13062019 - Politicians, religious leaders fueling insecurity — BUHARI

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019
Return govt property, Umahi
orders ex-commissioners others
By Peter Okutu
A BAKALIKI—
GOVERNOR David
Umahi of Ebonyi State,
yesterday, directed former
commissioners, special
assistants and other former
appointees to return all
government vehicles and
property still in their
possession.
This was contained in a
statement by Mr. Austin
Udude, Permanent
Secretary-designate in
Charge of Protocol.
According to the
statement, the affected
officers are expected to
submit the vehicles and
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe
ABA—ABIA
State
Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Ene Okon, has
warned residents of the
state to stop giving bribe
to Police officers but to
insist on doing the lawful
thing.
Speaking during a town
hall meeting in Aba with
traditional rulers and other
residents of the city, Okon
explained that the
command is determined to
get rid of bad eggs in the
Force, adding that he had
arrested 15 policemen who
were involved in extortion.
He stated that he does
not tolerate anyone
tarnishing the image of the
Police and assured that
they would not shield
anyone with criminal
behaviour.
The Police boss said: “It
takes two to tango. If you
don’t give, the Police
officer will not take. It
CSOs commit to anti-graft
crusade in Enugu
By Dennis Agbo
E NUGU—CIVIL
S o c i e t y
Organisations, CSOs, in
Enugu State have agreed
to incorporate anticorruption
crusade in their
different programmes of
operation in the state.
The CSOs agreed that,
henceforth, they would go
into the hinterlands to
educate the rural
populace, especially
women, on different forms
of corruption they may be
indulging in
unconsciously.
The faith-based groups
made the agreement in a
parley with media
organisations, facilitated
by YIAGA Africa in
other property today.
It said: “They are
expected to submit the
vehicles and other
property before
Thursday, June 13
(today), to the Permanent
Secretary-designate,
Government House.”
The statement noted
that it is a criminal
offence for an appointee
to vacate office and still
retain government
property.
It added: “The
governor has not
authorised anybody to
keep government’s
property. The affected
officials should comply.”
Abia CP to residents: Stop
giving bribe to policemen
starts from you.
“If you know that
you’ve not done
anything wrong, if you
know that you’re
operating according to
rules, if a policeman
comes, you prove to him
that you know your right.
“I don’t know that
policeman that will not
be afraid to even tell you
bring, knowing that you
know your right; insist
that you know your
rights.
“You know the paradox
of the whole situation; let
me be very frank to you.
I am not supporting
officers collecting any
money.
“I have 15 policemen
in my cell. Seven were
arrested here at Opobo
Junction. When I heard
the information that they
were collecting money, I
sent out my monitoring
unit which met them in
the act and arrested
them.”
partnership with
Strengthening Citizen’s
Resistance Against
Prevalence of
Corruption, SCRAP-C,
in Enugu, yesterday.
Coordinator of YIAGA
Africa, Mrs Tracey Keshi,
lamented that corruption
has so much permeated
the fabrics of Nigerians
to the extent that market
women who cheat
customers feel it is
normal.
Keshi gave instances of
corruption in Nigeria to
include estimated
electricity bills, police
extortion, cheating at
gas stations, among
other acts that Nigerians
feel they have become
norms in the society.
FUTA'S 110TH LECTURE: From left— Bursar, Mr. Emmanuel Oresegun; Lecturer, Professor
Benjamin Akinyele; Vice Chancellor , Professor Joseph Fuwape, and Dean, School of Sciences, Professor
Olabode Koriko, all of Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, after its 110th inaugural lecture
on Plant Genetics for Nutrition and Food Security, on Tuesday in Akure.
June 12: How Ndigbo's plight
should be addressed— Ohanaeze
By Peter Okutu,
Dennis Agbo,
Chinonso Alozie &
Ugochukwu Alaribe
THE Igbo apex body,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
yesterday, stated that the
plights of Ndigbo deserved
to be addressed through a
legislative, political and
equitable intervention, just
as the Federal Government
had intervened in matters
affecting other regions of
the country.
In a statement by the
organisation’s Secretary-
General, Uche Okwukwu,
the group observed that the
first obvious and
undeniable political plight
Ndigbo faced was the inbalance
in the state
numerical structure of
regions, as no region has
less than six states in the
country.
According to Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, “the resultant
effects are many and weigh
negatively against Ndigbo
in legislative and executive
representations and
distribution of national
resources.
“This inequality and
injustice can be addressed
by the creation of an
additional state in the
South-East.”
The statement read:
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo
heartily celebrates with the
Abiola family and
Nigerians in general on the
event of the recognition of
June 12 as Democracy Day
and the celebration of the
same today(yesterday).
“Ndigbo agree that the
annulment of the
presidential election of
June 12, 1993 was an act of
injustice that required to be
re-dressed through an
equitable, political and
legislative intervention.
This intervention came 26
years after.
“Ndigbo are committed to
the fundamentals of justice,
equity, fair play, freedom,
democracy, rule of law and
truth. In like manner,
Ndigbo deserve that their
plights be addressed
through a legislative,
political and equitable
intervention.
“First, the obvious and
undeniable political plight
Ndigbo face today is the inbalance
in the state
numerical structure of
regions; whereas no region
has less than six states, the
South-East has 5 states, the
resultant effects are many
and weigh negatively
against Ndigbo in
legislative and executive
representations and
distribution of national
resources.
“This inequality and
injustice can be addressed
by the creation of an
additional state in the
South-East.
“Ndigbo also express joy
with the election of the
Senate President and his
deputy, and the Speaker
of the House of
Representatives and his
deputy. We hope that the
election of this key
principal officers of the
National Assembly will
put to an end the rift
between the legislature
(8th National Assembly),
and the presidency as
witnessed in the last four
years.
“As a body, we appeal to
the leadership of APC to
consider an Igbo for the
position of Majority Leader
of the Senate. Also, we
appeal to the President and
the leadership of APC to
consider Ndigbo for major
executive positions in due
course.”
It’s for free, fair
election—Ihedioha
Governor Emeka
Ihedioha of Imo State,
yesterday, described June
12 as a day to remember
free and fair election in the
country.
Ihedioha spoke in Owerri
through his Chief Press
Secretary, Chibuike
Oyeukwu, adding that he
was part of those who
fought for today’s
democracy.
He highlighted that June
12 signifies the
unrestrained will of
Nigerians in the face of any
anti-people policies of
government, pointing out
that the idea of June 12 as
a Democracy Day was in
order.
According to the
statement, “Governor
Emeka Ihedioha of Imo
State has expressed warm
felicitations to the people of
Imo State and Nigerians in
general, recalling his direct
and active involvement in
the struggle for the return
of democratic rule in
Nigeria alongside some of
the other notable prodemocracy
activists in the
Third Republic.
“The circumstances that
necessitated the
institutionalisation of June
12 every year, marks a
watershed in the history of
Nigeria’s political
development and it is fitting
that the day has been
properly situated in the
annals of the nation.”
It was the advice of
Ihedioha that “Nigerians
uphold and defend the
significance for
institutionalising the day as
a national holiday.”
Zero activity in Enugu
However, the capital of
Enugu State, was dull with
no activity to mark the June
12 Democracy Day.
The state observed the
public holiday with schools,
civil service, banks and
other institutions closed for
business except for the
markets.
The state was made more
dull with the relocation of
politicians to Abuja for the
inauguration of the 9th
National Assembly on
Tuesday.
Vanguard learned that
majority of the politicians
were still in Abuja resting
as at yesterday, while the
state lacked any official
function to commemorate
the new public holiday.
Some persons who spoke
to Vanguard had reservations
about the choice of
June 12 as Democracy Day,
noting that the decision was
just to massage the South-
West's ego.
Abia yet to fulfill promise
to Chima Ubani’s family
Meanwhile, former
Secretary of the Civil
Liberties Organisation,
CLO, in Abia State,
Okechukwu Ukaegbu, has
lamented that Abia State
government was yet to fulfill
a pledge it made during the
burial of the late civil rights
activist, Chima Ubani.
Ubani, former Executive
Director of CLO, died in
auto crash on September 25,
2005 on the Postikum-Yobe
Highway while
coordinating the Labour
and Civil Society, LASCO,
coalition protests against
the increase in the prices
of petroleum products by
the then President, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo's
administration.
Ubani hailed from Obete
Umuoha village in
Obingwa Local Government
of Area of Abia State.