Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye, Chairman and
Spiritual Head, Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (CSMC) Worldwide, has called on Nigerians to seek God’s intervention to curb insurgency in the country.
Abidoye’s call is contained in a New Year massage made available to newsmen in Bauchi.
He emphasised that Nigerians should embrace love as well as seek God’s intervention towards surmounting the current security challenges and other socio-economic problems confronting the country.
Abidoye observed that Nigeria was suffering from lack of love and harmony among her people.
He opined that the dearth of love among Nigerians had given birth to distrust, intolerance, hatred and unwarranted violence among the citizens of this country.
Benue
No fewer than 1,000 delegates are expected at the
annual Conference of National Directorate of Religious Education for Catholic Dioceses of Nigeria scheduled to hold in Makurdi between January 12, 16.
The conference will be hosted by the Abuja Ecclesiastical Province which comprises the dioceses of Makurdi, Otukpo, Idah, Lokoja ,Lafia, Gboko, Katsin-Ala and the Arch Diocese of Abuja.
The Provincial Chairman of the conference, Rev Godwin Agberagba, disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi.
Agberagba said the conference, which would review the religious education Curriculum in schools owned by the church, would take place at the Pope John Paul Pastoral Centre, Makurdi.
He said the review would set the stage for effecting changes in catholic school programmes in the country.
Jigawa
Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State says the
Federal Government is owing the state government more than N17 billion.
Lamido disclosed this while addressing supporters at the PDP governorship campaign rally in Hadejia.
He said that the amount was accrued in respect of various federal government projects executed by the state government.
Lamido explained that the delay in the reimbursement of the money was hindering “completion of viable projects initiated by his administration.
“The Federal Government is owing Jigawa government over N17 billion.
“I demand payment of the money to facilitate completion of the ongoing projects or else it will linger to the next dispensation,” he said.
Kano
The death has occurred of the renowned Second
Republic politician in Kano State, Alhaji Ammani Inuwa.
Inuwa died in the early hours of Monday at his residence in Fagge Quarters at the age of 78, after a protracted illness.
The announcement of his death was made by his eldest son, Alhaji Animu Ammani, in Kano on Monday.
He said his father just returned from a medical trip abroad and that he had taken a similar trip to Saudi Arabia in recent times.
Late Inuwa started his political journey during the days of the Northern Elements Progressives Union (NEPU) and later the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP).
The late political icon became popular at the peak of the present political dispensation which made one of the most popular names in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
During the tenure of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after realising that he and his supporters were no longer relevant in the APC.
Kebbi
The National Union of Local Government Employees
(NULGE) in Kebbi State has urged the state government to hasten the payment of outstanding leave grants to local members.
The state Chairman of the union, Alhaji Bello Barade, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
Barade said that the government is owing members two years outstanding leave grants.
“We were not paid the 2013 and 2014 leave grants and even in 2012 we were paid half of the amount,’’ he said.
According to him, the state government workers had been paid their leave grants while local government employees had not been paid.
The chairman said that the members would not relent on their agitation until they were settled.
Kwara
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Kwara State, Dr Yunus Lawal, has warned politicians to eschew bitterness for the success of the 2015 general elections.
Lawal, who is also the Chairman, Governing Council of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, made the remark during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.
The chieftain, who is a veterinary doctor, noted that no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour, acrimony or hatred.
He, therefore, urged politicians to give peace a chance before, during and after the polls.
Lawal also advised politicians and their followers to shun destructive tendencies and other acts capable of truncating democracy in the country.
Nasarawa
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in
Nasarawa State said that it would embark on house-to-house and neighbour-to-neighbour campaign for success in this year’s general elections.
Mr Umbugadu Sunday, the party’s Coordinator, Neighbour-to-Neighbour Campaign organisation, said this in Akun while addressing supporters of the party in Akun development area of the state.
He said that the strategy would enable the party to win all seats in the upcoming election in the state.
He called on the people of the state to vote only leaders of unquestionable character in the country.
Plateau
A peace forum convened by the National Orientation
Agency (NOA) in Jos has urged warring Fulani and Maughavul youths in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State to embrace peace.
Our correspondent reports that law and order broke down in the council following the discovery of a headless body believed to be that of a Maughavul indigene.
This had pitched Maughavul youths against their Fulani neighbours who they accused of being behind the incident.
But at a stakeholders meeting convened by NOA, leaders of both ethnic groups in attendance sued for peace.
The NOA Director, Mr Bulus Dabit, who read the resolution of the forum, said that the leaders had decided to embrace dialogue in resolving the issue.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government security outfit, “Sokoto
Marshals Corps’’, said it had prosecuted more than 100 motorcyclists for violating traffic rules in Sokoto city and its environs in the last two months.
The Commandant of the outfit, ACP Sa’idu Madawaki, disclosed this at a news conference in Sokoto when he reviewed the outfit’s activities since it took off in November 2014.
He said the accused motorcyclists were prosecuted and convicted to various jail terms, adding that most of them were arrested for violating traffic lights, routes violation and related offences.
He noted that “some of them were also arrested for assaulting our personnel operating along the various roundabouts and inter- sections in the city.’’
Taraba
The Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi
Kifasi, has urged people of Taraba State to vote for credible and tested candidates that would introduce change and ensure development in the state.
He made the call in Jalingo at a breakfast organised in his honour by Global Achievers Group for Jonathan 2015.
The head of service told his audience that what Taraba and indeed Nigeria urgently needed were credible and tested candidates,saying people should not mind the ethnic or religious backgrounds of candidates but what they could offer.
He said what Taraba and Nigeria urgently required was development in terms of basic amenities and infrastructure.
L-R: Sen. Oluremi Tinubu; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, wife of former Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Jakande and Chairman, Premier Lotto Ltd, Chief Keshington Adebutu, at the 2,600 days in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, recently
An Enugu State High Court, presided by Justice I. K. Okpe yesterday remanded two siblings allegedly involved in the murder of makeup artiste, Ijeoma Nneke, in Enugu Correctional Center.
The prosecuting counsel, Mrs Ngozi Ikem-Okoye. informed the court that the prosecution also had an application that sought the leave of the court to call additional witnesses in the matter.
However, the defence counsel, Mr C. U. Okafor, in response, said that the application was unnecessary as the accused had yet to take pleas.
Okafor held that the case was not yet before the court, adding that the prosecution did not seem to be ready to prosecute the case.
Delivering judgment, Okpe adjourned the case until August 25 for ruling on the application to call additional witnesses.
Recall that the two siblings were alleged to have conspired to kill Ijeoma on November 11, 2020, at 66 Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu.
They were also alleged to have killed the victim by forcing her to drink poisonous substances and thereafter poured acid all over her body.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) over failure to produce in court the 12 persons arrested at the residence of Yoruba nation’s agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, also ordered the DSS to produce the applicants in court in the next adjourned date.
The Tide learnt that Justice Egwuatu had, on July 23, ordered the DSS to produce the detainees in court yesterday.
The order followed a fundamental right enforcement suit that the lawyers to the detained applicants, Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed on their behalf, pursuant to Section 32(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) as well as Sections 6(6), 35 and 36 of 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The 12 persons, who had been in the DSS detention since July 2, are; Abdullateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde (Aka Lady K), Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, and Jamiu Noah.
Others are Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwafelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
The Tide source reports that the DSS had, on July 1, confirmed that its operatives stormed Igboho’s home in Ibadan, arrested about 13 suspects; including a female and 12 males.
It also disclosed that two people were killed in the raid.
However, at the resumed hearing yesterday, Counsel to the DSS, I. Awo, informed the court that the applicants could not be brought because the service procured an order to hold the detainees.
Awo based the absence of the 12 detainees on the grounds that investigations into the circumstances that led to their arrest at Mr Igboho’s home were ongoing.
He hinted that of the 12 detainees on the court’s order, only three were being held by the DSS.
The lawyer listed the three detainees in the DSS custody to include: Amoda Babatunde (Aka Lady K), Diakola Ademola and Bamidele Sunday.
Reacting, Olajengbesi, urged the court to reject the service’s explanation as it was in contempt of the court’s order.
“The apparent affront on the authority of the court by the DSS cannot be justified,” the applicants’ lawyer argued.
He urged the court to discountenance the purported detention order that was procured by the DSS, arguing that it was not a Certified True Copy (CTC).
The lawyer prayed the court to admit his clients to bail.
Olajengbesi also informed the court that he had been denied access to his client, and urged the court to make an order in that regard.
Ruling, Egwuatu charged the DSS to purge itself of such a negative public perception as it did not paint a good picture of Nigeria before the international community.
He then ordered the security outfit to produce the detainees and show cause why they should not be granted bail.
“An order is hereby made directing the respondent (DSS) to allow the applicants’ counsel have access to the applicants, and the respondents are ordered to produce the applicants on the next adjourned date,” he said.
He adjourned the matter until August 2 for continuation of hearing.
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi and one of the two factional governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, have begged stakeholders and members of the party to unite for easy victory during the November 6 election in the state.
Obi and Ozigbo spoke yesterday in Awka, during a reconciliation meeting of the party, which was summoned by Ozigbo to reunite members of the party, after the rancour caused by the holding of two primary elections by the party on June 26, which produced Ozigbo and Senator Ugochukwu Uba.
Obi, while speaking at the meeting called on everyone to come together and work for the victory of the party in the forthcoming governorship election, saying that the primary was over and should be done with.
“I’m ready to beg all the aspirants for us to win the election. This candidate must win this election and we will not run away in our State because of anyone. I will win my local government and that is my assurance, nothing will stop us from winning the governorship election. Anambra must not go back to what it used to be.
“PDP has the best candidate for this election and we are going to win it, we have a formidable candidate and we need a formidable team to win it. I’m committed to PDP 24 hours and the party’s governors in the country are committed to winning the Anambra State election. It is our own election and we will win it,” the former governor said.
Ozigbo, in his address, reeled out the efforts he had made in reconciling every member and aspirants but regretted that the litigations in the party had held it down, adding that the party’s legal team was not relenting in evacuating the obstacles.
“I didn’t win the primary, but PDP and Anambra won. We’re one family but we are going to unite soon. Our enemies are not within, but outside PDP. PDP is a platform that will bring Igbo together, nobody should weave in what is happening now. We’re going to occupy the government house by the grace of God.
“The major reason for the gathering is to thank you for what you did and thank you for what you will do in the coming days because the real battle is coming. We are not celebrating because the real celebration will come on November 6. There’s a need for us to go into the governorship battle as a united family.
“I’ve visited my co-aspirants and I received positive vibes from Senator Uche Ekwunife, Hon Chris Azubogu, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, Dr Godwin Maduka, Mr Godwin Ezeemo and others.
“What I want to tell you now is that every other party in this State is counterfeit from APGA to APC to YPP and that is why I’m begging all our stakeholders to have faith in me and I won’t disappoint them.
“They should forgive and forget and I’m ready to make every sacrifice for all of us to come together. We want to make the founder of PDP, late Dr Alex Ekwueme, proud whereever he is and that’s the assurance I gave the daughter, lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, when we spoke before the meeting.
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