30012020

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020—15
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
SWEARING-IN: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (left) congratulating his
new Deputy Chief of Staff, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, after he was sworn in at the EXCO
Chambers, Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
Oraifite mayhem: FG, rights group
trade words over investigative panel
By Anayo Okoli
ENUGU— THE Federal
Government has said it
would not set up any panel
of inquiry into the December
2, 2019 invasion of the
Oraifite, Anambra State home
of Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB, lawyer, Ifeanyi
Ejiofor, because of pending
court cases on the incident.
Federal Government’s
position was in response to a
letter written to it by an
Onitsha-based rights group,
International Society for Civil
Liberties & Rule of Law,
Intersociety, requesting the
government to set up a panel
to comprehensively look into
the mayhem that took place
in Oraifite, when security
operatives invaded the home
of IPOB lawyer, leading to the
death of some members of
IPOB and two police officers.
But Intersociety has rejected
the reason adduced by the
Federal Government for not
setting up a panel to look into
the mayhem and insisted that
the government should, as a
matter of responsibility, set up
a panel to unravel the
circumstances that led to the
incident.
The rights group had
routed the letter through the
Office of the Secretary to
Government of the
Federation, OSGF, a demand
the government rejected
through a letter signed by
Emmanuel Akissa, a Legal
Officer from the office.
However, Intersociety,
through another letter signed
by its principal officers,
including the board
chairman, Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Obianuju
Igboeli, Chinwe Umeche and
Ndidiamaka Bernard
rejected the excuse given by
the government for not setting
up a panel of inquiry on the
incident and insisted on
“setting up of an
independent, impartial and
credible Joint Investigation
Board” on the Oraifite
mayhem.
While appreciating the
OSGF acceptance and reply
of its letter, Intersociety
disagreed with the OSGF
claim that “it cannot act or set
up a Joint Investigation
Board as demanded by
Intersociety because of the
pendency of a fundamental
human rights suit filed by the
chief victim (Ifeanyi Ejiofor)
in which the OSGF was not
joined as a party.”
The leading right group
further said: "We strongly
reject the OSGF’s excuses
particularly to the effect that
'all the judicial remedies
available before relevant
courts shall be exhausted by
us since our case is still
pending in court.”
The group argued that
such an excuse only amounts
to the Federal Government,
saying that “it shall not carry
out its constitutional and
statutory functions and duties
in the instant case because a
fundamental rights suit filed
by the chief victim, Ifeanyi
Ejiofor (not Intersociety), for
purpose of preventing further
police and army mayhem,
including attacks on his
person and property is
pending in court.”
Enugu Police command
neutralises bomb in Nsukka hotel
By Ikechukwu
Odu
N SUKKA—Enugu
State Police
Command, yesterday,
confirmed that officers from
the command neutralised
an object suspected to be
an explosive device at
Millipat Hotel Limited,
Nsukka.
The command fingered
political power-play in the
incident, but said they were
still conducting round-theclock
investigations to fish
out the pepatrators and
unravel the circumstances
that led to the act.
While speaking to
Vanguard about the
incident, spokesman of the
command, Daniel Ndukwe,
confirmed that officers
moved to the scene of the
incident and discovered an
explosive device laid at the
fence of the hotel, which
belongs to a former
lawmaker, Fidelis Okoro,
who represented Enugu
North in the Senate.
Ndukwe, also assured of
adequate security for
residents within Nsukka
and environs, adding that
officers of the command
have cordoned off the
facility to forestall further
arsonists’ attempts on it.
WhenVanguard visited
Millipat Hotel for an on-thespot
assessment, a security
guard who identified himself
simply as Theophilus, and
the Supervisor of the
hospitality venture, Simeon
Uliaga, said they got a tip-off
of the incident from the local
security outfit, the vigilante
group who suspected some
movements around the
facility before alerting them
and police officers from
Nsukka Police Division.
Uliaga, further said when
he was alarmed, he called on
Theophilus and both of them
searched the environment but
could not find anything. He
said they were about to retire
to their beds, as the incident
took place in the night, when
officers from Nsukka Police
Division stormed the place
and conducted a thorough
check, which led to the
discovery of the explosive
device.
He said: “When they saw
the object in a bag, they
thought someone has
dumped a baby or charm
there, but on a closer
observation, they discovered
it was a bomb. So, they called
on anti bomb squad from
Enugu Police Command
who came in the morning to
neutralise it.”
The supervisor also told
Vanguard that two fuel
pumps installed in a petrol
station belonging to Okoro
were also set ablaze by
unknown arsonists six days
before the explosive device
was found at the hotel.
Abia council to prosecute
landlords channelling wastes
to roads
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe
U MUAHIA—Osisioma
Ngwa council area of
Abia State has threatened to
prosecute owners of buildings
in the council who channel
wastes to roads.
Transition Committee
Chairman, Osisioma Ngwa
council, Dr. Ikechukwu
Nwabeke, who stated this
while inspecting buildings
along Nicolas Street by Brass
junction in Aba, said most
landlords in the area had
failed to provide soak away
pits for tenants residing in the
buildings.
Nwabeke explained that
such unhygienic practices
could cause disease outbreak
in the council and urged
health officials to ensure strict
supervision of the area to
promote healthy living.
“Some landlords
channelled their waste pipes
to the gutters because they
have failed to provide soak
away pits in their buildings.
NDLEA convicts 8 drug
peddlers in Imo
By Chinonso
Alozie
O
W E R R I —
NATIONAL Drug
Law Enforcement Agency,
NDLEA, yesterday, said
it had convicted eight
drug peddlers in Imo
State.
The agency also said it
rehabilitated five drug
dependent persons,
arrested 146 suspects as
well as seized 225.32 kg
exhibits.
This was part of 2019
performance record of the
agency in Owerri,
through the Public
Relations Officer, PRO, of
NDLEA, Mr. Sampson
Uche.
It also added that within
the year under review,48
persons who used drugs
were counselled, just as
he announced that as at
December 31, 2019, there
were 55 drug cases
pending in court.
He said: “On behalf of
the command, our state
commander, Mr Nse
Inam wishes to thank the
good and well-meaning
compatriots in Imo for the
goodwill and moral
support which we
Enugu govt approves N30,000
minimum wage effective Feb
ENUGU
State
government has
approved payment of
N30,000 minimum wage for
civil servants with effect
from next month.
Following the submission
of the report of the joint
committee of labour and the
state government set up by
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
This is capable of causing
disease outbreak in the area.
We are giving them one week
ultimatum to build soak away
pits or face the full wrath of
the law,” he said.
The chairman handed a
week ultimatum to defaulting
landlords to build septic tanks
in their houses or face the
wrath of the law.
enjoyed from them in
2019.
“With your support, we
were able to achieve great
feats, including the arrest
of 146 suspects and
seizure of 225.32 kg
exhibits. In 2019, NDLEA
also counselled 48
persons.
“The success we made
could not have been
achieved without the
collaboration of local
communities.
“The command had a
total of 55 drug cases
pending in court as at
December 31, 2019. The
command successfully
convicted eight drug
peddlers while conducting
sensitisation and
enlightenment campaigns
in sundry locations across
the state and rehabilitation
of five drug dependent
persons.
“The command hopes
that with improved
logistics and necessary
infrastructure, we will do
more to serve you better
in pursuit of the
provisions of the NDLEA
Act and in fulfillment of
the strategic pillars of the
National Drug Control
Master Plan.”
for the negotiation of the
consequential adjustment of
the N30,000 minimum wage,
Enugu State Executive
Council approved the
payment of the new wage for
the state civil servants with
effect from February 2020.
Briefing newsmen at the
Government House, Enugu,
after a meeting with the
council, the leadership of the
organised labour led by the
Chairman of the Joint Public
Service Negotiating Council,
Igbokwe Igbokwe, said the
EXCO’s approval was a
product of collective
bargaining between the
labour and the state
government.
Igbokwe, who noted that
this is the first time labour
was involved in the issue of
minimum wage negotiation,
disclosed that they were
comfortable with the decision
reached.