Abia PDP chieftain joins APC

Dr. Chidi O. Ajaegbu, the former director of finance during the 2015 general election in Abia state, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to a report The Sun, Ajaegbu said that he decided to leave PDP because the structure of the party in the state did not allow for transparency, credible democracy and was not an all-inclusive government. Ajaegbu made this known while speaking at Umuojima-Ogbu, Osisioma local government area, Abia state after formalising his membership at the ward level.

He said: “Essentially, I left PDP because my expectations were not met and as far as I am concerned, the aspirations of the Ngwa nation have not been met by the current administration and the reasons being given for the inability of the present government in meeting the expectations of the people are not tenable with me. I believe we could do a lot of things differently.

“The structure of the party in the state doesn’t allow for credible democracy, meaning that it is not all inclusive. If it is not all inclusive, are now delivering our electoral promises to the people of the state? So, we need to find an alternative towards actualizing the aspirations of the average Ngwa man and of course, our brothers up North (people of Old Bende).”

Ajaegbu also urged his people to join APC, so that PDP will be shown the way out in 2019. He said: “I am going to reinforce the party and the essence of being in this party is to strengthen the opposition. To get APC in government in the state in 2019, we will start now to reflect on what PDP government is doing wrong and how to change them.”

He said it was high time APC made the PDP government understood that all Abians are stakeholders to the government in the state, adding that the mandate that anybody was holding was collectively given by the people and the money coming from the federal government, a common wealth which needed to be managed transparently. Ajaegbu is a former President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Source : Naij.com

ABIA NUJ WAR: IKPEAZU’S CPS TASKS NUJ ON MEMBERSHIP

Chief Press Secretary to Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos has tasked the national leadership of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to redefine the membership status of the body, saying that anybody who had no link with any media organization should not be seen as a member of the journalism profession. Appolos who stated this in Umuahia on Tuesday while receiving members of the Aba Federated Chapel of NUJ, who called on him at his office at Government House.

The CPS who spoke against the back drop of a letter purported to have emanated from the John Emejor led NUJ Abia State Council addressing other registered journalists in Aba as “amorphous journalists”, charged practicing journalists not to give “hangers-on” in the profession the opportunity they always seek to rubbish the profession.

“If someone who cannot lay claim or identify himself with any media organization could address registered and practicing journalists in such manner as “amorphous journalists”, I think that issue should be looked into. I am seriously pained because some persons who obviously may not have any formal training in journalism are working so hard to make nonsense of a noble profession.

“The time has come for us journalists to ask who is supposed to be a member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists. The fact that a person works in the Ministry of Justice does not make him a lawyer. In the same vein, that I work in a state Ministry of information should not give me the impetus to talk when journalists are talking.

“None of them can be sent to Maiduguri but all of us here can be sent to Maiduguri to face the heat of the fight against terrorism. But I have never heard that any such persons as those ones have ever faced the hazards of the job that we face,” he said. Appolos said it was worrisome that Emejor who is an information officer in Abia state Information Ministry would have the temerity to describe journalists who work in reputable media organizations as ‘an amorphous group of reporters’ and called on the national body of NUJ to look into this since according to him it does not happen in other professions. He said that he came into office barely a year ago as the Chief Press Secretary to render service to the state.

Earlier, Chairman of the Aba Federated Chapel of NUJ, Mr. Okey Sampson of the Sun Newspapers, said the members paid him a visit to thank him for his assistance to journalists in the city.

He said that such assistance was unprecedented in the history of the Aba NUJ Chapel since it was inaugurated in 1980, about 37 years ago. Sampson commended Gov. Ikpeazu for his detrmination to right the wrongs past leadership in Abia had done against Aba residents which Appolos described as the basis of his relationship with journalists in the city. He urged Ikpeazu to continue in the good works he had been doing, stressing that history will vindicate him.

Source: Abia Facts News

BREAKING: Senate rejects Magu's nomination as DSS disqualifies him again

The Nigerian Senate has rejected the nomination of acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu as the right man for the full-time job.

The Senate's decision to reject Magu followed a report from the Department of State Services (DSS) which again disqualified the EFCC chief based on his failure of an integrity test by the secret police. The acting EFCC boss looked to be doing well during his screening for the position at the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, March 15 when Senator Dino Melaye revealed that the upper house of legislature had received a letter saying Magu was not qualified for the job because he failed integrity test. by the secret police.

 

Melaye said two reports from the DSS were released yesterday on Ibrahim Magu and they all indicted Magu. Melaye read Paragraph 14 of the DSS letter on Magu which stated: “In the light of the foregoing, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption stand of the current government.”

Replying Melaye, Magu slammed the DSS saying that the organisation had shown it had a problem when it released two different reports on him to the Senate late last year.

“What do you say about credibility of that agency?” he queried. 

The Clerk of the House however denied that Senate received two letters from the DSS.According to him, what was received was a  letter on October 3, 2016. The Senate, he said, requested that the DSS re-confirm its integrity report on Magu. This was what was received on Wednesday and to which Melaye referred during questioning of Magu.

To some Nigerians, Magu's rejection by the Senate again shows that some powerful forces are at play against the acting chief of the anti-corruption agency. They are however adamant that Magu remains the right man for the job. Others simply argue that if he had impressed the Senate during screening as he should, he would have been confirmed.

Source: Naij.com

Disarm all Herdsmen, Reps tell Nigerian Government

The House of Representatives on Tuesday Called on the Federal Government to urgently constitute a presidential task force to disarm all herdsmen in Buruku Federal Constituency, other parts of Benue State and throughout the Federal republic of Nigeria.  This was contained in a motion jointly sponsored by the Benue State caucus in the House of Representatives. 

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, the Chairman, Rules and Business, Orker Jev (APC), lamented that communities in Buruku local government area of Benue State, especially Binev Council ward, was invaded by “armed and strange herdsmen”. “The herdsmen destroyed farms, plundered yam barns and looted houses deserted by innocent and armless villagers,” Mr. Orker said. Mr. Orker said the marauding herdsmen started indiscriminate attacks and killings on Saturday around the communities of BerAwuna, Dogo, Ortese – Mbashian, Tse Igyu, Tse Gebe, Anbighir, Tse Iwa, Gbaikyo, Agudu, Nyorum,Shonto and Abuku in three major kindred of Mbade, Mbagoho, Mbashian, Mbaboor and Wuav of Benue State. 

He further stated that the violent attacks continued unabated without any intervention from any security agency throughout that Saturday, and said 20 people were killed by the armed herdsmen, out of which 10 bodies have so far been recovered and deposited at the local government. “We are worried that these strange herdsmen are heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, seem to be operating or supported by a killer squad of mercenaries that arrived the communities on Friday night on motorcycles and unleashed the mayhem the following day,” Mr Orker added. The Binev Council ward lies on the Bank of River Katsina – Ala in Buruku local government area with mass water bodies and large portions of fadama lands suitable for rice farming and aquatic life.

Most residents of Buruku are farmers and fishermen. The lawmakers urged the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) to send food and relief materials to the affected communities. 

The lawmakers also resolved to summon all heads of security agencies to brief the house on their efforts so far to curb the excesses of the herdsmen. The deputy speaker, Yusuf Lasun, who presided, mandated the Committees on Special Duties and Police Affairs to ensure the implementation of the resolution.

 Source: Premium Times

What ICPC discovered in Sanusi Mohammed's house is mind boggling

ICPC has raided the houses of one Sanusi Mohammed, a former aide to ex-Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state

- Following their raid, ICPC discovered 165 rounds of ammunition, a pump action rifle and other weapons

- About 220 flats, located in 20 estates, allegedly belonging to Sanusi, were confiscated

- Some undisclosed cash and jewelry were also part of the things seized from Sanusi's home

Following a series of investigations into his affairs, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confiscated about 220 flats, located in 20 estates, allegedly belonging to one Sanusi Mohammed. Sanusi, a former aide to ex-Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state, also had in one of his apartments located at GRA, Bauchi, 165 rounds of ammunition, a pump action rifle and other weapons.

Punch quoted a source as saying "The ICPC made the discovery following a tip-off by a whistle-blower". According to the source, “About 10 days ago, we received a tip-off from a whistle-blower about the lifestyle of one Sanusi Mohammed, a former aide to former Bauchi Governor, Isa Yuguda.

“We traced 220 flats in 20 estates to him. The houses range from two-bedroom to three-bedroom flats. “Inside some of the properties, we discovered four sophisticated guns with 165 rounds of ammunition, five exotic cars and 15 new air conditioners.“We believe the air conditioners were donated to the Bauchi State Government by China.

“We also recovered some cash as well as 25 designer watches and 20 bales of brocade.”

It was learnt that Mohammed was arrested by the ICPC and quizzed but was later released on administrative bail.

Spokesperson for the ICPC, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, when contacted said she could not speak on the matter. She said, “According to the ICPC Act, we are not allowed to divulge details investigation. I cannot deny or confirm any story. In any case, anyone who is under investigation is presumed innocent until proved otherwise.”

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also sealed a multi-million naira mansion belonging to Yugusa ‎at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Street, GRA, Bauchi. A statement issued on Saturday, October 22, 2016, by the special assistant to current Bauchi state governor on communications Shamsuddeen Lukman Abubakar, informed that Yuguda’s multi-million naira mansion at Sir Kashim Ibrahim street, GRA Bauchi was visited by men of the anti-graft agency on Friday, October 21. "This new development might not be unconnected with the series of complaints and petitions filed against the former governor by the current Bauchi State government under Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar to the EFCC," he said.
Source: Naij.com