Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Victor Nnam who resigned last Friday did not do a formal handover in his Ministry.
In line with Civil Service rules, the commissioner was meant to handover to the highest officer in the Ministry.
But in his resignation letter made available to EverydayNews the commissioner merely noted that he had returned his official car to the governor’s office.
He even went further to give details of the vehicle and the registration number.
He wrote; “”I here by resign my appointment as the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Enugu State with effect from today, Friday 29 October. 2021 and submit the black Prado SUV, with plate number, 1ENSG 5712 to your office.”
EverydayNews also reports that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is yet to receive the resignation letter.
The governor who was in Abuja for the PDP National Convention as at the time of his resignation is expected back in Enugu on Monday.
Meanwhile workers in the state have been celebrating the Commissioner’s exit urging Ugwuanyi to ensure a less arrogant and approachable person as his replacement.
A formal Government reaction is expected by the time the governor returns early next week.
Political strategist and former political adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Akin Osuntokun, has faulted the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), style of governance.
He noted that Buhari has broken all the records in Nigeria in a negative way since he assumed office in 2015.
According to him, no political leader in Nigeria’s history has divided Nigeria along ethnic lines as much as Buhari has done in the last six years, claiming that he is not a good example of who a Nigerian should be.
Osuntokun stated this during an interview with Arise Tv on Saturday monitored by our correspondent.
He faulted Buhari’s appointment style as being lopsided, saying under no other President had the heads of the three arms of government come from the same political constituency.
“That is a bad example. He is not my own good example. He has done more than any other political leader in Nigeria to the course of division. Divisiveness! Look at his appointments. Look at what he does to the country. I am sure you have heard that Nigeria is even more divided (now) than during the civil war. It stems directly from the style of his leadership.
“I was telling some people a few days ago that he (Buhari) has even appropriated the chairman of APC to the North-East (Yobe). This is the first time in Nigeria where you are going to have the heads of the three organs of government coming from the same political constituency.
“The President, who is the head of the country; Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly; and, the head of judiciary, Justice Mohammed Tanko, who is the Chief Justice. It has never happened like that in the history of this country.
“Buhari has broken all the records in Nigeria in a negative way. Even the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission’s) Chairman, for instance, he (Buhari) is the first person to appoint the chairman of INEC from his constituency. It has never happened. Go back to 1960.
“Those appointed into the position of INEC chairman have never come from the party of the president, and that is how it should be. We are talking about the letter and spirits of the law and Federal Character; take a look at what he has done. I am even surprised you are asking me that. It is not just about the person and personality of the President; it is also about his policies, styles, what he says, everything about him. Anything about Buhari gets me worked up.”
Speaking further, Osuntokun said the way the Buhari-led regime had governed the country since 2015 was directly responsible for the secession agitations being witnessed by the country.
He said, “There is always this idea of blaming the victims. People are talking about separatists and blaming Igboho (Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo). There is a cost and effect logic to what has happened. The way President Buhari has governed this country since 2015 is directly responsible for the demands of separatists. He has been the one who has shown the initiative and set the agenda for that by the way he governs.
“One of their chronic moments was that some months ago, when they were to sign for a loan for the rehabilitation of the moribund Port Harcourt Refinery, the two signatories to the agreement were the Group Managing Director of the NNPC and the Managing Director of the PH refinery, both from the North – one is from Borno, the other is from Katsina. They will say they were representing Nigeria. You can replicate that in almost every organization.”
When asked about what to make out of the calls for southern presidency, Osuntokun said he ‘has no candidate outside of the South-East.’
According to him, an Igbo President is imperative in keeping Nigeria together and strengthening democracy.
He identified a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Kingsley Moghalu; a former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili; a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, amongst others, as possible candidates.
He said, “I have a personal position on it (2023) and I have been passionate about it. We ought to have a nation first before we have bureaucracy or any internal system. If you are coming from the premise of nation building, which is fundamental, all logic dictates that whoever is going to be the President of Nigeria should not only be restricted to the South; I personally believe that it should go to the South-East.
“Now, I have heard the argument about IPOB and them wanting to secede, which is the more reason why you should do that. You put them… It is like the story of the prodigal son. The father didn’t chase him away; he pulled him back. How is that consistent with the idea of building a nation? They want to get any loophole, vulnerability or anything that challenges your objective of nation building, which is clear in the case with the South-East, that is what you should do. Not everybody is IPOB in the South-East. You are going to find there people who are more Nigerian than Buhari himself. Buhari is not Nigerian. If you don’t want them in Nigeria, then let them go, because the message that is communicated in Nigeria.”
Efforts to get the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, to react to claim by Osuntokun were unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile phone by our correspondent on Saturday rang out and a text message sent to him had not been replied as of press time.
Similarly, the Chairman, Buhari Media Organisation, Niyi Akinsuyi, could also not be reached as his phone line was switched off and a text message sent to him was not replied as of press time.
Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has made his first-ever public appearance, officials announced on Sunday, after he addressed supporters in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
Mr Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the Islamist movement since 2016 but has remained a reclusive figure, even after his group seized power in Afghanistan in August, AFP reports.
His low profile has fed speculation about his role in the new Taliban government – and even rumours of his death.
On Saturday, he visited the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrasah to “speak to his brave soldiers and disciples”, according to Taliban officials.
There was tight security at the event and no photographs or video have emerged, but a 10-minute audio recording was shared by Taliban social media accounts.
Mr Akhundzada – referred to as “Amirul Momineen” or commander of the faithful – gave a religious message.
The speech did not touch on politics but sought God’s blessing for the Taliban leadership.
He prayed for the Taliban martyrs, wounded fighters and the success of the Islamic Emirate’s officials in this “big test”.
Mr Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 United States drone strike killed his predecessor Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
Members of the 2021 Batch C, Stream 1 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been told that substance abuse and indulging in consumption of illicit and hard drugs could lead to increase in social vices such as crime, insecurity, poverty and death.
They were also told that the consequence of this on the country is that statistically, 20 million Nigerians which represented 15 percent of the population are drug addicts.
This disclosure was made by Njemanze Chuks, Head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on camp, during an awareness lecture on the evils of substance abuse at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Ede, Osun State.
Njemanze, who added that risks factors of substance abuse included: strained relationships, academic failure, mental stress and chaotic home environment added that factors which prevented individuals from getting hooked on it included a healthy lifestyle, united home front, success at school or work and a harmonious marriage.
Listing examples of substances that are commonly abused, the NDLEA official stated that they included: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and concoctions such as monkey tail, skushies, biscuits and cakes laced with cannabis.
While identifying signs of substance abuse as drowsiness, mouth odour, slow breath, sleeplessness, cardiovascular, kidney and liver diseases and psychological issues such as resistance to law enforcement, loss of interest in activities, cheating and lying, he urged corps members to steer clear of these substances as it adversely affects their health including the Central Nervous System.
“Substance abuse develops in stages. The first stage is the initiation/experimental stage where the individual tests out the product.
“The second stage is the occasional users whereby the individual abuses the substance at parties or events.
“At the third stage, the individual goes out looking for substances as a regular user.
“Finally, when a person is addicted to substances, they cannot function properly without those substances.”
He hinted that the first stage in the treatment and recovery from substance abuse is the acknowledgement of an addiction problem.
“This is then augmented with therapy and medication,” he stated.
A mass communication student of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, identified simply as Chidinma, has reportedly stabbed her boyfriend, Daniel Johnson, over WhatsApp chats with another female friend.
The victim was stabbed by the lady on Wednesday, October 27. He however survived the attack.
Narrating his ordeal to journalists after his recuperation, the victim stated that his girlfriend went through his WhatsApp messages while he was asleep before stabbing him with a knife.
He said, “I was sleeping when she went through my phone. She opened my WhatsApp and read my chat with another girl. Then she proceeded to use a knife to stab me on my right hand.
“I woke up with the stab and called for help before it could get worse. My neighbours came and rescued me. The police were invited and she was whisked away to ‘B’ Division in Asaba. I’m lucky to be alive”.
When contacted for confirmation, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, told our correspondent that the incident had yet to be reported to the command headquarters as of the time of filing this report.
The Department of State Services recently handed over eight suspected internet fraudsters to the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
This was contained in a statement titled ‘NDLEA, DSS Hand Over Suspected Internet Fraudsters to EFCC in Enugu’ released on Friday by the EFCC.
According to the statement, the suspects who were arrested at a luxurious apartment in an estate in Enugu were handed over to the EFCC on October 20, 2021.
The arrested persons were suspected to be apprentices learning the craft of cyber fraud.
In a similar development, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, also arrested and handed over two suspected internet fraudsters to the EFCC Enugu Command.
The suspects, named Eze David and Onyia Steven, were handed over to the Commission on Saturday, October 23, 2021.
“At the time of their arrest, Steven had in his possession 68 (sixty- eight) blank GTB ATM Cards. Other items recovered from him include mobile phones, a Lexus IS350 Salon car with registration number, BWR 977 BR,” the statement revealed.
The NDLEA handed over the suspects along with the recovered items including written statements recorded at the Agency’s office.
The statement partly read, “Preliminary investigation following the handover, reveals that the suspect Onyia is into ATM Card scam as two more blank ATM cards were recovered at his residence in the course of executing a search warrant.
“Also, a staff of a new generation bank at Rangers Avenue Enugu whose conversation with the suspect was intercepted by the Commission, has been arrested and is currently helping the investigation.”
The suspects, now in EFCC custody, will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.
The Nigerian Army has reacted to claims that the Force and the Department of State Services created the Biafra National Guard and the unknown gunmen in the South-East.
The Army described the claims as a hoax employed by the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security Network to diminish the public support Exercise Golden Dawn is getting in the South-East.
Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Conspiracy Pretext Employed By IPOB/ESN, A Hoax,’ issued on Saturday.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Army(NA) is not unmindful of the antics of individuals or groups whose stock in trade is to peddle falsehood and disinformation to remain relevant in South-East Nigeria. One of such scheming, currently in the media domain is the mischievous submission by Kalu Odinakachi, who alleged that the DMI and DSS created and funded BNG, UGM to Enforce-Sit- at Home in a bid to discredit IPOB/ESN. It must be abundantly clarified that this spurious allegation is unfounded and could be absolutely described as a hoax.
“Though the NA would not like to elevate such purveyors of disinformation and propaganda, it is expedient to put on record, that in recent times, the activities of IPOB/ESN have undoubtedly assumed a violent dimension. This unimaginable level of violence is oiled with propaganda and disinformation to whip-up sentiments and draw sympathy from unsuspecting citizens in the region.
“For the records, the proscribed organisation has in recent times foisted a sit-at-home order to show sympathy for their self-acclaimed leader.
“This was greeted with violence, orchestrated destruction of public installations and facilities, arson, as well as looting of shops and malls in the region, to demonstrate their criminal potency. They defiled the sanctity of the highly revered traditional institution of Ndigbo by recklessly murdering their own traditional leaders.
“These spineless and irresponsible actions targeted at the very people they claim they want to liberate, clearly unmask their heinous and directionless agenda for Ndigbos.
“Realising the futility, hollowness and public rejection of their violent agitation, they resorted to twisting the narrative in the region to galvanise local support.
“Their wild allegation that BNG and UGN were an overt operation by the DMI and DSS is not only laughable but remains largely illusive and a ploy to diminish the public support the NA is savouring in the ongoing exercises.
“In his blatant display of ignorance, Odinakachi failed to realise that such designation as DMI has since ceased to exist in the NA. These criminal elements with their cohorts must come to terms with the reality of the ongoing Exercise GOLDEN DAWN and turn themselves in to security agencies or be ready to face the consequences of their lawlessness.
“More grotesque is the narrative peddled by these merchants of propaganda, in respect of IPOB/ESN gunmen recently eliminated by troops in a shootout at Ekwulobia Roundout in Aguata LGA.
“These unscrupulous elements insinuated that those taken out were Fulanis. An outrageous claim that should be disregarded in its entirety. This is apparently another failed attempt in their usual mannerism, to attribute their criminal activities to a third party and feign innocence; an indication of a visionless group totally devoid of integrity.”
The Army urged the people of the South-East to go about their normal businesses, as efforts are stepped up to rid the region of criminal elements masquerading as BNG and UGM.
“We encourage members of the public to provide actionable information to security agencies as the Exercises progress,” the statement added.
The organized Labour in Enugu State has expressed happiness with the exit of the State Commissioner for Lands, Victor Nnam who recently resigned his position.
In a statement made available to EverydayNews in Enugu the Labour Union described the former Commissioner as very arrogant and unfriendly.
Signed by the NLC Chairman Comrade Virginus Nwobodo and that of TUC Comrade Ben Asogwa, the Union expressed disappointment with the level of decay in the Ministry and urged Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to look for a better person to replace him.
They suggested that his replacement should be humble, approachable, Godly and law abiding in the discharge of his duties.
They expressed dismay with the activities of the former Commissioner while he was in office recalling that he revoked the land belonging to members of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employee, NULGE, re parceled the land and allotted same to another set of owners.
The commissioner, they said also revoked plots of lands belonging to a body of health workers at Parklane.
“The Ministry under the former Commissioner made a lot of residents and workers to lose plots of lands they bought with hard earned and lean income.”
Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has said the raid on Justice Mary Odili’s home, allegedly perpetrated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, could be politically motivated.
Ozekhome, who visited Odili after the incident, also revealed that the judge did not resist the raid.
He said, “She didn’t resist any search. I believe that they themselves would have found that they were committing terrible hara-kiri, that is, giving them the benefit of the doubt,”
“The other theory which is also as powerful is that it is politically motivated, deliberately contrived as artifice and designed to embarrass this cerebral justice of the supreme court and to embarrass her husband.”
Justice Odili is the wife of a former governor of Rivers state, and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Odili, who is currently on the watchlist of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Ozekhome inferred that the raid could have been carried to stoke fire ahead of the PDP National convention happening today in Abuja adding that the raid was an embarrassment for Nigeria.
“Of course, the husband is a well-known PDP titan, and tomorrow is the PDP convention. Could it have been designed to rake up issues and make it look like they were trying to go after him so as to demoralise the delegates for tomorrow’s convention? That is another theory.
“But whatever theory, one thing is clear to me, we are gradually moving towards the precipice of calling ourselves a banana republic. Nowhere in the world would secret agents just bump into the house of a justice of the supreme court and a former governor with an empty search warrant with no name written on it.”
Meanwhile, the EFCC has denied the raid on the justice’s house claiming they were not involved.
A 22-year-old man identified as Idris Shuaib on Thursday hanged himself on a tree in his father’s farm at Gwanara in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.
According to Shuaib’s uncle, the victim who was from Ankara Wooro compound, Gwanara, allegedly took his life because he was impotent.
The Public Relations Officer of the stare Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Babawale Afolabi, who confirmed the incident, said that the deceased who was a graduate of Muideen College of Education, Ilorin “reportedly hanged himself over his inability to copulate with women.”
Afolabi said, “The lifeless body of a 22 years old NCE graduate, Idris Shuaib, was discovered dangling on a cashew tree. He reportedly hanged himself over his inability to copulate or sleep with women. According to the uncle of the deceased, Idris left home early on Thursday telling his father that he wanted to go to the farm as his usual routine not knowing that he had another motive this time round.
“The deceased hanged himself inside his father’s farm located at Gwanara- Munduro road with the aid of rope and one jerry can. On Thursday, October 28, 2021, the NSCDC office in Gwanara, Baruten Local Government Area got a report about one Idris Shuaib, 22 who allegedly committed suicide in the farm citing his inability to copulate with women.’’
The NSCDC spokesman said that the remains of late Idris were brought down from the tree and taken to the hospital for autopsy by officers of the corps. He further said investigations were ongoing on the crime.
