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[b]Drama as Soludo, Ngige walk out on Obi during debate
By Emmanuel Obe, Awka, Published: Tuesday, 22 Dec 2009


     
 
Governor Peter Obi


Two governorship aspirants in Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress, on Monday walked out on the state Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, during a debate organised for them.

The debate, which held in the state capital, Awka, ahead of the February 6, 2010 governorship election in the state, was meant for candidates to present their manifestoes to the people of the state.

The debate was organised by the Anambra State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association and held at the Emmaus House, Awka.

The four candidates present were the governor, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance; Ngige; Soludo; and the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Mike Ejezie.

The debate was nearly marred by a low turnout of candidates and the ego displayed by the contenders present. Only four out of the 25 candidates honoured the invitation.

Obi was the first to arrive the venue of the debate but left after he found out that other candidates were yet to come. He came a second time and left again because it was only Ngige and Soludo that had sat on the podium.

When Obi did not return early, the organisers threw the debate open to Soludo, Ngige and Ejezie. The three then spoke for five minutes each.

It was while Soludo was rounding off his address that Obi came in with a crowd of supporters, who held up proceedings for more than 10 minutes, praising him.

After Soludo rounded off his speech, Ngige took over, and then moved out of the hall just as Obi was going to be called upon to speak.

Ngige, whose exit created a commotion, was apparently not ready to listen to Obi because he felt that the governor did not grant him the same courtesy.

Shortly after, Soludo got up, shook hands with some members of the audience and left the stage, with his supporters in tow.

The hall was almost left empty before Obi’s supporters surged forward to fill the seats on the front row.

To make matters worse, public power supply was cut off just as Obi took the microphone.

Obi, however, explained that he had come in late because protocol demanded that he should be the last person to speak, being the governor.

The speakers were very jovial and lively as they made light-hearted references to one another. One of such was when Soludo said he would adopt informal policing to fight insecurity in the state.

He said though he would not disclose the details of the plan, Ngige would know a little of it because he (Ngige) and Soludo’s father were at different times victims of kidnappers.

In his presentation, Soludo said that if elected as governor, he would raise the economy of the state to become the largest in the country.

He said that he would have to do this through an ambitious power supply programme.

He said the surest way to fight insecurity was to provide jobs. He said he would provide between 300,000 and 500,000 jobs within his first term in office.

He said the Igbo had no business being in a party that was not in the mainstream of politics and advised them to join a national party.

He appealed to Ngige to return to the PDP because “hooligans and rogues that dominated the party in Anambra State had been chased out and sentenced to hard labour.”

He said he would deploy the same skills that he used as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in fixing the problems of Anambra State.

In his address, Ejezie said that by exploiting the mercantile nature of the people of the state, he would use the Onitsha Main Market to engineer Anambra’s economy.

He said he would do so by building many shopping malls.

Ngige, on his part, said the much talked about development in the state would not take place unless basic things like roads, infrastructure and security were put in place.

He disagreed with Soludo that Igbo people should move to the PDP, describing the party he co-founded as a “dying party.”

He said the best state governments in Nigeria today were not controlled by the PDP.

Obi lamented the state of affairs in Anambra when he assumed office in 2006. He said the state lacked improtant facilities such as a government house; governor’s lodge; as well as base maps for the three major cities.

He also said there was no master plan and that the state was in arrears in paying salaries and pensions.

He said he had to delve into developing all sectors simultaneously because the United Nations defined development beyond merely focusing on one area.

Dr. Andy Uba of the Labour Party; Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of the Progressive Peoples Alliance; Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the Hope Democratic Party; and Chief Okey Nwosu of the African Democratic Congres were some other top contenders that were absent from the debate.
[/b]

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2009122214543748

[b]Ambush that rattled Ekweremadu
By Chris Oji Published 16/12/2009 News Extra Rating: Unrated
THEY took him and his energetic security team completely unawares. The big shot had flown in to inspect some projects in his senatorial zone, Enugu West, in Enugu State. And he got off to a good start trying hard to keep to his schedules and itinerary. At some point he felt he needed a brief rest, perhaps no more than 20 minutes, before resuming his tour. So he headed for his impressive country home at Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area. But before he got there, an ambush in the form of thousands of children was already waiting for him. They wanted a slice of the “national cake” they believed he came with. What was thought would be a 20-minute timeout was stretched to over two hours, as the big shot had to hand out a cut of the “cake” as required of him. That was the plight of Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu last week.
As soon as the long convoy of vehicles arrived at Mpu, a serene rural setting, with farming being their mainstay, children, women and youths of the community trooped out in their thousands and lay "ambush" for Ekweremadu and his entourage. News had spread round the community that their son and benefactor was touring his projects and would likely pop in to see his mother. Not only did the news spread within Mpu, neighbouring communities such as Okpanku and Uduma got the news and found their way to the Deputy Senate President’s country home.

After Ekweremadu and his entourage drove into the expansive compound, the gate was closed by security personnel, apparently to prevent the large crowd of women and children from entering. Each time the Deputy Senate President is around, they would troop in to receive their share of the "national cake."

Ekweremadu prevailed on the security to open the gate for them. And as soon as this was done, like bees, the children, women and youths trooped in. They were arranged in queues and the distribution of the "cake" started in earnest to the admiration of all around.

Newsextra

observed, though, that despite the fact that these children reside in the rural setting, they looked healthy and well-fed. The only evidence of rural life on them was the effect of the biting harmattan which left their skins dry and rough.

It was unclear who organised the army of youngsters, just as how much the well-heeled son of the soil doled out to those who besieged his home remains unknown.

Ekweremadu during the tour, inspected water boreholes and overhead tanks at Amoli, an ultra modern library at St. Vincent De Paul Seminary, Agbogugu, water and road projects at Ugbo where he told the traditional ruler, Igwe G. E. Udeonu that they want to use Ugbo community as a model among the communities in Enugu west senatorial zone.

Ekweremadu also inspected a computer pool project at the Community Secondary School, Okpanku and also a water project with a reticulation target of two kilometer radius. Also at Okpanku, he inspected a newly installed giant generator with installed capacity of 42.5 KVA. There were also church projects which were inspected.

Ekweremadu later told reporters that the idea of the projects being cited in the rural areas was to arrest the rural to urban drift among the youths of the area. In his words: "Our target is to ensure that there are roads, water, electricity and educational facilities in the communities. We aim to halt the movement of people from the rural to urban areas and as you can see with the installation of computers, the people and the communities will be opened to the world. We want to ensure that they are not left behind in this millennium age. We want them to enjoy the facilities enjoyed in other parts of the world right here in the rural setting.

"We also want the children to have sound education so that they can compare with their counterparts in other parts of the world."

According to the Deputy Senate President, the projects tour would also take him to other local governments in his constituency as those inspected were those of two local governments of Awgu and Aninri. The other projects are cited at Oji-River, Ezeagu and Udi local government areas. [/b]

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/28955/1/Ambush-that-rattled-Ekweremadu/Page1.html

chichi81:
Hi  i am new to nairaland.this is my view about Anambra peers.they are  the ones destroying the igbo image. Of all the Ibo states the UBA/NGIGE scandal is only possible in Anambra state. Traders mentality reigns supreme in Anambra state.Anambra state is a state of cash and carry people. They are always disgracing Ndigbo. If it is not Aguleri-Umuleri, it is Okija Shrine.If it is not Emeka Ofor it is Chris Uba or one uncouth money-miss-road who wants to show that money is everything.Unfortunately to a large extent these illiterate rascals succeed in these ventures because they always find people in Anambra state who will do their bidding for a little sum of money.Otokoto and his brigands tried such nonesense in Imo state and they are all lying six feet under today.In Anambra state Otokoto would be a kingmaker with the power to burn down the government house at his whim.Anambra state has the highest school drop-out rate in the entire southeast.The mentality of the uneducated has taken over the state. They have the biggest mouth in the SE zone but they are just the epitome of vulgarity, ANAMBRA is the problem with Igbos, they consistently behave like The Bendel Ibo's people, the Onitsha area needs to be sanitized

igbo on igbo.lol

Police trail killers of former ambassador
[b]By Bisi Olaniyi Published Today News Rating: Unrated
•Man arraigned for rape
Police in Rivers and Abia states are on the trail of killers of former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Gabon and Ukraine Ignatius Ajuru.

Ajuru, an Ikwerre from Rivers State, was killed by unknown gunmen at Obehi in Abia State on Sunday night.

The body has been deposited at the Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC’s) morgue in Port Harcourt.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has expressed sadness over the killing of the former ambassador.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey (DSP) yesterday confirmed the killing.

She said she was in touch with her counterpart in Abia State.

Mrs Inoma-Abbey hoped that the killers would soon be apprehended and prosecuted.

Amaechi, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari , appealed to the Abia Police Command to double its efforts in combating crime at Obehi.

Amaechi regretted the loss of lives of many Nigerians, especially Rivers indigenes, on the nation’s highways.

The governor expressed the willingness of the Rivers police command to partner Abia’s to ensure that Obehi, now a notoriety, is safe, especially during this festive period.

A 32-year old man, John Godson has been arraigned for raping an 18-year old woman, Iyabo Friday, at a bridge in Lagos.

He was docked at a Chief Magistrate Court, Tapa.

The police alleged that in the early hours of December 6, at about 5am, Godson forcefully had carnal knowledge of Miss Friday at Oke-Ira Bridge, Ajah, on the outskirts of Lagos

The charge read: "That you, John Godson on 6th December 2009 at about 5am at Oke-Ira Bridge area, Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government in the Lagos Magisterial District did unlawfully have canal knowledge of one Iyabo Friday, 18 years old, without her consent."

The alleged offence is contrary to sections 357 and 358 of the Criminal Code Cap 17, Volume II, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

Godson pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He was granted bail for N400,000 with two sureties who must show evidence of tax payment and employment.

The court has adjourned the matter till tomorrow. [/b]

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/29783/1/Police-trail-killers-of-former-ambassador-/Page1.html

michelin89
osisi
tapia.

[b]NDLEA beams searchlight on Brazil-Nigeria route…arrests six suspects
National News Dec 20, 2009 By Albert Akpor

LAGOS — THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said weekend that it was beaming its searchlight on Brazil-Nigeria route, stressing that some of the suspects arrested over the weekend with hard rugs were coming into the country via Brazil.

The new Commander of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Alhaji Hamza Umar, said he was poised to make the nation’s gateway hot for drug traffickers and their barons.

The commander who made the revelation at the arrest of five suspects who came into the country from Brazil, said he was shocked that in spite of the efforts aimed at discouraging traffickers on the illicit drug deal, they were not perturbed. He said the surveillance measure put in place moments he assumed duties at the airport had started yielded positive results with the arrest of six suspected drug traffickers that attempted to smuggle 6.397 kilograms of cocaine. Five of the arrested suspects were coming from Brazil while one was arrested on his way to Pakistan.

Hamza said the decision to beam searchlight on Brazil followed the revelation that coca plant from where cocaine is derived is produced in Brazil.

He said: “Brazil, like other drug producing countries, is crucial to us because they are high risk areas. The Agency has an effective control mechanism to detect traffickers.”

On Pakistan, he said. “Pakistan is a drug producing country. What they produce there is opium; they are now taking cocaine there in exchange for heroin. Though it is strange, but we were not caught napping.”[/b]
The six suspects that tested positive when scanned with the United States donated body scanners were Onu Sunday, 30 (485 grammes), Ikeagwuonwu Ikemefuna Benneth,44 (1.20kgs), Nweke Francis Sunday, 31 (692 grammes) and Kennedy Ifeanyi Okonkwo, 35 (1.415 kgs), Aneke Chidi Brown, 31 (1.465 kgs) and Nwafor Francis Obinna, 31 (1.140 kgs).

They all admitted to the crime, claiming that financial hardship drove them into drug trafficking.

ECOWAS leaders to replace Yar’Adua as chairman - ‘His tenure, the worst ever’ - Presidency confused over supplementary budget
From Taiwo Adisa and Christian Okeke - 21.12.2009

THE failure of President Umaru Yar’Adua to return to the country, 28 days after he left for a medical treatment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has taken its negative toll on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government Summit which was scheduled to be held today (Monday).

President Yar’Adua was elected chairman of the organisation in Abuja on December 19, 2008 for a period of one year after President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso served out the final leg of his third non-consecutive tenure which lasted from 2006 to 2008. His first tenure was in 1990.

Before the unavoidable shift of the date for the summit to January 18, 2010, the heads of state were expected to consider the performance of West Africa’s economy and the 2009 work programme of the institution, which is articulated around five priority areas of activity and expected to be presented to them by the President of the Commission, Dr. Chambas, as part of the 2009 annual report.

The priority areas are the completion of work on the creation of a customs union, negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), the development of agricultural and environmental policies as well as the state of peace and security in the region.

Apart from those areas, the summit was also to consider the Council of Ministers’ report which, among other things, includes recommendations on various sectoral programmes from such meetings as the ECOWAS Ministers of Health, Culture, Justice as well as Telecommunications and ICT.

It would have also considered the guidelines for the preparation of report on the ECOWAS multilateral surveillance mechanism. The ministers had ended their meeting in Abuja on Saturday, November 21, in preparation for presentation of the report to the heads of state.

The regional leaders were expected at the botched summit to sign some supplementary acts and decisions, including such areas as telecommunications and information, communication and technology (ICT) as well as the establishment of a regional copyright observatory.

A major event at the summit, the Nigerian Tribune gathered, would have been the replacement of President Yar’Adua who emerged the sixth Nigerian leader to chair the organisation in 2008 after Olusegun Obasanjo (1978), Muhammadu Buhari (1985), Ibrahim Babangida (1986 - 1988), Sani Abacha (1996 - 1998) and Abdulsalam Abubakar (1998 - 1999).

Indications emerged that the regional leaders will, in January, not give in to any move to re-elect President Yar’Adua for a fresh mandate under any guise, owing to what sources mainly termed his “leadership without direction.”

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that the tenure of President Yar’Adua was one of the worst to be experienced by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Commission, which was set up by Article 7, 8 and 9 of the Treaty and which defined its composition and functions.

Meanwhile, the presidency is said to be confused on what to do to stop the N353 billion 2009 supplementary budget from lapsing as a result of the failure of President Yar’Adua to assent to the budget bill.

The 1999 Constitution stipulates that the President can only hold on to a bill passed by the National assembly for 30 days after which the lawmakers can override the veto by securing two-thirds majority of the two chambers.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the presidency had toyed with the idea of taking the bill to Saudi Arabia to secure presidential assent but that members of the kitchen cabinet advised against that bid after securing vital information on the true state of health of the president.

Again, sources said that the Presidency had contemplated sending a letter from Yar’Adua to the National Assembly, to pave the way for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill but that other members of the cabinet decided against it with the hope that the President would have returned to the country last week.

But it was confirmed that the Presidency is also suffering from the effects of non signing of the budget as the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta has become the first casualty.

While the House of Representatives passed the supplementary budget on November 18, 2009, the Senate passed it on November 23.

But it was gathered that the clean copy of the bill actually got to the President’s table on Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

Going by the legislative procedure, the bill could be deemed to have spent its 30th day in the presidency on December 23, thus paving the way for the National Assembly to override the presidential veto.

Sources, however, said that some presidential aides were planning to send an emissary to the National Assembly to calculate the days from December 8, when the National Assembly’s bureaucracy actually presented the budget to Aso Rock.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives as well as officials of ministries and parastatal agencies have been lamenting the inability of the system to effect some payments as a result of the failure of the president to sign the budget.

The House of Representatives had said on Friday that it was aware of what to do to get the budget to become law.

Senate spokesman, Mr. Ayogu Eze, also said on Sunday that the Senate, which began its on recess on Thursday, was actually on standby.

“We are on standby. We are strictly not on holiday, if we are called we will come back,” Senator Ayogu Eze said.

A source in the National Assembly said that the presidency might actualise the delivery of the letter that would ensure that vice-president Goodluck Jonathan takes over in acting capacity to the National Assembly this week.

The source said that though the letter had not been sent as at Sunday, top members of the legislature were aware of the possibility that this might happen this week.

If the letter is sent, the vice president would be able to assent to the budget and other pending issues, including the swearing- in of the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

http://www.tribune.com.ng/21122009/news/news1.html

[b]NDLEA beams searchlight on Brazil-Nigeria route…arrests six suspects
National News Dec 20, 2009 By Albert Akpor

LAGOS —  THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said weekend that it was beaming its searchlight on Brazil-Nigeria route, stressing that some of the suspects arrested over the weekend with hard rugs were coming into the country via Brazil.

The new Commander of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Alhaji Hamza Umar, said he was poised to make the  nation’s gateway hot for drug traffickers and their barons.

The commander who made the revelation at the arrest of five suspects who came into the country from Brazil, said he was shocked that in spite of the efforts aimed at discouraging traffickers on the illicit drug deal, they were not perturbed.   He said the surveillance measure put in place moments he assumed duties at the airport had started yielded positive results with the arrest of six suspected drug traffickers that attempted to smuggle 6.397 kilograms of cocaine. Five of the arrested suspects were coming from Brazil while one was arrested on his way to Pakistan.

Hamza said the decision to beam searchlight on Brazil followed the revelation that coca plant from where cocaine is derived is produced in Brazil.

He said: “Brazil, like other drug producing countries, is crucial [/b] to us because they are high risk areas. The Agency has an effective control mechanism to detect traffickers.”

On Pakistan, he said. “Pakistan is a drug producing country. What they produce there is opium; they are now taking cocaine there in exchange for heroin. Though it is strange, but we were not caught napping.”

The six suspects that tested positive when scanned with the United States donated body scanners were Onu Sunday, 30 (485 grammes), Ikeagwuonwu Ikemefuna Benneth,44 (1.20kgs), Nweke Francis Sunday, 31 (692 grammes) and Kennedy Ifeanyi Okonkwo, 35 (1.415 kgs),  Aneke Chidi Brown, 31 (1.465 kgs) and Nwafor Francis Obinna, 31 (1.140 kgs).

They all admitted to the crime, claiming that financial hardship drove them into drug trafficking.