Politics
Abe Urges Unity Among Ogonis
The Senator, Represent
ing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has canvassed unity among the Ogonis, blaming the non-implementation of the United Nations Environment Report (UNEP) on wickedness on the part of the federal government.
Senator Abe, who stated this yesterday, during the 18th memorial service of the Ogoni heroes who died in the struggle to liberate the area, revealed that he had exhausted all peaceful avenues for the implementation of the report which was released two years ago, but regretted that government had refused to clean up the area without reasons.
According to him, “We fight for justice and justice is for everybody and not for the Ogoni alone. We have been patient and nobody can say we have not been patient enough. On my own, I have tried to bring our case to the knowledge of the government. The federal government has promised us that when the report is out, they will implement it, but unfortunately, they have not done anything towards that direction”.
“If there is no truth, there will be no progress, if we gather with the aim to cheat one another, then it will lead or make us undermine one another and Nigeria will go nowhere”, he said.
Abe warned that without truth and justice, there would be no progress, adding that “we cannot have a country where we do not know how many we are. “We have a country based on the sharing of resources, the reason or indices for the sharing is not known to anybody, we share by population.
Continuing, he said: “are we having representative by population? Are we allocating resources based on contributions? Nothing is done in the country based on fairness, justice and truth, that is why we are not making progress despite the struggle”.
Abe however, advised that we should be talking about truth and justice, explaining that the Ogoni struggle is not about the Ogonis, but about lives of everybody including the Hausas, Igbos and Yorubas as well as others who benefit from the struggle.
He noted that every Nigerian will benefit from truth and justice, if we have a country that adheres to the tenets of truth and justice.
Speaking at the occasion, the President of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government (KAGOTE), Dr Peter Meene, assured that it would support all the projects and policies of MOSOP towards the development of the area, revealing that the organisation had sent three petitions to the government over the non-implementation of the UNEP report.
Meene noted that the petitions were sent to the Presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives, stressing that the organisation shall use all legitimate means to ensure that the federal government implemented the report which he pointed out concerned lives and future of the people of Ogoni.
According to him”, we must support every programme and policy of MOSOP, we must ensure the sustenance of the struggle of our founding fathers.
We shall no longer negotiate it, whether they like it or not, the report must be implemented if they want us to still remain in Nigeria state.
We shall not negotiate it and we will use every legal means to ensure that implementation is carried out. We shall continue with our nonviolence approach but not to lose focus”, he noted.
Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi (left), conferring with his Deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru (right), during the funeral service in honour of the former Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Late Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry, at St Alban’s Anglican Church, Obuama recently.
Photo: Chris Monyanaga
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
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