13042019 - KILLING FIELDS OF NORTH WEST:They killed my husband, our three children in my presence – Zamfara survivor

SATURDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2019 — 9
Ebonyi boundary killings: NBC
has become a toothless
bulldog — Ebonyi government
By Peter Okutu
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof. (Mrs.) Deborah Odejimi(from L); one of the
smartphone beneficiaries, Miss Ufuak Eseose Faith of the Department of Nursing;the Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Lawrence Ezimonye; Glo Regional Manager, Mr. Augustus Ndu Offor and the Registrar, Dr. Edwin Okoro at the
presentation of Glo-Huawei smartphones and routers to Igbinedion University, Okada recently.
House Speakership: N’East APC aligns
with S’East, adopts Onyejeocha
By Omeiza Ajayi
All Progressives Con
gress, APC, in the
Northeast has thrown its
weight behind agitations by
the Southeast to get the national
leadership of the party
to zone the office of
Speaker, House of Representatives
to its side.
At a news conference yesterday
in Abuja, the Northeast
Forum of APC State
Publicity Secretaries specifically
adopted the candidacy
of Hon. Nkeiruka C.
Onyejeocha as Speaker of
the 9th House of Representatives.
“As we all know, Nigeria
has always stood on a political
tripod, anchored on by
the three founding political
regions, namely, the West,
East and North, which have
now been further unofficially
devolved into six geopolitical
zones. The implication
of this, is that every
political region should be
given its own right of equal
participation as envisioned
by the founding fathers of
our country.
“It is in line with all above
that we the forum of APC
Public Relations officers of
the North East sub-region
wish to align and identify
with our counterparts in the
southeast in their agitation
Recent drug-related incident in FUTO is
regrettable, unfortunate — VC
By Chidi Nkwopara,
OWERRI.
THE management of
the Federal University
of Technology, Owerri,
has described the recent
drug-related incident, involving
three of its students
as, “regrettable and unfortunate.”
The university’s Vice
Chancellor, Professor Francis
Chukwuemeka Eze,
made the feeling of his management
known yesterday,
during the matriculation of
5,348 candidates.
“The ugly incident is un-
FUTOlike. As a management,
we are increasing our
to shift the post of the Speaker
of the 9th House of Representatives
to their region.
The South East APC Public
Relations Officers have already
issued a press statement
endorsing, Honourable
Nkeiruka C. Onyejeocha
as Speaker of the 9th
House of Representatives. A
four-time member of the
House of Representatives,
Honourable Onyejeocha
represents many shades of
national opinion, especially
the much talked about gender
issue. Put together with
her rich political background
as a grassroots politician, a
former Local Government
chairperson and an effective
legislator, she is eminently
qualified to represent
her zone and to serve the
country as a whole,” they
said at the conference addressed
by Aaron Artimas,
Coordinator, North
East, APC Forum of Public
Relations Officers.
The forum said it was not
unaware of the “perceived
or unofficial zoning” of the
positions of the Senate
President and the Speaker,
House of Representatives
to the North East and
the South West respectively.
“While this policy remains
a political decision,
we still believe that the ultimate
decision to this effect,
remains a function of
members of the National
Assembly.
Kwara Speakership tussle: Offa Muslims and
Christians back Popoola
...urge stakeholders to consider experience, party loyalty
above zoning
By Demola Akinyemi
THE raging battle for
the speakership of
kwara state House of Assembly
has stepped up as
religious leaders in the
ancient town of Offa, in the
Offa Local Government
Area of Kwara state, under
the aegis of Offa Muslim
and Christian Cleric Council
(OMCCC) threw their
weight behind Hon. Saheed
Popoola and urged
the stakeholders to consider
experience and undaunted
loyalty above zoning
in deciding who becomes
the next Speaker in
the state House of Assembly.
Speaking with journalists
in Offa yesterday, the Muslim
and Christian clerics
said that when considering
Kwara state as a collective
project, it was not logical to
have a new governor and
speaker in both executive
and legislative arms in the
state.
The group recalled that
the governor-elect in the
state, Alhaji Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq, is coming into
governance with private
sector background, while all
the elected members of the
Assembly, except one, Hon.
Saheed Popoola, are all new
members.
The spokesperson of the
clerics, Reverend Segun
Ogungboye, who said that
zoning arrangement in politics
is good for power balancing,
added, however,
that experience among other
qualities should not be
sacrificed on the altar of zoning.
Reverend Ogungboye said
that the group had made its
opinion on the issue known
to the party structure in the
state, calling on party leaders
and members in the state
to encourage sacrifice and
loyalty to the party rather
than zoning formular that
may breed apathy.
“That the kind of unalloyed
loyalty that Prince
Saheed Popoola displayed
in the lifetime of the eighth
Kwara State House of Assembly
and the sacrifices
he made thereafter should
not be sacrificed on the
altar of zoning,” he said.
efforts to sensitize students on
the dangers of drug abuse,
cultism and promiscuous lifestyle,”
Professor Eze said.
He disclosed that FUTO is
partnering with a number of
bodies to assist in regular interactions
with students, especially
new students, to ensure
that peer-group influence
does not corrupt good
students, while the ideals
and benefits of moral rectitude,
will be inculcated in
others.
“I urge our parents and
guardians to warn their children
and wards, to desist
from activities that could lead
to their being either rusticated
or expelled from the university.
Parents and guardians
should monitor where
their children and wards
live, as well as visit them
from time to time, to ensure
they do not go
astray,” Eze pleaded.
According to the VC:
“Our primary mandate is
to train and mould students
with skills and
knowledge required to
lead the country’s technological
growth and development,”
adding that
management has continued
to make provision for
municipal services such as
power, water, campus shuttle,
sanitation and other
facilities for effective
teaching and learning.
EBONYI State government, yesterday, described the
National Boundary Commission, NBC as a toothless
bulldog following its inability to demarcate the disputed
land between the people of Igbeagu in Izzi Local
Government Area of Ebonyi state and Ukele community
in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River state since
the outbreak of the crisis several years ago.
The Commission had visited both Ebonyi and Cross
River states at the heat of the crisis and even invited the
affected communities for dialogue in Abuja, yet it has not
been forthcoming towards demarcating the troubled area.
Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the state Commissioner
for Border, Peace and Internal Security, Hon.
Kenneth Ugbala who argued that assuming the NBC
and the Federal Government had demarcated the disputed
land as at when due, there wouldn’t have been
unwarranted records of deaths and destruction of properties
from both sides of the divide.
Afam Okereke (dgn) bounces
back with ‘Just a Wish’
By Dennis Agbo
PROMINENT Movie Producer, Actor and Director,
Afam Okereke, who took some time off into the
murky waters of politics has made it back and big to where
he originally belonged.
The Enugu state-born movie director, famous for his
blockbusters such as, ‘The Generals’, ‘Billionaire Club,’
‘Girls Cot,’ etc, had a change of scene when he vied into
politics few years ago, but is now back with a bang.
His new movie: ‘Just a Wish’, scheduled to cinema
premier at the Base Event Centre, Enugu, on Easter
Monday, is a family-oriented movie produced and directed
by the prolific actor and film maker himself.
The movie features some of Nollywood’s finest thespians
such as Ebele Okaro, Tana Adelana, Kenneth Okolie,
Bimbo Ademoye, Paul Sambo, Phildaniels among
others.
60 revenue touts jailed in
Anambra,23 awaiting trial
By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka
SIXTY persons described as notorious touts,caus
ing discomfort in various parts of the commercial city
of Onitsha, have been sentenced to jail, while 23 others
were still awaiting trial.
Anambra State Commissioner for Commerce, Dr. Emmanuel
Madubuko, who spoke with reporters while parading
eight suspected touts at the state secretariat complex in Awka,
said those charged to court were usually availed the opportunity
of the services of lawyers who defended them.
Madubuko said the state government could no longer
condone a situation whereby touts divert government revenue
and drive away traders from other parts of the country
and beyond who come to Onitsha for business transaction.
According to the commissioner, the touts were arrested at
the Bridge Head, Okpoko junction, Owerri road and the
vicinity of the Onitsha Main Market, where they were allegedly
caught harassing traders and motorists and forcing
them to pat with their money.
Mudipapa for presenation
LIFE Lessons from Mudipapa, a book written
by Mr. Francis Ewherido, Saturday Vanguard
columnist and chartered insurance broker, will be
formally unveiled in Lagos, on Sunday, May 5,
2019.
Life Lessons from Mudipapa chronicles the life
and times of a fictional character, Chief Julius Mudiaga
Orien, Ph.D, a native of Effurun-Otor, Delta
State. His childhood dream was to be a Catholic
priest, but he chickened out because of the vow of
celibacy. He was to find out that married life has its
challenges. Mudipapa deals with issues of courtship,
marriage, family life, parenting, planning for
retirement and life after retirement, amongst others
presented in a unique and racy manner.
The event will take place under the distinguished
chairmanship of Chief Johnson Barovbe, Proprietor,
Westminster College, Lagos, while the President
General of Urhobo Progress Union, Olorogun Moses
Taiga, will be the father of the day. The Acting Rector,
Seminary of SS. Peter and Paul, Bodija, Ibadan,
Rev. Fr. Anthony Ewherido, PhD is the chief host.