NEWS
IPOB FG Faceoff: Southeast Govs, politicians to explore political solution
By Edozie Obasi-Eze
Eminent political personalities in the southeastern part of Nigeria, including elected governors and other gladiators have resolved to explore political solutions in the bid to resolve the festering security challenges confronting the area.
Governor of Ebonyi State, HE Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, in his capacity as chairman of the South-East Governors Forum disclosed this in a press statement issued in Abakaliki, on Friday, as a prelude to the peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial elections in Anambra State, scheduled for November 6, 2021.
We gathered from the statement that the Forum and leaders said they had had identified some spokespersons allegedly holding brief for the proscribed Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). The group of influential politicians said they were strategically engaging some of the spokespersons.
According to the statement, “We as Southeast governors are committed to political solutions over the present situation and this will be achieved faster if all the illegal “sit-at-home’’ orders and violence by the various state agitators are stopped.’’
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Umahi assured that the Governors’ Forum, the socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Nd’igbo and the Conference of Southeast Bishops and Traditional Rulers were working hard to ensure adequate security in all parts of the zone.
“We thank Ohaneze Nd’igbo for a good job it did through its various committees in raising various solutions towards addressing all issues raised by our young children.
“South-East governors are studying their reports with the elders and leaders of the various Southeast states and very soon we will be meeting with the Federal Government on these issues.
“We are also looking at deploying political solutions in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader, which we have already initiated,’’ the statement added.
On the Anambra gubernatorial elections and sit-at-home orders, the statement noted, “We are aware of the various illegal orders of “sit-at-home’’ by different groups of state agitators for our people of Southeast to sit at home every Monday and from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10.
“We have identified some of the spokespersons of some of these groups and we have been engaging them to stop all forms of violence and illegalities in the Southeast and allow our leaders to address all issues raised by them.
“We are working with security agencies, our local security outfits and our leaders to protect the lives of our people and to address all issues raised.’’
The Ebonyi State Governor commended religious leaders, the Conference of Bishops and Archbishops as well as the Christian Association of Nigeria for their interventions and mediations on the matter.
“We thank them for the good work. We will work with them to achieve the desired result for our people and for Nigeria,’’ the statement also read.
He also pleaded with all security agencies deployed for the Nov.6 Anambra governorship election to secure the lives of the people in Anambra while operating within the rules of their engagements.
“We are aware that the insecurity in the Southeast has gone beyond IPOB. Cultists, armed robbers and kidnappers have recruited themselves and are using the name of IPOB to be killing innocent citizens. We will not allow this to continue,’’ the statement stressed.
He applauded the Federal Government and INEC for their determination to hold the Anambra election on November 6.
“We will give them every support and shall help them to ensure a free, fair and violence-free election.
“We, therefore, ask our people to go out and vote for candidates of their choice as we have been assured of adequate security measures to secure their lives and property.
“We are confident that through our mediation, that of religious leaders, the Ohaneze Nd’igbo and traditional rulers, IPOB will see reasons to call off all “sit-at-home’’ orders including the one ordered for Nov. 5 to Nov. 10,’’ the statement read.
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed all transition committee chairmen in the state’s 21 local government areas.
This decision was detailed in a letter titled “Expiration of Tenure and Handover to Heads of Local Government Administrations (HLGAs),” dated May 17, 2024, and signed by Collins Nwabunwanne, the state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs.
According to the letter, the directive will be effective starting Monday, May 20, 2024.
The letter read, “Following the expiration of your tenure as Transition Committee Chairman, you are hereby directed to handover the affairs of your Local Government Council to the Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA), in your respective Local Government Councils.
“This directive takes effect from Monday, 20th day of May, 2024. Thank you for your service to the state. All replies to be addressed to the Honourable Commissioner.”
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was on Wednesday inducted into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Biztellers reports that the investiture was performed by the President/Chair-in-Council of the NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE at a ceremony in Abuja.
Oguntala congratulated the 63 new inductees and urged them to uphold the values of their new position in their field of engineering. She highlighted that engineers have been at the forefront of driving progress and development across various sectors of the economy, notably in the oil and gas industry.
She particularly lauded the ES of NCDMB for his excellent leadership and expertise through the strategic development of local content and in-country value retention, which is a testament to his brilliance in the field of engineering.
Oguntala also applauded the strategic partnership between the NSE, the NCDMB and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
Similarly, the chairman Board of Fellows/College of Fellows, Engr. Kamila Maliki, FNSE, commended the new inductees for their resilience, dedication, and contribution to the field of engineering.
He added that it was not a small feat to be chosen for the investiture due to the rigorous and thorough nature of the selection process.
The ES later was joined by the Managing Director of Setraco Nigeria Limited, Engr. Ziad Mouannes and Senator Patrick Ndubueze for the unveiling of the very first edition of the 2024 NSE Quarterly Magazine.
Some senior officials of the Board who accompanied the ES to the event included the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abdulmalik Halilu, Director, Project Certification and Authorization, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, and the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq.
Before he was appointed the ES of NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe had nearly 30 years top-level career in the field of engineering in the employment of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), before retiring voluntarily to set up his private firm.
His last position at Chevron Nigeria was Construction Services Group Superintendent, and he oversaw 200 personnel, including Nigerian nationals and expatriates.
Other notable positions he held at the company included Offshore Projects Manager, Construction Manager (Lagos, Escravos -Warri), Construction Engineer (San Ramon) in California, United States of America.
On Saturday evening, armed soldiers shut down the popular Banex Plaza in the Wuse 2 district of Abuja after a clash between traders and three soldiers over a phone sale dispute.
According to eyewitness Okechukwu Daniel, the incident began on Saturday afternoon when a young military man returned to a phone shop, claiming a phone he bought about a month ago was faulty.
Daniel, also a trader at Banex Plaza, stated that the seller refused to accept the phone back due to the lengthy period that had passed since the sale.
He said “When the phone seller refused to collect the phone back, the young guy threatened him that he will shut down his shop for refusing to collect the phone, and the seller told him to do his worse.
“That was when he got angry and went to one of the barracks close by and brought two soldiers to come and harass the phone seller for him to collect the phone back.
“When the two soldiers got to the phone shop to threaten the seller, he still refused to collect the phone. The soldiers got angry and wanted to use force on him, that was when other traders came to the rescue of the phone seller and beat up the two soldiers.”
Daniel added that after the soldiers were assaulted, they went back to the barracks to gather reinforcements.
When they returned to Banex Plaza to confront the phone seller and other traders, the traders had already fled from their shops.
He added “When over 50 soldiers who were visibly angry got to the plaza, they could not find the traders that beat up their colleagues, so they decided to shut down the plaza by asking everyone to leave. Anyone found around the plaza was asked to do frog jump and other punishment,”
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Soldiers Shut Down Banex Plaza After Clash With Traders [Video]
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