GRPolitics
Sporadic gunshots end Abia Governorship debate
•How opposition candidates rattled Ikpeazu
By: Ikenna Oluka
Sporadic gunshots sent people scampering for safety, even as four persons were wounded and property worth hundreds of thousands of naira were destroyed at the end of the Abia State Governorship Debate in Umuahia on Tuesday.
The debate held at Abia Hotels was organised by Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), in conjunction with some radio stations which broadcast the event live, for some select governorship candidates.
Governorship candidates who participated in the debate were Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Dr Alex Otti of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barr. Mr. Emeka Uwakolam of Accord Party and Dr. Blessing Nwagba of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Witnesses said pandemonium engulfed the venue as the debate was rounded off with Ikpeazu hurrying to leave the venue to catch up with the South East Zonal Rally of the PDP at Owerri when members of the National Association of Abia Students (NAAS) swooped on the venue.
Witnesses added that security details of the governor warded off the students, who, angered by the action of the security aides, barricaded the gate of the hotel in their bid to get the governor to address them.
It was gathered that the security aides started shooting and firing teargas into the air to scare the students away, thereby plunging the environment into confusion.
According to sources, four persons were injured during the melee while the students who felt neglected by the governor, vented their spleen on the property of the hotel, destroying chairs, doors and windows at the conference Hall where the debate was held.
A students who pleaded anonymity, said the students came to witness the debate, after which they had expected the governor to address them because he alleged that it has been difficult for them to have an audience with him.
He added that in their bid to get the Governor’s attention, his security men pounced on the Abia State president of NAAS, Nwazuo Remijius, and others, injuring many.
A Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroots Mobilisation and Political Matters, Hon. Ugwumba Adiele, said the students acted hastily, saying that the Governor was ready to address them before leaving the premises.
During the two-hour debate which featured questions on issues such as infrastructure, education, economy, agriculture and salaries, Ikpeazu was at the receiving end as other candidates accused him of non-performance and leadership failure.
It was the opinion of the other candidates that Ikpeazu has not done enough to address road deficits in the state.
Then first signal that the governor would have it rough was when he was regulated while he tried to do justice posed by his opponents.
His protested when he was stopped at the dot of three minutes allotted to each speaker. His supporters snarled the process and held up proceedings for about 10 minutes until the moderator acceded to his demand for more time.
Otti of APGA said by his findings, Ikpeazu’s administration has built a total of 59 roads measuring 79.38km, which cost should be determined by the standard of the roads, to which Ikpeazu replied that his government was not adopting any state’s methodology in road construction but according to the topography of the areas.
He said his government has in four years done more roads than any other past government in the state.
Defending his government further, the governor asserted no road in the state has lasted more than 10 years. “I plan to do roads that will outlive my reign, so that my successor will not have problems with roads,” he stressed. He also announced that his government is the first to be constructing a fly over in the state.
On her part, Blessing Nwagba of SDP agreed that some roads have been fixed, but added that a lot more could have been done if resources accruing to the state were prudently managed.
The candidates were taken up on the economy where they extensively gave insights into how they plan to take the state out of the woods.
Ikpeazu believes that by 2030, the population of Abia State would have doubled, that drastic measures were required to keep the state going.
He recommended two options for the state: agriculture and industrialisation, saying he was not running the government for election, but for the next generation.
With the flyover project still ongoing, Otti asked the governor if he was still contesting for re-election going by his alleged statement that he (Ikpeazu) would not seek re-election if he did not complete the Osisioma flyover.
Ikpeazu answered in the affirmative, adding that he was unable to complete the flyover because he had used part of the money meant for it to construct a bridge in Arochukwu.
To this, Otti praised Ikpeazu for doing the bridge but was quick to add that he would have been surprised if the Governor did not build the road leading the ancestral home of “some people in Akwa Ibom State.”
Also, Ikpeazu’s opponents spared nothing at rubbing in that the government has failed in its economic policies because of its inability to pay civil servants’ salaries.
The candidates said poor management of the resources available to the government was the major problem of the state and suggested ways to address the situation.
Otti expressed the view that the economy of Abia needed stimulation through prompt payment of salaries and went ahead to explain that non-payment of salaries means shutting down the state’s economy.
He blamed the government for condoning illegality and fraud in government parastatals and agencies by failing to sack erring officers who failed to follow government’s orders. “There is a saying that the fish gets rotten from the head. When there is a problem, look at the head, government has failed,” Otti said.
The Accord Party candidate agreed with the submission of his APGA counterpart, describing the scenario as a “leadership failure.” He said that “governance was a serious business that requires honesty, commitment and transparency.” He also told the governor to provide money for parents to feed their children at home by paying them salaries instead of the school feeding programme.
“I will not earn a kobo until all Abia workers are fully paid. There is an institutional failure in Abia State that is why government is unable to fire erring workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, some governorship candidates who were excluded from the debate have complained about their exclusion.
The candidate of the Young Progressive Party, Mr. Joseph Nkoro, said he was not invited for the debate and even arrived the venue early to see if they would be accommodated but that his effort also failed.
He accused the organisers of favouritism and charging high fees as a means of excluding them. It was alleged that the organisers charged the participants the sum of N1 million. But this was not confirmed as at the time of filing this report.
GRPolitics
PDP Crisis: Saraki, Dickson, Dankwambo Storm Enugu, Meet with Gov Mbah
… South East is important to PDP, says Saraki – REPORTER: SANDRA ANI
In a clear bid to stem the tide of crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the PDP Special Reconciliation Committee chaired by former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Friday, met with the governor of Enugu State and leader of the party in the South East region, Dr. Peter Mbah.
Other members of the Committee present at the meeting, which held behind closed doors at the Government House, Enugu, were former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, and former governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo.
It is recalled that the leaders of PDP in the zone had in a communique issued after the South East PDP Zonal Executive Council, ZEC, meeting a fortnight ago announced the re-nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, to serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary, threatening possible exodus should their decision not be respected.
“In the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique stated.
But addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting with Mbah, Saraki said, “We are members of the PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee that was set up recently by the PDP Governors’ Forum to work towards ensuring that our upcoming National Executive Council meeting and also likely convention is rancor-free and and works smoothly.
“In line with that, we are here in Enugu State to consult with one of our leaders, Governor Peter Mbah, who is the leader of South East PDP.
“This is the first state we are coming to because we appreciate the importance of the South East in our PDP family. As you all know, the South East has played a key role as the bedrock of the popularity and the strength of our party.
“In recognition of that, we are here to consult with him and first to commend him on the leadership role he has been playing in the party. More importantly also, to commend what he is doing in Enugu State, which is a reflection for Nigerians to see what happens when you have a PDP government.
“In doing that, we discussed how we will ensure that we carry out the assignment given to us and go ahead to have our NEC and our convention. We will have one that is rancor-free and smooth, peaceful and lays the foundation for the PDP that we all are wishing for.
“We have had a very good discussion. Frankly, we have had a very, very useful discussion. We are going away with some of the suggestions that we have here and hopefully work on that.
“With this, we can say here in Enugu we laid the foundation for a greater new PDP that is coming.
“What we have also seen today is that there is nothing insurmountable in the challenge ahead and the spirit, the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders, is very very inspiring,” he stated.
… It’s time to stand together – Mbah
… We’ve been trampled upon – Wabara
… We don’t want to be taken for granted – Achike Udenwa
The crisis currently rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has worsened as the South East caucus of the party has threatened mass exit from the troubled party if its choice of Hon. Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary is not respected for the umpteenth time.
This was even as the governor of Enugu State and leader of the PDP in the zone, Dr. Peter Mbah, said it was time for the zone to speak with one voice, while the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, expressed fury over what they described as the party’s disrespecting and trampling of the region.
The zone vented its displeasure in a communique read by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the South East Zonal Executive, ZEC, at the Government House, Enugu on Wednesday.
It said the meeting was convened to nominate a candidate to complete the remaining term of the position of National Secretary in line with the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.
Rendering the communique, Odefa said, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The South East PDP, however regretted that it had to go through the process of nominating Udeh-Okoye severally since October 2023, and urged the NWC to not only immediately ratify his nomination, but also ensure that Arch. Setonji Koshoedo effectively occupies the Office of the National Secretary in acting capacity pending Udeh-Okoye’s ratification by the NEC.
The South East PDP, however, threatened to review its continued membership of the party should its position suffer further delay despite its agelong loyalty to the PDP.
“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.
“Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.
“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.
“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.
Wabara, on his part, said it was in order to review the region’s relationship with the party should what he described as trampling of the zone by the party persist.
“We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.
Udenwa, on his part, Udenwa said, “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”
GRPolitics
2nd anniversary: Nsukka leaders score Gov Mbah’s administration high
…as Nsukka retired army generals, DSS, police throw weight behind Mbah’s security reforms
Leaders of Enugu North Senatorial District, also known as Nsukka Zone, have scored the administration of the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, very high and satisfactory, stating that the governor’s second anniversary in office deserved commendations.
This was as retired senior security chiefs, comprising army generals, directors of the Department of State Services (DSS), commissioners of police, among others, declared support for the governor’s security reforms and tech-driven policing system.
The Nsukka leaders who converged on Adada House, Nsukka, weekend, under the aegis of Enugu State Coalition for Progress, Enugu North Senatorial Zone Chapter, comprised a cross section of socio-cultural groups, senior academics, retired security officers, captains of industry, traditional rulers, association of farmers, politicians, among others, drawn from the 6 council areas, said the governor had done well in the governance of the state.
The gathering which featured a dialogue series themed, H.E Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Administration – The Journey So Far (Education, Politics & Security), had the former Minister of National Planning and Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Osita Ogbu, delivering the keynote address.
Referring to the former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew’s sacrifices that led to the transformation of Singapore from a third world country to a developed nation, Prof Ogbu said the country was in need of leaders that were committed to the welfare and growth of their people.
He commended the governor for substituting partisan politics for all-inclusive, people-driven governance in the state.
Noting that the governor was fulfilling his campaign promises, Prof Ogbu pointed at the revitalization and completion of abandoned projects, funding of quality education, financial independence through fiscal discipline, private sector mentality and efficiency in public governance.
Speaking on the concept of “Tomorrow Is Here,” the renowned economist said the governance philosophy had zero tolerance for lazy and unintelligent acts, zero tolerance for corruption, strive for new opportunities, adherence to strict democratic accountability, clean and green environment, and the pursuit for healthy and happy citizens with rights and responsibilities.
“We did analyses of the budgets of all the states and we did a comparison. Enugu State, in absolute terms, in relative terms, spends more on education than even Lagos State. It’s the highest spender on education across the federation,” he added.
Speaking on security, a discussant, Maj. General Victor Ezeugwu (rtd), said the retired veterans from the zone met with the governor on some of the challenges facing the zone with proposals, adding that the governor had already done almost 60% of them.
“We visited the Command and Control Centre in Enugu today, and from that centre we watched Uzo Uwani and the forests around Uzo Uwani, and other areas, and all of us were very amazed that he has brought technology to bear on security. We’ve proposed to the governor that all the senatorial zones have a replica of that spectacular innovation which he has promised,” Ezeugwu said.
The veteran, who called for a joint taskforce where all the security apparatuses would work in sync to tackle the menace of killer herders and the ESN, said Governor Mbah had provided welfare and also informed them of the planned increment of salaries for local vigilante and neighbourhood watch operatives.
Acknowledging that veterans from the zone were already working in synergy with the governor through a 5-man committee approved by him, Gen Ezeugwu called on the people of the district to support the state government to do more.
Also speaking were the Member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Dennis Agbo, the Deputy Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ezenta Ezeani, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Innovation, Dr. Chinyere Onyeisi, Coordinator of the group, Hon Chinedu Onuh, and the secretary, Prof Simon Ortuanya, who lauded the governor for championing landmark projects in the zone.
Justifying the significance of the gathering, Hon Agbo said the governor had done well particularly for the people of the zone which was the motive behind the discussion. He called on the people to continue their support for the administration.
Lending his voice, the Deputy Speaker said it was time to tell the world the remarkable projects the governor was championing in the senatorial zone, and to also convey a message of appreciation to him.
“From what we have gathered from our people, the governor is getting more popular on a daily basis. It’s because of the litany of development projects and it has never happened, so we’ve come out en masse to appreciate his good works. We’re a very grateful people, and we are grateful to the governor. What we’re discussing here is governance beyond politics,” he added.
On her part, Dr Onyeisi stressed that the world-class 260 smart schools in the state were an initiative of the Mbah administration to address inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and equip both teachers and students with the essential soft skills for the 21st century tech revolution.
Declaring support for the governor on behalf of other security chiefs, Maj. Gen. Godwin Ugwuoke (rtd) said security comes first in any clime at all levels, saying the governor had accepted to set in motion all that was required to execute the terms and proposals made by them.
According to him, “Everything that he’s putting in place, it’s only security that will make us enjoy it – the economy, education, health, and all that the government is doing. The most important thing we from the Enugu North Zone can do is to encourage him to continue to do more, and let us not distract him unnecessarily. From afar, you’d think that the governor is unapproachable, but if you approach him with a good idea, you’ll discover that this is a leader.”
Other dignitaries at the dialogue moderated by the Chairman of Udenu LGA, Mr Aka Eze Aka, were the former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Dr Dan Shere, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, State Secretary of PDP, Chief Chukwudi Nnadozie, foremost entrepreneur, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, and the chairmen of the 6 local government areas of the zone led by the Deputy Chairman of the State Chapter of ALGON, Barr Ferdinand Ugwueze, among others.
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