NEWS
Shekarau dumps Kwankwaso’s NNPP, gives reason
By Paul Eso
Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has abandoned his alliance with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
However, the former minister did not disclose which party he would be joining.
Addressing his supporters in Kano on Monday, Shekarau accused Kwankwaso of not only betraying him but humiliating him.
While narrating what transpired between him and the NNPP standard bearer, Shekarau noted with dismay that he was not given forms to contest his Senatorial seat leaving his teaming supporters to wallow in destitution.
He said on 5th May 2022 long before he and Kwankwaso joined NNPP, “I personally met him at his country home and discussed extensively my decisions to follow him to his new party and he expressed deep happiness.
“And still on 11-5-2022 I still met Kwankwaso because since our last meeting, we were not able to meet, and I reminded him of a proposal I submitted to him during our last meeting.”
The proposal according to Shekarau was the list of my supporters who were seeking different political offices, and when I talked to Kwankwaso about it he said he was aware of it and definitely something would be done.
READ ALSO: Kwankwaso not a threat to APC – Lukman
“Similarly, on 16-5-2022, Kwankwaso came to my house at about 9pm and we still discussed extensively the same issues he even called five people including Abba Kabir, Kawu Sumaila, Alhassan Rirum and two others and presented them to me as those to make the lists of contestants.
“During the meeting which led to my decamping, Kwankwaso came with my Senatorial Form alone and sneaked it to me telling me that I was the first to receive it and I asked him the ones for my supporters he said it would be done.
“Since then Kwankwaso kept deceiving me and only for him, to much later say we are late for my supporters to be on the lists, and there was nothing he could do”, he stated.
Shekarau said with all these and many more deceit, he had no place in the NNPP because his party politics always goes with his supporters and any attempt to throw them away would be vehemently rejected.
NEWS
Tragic Building Collapse In R/State Leaves One Dead, Several Injured
A tragic building collapse in Rivers State has left a middle-aged contractor, identified as Udeme, feared dead after a two-storey structure under construction caved in at the Egbelu Mgbaraja area of Ogbogoro Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
This incident comes just one week after a three-storey building collapsed at the Iriebe axis of the same local government, though that incident fortunately recorded no casualties.
READ MORE: Fire Ravages Ajah Market In Lagos, Goods Worth Millions Lost
The latest collapse occurred on Monday, November 4, 2024, around 2 p.m., with construction workers on site when the structure gave way.
According to eyewitness Mr. Jonathan Obey, the building’s second floor suddenly buckled, trapping Udeme beneath the rubble, while another worker managed to escape with serious injuries.
Obey, who attempted to rescue the trapped contractor, suspected negligence, saying, “We couldn’t reach him despite our efforts. An inspection revealed substandard materials had been used, with the foundation only three feet deep for a two-storey building, which is insufficient. The rebar was of poor quality, and essential supports, such as a center beam, were absent.”
The Rivers State Government has since sealed off the property and declared the developer, Vincent Nwoye, wanted for questioning.
Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, visited the site and expressed his dismay, attributing the collapse to gross negligence.
“This tragedy was preventable,” Bipi stated. “The developer failed to obtain an approved building plan and used inferior materials. The government will ensure accountability and take severe action.”
Bipi extended his condolences to the victim’s family and the Ogbogoro Community, affirming that the government will facilitate the family’s recovery of their loved one’s remains. “We sympathize with the bereaved family and the entire community,” he added.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Samuel Anya, also condemned the developer’s actions, highlighting the dangers posed when profit is prioritized over safety. “This loss is a direct consequence of unethical practices,” he said.
The government has committed to a thorough investigation and tighter regulatory enforcement to prevent further tragedies in Rivers State.
NEWS
JUST IN: Justice Adeyeye, Ekiti State’s CJ Passes On
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye has passed on.
The news of his passing was leaked by a reliable source under the condition of anonymity.
The sad incident, according to the source, happened in Ado Ekiti in the early hours of Tuesday.
His death is being traced to a sickness which came upon him following the injury he sustained when a section of the Ekiti State High Court Complex, Ado Ekiti wall collapsed in July 12, 2023.
ALSO READ: #EndBadGovernance Protests: Tinubu Orders Release Of Detained Minors
The late Justice Adeyeye was at the office when the building collapse happened and sustained injuries.
While the state and his family were yet to issue statements on his demise, the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of International Female Lawyers (FIDA) has sent condolences to the family.
The condolences message read: “With deep sorrow in our hearts and in total submission to the will of God, FIDA Ekiti consoles with the family of the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye on his call to glory.
“May He find rest with his maker.
“I pray that God grants the family, the Judiciary and the people of Ekiti State, the grace to bear this irreparable loss.
Adieu great one.”
Justice Adeyeye was born 1960 in Araromi Ugbesi in Ekiti East Local Government of Ekiti State and was called to bar in 1986.
He started his career as a State Counsel in the civil service of the then Ondo State before joining the Ekiti State Judiciary Service Commission shortly after the state was created in 1996.
He was promoted to the position of a judge in the state’s high court in 2002 and has served at different occasions in the election petition tribunal.
NEWS
BREAKING: Court Drops Charges Against 76 #EndBadGovernance Protesters
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed all charges against 76 individuals accused of participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The ruling came after the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, moved to discontinue the case under orders from President Bola Tinubu.
READ MORE: N1.3trn Fraud: EFCC Arrests Ex-Delta Gov, Ifeanyi Okowa
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, presiding over the matter, struck out the charges after hearing a motion from the AGF’s representative, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mohammed Abubakar.
Citing Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF formally took over the case from the Inspector General of Police, then requested to drop all charges against the defendants, many of whom are minors.
The judge granted the AGF’s application without objection from defense counsel, ordering the immediate release of the accused, who were not present in court.
This decision follows a directive issued on Monday by President Tinubu, instructing the AGF to withdraw charges against the protesters.
More to follow……….