News
Umahi, Peter Obi have no issues, Commissioner…alleges fabricated lies against Gov
Ebonyi State Commissioner for information and State Orientation Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji has lambasted those allegedly sponsored to fabricate falsehood against Governor Dave Umahi.
In a statement made available to EverydayNews, the Commissioner condemned the publications “orchestrated by a group of political hirelings, including Paschal Oluchukwu of the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID), Igboayaka O Igboayaka of Ohaneze Youth Council and Kabir Yusuf of Premium Times and Prestige News etc.
He accused them of being idly engrossed with sponsored motives of fabricating falsehood against the Governor with a view to “undermining his soaring leadership hallmarks in the last seven (7) years.
Barr Orji described the renewed orchestrations of falsehood against the Governor as a product of ill will that came as a political lashback on Umahi for championing the cause of national unity and South East mainstreaming in national politics, especially his commitment to the victory of APC in the 2023 Presidential Election
“Recent publication of Pascal Oluchukwu is one of the series of his infamous, disrespectful and unfounded fabrications calculated at running down on the person and policies of the Governor of Ebonyi State for not conforming with his clannish and divisive entreaties in his native community in Ebonyi State where he has been declared wanted by security agencies for his complicity in violent crimes and killings in the area.
“Since then, the said Pascal Oluchukwu has been operating fugitively and concocting melancholic and mendacious fictions against the person of the Governor and the institution he represents.
“The false political narratives chronicled in the publication of Pascal Oluchukwu shows that the great achievements of Governor Umahi has become an albatross of Pascal Chukwu that prevents him from living a normal life.
“The publication of Igboayaka O. Igboayaka is nothing but a clueless propaganda politically calculated to defraud the collective sensibilities of the gullible public on the actual state of security in Anambra State or any part whatsoever in South East.
“The uncoordinated narrative of his records of killings and unconscionable reeling of unfounded security reports indicting SARS of involvment in extra- judicial killings is as strange as a tale imaginatively recounted to curry cheap sympathy in desperation for political actualizations.
“It must be mentioned that Ebonyi State Government knows nothing about his rhetorics about the said crimes allegedly committed between 2004 and 2013 as the stories have no nexus with any incident of security breaches in any part of Ebonyi State or South East in the life of the Umahi administration.
“In his high sense of mischief and falsehood the said Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, tried to pitch our dear Governor against the person of His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, a Presidential candidate of Labour Party over the clear stand of Ebonyi State on the Political Platform of her choice.
“It is inviolately factual that Ebonyi State under Governor Umahi is APC solid and shall not leave any stone unturned in delivering Ebonyi State to APC come 2023. We have no personal matter with Mr Peter Obi.
“He is a friend of our dear Governor. If he were a candidate of our great Party, the APC we would have still been under obligation to vote for him. We can neither be cowed nor brainwashed into going to the dark age of senseless and fruitless tribal partisan alignment.
“We have moved to the party at the centre under the political principle of Umahism which is a resonation of Zikism, the Pan African model of modern nationalism.
“It is foolhardy, absolutely reprehensible and most unconscionable for the said Igboayaka to attempt to find fault in the clear stand of the Governor and the people of Ebonyi State over our preference for APC.
“We take exception to the blackmail of Labour revolution in South East, the linking of the activities of IPOB under Mr Simon Ekpa with our dear Governor. The Governor remains the strongest voice in the battle against banditry and violent agitations in the South East.
“We would rather hold that from Igboayaka’s indept knowledge of the groupings and inclinations of the ringleaders of violent agitations and banditry in South East, he should submit himself for security surveillance.
“For the records, Governor Umahi never made any allusion to the person of Mr Peter Obi in reference to his candidacy when he said that the people of Ebonyi State will vote APC.
“This decision to continue to build bridges is an irreversible conviction by the people of Ebonyi State, borne out of the need to take our destiny into our hands in our commitment to nation building as this is our sacrifice in launching South East to the mainstream of national governance.
“There is no going back in the stand of Ebonyi State on the ineffectiveness and insensitiveness of the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo over galvanizing advocacies for South East Presidency when it mattered most. It is not about Governor Umahi; it is about the sons and daughters of South East who were jilted by their people for a porridge of yam.
” It is about the failure of Ohaneze Ndigbo to galvanize the opinions of prominent Nigerians who spoke for fairness and justice to South East, whereas the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo went into hiding in honour of those who pay the piper from South East.
“We are also not unaware of the mischief sought by the online publication made in Prestige News and other online platforms by Yusuf Kabir.
“The allegation contained in the said publication is weighty as it is empty. Contrary to the information that Ebonyi State Government disbursed N400million COVID-19 funds for personal estate development of officials of the three arms of government in the State, the State Government never spent any COVID-19 grant(s) on any of such investments as blindly posited by these enemies of progress.
“The Government in furtherance of her welfare Programmes and in the implementation of the outcome of the Citizens’/Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2020 revised budget (effected as a response to the scourge of COVID-19) made welfare policies to different Stakeholders including, granting of facililties, taxes rebates, tax holidays and other forms of palliatives.
“The welfare funds which is a semblance of the Civil Servants N3billion Agricultural empowerment scheme earlier disbursed by the State Government before the advent of COVID-19 in 2020 is a welfare facility drawn from the State Government budgeted funds.
“It will be recalled that there had been similar welfare Programmes like that given as empowerment to the people of Ebonyi State. For the avoidance of doubt, the housing facility to the Public Office holders ( Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary) was never sourced or released from COVID-19 grants or contributions.
The Commissioner urged the public to discountenance the antics of frustrated politicians and their chronies “as their falsehood and deliberate attacks on the honest and germane views of our dear Governor on national issues is nothing but a sign of helpless frustrations.”
“If You Have Evidence Against Stanley Mbam, Charge Him; Otherwise, Release Him” — Oganiru Izzi
A socio-cultural organisation of Izzi extraction, Oganiru Izzi, has challenged Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, to either release the state’s sacked Commissioner for Works, Mr Stanley Mbam, or charge him before a competent court if the government has credible evidence of wrongdoing against him.
The group said the continued detention of the former commissioner without a formal charge raises concerns about due process, constitutional rights and the rule of law.
The leader of Oganiru Izzi, Mr Godwin Mbam, made the demand while speaking with correspondents of National Issue Newspapers at the Crack Department of the Ebonyi State Police Command in Abakaliki.
Mbam condemned what he described as the prolonged detention of Stanley Mbam without allowing a court to determine whether he had committed any offence.
He challenged the state government to produce evidence if it believes the former commissioner committed a criminal offence.
“If there is credible evidence against him, charge him to court and let the court decide. If there is no case against him, he should be released,” Mbam said.
He also appealed to the Ebonyi State Police Command to uphold the Constitution and resist any pressure that could result in unlawful detention.
Vanco Flyover: “We Will Reveal the Full Details”
Mbam also issued a three-day challenge to Governor Nwifuru, declaring that if the former commissioner was not released or charged to court, his organisation would make public what it described as the “full details” of the Vanco Flyover project.
According to him, the proposed disclosure would address issues surrounding the project, including its funding, payments, contractual arrangements and other financial details.
“We will let the world know the full details of the Vanco Flyover and how the funds were utilised,” he warned.
He further challenged the state government to demonstrate transparency by making relevant documents concerning the project available to the public.
“What About the Alleged ₦1.5 Billion Forfeiture?”
The Izzi group also questioned what it described as the selective application of the state government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Mbam referred to allegations involving an account reportedly frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and an alleged ₦1.5 billion forfeiture to the Federal Government.
He questioned why, according to him, the governor had allegedly not taken similar action if the facts surrounding the matter warranted it.
Mbam stressed that he was not opposed to the fight against corruption but insisted that any anti-corruption campaign must be comprehensive, transparent and applied equally.
“If Governor Nwifuru wants to fight corruption, let him fight it holistically. Nobody should be targeted while other serious allegations are ignored,” he said.
“If Nwifuru Says He Knows Nothing, We Will Produce the Facts”
Mbam further challenged Governor Nwifuru to publicly state whether he was aware of alleged corruption issues within the Ministry of Works.
“If Nwifuru publicly claims that he is unaware of corruption in the Works Ministry, I will make public the facts available to me. The facts will shock the state,” he declared.
He insisted that the matter should not degenerate into a political vendetta, arguing that the appropriate place to determine criminal liability is a court of law.
According to him, the people of Ebonyi State deserve clear answers concerning the Vanco Flyover and other issues involving public funds.
“Everybody Should Be Subject to the Law”
The Oganiru Izzi leader maintained that the controversy should be resolved through transparency, documentary evidence and due process.
“If there is a case, charge him. If there is no case, release him. The government cannot claim to be fighting corruption while abandoning the principles of justice and the rule of law,” he said.
Mbam warned that failure to address the issues could compel the organisation to make further disclosures concerning the Vanco Flyover and other matters it considers to be in the public interest.
By Our Correspondent
As Nigeria celebrates its 66th Independence Anniversary, the candidate for the House of Representatives seat representing the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Chief Kevin Tobias Chukwu, has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful and committed to building a better country.
Chukwu, also known as Ochiri Ozua 1 of Amagu Ikwo, made the call in an Independence Day message to Nigerians, particularly the people of Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency and Ebonyi State.
He described the anniversary as not only a moment for celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and the responsibilities of leaders in building a Nigeria that meets the aspirations of its citizens.
According to him, Nigeria’s journey since independence has been marked by significant challenges, with millions of citizens currently facing economic hardship, while young people continue to search for opportunities and many communities contend with insecurity and uncertainty.
Despite these challenges, the Ebonyi politician said the resilience of Nigerians remained a source of hope for the country’s future.
“I believe in the resilience of our people. I believe in the ingenuity of our youths, the strength of our women, the wisdom of our elders and the determination of ordinary Nigerians who wake up every morning and refuse to give up on this country,” he said.
Chukwu, however, stressed that hope must be matched by responsible leadership, arguing that public office should be viewed as a responsibility rather than a privilege.
He called for leadership that prioritises the protection of lives, creation of economic opportunities, provision of infrastructure, strengthening of institutions and responsible management of national resources.
The candidate also emphasised the need to create an environment where young Nigerians can pursue successful lives within the country and where hard work, merit and enterprise are rewarded.
He said Nigeria had “come too far to surrender to hopelessness,” urging citizens and leaders alike to remain committed to the country’s progress.
“A better Nigeria is still possible, but it will require responsible leadership, accountable institutions and citizens who refuse to give up on their country,” he said.
Chukwu concluded by expressing optimism about Nigeria’s future, declaring: “Nigeria will rise. Nigeria must rise. And together, we must build the Nigeria we deserve.”
He also paid tribute to the nation’s past heroes, praying that their sacrifices would continue to inspire the country.
“May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain,” he said, as he wished Nigerians a happy 66th Independence Anniversary.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
As Nigeria celebrates its 66th anniversary of independence from colonial rule, democracy in the country has continued to evolve and deepen, the Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, has said.
Anosike made the observation in a message to mark Nigeria’s Independence anniversary, noting that despite the challenges the country had encountered since 1960, its democratic system had continued to improve under successive administrations.
According to him, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed relatively smooth transitions from one administration to another, while citizens have continued to exercise their fundamental rights to hold governments accountable for their performance.
“Before the return of the democratic process, it was indeed difficult and near taboo to challenge the leadership of the country, and those who may have attempted it in the past faced grave consequences.
“Similarly, we have had smooth transitions from one dispensation to another, producing five presidents through the ballot and not through the barrel of the gun. These elected presidents were produced by different political parties.”
Anosike said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had sustained the country’s democratic principles and created an avenue for Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, race or religion, to express their views on government policies and programmes.
“Under the stewardship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerians have been enjoying the freedom to express themselves over issues, policies and programmes of government, and those expressions have been shaping and guiding the administration of Mr President,” he said.
The APC chairman said Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary provided an opportunity for citizens to reflect on the country’s journey as a nation and the progress made since independence.
He said President Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast had offered another opportunity for Nigerians to renew their hope for a greater and more prosperous country.
Anosike also commended what he described as the “enormous infrastructural development” taking place across the country under the Tinubu administration.
He urged Nigerians to continue to support and have faith in the administration as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
An Elder Statesman, Chief Hycienth Ngwu, has called on political leaders and policies formulators to ensure governmental policies and programmes directly touch lives of the people and reduce hardship in the country.
Ngwu, who is a prominent community leader in Enugu, urged Nigerians to maintain peace within neighbourhoods and communities, as no meaningful development can take place without peace.
The statesman made the call on Thursday in Enugu while reacting to the developmental efforts of Nigeria at its 66th Independence.
He said that previous and present administrations had put in place policies and programmes to reset the socioeconomic fabric of the nation.
Ngwu said that while the removal of fuel subsidy, and unification of the foreign exchange had good intentions, their impact is yet to reflect on the lives and livelihoods of vast majority of Nigerians.
He urged leaders to ensure that public resources were properly managed while citizens remained patient with reforms aimed at improving the socioeconomic status of the country.
The elder statesman noted that at 66th independence, the country was still struggling on keeping its peace and co-existence as a country; adding that the founding leaders of Nigeria envisaged a closely united, bonded and peaceful country.
He called for return to policies that promote local production, indigenous industries and entrepreneurship, arguing that excessive dependence on imports had continued to weaken the country’s productive capacity.
According to him, we are yet to achieve economic independence even as we needed to do more on non oil revenue earns as the greater part of the world is moving towards greener and clean energy.
“Greater emphasis should be on skills acquisition, creativity and entrepreneurship education system, as academic qualifications without practical skills could leave graduates dependent on scarce white collar jobs.
“We ought to be economically productive nation capable of producing and exporting goods while developing its human capital,” he said.
Ngwu noted that current insecurity and social instability could be partly attributed to poverty and ignorance, while calling for greater honesty and trust between leaders and citizens.
“Corruption, tribalism and selfishness must be addressed if Nigeria is to achieve peace and lasting progress,” he added.
He also called for the scrapping of state electoral commissions as they have not helped in deepening democracy at that level. The National Election body should take over that responsibility.
As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Day, Macmaduson Concepts Limited, a leading provider of HVACR,industrial parts, sensors, electrical and plumbing materials, has extended warm Independence Day greetings to its customers, clients and business partners across the country.
In a goodwill message to mark the occasion, the company expressed appreciation to its valued customers for their continuous support, trust and partnership over the years.
Macmaduson Concepts Limited, which specialises in HVACR,Industrial Materials, sensors, air-conditioners, refrigerators, cold rooms, chillers, refrigerants, electrical materials and plumbing materials, said the occasion provides an opportunity to celebrate Nigeria and reflect on the nation’s journey.
The company wished Nigeria continued growth, unity, peace and prosperity, while expressing hope for a brighter future for all Nigerians.
The message from the company reads in part:
At Macmaduson Concepts Limited, we celebrate our great nation, Nigeria, and appreciate our valued clients for their continuous support, trust and partnership. May Nigeria continue to grow in unity, peace and prosperity.”
The company concluded its Independence Day message with the theme: “One Nation, One People, A Brighter Tomorrow.”
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!
Happy 66th Independence Anniversary from Macmaduson Concepts Limited.
-
Business3 days agoNo Bad Blood Over New Cement Factories, But Our Mining Rights Run Till 2045 — Ibeto Tells Ebonyi Govt
-
Sports3 days agoEnugu Speaker’s boxing talent hunt unearths 5 budding stars
-
News3 days ago
Nigeria at 66: Macmaduson Concepts Limited Sends Independence Day Greetings to Clients
-
Crime4 days agoFive Arrested By Police For Wearing ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts
-
Politics4 days agoEBONYI 2027: The People, Not Individuals Will Decide Who Becomes Governor – Igwe
-
News3 days ago66th Independence: Elder statesman wants policies to reduce hardship, calls for peace
-
Politics3 days agoEbonyi Guber: ‘Our People Deserve Better Government,’ Odii Insists
-
News3 days agoNigeria @66: Democracy Evolving, Says Anambra APC Chairman Anosike