17042019 - 9th NASS: Fresh crisis looms in APC over leadership slots

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 , 2019 — 35
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INEC presents Certificate of Return to
here.”
Gov Wike
The
By Egufe
Yafugborhi
R
I V E R S —
INDEPENDENT
National Electoral
Commission, INEC,
yesterday, presented
Certificate of Return to the
re-elected Rivers state
governor, Nyesom Wike at
the commission’s
headquarters in Port
Harcourt.
Governor Wike was reelected
by the people of
Rivers state on March 9,
2019 with the collation of
governorship election
results concluded on April
3, 2019.
INEC Returning Officer,
Deputy Vice Chancellor of
Federal University,
Otuoke, Prof Teddy Adias
declared governor Wike
winner after he polled
886,264 votes, to defeat
African Alliance Congress,
AAC, candidate,
Biokpomabo Awara who
scored 173,859 votes.
Rivers state Deputy
Governor-Elect, Dr Ipalibo
Banigo and members-elect
of the Rivers State House
of Assembly also received
their Certificates of Return.
National Commissioner
in charge of Rivers,
Bayelsa and Edo States,
Mrs May Agbamuche-
Mbu presented the
Certificate of Return to Wike
in the presence of his wife,
Justice Eberechi Nyesom-
Wike.
Speaking, Governor
Wike dedicated the
Certificate of Return to the
people of Rivers State who
overwhelmingly voted for
him.
He also dedicated the
victory to Rivers people
killed by the Nigerian Army
in defence of their votes and
democracy. He said that
their sacrifices will never be
forgotten.
He said, “Today, I
dedicate this victory to the
people of Rivers State. I
also dedicate this victory to
those killed by the Nigerian
Army in defence of votes
and democracy. But for
their sacrifice, we would
not be here.”
He berated the Nigerian
Army for the negative roles
they played during the
2019 general election in
Rivers State.
“The duty of the Army is
not to take over INEC office
and carry out Collation. We
saw the Army take over
INEC functions and that of
the police. Go to Bori camp,
you will see INEC
materials . Is it where it is
supposed to be? But for
God, we wouldn’t have
been here. All powers
came, but God intervened
and that’s why we are
Governor
commended the Police and
DSS for living up their
responsibilities during the
2019 general election.
He, however, urged
INEC to take steps to
investigate why Rivers
State is only violent during
elections.
Governor Wike
commended INEC for their
steadfast commitment to the
legal conclusion of Rivers
elections, despite the
pressure for them to do
otherwise.
He said: “I commend INEC for
standing firm on the side of the
truth. I commend INEC officials
for being firm.”
He urged INEC Headquarters
to take immediate measures to
ensure the total rehabilitation of
the INEC Rivers office.
The governor said that as a
matter of state policy, the Rivers
state government will take steps
to assist families of those who
were victims of election violence.
Edo 2020 guber election: Group endorses
Obaseki
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BENIN—AHEAD of
the 2020
governorship election in
Edo State, a political
organisation, Edo in
Safe Hands, has
endorsed Governor
Godwin Obaseki and his
deputy, Philip Shaibu,
for re-election on the
platform of the All
Progressives Congress,
APC.
Spokesperson of the
group, Nosa Ogbeide,
in a statement, said the
group threw its weight
behind the governor
because of his
unprecedented
development and
focused leadership,
which has endeared him
to all Edo people.
“Our decision to
canvass for the
nomination and reelection
of Governor
Obaseki and his deputy,
Shaibu, under the
platform of APC in the
2020 gubernatorial
election in Edo State is
premised on the fact that
the administration has
done well in the three
years of its first term in
office”, the group said.
Ogbeide said the
administration’s reforms
have touched on a lot of
issues that people hold
dearly, which is why
there is a groundswell of
support for the
government, calling on
the party structure to
respect the wishes of
Edo people.
“We insist that the APC
in Edo State should
ensure that Obaseki/
Shaibu gets the party’s
nomination. The
governor’s re-election in
2020 will be taken care
of by Edo people as
payback for his visionary
and impactful
leadership,” he said.
According to Ogbeide,
the Obaseki/Shaibu-led
administration has
rekindled hope in Edo
people among who are
“traders, teachers,
pensioners, and youths,
among others.”
He noted, “For prompt
payment of teachers and
other civil servants who
are being paid monthly
as and when due, when
workers in some other
states are languishing in
penury, the Obaseki-led
administration deserves
re-election to continue its
mandate to develop the
state.
“As things stand today,
every Edo person is
proud of what the state
government represents
and its unwavering
commitment to
improving livelihoods
through infrastructural
development and socioeconomic
reforms.
“Traders cannot forget in a
hurry Governor Obaseki’s zero
tolerance for illegal levies and
taxes by touts in markets. They
don’t want a return of the dark
days.
NUJ flays return of
roadblocks by Delta
police
By Ochuko Akuopha
O LEH—NIGERIA
Union of
Journalists NUJ, Delta
State Council has
frowned at the return of
roadblocks mounted by
police officers in the state
despite the ban on
roadblocks on Nigerian
highways by the
Inspector General of
Police, Mr Mohammad
Adamu.
State Council of the
union in a statement by
its Chairman, Mr
Michael Ikeogwu and
Secretary, Mr Churchill
Oyowe wondered if
Delta State was
exempted from the ban
on roadblocks by the
Inspector General of
Police.
Describing
the
roadblocks as instrument
of extortion and
harassment, NUJ said
the practice was
subjecting Deltans and
motorists plying roads in
Delta State to untold
hardship, intimidation
and unwarranted delays,
sometimes arrest.
They said, “We are at a
crossroad as to whether
Delta State is exempted
from the ban on road
blocks. We cannot see
why the police personnel
under Delta Command
flagrantly flout the order
of the IGP pretending to
be staging nipping
points for routine checks
whereas what we see on
ground are full blown
roadblocks for distorting
smooth flow of traffic,
intimidation, extortion
and unwarranted arrests.
Igbanke Grammar school Old
Students reunite, launch
school building
I GBANKE—TOWN,
Orhionmwon Local
Government Area of Edo
State, will be agog come
Saturday, as old students of
the prestigious Igbanke
Grammar School, will
reunite in a colourful
reunion.
The old students will also
launch a new block of
classrooms during the
gathering, which will be
attend by the Education
Commissioner, senior
public servants, politicians,
among other dignitaries.
Already, the school is
wearing a new look as
preparation for the
reunions which is expected
to attract the Who-is-Who
in both Edo and Delta
states, gets underway.
Chairman of the Steering
Committee, Mr. Jacob Erhabor,
in a statement said, the event is
expected to reunite old students
from the 1972 through 2018 sets.
He enjoined all old students of
the school to take advantage of
the event to catch up with old
classmates and old friends
Igbanke Unity Forum presents furniture to
13 Primary Schools
IGBANKE—UNITY Forum,
IUF, will on April 20, 2019,
present school furniture to all 13
primary schools at Igbanke,
Orhionmwon Local Government
Area, Edo State.
Co-founder of the IUF, Mr.
Collins Edomaruse, said in a
statement that the furniture will
be officially presented to head
teachers of the schools by the
state’s commissioner of
education at the main field of
Igbanke Primary School,
Igbanke.
Mr. Edomaruse, a former editor
at THISDAY and Publisher of
METROWATCH Online
newspaper, said the IUF, a
FaceBook-based non-profit and
non-political organisation, was
founded three years ago.
With a membership strength of
about 4,000, the IUF was founded
to address the education needs
of all Igbanke children schooling
at both the primary and
secondary schools.