12092019

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019—33
NUJ expresses worry
over silence on raid of
Umahi’s residence
By Peter Okutu
A BAKALIKI—
NIGERIA Union of
Journalists, NUJ, Ebonyi
State Council, has
expressed worries over
perceived inaction of the
Inspector-General of
Police, IGP, Adamu
Mohammed, concerning
the raid of the state
governor, David Umahi’s
Abuja residence.
The council condemned
the invasion of Governor
Umahi’s Abuja home as an
unwarranted attack, not
just on Governor Umahi
and the South-East
governors, but against the
entire Ndigbo.
NUJ, in a communique
by the chairman and
secretary, Tony Nwizi and
Nnamdi Akpa, respectively,
expressesed concern
on the continued silence
of the Inspector General of
Police and the Presidency
on the invasion.
NUJ called on them to
make pronouncements on
the outcome of their
investigations, if any.
The Council, said:
“Congress, after extensive
deliberations, resolved as
follows: council wishes to
congratulate His
By Agbonkhese Oboh
ABenin, Edo Statebased
social activist,
Michael Eghaghe, has
called on the Federal and
Edo State governments to
find a solution to the poor
state of Benin-Auchi Road,
especially the Federal
High Court axis,
Benin City.
Eghaghe said: “It is
terrible experience
navigating through the
road. I am calling on
Governor Godwin Obaseki
and the Federal
Governments to urgently
do something about the
road.
“This is the only Federal
High Court in Edo State
and, unlike in other states,
the access road is not
motorable.
“Most politicians are
aware of the deplorable
condition of the road as
they have at one time or
the other gone to the court
for determination of their
cases, but they have not
deemed it necessary to
seek for a solution to the
deplorable state of the
access road.”
Edo govt reacts
Responding to enquiries
about the state of the road,
Excellency, Governor of
Ebonyi State, Engr.
David Umahi, on his
recent deserved victory
at the governorship
election tribunal
judgement held in
Abakaliki, which reaffirmed
him as the
winner of the March 9
governorship election in
the state;
“The Council also
applauded Governor
Umahi for successfully
securing approval of the
Federal Government to
build an international
airport in the state,
describing it as a great
feat that will bring so
much fame to the state
when accomplished;
“The Council assures
its members of her
resolve to run inclusive
government to the
benefit of all and to the
members of the
credentials-screening
committee of its total
support and
encouragement to
ensure they successfully
carry out the
assignment.”
Meanwhile, the
council has set up an ad
hoc committee for the
2019 NUJ Press Week.
Edo, FG tasked on poor roads
John Inegbedion,
Commissioner for
Infrastructures, said the
state government was
working in phases.
He pointed out that
“the problem of that area
is the topography. The
expressway is higher
than the access road.
“The proper thing is to
channel underground
drainage beneath the
road so that water can
flow through. I will send
a team of engineers for
inspection to see how
well they can handle it,
working with the
Federal Government’s
contracting firm.
“Formerly, Five
Junction, Tomline and so
many other places in
Benin were prone to
flooding, until the storm
water project that was
done and a lot of
underground drainage
to take water away to
Ogba River and Ikpoba
River.
“The next phase is the
Gapiona Storm Water
that will de-flood GRA
and environs through
Sapele Road back to
Ogba River.”
He faulted building
and dumping of refuse
on waterways.
Imo begins ‘Open Budget System’
By Chidi Nkwopara
OWERRI—Imo State
government
yesterday, made a radical
departure from the past by
signing up to what it called
“Open Budget System.”
Disclosing this to
newsmen in Owerri,
Commissioner for Budget
and Economic Planning,
By Chinonso Alozie
OWERRI—THERE are
fears that some
political leaders in Imo
State have started recruiting
thugs to storm the
governorship election
tribunal on the day
judgement will be
delivered on the matter
challenging the process
that produced Emeka
Ihedioha of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
the winner of the March
9 governorship election in
the state.
One of the court’s staff
told Vanguard that based
on movements in the
premises, on the day of
judgement, he would
pretend to be ill.
When Vanguard visited
the High Court venue of
the sitting in Owerri
yesterday, some court
officials expressed fear
over what they had
encountered since the
tribunal started sitting.
Recall that during the last
sitting, when the various
candidates came to the
court to adopt their final
written addresses, persons
suspected to be political
thugs forced themselves
into the premises and
refused security checks
after making threatening
statements which sent
Mr. Reginald Ihebuzor,
explained that Emeka
Ihedioha’s administration
took the position because
the citizenry ought to know
their state budget.
According him, “in
adopting the open system,
government felt that there
is the need for Imo citizens
to know their state budget
system, even as it makes
people scampering for
safety.
There were also reported
clashes among the thugs,
who vowed to camp
around the premises until
judgement is delivered
on the matter.
A worker at the High
also for transparency and
accountability.”
The Commissioner
revealed that throughout
Rochas Okorocha’s
administration, Imo people
were completely in the dark
about the budget system
and the results of the audits
of the state government
accounts.
He added that he
Court, who spoke to
Vanguard in confidence,
said: “For me, I may not
come to work that day. I
will pretend that I am not
feeling well. The way
these young people have
prepared themselves on
that day of judgement,
engaged the office of the
State Auditor-General to
look at accounts of 2015,
2016, 2017 and 2018.
Ihebuzor also directed the
Budget Office to “go ahead
and make public the
accounts of these past
years, so that Imo citizens
will know what was
budgeted for and how their
funds have been spent.”
CULTURE COMMUNICATIONS: From left—Client Service Director, Dare Okuntilu; Managing
Director, Yomi Benson, and Group Account Director, Nathaniel Ogbu, all of Culture Communications Ltd., at
the media launch of For FeedTonight Entrepreneurship Programme, in Lagos.
Gov tribunal: Fears of violence
in Imo over judgment day
N
N
E W I —
INDIGENOUS
People of Biafra, IPOB,
yesterday, said it had
planted the seed of Biafra
self-determination in the
heart of the European
Union, EU, from its session
with the European
Parliament.
It described the meeting
as an indication that it is
not only respected, but
regarded as a force for good
things to happen in Africa.
IPOB said that in spite of
“stumbling blocks and
attempts to scuttle
interaction with European
Parliament, it went on
through its leader Mazi
Nnamdi Kanu, to present
its case.”
In a statement by its
Media and Publicity
Secretary, Emma Powerful,
the separatist group said:
“The historic meeting was
held in the European
Parliament in Brussels,
Belgium, on September 10
and the desperate bid and
effort to stop our leader,
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from
meeting with EU
parliamentarians failed and
will continue to fail.
“The more the Nigerian
state fight IPOB, the
stronger and more resolute
we become.
“We remain conscious of
the fact that the Nigerian
government will continue
with their blackmail,
subterfuge and
misinformation, but wish to
assure them that IPOB’s
diplomatic team has more
pedigree than anything the
Nigerian Foreign Affairs
Ministry can muster.
“Our invitation to this
great meeting signifies that
IPOB is not only respected,
there could be bloodshed.
“Sometimes, they drive
into the court premises
and will not like to be
searched. I am afraid that
many things will happen.
"The worst thing is that
if you stop them, they will
jump over the fences.”
We’ve planted seed of Biafra
self-determination in EU—IPOB
By Chimaobi
Nwaiwu
but regarded as a force for
good things to happen in
Africa and the events in
Brussels have confirmed
that Biafra restoration
project is divinely ordained
by Almighty God, hence all
efforts by the Nigerian
Government to intimidate
and bully the organisers
failed spectacularly.
“Our leader, Mazi
Nnamdi Kanu, made it
clear that the struggle for
Biafra freedom has shifted
to the international
community.
“We are demanding the
European Union to hold
Nigeria to account for
human rights abuses, and
to support the fundamental
rights of Biafra to seek selfdetermination
within the
ambit of international law,
just as he promised
Biafrans that he will be in
Washington DC and
United Nations.”