South East
PDP BOT Member Alerts Over Plot To Kill Him
A member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee (BoT) and strongman of Abia politics, Prince Benjamin Apugo, has raised alarm over alleged plot to eliminate him by the Abia State government through Bakassi security operatives.
Apugo, a founding father of PDP and kinsman of Governor Theodore Orji, told newsmen at his Umuahia country home that his sin was rating the performance of the governor very low when he hosted his Ibeku kinsmen last week and warned that the opposition in the state should not be pushed to the extent of raising their own “Bakassi.” But government has denied the charge, describing it as blackmail.
Said Apugo: “I just want to inform you of what is happening in Abia State politically which borders on threat to my life. Few days ago, Ibeku people came to my place. I made my views known to them.
“The first one was unemployment in the state. The second one was non-development of the state and the third one was the insecurity in the state, and I made them to understand that the governor, who comes from the same village with me, who I recommended to be employed in INEC as secretary, who we all helped to be governor with the intention that he will develop this state, is not doing well. He has not developed anywhere.
“After saying so to them, one of them who work with him (governor) who was present during the visit, went back and told them. The next thing we heard was a telephone call ‘we are now going to kill you.’ That was the phone call to me,” Apugo narrated. According to him,for the 33 years he has been in politics, “nobody has ever threatened me. But if it is from my home because we all helped somebody from my home to be governor that I will get the threat to be assassinated, I am waiting for them.”
“We don’t want the Governor and the government of Abia State to push some people to the wall so that they create their own Bakassi, there will be disaster in the state. Nobody plays with fire because fire burns and it burns disastrously,” the Ibeku Prince added.
He implored PDP members who fled Abia to Abuja for fear of being killed to return home and fight to reclaim the state in 2011.”It is true, many members of PDP are all in Abuja for fear. All of them ran away. We must have to talk to be able to bring PDP back to its position in the state. And we are not going to abuse the governor, what we are going to tell him is that he is not developing the place which is a reality,” he said.
He explained that PDP has refused to join in the state government because of its poor performance. “If he (governor) asked me to give him somebody to serve in this type of cabinet, I will not give him because people have stayed there now for two years plus and we have seen there is no stadium, there is no market, there is no Government House, there is no secretariat; there is nothing,” he said.
He said the governor acted well by banning commercial motorcycle operators from operating in some local governments in the state but pointed out he should have provided them with alternative means of livelihood. Apugo made it clear that he was not attacking the governor but was exercising his right to freedom of expression, saying “the governor is my brother.”
But Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Hart, said though the government has a lot of respect for Apugo, “if indeed he made such an allegation, it would be most disappointing and unfortunate.”
“All I have to say is that Chief T.A. Orji is a governor that holds the mandate of Abians in sacred trust. He will not be blackmailed, intimidated or harassed by anybody however highly placed to mortgage the common patrimony of the people of Abia State.” Hart added.
The police in Ebonyi State say they have discovered the body of a yet to be identified middle-aged woman in a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Loveth Odah, stated this yesterday.
She said the body has deep cuts on the chest and neck and has been deposited in a mortuary. According to the spokesman, it was discovered at Crown Garden Hotel located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the capital city.
Mrs Odah, who said that the victim was found in the pool of her own blood, said the suspect had been identified as one Uchenna Awoke.
She said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Eze, the supervisor, and other workers had been taken to the police station for questioning and accused the hotel management of negligence.
“The manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for questioning and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management. How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident.”
“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted. All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
The Senate yesterday passed the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2018.
The proposed commission aims at enhancing the infrastructural development of the South East zone, which is grappling with huge ecological challenges.
It also seeks to act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The proposed legislation requires the concurrence of the House of Representatives to become a bill of the National Assembly, and the President’s assent to become a law.
Senators Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) and Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo) jointly sponsored the bill read in the Senate on June 22, 2016.
Its passage in the Red Chamber followed the presentation of the report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by its former Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa), on the floor of the Senate.
The bill, after Paulker’s presentation, was considered clause by clause by the committee of the whole, and amendments made by the lawmakers were read for the third time and eventually passed.
In his remarks, presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended his colleagues for a job well done.
In his words, “Every morning we pray that God should give us the grace to do only those things that will promote the peace and unity of this country.
“I believe that we have shown today that we are committed to the unity of this country, and it is this unity that will give us faith in this country.
“This faith will in turn help us to pursue peace and progress,” he said.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, members the South East caucus of the Senate, led by Sen. Enhinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), thanked their colleagues and members of the committee for their efforts.
Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, urged the President to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him, in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria”.
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East, and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done,” he said.
The lawmaker said he hoped the House of Representatives would give concurrence to the bill as it went in the Senate.
When established, the South East Development Commission would be the third zonal interventionist body in the country.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Founder and Presideng Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday predicted that nothing would disturb the peace of Nigeria and its story would change for the better in the year 2019.
Oyedepo made the declaration at the just concluded annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family, christened the “Dominion”, in a satellite telecast of the church.
In the telecast monitored in Abuja, the cleric also declared that 2019 would be a year of “I have Dominion”.
“Nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria; the story will change for the better in the name of Jesus.
“Nigeria shall not see bloodshed, the Prince of Peace will continue to dominate in Nigeria, in Africa and Nigeria is declared blessed.
“Anywhere you step, accident is forbidden; death will not come near you and our nation.
“Anything that is of grace in my life, I freely release upon you today.
“God has opened the year 2019 to us, celebrate Him because its our year of “I have Dominion,” he said.
The Bishop added that the year 2019 would be a year of humbling testimonies for Nigeria and pace-setting testimonies.
He further declared that 2019 would be a colourful year for the nation.
According to the cleric, as long as Jesus has the final say on the issues of Nigeria, it will experience greatness.
Oyedepo said that there would be no more cause of alarm in any area of the nation and its citizens.
He advised Christians in Nigeria to delight themselves in the spirit of servant-hood, adding that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood.
“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood. As you keep rising on the ladder of leadership, you must retain our spirit of servant-hood, constantly working to add value to others and be kingdom minded,” he said.
According to him, dedication is at the root of dominion, saying: “Sow yourself as a seed by being totally dedicated to God and His Kingdom’’.
He told his congregation that sacrificial giving guarantees the meeting of all their needs.
“When you engage in taking care of the well-being of others, God is also committed to your well-being,” he explained. The cleric admonished Christians would engage in meeting the needs of the needy, every barrier on their path of destiny would be crushed.
“Nobody tampers with your life, your career, your family and goes away with it because you are promoted to God’s kingdom.
“God will stand for your defence in the day of trouble. Every sacrificial giver has a defence around him in the day of trouble always have that in mind,” he said.
He reminded his congregation that the Church is not a building; the Church is a people and the Redeemed of the Lord.
-
News3 days agoAkpabio Seeks Nigeria, Serbia Parliamentary Collaboration
-
Rivers3 days agoNCSU Hails Release Of Fubara’s Supporters
-
Maritime3 days agoTin Can NCS Generates N303.9bn In Q1
-
News3 days agoOur Policies Aligning With Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Mantra For Nigeria -Gov Fubara
-
Business3 days agoPaper Industry’s Economic Contribution Hits N398bn
-
News3 days agoPolice Attribute Societal Decay To Parents’ Too Much Love For Children
-
Sports3 days agoTennis: Abuja Set To Host Davis Cup
-
Niger Delta3 days agoHYPREP’s Livelihood Training: Dana Air Employs Three Ogoni Youths