Rivers
We Bombed Wike’s Father’s Church For Popularity, IPOB Members Admit
Three members of the Indigenous People of Biafra arrested by the police for allegedly detonating explosives in Governor Nyesom Wike’s father’s church in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have confessed that they carried out the attack to get recognition in the proscribed group.
The suspects spoke while being paraded before journalists by the state Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, at the police headquarters along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
Mukan recalled that on November 29, the command received a distress call from 25 Azikiwe Road that the Christian Universal Church Incorporated was attacked, adding that policemen were immediately drafted to the scene.
“There was no life lost during the attack. Our security partners, the vigilantes, arrested these three suspects. We took them and they made useful confessions.
“They claimed that they were six in number. They made confession that they were members of IPOB and that they were zoned to different parts of the state.
“They are Progress Owudinjo, 37, from Etche, Rivers State; Apuro Victor, 25, from Ebonyi State; and John Okorie, 38, from Abia State.
“They will soon be charged to court, while we are trailing their sponsors. IPOB assured them that if IPOB is achieved, they will be policy makers in the government,” Mukan added.
One of the suspects, Owudinjo, confirmed their membership of IPOB, adding that they were contracted to carry out the attack.
He said, “We got there in the night and we detonated the explosives. This is the first assignment I am carrying out since I joined IPOB. I have not killed before. I was told that if I did not join the operation that I would not get anything in the group.”
Similarly, Victor said, “The whole thing was programmed. We were sent by one Chinedu. I don’t know where he came from. I am a member of IPOB but we were not programmed to kill anybody but to throw dynamite. Please, forgive me.”
The people of Rumuaholu community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have absolved their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, popularly called “Uncle”, of any land grabbing allegations, describing such as falsehood and lacking in fact.
The community also stated that their son is not a land grabber or involved in any criminal activities, but an illustrious son with verifiable means of identity and livelihood.
The Regent of the community, Eze Sunny Awo Njiohuo, stated this while speaking with newsmen during a solidarity peace march by the people of Rumuaholu community at Cedarwood Estate on Tuesday to register their grievances over a defamatory statement allegedly made by one Gbenga against their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, describing him as “a notorious land grabber without any means of livelihood identification”.
However, Eze Njiohuo described such allegations as falsehood and misleading, stressing that they lack any iota of truth, and that their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, is a notable figure in the community and cannot be associated with such demeaning character representation.
The Regent therefore urged the general public to discontinue such allegations as they are intended to bring disrepute to their son and bad reputation to the community.
Also speaking, the CDC Chairman of the community, Mr. Graham Elendu Nworgu, described such statements as laughable, adding that the maker of such allegations was ignorant of Ikwerre traditions and culture.
He opined that what Engr. Stephen Nyegwa is contending is purely about his family lineage rights in the sharing of their late grandparent’s lands and property, noting that his family has a right of inheritance in their family lands and property in a polygamous family.
He berated the purveyors of such land grabbing allegations and described them as enemies of the community.
In their various speeches, Comrade Prince Amadi, Innocent Azunda Eke, and Mrs. Helen Igwe, who represented the youth and women, also condemned the allegations in their entirety, adding that their son is known in the community and has no hand in such alleged land grabbing activities, and urged the public to disregard such statements credited to one Gbenga, a non-indigene residing in the area.
The lead legal counsel to Engr. Stephen Nyegwa told journalists that they have written to Mr. Gbenga, giving him a seven-day ultimatum to retract his statement in three national dailies, adding that at the expiration of the ultimatum, they will take further actions against him.
Earlier, in his own speech, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa denied being a land grabber, saying that he does genuine estate business registered with CAC and has over sixty employees in his company.
He thanked the people of his community, chiefs, youths, and women for their solidarity and coming out to speak the truth, adding that what he is contending is his family inheritance with his family and not with strangers.
The Nigerian Shippers Council has initiated moves towards Enhancing Service Delivery across the various Sea Ports in the Country.
This follows the validation of the Draft Set Minimum Service Delivery Standards for Shipping Companies/Agents at the various Sea Ports in the Country.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organized by The Nigerian Shippers Council in conjunction with Ocean Serve, in Port Harcourt, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Pius Akuta Ukeyima said the initiative was aimed at making the Nation’s Ports some of the best in the world in terms of service delivery
He said it was the key Mandate of the Council as the Port Economic Regulator to Set and Monitor Standards of Service Delivery by Regulated Service Providers in the Ports, adding it was inline with this responsibility that the Council established minimum service standards for terminal operators and as well put in place appropriate mechanisms for monitoring performance against those standards.
Ukeyima who was represented by the Director, Regularly Services, Mrs Margaret Ogbonnah said the draft documents cover submission and verification of documents, cargo clearance operations, confirmation of declared contents and the use of electronic systems for data exchange.
According to him,”These are designed to position Nigerian Ports on the same pedestal as Ports that meet international best practices”he said.
Ukeyima said the Council will continue to work in synergy and collaboration with all regulated service providers to ensure the enthronement of global best practices in our Port industry.
“Our collective goal is to build a Port system anchored on transperancy, trust customer satisfaction and sustainable returns on investment for all stakeholders”.
Speaking in an interview, Mrs Margeret Ogbonnah who is the Director Regulatory Services, Nigerian Shippers’ Council said, The Nigerian Shippers Council, as the port economic regulator has a mandate to monitor and enforce minimum standard service delivery in the port sector.
According to her,”And for us to have that, there should be minimum standard, customers are expected to receive from the port.
“One of the things that has been affecting our industry is service failures, so when we have what we call the minimum expected service delivery, you the service taker in the industry will know the level of service you are expected to receive.
“As time goes on, the economic regulator will come up with a framework for consequence management framework.
“In other words, what are the consequences for service failure? In other sectors, like the aviation sector, for instance, there are levels of services.
“Not using Nigeria as a case study, but overseas,If an airline is supposed to lift you, and it fails to lift you, It has a responsibility as part of minimum service expected, to accommodate you in a hotel, pending when they are ready to pick you to your destination
“, At the port level, that’s what we are discussing today” she said.
Also speaking representative of Ocean Serve, Forwarder Eugene Nweke said the process which started years ago was to make Nigerian Ports to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of quality service delivery
He said the situation will reduce clogging at the Ports and check incessant ship diversion to other African Countries because of inefficient service at Nigerian Ports.
John Bibor
