₦airaland Forum

An undisclosed number of unknown gunmen in the early hours of Monday attacked the headquarters of Abia State Police Headquarters in Umuahia the state capital, killing one person.

The victim according to a reliable source who spoke with ABN TV is an Inspector of Police who was on guard duty on the road in front of the headquarters.

The attackers were said to have struck around after 1am on Monday but were repelled by the superior firepower of the policemen on duty.

They were said to have unsuccessfully attempted to overrun the station.

When contacted, the PPRO of Abia State Police Command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was yet to be briefed on the development.

Interpol Systems Consultant in Nigeria and a philanthropist, Sir Chikwe Udensi has tackled the government of Abia State over depleting state of infrastructure in major cities of the state, particularly Aba and Umuahia, maintaining that nothing qualifies Umuahia as capital of a state.

He says dearth of infrastructure, lack of access road, and conspicuous lack of modem facilities makes the city nothing short of a glorified village.

Speaking on a radio programme, Open Parliament on Family Love FM Umuahia monitored by ABN TV on Wednesday, Sir Udensi expressed disappointment that the city despite years of existence as capital of Abia does not have the aura of state capital.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3PA5MCtA-8
He further stressed that the case is the same in Aba where he had undertaken an infrastructure tour to ascertain the level of development but discovered that a lot needs to be done.

He blamed the poor state of infrastructure on the capacity of individuals who preside over affairs of the state as governors, insisting that some of them do not have what it takes to lead.

The APGA chieftain also expressed disappointment that the only flyover in the state being constructed by the current administration has lingered, saying weed has started growing on it.

"The flyover we're talking about has started growing grasses. What is a flyover? What type of technology is in flyover?

"By now we should have 8 flyovers in Aba to ease traffic congestion. My office is located along Factory Road and from the window I saw the traffic congestion problem.

"I also saw the irresponsibility of the officers at the junction controlling traffic. Some of them will leave the traffic and go away. Some will even be discussing with friends or on phone. I saw two of them on phone while the traffic was congested.

"Who is supervising them? Under what ministry are they? A chunk of the problem is ourselves. It's the inability of government to have the right people at the right places to do the right job" he said.

Sir Udensi further indicated a willingness to offer two environmental specialists to Abia free of charge as part of his contribution towards restoring the Abia environment.

The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, Rep. Sam Onuigbo has said Abia is yet to have a Federal Secretariat located in it because it has not provided a certificate of occupancy to make it ready for use.

Speaking on a radio programme monitored by ABN TV on Friday, the federal lawmaker had said he made enquiry from the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola during a budget defence on why Abia is yet to have a Federal Secretariat constructed in it.

According to Hon. Onuigbo, the Minister said the land initially allocated for the construction of a Federal Secretariat for Abia was encroached upon.

He revealed that he informed the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu who later facilitated a land for the construction of a Federal Secretariat.

Rep Onuigbo however said the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is yet to mobilise equipment and manpower to the allocated land due to unavailability of certificate of occupancy.

Hon. Onuigbo said his engagements with the governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and that of Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem reveals that efforts are being made to provide a certificate of occupancy.

He expressed dissatisfaction that title documents have not been provided since over two years he started making efforts to ensure that Abia joins league of states who have a Federal Secretariat.

According to him, despite being number one alphabetically and being in existence before some other states that now boast of Federal Secretariat, Abia is yet to have one.

He appealed to the state government to hasten efforts to ensure that necessary documents are provided so that a Federal Secretariat is constructed, stating that it comes with a lot of benefits.

He insists that he will sustain efforts to ensure that title documents are provided to that effect.

The Chief Whip of the Senate and Senator Representing Abia North on Thursday Afternoon received newly elected officials of the People's Democratic Party (PDP)led  by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu alongside other newly elected officials of the party  at his Aso-Villa Abuja home, ABN TV reports.

Anyanwu, a former Senator and other newly elected officials of the PDP breezed into Kalu's Abuja home at precisely 12:28pm. 

Disembarking from his vehicle clad in navy blue native attire the visibly delighted National Secretary was welcomed by Kalu's associates and then led straight with his executives to  meet Orji Kalu.

On sighting one another both men engaged in pleasantries and embraced each other and then proceeded for an indoor meeting. As the meeting progressed other executives of the party arrived in turns to Kalu's residence to join the meeting.

The visit comes amidst strong talks that the former Abia Governor is being positioned for the 2023 presidency to succeed the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that on October 30,2021 the PDP elected it's new set of members from various parts of the country into its National Working Committee (NWC) to take over the leadership of the party.

In 2016 Senator Kalu formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), he contested and won the 2019 Senatorial elections and led the APC to landslide victories for other legislative positions in Abia North. The former Governor also led a strong campaign in his Abia North to become the only zone in the SouthEast to have given  Buhari 68% votes during the 2019 general elections.

Also recall that in 1998, Kalu alongside a few others founded the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Kalu solely made an initial donation of N100 million aside a loan of N500 million to the party at the formation stage. He won the governorship contest in Abia State in 1999 on the platform of the PDP. Kalu steered the affairs of the state from 1999 to 2007. 

The opposition party (PDP) lost the presidential seat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) both in 2015 and 2019.

In the South-east, the PDP lost grip of a major stronghold, Ebonyi State, to the ruling APC due to the defection of Governor Dave Umahi. The party also lost in the South-South with the unexpected defection of Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade  to the APC.

An Interpol Systems Consultant in Nigeria, Sir Chikwe Udensi has expressed optimism that when signed into law, the new Electoral Act will bring to an end electoral fraud which he says characterises Nigeria's electoral system and end era of figure manipulation.

According to Sir Udensi, a chieftain of APGA, most of the electoral malpractices occur at the collation centres where he said figures are being mischievously changed to unduly favour some individuals.

Featuring on a radio programme, Open Parliament on Family Love FM Umuahia and ABN TV on Wednesday, Sir Chikwe Udensi therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Electoral Act passed into law by the National Assembly.

"He (Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila) said specifically without any equivocation that the President will sign it into law. So we assume he will sign the new Electoral Act into law.

"If he signs it into law, it will be about the best thing that has happened to our electoral system. It will be a shift from the very fraudulent collation centres we have.

"Most of the fraudulent acts we have in the electoral system is perpetrated at the collation centres. When they gather at the collation centres, they change figures.

"If it is 20 that a candidate got from a collation centre, they can add zero (0) at the back of it.

"But with what we have now, where from the point that the actual voting is done, it is electronically transmitted to the server, that is the best thing. Collation centre is eliminated" he said.

Senator representing Abia North, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu has expressed disappointment with Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, one of the counsels to the embattled leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB Nnamdi Kanu, saying the lawyer is misinforming the general public that he took pictures with IPOB leader.

While stating that he never took pictures and circulated same on twitter as being alleged by Ejiofor, the Senate Chief Whip said he fulfilled all guidelines before being granted access to Nnamdi Kanu.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Sen. Kalu a former Abia State Governor said the picture being circulated online was taken in 2016 during his visit to the leader of the secessionist group in Kuje prison Abuja.

He berated Ejiofor for sounding like someone who is a beneficiary of the crisis who wishes it does not end.

He said, "It has come to my notice, the statement issued by one of the counsels to Maazi Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in which I am very disappointed in him. He rightly acknowledged that I was scheduled to visit his client and at the same time, claimed that I violated the guidelines stipulated for visiting his client. According to him, he was supposed to be present at the 2pm meeting on Monday.

"Several people, including Barrister Ejiofor, have tried to misinterpret and misinform the public about my visit to my brother, Nnamdi. I also read a report stating that I took pictures with Nnamdi and also tweeted same on my Twitter account.

"For the records, the Department of State Services (DSS) did not break any protocol during my visit as I fulfilled all the requirements expected of me before I saw Nnamdi. The DSS affirmed that I cannot see Nnamdi without the application of his lawyers which I diligently did.

"Probably, Barrister Ejiofor may have expected me to arrive at 4pm for a scheduled 2pm visit. What many people refer to as "African time" is not my style. I strictly keep to time and it is a discipline I have upheld since my childhood. I arrived the DSS headquarters at 1:50 PM ; went through the necessary protocols and met Nnamdi at 2:17 PM. I stayed with him until 2: 57 PM. Even though he asked that I stayed longer but I had to leave because of other engagements .

"During my visit to Nnamdi, I did not even take my mobile phone along and no photograph was taken. The photograph people are circulating was the one I took with him when I visited him at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje in 2016 and later, his parents in 2017. My Twitter account has also been inactive .

"I don't also know if Barrister Ejiofor is aware that Nnamdi is not under compulsion to see anyone. If he didn't want to see me, he could have as well declined, but he was glad to see me and also expressed deep appreciations.

" Ejiofor's anger seems to be borne out of vexation of not being around to listen to our conversations. He sounds like someone who is a beneficiary of the crisis. People like him may not see the economic damage the Southeast is experiencing because of the weekly sit-at-home. He does not understand that people can protest in peace without disrupting economic activities and going violent. He does not understand that there are people whose livelihood solely depends on daily hustle. If you have people's interest at heart, you should as well consider their security, economic prosperity and peaceful livelihood.

"I call on Ejiofor to be patriotic, rise above primordial and pecuniary interest and put the interest of the people of the Southeast and the country first."