03082019 - Worsening Insecurity: Suspected herdsmen kill Catholic priest in Enugu

Probe alleged secret burial of soldiers,
PDP tells NASS
…Berates Presidency for politicizing security issues
By Dirisu Yakubu
The Peoples Democrat
ic Party, PDP, Friday,
called on the National Assembly
to immediately
open an inquest into the
shocking report by the Wall
Street Journal, WSJ, asserting
the secret burial of
1,000 Nigerian soldiers, allegedly
killed in the antiinsurgency
war in the
Northeast.
The party called o the
National Assembly to respond
to the apprehensions
of Nigerians by immediately
setting up a special
security committee to
conduct a forensic investigation
into the truth or otherwise
of the report, with
the tenor and mode as prescribed
for security issues
in the 1999 Constitution (as
Amended.)
In a statement issued by
its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan,
the party noted
that its “demand is
predicated on the brazen
attempt by the Buhari
Presidency to politicize
such huge security issue
and making uncomplimentary
allusions to the plight
of our troops, in yet another
unpatriotic and insensitive
press release on the
state of our nation.
“It is unfortunate that at
this time when patriotic
Nigerians are distressed
about the well-being of our
gallant soldiers and seeking
solutions to the challenges
they face in the
front, the Buhari Presidency
is rather issuing press
statements, just like the one
it released on Friday, August
2, 2019, wherein it leveraged
on the plight of
our soldiers to boast on how
to retain a stolen presidential
mandate.
“Instead of showing concern
over the fate of our
troops, taking concrete
steps on the issue at stake
and reassuring an anxious
nation, the Buhari
Presidency is rather seeking
to draw political capital
from our security challenges
by flaunting a despicable
self-confidence on
the Presidential election
Disquiet as heavy flood sweeps FCT High
Court Director of Finance
From the left, President Muhammadu Buhari; Permanent Secretary of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) Ministry, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa; Chief of Defence
Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai
as the president arrived for the graduation ceremony for the course 27 participants
at the National Defence College, CBD, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
Whereabouts of the
Director of Finance
at the Federal Capital Territory
High Court, Mr. Tony
Okecheme, remained unknown,
after he was swept
away by heavy flood on Friday.
Okecheme, was carried
by the flood at Galadimawa
roundabout in Abuja
while he was on his way to
the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport.
He was being conveyed
to the airport with his official
car, a 2017 Toyota Camry,
when the calamity struck.
The roundabout has been
under construction for over
one year, with heavy traffic
witnessed around the area
during rush hours.
While the roundabout has
a stationed police team, officials
of the Federal Road
Safety Corps, FRSC, often
stand to ease the flow of traffic
within the axis.
Meanwhile, the FCT
High Court Director was
said to have encountered
the rampaging flood that
was aftermath of early morning
heavy downpour in
Abuja on Friday morning.
While his driver whose
identify could not be ascertained,
was subsequently
rescued by some young
boys within the area, there
has been no trace of his
boss.
An eyewitness account
claimed officials of the National
Emergency Management
Agency,
NEMA, that arrived the
scene not too long after the
incident, were unable to
rescue Okecheme who
was said to have been
trapped in the flood for
about an hour before it
eventually swept him
away.
Meanwhile, his mudfilled
car was later pulled
out by the youths who
were livid with anger over
the inability of NEMA to
save Okecheme.
Speaking to Vanguard,
a man who identified himself
as Mr. Adewale
Sampson, insisted that he
could have been saved
assuming NEMA officials
came to the scene prepared.
“They just stood there
pointing up and down. In
fact if not for some boys
petition pending in the
Court of Appeal, and how,
in its own words, ‘the judiciary
would always
come to conclusions.”
The statement further
read: “It is imperative to
state that such comments
send very wrong signal
against our judiciary and
we urge the judiciary arm
to insulate herself from
the nocturnal shenanigans
of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, and
the cabal at the Presidency,
which have gone into
frenzy following the apparent
collapse of their
defence at the Presidential
Election Petition Tribunal.
“While the Buhari Presidency,
has with its latest
stance on such grave security
issue, further exhibited
that it has come short
of appropriate solutions to
the security challenges
facing our nation, the PDP
states that waving off of
such without the least effort
to unravel the issues
and reassure Nigerians,
shows total failure of leadership.
“The PDP holds that
President Buhari has
again failed to demonstrate
that he has the capacity
and commitment to
ensure the security of our
nation.”
and touts that usually
sleep at the garage close
to the roundabout, that
driver would have died”.
Another eyewitness,
Mrs. Nkechi Okere, told
Vanguard that the flood
was so heavy that it was
practically impossible for
any small car to pass
through to the other side
of the roundabout.
“It had always been like
that, especially since they
started this roundabout
they don’t want to finish.
I was heading to the motor
park to take a bus to
Enugu this morning, but
when we got this place
and saw the situation, the
driver of the car I entered
from Kabusa said he
would not go again. That
was how we ran into the
garage and stayed before
someone came to raise
the alarm that the flood
has trapped some people”.
One of the garage boys
who simply identified
himself as Dangar, said he
was among the people that
helped to rescue
Okecheme’s driver who he
said had managed to pull
himself out of the vehicle.
SATURDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 3, 2019 — 7
Obaseki suspends Oshiomhole’s
local govert area chairman
By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu
THE crisis rocking Edo State All Progressives Con
gress, APC may have assumed a new dimension
as Godwin Obaseki yesterday suspended the Chairman,
Etsako West Local government area, Hon Yakson
Musa over an alleged N48m salary being paid to ghost
workers Oshiomhole is from Etsako West local government
area.
As at the time of filling this report, no official statement
has been released by the state government, but it
was gathered that the letter of suspension for two months
has been handed over to him.
He is to step down for two months for investigation
into the matter. But some observers are already reading
political meaning to the action as it was gathered that it
was the Chairman that discovered the fraud and reported
it to the Information Communication Technology
of the state for proper action.
Soldiers nab suspected robbery
kingpin in Aba
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Soldiers attached to 144 Battalion, Asa, in Ukwa
West council area of Abia State, have arrested a
suspected kidnap kingpin, identified as ‘Phyno’, whose
gang has been terrorizing residents of Aba and its
environs.
The suspect, whose real name was yet to be ascertained
as at the time of filling this report, is said to be
on the wanted list of the security agencies in the state.
Military sources told Saturday Vanguard that ‘Phyno’
was arrested on a tip off at a hotel on the outskirts of
Aba where he had taken refuge after a robbery operation.
“He snatched a motorbike from its owner at Uratta
junction before he was apprehended by soldiers. We
got information that he lodged in a hotel. On getting
the information, we traced him to the said hotel where
he was arrested.”
The sources stated that the suspect would be handed
over to the police for further investigation as efforts
are ongoing to track other fleeing members of the gang.
Strike: NASU, SSANU give FG
14-Day ultimatum over earned
allowances, staff schools
*Resume nationwide Protest on August 6
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
NON Academic Staff unions in the universities
have given the Federal Government a 14-Day
Ultimatum to address the issue of Earned Allowances
and sacked workers of Staff Schools or they will shutdown
the universities.
Already, the non teaching staff under the umbrella
of Joint Action Committee, JAC, comprising the Non
Academic Staff Union of Univerties and Educational
Institutions, NASU and the Senior Staff Association of
Nigerian Universities, SSANU, have directed all the
branches to resume nationwide protest in all the universities
from Tuesday August 6,2019.
The two unions in a circular to all the branches after
the JAC meeting on Thursday, in Abuja, said that at
the expiration of the 14-days ultimatum, if the federal
government failed to address all their grievances, they
would be left with no other option than withdrawing
their services and shutting down the universities.
In the circular to all their branches sighted by our
correspondent, with the title “Notice of Industrial Action”,
which was signed by the Chairman of JAC and
President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke and
the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters
Adeyemi, the two unions lamented the non challant
attitude of the Federal Government towards addressing
their grievances and obeying court judgment.
The circular read, “This is to inform you that the
Joint Action Committee, JAC of NASU and SSANU
met today, Thursday 1st August, 2019, to consider the
issues which led to the Nationwide protest in our various
branches, viz, Payment of Earned Allowances,
University Staff Schools matter, Renegotiation of 2009
FGN/Unions Agreement among others.
“After extensive deliberations, JAC further observed
that:
“No date has been rescheduled by the President of
the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Ahmed Lawan
for the meeting with the leadership of JAC national.
“The meeting earlier scheduled by the Federal Ministry
of Education with the leadership of JAC national
has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 7, 2019
with no reason(s) stated.
“From the foregoing,JAC national has resolved as
follows: