This is morning ,I met some labourers at Ogbo olu ,awka . I wanted to know who they would support in the coming Gubernatorial Election .The leader of the group mentioned a particular candidate . He told me emphatically that the man has the support of all of them .I asked why? The poor labourer told me that the man cares for the common man .
How ? Was my further interrogation. He explained how the man came to ogbo olu at gbarimgba,awka close to eke awka market to organise all the daily paid labourers and gave each of them N10,000 . This action really touched me ! This is local sense to empower people that matters instead of waiting till the election day to share N2000 . This kind gesture will achieve multipliers effect ! These Labourers have became field marshals and commanders for the Gubernatorial Candidate. They may not understand the economic jargon of building public institutions,initiating public policies to address our macro economic problems.
However ,that is the way of our african politicians ! Why sharing money now! These labourers have been existing in the last 4 years ! Why not develop a plan to empower such people for a long time! It is very easy to win the support and love of the ordinary people.
Herders graze a field with their livestocks on the outskirt of Zaria in Nigeria's northern state of Kaduna November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
DAYS after the killing of 26-year-old Nonye Nwa-Omoku in Egbeda, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State by suspected herdsmen, Gbo Kabaari Ogoni (Ogoni Elders’ Forum) has raised the alarm over more herders’ threats to that area of the state.
In a Save-Our-Soul, SOS, to the state government and relevant agencies, yesterday, the Ogoni elders said AK-47 rifle bearing herdsmen were increasingly encroaching on farmlands in some Ogoni communities, posing threats to peace and food security in the area.
In the SOS by Chief Monday Abueh, Chairman and Dr Desmond Nbete, Secretary, Gbo Kabaari Ogoni, said: “In the past weeks, armed Fulani herdsmen have occupied vast farmlands under cultivation in Baa Luekun, Kpaa, Seme Luekun and Dae in Khana LGA and Eteo in Eleme LGA.
The invaders, armed with sophisticated weapons, especially AK-47 rifles, some of which are strapped to their cows, have driven away farmers from their farmlands, forcibly occupied the farmlands and are grazing their cows on cultivated crops.
“Not only does this act threaten public peace and security in the affected communities, but it also undermines livelihoods, thus threatening the existence of a sizable number of our people, causes violent clashes and, but God also forbids, loss of lives and more property if not nipped in the bud.
“We are particularly concerned that when confronted by our community leaders, they had threatened mayhem, even boasted that the powers-that-be and security agencies were aware of their presence, and would decisively deal with our people if further confronted.
The Ogoni elders alleged that the recent widely resisted militarization of Ogoniland to secure the Ogoni clean-up exercise may have been a disguise to cover for the current invasion by armed herdsmen going by their boast of being ‘protected’ by security agents.
The Ogoni elders added: “We’ve had a sad history of being massively killed, our livelihoods devastated by decades of wanton environmental devastation.
“Our people, mainly sustained by subsistence farming, don’t want an addition to our plight by armed herdsmen to the toxic mix.
“We urge the government and its apparatus to protect our lives and property even as we demand the immediate evacuation of these herdsmen and cows from our farmlands.
The lives and livelihoods of our people must not be sacrificed for cows.”
Good Governance Ministry ,an ideologically driven political crusade has called on electoral voters across the country and in Anambra state to take full advantage of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, continuous voters registration exercise which begins today being Monday, June 28, 2021
The Director General of the Political Ministry – Chibuzor Chukwuemeka urges Nigerian voters to cooperate fully with INEC as a way of returning political power back to the people.
The exercise as provided by INEC gives ample opportunity for non registered citizens who are now 18 years and above to formally register as a voter and any registered voter who has issues with accreditation during the last exercise and those who want to transfer their PVC to another location
Other opportunities include, any registered voter whose PVC is damaged or those whose names were wrongly spelt
According to INEC, the exercise will close at the 3rd quarter of next year except that of Anambra state which will close temporarily in August, 2021 as result of the governorship election billed to hold in the state later in the year
Chibuzor Chukwuemeka notifies the public that GGM has made arrangement for the mobilization of more than one million new voters .He advises the general public to follow good governance ministry program at Odenigbo Fm 99.1 every Monday morning from 11-12 noon and BVI Channel 1 YouTube .
Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho has told President Muhammadu Buhari he is not in support of restructuring but liberation of Yorubas.
But several political leaders in the region, including National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinub; Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila; former APC National Interim Chairman Bisi Akande and other prominent leaders in the South-West have kicked against the idea.They called for national cohesion as against ethnicity.
But Igboho, while receiving a vehicle presented to him by some donors to support the Yoruba Nation agitation, accused the current administration of marginalising the South-West region especially in terms of appointments.
Of recent, Igboho expressed anger over the continuous killing and kidnapping of Yorubas by the killer herdsmen in the region.
He said: “Our demand is simple, to tell Buhari that we do not want restructuring but Yoruba Nation.
“On Yoruba Nation, no going back. We have our faith in God. When God heard the cries of Israelites, he answered them; the cries of Yorubas have been heard by God. Noah’s ark can be likened to the current Yoruba agitation.
I’m saying it boldly; nobody can kill us in this current struggle. May God carry us to our destination.
“Many people are even ranting on social media concerning the struggle, they need to join and support. What we are currently having now is awareness and peaceful rallies across southwest states.
Don’t think we are joking, what we are pursuing now is Yoruba Nation. I’m not the only one fronting the Yoruba Nation Agenda right now; there are many powerful people who I have been meeting and working with underground.”
He noted the struggle can be won with collective efforts, appreciating many clerics and community leaders for their private and public support.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has distanced itself from the purported primary election of the party in Anambra state describing it as “figments of fertile imagination”
The governor of Ogun state, Dapo Abiodun had declared Senator Andy Uba, MFR, the winner of the primary election with 230, 201 votes even as all other aspirants rejected the announcement.
But the state’s party Publicity Secretary, Okelo Madukaife, said the number being brandished has nothing to do with Anambra APC and disassociated itself from the outcome of the election.
Madukaife, disclosed this in a statement, saying that there was no primary election in the state and they are hoping that the national leadership of the party will do the right thing.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a set of figures circulating on the internet without signature or attribution and purported to be Anambra APC primaries results.
“The figures do not owe to Anambra State APC Primaries which did not hold and for which we look forward to the Caretaker National Executive of our great party to choose a new date within INEC timetable.
“The leader of our great party in Anambra State and Minister of Labour & Employment, Sen (Dr.) Chris Nwabueze Ngige has proposed Tuesday, June 29, 2021, for the primary to hold, and we recommend that it should be considered.
“In the time being, the figures should be discarded and discountenanced as they are figments of fertile imagination, with the potential of being fatal.”
A former governorship aspirant under All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for Anambra State Governorship election, Nze Akachukwu Sullivan Nwankpo, has defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking to newsmen at Okija on Sunday, Nwankpo said ‘I am committed to serving my state and my people, so I have to do what my people want me to do, they have been clamouring and urging me to join ADC and quite a few of them have gone ahead of me to join ADC and that is what they want me to do and as a leader I have to listen to their calls.
“I am crossing over now so that I can serve my people better. I am 100 percent committed to my country, my state and my people,” he stated.
He declared unflinching support to the party both at the state and national levels, saying: ‘I am committed to wherever I am and I will work for the party around me.’
Welcoming Nwankpo into the party, the Anambra State Chairman Comrade Patrick Obianyor, described him as big addition to the party, saying: “With his experience in grassroots politics, the defection of Akachukwu Nwankpo will no doubt increase the winning chances of the party.
“Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo is our pride, a good man who has positively touched lives. His defection is a welcome development and we are happy to receive him into the party. Aside politics, Nwankpo is a son of the soil in Okija and he has done very well for the people.
“With his defection to the party, we will be able to work for our people and move the party forward,” he added.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has described as ridiculous, rumour that President Muhammadu Buhari had died and was cloned by somebody else from Sudan.
Obasanjo said the rumour became popular through the abuse of the social media, expressing surprises that many Nigerians believed the lies.
The former President explained in a video, how he was approached by a very important person, who asked him about the truth about Buhari’s rumoured death.
According to him, the person told him that the information had gone viral on the social media.
The Balogun Owu wondered how Buhari could have died and be replaced with someone from Sudan without him knowing about it.
“Somebody came to me, a very high hub person, saying tell me about this talk of Buhari not being Buhari.
“I said ‘do you believe them?’ He said, ‘well, it is in the social media’. I said ‘how will Buhari die and we will not know that Buhari has died and they will bring us somebody from Sudan to be Buhari?’
“It’s ridiculous to the extreme. But you have it in the social media and you see people believing it,” Obasanjo expressed concern.
While accepting the fact that the social media is good, Obasanjo, however, regretted that it is being abused.
He advocated teaching the youths and the children about the dangers inherent in abusing the social media.
“Social media is good, but it can be abused. We have to train our youths and our children about the dangers of the social media,” he submitted.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has repeatedly insisted that President Buhari was Dead and being impersonated by a masked wearing look-alike, Jubril from Sudan.
C. Don Adinuba Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment has advised two major opposition parties in the state to put their houses in order and stop embarrassing the good people of Anambra State .In a statement issued and released to the press ,C Don Adinuba stated the APGA has shown others how to be civil even in politics .The Statement reads in full ” The Government and people of Anambra State have watched with concern the attempts by two of the major political parties in the state to hold their congresses as a critical step to their participation in the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state. After the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) held its successful, peaceful, transparent, free and fair congress on Wednesday, June 15, which produced the former Central Bank governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, as its flag bearer in the forthcoming election, the least the Nigerian people expected from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) was to follow in the APGA footsteps by organizing credible congresses which would help deepen the culture of peace, stability and solidarity in the state. The APGA process was shown live on television networks.
It is regrettable that the attempts at holding these vital congresses yesterday, Saturday, June 26, were marked by confusion, chaos, late or non-arrival of electoral materials, outright stealing and total disregard for the laws of the land. For instance, the PDP held two parallel congresses, one at Paul University premises and the other at Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, both in Awka. While the faction led by a businessman, Chief Chris Uba, produced Dr Ugochukwu Uba, a former senator and the eldest brother of Chief Chris Uba, as the PDP flag bearer, the faction led by The Honourable Ndubuisi Nwobu who conducted the congress at Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre declared Mr Valentine Ozigbo, an otherwise decent former corporate executive, the winner.
It is tough for the Government or people of Anambra State to congratulate the supposed winners of these parallel congresses. Each group suffers a grave legitimacy crisis. From the look of things, the Nwobu-led faction is no longer recognized in the eyes of the law. The Federal High Court in Abuja has twice in the last couple of days passed judgments declaring its existence illegal. The court brought back the state executive committee in office as of 2017, that is, the Chris Uba group. Yet, most prominent members of the PDP in the state belong to the Nwobu faction. Even the group sent by the PDP national leadership to conduct the primary election worked with the Nwobu faction rather than the group favoured by the judicial pronouncement. Can these prominent Nigerians, including Edo State Deputy Governor Phillip Shuaibu, who is the chairman of the electoral panel, be said to have flagrantly and brazenly defied a court order in public?
On the other hand, if the order obtained by the Uba group is legitimate, why are no PDP members of consequence identifying with Uba and his acolytes? Worse, it is curious that this faction should produce the elder brother of its leader as the gubernatorial nominee. Has politics in our state become so incestuous?
Anambra people are genuinely concerned about developments in the PDP because it is a major party in the state and elsewhere. Two of its aspirants, namely, Chief Emeka Etiaba, SAN, Dr Tony Nwoye, the defeated APC candidate in the November 17 2017 governorship race, announced their withdrawal from the gubernatorial race when the accreditation for the congresses had started. They complained bitterly of the manner the congress was being conducted as well as some unhealthy developments in the party like five legal suits and countersuits. This was after each person had paid a whopping thirteen million naira (N13m) to be in the race.
As though to exacerbate the situation, there are media reports that Dr Godwin Maduka, a successful doctor in the United States and philanthropist who is one of the aspirants, was ripped off a whole four hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) cash meant to use to lobby delegates to vote for him. The heist, according to news reports, were by his own staff and aides. If these reports are true, the heist has brought so much shame to PDP members in the state. It has also dented the image of Anambra people. We hope and pray that the reports are highly exaggerated or not true at all.
Controversial as the parallel PDP congress has been, the APC congress looks more foreboding. Thirteen out of the 14 aspirants issued a statement yesterday vowing that there were no primaries either in the local government areas or at the state level which Senator Andy Uba could have possibly won. APC officials like LGA chairmen and secretaries claim that there were no voting materials anywhere. Independent reports confirm that there were no electoral materials up to 5.30 pm yesterday. Senator Chris Ngige, the Minister of Employment and Productivity who has been the state governor, says the 13 aspirants are right, supporting their call for another day for the party’s primary election.
The APC and PDP congresses have profound implications for democracy and progress in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general. The congresses have revealed that there are still actors in high places determined to perpetrate the culture of impunity which is arguably the biggest threat to our existence as a nation. Until now Anambra people had been under the illusion that gone were the days when some individuals would sit in the comfort of their hotel suites and write the results of elections not just in their political parties but also in nation regardless of the people’s preferences which ordinarily should be regarded as sacred and supreme. The issues of parallel congresses, legal suits and countersuits as well as utter disregard for judicial pronouncements are equally questions which no persons can overlook.
The APC and PDP in Anambra State are advised to put their house in order. Their congresses yesterday were anything but transparent and so lacking in credibility that even a leading national television broadcasting station which intended to broadcast the congresses live, as in the APGA case, stopped after an hour because of the higgledy-piggledy manner in which the entire business was going on. To ensure that the tremendous progress in the areas of peace, stability and development which the Anambra people have made in the last decade continues, the national leadership of both the APC and PDP should cancel the so-called congresses of yesterday and organize credible ones within the next few days. The congresses are foreboding enough. No groups of persons in the state should be allowed to remind our people of the years of hooliganism, lawlessness and election rigging. Those years should not be brought back. Anambra people will not take kindly to any persons who dare to restore the culture of impunity.
Some indigenes of Niger Delta have issued a three-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to re-federalise Nigeria and convene a national dialogue comprising representatives of ethnic groups in order to chart a new course for the country.
This position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a South-South zonal conference on restructuring: imperatives for sustainable development, unity and security held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday.
The conference, which has critical stakeholders and representatives of ethnic nationalities in the region, was organised by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, in partnership with Agape Birthrights Development Initiative.
An elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who was represented by Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, while a career diplomat and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Dr Godknows Igali; and the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Senator Emmanuel Ebok-Essien, were present at the event.
Restating the urgent need for restructuring and devolution of more power to the states, they said oppressive and repressive tendencies against the Niger Delta region and its people would no longer be tolerated and urged the apex government to stop selling out their resources to the Chinese and others.
The communiqué read by a prominent Niger Delta activist and President of ABDI, Ms Ann-Kio Briggs said, “We the people of the Niger Delta hereby give the Government of Nigeria a three months window, within which to cordially address our concerns towards re-federalising the polity, by convening a national dialogue of the representatives of the ethnic groups in Nigeria to chart a new course for the country.
“At the expiration of this three-month window, we the people of the Niger Delta will commence the process that will guarantee our freedom and progress. Our people should mobilise all human resources to see that fiscal federalism and devolution of powers are includes in the constitution.
Uche Ekwunife, one of the aspirants that the contested for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket for the November 6th election has reacted to the outcome of primary election.
Valentine Ozigbo emerged the candidate of the party with 62 votes and Uche came 3rd with 44 votes.
In her reaction, the Senator representing Anambra Central congratulated the winner of the election, thanked her supporters and called on them to support the party and her candidate.
The statement reads in full:
“I wish to congratulate the winner of the governorship primary election of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on June 26, 2021, Valentine Chineto Ozigbo and join millions of party faithful to give glory to God for granting us a peaceful governorship candidate nomination process.
“In every democratic contest there must be a winner, and as far as our governorship primary election is concerned, a winner has emerged.
“I commend our party leadership headed by the cerebral National Chairman of our great party, Prince Uche Secondus, and those who played a part in the Electoral processes culminating in the primary election .
“I appreciate in a special way, our leader, His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, CON, the former governor of Anambra State and the Vice Presidential Candidate of our party in the last general elections for his exemplary leadership. I equally express my profound gratitude to His Excellency, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife (Okwadike Igbo-Ukwu) who had taken me as his daughter and supported me in more ways than I had imagined.
“To my sister, colleague and friend, Distinguished Senator Stella Oduah, OON who showed unparalled commitment to our vision to renew the face of governance in the state, rebuild and exemplify the capacity inherent in us as women, and create a society where both men and women can aspire to occupy any office without facing any form of gender discrimination, thank you so much!
“My special gratitude goes to my campaign organization and the various support groups and individuals within and outside the state who keyed into our vision to reposition the state towards the path of economic prosperity. We chose the slogan Divine Mandate because we know that God is the ultimate determiner of destiny and indeed he guided us through this journey and granted us safety as we campaigned across the 21 local governments of the state.
“To all delegates who participated in the election processes, and my friends, well wishers, supporters and stakeholders, I give you special thanks and appreciation for your commitment and support.
“In a very special way, I wish to appreciate my beloved husband and children for their love, support and prayers. My life and political successes would not have been possible without you.
“Even though we lost in terms of numerical votes, we won the hearts of the people. I wish to state that my desire to seek ways to address the developmental challenges of our people and ameriorate the sufferings of millions of Anambrarians who work day and night to feed their families and actualize their personal dreams remain unshaken.
“As our party, PDP goes into a very critical election which will determine our collective future as Ndi Anambra, I wish to remind Anambrarians that PDP remains the best choice for the state.
“God is responsible for the affairs of all, He gives power to whom He wants. We submit to His divine will at all times.
