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Umahi borrows a leaf from Buhari; orders shoot-at-sight of bearers of illegal firearms
By: Ikenna Oluka
Following the incessant attacks and violent activities in some parts of Ebonyi State, Governor, David Umahi, has ordered security agencies in the state to shoot any person caught terrorising the state with illegal firearms.
Addressing victims of the pre-election violence in Agbaji in Izzi Local Government Area where two persons were said to have been killed and over 20 houses burnt, Governor Umahi also directed security agencies to be ruthless to perpetrators of violence in the state.
Umahi advised youths to organise themselves and protect their mothers and young ones to avoid further attacks in the state.
The governor condemned the violence in Izzi, urging the youths of the area to be more united to resist any attack and therefore charged them to deal mercilessly to anyone who terrorises the community.
He urged the state commissioner of Police to withdraw all illegal police attachment to any politician in the state, stressing that if the attack continues, he would order the youths to beat up any politician seen going about with security guards.
The governor blamed the leaders of Izzi as responsible for the violence in the community, warning also that if they don’t curb the incessant attack in the area, he would turn and set the youths against them and their homes.
“I am the Chief security officer of Ebonyi State. I want to order security agencies to shoot-at-sight any person bearing illegal firearms which he is using to attack Ebonyi people. I want the commissioner of Police to withdraw all illegal policemen attached to some politicians in the state. The leaders of Izzi clan are the ones causing the crisis. Youths of Izzi should unite and come together to protect their mothers, younger ones and themselves too.
“If you arrest any person with gun, break the person’s hands, legs and tie him to the police station. I want the security agencies to be ruthless to any person who attacks innocent and law-abiding citizens in the state. If this violence and attack continue, I will order the arrest of all the leaders of Izzi no matter the person or his relationship with the president,” Umahi warned.
A stakeholder of the area and Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly who noted that the place is his constituency accused some members of the Peoples Democratic Party playing anti-party activities to be responsible for the attacks.
“Your Excellency, people say that I am stubborn and I want to agree that I am stubborn because I am performing. If I am not performing, nobody would have said I am stubborn. The crisis here was caused by PDP-APC. It was some members of PDP who are playing anti-party activities are responsible for the attacks. The perpetrators are not real APC members,” the Speaker said.
However, the state PDP chairman, Barrister Onyekachi Nwebonyi, raised the alarm of an alleged plot of the APC in the state to arrest PDP members ahead of the Saturday presidential election.
He alleged that the plot was being hatched by the APC Governorship candidate, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, to harass and intimidate members of the PDP in the state, warning that they would resist any form of intimidation and victimisation of their members.
He lamented that PDP members have been killed and many houses burnt in recent attacks in the state but however appealed for peace and calm, urging Ebonyi people to turn out and participate in the presidential election.
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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