Nigerian Newspapers
‘Critics of Abia governor mischievous’
Special Adviser to Abia State Governor Theodore Orji on Public Relations James Okpara reacted to the allegations of poor performance against the administration. AUGUSTINE AVWODE met him in Lagos.
How would you react to the allegations of poor performance against Governor Theordore Orji?,
The allegations are phony. They can only provoke, at the best, angry laughter. It is rather ironic that those who underdeveloped Abia State and grossly mismanaged her resources from 1999-2007, should be the ones criticizing a performing and well loved administration. I tell you this for a fact, that the present administeration of Governor T A Orji is touching the lives of the people in a most impactful manner. Abians, who are not blinded by partisan considerations and mischievous objectives, know and attest to the developmental strides of th Governor T A Orji in the state. Those who hold contrary opinion are by far in the minority. Apart from being in the minority, they have delibrately refused to be objective in the opinion.
Now, let me tell you, the person who cannot point to any project, which he executed in Abia State during his eight years in power, cannot be the one alleging non-performance by the present administration. Chief Orji Uzor Kalu’s contribution to the development of Abia, if any, is a classic example of how to develop yourself, your family, and by extension, impoverish the state. The roads and projects he built and commissioned, if any, can only be seen and their locations known by him. Contracts were awarded and fully paid for but were executed on paper. Nobody can see or point to a single thing he did with our money.
Under Orji Kalu, what existed was a culture of impunity never seen before in any part of the world. But, we promise Abians that everybody will account for his or her actions. We know those who are seeking attention the very way a fish that is out of water seeks oxygen. These allegations are purely for the purpose of causing mischief.
Is it not the reason the former governor is probably seeking changes in Abia 2015?
Well, it is easier said than done. Don’t forget that this plan to make changes in Abia in 2015 is coming from the same person who was roundly defeated in Abia North Senatorial Election contest in 2011. Everybody, except Orji Kalu knows that you cannot give what you do not have. We should not waste time talking about a man whose political prospect is in disarray and shunned by his own people. Just now, it will be diifcult for him to win a ward election in Abia State. The truth is that no sane person will compare Orji Kalu’s achievements to T.A Orji’s achievements. It is in recognition of the monumental projects that Governor T A Orji has executed in the state and is still executing that which will stand the test of time, that he is called the Legacy Governor.
Which projects are you referring to now?
You can see and point to the Abia State Workers Secretariat, the International Conference Centre, and let me add that only the Abuja International Conference Centre is bigger than this one in Nigeria. You can also point to the New Government House, New Umuahia International Market at Ubani-Ibeku, New Timbers market at Isi-Eke, the New Mechanic and Artisan Village at Ohiya; there are various Housing Estates throughout Abia State, and also, there are more than 200 Health Centres in the nooks and crannies of Abia State. What we have in the state today are beautiful, strong and well constructed roads with drainages. Lest, I forget, there are the new High Court buildings and Ministry of Justice office complexes, new office complex for Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State with digital and modern equipments and studios.
Besides, there is the Abia State Diagnosis Centre, the Abia State Dialysis Centre and the Eye Centre (all in Aba, Umuahia and Amachara), the state government has done so much in the area of providing security and peace in the state. These are some of the many projects that have endeared Chief T.A Orji to the people of the state.
What is the difference between these two administrations?
For you to understand the difference between T.A Orji and Kalu, just let us look at the way empowerment programme was carried out. Under Kalu, empowerment programme for Abians consisted of giving young men and women hoes, machetes and wheel barrows. But under Chief T.A Orji, the empowerment programme consists of giving cars and tricycles as free gifts to Abians, paying the sum of N10,000.00 to N15,000.00 per month to Abia young men and women; donation of generators, computers, telephones with lines and accessories to start phoning business, hair dryers and hairmaking equipment to hair dressers.
As for the health sector, the governor has embarked on building well equipped General Hospitals in every local government area of Abia State and providing free education to Abians. These are some of the ways that Chief T.A Orji has positively impacted on the life of Abians.
Granted that these things were given out, some of them need electricity to be useful…
The governor understands this and through his intervention in the Ohiya Power Station, electricity supply is now available in Umuahia and its environs for almost 24- hour per day. Parts of Imo State that are linked to Ohiya Power Station are also enjoying this 24-hour uninterrupted power supply. Almost every part of Abia North and Abia Central Senatorial zones have stable power supply now. The expectation of the Government is that, with the participation of Geometric Power Systems Limited, Aba town and its environs will also soon begin to enjoy 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. If you doubt it, go to Abia and witness electricity miracle. But to Abians, the greatest achievement of Chief T A Orji is that he has changed the face of governance in the state. It is obvious that the claims of Kalu are empty boast and merely blowing hot air.
It is also worthy to say that the state government under Chief T.A. Orji has been building modern residential accommodation for security personnel in Abia State. I challenge anybody to show me one state that has done this before. The state has set the precedence in this area, and nobody is talking about it. critics of Governor T A Orji are just being mischievous, and that is the truth.There is geniune development going on in Abia State as we talk.
There are reports of friction between Abia and Imo states over the operations of their respective transport companies. What is happening?
The truth is that the people of Abia and Imo states are one and the same. Nobody can separate them or make them fight each other. Regrettably, the governor of Imo State, since his assumption of office, has been busy trying to fan the embers of hatred between these two states. About three months ago, the government of Imo State closed down the premises of Abia State Transport Network Limited in Oweri and stopped it from operating. The excuse was that the loading bay distorted the master plan for Owerri. Meanwhile, another transport company called Peace Mass Transit, which is in the same premises with Abia Line, was not closed down. The Government of Abia State wrote to the Government of Imo State to request that the premises be reopened and if that was not possible, that an alternative site be provided for us. For about three months, the Imo State Government did not even have the elementary courtesy of replying the letter which was written to her, not to talk of providing an alternative place. Meanwhile, it came to the notice of Abia State Government that Imo State Transport Corporation has been operating in Abia State from sites which distort the master plan of the state and were closed down, that is all.
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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