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Okorocha, Madumere rift: I didn’t abandon my office – Dep Gov

OWERRI—THE growing rift between Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, and his boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha, has deepened, following an allegation making the rounds in the state that Madumere has abandoned his office for 90 days. Reacting to the rumour, the Special Assistant, SA, to the Deputy Governor, Mazi Uche Onwuchekwa, opined that “the allegation could only emanate from mischievous elements.” Okorocha and Madumere Similarly, some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Allied Forces, who were contacted on phone yesterday, said: “We know where the allegation is coming from, but it cannot help their cause. Truth will always triumph over falsehood,especially now that we are collectively fighting against tyranny, injustice and palpable fraud.” In his own reaction, Onwuchekwa said: “The insinuation that the Deputy Governor has abandoned his office is a fat lie. It could only have emanated from mischievous elements.” He described his boss as “a very responsible public officer, who has been coming to the office when necessary, since his main job of handling boundary issues is in the field.” Continuing, the Deputy Governor’s SA said that his principal has proved beyond reasonable doubt that “he is a result- oriented public officer, who has never abdicated his official responsibilities.” A civil servant in the Deputy Governor’s Office, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, equally denied that Madumere has been staying away from office for a long time. “It is not correct that he (Madumere) has been staying away from his office. Are you sure it is not part of the ploy to pin something on him, so as to make his eventual impeachment simple? The man stays away only when he is out of the state or on field work, especially for boundary  matters”, the civil servant said. He recalled that only last week, the Deputy Governor played host to a number of people and groups, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, in his office. “Although the office leaks each time it rains, thus begging for serious attention, the Deputy Governor has been putting up with this ugly situation patiently. I wonder where the story is coming from. I see the entire allegation as sheer mischief.” Imo needs govt with human face—Ihedioha Meanwhile, a  former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has said that  “Imo State needs a government that will sincerely and conscientiously work for the people and save the citizenry from their current avoidable hardship”. Ihedioha, who stated this while addressing party faithful in Owerri municipality, also pointed out that  “the economic health of the state, between when I contested the 2015 governorship election and now, has further deteriorated, while the growing concerns of well meaning stakeholders spurred me to offer myself, again for service.” He maintained that, “our dear state has gone through avoidable maladministration. We have not only become an object of caricature among the comity of states but have sadly also, become a reference for a collapse of government.” Chief Ihedioha reminded his hosts that sequel to the realities on ground today in the state, only a person with relevant capabilities, can perform the needed surgery to bring Imo back to life. “As we march towards 2019, we must always remember that Imo State of today is in dire need of an experienced surgeon in government, who will perform the needed surgery to bring the state back to life”, Chief Ihedioha said.

Croatia coach dreads Iwobi, Victor Moses combo

Croatia Coach, Zlatko Dalić expects Nigeria to be a threat on the counter attack when they face off with the three-time African champions in their World Cup opener at Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad on June 16, 2018.

If the Super Eagles friendlies and training sessions are anything to go by, Arsenal starlet,

Alex Iwobi, Chelsea’s Victor Moses and former Watford star, Odion Ighalo are the players manager Gernot Rohr had chosen to turn defense into attack on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters before the squad departed Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman Airport manager Zlatko Dalić, refused to provide clues about his starting lineup against Nigeria, saying only the best players would be fielded.

Dalić has opined that Nigeria have the same playing style as West Africans Senegal, whom they beat in their last pre-World Cup friendly.

‘’It was a clean game, and that is what will be our game with Nigeria. They have firm formation and then open up in counter attacks with three fast players,’’ Dalic was quoted as saying by Sportske Novosti.

‘’We have to know what is waiting us and this was a good test for that. But, I say that we have to be better in some elements of the game.’’

“We have played four games, we have tried a lot, now we have to choose the best against Nigeria in five days. The match with Nigeria is the first and most important one,” said Dalic.

“I will give the opportunity to the best, neither young nor old, the best, Senegal has shown us all, we have to fix some things. There is no reason to fear.”

Nigeria, Morocco sign 25-year gas pipeline agreement

The Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco on Monday, signed three agreements, including a regional gas pipeline that will see the nation providing gas to countries in West African sub-region which could extend to Morocco and Europe.

Both countries also signed a Memorandom of Understanding for the  development of a chemical plant in Nigeria for producing ammonia and its derivatives.

They two governments also signed a cooperation  agreement on vocational training and technical supervision, which will enhance skills on better management of agricultural outfits in Nigeria.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the signing of the agreements, was witnessed by President Muhammadu Buhari and King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed V1, in Rabat, Morocco.

He said the two African leaders’ discussion focused on strengthening economic relations in gas resource development, global investments and agricultural training and management.

“The feasibility study of the agreement on the pipeline, which was signed by the Group General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Farouq Said Garba, and Mrs Amina Benkhadra, Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbon and Mines, will be concluded by July 2018.

“The construction of the pipeline will be phased and based on increasing needs of the countries crossed, and Europe, for a period of 25 years.

“The Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), designed to be 5,660km long, will reduce gas flaring in Nigeria and encourage diversification of energy resources in the country, while cutting down poverty through the creation of more job opportunities.

“The NMGP will further encourage utilisation of gas in the sub-region for cooking, and discourage desertification.

“The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Authority, Mr Uche Orji and the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the Management of Phosphate in Morocco, Mr Mostafa Terrab, signed a Memorandom of Understanding for the  development of a chemical plant in Nigeria produce ammonia and its derivatives.

“The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and his Moroccan counterpart, Mr Aziz Akhannouch, signed a cooperation  agreement on vocational training and technical supervision, which will enhance skills on better management of agricultural outfits in Nigeria.”

President Buhari, assured the Moroccan Monarch of Nigeria’s full commitment to the actualisation of all the agreements signed.

How Osinbajo escaped death –Presidency

Aso Villa Chaplain, Seyi Malomo, senior pastors drawn from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, including leaders from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN) gathered at the Preasidential Villa, yesterday, to offer praises and thanksgiving to God for sparing the life of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, last Thursday.

The helicopter which conveyed Osibanjo from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, where he attended the graduation ceremony of Senior Division Course 1/2018 participants was forced to land few seconds after take off.

Last Thursday, Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, on his Twitter handle, @akandeoj, claimed the vice president returned to Aso Rock by road due to technical reasons.

Akande wrote: “VP Osinbajo attended the graduation ceremony of Nigeria Customs Senior Course in Gwagwalada today (Thursday).

“On his way back, it was decided, for technical reasons, not to fly the chopper that had brought him to the venue.

“He drove back to the presidential villa and continued (with) his schedule.”

Malomo, who organised the thanksgiving service said there was every reason to thank God for sparing Osinbajo’s life.

According to the cleric, the incident is significant because it was not just Osinbajo’s life that was spared, the country, Nigeria and its leaders were also preserved from the calamity that would have befallen it.

“Last week, we received the news, with shock, that the vice president’s helicopter engine failed and we thank God that God preserved him. The preservation of leaders is the preservation of the nation and, as a result, we want to thank God.

“So, this programme was organised to thank God for his watchful eyes over our leaders, over our nation and more particularly over the deliverance for the vice president.

“We will be spending 120 hours praising God, teaching about thanksgiving, praying to God to bless Nigeria more, establish peace in Nigeria more, preserve our nation more, give us the victory that is needed.

“As we all know, we are a nation that deeply loves God and a love for God that is also born out of deep appreciation because we know that God loves us too and his love for us manifest in his good works towards us,” said Malomo.

He said invitations were extended to chairman of the Pentecostal Bishop Forum of Northern Nigeria, Archbishop John Praise who gave his words to be present at the event, including Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Rev Dr. Isreal Akanji, senior pastors from the Redeemed church, among others.

Malomo, however criticized Christians who daily bemoan their situation, saying they should be a praying church rather than complaining.

“My advise to them is for them to join us; we are to be a praying church not a complaining church.

“Many of us, as Christians, know that one of the things that angered God most in the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt was their murmuring and complaints.

“We know that Nigeria has left Egypt; we are on our way to the promised land, even though their might be wilderness experience, the Red Sea, we shouldn’t complain but look up to God and call on Him.

“That is what we are doing,” he reiterated.

Kalu to Buhari: Address injustice suffered by South East during civil war

Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the injustices and human right abuses suffered by the people of the South East of Nigeria during the Nigerian-Biafra civil war of 1967-1970, by the declaring the sub-region a ‘special area’.

Kalu, who spoke in an interview with aviation reporters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after arriving Nigeria from the United States of America (USA), also commended President Buhari for addressing the injustices associated with the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election, by posthumously acknowledging the election as free and fair, as well as declaring Chief MKO Abiola as the legitimate winner of that election.

Kalu said the recognition of the June 12 elections as legitimate and MKO Abiola as the winner has portrayed Buhari as a true democrat considering that his two predecessors (presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan) had failed to validate that election during their reigns.

The former governor, however, said President Buhari should extend the same gesture to the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who superintended over the June 12, 1993 elections. He also sought Buhari’s extension of his reconciliation gesture to the people of the South East where millions of lives were lost and property destroyed during the civil war to assuage the feelings of hurt among the people of the region. Kalu said: “President Buhari has started a good thing by honouring Chief MKO Abiola and declaring June 12 as Democracy Day. Now that he is working, he should also remember Prof. Humfrey Nwosu, the man who conducted the freest and fairest election in Nigeria. Nwosu should also be honoured.

“And I want President Buhari to go a step further and declare the South East a special area, where people in the region were given ill treatment during the war. People lost lives, they lost property, and they were given just 20 pounds.

“He has already made a good step by paying the Biafran police their entitlements. But, the region should be considered a special area by the government because, if that is added to what Buhari has done, in terms of those who lost their lives during the struggle for the actualisation of June 12 mandate, God will start forgiving Nigeria,” Kalu added.

Kalu also lauded Buhari for giving financial autonomy to the state judiciary and houses of assembly, but urged that same autonomy be extended to the federal judiciary, noting that the independence of the judiciary is most fundamental to the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy.

Gunmen attack Malu in Benue

Gen. John Malu, younger brother of the late Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Victor Malu, was yesterday attacked by some gunmen at his country home, Tse Adoo village, in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. Daily Sun gathered that the gunmen stormed the village in the early hours of the day and wasted no time in shooting at Malu’s house while he was inside his room.

Although details of the attack were still sketchy at the time of this report, sources from the area disclosed that some soldiers, who were in the house, quickly responded and succeeded in repelling the attackers.

Commandant, 72 Special Force Battalion, Lt. Col. Suleiman Mohammed, who confirmed the incident to newsmen yesterday, said the gunmen attacked Malu’s residence at about 7am.

“It is true that some gunmen attacked the General in his village around 7am, but the soldiers who were with him repelled them,” he said, adding that Malu was at home at the time of the attack.