn to the substantive appeal already pending at the Court of Appeal.
Ume thereafter applied for withdrawal of the application to enable his clients to focus and concentrate on the substantive appeal.
The request was not opposed by the PDP counsel prompting Justice Ekwo in a brief ruling to strike out the suit.
Justice Ekwo ordered Governor Umahi and his deputy to shift their legal battle against the judgment that sacked them to the appellate court.
A similar decision was invoked in another application for judgment stay by the sacked 16 lawmakers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
Umahi and his deputy had two weeks ago asked the Federal High Court for an order staying the execution of its judgment that ordered their removal from office as governor and deputy governor of the state respectively.
In a motion on notice filed by their counsel, the governor and his deputy prayed the court for an order staying the execution of the orders made in the judgment delivered on March 8, 2022, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately receive from PDP the names of its candidates to replace them.
The court was also prayed to stay the execution of its order directing INEC to hold a governorship election in accordance with Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.
The motion on notice dated March 9, 2022, equally sought an order staying the execution of the order of the court directing INEC to immediately declare the persons nominated by the PDP as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State respectively.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has spoken on the arrest of former Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano.
Speaking to newsmen at the 5th Annual General Assembly of the Network of National Anti-corruption institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), Bawa said there’s nothing political about the former Governor’s arrest.
The anti-graft agency Boss said, Obiano has been granted bail but he is yet to fulfil his bail conditions.
Nothing political about the arrest of the former Anambra State Governor, Wille Obiano. He has been grated bail. But we await (when) he fulfils his bail conditions”.
Recall that Obiano was arrested last week Thursday at about 08:30pm at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, when he was about to board a flight to Houston, Texas United States.
He was later transfered to the headquarters of the commission Abuja the following day.
The Awo-Omanma country home of Prof George Obiozor, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been set ablaze by gunmen.
The gunmen stormed the house of the Igbo leader located in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State in the early hours of Saturday. The attackers who in vehicles threw explosive devices at the house.
It was learnt that Obiozor was not at home when his house was attacked.
A source said, “The country home of Prof George Obiozor was burnt. The CCTV cameras captured the attack. Thank God Prof was not at home when they came.”
Obiozor had yet to respond to an inquiry concerning the attack but one of the leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who prefers anonymity, said that he had called Obiozor to commiserate with him on the incident.
He called on the police to fish out those who carried out this arson.
The police spokesperson in the state, Micheal Abattam, had yet to respond to an inquiry concerning the attack on Obiozor’s country home.
The attack on Obiozor’s country home came the same night the Umuguma Divisional Police Headquarters in the Owerri West LGA of the state was burnt with two police constabularies killed and cars burnt.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday, said it was open for truce if the new Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo kept to his words by paving way for peace without endangering any of their members.
This is as a leading Igbo Think-Tank, Nzuko Umunna blamed the frosty relationship between the South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) and IPOB for the increasing wave of crisis in the region.
Responding to a call by Soludo on IPOB/ESN to sheathe their swords during his inaugural speech at Awka, the state capital on Thursday, the pro-Biafra group urged Soludo not to endanger or spill innocent Igbo blood during his tenure.
In a statement by spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful, he advised Soludo not to toe the line of his predecessors whom he claimed disrespected and betrayed so many innocent youths from the South East leading to extra-judicial killings and wanton destruction of their homes.
He said: “We wish to assure South East and South South governors that IPOB members are human beings and we don’t have plans to suffer our people but any of them who decide to approach us with harsh manner will receive us with harsh manner.”
Powerful assured Soludo that as long as he kept to his promise, IPOB will never fight him or let him down.
He asserted that IPOB would not accept or succumb to any threats or humiliation, urging Soludo to do away with politicians who would like to advise him to kill IPOB members in Anambra State.
“We were here when he came and we would be here when he would be leaving. His predecessor, former governor Willie Obiano allowed himself to be used by Fulani people and allowed them to kill his people at Nkpor in 2016 during our annual remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price for our freedom between 1967 and 1970. We won’t accept such to happen again with our members and citizens of Biafra nation.
“IPOB is a peaceful movement only seeking freedom of their people and nothing will make us to stop unless they give us a date for referendum to ascertain where everybody wants to belong, either in Nigeria or elsewhere.
“We are ready to work with any government who wishes to give our people peace. If you dare us, you will regret it. We are peaceful and cannot jeopardise his government.”
Nzuko Umunna said Soludo’s call was not only timely but very apposite, calling that the faceoff between the South East Governors and the IPOB/ESN be resolved on a roundtable and as soon as possible, in the interest of peace and security in the zone.
The group noted that renegades, mischief-makers, external operators, sundry troublemakers, and other who were bent on causing serious security concerns in the South East had capitalized on the coldness between the SEGF and the IPOB/ESN to launch persistent assaults on the security of the zone while conveniently letting IPOB/ESN take the flack.
Executive Secretary of Nzuko Umunna, Ngozi Odumuko, in a statement said: “Reportedly over 5000 Igbo youths are languishing in various detention facilities across the nation without any authorizing court orders and without any formal charges except the vague and omnibus one of being suspected to be a member of IPOB/ESN. Many were reportedly taken from their homes or business premises and have been languishing in detention without even a chance of having a day in court.
“This call for a dialogue will pave the way for resolving a whole lot of issues. The innocent ones will be identified and saved from languishing in detention. The genuine self-determination groups will be identified and through dialogue properly and gainfully redirected; the renegades, mischief makers, purveyors of heinous acts of arson and brigandage, and their ilk would be fully identified and dealt with decisively so that peace and security will return to the South East zone.
“We fully identify with this call and will do our quota, if needed, to see to the fruition of this noble process. We urge the other governors in the South East to immediately identify with and adopt this call as their general position.”
The arrested former Governor of Anambra State was arrested for alleged misappropriation of public funds.This is according to a source at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Obiano was arrested by the EFCC on Thursday evening at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, hours after handing over to Governor Charles Soludo.
According to the EFCC source, he was arrested for misappropriating N5bn Sure-P and N37 billion Security Vote funds, which was withdrawn in cash.
Part of the funds were also allegedly diverted to finance political activities in the state, the source added.
Mr Obiano is said to have been moved from Lagos to EFCC facility in Abuja.
The former Governor, who has been on the Commission’s watchlist for months, was arrested at about 8.30pm on Thursday.
He was reportedly on his way out of the country to Houston, Texas in the United States.
The EFCC had requested the Nigeria Immigration Service to inform it anytime the Governor is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports, as well as other points of entry and exit.
Sources told our Reporter that the move was an indication that the agency may have been discreetly investigating the governor and possibly have intelligence that he was planning to escape after handing over power to his successor, Professor Charles Soludo, on March 16, 2022.
Former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had, at the time, condemned the EFCC watchlist reports, claiming that they were politically motivated.
“Governor Obiano has a whole four months to remain in office as the Anambra State chief executive,” Adinuba said. “Nobody in Nigeria can circumscribe his constitutionally conferred immunity which shields him from both criminal and civil prosecution.
“The EFCC went too far to announce in November that it is observing him. We are not aware of any state governor who had up to four months to be in office and the EFCC went on to sponsor media reports that he was being investigated.”
On a related note ,a group with name- Ayamelum Frontiers for Democracy and Good Governance has revealed why Mrs Ebele Obiano was the most hated first lady in the history of Anambra State. The group disclosed that the former first lady was reckless and mindless while sitting in the Government house with the husband.Read the full story on her secret deals ”EBERECHUKWU OBIANO did the unthinkable when she exported Anambra State funds to Houston, USA and hired several U- Haul trucks, setting up under a bridge to feed Americans, even dashing them other goodies from bags filled with electronics and other gifts in that oil rich state, and using her front for laundering cash, called the CAFE FOUNDATION while millions of citizens in her home state of Anambra were starving and poverty ridden. She did not care about these poor masses, as her mission was to engage in this PR stunt in preparation for the elective office of Mayor of Sugarland, Texas. In preparation for this, this First Lady had been transferring huge funds from Anambra State treasury to USA using various fronts. Now she has changed her mind and decided to contest for Anambra North Senate seat.
She has applied for US citizenship but unknown to her, there are several petitions pending against her, both at the EFCC and the United States, even under the presidential proclamation 7750 which deals with corrupt foreign public officials who have domiciles assets, proceeds of corruption from their home countries.
Ebelechukwu Obiano’s overbearing and avaricious attitude has cost Governor Willie Obiano dearly. It was said that this was the major reason Willie Obiano couldn’t ascend the position of the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank. It was her attitude that drove the Governor into drunkenness especially when it became difficult for her to conceive.
It’s common knowledge that Mrs Obiano has overturned many Executive decisions that does not favour her business interest.
She has even caused letters of appointments made by the Governor to be either withheld or sub-planted with another one. It’s common knowledge that Mrs Obiano does not mind making their home uncomfortable for her husband until he reverses the Exco decisions. She doesn’t care even if by doing that, the husband commits an impeachable offense.
The most troubling reversal of Exco decision happened when Madam Governor used her diabolical powers to overrule the Executive Council decisions regarding facility management in the Government Lodges.
Despite Exco’s approval of some companies by merit, Osodieme swung into action to deploy her companies to the various contracts thereby nullifying Executive Council decisions. Till today, her companies are the ones executing all the contracts in all the Government lodges. And the worst is that in the face of all these, the Governor seems so powerless.
Mrs. Obiano’s appetite for money is unquenchable to the extent that she does not even understand what is meant by conflict of interest by those in government. She’s everywhere.
During the Covid pandemic , she hijacked the palliatives donated by FG to Anambra State and repackaged the food items as campaign goodies she wants to share during this coming Senatorial election.
In fact 2 women were shot dead when they tried to collect indomie packages that fell on the road from one of the trailers conveying those palliatives to a secret location for storage pending the coming Senatorial election. This is the height of wickedness.
She executes various fraudulent schemes using known proxies in all ministries. She uses CAFE her pet program as the reason for her excessive acquisitions. She manipulates the State’s IGR through Uche Okafor, Commissioner for Transport notoriously known as the Wiping Wiper and also using Dr. Nzekwu of the State Revenue Agency .
She forced the installation of her brother as the Anambra Market Chairman and he collects over N20m monthly in IGR from the markets in Anambra State but remits a paltry N300k to the state.
Below are some of the companies she uses to execute the facilities management and other contracts in Anambra State against the approval of the Anambra State Executive Council.
1. Golden Fingers
2. Siva Engineering
3. Moses must Win
4. Agape Holdings
5. Health Ambassadors and Associates
6. Imoyel Construction.
7. EOM Nig Ltd.
8. Heaven At Last Services
9. Shuhel Nig
10. Rejoice Nig. Ltd,
The ten companies mentioned above are owned 100% by madam governor of Anambra State. Those are some of the companies that Mr. Luke Obiakor uses to terrorise Permanent Secretaries in all the Ministries in Anambra State.
The slow pace of many contracts and road repairs in Anambra state like the Enugu-Agidi- Nawgwu -Ukwulu road which is not yet done 50% is because the job is under Mrs Obiano even when the contract has been fully paid.
The Amawbia-Nise-Nri-Agulu road rehabilitation is not done 30% because Madam Governor is the one handling the repairs and the Commissioner for works dare not query her almost uncompromising attitude to the pace expected of construction companies in Anambra state in execution of these road contracts
1. Paul Obiakor moves millions of naira every week to the governor’s lodge at Amawbia. We have records and will present this to the incoming governor.
2. Details of all jobs done in all ministries by Mrs Obiano will be published.
3.All the contracts Mrs Obiano cornered at ASUBBEB which she has not done and the ones she barely touched will be published in our subsequent publications.
4. Anambra Roads Maintenance Agency (ARMA) is squarely under Mrs Obiano as she positioned her cousin as the MD of ARMA since it’s inception. We have records of all roads she collected money for but refused to execute the repairs.
5. We will publish the names of Mrs Obianos’s agents in Ministries, Agencies, MDAs and Parastals of government in Anambra state who Mrs Obiano positioned as Commissioners and MDs. These people make returns to her every month.
6. After March 17 when she and her looting husband hand over to Soludo, we will expose local and international bank accounts of Mrs. Obiano. Monies she siphoned and lodged in accounts under the name of her mother, daughter, and brother as well as proxies in America and also those monies she lodged with a guy widely known as her boyfriend in America. She has, to date 17 properties in USA purchased through her proxies. Even 2 properties at Ruxton Road, Ikoyi were bought on her behalf by proxy. The London home of the Obianos was bought under the name of the younger sister of the wife of Obiano, and their 3 properties in Dubai were bought under the name of Ogechi, their daughter and their adopted son Chukwudifu and Mrs Obiano’s mother’s name. This greedy woman has emptied the state treasury and the Obianos will be leaving the state with a heavy debt burden.
She recently awarded herself the contract for the renovation of Abuja and Lagos Liason offices to the tune of 700 million. This was just weeks to the end of their tenure.
EFCC is waiting for this kleptomaniac couple. They will end up in jail”
This above report on Mrs Obiano was given before the arrest of Mr Obiano .
Sources:
1. Channel TV
2. Journalist 101
3. Ayamelum Frontiers for Democracy and Good Governance
The Obi of Awka Ancient Kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, the Eze Uzu III of Awka, Obi Austin Ndigwe, has said that by fighting the widow of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, wife of the former governor of Anambra State, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, has desecrated Awka land.
The monarch, in a press release he signed and distributed to journalists in Awka, said he has given Mrs Obiano seven days to publicly apologise to the entire Igbo people or face serious consequences.
He said the actions of the wife of the former governor was sacrilegious, and that as the monarch of the town, he will have to appease the gods of Awka land to avoid calamities.
The monarch also said: “She should also tender an unreserved apology to the new Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo for her disgraceful conduct during his inauguration. The same should go for the chief judge of the state who was conducting the swearing-in when she descended.
“This grave sin was committed in the land of Awka which is known for peace and unity. Therefore, as the traditional ruler of the people and chief custodian of our culture, I am under obligation to perform some sacrifices to cleanse our land of this filth and pollution and to appease the gods.”
The Obi of Awka said he has long spoken with Bianca Ojukwu who told him that what angered her was that Mrs Obiano walked up to her and called her unprintable names, including querying her presence at the swearing-in ceremony.
He added that a study of the scenario showed that Mrs Obiano’s action was deliberate, as she came very much prepared to disrupt the swearing-in ceremony.
Ndigwe added that Mrs Obiano’s action was not only against Mrs Ojukwu but against the late Ojukwu, who is the founder of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, who his widow came to represent.
It must be pointed out that Bianca was not at that ceremony as Bianca, but as a direct representative of our late father and leader, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, her late husband who pioneered APGA.
“Therefore, Ebele’s action of casting aspersion on her is an affront on the entire Igbo people. It was indeed on Odumegwu Ojukwu and not on Bianca as a person. This is an insult to Igbo and it must not go unpunished.
“It is on record that I took Obiano and this his wife, Ebere to Bianca Ojukwu where they knelt down while seeking the party’s governorship ticket. Bianca endorsed Obiano and called on all APGA members including then Governor Peter Obi to support him.
“Mrs Ebele Obiano has only 7 days to apologise as demanded and directed or face serious consequences.”
The Good Governance Ministry, the first political Ministry in Nigeria is excited that years of political sensitization and mobilization for a visionary and revolutionary Governor in one of the States in former Eastern Nigeria has come into reality.
The entire members of GGM heartily congratulate Prof Chukwuma Soludo ( Charlie Nwa-Mgbafor) for a successful inauguration as the Governor of Anambra State yesterday being 17th March 2022. With Prof Soludo’s sterling academic and professional records, we are convinced that the good people of Anambra State and by extension Igbo Nation are in safe hands.
Though the task ahead of Prof Soludo Administration is uncommonly enormous, we are certain that his tenacity, steadfastness and consistent courage to deal with any challenge will deliver Good Governance to all.
Good Governance Ministry has come to watch Prof Soludo’s back to ensure that he is not distracted by praise singers, political traders and opportunists. We know that his intention is genuine for the public interest, but he cannot be everywhere, prompting our partnership with the Soludo brand.
Be assured of our unflinching support to achieve a liveable and prosperous homeland that will be the envy of all.
Thank you the Peoples’ Governor.
Comrade, Olisa Isama
PRO – Good Governance Ministry( GGM)
ggovernanceministry@gmail.com
