19102020 - #EndSARS: Stop Army's planned Op Crocodile Smile

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12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 VISIT: From left—Member, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Dr. Godbless Oyinke, Governor Douye Diri, Speaker of the House Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, and Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Victor Okubonanabo, during the governor's on-the-spot visit to flood-ravaged Toru-Orua community in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. Flooding: Bayelsa shuts down schools By Samuel Oyadongha Y ENAGOA—BAYELSA State Government has directed the immediate closure of primary and secondary schools across the state following the devastation caused by flood in most parts of the state. The closure, according to the state government, takes effect from today. Governor Douye Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said the decision was taken to avert further danger to lives. The governor who led a team of his cabinet members and other top government officials on an on-thespot visit to some of the flood ravaged communities in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas, weekend, is expected to extend his tour to other affected councils in the state. Diri, who lamented the devastating effect of the flood on the people and communities, said his administration would not abandon them at this time of need, adding that as a concerned government, palliatives would be sent to victims of the disaster as a temporary measure. He said, "Due to the devastating effect of the flood, that I have seen, I hereby direct the Commissioner for Education to immediately Termination of contracts: N'Delta contractors report FG officials to PANDEF Oleh massacre: Joel-Onowakpo calls for arrest of perpetrators By Gab Ejuwa A SABA—FORMER candidate for the House of Representatives, Isoko Federal Constituency, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas has called on the Delta State Government and security agents to as a matter of urgency fish out the those responsible for the killings of nine persons recently at Oleh. Thomas in a statement, condemned the murder of nine persons by yet-to-be established assailants in the oil bearing community of Oleh in Delta State. The deceased were reportedly killed in their farms located between Oleh and Ozoro road in the wake of the festering land dispute between Oleh and Ozoro, both oil producing communities in the state on Friday. Reacting to the killings, Onowakpo, in his twitter post, called on the Delta State Government and security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killings with a view of fishing out the perpetrators. He wrote: "What has happened in the Isoko ethnic nationality where unknown persons killed over nine indigenes of Oleh community in the most cruel manner as a result of land dispute is condemnable. "This is alien to the Isoko people and should be condemned by all well meaning persons. I am appealing to the state government and the security agencies to get to the root of this immediately to avoid a complete breakdown of law and order." Saying that the incident was condemnable, Onowakpo, however, condoled the bereaved families and appealed to residents of both communities to remain calm and allow government handle the situation to avoid break down of law and order. shut down all secondary and primary schools pending when the floods would abate. We do not want to lose lives and we do not want reptiles to cause injuries to our wards. "Painfully, we have to take this decision because the schools were just resuming from COVID-19 closure and here we have another natural challenge By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South PAN—NIGER Delta Fo rum, PANDEF, umbrella body of monarchs, leaders and stakeholders of the coastal states of Niger Delta, said it had received disturbing complaints that some ministers and heads of federal agencies from Niger Delta were groundlessly terminating contracts to companies in which fellow Niger Deltans have major interest. National Chairman of PANDEF and former military administrator of Akwa Ibom state, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd), who disclosed this, said that the regional body was planning to hold discrete talks with key political stakeholders, including ministers, members of the National Assembly and heads of federal agencies from the region over the allegation. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, it called on politicians from South- South zone and Niger Delta in particular to sink their differences and work together. It said, "It became necessary to make this public appeal partly because of recent happenings in the nation's polity and the continued poor attention to issues of the region by the Federal Government. "But, more particularly, because PANDEF has, lately, been inundated with worrying complaints of arbitrary termination of valid contracts of companies in which Niger Deltans have principal interest in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government. And mainly, in ministries where the ministers are also from the Niger Delta. "If these complaints are true, then it is very unfortunate. We should not be arising from flooding. "I will continue with this visit to empathise and sympathise with our brothers and sisters. Let me assure all of them that as a state, we are with them." He called on federal agencies, particularly the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to come to the aid of the government and people of the state. working against ourselves, for whatever reasons. It is saddening that persons from the region are being used to perpetuate these insidious acts against the region. We are unaware of these occurrences in other parts of the country. "We have advised the affected persons, who have come to us, to exercise patience and not seek redress in the law courts yet, while we make efforts to ascertain the facts of the matters, and seek peaceful resolutions. Because the truth is that they do have the right to go to court if their contracts/ projects were unlawfully terminated, especially in a manner that indicates vindictiveness and possible abuse of office by those concerned. "PANDEF is quite disturbed by these circumstances, they are unhealthy and inimical to the socio-economic development of the region. As such, we have decided to seek individual audiences with key political stakeholders, including ministers, members of the National Assembly, and heads of federal MDAs from the region, to discuss these concerns, and hopefully resolve them. "The reality is that thousands of youths from the region and other parts of the country must have become jobless as a result of the contracts that have been reportedly terminated unjustly, thereby adding to the already awful unemployment situation, and likely to increase cases of youth restiveness in the region.‘‘ Omo-Agege calls for peace in Isoko By Henry Umoru A BUJA—DEPUTY President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, has called for peace in the entire Isoko land of Delta State. Omo- Agege said, yesterday, that he was shocked and saddened by the reported killing of nine persons, including a child, in Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state. In a statement by his Media Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, Omo-Agege believes that the situation demands urgent and pragmatic efforts to prevent further bloodletting, stressing that respected political, traditional, religious, women and youth leaders within and without Isoko need to preach restraint, de-escalate the situation and help quickly restore genuine peace to the land. According to him, it is by divine order that Isoko and Urhobo are historical good neighbours with strong filial, marital and lingual affinities, adding, "Whatever touches Isoko touches Urhobo, and vice versa. I am, therefore, genuinely concerned about the reported killings and bloody violence, and I am ready to do whatever that is necessary for peace to reign." Omo- Agege who recognised the all-important duty of the Delta State Government to maintain internal security in the state, said, "To this end, I encourage Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his team, to work diligently to ensure that acts that are capable of leading to more bloodshed or violence are responsibly, urgently and sustainably curtailed." He appealed to people who may be involved in the crisis in one way or the other to embrace peace, no matter the provocation. FG, private sector to partner on provision of infrastructure in Niger Delta —Minister By Chris Ochayi ABUJA—THE Federal Government said it would partner the private sector in order to provide and improve on the status of critical infrastructure in the Niger Delta region. Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, who disclosed this in Abuja, said he was optimistic that such union would encourage the developmental strides which can change the region for good and ease the suffering of the people. Speaking during a meeting with executive members of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, in his office, the minister expressed concern over the ravaging threat of flood to the region. He explained that the flood ravaging the region has made the distribution of petroleum products very difficult, particularly for retailers who may want to access the area and this he said has seriously affected the economy and peace of the region. Akpabio noted that, the idea of Pontoons, floating Stations and Motorized Barges for the distribution of petroleum and gas products across the riverine communities was a welcome development introduced by PETROAN. He noted that, there was an existing government policy on the establishment and provisions of floating stations that may have become moribund due to issues of irregular supply and management problem. Zamfara gold: FG should permit N'Delta oil communities, artisans refine crude oil —Agitators By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South W ARRI—AGITATORS in Niger Delta, weekend, threatened to shut down oil production if the Federal Government continues to disallow oil communities and artisan refiners in Niger-Delta from using their invented local technology to refine and profit from crude oil in their areas, but allows artisans in Zamfara State to freely exploit gold. Campaigners under the auspices of 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience, 21st CYNDAC, in a statement by their leader, selfprofessed "Gen" Izon Ebi, said, they were livid at the hypocrisy of the Federal Government. They queried: "Why will the Federal Government allow indigenous artisans in Zamfara State and other parts of the North to use gold and other minerals within their domains to their benefit and clampdown on artisans' refineries in the Niger Delta, as if such act is forbidden in Nigeria? "Anything short of resource control, devolution of power, oil communities and youths benefiting from their knowledge of inventing their own technology to refine the crude is unacceptable and that would lead to total shutdown of oil activities, exploitation and exploration in the Niger Delta. A stitch in time saves nine.‘‘
Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 — 13 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 RETIREMENT PARTY: From left — Former Accountant General of Enugu State, Dr. Pascal Okolie, Enugu State Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Ada-Onah Uyawune and wife of the Accountant General, Stella Okolie, during a retirement dinner party/reception in honour of former Accountant General in Enugu State. 2 killed, houses, vehicles burnt in Anambra land dispute • IGP orders AIG Zone 13 to investigate By Vincent Ujumadu AWKA—A 70 year-old woman and middleaged man have lost their lives, while several houses and vehicles worth millions of naira were destroyed in a land dispute at Nkwele Ezunaka in Oyi local government area of Anambra State. The land in dispute popularly known as Maryland, consists of several estates namely: Admiral, New Jerusalem, Top Star, Royal Paradise, One Heart, Trinity, Oganiru, God’s Lane, Isuochi and Rock View, is owned by Umuobia Family of Amuche Ndiagu of Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi local government area. The woman whose name was given as Mrs. Comfort Ani from Ugbawka in Nkanu, Enugu State, was the mother of one of the occupants in the estate. She is still in the mortuary. She allegedly died of shock after witnessing the destruction of her son’s mansion in the estate. It was gathered that some people from a neighbouring village in the area on various occasions, swooped on the estate with suspected thugs and dangerous weapons during which the two persons lost their lives and property worth millions of naira were destroyed. The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, in a letter signed by his Principal Staff Officer, DCP Idowu Owuhunwa, has directed the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 13, Ukpo –Dunukofia in Anambra State to investigate the incident immediately. A member of the family that claimed ownership of the land, Mr. Ikenna Okafor, whose SUV car was burnt during the attack said generations of his family had lived on the said land without molestation and wondered why their neighbours from another village should start now to claim the land after the area was completely built up. In an emotion-laden voice, Okafor said: “As early as 8.0am, our opponents started massive destruction of houses and burning of vehicles. My Range Rover Sport was burnt beyond repair; I later contacted the Army Regiment in Onitsha who assisted us in towing the car to Awkuzu SARS where it is parked.” He added: “The land in question is known as Nwobia. We have been living there from birth. Our forefathers even lived there. Our family has been in possession of the land for many years. “In 1922, our neighbouring community laid claim to the land and we defeated them in a court judgment and since then, peace had continued to reign until 2013 when someone from our neighboruing village who was chairman of our village vigilante trespassed into the land with caterpillars and thugs. My uncle who wanted to find out what was happening was attacked and he later died as a result of that attack. “During the recent COV- ID-19 lockdown when everybody was indoors, they went into the land and dismantled the security tower mounted there. When we saw what happened, we petitioned the IGP who referred the matter to the Commissioner of Police Anambra State in July this year. By then, they had entered the land with thugs and used bulldozer to destroy buildings and vehicles. “We rushed to 33 police stations where we made entry and the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO, there mobilized his men to the site. When they got there, the police discovered that a large number of thugs had laid siege on our land. He assured us that to the police headquarters in Awka would be contacted to invite the leader of the group who is well known at the police circle because of his position as our local vigilante chairman. “On 28 July, they entered the land again and it was this time that they destroyed a Range Rover belonging to Uchechukwu Uka who is a member of my family. In fact, Uchechukwu narrowly escaped death as the thugs chased him away from the area.” According to him, “initially, it was the Anambra CP that referred us to SARS Awkuzu. However, the action of SARS surprised us as they claimed that they could not enter the land because the thugs were too many. “The following day, the thugs destroyed another pathfinder Jeep and set it ablaze and we informed SARS of the development. The SARS asked us to be prepared to take them to the people behind the mayhem to arrest them by 10.pm. “When we got there, they arrested two thugs. One of the suspected thugs contacted his colleagues on phone and before we knew what was happening, there was firing everywhere such that the men of SARS even ran away. “We also ran away only for us to discover that all the vehicles there, including Hilux vans belonging to SARS, had been vandalized. As we approached our homes, we discovered that our houses were also being destroyed. “The SARS assured us that they would go there to arrest the hoodlums but they did not go there. I had to use the men of the Nigerian Army, Onitsha to remove my car from the scene. "The surprising thing is that those who were supposed to be arrested accused the SARS people of being thugs. “On August 3, we petitioned the IGP and showed him all the destruction. Our tenants in the various estates whose houses were destroyed also petitioned the IGP. The mother of one of the tenants was killed during the attack. "The IGP men came for arrest from Abuja and they mobilized more SARS men from Awkuzu. By the time they got to the scene, more destruction had taken place at the estate by suspected thugs loaded in two shuttle buses.” Council chairmen, House of Assembly members, others to defect to APC in Ebonyi 2023: It's our turn now, Ndigbo tell Northern, S'West leaders By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA—IGBO leaders have told their counterparts in the North and Southwest to stop arrogating to themselves the sole power to decide the fate of Nigeria, saying the Igbo have come of age and deserve a shot at the presidency in 2023. They made the demand at a news conference weekend in Abuja under the auspices of Global Movement for Igbo President GLOMIP 2023 and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK & Northern Ireland. Speaking at the event, a former governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife called for a restructuring of the federation. He added that the Igbo are already projecting some persons for the 2023 presidential contest. He also dismissed concerns that the Igbo are republican in nature and may not be able to unite for a common cause, especially with regards to the 2023 presidency. Ezeife said: "If you mention some names, they are not Igbo enough and are not acceptable at all to us because we know they will sell out. So, we will bring somebody who will show love to all, show love to Hausa, Yoruba and to his Igbo brothers and to all Nigerians. It is too early to name names, but we are already projecting some people. "If Nigeria is well organised, everybody will be happy and the Igbos will be the happiest because we want the largest market possible to trade in". He recalled that there was a time when the World Bank declared that some parts of Nigeria were growing faster than the rest of the world. "Then what happened? There was a coup in 1966 and from then, we started to take giant steps backwards. We must know where our problems started. "We need to go back to what used to work and instead of regions, we may use the current six geo-political zones. They can be adjusted but it must be based on fairness. Some people in the North believe that restructuring is about resource control or that when we restructure, they will lose oil money. This is not true. A good leader will nationalize petroleum mining while the people who reside in the area would still get more by far, but it is not a matter of denying other sides access to the resources", Ezeife added. President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK & Northern Ireland, Dr Nnanna Elias Igwe, who was represented by the Media Officer of GLOMIP, Mazi Godffrey Azu said the Igbo would no longer play a second fiddle. According to him, one of the veritable ways to stop secessionist agitations is to cede the presidency to the Igbo in 2023. He said: "I want to say very clearly and with all boldness of heart and confidence that in 2023, we are not going to be a joker to anyone. We are ready to go after any Igbo man who disrupts the waters because there are Igbo men who take joy in disrupting waters and steering it so that nobody will drink from it. We have told them, we know them. "Many people we spoke to told us the biggest problem of Ndigbo is Ndigbo and we are saying to Ndigbo wherever they are both in the Diaspora and in Nigeria that when we begin this discuss and progress with this dialogue and get to By Peter Okutu ABAKALIKI—THE ru moured defection of Governor David Umahi of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been confirmed to be true, Vanguard can authoritatively report. A reliable source close to Vanguard revealed that Council Chairmen, Members of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, critical stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP among others have been having series of meetings on how to perfect their defection to the APC. It was gathered that by Monday(today), some stakeholders in the state would make public declaration as to their defection to the APC. In a chat with Vanguard, the House of Representatives member for Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Chinedu Ogah stressed that Governor David Umahi's defection to the APC was a welcome development and a good omen for the people of the South East zone. He urged the govermors of Abia, Enugu, Anambra to follow the foot steps of Governor David Umahi by decamping to the APC. "All the APC leaders will welcome the govermor into the party in the state. This is a major breakthrough for the South East. We will go together to see the leader of the APC in the South East, Sen. Ken Nnamani. Everybody is welcomed. It is a huge achievement for a sitting governor to defect to the APC. "I'm a preacher of peace, unity and love. I'm not part of the people who play politics of Pull Him Down. We are welcoming all decampees into the APC. All our leaders will receive the governor and others. Soon a date will be fixed for this official ceremony. The President and national chairman of APC and others will be in Ebonyi to formally welcome all the decampees. "Party is about the masses. I don't have anything against anybody. The governor is not coming to deprive anybody of his or her rights. All we want is for him to go higher. We want leadership to come to the youths of this country. "All the House of Assembly members and chairmen of LGAs in Ebonyi are defecting. We urged all of them to defect. The governor has already concluded it. My politics is about friendship and not acrimony. Let's give the youths a chance." Also, reacting to the Governors defection, a stanch member of the APC, and Spokesman of Alaigbo Development Foundation, Chief Abia Onyike added that the defection of Governor David Umahi was very true. He said: "Governor Umahi's defection is very true. With the influence of people like Sen. Obinna Ogba and the other National Assembly members, he appears uncomfortable in PDP as the party can no longer give him the edge he enjoyed ab initio. That was a fallout of the State Congress boycotted by the Abuja group which petitioned the national leadership of the party. So, he had no option than to look elsewhere. "PDP was no longer ready to allow him produce the national vice chairman of the party in the yet to be organized zonal congress. He wants to be in APC to pursue his presidential ambition. Let's watch and see." Also, a source at the Presidency, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said conclusions on Umahi's defection had been done and documents to that effect had been taken and filed in the Blue Room in Aso Rock. The source described the “Blue Room” as a special room in Aso Rock where any document or item kept was regarded sacrosanct and held in utmost importance by the presidency. the point of reaching an answerable report and we find any man among them that goes to stir the waters, God forgive him if he doesn't become a scapegoat. "We are sending the message also to our brothers and sisters in the North and in the South West; we call upon the Kaduna and Langtang mafia and the Daura Caliphate and the cabal in Daura and Katsina and the Lion of Bourdillon ,we call upon everyone of them. They know what their plans are and their secrets but we are saying enough is enough. "We cannot be part of the tripod that formed Nigeria at independence and two legs of the tripod are deciding the fate of everybody in this country. Two legs of the tripod decide what economy we make and what social life we live and who becomes who in politics. "We in the Diaspora are saying enough is enough and we are telling our brothers to rise to this challenge. We have come of age to have an Igbo president after 50 years of sacrifice. The only way we can kill the spirit of secession is to give Igbo man the presidency in 2023", the group added.
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19102020 - #EndSARS: Stop Army's planned Op Crocodile Smile

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