₦airaland Forum

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has described as preposterous and anachronistic a statement credited to his incoming successor, Dr. Alex Otti in which his (Otti) media handlers described a purported employment programme going on in the state as illegal and racketeering.

Governor Ikpeazu said he is still the governor of the state till May 29 and still has the executive powers to perform his constitutional assignments.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka in a statement on Wednesday charged the incoming governor and his media team to refrain from questioning the decisions of an elected government.

While denying any such employment programme in Abia, Ememanka said the actions of the governor are deemed constitutional on line with running the affairs of the state.

Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti had alleged in a statement that some agents of the Abia State Government and some civil servants are engaged in what they called "Employment Racketeering".

According to Ememanka, "It is absolutely preposterous and outrightly anachronistic for the Media Team of the Governor-Elect to use the word ILLEGAL to describe the activities of a government that is legitimately in office.

"Assuming, though by no means conceding that the State Government offered employment to Abians, what is illegal about it?

"Dr Otti should take it easy. We understand that he has been trying to be Governor since 2015. His hurry is understandable but he must know that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu remains Governor of Abia State until midnight of 28th May, 2023. Within this period, the Governor is still enabled by all laws in this country to exercise the full powers of his office, including the power to grant employment waivers into the State Work Force, if he so desires.

"What Dr Otti can do, at best, is to review such Executive Actions after he is sworn in on the 29th of May. Anything else from him at this time is of no effect whatsoever.

"Dr Otti will have 4 full years at the first instance to exercise the powers of the Governor of Abia State, from 29th of May, 2023. He should wait for his time.

"Dr Otti should also be reminded that every Governor Elect is a potential former Governor. At most and if God permits, he will spend 8 years in office, and while still in office, his successor will be elected too.

"Our advise is simple. May 29th is almost here. Please be patient. If you have waited since 2015 till now, you can wait for another 2 months.

"When a new administration is elected into office, they will inherit both assets and liabilities because government is a continuum. What a new Governor chooses to do with what he inherits will define it's administrative strategy.

"Abians are eagerly looking forward to seeing the administrative expertise of the Governor-Elect.

Federal Medical Centre, FMC Umuahia, Abia State says it has successfully carried out no fewer than 11 kidney transplants in the facility in the last four and half active years, ABN TV reports.

The period covers Dec. 2017 when it had its first surgery till date, deducting 2020-2021, a period by COVID.

Dr. Chimezie Okwuonu, a kidney transplant neurologist of the hospital told ABN TV on Tuesday that the most recent ones were fully carried out by Nigerian surgeons.

According to him, at the beginning of this medical milestone, it was performed and supervised by surgeons from the US.

He said after the first four were conducted, Nigerian surgeons after acquiring the skills took over from their US counterparts and successfully carried out the last seven with minimal supervision of external experts.

The latest in the series he said involves a man in his late 60s who has kidney disease and has been on dialysis in the past four months but later brought to FMC Umuahia when he fulfilled all the conditions for the surgery which has successfully been carried out.

"The patient is very healthy, he has started making adequate urine and he is doing better. We have done some laboratory tests which show that there is a remarkable improvement in the vitals of the patient.

"As for the donor, he is okay and doing well. They are all recovering from the post-surgery period and we hope that in the next one week, we should be able to discharge them to their homes", he stated.

Dr. Okwuonu while noting that the facility is the only one undertaking a kidney transplantation programme in South East and South-South pledged its commitment to remain active.

He applauded the hospital's chief medical director, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi for the transformation he has carried out in the past couple of years to position the hospital for this feat.

While noting that lack of adequate equipment and increasing brain have been the twin problem of the programme, Dr. Okwuonu praised the CMD for demonstrating enough support despite challenges.

He appealed to government to subsidise the cost of kidney transplantation, create a healthy environment and offer some incentives to people ready to donate their organ for their loved ones.

Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu has said that his administration will on May 29 hand over a State that is stronger and better in every respect to the next administration.

The Governor made this known on Tuesday while receiving in audience the South East Inspection Monitoring Team from the National Economic Council.

Governor Ikpeazu in a statement by his chief press secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka made available to ABN TV, stated that every available sociopolitical and socio-economic index makes it clear that the requisite foundations have been laid for the next administration to build on.

According to the Governor, “from sociopolitical stability to socioeconomic development, peace and security and infrastructural renewal, Abia is way better than it was when we came on board”.

Continuing, the Governor added that, “apart from what is physically verifiable, we will bequeath to our successor a 30-year development plan for the State put in place together with international development partners, a comprehensive Masterplan for Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia put in place with the UN-HABITAT as well as an Industrial Policy done together with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). These will assist the next administration a great deal. These things were not there when we came on board”.

The Governor according to the release thanked the Team for coming to the State to see for themselves the extent of the efforts of his administration in the provision of Basic and Social Infrastructure for the people of Abia State. He used the opportunity to inform the people of Abia State that he will do everything possible to complete the multi Specialist Hospital inside the premises of the old Aba General Hospital, assuring you all the medical equipment for the hospital are already on ground while the massive hospital building is 95% completed.

“Speaking earlier, the Team Lead and Deputy Director, Special Duties of the National Economic Council, Mrs Dorothy Uwaoma told the Governor that the team was in the State pursuant to the resolution of the National Economic Council to move round the states in the country and get first-hand information on the projects and policies put in place across the states and to institute a peer review mechanism where states can learn from each other.

“She expressed satisfaction with what they saw during the tour and was particularly delighted with the Mother and Child Hospital at Umuahia as well as the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company Aba.

Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will challenge the recently held governorship election in the state which produced Labour Party candidate, Alex Otti as the winner, ABN TV reports.

This comes days after the state governor appealed to candidates who lost in the governorship contest to support the incoming governor and avoid going to court.

According to him, as someone who spent over three years in court defending his mandate in court in the past, he will advise losing candidates to instead support the governor-elect.

This may have however fell on deaf ears as the State Working Committee, SWC and the enlarged State Executive Committee, SEC met on Tuesday and reviewed the results after collecting all the materials used in the conduct of the governorship and House of Assembly elections and decided to go to court to challenge the results.

The party in a release by Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, the state Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary said of particular interest to them is the six local government areas where the BVAS machines were allegedly not used.

The statement read in part, "This decision is coming on the heels of members of the Labour Party taking its own candidates that won elections to court despite the honest and wise advise and appeal of the Abia State governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu that the winners of the election including the governor-elect, Alex Otti should be spared the burden of litigation which only serves to distract public officers from performing their duties and responsibilities.

"Abia PDP is shocked to note that at a time when it is making arrangements for a seamless and peaceful transition for the new government, it is the same Labour Party that was declared the winner that is trying to torpedo the process.

A yet-to-be-identified official of the Abia State Vigilante group has shot and killed one Izuchukwu Mbakwe, a 27-year-old staff of De Choice Eatery in Umuahia, Abia State.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubWOijTxf2I

Sources told ABN TV that the Dubai returnee was shot at a very close range on Sunday at the premises of De Choice in Okpara Square on his lap, leading to his death.

Mbakwe, a native of Umuosu Okaiuga Nkwoegwu in Ohuhu was said to have arrived for his normal duties when the Internal Auditor invited a Vigilante Security Guards and demanded his arrest over a missing "Nokia Torch" belonging to the company.

The overzealous guards were said to have stripped Izuchukwu beat him to a stupor, and shot him at his lap at close range with a Pump Action Riffle, which affected his Femoral Artery.

It was reported that it took an uproar from helpless customers for the victim to be brought to FMC Umuahia for treatment.

He however lost his life at the point when he was about to refer to a specialist hospital. He has been since deposited at the morgue.

A colleague of the late Mbakwe alleged that they are being owed up to 5 Months' salary arrears.

Mrs. Adaora Chukwuemeka an elder sister to the deceased confirmed that her brother has not been paid for five months, wondering why the employer has not communicated with the family.

In an emotionally-laden voice, she said the late Mbakwe was left under the rain to bleed to death, calling for justice for the brother.

Police spokesperson in the command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna while confirming the incident faulted the action of the vigilante operatives, wondering why the accused was not handed over to the police for investigation.

Abia State Police Command has announced the restriction of vehicular movement in the state as governorship and state assembly elections hold on Saturday, ABN TV reports.

The command's spokesman, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna in a statement made available to ABN TV on Friday said the restriction of vehicular movements takes effect from midnight of Friday to 6pm of Saturday 18/03/23, while that the command has placed a ban on Security escorts of VIPs to the polls, non-participation of State Security outfits on the election security management as well as unauthorized use of Sirens, covered number plates and tinted glasses.

The command announced that only those on essential duties such as INEC officials, Electoral Observers, Ambulances responding to Medical Emergencies, Fire-fighters, etc are exempted from restrictions on vehicular movements.

He said all security escorts and aides attached to VIPs and Politicians are sternly warned not to accompany their principals to polling units/ collation centres.

"The order which is part of measures emplaced to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive environment for the conduct of elections, is aimed at ensuring public order management, the safety of electorates, as well as assisting the security agencies ineffective policing, thereby preventing hoodlums and criminally-minded elements from disrupting the electoral process.

"The Commissioner of Police further warns that anyone found flouting this directive will be severely sanctioned and emphasizes that only security personnel specifically assigned to election duties are to be seen within and around the designated election booths and centres;

"While sympathizing with well-meaning citizens on the inconveniences the restriction may cause, the CP urges all active electorates to be law-abiding and turn out en masse to exercise their franchise.

"Shun vote buying, vote selling, hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation, snatching of ballot boxes, and other criminal act(s) as the Force and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all violators of extant laws, most especially the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), are brought to book".

The governorship candidate of Action Peoples Party (APP) in Abia State, Hon. Mascot Kalu has said he fits well into what the people are yearning for in filling the leadership vacuum in the state.

Mascot, a former chief of staff said he is young, vibrant, and energetic, expressing hope that he will emerge victorious at the March 18 governorship election in the state.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sc3qBRbX7o

"I fit the profile of what Abia people are looking for, they want a young man who is experienced, I am a young man, I am experienced.

"So I fit the profile of what the people want, it will be a very competitive election, I hope to still come out standing tall", he told reporters shortly after the signing of peace accord among the governorship candidates on Thursday in Umuahia, the state capital.

Mascot said he is committed to the peace and stability of the state as someone who has not been associated at any point with acts of violence.

He commended the electoral management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for shifting the date of the election from March 11 to 18 in order to get it right especially with regard to the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) after the presidential and National Assembly elections.

He noted that the Feb. 25 National Assembly and Presidential polls witnessed logistics challenges, particularly with the late arrival of materials experienced, which resulted in elections continuing till late in the night, a development he said could give room to shenanigans and malpractices.

Mascot while urging INEC to adhere to their promises of conducting a free and fair governorship and state assembly elections said the 2023 election is an improvement from that of 2019.

A support group of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC Youths Sentinel has advised the national leadership of the party to zone the office of the Senate President of the 10th Senate to the Southeast geopolitical zone to reduce the separatist agitation in the region.

The group said this has become important in order to do justice to the political agreement between the North and the South, and to enhance national integration.

In a statement on Monday in Abuja by the Southeast Coordinator of the group, Mr. Brown Agunanne, the group said that, in line with the resolutions of the Progressives Governors Forum of the party that power should swap between the North and the South, the Office of the Senate President should naturally be zoned to the Southeast, since the outgoing occupant of the office hails from the Northeast geopolitical zone.

The group noted that in the South, the Southwest produced the Vice President and Speaker for the outgoing administration but now has the President-elect.

The South-South already has the office of the Deputy Senate President while the Southeast only has the Senate Chief Whip despite being one of largest ethnic groups in the country.

The Governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, Prof Greg Ibe has revealed how God has been saving him from diabolical attacks, known as juju.

This is even as he has appealed to Christian leaders in Abia State to partner with him in liberating Abia State from what he called evil powers and elements of backwardness.

Prof Ibe stated these at his campaign office in Umuahia during a meeting with leaders and members 5 blocks of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Abia State chapter.

Ibe revealed that his health began to experience some challenges immediately he declared his intention to contest for the 2023 Abia Governorship race but expressed appreciation to God for keeping him strong.

Ibe who used the meeting to reel out his plans for Abia if elected Governor, lamented the travails of Abia civil servants and pensioners who he said, are in terrible conditions occasioned by non-payment of their wages and stipends.

Ibe who dismissed the claims that he was dead or amputated, explained that the false stories were peddled by enemies of Abia State who are afraid of the coming developmental revolution.

The APGA guber candidate revealed that he has suffered several diabolical attacks by enemies of Abia, assured that God's hands of protection has kept him stronger in the tick of all the challenges.

"Subsequently, there is nothing they have not done to stop this mission of liberating and developing our State. In a desperate bid to stop me, they began spreading false rumours about me. They attacked my health with Juju and began to circulate evil reports that I have been amputated. They enlisted the partnership of some aggrieved politicians who went as far as falsifying someone's WAEC certificate and alleged it was mine."

"In order to make people hate me, they lied that former Governor T. A. Orji is sponsoring me. They even went as far as deploying money that would have been used in bettering the life of our people in funding some collaborators to go to several Courts against me. But no matter what they did, God of Ndi Abia said No!"

On why he offered 500 scholarship to intelligent students from poor homes, Ibe said the educational programs has been extended to Abians and non-Abians which in return, would produce well-trained future leaders.

Ibe, who also explained his free medical scheme in 17 LGAs of the State, said the free health program was used to save the lives of Abians, especially during the period of multiple industrial actions by different government-owned medical facilities.

He further alleged that some powerful persons in PDP denied him guber ticket for his refusal to share the State's resources to a few individuals, which he said, made him to quit PDP.

"Our State is decayed. Hospitals are not functioning. Civil servants and pensioners are being owed in our State. I offered free medical service to Abians in the 17 LGAs which the Abia State government could not give to Abians."

Prof Ibe also alleged that the Abia State government tried to eject his campaign office in Umuahia in a bid to frustrate his guber ambition.

In their responses during the interactive meeting, the Abia priests promised to work with Prof Ibe in the liberation of the State, if he wins the Abia guber.

The last may not have been heard of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primaries in Abia State which returned Chief Okey Ahiwe as the flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming March 11, 2023 election.

Reason: One of the aggrieved aspirants Mayor Lucky Igbokwe (Don Lulu) has approached the federal high court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/138/2022, which was transferred to the federal high court in Umuahia presided by Hon Justice E.N Anyadike, where he is seeking a nullification of the second primaries and the candidacy of Chief Ahiwe.

It could be recalled that the PDP Abia State chapter conducted its governorship primaries on 25 May, 2022 which produced the late Prof. Uche Ikonne. In that election Mayor Lucky Igbokwe was the first runner up, behind Ikonne.

However, as fate would have it, the PDP candidate (Ikonne) kicked the bucket before the conduct of the General Election. Rather than elevating the first runner up to become the party's standard bearer, the PDP National and INEC called for a fresh governorship primaries which returned Chief Ahaiwe as the new candidate of the party.

In the amended originating summons filed by Dr J.A AKUBO, SAN, the plaintiff claims among others, a Declaratory relief that he is the authentic candidate of PDP for Abia State Governorship election.

He also sought for Court's declaratory order that Ahiwe is not qualified to contest the fresh primary having not participated in the previous primary election hence his election should be nullified.

The ruling All Progressive's Congress Abia State has dismissed reports that it has suspended its Abia North Senatorial Candidate and Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu.

Denying the report which emanated from the "Vanguard Newspapers", the Party's Spokesperson, Okey Ezeala described the reports as the handiwork of the People's Democratic Party.

According to a terse statement signed by Ezeala the party distanced itself from the report stating that there is no iota of truth in it, the party also described the report as false, identifying the Vanguard Reporter "Steve Oko" as paid agent of Kalu’s PDP opponent Mao Ohuabunwa.

Ezeala said that the malicious write-up is occasioned by the PDP's fright to accept tomorrow's imminent defeat. According to the party, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu remains the candidate of our great party as both the party and his constituents are satisfied with his performance.

On the allegation of anti-party activities and other offenses, the party labeled the accusations as entirely false, stating that Orji Kalu has always remained a committed member of the party and its progress.

The party's Spokesperson added that there is no record of Orji Kalu campaigning against any of its candidates nor has the Senate Chief Whip campaigned for any other political candidate besides those of the APC.

The party urged its party faithful and the general public to disregard the report and head to their various polling units to cast their votes for its candidates.

The Action People Party (APP) candidate for Abia North senatorial district, Adije Ifeanyichukwu Kingsley has announced his decision to step down from the contesting, supporting his APC opponent, the incumbent Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu.

This is coming barely 48 hours to the Feb. 25 presidential and National Assembly elections in which Sen. Kalu a former governor of Abia State is expected to slug it out at the polls with other contestants.

Mr. Kingsley told ABN TV on Thursday that Sen. Kalu is the most credible candidate among other contestants seeking to represent the senatorial district.

He urged his supporters to vote for APC in the senatorial contest and vote for APP candidates at other levels of the elections.

Mr. Kingsley assured his loyalists that Sen. Kalu will continue in his track record of outstanding performance in delivering democratic dividends to them.

Senator representing Abia North senatorial district, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu has said he is running his campaign on the record of achievements he has made since his election in the Senate, saying he has nobody challenging him in the Feb. 25 National Assembly election.

Sen. Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip who said he is almost a consensus candidate in the upcoming election boasted that he will record 85% of the total vote cast.

While noting that he has defeated the PDP candidate, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa in the past, the former Abia governor said he will trounce his opponents at the polls again.

Featuring on Arise TV's Morning Show on Tuesday monitored by ABN TV, Sen. Kalu said his constituents are happy with the massive projects he has attracted both in road infrastructure and empowerment, expressing hope that they will return him to the Senate on Saturday.

"You just read that I was given an award by the press corps of the Senate as one of the best Senators sitting in that chamber, they also gave me an award as best Senator that has human relations to interact with staff of the National Assembly.

"If one or two people decide to call themselves a group to campaign against me, that is a group, all the churches here have endorsed my candidature, I have the Catholic Bishop of our Diocese, I have the Prelate of the entire Presbyterian church, I have the Methodist Church, the Anglican Church, all of them have endorsed me.

"The election is just few days away and the results will show. I am very proud that I have represented my constituency very well, we constructed roads where there have never been roads, places where people used to carry farm produce on their heads to their villages.

"Go to Ohafia local government, go to Umuneochi local government, go to Isuikwuato local government, go to Bende and Arochukwu local governments, the story is the same.

"We are not only doing roads, just five days ago, but we also gave about 496 communities cassava grinding machines because I received a stewardship report and I saw that was a challenge.

"Let me tell you, we are running this election as almost consensus candidate, we are going to make 85 percent of votes cast on the ballots and that is the truth", he declared.

Chief Whip of the Senate and a stalwart of the governing All Progressives Congress APC, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu has said the party's presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will become the country's next president and will be sworn-in May 29 when the tenure of the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari will wind down.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGcKVAESEQk

The presidential election will hold on Saturday, February 25 in which Tinubu and 17 other contestants will slug it out at the polls to determine the next president of Nigeria.

Featuring on Channels TV's The 2023 Verdict on Monday monitored by ABN TV, Sen Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State said APC has the nationwide support to win the presidential election.

When asked if the lingering Naira notes scarcity will affect the chances of the party to retain the presidential seat, Sen. Kalu it will not, urging Nigerians to exercise more patience as the naira notes issues will be resolved.

"We are larger in number, we are bigger and we are going to win the election. Tinubu is the next President and Commander-in-chief of Nigeria", he said.

He added, "The membership of our party, we have huge followers, we also have huge support by the Nigerian people, this is what gives me the confidence".