Governors
Southeast governors lunches regional security outfit
The five governors of the Southeast region, on Sunday, launched Ebubeagu regional security to fight terrorism in the zone. The Chairman Southeast Governors Forum and governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi, disclosed this to newsmen at the Imo government house, along side with other Southeast governors. According to him, the regional security would be the joint Vigilante from Southeast with their headquarters in Enugu state. It would be recalled that newsmen had reported that, following the wave of attacks on public institutions especially the police stations in the South East zone, the five governors of the Southeast, have stormed Owerri on Sunday, to take strong decisions on the issue of insecurity in the zone. The governors in attendance were, Governor of Abia State, Okezuo Ikpeazu, Anambr...
PDP governors: Restructuring necessary to avert civil war
File Photo Amidst rising tension across the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, yesterday, said an urgent devolution of power and restructuring of the polity has become imperative, as the country cannot afford another civil war. The Forum raised the alarm that the country is fast becoming a failed state, under the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government. The PDP governors expressed worries that all fault lines and differences in the country has been stretched to the limit by the present administration, because it allegedly lacks the capacity to governors. The opposition governors stated this, in a communique, issued at the end of their meeting, in the Benue State capital, Makurdi. The meeting was attended by Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sokoto St...
House leaders demand full autonomy for local councils
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase; and Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, have called for full autonomy for local governments in Nigeria, stating that it is the only way dividends of democracy can get to the people at the grass roots. Wase and Elumelu made the call in Abuja on Thursday, at a leadership training sponsored by the Minority Leader for chairmen and councillors of Local Government Areas in Delta State. The Deputy Speaker, while answering questions from journalists, recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed an Executive Order to declare financial autonomy for LGs. Buhari had signed Executive Order 10 in May 2020. Wase said, “As for me, first as a member of parliament representing my constituency and my people, I think I am on the s...
Ebonyi attacks: VP Osinbajo visits affected communities
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has assured the people of Ebonyi State that justice would be served in the case of persons recently killed by assailants in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Osinbajo stated this on Sunday when he visited the affected communities including Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu. He was led to the affected communities by the state governor, Dave Umahi. The vice-president also directed the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Ministry Of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management And Social Development to assess the level of damage done by the assailants with a view of providing succor for the affected communities. According to the governor, at least 15 persons were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen who attacked the communities on the ...
Ohanaeze faction opens own office
The division in Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership following January 10th election has deepened with the faction opposed to the Prof. George Obiozor- led leadership opening a parallel office opposite the Akanu Ibiam International Airport as its operational base. The Engr. Chidi Ibeh-led faction had while inspecting the main Ohanaeze Secretariat at the Park Avenue, Enugu, recently, declared it as uninhabitable and vowed to secure another secretariat to run the affairs of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization. Meanwhile, the Ibeh group has declared April 22, 2021 as “Atonement Day of Ndigbo”. According to Ibeh, on the issue of atonement, “this land must be purified; our prayerful men and women will be assembled together, all the clergy in Igbo land will come together and pray for the cleansing o...
Niger Delta agitators urges South South governors to work with Senator Akpabio to develop region
A coalition of Niger Delta agitators, weekend, called on governors of South South to work with Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to develop Niger Delta region and its people. The group meanwhile, called out governors of Niger Delta states, saying recent revelation by Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, that they (governors) collected N100 million each as Covid-19 palliative has exposed their hypocrisy. Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Patrick Ayo Akinyelure, last week, told reporters in Abuja that NDDC officials told the committee that each of the nine governors of the Niger Delta states got N100 million as Covid-19 palliatives. Coordinator of the 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience, 2...
Ebonyi governor: South East benefited more from APC government than PDP’s 16 years
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum weekend, said the South East benefitted more from the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, federal government than from Peoples Democratic Party’s sixteen years of governance. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos through his Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Umahi said the Igbo have had a fair-play under Buhari’s administration in terms of economic and infrastructure development. According to him, the N10Billion Airport rehabilitation, the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway and other infrastructures are pointers to the benefits the South East States are getting from the Buhari administration. “These are indications that this administration is helping t...
NJC recommends appointment of 18 justices for Appeal Court, others
The National Judicial Council (NJC) under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari, the appointment of 18 Justices into the bench of the Court of Appeal. The NJC similarly recommended to eight governors including that of Delta, Rivers, Ebonyi, Kogi, Jigawa and Nasarawa, the appointment of eight judges as Heads of Court in their affected states. The affected judicial officers according to a statement by the Director, Information, NJC, were considered for appointment by the NJC’s Interview Committee at the NJC’s 94th Meeting held on December 17 and 18, 2020. Among those recommended for appointment into the bench of the appellate court are; Justice Bature Gafai, Justice Muhammad Sirajo and Justice Waziri Abdul-Az...
WTO chief: ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ to stop abduction of students
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday expressed hope that the ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ will help stop the incessant abduction of students across Nigeria. Nigerian women on Wednesday came out en masse to welcome Okonjo-Iweala in her first homecoming since she became the director-general of WTO, during a visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja. Addressing the crowd which included Senators and members of the National Assembly, former Ministers, wives of former governors, women in the Armed Forces, women societies, female political aspirants, Civil Society Organisations, as well as students, Okonjo-Iweala expressed deep concern about the incessant abduction of girls and boys in schools. The WTO boss who noted that it is shamef...
Kaduna abduction: Group urges government not to negotiate with bandits
The Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), has condemned the abduction of 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, who were abducted by bandits on Friday. The group urged Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai not to negotiate with bandits. In a statement by its Executive Director, Ambassador Melvin Ejeh, the group said the abduction was orchestrated to blackmail el-Rufai over his position on non-negotiation with bandits. According to the group, no responsible government should negotiate with terrorists. It hailed the governor for his prompt response that resulted in the rescue of 180 distraught students and members of staff of the school. It expressed optimism that the remaining 39 students still not accounted for would soon be rescued. The st...
PDP governors inaugurate finance, legal affairs, legislative liaison committees
File Photo Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have inaugurated three committees of the forum, namely Finance, Legal Affairs and Legislative Liaison. This was one of the outcomes of the meeting of the forum held Thursday at the Conference Hall, Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja. A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the Chairman of the Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State says the Finance Committee is chaired by Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and has as members Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom. The Legislative Liaison Committee has Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi as chairman, while Gov. Okowa, Gov Ifean...
Brazil hospitals pushed to limit as coronavirus death toll soars
Hospitals in Brazil’s main cities are reaching capacity, health officials have warned, as the country recorded the world’s highest COVID-19 death toll over the past week, triggering tighter restrictions on Thursday in its most populous state. Intensive care wards for treating COVID-19 patients have reached critical occupancy levels over 90% in 15 of 27 state capitals, according to biomedical center Fiocruz. In Porto Alegre, the largest city in southern Brazil, there are no free intensive care units (ICUs), and occupancy has also hit 100% in two other state capitals, Fiocruz reported. The Health Ministry on Wednesday reported a record 2,286 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, as new infections rose by 79,876. With more than 270,000 deaths, Brazil’s pandemic death toll over the past y...
