11042019 - INSECURITY: Senate condemns killings; insists on State Police

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019
Anambra Assembly
passes burial control bill
By Vincent
Ujumadu
AWKA—WORRIED by
the exorbitant amounts
spent by families in burying
their dead ones, the
Anambra House of
Assembly has passed a bill
for a law to control burial
and funeral ceremonies in
the state.
The bill, which was
sponsored by the member
representing Anaocha 11
constituency, Chief Charles
Ezeani, provides that “in
the event of death, no
person shall deposit any
corpse in the mortuary or
any place beyond two
months from the date of
death, while burial
ceremonies shall be for one
day only.”
It also banned the
destruction of property,
firing of gunshots, praise
singing and blocking of
roads and streets during
burial ceremonies in the
state, warning that
defaulters would be
punished according to the
law.
In addition, it provides
that “from the
commencement of the law,
no person shall subject any
relation of the deceased
person to a mourning
period of more than one
Umahi sad over <strong>killings</strong>
in Ebonyi
By Peter Okutu
A BAKALIKI—
GOVERNOR David
Umahi of Ebonyi State
yesterday expressed
sadness over the
unfortunate demise of some
Ebonyi people following the
outbreak of communal
clashes in some parts of the
state.
He lamented the
development and called on
leaders of the affected
communities to give peace
a chance.
The governor stated this
in Abakaliki during a
stakeholders meeting with
stakeholders from three
local government areas
where some of the <strong>killings</strong>
have taken place recently.
They include Enyibichiri
in Abakaliki local
government area, Echie
Alike in Ikwo local
government area and
Umuogodoakpu and
Ukwuagba communities in
Ohaukwu local
government area.
Enyibichiri and Echie
Alike have been having
interactable boundary
dispute for decades.
The dispute re-ignited
last week with the killing
of about 8 persons, six of
whom were members of the
same family as they were
burnt to death in a bus while
returning from a
week from the date of the
burial ceremony.”
Sponsor of the bill,
Ezeani, explained that the
bill also made provision for
a monitoring and
implementation committee
that would enforce the law,
as well as their
responsibilities.
He described the bill as a
welcome development and
a great achievement by the
sixth Anambra House of
Assembly, adding that the
bill had put to rest the high
cost of burial/funeral
activities in the state.
Vanguard recalls that the
Catholic Bishop of Awka
Diocese, Most Rev.
Paulinus Ezeokafor began
the campaign against
expensive burial in
Anambra State and
subsequently, took the
crusade to the State House
of Assembly. He was
thereafter appointed a
resource person for the bill.
The bishop’s visit to the
state assembly last year
coincided with the
lawmakers’ public hearing
on the bill during which he
observed that the
extravagance displayed by
the people during funeral
ceremonies in the state had
reached a point that
necessitated an effective
legislation to control the
excesses.
matriculation ceremony of
their son.
Umuogodoakpu and
Ukwuagba communities
have been having
boundary dispute with
Agila community in Ado
local government area of
Benue state which over the
years have claimed many
lives.
The crisis also re-ignited
last week with the burning
of houses in Ukwuagba
and alleged killing of some
persons
in
Umuogodoakpu.
Umahi had to cut short
his vacation because of the
outbreak of hostilities in the
three local government
areas.
He however accused
some stakeholders from the
communities of fuelling the
crisis.
“If there is any further
aggression against the
Agila people that will result
to our people being killed,
you will present yourself for
arrest and prosecution
immediately.
“If the chairman of a
community is not able to
protect the lives of his
people, then he is not
worthy to be the chairman.
He should resign or I sack
him whether it is
constitutional or not
constitutional is immaterial
to me. What is important is
the lives of Ebonyi people
and the constitution that we
swore to uphold."
Nwosu gets permission to inspect election
materials
By Chinonso
Alozie
O
W E R R I —
GOVERNORSHIP
candidate of the Action
Alliance, AA, Uche Nwosu,
yesterday was granted a
leave to inspect election
materials of the Imo 2019
governorship election.
The leave was granted by
the chairman of the panel
for Governorship/House of
Assembly Election Petition
Tribunal, Justice M.O
Adewara in Owerri.
In the leave granted to
the AA guber candidate,
Nwosu was to inspect
“copy, photocopy and
obtain certified true copies
of all the electoral materials
related to or in connection
with the conduct of the Imo
State governorship election
held on March 9, 2019,
including but not limited to
ballot papers used and
unused; the voters’ register
used in the conduct of the
election.
“Forms EC8A, EC8B,
EC8C, EC8D, EC8E, EC
17A, EC 25A, EC 25B, EC
Group endorses Wase for Reps Speaker
By Samson
Echenim
M
E M B E R
representing
Wase Federal
Constituency, Plateau State,
Ahmed Idris Wase has
received the endorsement
of the Equity and Justice
Forum to become the
Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
Convener of the forum,
Femi Davies, said at a
press conference in Lagos,
yesterday, that the group is
supporting Wase to lead the
House of Representatives
in the 9th National
Assembly for equity,
fairness and justice.
According to Davis, the
North Central has never
enjoyed such position
since the country came into
being, adding that Wase has
the experience and
leadership qualities to
40A, EC 40G, EC 40H; all
the incident forms filed by
voters in all the polling
units in the election; the list
of permanent voter cards
collected and used in the
election; all the card
readers used in the
election;
“Data of accredited voters
as captured by all the smart
card readers deployed
during the 9th March, 2019
governorship election
conducted in all the polling
units in Imo State sorted out
into Local Governments,
Wards, Polling Units and
voting points; record of
Labour issues Okorocha 7-day ultimatum
to pay salaries
By Chinonso
Alozie
O WERRI—THE
leadership of the
Nigeria Labour Congress,
NLC, Imo State chapter,
yesterday gave the
outgoing Imo State
Governor, Rochas
Okorocha, 7-day
ultimatum to pay workers
in the state their salary for
March, 2019.
NLC's joint statement in
Owerri with Trade Union
Congress, TUC, and Joint
Public Service Negotiating
Council, was signed by
Austin Chilakpu, Nkim
Tangban and Aloy
Iwuanyanwu respectively.
They wondered why the
workers had not received
their salary for March 2019,
alleging that the allocation
for the said month had
entered the accounts of Imo
State government.
Their demand came days
after Okorocha said he is
not owing workers in Imo
State and challenged the
workers to come out and
say the truth if his
government was owing
them.
The workers stated: “Your
excellecy sir, the leadership
of labour in the state has
made frantic efforts to see
that salaries of Imo workers
for the month of March
2019 is paid through the
office of the Accountant
General and that has not
yielded any result.
“All the reasons given as
to why the salaries are yet
to be paid are watery and
as such, not acceptable to
Imo workers. Apart from
this, they added that, “LGA
allocations for the 27 local
government areas in the
preside over the affairs of
the House.
Davies described Wase as
a genuine patriot and
committed party member
who has contributed
immensely to the success of
the All Progressives
Congress, APC-led
administration at the
national level and in
Plateau State.
He said: “We support the
clamour for the
speakership of the House
of Representatives to be
zoned to the North Central,
but not only that, we
support the bid by Wase to
become the speaker given
his rich legislative
experience having been in
the House since 2007, his
wit and wisdom and
achievements as an astute
administrator.
“We have no doubt that
having given a good
account of himself in all the
ballot paper allocation to all
the polling units in the
election; the list of all
presiding officers for all the
units in the election.”
Also included are the
“INEC manual and
guidelines; the list of the
polling agents submitted to
INEC by all the political
parties and every other
electoral material used in
the conduct of the election
for the purpose of
instituting, maintaining
and prosecuting the
petition and for the purpose
of presenting same at the
trial.”
INAUGURATION: From left—Financial Secretary, Chartered Institute of Bankers, CIBN,
Lagos chapter, Mufutua Dada Olaide; MD/CEO, First Registrars & Investor Services, Bayo
Olugbemi; Chairman, CIBN, Lagos chapter, Peter Ashade; Immediate Past Chairman, CIBN,
Lagos chapter, Kola Abdul; and Prof. Deji P. Olanrewaju, at the inauguration of Ashade as
Chairman, CIBN, Lagos chapter, at the CIBN Yaba office.
state, 13 per cent derivation
fund, ecological fund,
internally generated
revenue and many more
were collected by the
government. Therefore, the
continuous delay in the
payment of workers salaries
becomes unjustified."
tasks assigned to him in the
past, from being the
executive secretary of the
Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare
Board to becoming a
federal lawmaker and
chairman, Federal
Character Committee till
now that he is the deputy
leader of the House, Wase
will serve to give the House
proper guidance and sense
of direction."
He said the stabilising
role he played during the
trying times of the National
Assembly has earned him
respect and admiration
among his peers, resulting
in his being appointed as a
principal officer of the
House.
"Wase deserves to play a
key role in the next APCled
administration given his
maturity, loyalty and tested
commitment, for the unity
and stability of the National
Assembly," Davies added.