Rivers

Abandoned Projects: Council Summons Contractors

Published

15 years ago

March 19, 2010

The Andoni Local Government Council Legislative Assembly has summoned contractors handling the council’s project to appear before it on Tuesday to explain why they quit project sites after they had collected over 75 percent mobilisation fees for the projects.

Also summoned to appear before the legislative house is the council’s Tender Board in-charge of all contracts process in the local government area of Rivers State.

The summons followed the unanimous opinions in the legislative house on motion presented by the chairman of the House Committee on Chieftaincy and Community Development Affairs, Hon. Chief Dan Nsan and seconded by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Sunday Ogunte on nuermous abandoned projects across the L.G.A.

Presenting the motion, Hon. Nsan called for contractors handling all abandoned projects during the administration of the former chairman of the LGA, Hon. Felix Fyne-Face Ayayi to explain before the House why they should collect over 75 percents of the money billed for the projects without executing the projects to equate the percentages.

He submitted that the former chairman, Hon. Ayayi had revealed that over 75 percents of the total sum for the projects had been paid to contractors handling such projects as 3 Star Hotel, Abattoirs and staff quarters buildings in the LGA.

Hon. Nsan also told the lawmakers that facts had been verified that the stages of all the projects abandoned were below 30 percent, a situation which the contractors and the Council Tender Board have to explain.

Ruling on the motion, the leader of the legislative house, Hon. Awajiniman U. Alafonye urged the clerk of the House to write letters to invite all contractors to appear before the House to explain why they abandoned the projects after collecting above half the total of the projects.

He advised the contractors to appear with all documents concerning the projects, saying that the summons is not to indict any contractor but to ensure the completion of the projects for the development of the area.

According to him, the legislative house wants to ensure that projects, which were executed by the council are completed to avoid reflection of same projects in the budget of the council.

Rivers

Four Internet Fraudstars Get Different Jail Terms In PH

Published

32 mins ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided by Justices P. I. Ajoku, P. I. Ayua and S. I. Mark has convicted and sentenced four middle aged men to various jail terms over their involvement in fraud.

They are Daniel Ebubechi Chinweobo, Timi Olamide Samuel, Chibueze Thaddeus Ugochukwu, and Emmanuel Linus, who may be dwellers on the Port Harcourt Correctional facility until their bail conditions are met.

Their prosecution is at the instance of the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges.

The charges, the Court noted, bordered on impersonation, Advance Fee Fraud, and Obtaining Money under false pretence.

The charge against Chinweobo reads: “That you, Daniel Ebubechi Chinweobo (a.k.a. Philip James) sometime in 2024, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of One Thousand Great Britain Pounds (£1,000 only), from Marinela Gabriela, a Caucasian American, when you represented yourself to be Philip James, a military man from California, serving in Syria, who pretended to be in a marital relationship with Marinela Gabriela, which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

That of Ugochukwu reads: “That you, Chibueze Thaddeus Ugochukwu, on or about the 14th day of May, 2025, at Alakhahia axis of Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained from one Grey the sum of Eight Hundred United States of America dollars ($800 only), under the false pretence that you are Amanda Pappers, a citizen of the United States of America which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

They all pleaded guilty to their charges, following which prosecution counsels, A. Chukwuegwu and G. C Ngborokwu, tendered incriminating documents in evidence against them and urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The Defence counsels, G. N. Chukwu, Yemi Ogunleye, A. O. Secondus and Chigozie Umunnakwem, on their part, prayed the courts to temper justice with mercy on the ground that the defendants were first time offenders.

Justice Ajoku, however, convicted and sentenced Chinweobo and Linus to 30 months in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, each or to pay N200,000 respectively.

Their sentences are to run concurrently and began from the date of their arrest.

Justice Ajua convicted and sentenced Ugochukwu to one year jail term or to pay 50,000 fine, while Justice Mark convicted and sentenced Samuel to two years in prison or to pay N900,000 fine.

In addition to their jail terms, they deposed to affidavit of good behaviour and forfeited a Techno mobile phone, a Samsung Galaxy phone, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone X, iPhone 16 Pro, an iPad and Lexus ES 350, recovered from them at the scene of their arrest to the Federal Government.

The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest by the Commission, sometime in April, 2025, following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities in Port Harcourt.

King Onunwor

Rivers

Group Seeks Prosecution Of Clergy, Others Over Attempted Murder

Published

32 mins ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children has called on the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, to order the arrest and prosecution of one Pastor Ugochukwu Udechukwu Hede, the General Overseer of Divine Grace City of the Great King Deliverance Ministry.

The group also called for the arrest of Prince Thompson and 30 other members of the church, located at Umuebule 4, in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State, alongside Pastor Hede, over the alleged attempted murder of Chief Gerald Okpara Obinozie.

According to a release signed by the Communication/Public Enlightenment officer of the group, Queeneth Igbara, Pastor Udechukwu and Prince Thompson allegedly “led over 30 members of the church, armed with various dangerous weapons, to attack Chief Gerald Okwara Obinozie, inflicting matchet cuts on him, poured fuel on him, and asking female members of the church to urinate in buckets and forced him (Obinozie) to drink.”

Coordinator, Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children, Tombari Dumka-Kote, lamented that the 64 year old Obinozie was subjected to “all manner of inhuman treatment, stripped naked, videoed and had the videos posted on social media platforms, defaming him on false allegations, and only handed him half dead to the Police after his colleague escaped and raised alarm for residents to come out.”

Dumka-Kote, who spoke to newsmen after an Oyigbo Magistrate Court remanded two of the suspects arrested in connection with the matter, called on the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to order the manhunt, arrest and prosecution of the prime suspects and not allow the case be swept under the carpet, adding that the state Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children “will leave no stone unturned in pressing for justice on the matter.”

The Response Team, which frowned at the alarming level of violence in the state within the month of June, warned all those still circulating the nude video and pictures of Chief Gerald on Social media to immediately discontinue the act, or have themselves to blame.

“As a team, we are committed to curbing the growing menace of sexual and gender based violence in Rivers State, and suspects must be made to face the law to serve as a deterrant to others”, Dumka-Kote said.

Speaking on behalf of Concerned Civil Society Organizations who were also present in court, Chief Remi Agu, Deputy State Lead, Behind Bars Human Rights Initiative, said the Police should go after the suspects and have them face the law, as nothing short of it will be accepted.

Agu, who commended the Police for not taking long in finding the truth, called on the Police in the State to intensify efforts to have the prime suspects and others at large arrested and prosecuted.

Meanwhile, The Tide gathered that Chief Gerald Okwara is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility, in Port Harcourt.

The Centre for Justice, Empowerment & Development (C4J), Together to Win Foundation for the Deprived (T2W), and CAP-WIN Foundation were also at the Oyigbo Police Division to demand for Justice on the matter.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen, Chief Gerald Okwara Obinozie, expressed his appreciation to God for keeping him alive despite the incident, saying that the mob was sent to kill him.

The 64 year old man wept while telling how female church members urinated in buckets and he was forced to drink while being tortured on false allegation of trying to vandalize the church transformer, a report Police investigation has shown is untrue.

Effort to reach the General Overseer of Divine Grace City, Pastor Ugochukwu Udechukwu Hede, proved abortive, as he was said to be at large.

Rivers

Don Sues For Leadership Assessment Centre In IAUE

Published

34 mins ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

A Professor of Educational Management and Leadership in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Professor Veronica Emem Okogbaa, has recommended the building of a Leadership Assessment Centre (LAC) in the University.

She made the recommendation recently while delivering the 67th inaugural lecture of the institution at the university’s auditorium.

Speaking on the topic, “Leadership in Education”, the 67th Inaugural Lecturer stated that if built, the Centre will provide opportunities for the assessment of an individual’s leadership capacity based on set criteria and customised procedures.

She further stated that the Centre will develop and offer general and specialised leadership training and a support system for the development of leaders.

Okogbaa called on organisers of seminars, workshops and conferences to desist from presenting certificates of participation to participants who actually do not partake but wander in and out of the venues without actually devoting time to be involved in the activities lined up for capacity building and development.

While calling for more funding for the system because educational leaders cannot function without adequate funds at their disposal, she enjoined Government and Proprietors at all levels not to simply support appointing teachers with long years of experience into school leadership positions.

Educational leaders, according to her, “should have a specific training for their roles based on which appointments should be made”.

The former Dean of Students Affairs Unit urged the educational leadership to be passionate, intentional and mindful of their actions as they play their roles each day, stressing that their positive examples can inspire, persuade and influence subordinates to perform tasks more willingly to assure goal attainment.

Professor Okogbaa also affirmed that professional development should be seen as a must for all levels of staff, the leader inclusive, noting that when everyone’s capacity is built, confidence level will increase and resourcefulness will be the order of the day to enhance social attainment.

The University Don stated that effective school leadership must place emphasis on clarifying educational goals and in engaging in corporate collaboration and comprehensive management to achieve them.

She called on stakeholders to join in the clarification of the statement of their goals and also agree on the strategies to achieve them for effectiveness.

School-based strategized leadership, she explained, is essential for effective goal attention and that all hands must be on deck to actualize this.

She highlighted the need to promote school improvement with the necessary steps outlined to harmonize the sometimes differing expectations of teachers, students, boards and parents.

School goals and plans, she hinted, are for school effectiveness and to firmly direct all efforts towards meeting current and anticipated needs of all.

While calling on leaders to manage educational institutions optimally, she noted that the goals and paths to goals should serve as the basis for work in the whole school progress and development.

The educational leader, she also suggested, “should take the reins as it is expected, be intentional and mindful to lead the system to success”.

Speaking, the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, lauded the 67th Inaugural Lecturer for professing what she has been doing over the years that led to her elevation to the rank of a Professor.

While commending her for doing the needful, he agreed that leaders must possess skills or specialised abilities required for their roles in addition to taking training seriously.

Professor Onuchuku in substantiating the need for educational leadership to have special skills, training and knowledge as recommended by the inaugural lecturer, explained how the University’s Management recently looked at the number of candidates that subscribed to the institution before deciding on the cut off Mark for the University.

He added that if the University Management did not have the data or requisite information, it would have been difficult to effectively arrive at the decision that they took regarding the matter.

He praised her for highlighting the importance of specialised skills and trainings for educational leaders.

In a vote of thanks, Professor Reginah Nchelem Azuwena expressed gratitude to all attendees who graced the occasion and listened patiently till the end of the lecture.

She expressed optimism that the recommendations proffered by the 67th Inaugural Lecturer would be implemented.

Sogbeba Dokubo