₦airaland Forum

THE All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has warned banks to shun pressures on them from the State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to give him loans.

The State APC Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, who issued this warning while briefing newsmen on Monday in Port Harcourt, said any bank that gave loan to the governor would be working against the interest of the state.



Ikanya cautioned that such a bank would be seen as collaborating with Wike to mismanage the economy of the state.

“Let me warn all the banks not to give Nyesom Wike loans. But if they give him (governor) loans, that means that they are collaborating with the governor to take money belonging to Rivers people,” he said.

Ikanya also accused Wike of using the resources of the state to fund the Peoples Democratic Party at the national level, adding that the alleged frequent visit of some PDP chieftains to the state was an indication that funds belonging to the state were used in sponsoring the PDP.

He lamented the level of insecurity in the state, adding that despite the efforts of the State Police Commissioner to curb the menace of armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism, crime rate was still on the high side.

The state APC chairman described as false the claim that Wike provided 62 security vehicles for security agencies in the state.

“For more than five months since Wike took over the governorship position, he has not assisted the police, Navy and other security agencies.

“Wike is not doing anything on security. We don’t believe that Wike actually gave 62 vehicles to the police and other security agencies in the state,” Ikanya said.

Reacting, the State Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, said Wike had been able to complete some abandoned projects with the loans he took.

Pointing out that the governor has been following due process in taking loans, Nwanosike added that with the economic situation in the state, it was wrong for the APC to criticise Wike’s action.

coolebux:
In the movie from the 2nd pix that actress(chinelo) showed high level of indecency
I saw virtually everything that made her a woman.

The European Union is supporting Nigeria with €36m (N7.65bn) to help fight indiscriminate drug production, trafficking and use.

According to the EU, the support was carried out through the project titled, ‘Response to drugs and related organised crime in Nigeria.’



In his speech at the second national symposium on drugs and drug control held in Abuja, the EU’s Acting Head of Cooperation, Juan Urteaga-Casla, stated that the union was supporting the work done by Nigerian authorities, particularly the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as well as ministries of health.

The symposium was organised by the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse.

Urteaga-Casla said, “This project is funded by the European Union with €36m and is implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime over a period of five years. Through the project the Nigerian authorities as well as non-governmental organisations will aim at ambitious objectives.

“The objectives are to reinforce national anti-drug trafficking policy formulation, improve law enforcement capacity in drug control, tackle organised drug-related crime, as well as enhance drug use prevention, treatment and care services. In summary, better information, better capacity and better response will be achieved.”

The EU’s representative noted that the project would focus on the reduction in drug demand by working with different stakeholders in Nigeria, adding that the civil society would assist the scheme in effective mobilisation, training and capacity building.

Urteaga-Casla said, “We believe this will go a long way in strengthening the responses on the ground and in sustaining quality intervention beyond the current EU assistance to Nigeria. Civil society organisations will also be involved in providing direct assistance to rehabilitating drug users through a community-based treatment approach.

“We are supportive of such an approach that encourages taking services to the doorstep of drug users and their families, many of whom are reluctant and/or do not have the means to travel long distances to access necessary treatment.”

In his address, the symposium Coordinator and Director, CRISA, Prof. Isidore Obot, said one of the major aims of the conference was to assist participants to perform better in drug demand reduction.

“This will allow us to focus needed attention on the particular nature of the drug problem as it affects different parts of our country,” he said.

The management of the University of Benin, Edo State, on Monday said that the university has concluded plans to install the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, as the 9th Chancellor ‎of the institution.
‎The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Faraday Orunmwense, who announced this at a press briefing in Benin, noted that the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor would be formally installed on November 25, 2015, during the university’s 41st Convocation and 45th Founders’ Day ceremony.
Orunmwense explained that out of a total of 11,020 graduands, 64 would be conferred with a First Class degree, while 7,034 persons would graduate with other classes of first degrees on November 26 and 27, with a convocation lecture to be delivered by a former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji.

Also to be awarded are 382 and 2,212 doctorate and master’s degrees, while the institution will confer honorary degress on the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, and a constant gynaecologist, Professor Osato Giwa, on November 28.
‎The Vice-Chancellor, who attributed the achievements of the university to the support of the Federal Government and the dedication of the management, staff and students of the institution, said the five-day ceremony would begin with an interdenominational service on Monday.

Some weeks ago, there were speculations that all was not well in the household of busty Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola-Salako. The blogosphere went into a frenzy state when the news broke that the delectable actress was facing problems in her marriage.

What further fuelled the rumour was the fact that the actress was quiet about the whole situation. Unknown to many, the actress was in Dublin with her husband when the rumour started.



When Saturday Beats contacted her via blackberry messenger, the actress said that she was shocked when she read about the news on the internet. She said there was no iota of truth in the story as the love between her and her husband keeps waxing stronger as the day goes by.

The fair- skinned actress said she was sad that people would spread such a wicked story about her when all she does is to make people happy.

“The news is totally false and my marriage is very intact. When the new broke, we were both in Dublin and I was not happy about the news. I don’t know where this story emanated from but who ever began this terrible story about us is being unfair because all I do in life is to make others happy. I wonder why someone would want to make me unhappy. I really have no idea where this story originated from but the Lord is our strength and He would continue to guide us,” she said.

A Nigerian journalist on Thursday won the top prize in the annual African Fact-Checking Awards for his work debunking claims about legislation on the age of sexual consent.

At a ceremony in Johannesburg, Benjamin Ezeamalu, of the Nigerian online news site Premium Times, collected the award, which was launched in 2014 to encourage fact-checking journalism by media across Africa.

The prizes are run by Africa Check, an independent, non-profit organisation created in 2012 by the AFP Foundation, the media training arm of the AFP news agency.

Ezeamalu secured the 2,000-euro ($2,145) winner’s cheque after a jury considered 51 competition entries from 15 countries ranging from Ethiopia and Egypt in the north to South Africa and Zimbabwe in the south.

“Fact checking is a really important part of journalism. It is necessary that as journalists we hold public figures to account for what they say,” Ezeamalu said at the ceremony.

Peter Cunliffe-Jones, founder of Africa Check, hailed the winning report for “taking a claim on a sensitive topic — the age of consent in Nigeria — and clinically, carefully examining the evidence to show it was false.”

The two runner-up prizes went to South African journalists Phillip de Wet, of the Mail & Guardian newspaper, and Pieter-Louis Myburgh, from the Media24 news group.

De Wet was commended for his report about spending on the home of President Jacob Zuma and comparisons with the late former president Nelson Mandela, while Myburgh exposed false claims about train safety.

The awards ceremony on Thursday evening, hosted by the African Media Initiative, also marked the launch of a French-language version of Africa Check: www.fr.africacheck.org.

The new website, known as Africa Check_FR, is edited in Dakar by Senegalese journalist Assane Diagne, formerly editor-in-chief of the APS news agency.

“Every day, traditional media and the social networks are inundated with claims by the leaders of public opinion that are less than accurate,” Diagne said.

“It is this huge field, ignored to date by the African media, that Africa Check is seeking to explore.”

Emmanuel Hoog, AFP CEO and chairman of the AFP Foundation, praised Africa Check for “bringing independent, non-partisan fact-checking to public debate and the media in anglophone Africa.”

“We hope to achieve similar success in the continent’s French-speaking countries,” he added.

LORDDICE:
@Op, better add d source, before some people will come and start screaming for 'sauce'

lagmostkuit:
Source: who nah?

Guinness Nigeria Plc on Thursday said “there is no legal basis” for the payment of the N1bn fine imposed on it by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

The company said this in a letter to the Nigerian Stock Exchange in which it informed the bourse of the fine and its position on the developments leading to the imposition of the fine.



NAFDAC had in a letter to the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, asked the company to, among other things, pay N1bn as administrative charges for various clandestine violations of its rules, regulations and enactments over a long period of time.

However, in its letter to the Exchange, Guinness Nigeria said, “We do not understand the basis for the computation of the administrative charges nor the particular regulations alleged to have been infringed, and had expected that our discussions with NAFDAC would give us better clarity on the issue and hopefully help its resolution.

“We have been advised that there is no legal basis for the demand by NAFDAC for the payment of the said sum and we hope that our engagement with NAFDAC will enlighten the organisation about the correct position.”

NAFDAC had also accused Guinness Nigeria of revalidating expired products without authorisation and supervision by the agency.

The agency added that the company failed to secure the gate of its warehouse as the raw materials used in the production of beer and non-alcoholic beverages by the firm were permanently opened to intrusion and exposure to the elements and rodents, which “invariably affect the integrity of the raw materials.”

But in a statement on Thursday, Guinness gave an assurance that all of its products conformed to the highest standards of quality.

It said the products were produced in line with the globally accepted code of good manufacturing and had been repeatedly certified as such by NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

Ndegwa was quoted as saying, “The meticulous and painstaking work, including rigorous quality assurance, that precedes the final production of all our products, has a singular objective: to ensure that our consumers drink products that are healthy and comparable with similar products made by a Diageo facility anywhere else in the world.”

He stressed that the allegations made by NAFDAC related to raw materials in one of the company’s stores, which was not a production facility, adding that the allegations were being taken seriously by the company.

The company, which noted that it had operated in Nigeria for more than 60 years, said it had conducted its business in accordance with the country’s laws and regulation, and its parent company, Diageo’s global policies and procedures relating to good manufacturing practices.

LEADERS and stakeholders in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rose from a conference in Abuja yesterday drawing the attention of the international ‎community to what it called “the growing impunity, abuse of power, constitution infractions, violation of human rights, selective war against corruption” of the President ‎Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The party also accused the President of nepotism and serious acts of authoritarianism which it noted was ruining the country’s democracy.

In a 12-point communique signed by the national secretary, Adewale Oladipo, the party , among others, condemned “in strongest terms the growing authoritarianism of the APC-led Federal Government which has been characterised by gross violation of human rights, constitutional infractions, invasion of a governor’s lodge and private homes, deliberate interference and instigation of crisis in the legislature, arm-twisting of the judiciary, undermining of democratic institutions like Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), nepotism in appointments, abuse of power and clamp down on opposition elements.‎
“We call on the international community to note the growing impunity, abuse of power, constitution infractions, violation of human rights, selective war against corruption, clamp down on the opposition, divisiveness and overall high-handedness; tendencies that pose great threat to our democracy and unity as a nation.”
‎
The conference which was held in the absence of former President Goodluck Jonathan also encouraged the party to continue to deliver sound and qualitative opposition to the APC government to achieve good governance.

It also “resolved to implement the recommendations of the PDP-Post Election Review Committee Report, especially those relating to zoning, internal democracy, e-registration and the restructuring of the party at all levels with a view to giving the party back to the rightful owners – the people.
‎
The PDP also “denounced the prevailing selective application in the fight against corruption targeted at opposition elements and perceived opponents of the regime, while APC members with corruption charges are being rewarded with ministerial positions and other juicy appointments as well as APC tickets in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”

The party also said it “vehemently rejected the current manipulation of the judiciary and security forces by the APC-led Federal Government in its desperate bid to subvert the sovereign will of the people and forcefully take over states genuinely won by the PDP in the last general elections and ultimately impose a one-party state in Nigeria.”

Other aspects of the communiqué showed that the party “charged the new INEC leadership to assert the independence of the electoral body, resist all external influences and ensure free, fair and credible electoral process in Kogi and Bayelsa states and other future elections, as the PDP will not accept any results that do not reflect the true wishes and aspirations of the people, particularly in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”
‎
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who was the chairman of the conference called on PDP faithful to hold the APC-led Federal Government accountable on its campaign promises, recalling that “even during military rule, the PDP founding fathers under the aegis of the G34,“looked tyranny in the face and demanded a return to democratic rule.
“Looking at the way our country is being run by the APC-led Federal Government today, it is safe to say that we are back in the trenches for democracy because credible and responsible opposition is an essential, indeed indispensable component of thriving democracy and good governance.
“The ruling party must always be put at the mercy of the truth, for the job of the opposition is to confront errors with the truth; to stand up for what is right; to offer constructive criticisms of the follies and errors of the ruling party; and to proffer better ideas for moving the nation forward.”

Regretting that the APC was yet to keep any of its campaign promises, Ekweremadu added: “As could be seen from the events of the past few months, it is evident that while a party may ride to power on the wings of propaganda, it takes more than propaganda to govern well and retain goodwill.

The APC won by promising much more than they could deliver. They promised to scale up the exchange rate of our currency to a naira to one US Dollar. Have they kept this promise? They promised to bring back the Chibok Girls in less than three months. Have they brought back the Chibok Girls? They promised to pay N5,000 to unemployed youths. Have they paid a kobo to any youth? They promised free meals to our children in the schools. Have they given any? They recently promised to end the Boko Haram insurgency in December 2015. We earnestly hope and pray that this particular promise is kept in the overall interest of our nation.

PDP governors’ forum led by its chairman and Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, asked Buhari to reduce the level of partisanship in government, noting that such would adversely affect the capacity to achieve good governance.
The governors ‎decried what they called the refusal of the Federal Government to release to Kogi State, it’s own share of the bail out funds.

In a speech at the conference, PDP acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus, commended the Senate for exposing the alleged corruption in the management of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

He said: “Just yesterday, the Senate commenced the investigation of an allegation involving the payment of commission to a company allegedly owned by a Northern APC governor and a South-Western APC leader for collecting monies meant for the Single Treasury Account in violation of the BIOFA Act. This is an unprecedented rip-off of our common wealth.

We urge a thorough investigation of this allegation and the transparent prosecution of anybody indicted in this fraudulent deal no matter how highly placed.”

Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor, on his part, accused Buhari of breaching the constitution by delaying the submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the National Assembly as required by law.

In his submission at the conference, chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Haliru Bello, decried what he called persistent excuses by the Federal Government on matters it had promised to resolve.

He said:”At the beginning we learnt that our government left an empty treasury but revenues continued to be generated in the last six months, Federation Account Allocation Committee continued to hold and money shared between Federal, State and Local governments. Have we seen any change?
‘‘The APC was aware of the state of treasury when they made the promise that the naira will rise and be equivalent to the dollar. What is happening now? The naira has continued to depreciate beyond what they inherited. Tragically, instead of saving the naira, we can say they are killing the naira.

They promised free education and free meals for school children, among other hollow promises. Where are the schools? Where are the meals? All the excuses we hear are about budget not being prepared, who is manning the treasury now? Who has majority at the National Assembly? Is six months not long enough for any adjustment required in the budget to be made? Have they not heard of something called a supplementary budget?
‘‘In six months, we expected Buhari to start showing evidence that he will abide by his campaign promises. We expected to see more done to improve our security. We also expected more on the economy and employment generation, policies are being whimsically churned out that have forced companies to either close down or reduce their work force.”

The tradition of taking a bow during ministerial screening dates back to early times. The custom has been so since the time of Roman empire. People come to the coliseum (a semi-circular open large sitting structure) and bow before the Emperor.

Inside the senate during ministerial screening

The purpose of taking a bow is to show respect for the control the Emperors wields then. It is an age long ritual. It started way back in ancient times in Roman-Greek empires. There was an open stage where people come to take a bow infront of the Emperor.

The United States came up with the presidential system of government led by the first president George Washington. The need for a legislative arm of government was mooted around that time.

The importance of an assembly where issues about the challenges of the country would be discussed was put into consideration. This idea led to the first assembly in 1789 of people elected from their district areas called senators.

They also brought about the need to have a symbol known as the maze. They suggested that the maze must be adored by anyone who comes to senate.

The senate in the US has a historical background of 226 years. It was the upper house of the United States Congress, with a mention in the constitution of 1787.

Ministerial nominees are compulsorily made to take a bow for some of these major reasons:

1. Maze as a symbol of authority

The maze is the symbol of power of the senate. No one comes to seek approval for anything in the senate without standing in front of the maze to take a bow. No person is allowed to go without first standing to take a bow.

2. Submission to the might of the senate

Even if a ministerial nominee has an issue with any of the senators, he cannot just come into the senate assembly and leave afterwards without the tradition of taking a bow.

3. Oath of allegiance by the ministers to be

This ritual also shows how the minister to be will sincerely serve the nation if he becomes a minister. It shows his dedication towards the nation

4. Historical ritual

A very old tradition which has not been wiped out. All democracies that practice presidential system of government make use of the maze.

5. The Senate president as the all in all

It is not only the maze that is bowed to. The ministerial nominee will not be confirmed unless he shows so much respect to the Senate president. As he bows to the maze, invariably, he is bowing to the Senate president who sits behind the maze during the screening process.

6. A message to the nation’s president

The upper chambers establish their importance to the nation’s government. The pass a message to the nation’s number one man that he cannot have his way all the time without their input. They can decide to clear or not to clear the ministerial nominee.

7. Superiority of the senators over the members of the House of Representatives

Taking a bow is not done in the House of Representatives. This shows that the senators are superior of the two chambers of the national assembly

8. Assessment of nominees character

For instance, a ministerial nominee who has petitions against will not be to come to the senate to talk of being allowed to take a bow.

9. Importance of the upper chambers

The upper chambers is the first point of call for anything done by the legislators.

10. Significance of the opposition party

Even if a ministerial belongs to the ruling party as it is often the case, he still has to take a bow in front of senators who belong to the opposition party. As a ministerial nominee takes a bow in front of senators of the All Progressives Congress which is the governing party, he has to also take a bow in front of senators of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday assured the Golden Eaglets team that won the maiden FIFA Under-17 World Cup in China in 1985 that his administration would fulfil the promises he made to them 30 years ago.

Buhari, who was Head of State, had promised the team houses and scholarships during a reception in honour of the players at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, in celebration of the victory.



Nduka Ugbade, who was the captain of the team, was the only player in the China ’85 FIFA Under-17 World Cup squad that progressed to win a major title for Nigeria at the senior level. The former Spain-based defender won the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations. He assisted Manu Garba to guide the Golden Eaglets to the UAE 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup triumph.

Baldwin Bazuaye and Jonathan Akpoborie also graduated to the Super Eagles. Bazuaye was in the squad that won silver at the Algiers ’90 Africa Cup of Nations. Akpoborie won bronze at the Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations.

But the likes of Hilary Adiki, Fatai Atere, Binebi Numan, Joseph Babtunde, Salisu Nakande, Victor Igbinoba, Tonworinmi Duere, Lucky Agbonsevbafe, Bella Momoh, Chukwuma Nwoha, Sani Adamu and Dele Abubakar failed to progress in their careers. Defender Kingsley Aikhionbare died in the United Kingdom.

Sebastine Brodericks-Imasuen was the head coach while Christian Chukwu was his assistant.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu said in a statement on Tuesday that the President was not happy that his directive to state governments to reward the Eaglets in 1985 was not complied with.

“It is a pity that those promises were never fulfilled. It is unfortunate that our players, who did us proud on the world stage, went unrewarded for their efforts, despite a presidential directive to the state administrators that they should be honoured in their home states,” the statement quoted Buhari as saying.

The statement said the Federal Government fulfilled its own commitment by sponsoring the players to Mexico to watch the 1986 World Cup.

He added that the promises of houses and scholarships and naming of streets after each player were supposed to have been taken care of by the states.

The statement noted that shortly after the promises were made, Buhari was overthrown and that despite repeated pleas made to succeeding governments by the players and their officials, some of the promises were not fulfilled.

“I apologise for whatever embarrassment and disillusionment in your country these raised and then dashed hopes may have caused you. My government will do all within its power to remedy the situation,” the statement quoted the President as saying.

A five-year-old girl has accused five of her father’s colleagues of rape. The victim, it was learnt, was allegedly raped alongside her three-year-old sister.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victims and their father, Ayodele Ekundayo, who is a driver at a cement factory, lived in the same compound with the suspects who all work in the same company.



It was learnt that the company, which is located in the Fagba area of Lagos State, provided accommodation for its employees.

It was learnt that the suspects – John Mahansi, Taiye Ojo, aka Ejima, Deji Adenekan, aka Orobo and Peter Irobo, aka Apako, are between the ages of 24 and 33.

Speaking with our correspondent at the Lagos headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the father of the victims said he was disappointed when he found out that his colleagues raped his daughters.

He said since he had no wife, he usually left the little girls in the care of his colleagues.

Ekundayo said he discovered the alleged rape when his daughters started complaining about pains in their private parts.

He said, “Five days ago (on Thursday), my younger daughter ran to me and was shouting ‘pepper, pepper’ pointing to her private parts. She took off her pants and cried when I did not answer her. When I asked her who put pepper in it, she said it was Apako.

“I called her elder sister and she confessed to me and narrated all that happened. She said they (the suspects) threatened to kill them if they told me what was going on.

“Others did not talk when I approached them but Apako was shouting and threatening me when I challenged him. I am surprised they could do such a thing to my daughters. Those children are precious to me.

“At times, I take them with me to where we offload bags of cement when there is nobody to look after them. My older daughter told me that two drivers, Ejima and Orobo, used to touch her private parts while I was busy at work. I left my daughters with the security guards, Mahansi and Segun, whenever I was on night duty. I didn’t know that they were also defiling my daughters.”

The suspects, who were paraded by the NSCDC, however, denied the allegations.

The five-year-old victim, however, told PUNCH Metro that she was indeed raped by the suspects.

The victim, who gave graphic details of her encounter, said one of the suspects instructed her to put his private parts in her mouth.

She said, “Yes. Apako, John, Segun, Orobo and Ejima raped me. They put their ‘willy’ in my ‘bum-bum’ two times. They kissed me. It was only Apako that put his ‘willy’ in my sister’s ‘bum-bum.’”

A resident of Fagba, identified only as Dr. Solanke, was said to have informed a rights group, Ihuoma Girls Care and Support Initiative, about the incident and it later reported at the NSCDC command, leading to the suspects’ arrest on Monday.

The Lagos State NSCDC Commandant, Gabriel Abafi, said the victims were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on Tuesday for medical examination and treatment, adding that the medical results were being awaited.

He, however, said that a preliminary check revealed that there were bruises in the minors’ private parts and urged members of the public not to hesitate to report such incidents to the command.

He said, “We have yet to know what the reason of the suspects was for defiling these little girls. We have just been to the hospital to ascertain the virginity of the victims. There are bruises in their private parts which is evidence that they were sexually assaulted. Meanwhile, investigation is still ongoing.”

The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has appealed to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), not to renege on its campaign promise of paying N5,000 to 25 million unemployed Nigerians.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the president’s wife on Media, Mrs Adebisi Ajayi, on Tuesday in Abuja.

She also urged the party to fulfill its promise of giving school children one free meal a day.

She stated this after the Senate voted against the motion calling on the Presidency to pay the N5,000 allowance.

“The APC is a party of integrity and has assured Nigerians during the campaign that it will pay N5,000 each month to 25 million most vulnerable citizens.

“Nigerians should be patient with the APC government as the change they had been yearning for has come to stay,’’ she said.

Two female suicide bombers, suspected of belonging to militant group Boko Haram have killed three Nigerians in a truck full of refugees in a town in Cameroon’s far north region, a local government source, said.

Military sources had said earlier that they suspected the bombers’ target was a nearby mosque in Fotokol.

The first bomb went off during a security check and it was unclear if the second bomber had detonated her bomb or whether she had been killed first by Cameroonian forces.

Boko Haram insurgents had waged a six-year campaign of violence, killing thousands of people and displacing many from their communities in north eastern part of Nigeria.

Neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, joined forces against the group in 2014, as its offensive spread beyond Nigeria’s borders.

WORRIED by spate of protests by pro-Biafra groups, seeking self determination for the people of South East and their neighbours, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha yesterday said he had taken steps to arrange a meeting of governors and chieftains of the Ohaneze Ndigbo “to discuss the matter.”

The move came on the heels of continued protest by pro-Biafra activists under the aegis of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Aba. The groups had staged a miniature rally on Saturday to protest the continued detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

Highlight of yesterday’s pro-Biafra protest in Aba was a football match by the group wearing T-shirts marked Biafra along major streets of the commercial town. Markets and street shops were closed to encourage traders to partake in the activism.

An estimated one million people participated in the peaceful protest, which compelled commuters to walk long distances to their destinations even as they were apprehensive of possible chaos, which the security agencies were on hand to prevent.

Residents of the commercial nerve centre were also seen in some areas, scampering to safety as they were apprehensive of what might be the fallout of the protest while men of the Nigeria Police were seen moving from one point to another to ensure that the protest did not turn violent. Though the protest was peaceful, it brought some inconvenience to many travelers, especially those crossing into neighboring states like Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers.

According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu, the protest was very peaceful; hence, there was no arrest or report of violence as at 4. 25 pm.

So far, nobody or group has decried the protest. A middle-aged man, who preferred to remain anonymous but claimed to be one of the leaders of IPOB, said that the protest would continue and extend to all the local councils, communities in the state, the entire Igbo land and parts of the country “where we have sympathy for their cause.
“Though we shall continue to stage peaceful protests, we call on those holding Biafra Radio Director, Mr. Kanu, to please release him unconditionally.”

Governors of Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu states, according to Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, are expected at the ‘peace meeting’ the date of which would be announced later.

Onwuemeodo, in a statement, stressed that the governor had earlier made his position known to the world when he distanced himself and the S’East governors from the group’s decision. He added that the outcome of the proposed meeting would be made known to the world.

It was unclear, as at press time yesterday, whether, or not, all the South East governors have been properly briefed of the proposed meeting. But Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who gave the assurance on Sunday that his state would be free of pro-Biafra protests, said he has not been contacted. Mr. Godwin Adindu, the chief press secretary to the governor, said he was “not yet aware of the proposed meeting.”

According to the governor, he has met with some security chiefs in Imo to ensure that the impact would not be felt in the state. This is not withstanding the fact that the group a Kanu, the IPOB leader and director of Radio Biafra.

Already the governor has begun to make all the necessary contacts to ensure that all those expected to be at the meeting, would be in attendance.

Governor Okorocha had earlier, while taking exception to the pro-Biafra violent protests in some of the South-East states and few other neighbouring states disassociated the governors and leaders in the south-east states from the MASSOB protests describing the whole exercise as embarrassing, disturbing, counter-productive and to a large extent, distracting.

According to Okorocha, the pro-Biafra protests could not be in the interest of the Southeast people but were only sending wrong signals to the rest of Nigerians. And said that it has become increasingly necessary for the governors in the zone, Ohaneze leaders and other stakeholders in the area to meet, to call a spade, a spade.

It is also expected that at the end of the Owerri meeting, the governors and other leaders will take a common position and will also invite the leaders of the pro-Biafra groups for a meeting, to let them know the socio-economic and political implications of their activities including their demand for sovereignty in a united Nigeria.

Governor Okorocha said the governors and leaders in the zone could no longer sit and watch the whole situation degenerating and also noted that the Igbos as a people cannot afford to have its own kind of Boko Haram.

He also wondered why the pro-Biafra apologists kept quiet all these years only to resume their violent protests and activities this time and few months after the new administration in the country came on board.
According to him, the governors are going to take the bull by the horn in the overall interest of Ndigbo in particular and Nigerians in general.”

FORMER National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) has sued the Federal Government at a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking enforcement of his fundamental human rights to dignity and security of his life.

Dasuki is asking the court for a mandatory order compelling the Federal Government and its agents especially the operatives of the Directorate of the State Security Service (DSS) to vacate his house located at 13, John Kadija Street, Asokoro with immediate effect.

In the suit filed by his counsel Mr. Ahmed Adeniyi Raji SAN, Dasuki pleaded with the court to stop the siege laid on his house and to remove all impediments, human and non-human barricade and bulwarks said to have hindered the permission granted him since November 3 to travel abroad for treatment of his ailing medical condition.

In a motion on notice filed pursuant to section 36 (5) 37 and 41 of the 1999 constitution and sections 1(1) and (2) and 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the ex NSA also sought for order of the court extending order of November 3 permitting treatment of his ailment abroad.
The motion on notice was premised on five grounds including the request to enforce the three- week permission granted him by the court on November 3 to keep a re-rescheduled medical appointment with his physician abroad.

He claimed that the Federal Government acting through the operatives of the SSS and other security agencies have frustrated the said order by barricading his apartment since the permission was granted.

The ex-NSA also requested the court to extend the order of Number 3 since it could not be implemented due to the action of the security agents.

Dasuki further asked the court to dispose with his appearance in court for the purpose of this application because of the alleged constant threats to his life from the security agencies.

In a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, Dasuki claimed that following the order of November 3 permitting him to go abroad for medical attention, he immediately purchased his travel ticket and boarding pass issued to him to accomplish the trip.

He averred that shortly after, the operatives of the SSS acting on behalf of the Federal Government stormed and barricaded his house at Asokoro in brazen defiance of the court order and prevented him from traveling out.

Dasuki asserted that the siege on his house ought to be immediately removed and that as a result of the aggression of the Federal Government, his life has been under constant threat.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.