PDP had yesterday announced the names for the electoral congress committee and appeal panel.

 

Security was beefed up on Monday, 12th April, 2021 as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for its zonal congress to usher in executives that will handle the affairs of the party in the South West zone ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Very early on Monday during a visit to the Women and Children Development Initiative Foundation (WOCDIF) Centre, venue of the congress,  observed that personnel of the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) were conducting stop and search to forestall a break-down of law and order.

The general atmosphere in Osogbo remained peaceful and business activities went on as usual.

 had reported that the venue for the zonal congress was shifted from Ibadan, Oyo State to Osogbo, Osun State due to the disagreement between former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose who is supporting Dr. Eddy Olafeso, the former zonal chairman of the party and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who is supporting Taofeek Arapaja, a former deputy governor of Oyo State.

Dr. Eddy Olafeso is re-contesting for the position of zonal chairman of the party while Taofeek Arapaja is another candidate for the same position.

Meanwhile, PDP had yesterday announced the names for the electoral congress committee and appeal panel.

According to the announcement obtained by , the electoral congress committee are Gov. Samuel Ortom -Chairman, while other members are Senator Sandy Onor, Ogun Ofome Anthony, Ireruke Edward Otemabore, and Secretary is Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The electoral appeal panel members are Chief Okey Ezenwa – Chairman,  Mr Clement Okarejie, member and Rolland Najomoh, Secretary.

A total number of 743 delegates are expected at the PDP South West Zonal Congress with Oyo State having 171 delegates followed by Osun with 130 delegates and Ekiti with 115 delegates.

Others are Ogu State with 114 delegates, Ondo 112 delegates and Lagos having the least with 101 delegates and a total number of 22 offices will be contested for during the congress.

The general feeling among party delegates is that this zonal congress is seen as the final showdown between former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

 

BIAFRA : IPOB alleges secret killing of Biafrans in Akwa Ibom, Benue

 

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the military and security operatives of allegedly killing innocent Biafrans in Essien Udim Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom and some parts of Benue states.

It said the army had claimed their victims were the phenomenal unknown gunmen behind the spate of attacks against security formations in the region.

In a statement from the Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the action had exposed the military’s hypocrisy and their backers within the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London.

The statement partly reads: “We, the Indigenous People of Biafra of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to bring to the attention of the world how Nigeria government and her security operatives are massacring innocent Biafrans in Essien Udim Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.

“The Nigeria military has been using their aircraft leased from Pakistan and with the support of United Kingdom mission to Nigeria, to bomb the people of Essien in Akwa Ibom as well as lower Benue, claiming they are fighting Unknown Gunmen purportedly hiding in the area.

 

“In February, it was Orlu in Imo State where civilians were massacred using the same aircrafts supplied by western allies to aid the fight against Boko Haram and other forms of Fulani terrorism.

“Now it’s Essien Udim in Akwa Ibom. But an Islamic cleric has been dinning and wining with terrorists, taking pictures with them, yet the double-faced military cannot use the same aircraft to trace and bomb the location of these Fulani murderers.”

today News ‘God not happy with Buhari govt’ – Nigerian pastor carries coffin in protest

 

The General Overseer of Resurrection Praise Ministry, Archbishop Samson Benjamin protested against the Buhari administration on Sunday in Lagos.

Benjamin, popularly known as Jehovah Sharp Sharp, carried a coffin as he marched through the streets of Festac.

The Bishop claimed God asked him to do so because He wasn’t happy with the government and the state of the nation.

The cleric explained that his action was the outcome of “a spiritual journey of more than one year”.

“From the 15th of September 2019 up until this moment, I have not eaten food cooked by fire or any pleasant food, I have been seeking the face of God over this great country.

“Last week, I had a mortal vacation, which was a solitary confinement where I didn’t talk to any human to be with the cabinet of the trinity, I didn’t see the sun, moon, clouds.’

“What you are seeing me do here right now is what the Prophets of Old would do. God will ask them to carry a symbol when he wants to pass a message to the leaders of the nation.

“He said to me ‘Go and carry a coffin on your head, it is not furniture or anything for interior decoration, it is good for nothing, it is at the end of the life of a man that he is put into a coffin.”

Benjamin quoted the message he heard: “Tell the leaders that they have intentionally depleted the common resources that belong to this great country and have brought hardship on the citizens, I am not happy with it.”

The Archbishop urged Nigerians to tell the leaders the truth. He described Nigeria as a disappointment to the Lord God almighty “who brought people of various ethnicities together and gave them the resources”.

“But those in power have chosen to make the commonwealth of the country their personal property, this is the reason I am carrying this coffin, God is not happy, and he is saying it is not political leaders alone, including the religious and traditional leaders.”

On why he didn’t take it to the Aso Villa, the seat of power in Abuja, Benjamin said God had not asked him to do that yet,

“Human rights is the right of citizens of this country, we have found ourselves in a government that sees you as an enemy when you are being constructive in your criticism.”

The clergyman stressed that the way forward for Nigeria is that those in power need to sit and decide if the country should stay together or not.

“Secession cry is everywhere, the question is, Is it God’s will that all these must happen? We need to sit down at a round table and look at it again what and what put us together, whether those things are still workable today or are no longer workable”, Benjamin said.

Pay taxes to us or face impending doom – BNL threatens oil companies, Cameroon govt

 

Biafra Nations League, BNL, has asked oil companies operating in Bakassi Peninsula to start paying taxes to its (BNL)leadership or face the impending doom that will befall the region.

The secessionist group said that the oil companies would be spared if they start paying tax to its leadership.

Deputy National Leader of BNL, and Head of Operations BBS Media, Ebuta Akor Takon, in a statement to , warned that the group will not take it lightly with any company that failed to yield to their demand.

The group, which had earlier issued a quit notice to oil companies in the region, warned of impending doom that will soon befall companies if they fail to leave, threatening to “take them unawares and they will run.”

BNL further threatened to pull down billboards bearing ‘Republic of Cameroon’ in Cameroon controlled towns of Bakassi Peninsula.

According to them, this is a way of sanctioning President Paul Biya for allegedly killing their supporters in the region.

“We won’t disclose the date. We have kept our date secret. it will happen like a film trick, we are only making it known so that when it happens, no need to say it is unknown gunmen or unknown group or bandits, it is BNL,” the group boasted.

 

Sport : Tottenham vs Man United: Premier League releases statement on Cavani’s disallowed goal

 

The Premier League Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) has explained why Cavani’s goal was disallowed in the Manchester United clash with Tottenham on Sunday.

The goal was ruled out after a VAR review showed that Scott McTominay’s fouled Son Heung-min.

Cavani thought he had put United in the lead against Tottenham in the first half, but the Uruguayan’s effort was disallowed after McTominay’s hand caught Son in the build-up to the goal.

Referee Chris Kavanagh used the pitch-side monitor to rule out the goal and at half time, the PGMOL supported VAR’s and referee’s decision.

It explained that that McTominay’s arm movement was unnatural.

A statement from the PGMOL to Sky Sports read: “It wasn’t part of McTominay’s natural running movement and it was careless.”

Politics 2023 I’ll never impose any governorship candidate on Uyo, Akwa Ibom – Akpabio

 

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has vowed not to impose any governorship candidate on the people of Uyo Senatorial District in the 2023 general election in Akwa Ibom State.

This was in reaction to a rumour that he was planning to foist a particular aspirant as the choice of the Uyo Senatorial District.

By the zoning arrangement in the state, the next governor is expected to come from the Uyo Senatorial District, officially known as Akwa Ibom North-East, Akpabio, however, is from the North West or Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

The minister who disclosed this on Sunday during the inauguration of the Executives of Uyo Senatorial District chapter of Akwa Ibom Democratic Forum (ADF) stressed that he would not want the mistake he made in 2015 to repeat itself in 2023.

He said he had decided to work with like-minded associates in Uyo Senatorial District (USD) and to nominate a suitable candidate that would win the election.

He added, “I have no particular person in mind and I cannot repeat the mistake I made in 2015.

“Akwa Ibom people of various political persuasions do agree that we need a dependable leadership in 2023. In that case, I will work with all of you to identify and support any candidate that will develop our State. Uyo Senatorial District is capable of bringing up a good candidate that would be acceptable to the rest of the state. ADF will work with Uyo in this regard.”

Also speaking at the occasion, HE Sam Ewang, a former military governor of Ogun and Rivers States said he had several heart-to-heart discussions with Akpabio on the 2023 politics and he was certain that the minister would not impose any candidate on Uyo.

He noted that the imposition of candidates has never brought any good to the people.

South-East Governors establish security outfit, EBUBE AGU

 

South-East Governors have established a security outfit, EBUBE AGU, to curtail the rising insecurity in the region.

Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi, made the announcement on Sunday after a meeting in Imo State.

The headquarters of the establishment will be in Enugu State.

Umahi, in a communique he read, explained that EBUBE AGU will also monitor the activities of vigilante groups in member states.

See Full text below:

“After exhaustive discussions on the current security challenges in the South East and with valuable contributions from participants at the first South-East security summit in Owerri on this day Sunday, April 11th 2021, it was resolved as follows:

To strongly and unequivocally condemn terrorism and banditry in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the South East. The meeting strongly condemns the burning of police stations, violent attacks on custodial centres with the unlawful release of inmates, and the killings including security personnel, natives/ farmers and headsmen.

That the five South-East states are on the same page with the federal government on the issue of security challenges in the country. To this end, the meeting makes it absolutely clear that the Southeast will stand resolutely with the federal government to fight terrorists and bandits to a finish

That the political leadership in the South-East has resolved to bring together all the arsenals at their command, as one united zone, to fight and flush out criminals and terrorist from the zone.

That the summit resolved that to achieve this, there is a need to galvanise all the relevant stakeholders in the south-east, the political class, the business community, the bureaucrats and the intelligentsia to provide all necessary support to security operatives in the five south-east states to ensure total success in the fight against criminality in the zone.

That the heads of all the security agencies in the southeast have resolved to exchange intelligence in a seamless, effective new order that will help to checkmate crime in the zone.

That to fast track crime-busting in the southeast, the heads of security agencies have been mandated to draw up a comprehensive list of their logistics and material needs for sustainable success in the fight against criminality, for the immediate provision by the leadership of the South East.

That a committee made up of security personnel, government officials and relevant stakeholders are set up to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the southeast joint security platform.

To applaud the initiative of the Southeast security summit and to make it a statutory summit that will convene every quarter while its hosting shall rotate among the five southeast states.

The meeting resolved to maintain a joint security vigilante for the South East otherwise known as Ebube Agu.

The meeting appreciated the formation of a South-East joint security outfit, named Ebubeagu. Headquarters in Enugu, to coordinate our vigilante in the South East.

South-East Governors requested the Acting IGP to stop the influx of IGP monitoring units but to allow CPs and State and Zonal commands to handle their cases.

Meeting approved that the acting IGP and other security chiefs do invite the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and CAN to find out the reason for the increasing insecurity of the South East.

Meeting agreed that military police in the South-East should be adequately funded and become effective.

Meeting agreed that open grazing has been banned and the security agency should implement the ban.

The meeting encouraged a peaceful coexistence of farmers and headers to allow governors succeed in the fight against criminality.”