City Crime
A’Court Rules On Motion To Suspend PDP Convention, Today …As BoT Blasts Secondus, Says Event To Hold
The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has reserved judgement on the application brought before it seeking the leave of the court to suspend the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention scheduled to begin in Abuja, tomorrow.
This is as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) has insisted that its national convention would hold according to plan.
The three-man panel of Justices of the Appellate Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani reserved the judgement for ruling, today at 12noon after taking all arguments from the counsel representing the parties in the matter.
Justice Tsammani while adjourning the sitting, yesterday, expressed happiness with the level of maturity shown by all the parties, especially the counsel who represented their clients in the matter, and appealed to the media to report accurately what transpired in the court and avoid heating up the system.
The embattled former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Prince Uche Secondus in Appeal Court suit number CA/339/2021 versus Ibeawuchi Alex & 11 Others is seeking, among other things, the leave of the court through a motion to suspend the holding of the National Convention of PDP scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 30, 2021 at Abuja pending the determination of the matter before it.
Secondus through his counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is asking the court to put the convention on hold and determine whether his removal as the national chairman of the party was valid, saying that the constitution of party empowered him to preside over the party’s convention.
He explained that his client had not asked the court to nullify the party’s national convention but that it was his constitutional right and not a privilege to preside over the convention, and urged the court to grant him the prayers sought in the application.
According to him, Article 35,Sub-Section 16 of the PDPConstitution used a mandatory word “Shall” preside over, adding that such word invested on Prince UcheSecondus the power to preside over the convention making it mandatory and not “privileged power.
“I draw the attention of my Lords to Paragraph 19 of my written address on point of law which captures the essence of my prayers. We urge you, my Lord to preserve the mace in this case, the jurisdiction of the court, and to give efficacious judgement in this appeal. The appellant has placed before you that he was unconstitutionally removed as the national chairman of the party and his image is permanently destroyed.
“I urge you to give him justice, his tenure as the national chairman of the party will come to an end by December 3, 2021”, he stated.
In their own presentations and arguments, the respondents’ counsel for Ibeawuchi and 11 others, Henry Bello (Esq), S.I.Ahmed,representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are the 6th respondent; Godwin Obla, (SAN), 8th respondent; Donald Dee Wigwe (SAN) 9&10 respondent; and Sabastine Hon (SAN) for 11th respondent; vehemently opposed the application, and urged the court to dismiss it in its entirety as the application was lacking in merit.
They submitted that the application sought by the appellant applicant was alien, adding that the allusion infused in the motion was a radical departure from the appeal.
They, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the motion.
According to them, the applicant’s application was belaboured, in vain, and prayed the court to consider in balance the over 4,000 members of the party who have since travelled to Abuja for the convention.
They argued that the interest of an individual cannot override the interest of 4,000 persons, adding that all arrangements for the convention have been concluded.
The Tide reports that the appeal was in respect to the earlier judgement given by the Rivers State High Court which sacked Prince UcheSecondus as the national chairman of the party.
Around six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are taking part in the legal war at the Appeal Court.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that its planned national convention would hold.
PDP’s Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Walid Jibril, said the convention would hold despite the suit challenging the event by the party’s suspended national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State High Court had restrained Secondus from parading himself as the party’s chairman.
But, Secondus vowed never to withdraw the suit challenging his removal from office.
He had challenged PDP to stop all forms of preparation for the convention pending the hearing of his case in the Court of Appeal.
However, Jubril urged Secondus not to make the former ruling party ungovernable.
Featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, the BoT chairman insisted that the party’s national convention would take place as scheduled.
According to Jibrin: “It will be very wrong for Secondus, being a founding member of the PDP, to make the party ungovernable.
“Could it be now that he goes against what the party is doing, what the party intends to do? I say it will be very wrong if Secondus is taking another fight completely, yielding the course to solve his own problem.
“Everything will come to an end. He had been in this party since the formation of the party. Is he going to die, what is going to happen to him? Let’s look at the party as supreme and go on with the decision of this party.
“I would like to say that the convention planned for the 30th of this month is on and we’re going to be there and carry out our duties and improve our party.
“We have processes and we have the national deputy chairman from the south, where he comes from and he is on course and he is now leading our party. His presence in the convention is not necessary at all.”
By: Akujobi Amadi
The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the other party to the Supreme Court judgment; Rivers State House of Assembly, needed to know that they are also to comply with the ruling, and do so with commitment that prioritises the interest of the State.
The Governor maintained that such resolve must engender collective action towards achieving peace in the State because it serves as the potent medium through which all the arms of Government can function properly while creating public goods that benefit everyone.
Governor Fubara, who spoke at the inauguaration of the 85-year-old Okrika Grammar School in Okrika Local Government Area on Thursday, emphasised that without an enduring peace, sustainable development will be hampered practically, while the sense of security, respect, tolerance, stability, and well-being to pursue goals will suffer.
The Governor said: “Let me thank everyone, and also say this, it is important at this stage that we all embrace peace. The Supreme Court has made its judgment, we don’t have any option than to abide by it.
“And, by the special grace of God, we have started the process. We are appealing to other parties, consider the interest of Rivers State, it is important. The only thing that we owe this State is peace and development. I am open any day, any time for total peace in our State, because if I have to govern well, there is need for peace to prevail.”
Commenting on the project, Governor Fubara recalled how the planning committee of the 20th Anniversary of the Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion visited, and appealed to him to give the school, dilapidated for a long time, a facelift.
Governor Fubara said he considered their request on the premise of the place the school filled in history and the importance of quality education in addressing some social vices among idle and uneducated youths.
The Governor stated: “I felt the least, as a government, we can do is to uplift the standard of this school. And, it is not out of place, because it is part of our agenda. The key things in this administration’s agenda are healthcare, education and food sufficiency (agriculture).
“So, we immediately keyed into it, and to the glory of God, we are here today to unveil one of the things that we have done, even in the face of these situations confronting our administration, which we didn’t bring upon ourselves. But we give God all the glory.”
Governor Fubara assured the Anglican Church that whatever that is remaining, within the scope of what has been approved in the institution, will be completed, stressing that education has remained the bedrock of development in any society.
He added that if the key ingredients (facilities) to boost education are properly managed, crime will be reduced drastically, saying: “So, I believe that when all the facilities put in place in this school are put into full use, the level of crime, the level of criminality would definitely reduce, not just in Okrika but other neighbouring communities that will benefit from this school.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to do our best because the interest of our State is the most important thing to us. This school is being managed by the church. I believe the church would protect every facility that we have put in this place. The church should see the facility as its own. As a matter of fact, the school belongs to the church, it is not government anymore. What government is doing today is to compliment their effort.”
The Rivers State Governor assured the leadership of the Anglican Church in the area that he will send experts to assess the shore protection concerns expressed by the Bishop, and see what can be done to safeguard the surrounding land of the school from being washed away.
Governor Fubara also challenged the Old Boys of the school to be bold and courageous to take up some strategic projects, especially those they had listed in their address, including establishing a centre for computer-based examinations for external examinations.
Providing the project description, Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ovy Orluideye Chukwuma, pointed to the massive remodelling and reconstruction work achieved, which has restored the cherished glory of Okrika Grammar School to confirm the commitment of Governor Fubara to quality education of children.
He said, “The construction and equipping of Okrika Grammar School, Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State was awarded in April, 2024 to various contractors, and was duly funded to completion by the Rivers State Government under the administration of Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“The project consists of an Administrative Block, 24 Classroom Blocks, Laboratory, ICT Library Block, Assembly Hall, 100-bed Male Hostel, 100-bed Female Hostel, Kitchen and Dinning Hall, Matron’s Quarters and Sickbay, Principal’s Quarters, Senior Staff Quarters, Junior Staff Quarters, perimeter fencing, gate, generator house and power supply with extension of electricity, including solar-powered streetlights.
“There are also Vice Principal’s Quarters, sports facilities such as lawn tennis, basketball and school field. Revamping for facelift some of the old buildings such as the old dinning hall, repainting of various old structures and buildings within the premises.”
Dr Chukwuma also said: “There is road network and landscaping of about 1.8kilometers with 1.5kilometer drainage, interlocking connecting buildings, completed road pavements and parking lots, water supply to all the buildings within the compound.
“There is also furnishing and equipping of the entire 14 structures with standard students’ desks, hostel beds, quality and standard furniture, electronics such as 86 air conditioning, both inverter and 1.5 horsepower and 75 smart television sets, 60 computer sets and standard science laboratory.”
In her welcome address, Head of Local Government Administration, Okrika Local Government Area, Mrs Obianime Appollos, said the Okrika Grammar School in Okrika, established in 1940, had remained an iconic institution known for academic excellence, and thanked Governor Fubara for remodelling structures and restoring the status of the institution after years of neglect of all facilities, which demonstrates his commitment to providing quality education, investment in the future of Rivers children and improving the well-being of the people.
Speaking for the Old Boys Association, Mr Golden Iruayenama, said the years of neglect and dilapidation of structures at Okrika Grammar School were worrisome with promises to fix them never materialized until Governor Fubara changed the narrative.
Also speaking, Bishop of Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Enoch Atuboyedia, said it will be remembered that it was when the school attained 85 years of existence that Governor Fubara, magnanimously remodelled and resuscitated Okrika Grammar School to help the shaping of the future of Rivers children, educationally.
Gunmen, who recently abducted the winner of the National Qur’anic Recitation Competition, Abdulsalam Rabi’u are demanding the sum of N30million ransom as condition for his release.
The Tide’s source recalled that the criminal elements had on Tuesday kidnapped Rabi’u along with his father and brothers near Labin Bangori in Katsina State.
Rabi’u, an indigene of Katsina State and a medical student at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria emerged winner of the competition, Hizb 60 with Tajweed, earlier held in Kebbi State.
He was kidnapped after Governor Dikko Umar Radda invited him and his father to the Government House for a special recognition ceremony.
The gunmen reportedly picked Rabi’u alongside his father and other members of his family while returning home after the ceremony.