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Rivers: APC Governorship candidate’s convoy kills two, injures another
The convoy of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, on Friday hit and killed two women in Abua, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the state.
The incident happened in Egbolom area of Abua Central-Ogonokom Road in Abua in the afternoon, and another woman was said to have been injured.
It was gathered that Cole was on his way to Otapha on a ward-to-ward sensitisation tour before the accident happened.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the security details of the governorship candidate, in an attempt to avoid hitting a motorcyclist on the road, swerved their vehicles to the edge of the road, crushing the women on the walkway to death in the process.
An eyewitness, who only identified himself as Kipoye, told one of our correspondents that Cole’s convoy hit the two women in Egbolom, while they were walking on the side of the road.
He said, “The Rivers APC governorship candidate was on his way to Otapha in Abua on a ward-to-ward sensitisation visit. While on their way in Egbolom, a motorcycle suddenly joined the road and the soldiers leading the convoy tried to avoid hitting the bike and in the process, they swerved to the edge of the road, hitting and killing two women on the spot.
“The deceased women have been taken to the morgue. Right now, we have not been able to ascertain the identities of the women. But they are from Egbolom.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, adding that Cole and the Divisional Police Officer of the area were currently in touch with the families of the deceased persons and the injured person.
Omoni said, “We are aware that the convoy of the APC candidate was today involved in an accident. Three women were hit in the accident and two of them died while one was injured.
“I understand that the governorship candidate and the DPO of the area have reached out to the families of the deceased and injured persons.”
Speaking about the accident, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, said they were heading to Ward 8 in Abua/Odual when the incident occurred, adding that the political activities of the day were cancelled following the accident.
“When the accident occurred, the candidate was in about the eighth vehicle in the convoy. A pick-up van was involved in the accident and we all went out to give first aid to the women that were affected.
“The candidate, who was in one of the vehicles that had moved about half a kilometre ahead, ordered the vehicles to make a U-turn. The candidate joined others to visit the hospital, where the two women were confirmed dead.
“We then went to report the matter to the divisional police in the area while the activities of the day were cancelled as a result of the death of the two women. It was an accident that could happen to anybody.
“The candidate and the party have restated that they would stand by the family of those deceased and injured,” the state APC spokesman said.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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