22052019 - F U L A N I S AT I O N A G E N D A : Obasanjo seeks to divide Nigeria in his old age —FG

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 , 2019 — 33
By Festus Ahon
A
S A B A —
SUSPECTED
herdsmen have unleashed
mayhem on Ubulu-Uku
community, Aniocha South
Local Government Area of
Delta State, killing one
Chikwe Ojinji in his farm.
Vanguard gathered that
the hoodlums, who
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Suspected herdsmen kill one, injure
another in Delta
Fedpoly Ukana
seeks
accreditation for
more courses
By Chioma Onuegbu
U YO—THE
Management of
Federal Polytechnic
Ukana in Essien Udim
Local Government Area of
Akwa Ibom State has said
efforts were on to ensure
more courses offered in
the institution were
accredited soon by
National Board for
Technical Education,
NBTE.
The Rector, Dr. Uduak
Ukekpe, who made the
disclosure while
addressing matriculating
students, said the
polytechnic made
significant progress,
especially in the area of
physical infrastructure to
meet the requirement of
NBTE.
Ukekpe disclosed that
the management of the
institution had been able
to secure Tetfund special
intervention for the
construction of Civil
Engineering, Electrical/
Electronic Engineering as
well as Science
Laboratory Technology
complex in its
determination to expand
academic programmes in
the institution.
He said: “The
management is working
closely with the
Governing Council to
invite for a second time
NBTE to inspect facilities
and the accreditation of
programmes, including
programmes earlier
denied accreditation.
“The courses include
Electrical/Electronic
Engineering Technology,
Computer Engineering
Technology, Science
Laboratory Technology,
Civil Engineering
Technology, Accountancy
and Business
Administration.”
allegedly laid siege to the
community for about three
days, also shot a youth of
the community on the
Ubulu-Uku/Issele-Uku
Road.
A reliable source said
Ojinji's corpse was
discovered in his farm and
had been deposited in the
mortuary.
The murdered chief
hailed from Udo quarters of
the community
Confirming the incident
in a telephone chat with
newsmen, Jamico Adoh
said Ojinji's corpse was
discovered early hours of
Monday.
M e a n w h i l e ,
circumstances surrounding
the shooting of the youth
whose identity was
unknown at press time
were still hazy.
Vanguard gathered that
BRIEFING: From left; Senior Project Officer, Leadership Empowerement And
Resource Network (LEARN), Mrs Tonne Marques; Chief Operating Officer, Mrs
Ronke Oguntoyinbo and Project Officer, Miss Bimpe Ekundayo at the press briefing
on their activities on the forthcomiing Children Day in Surulere, Lagos.
Edo election tribunal rejects PDP
plea to recount ballot papers
he is receiving treatment at
an undisclosed hospital.
Recall that suspected
herdsmen kidnapped and
killed the traditional ruler of
the kingdom after collecting
ransom in 2016.
The state Commissioner of
police, Adeyinka Adeleke,
who confirmed it to
newsmen said the police
was investigating the
matter, expressing optimism
that the suspects would be
brought to book.
Judge disqualifies self from ex-Bayelsa
Security Adviser's trial ruling,
By Emem idio
Y ENAGOA—
JUSTICE Iniekadi
Eradiri of Bayelsa State
High Court yesterday,
disqualified himself from
the trial of Chief Richard
By Alemma Aliu
BENIN CITY—THE
Edo State Election
Petition Tribunal sitting in
Benin City, yesterday,
rejected the prayer of the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, to recount the ballot
papers used for Etsako
Federal Constituency
during the National
Assembly election in
March.
The Tribunal Chairman,
Justice O. Ogundana,
declined the plea of the
petitioners, Mr Blessing
Agbomere and the PDP in
a ruling on an application
by counsel, Mr Chika
Adindu requesting the
recounting and finger print
assessment of the ballot
Kpodo, a former aide to
former Governor Timipre
Sylva of Bayelsa on Security
Matters.
Kpodo, standing trial for
alleged rape of a 26-year
female cashier, had
appealed Justice Eradiri’s
papers used for the poll
Agbomere is challenging
the declaration of Mr
Johnson Oghuma of the
All Progressives Congress,
APC, as the winner of the
Etsako Federal
Constituency election.
The tribunal ruled that
there was no provision in
the Electoral Act as
amended that provides
for recount after
declaration of result.
“At the place of voting, the
polling officers can allow
the agents to count.
Recounting and finger
print assessment does not
have any correlation with
errors or miscalculation, as
a result, the application
lacks merit and is hereby
dismissed.”
declining
jurisdiction from hearing
the case and petitioned the
National Judicial Council,
NJC, accusing the judge of
bias.
Kpodo’s counsel, Julius
Iyekoroghe, had on
December 21, 2018,
approached Justice Eradiri
with a motion, urging him
to disqualify himself, but
Eradiri referred the
application to Chief Judge
of Bayelsa.
Justice Kate Abiri, Chief
Judge of Bayelsa,
subsequently declined the
application to assign the
rape trial to another judge.
The defence counsel
alleged that the judge was
biased in the case by
refusing to grant the
defendant bail.
At the resumed hearing
in the matter, yesterday,
Justice Eradiri, said that he
was constrained to hands
off the case to pave way for
the investigation by NJC.
Recalle that Kpodo who
was earlier denied bail by
Justice Eradiri appealed
the ruling at the Appeal
Court and was released
from Okaka Prisons
Yenagoa, where he was
held from July 2018 till
April 2019 after meeting the
bail condition.
Save us from land grabbers,
Rivers community begs Wike
By Davies
Iheamnachor
O R T
P HARCOURT—
THE people of
Rumuokurusi community in
Obio/Akpor Local
Government Area of Rivers
State, have pleaded with
governor of the state, Mr
Nyesom Wike, to save them
from land grabbers.
The community also urged
the state government to treat
anyone arrested for the
offence as a criminal,
adding that land thieves
invade the area with guns.
The people of the
community, who made the
call in Port Harcourt
yesterday, noted that land
grabbers from a
neighbouring community
in Igbo Etche, Etche LGA,
have encroached on their
ancestral homes, adding
their property.
Speaking, the paramount
ruler of Omuwokerebe, Eze
Standford Achor, noted that
the land grabbers use
assorted rifles to chase
owners of the land from their
property.
Achor regretted that all
efforts made to scare away
the persons involved had
proved abortive, adding
that they (land grabbers)
have also flouted court
order which barred people
from entering the land.
He said: “As it stands,
land grabbers have finished
our land. They sell the land
everyday. This thing started
in 2016. There was a time
they stopped, but now they
have started again. They
have sold over 200 hectares
of land.
“There is order of court
that barred people of Igbo
Etche and Rumuokurusi
from entering the land, but
when you go there, you see
boys with guns selling the
same land.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of
Rumuokurusi Town
Council, Kingsley Ejekwu,
has called on Governor
Wike to wade into the
situation to ensure that the
activities of land grabbers
were put to stop.
He said: “We are calling
on the governor to come to
our aid. The boys are fast
entering our ancestral
homes. We don’t want to be
evicted from our homes
and we don’t want to carry
guns to face them because
if we do, that part of the
state will become
ungovernable.”
Delta rewards excellence
in academics
By Onozure Dania
W ARRI—DELTA
State Government
has called on the private
sector, individuals and nongovernmental
organisations in the state to
partner it in funding
education to ensure higher
excellence and secure the
future of the youths.
Secretary to the State
Government, Mr Festus
Agas, and the
Commissioner for Basic
and Secondary Education,
Chiedu Ebie, made the call
at the 2nd Delta State
Award for Academic
Excellence sponsored by
Eroton Oil, during which
cash rewards, laptops and
other items were presented
to awardees.
They said that the state
government placed
premium on education and
had invested much to
reposition technical and
vocational education,
constructed, renovated and
equipped of educational
infrastructure as well as
revived schools sports.
The Category A awardees
on Cognitive/Placement
Examination include Miss
Faith Ogheneyevworho of
Springfield Primary School,
Sapele who came first with
a total of 351 marks, Miss
Michele Alero of Benchill
School, Warri, 349 marks,
and Stephanie Ude, 300
marks, came 2nd and 3rd
respectively.
In the 2018 NECO
Examination category,
Precious Agboghai of
Orient Academy Group of
Schools, Boji-Boji Owa
came 1st with 9Bs, Ephraim
Oritsemolagbemi of NEPA
Staff Secondary School,
Sapele came 2nd with 7Bs,
1A and 1C and Isioma
Ifeanyichukwu of Federal
Government College,
Warri, came 3rd with 7Bs
and 2Cs.
Nelson also came first in
the 2018 WASSE category
with 7As and 2Bs while
Akanyo Ebipade of Federal
Government College, Warri
followed with 6As and 3Bs
and Abogbai Precious,
Orient Academy Group of
Schools, Boji-Boji Owa
came 3rd with 6As and 3Bs.
The NABTEB 2018
category had Lucky Usiwo
of Ofagbe Technical
College, emerging 1st with
2As and 7Cs scoring 27
points, Kaiye Ufuoma of
Ogor Technical College,
Otogor, 2nd with 3As,
6Cs and 26 points and
Gift Achie of Essi
College, Warri with 2As,
6Cs and 22 points.