₦airaland Forum

Two out of the five Borno emirs forced to flee their domain by Boko Haram terrorists, have returned to their palaces.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the emirs fled to Maiduguri two years ago when the insurgents took control of their domain in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of the state.

The insurgents took control of the area in August 2015 and announced establishment of Caliphate rule, forcing residents including the emirs to flee.

The insurgents were however mauled down by the military who took total control of the area and restored normalcy.

The two emirs, Alhaji Muhammadu Askirama of Askira, and Alhaji Ismaila Mamza of Uba, returned to their respective palaces on Tuesday in company of Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mamman Durkuwa.



Speaking at a short ceremony at their palaces, the emirs commended the Nigerian military for their gallantry in routing the Boko Haram terrorists.

They expressed optimism that terrorism would end soon in the country, going by the successes being recorded by the military.

NAN reports that three other emirs yet to return to their domain include the Emir of Bama, Alhaji Kyari El-Kanemi, Emir of Dikwa, Muhammad Ibn Masta, and Chief of Gwoza Alhaji Muhammad Timta. The three are still residing in Maiduguri, the state capital.

*Governor Dickson promises reward to the gallant youths

Armed youths from Ikienghenbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have been arrested for vandalising a major oil pipeline with dynamites.

Reports say, the group, which was led by Suoyou, Iyelawei and Fyneboy vandalised the pipeline along the Azuzuama – Ikienghenbiri axis of the trunk line conveying crude oil from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company flow station at Tebidaba to Brass.

A statement issued on Sunday in Yenagoa by the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, said the pipeline vandals were apprehended by youths of Azuzuama community, who got wind of the action.

They were arrested with the support of operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and one of them was shot in the leg while trying to escape.

Obuebite expressed delight that the arrests were coming on the heels of Governor Seriake Dickson’s meeting with Traditional Rulers and Chairmen of Community Development Communities( CDC) where the Governor directly placed the responsibility of maintaining peace and safeguarding oil facilities in their domains on their shoulders.

The Commissioner praised the youths of Azuzuama Community “for their gallantry, patriotic disposition and commitment to the peace and economic well being of the state and Nigeria as a whole.”

According to him, Dickson would “invite them and reward them for responding positively to his clarion call when it mattered most.”

Obuebite also called on other communities to emulate the Azuzuama community, adding that, “if every other communities can act in like manner, the current wave of attacks on national assets and related criminal acts will be drastically minimised, if not completely eliminated.”

He re-aasured community leaders and youths of government’s preparedness to continue to support and partner with them in the protection of lives and property.

https://cdn.dailypost.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/aPC.jpg

The ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State swelled at the weekend as a prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Chief Dele Okeya, defected to the broom party.
Okeya, a former Commissioner during the first tenure of Governor Ayo Fayose, led over 5,000 PDP members into the APC at a rally held over the weekend at Emure Ekiti, headquarters of Emure Local Government Area.

All the defectors who came from all the ten wards in the council area were received into their new party by the state APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye.


Other leaders who received Okeya into the APC fold included Ekiti South Senatorial Chairman, Kayode Babade; State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun; former House of Representatives member, Dr. Ife Arowosoge; former deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Mariam Ogunlade, among others.

Okeya, who is an in-law to the former Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, said he had to leave the PDP because the umbrella party has been taken over by those he described as “criminals, crooks, rogues and ragamuffins.”

He said the PDP in Ekiti lacks internal democracy and has become a “one-man show and sole proprietorship in which the governor has hijacked the functions of the Deputy Governor, Speaker, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and State Party Chairman.”

Okeya said: “The disenchantment I had with PDP is that it had lost focus and direction. We built PDP from scratch and by the grace of God we made it an election-winning platform but the leadership lost direction.


“Rogues, criminals and ragamuffins have taken hijacked the party; there is lack of internal democracy and it was imposition galore. No sane person when one man hijacks every aspect.

“In fact, they have willingly subverted the constitution of the party, abandoned its manifesto and that type of party cannot produce good governance.

“They are so selfish, self-centred and internal conflict resolution mechanism has been abandoned. They don’t obey any rules again and it is a party of anything goes; it is a party of impunity and their impunity has driven Nigeria to where it is today.

“You can see the crowd that is joining APC with me, we are over 5,000 and more are still coming. With me in APC now, PDP cannot win any election here again.”

Awe described Okeya as a grassroots politician who would add value to the APC. He explained that all those who are joining the party would be accorded all the privileges due to them.

The party chief charged APC members to continue to work on other PDP members with a view to winning them over to their broom party.

Babade said Okeya is now a progressive, saying the ideals of the APC is to provide good governance.

Olatunbosun said the APC despite being in the opposition is waxing stronger everyday, saying the party would not rest on its oars until it wins back power to offer quality