"Why Anambra Atorny General, Anali Chude should be commited to prison"

The PDP candidate in the Jan 13, 2014 council elections in Ihiala,  Anambra, Mr Chukwuebuka Iloh had prayed the state High Court sitting in Ihiala to commit the Attorney General of the state to prison.

Stakeholders kick as Obiano installs monarch 24 hours after protest against him - 'This is impunity'

- 'This is impunity'

Barely 24 hours after the Oraukwu community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state protested to the Government House Awka, against the candidature of  Dr Emeka Onuorah as the monarch of the area, the state governor Willie Obiano has installed him.

Obi and Obiano put together have not equaled my achievements as governor – Ngige

The minister of Labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Monday said the government of All Progressives Grand Alliance under ex-governor Peter Obi and the incumbent governor Willie Obiano has not equaled his 34 -month achievements in the state as governor.

 

Anambra Has Highest Turnover of Senators - IPAC

Anambra State has been described as one with the highest turn over of senators in Nigeria, with special emphasis to Anambra Central Zone in the state, owing to litigations and squabbles in political parties and among politicians.

2nd Term: 327 Councillors to undermine Obiano's Chances with Protest Over Non-Payment of Entitlements

 All the 327 councillors that make up Anambra State may this week stage a mega protest against the government of Chief Willie Obiano on grievances bothering on non-payment of their entitlements, ELEKENEWS gathered.

APC'll Chase Obiano out of Government House Next year - Ngige

Former Governor of Anambra State, and minister of LAbour and employment, Dr Chris Ngige said the APC would win the governorship election in Anambra State in 2017.

Another Aguleri/Umuleri war brewing as Nkwelle Ezunaka engages Osile, lives lost, properties destroyed

 About three persons have been reported to have lost their lives in a communal clash among two Anambra communities, Nkwelle Ezunaka and Osile Village in Ogbunike, Oyi local government area over disagreements resulting from a disputed piece of land.

Anambra 2017: Those who plan to run against Obano wll be humilliated, says APGA Nat Chair

National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Dr Victor Ike Oye has called on those jostling to replace Chief Willie Obiano as governor of Anambra State next year to shelve the idea as it would amount to waste of time and efforts on their part if they insisted.

The National Chairman said with the zeal the governor has put into governance in the state which has in turn culminated in visible development around the state, Anambrarians will have no choice than to return him in what he described as a smooth sail.

Oye who was addressing well wishers who gathered at his country home at Amawbia, near Awka at the weekend to felicitate with him over the conferment of Ozo title on him said through the achievements of the Obiano administration, members of APGA now hold their head high because they have a performer as governor.

“In 2017, we will demonstrate to others that APGA is now fully grown. No Igbo man has any reason not to identify with APGA, which has now become a widely accepted political party.

“Your Excellency, let me use this opportunity to tell you that we have launched the United Kingdom chapter of APGA, and if you go to UK today, most of the Nigerians in that country, and  all Anambrarians in that country are now members of APGA.

“I want to call on all our brothers to come out and identify with our party. As election beckons next year, we have to join hands together to show that we are truly the owners of this state. Of course, 2017 will be a walkover for Obiano,” Oye said.

Earlier, the state governor, Chief Obiano had thanked the people of the state for the support he has received so far, which he said has enabled him to perform and also make the state one of the safest in the country.

He promised to continue to work hard to earn the trust of the people of the state, and also deliver on the promise made to them during the 2013 electioneering campaign.

Obiano, Obi and the Story of the cold war between a governor and his godfather

On the surface, no one will believe that the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Mr Peter Obi are at war. They will stop at nothing to embrace and throw banters at public events. But DAVID-CHYDDY ELEKE in this piece writes of the cold war between the duo, which are mostly fought on their behalf by their foot soldiers, and on the social media too. He also attempts to trace its history.

Even before the swearing in of Chief Willie Obiano as governor of the state in 2014, a misunderstanding was said to that have already ensued between then Governor Peter Obi and his godson, Obiano. Those who know say the problem may have started after Obi gave conditions to be fulfilled by the incoming governor for helping to win him the governorship seat of the state. But during the handing over to Obiano, Obi had stated clearly that by helping Obiano win the election, he has kept his promise of ensuring that an APGA governor succeeds him, and also giving power to the Anambra North zone of the state as they have never tasted the position since the creation of the state.

The godfather, godson relationship of both men it was also gathered started from their secondary days at the Christ the King College, which is most popularly known as CKC Onitsha. In a radio programme once, Chief Joe-Martin Uzodike, an old boy of the college and former Information commissioner in the Obi administration, who also worked as the Director General of Obiano Campaign organization revealed that he and Obiano were both seniors in the college as at the time Obi was a junior student in the same college. Some people have even said that Obiano was godfather to Obi at the college, and that both men had maintained a very cordial relationship then. Their relationship then may have also been the reason Obi, while scouting for a successor from Anambra North dumped all his allies and went for Obiano who had at that time retired from Texaco as a senior staff and was enjoying his retirement in the US. This and the victory of Obiano at the polls had contributed to now make Obi, Obiano’s godfather as against what it used to be in their college days.

At the swearing in ceremony of Chief Obiano in 2014, Mr Peter Obi while delivering an address had said that he had fulfilled his promise of producing a governor from the northern zone of the state, and that he had satisfied his conscience by doing so. Obi added that in 2006 when he was sworn in after a protracted legal battle with then governor, Dr Chris Ngige, he was never given any hand over note, nor was he handed any official vehicle. “I used my own car, and I came to work from my house in Agulu because both the government house and the governor’s lodge were all burnt during crisis.”

Obi expressed happiness that he was on that day handing over a very buoyant economy to the new governor, with N75 billion in cash and investment, and had also ensured the provision of bullet proof Toyota Prado SUVs to him, to ensure that he functions optimally in the office. He added that having done all these, he was expecting nothing from Obiano for himself personally, and that the only thing Obiano owes him is to ensure that Anambra is moved forward, to a better height, higher than where he left it. For these, Obi was hailed for his selflessness, and love for Anambra State.

That however was not to be as soon after, stories of estranged relationship between the duo started circulating. Those in the know said that the problem with both men started when the former governor gave the present the bill with which he was enthroned as governor, which sources said ran into billions. Obiano according to the source had declined payment, and was also said to have sought advice from his Aguleri kinsmen, who were said to have advised him to discard the debt notice from his predecessor, leading to the war between both men.

Even before his first year in office, Obi’s loyalists had already accused Chief Victor Umeh, the former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) of being responsible for plotting the alienation of Obi from the party with the collaboration of the governor, leading to his exit as against his previous vow that, ‘I will quit politics any day I leave APGA’. Speaking once on the reason for the exit of the party by Obi, his media aide, Mr Valentine Obienyem said the leaders of the party collaborated to shut Obi out of the party. He stated how he and his boss Obi were in Owerri during a weekend for a function when they saw buses with APGA inscription all lined up on the road, and also saw the convoy of the state governor, and the national officials of  the party in the town for a major rally to support former President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid to the presidency. It took calls from the former governor to know the reason APGA was literarily relocated to Owerri that day, leading the Obi to suspect that he has been edged out of the party, the main reason he lefty without waiting to be pushed out.

The former governor’s exit from APGA fully showed the misunderstanding between both men, and further fueled the war between them. While Obi joined the PDP team, and amassed more followers to fight his battle, Obiano deployed the arsenal within his reach to ensure he is not outdone. Though the war is mostly fought on the social media, the state broadcasting outfit, Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS also helped to fight for its principal. Obi’s supporters accused Obiano of commissioning the ABS to air clips of his promise never to leave APGA, except he wished to retire from politics. To this Obi stated during a visit to his Onitsha home by the leaders of PDP to woo him to the party that with the caliber of politicians in the Party who have consistently wooed him to the party, it will be foolhardiness for him to remain adamant, the reason he accepted to join them.

The war between both men is mostly fought on the internet on their behalf by their followers. On Obi’s side are his media aide, Mr Valentine Obienyem and Mr Stanley Chirah who operates with several pseudonyms including APGA Alaigbo and Mazi Odera. For Obiano are his media aides Mr James Eze and Ifeanyi Aniagoh. Though these men are mostly civil with their support for their principal, several other names which are suspected to be fake also give the governor support, while attacking his predecessor.

If the war between them was fought in secret, then the recent declaration by Mr Peter Obi to vie for a senatorial seat to represent Anambra Central on the platform of PDP against APGA’s Victor Umeh may have aggravated the fight. The Obiano/Umeh faction view this as a move to dislodge Umeh from what would have been a smooth sail to the senate after PDP’s Uche Ekwunife was dislodged from the senate through a court judgment, and also stopped from contesting the rerun election.

The Obiano/Umeh faction believed that Obi was the brain behind the decamping of Ekwunife from PDP to APC, but was still stopped by the court which insisted that only those who contested in the original election in 2015 can participate in the rerun. According to a source in the Anambra government, Obi’s quest to contest the senatorial election was not borne out of desire to give service, but to fight Umeh who he believes was the brain behind the shielding of Anambra Governor from paying him the money expended to win him the election. “Obi is just being petty. He has been using his cronies to stall the rerun election of Anambra Central, not because he is truly interested in serving, but because he wants to get at Victor Umeh.” The source said.

To outwit Obi, Obiano has further made incursion into the community of the former governor, Agulu, and also secured the love of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, who was said to have pledged support for Obiano, describing his tenure in the state as the best. According to those who attended the meeting, the traditional ruler who the governor has also pledged to renovate his palace flayed Obi for not remembering a simple task like renovating the palace of his traditional ruler, whereas Obiano from far Aguleri in Anambra North area of the state has come to his rescue. To this, the allies of the former governor had attacked the traditional ruler, and accused him of selling out to a ‘foreigner’ for the favour of his palace being renovated.

Last two weeks, a new twist appeared, with Obi’s internet warriors reporting that at the wedding of the son of Prof Ben Nwabueze in Lagos, Obi and Obiano had come close up, and as usual had thrown banters, with cameras picking them out. But reports by Obi’s allies stated that in the house of the constitutional lawyer, Obiano had threatened Obi with the words, ‘I will finish you and your family’. This had been dismissed by media handlers of the governor as mere lies. But in a swift response to the allegation, some indigenes of Agulu, Obi’s hometown, under the aegis of Agulu Leaders of Thought(ALT) in a press release signed for it by its interim chairman, Chief Joachim Emegwamuo begged Obiano not to harm their son.

Part of the press release had read, “"When the news of threat to the life of our son, Mr. Peter Obi started circulating, we ignored it as one of those online rumour until  Barr. Joe Martins Uzodike made allusion to that in a programme on Blaze Radio. Our investigations also revealed that Mr. Peter Obi related it to Chief Willie Obiano's Omamballa people during a peace meeting in the house of Chief Nwobu Alor on Saturday, the 11th of June. Anambra politics is not synonymous with political murder and assassination and we hope and pray it remains like that", the group concluded and added a caveat that if anything happens to Mr. Peter Obi or any of his aides, that Obiano should be held responsible.

As the governor and his school son, but political godfather remain at war, many believe that the state is losing with this protracted battle by their prominent sons. The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship, Paulinus Ezeokafor while admonishing both men in one of his attempt to resolve the ‘war’ called on them to sheathe their sword, noting that the state was losing a lot from their frosty relationship. The Bishop also called on them to rein in their supporters as they were the reason the battle has remained unresolved.

Several notable personalities in the state have also waded into the matter with a view to settling the rift between them, all to no avail. Council of Bishops of the Catholic and Anglican stock in the state, Traditional rulers council and even clergy of the Pentecostal stock are some of the groups that have tried to settle the rift at different times to no avail.

The main reason for the inability of these prominent people to settle both men have never also been made known, but a source who claims to be in the know, and who does not want his name in print however stated that the problem has remained campaign funds used in 2013. According to the source, “Obi and Obiano will never agree, unless Obiano accepts to pay the money which was used to fund his campaign. The money for the campaign was said to have been borrowed from some powerful people in the state who accepted to do so because of Obi. Obiano was even said not to have contributed any money to his election, the reason for Obi to borrow to fund the election. Obi had refused to surrender state funds for the election, but borrowed monies running into billions, with the hope that Obiano will pay back when he has won.” The source said.

He revealed further that as a result of the debt, Obi has had to sell off his next shopping mall in Abuja to pay off the debt, which were given because the persons trusted him to pay back. On the other hand because of the burning desire by Obiano to work for the people and also make re-election easy for him in 2017, Obiano has refused to spend money on the ‘wrong people’, but to use it for developmental projects that will help him shore up his popularity among the people.

He has also been accused of dumping projects initiated by Obi as a way to further spite him, but during the official opening of a mall in Onitsha, which also houses Shoprite, Obiano stated clearly that the project was initiated by his predecessor and completed by him, which is a testimony that he is not abandoning projects by his predecessor.

The frosty relationship between the men has also been the reason for the halt in the Anambra Senatorial Election, but should that scale through, and the barrier holding it is removed, and if the feud persists, the governor may have an uphill task when the next election comes up, especially as he has indicated interest to vie for a second term. Then, he would not only be battling fellow contestants from other party, but with a predecessor who is known to be powerful in the state.

Civil Defence sends 192 officers undergo arms training in Anambra....is your relative's name in?

No fewer than 105 personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence
Corps,are currently undergoing various types of training.

The training included riffle handling,VIP protection, stamina building and other specialised security skills.

Speaking newmen, the Commandant of NSCDC in Anambra, Mr Godwin Omoregie said the training was part of the efforts to enhance the capacity of the operatives.

Omoregie said the training became expedient in view of the sensitive task they undertook adding that they needed more than sticks and clubs to handle them.

“We are training our staff because of the nature of security challenges we face in the hands of criminals and vandals, with the way they operate, we need good knowledge of weapon use.

“Men from the Army are taking them on in the areas of arms handling, shootings tanks and shooting range will come up later in the week in Elele, Rivers State .

“Anambra is in the forefront of this exercise and that accounts for the
effectiveness of the command,” he said. Omoregie said this brings to 192 total of personnel trained in Anambra in 2016so far as 87 officers were graduated in May.

How armed robbers raid News Agency of Nigeria office, cart away valuables and injured security man

The Anambra office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) located near Government House in Awka was in the early hours of Friday raided by suspected armed robbers leaving the security man critically injured.

Valuable properties belonging to the organisation were also carted away. Some of the valuables carted away Thisday gathered included computer sets and others.

The bandits who allegedly scaled the perimeter fence gained entry into the building by cutting two burglary proofs open and damaged parts of the building wall in the process.

Narrating the incident, the security officer on duty, Mr Kenneth Edeh said the robbers stormed the NAN office at about 2.30 am with guns and machetes.

Edeh said he could see only three of the gang while other laid ambush around.

"When they came in through the fence,  they demanded the keys to the office and I told them, they are not with me,  and they wanted to shot at me but another just said they should machete me.

"So the started macheting me until I could no longer resist before they started breaking the protector and wall to gain entry and removed valuables," he said.

The State Correspondent of NAN in Anambra, Mr Emmanuel Ndukuba who was startled  with the development described the incident as unfortunate.

Ndukuba decried the level of damage and property destroyed by the criminals.

The incident was reported at the B Division Police station Awka.

The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Jonathan Modi promised to investigate the matter and ensure that the culprits were apprehended.

Modi also ordered that the wounded security man be taken to a medical facility for urgent attention.

80 year old Mama kidnaped four years ago from Alor for N100m still missing

In this piece, David-Chyddy Eleke writes on the kidnap of 80-year-old Lady Roselyn Ughanze who was taken by six armed men four years ago with no ransom demands and no trace, or any clue to whether she is still alive or dead, and the trauma of her family.

It was on the early morning of Sunday 26th June 2012 when Lady Roselyn Ughanze, a devout Catholic faithful was preparing to go for the morning mass. Even though she was 80 years old, she is strong enough to take care of herself, as she always goes to mass everyday. But that faithful day was different because she never made it to drive to church in her Honda CRV car as every other day as she was kidnapped by unknown men before she could.

Before then, an attempt to take her six months before her eventual kidnap date had failed as the perpetrators were not so lucky as her son, a businessman, Uche Ughanze narrated to our correspondent. Her family believes that whoever her kidnappers were, were bent on ensuring that she was taken out of the way, for a reason they could not even adduce. Close to one year to her being taken, mama as her children fondly called her had ran into trouble with one of her daughters’ inlaw, which had led to her ejection from her late husband’s house, but she decided to take refuge in the house of her son, Mr Uche.

She was beginning to feel at home again, probably to the annoyance of her haters when kidnapers started coming for her. During the first attempt on her, Mama was said to have suspected some men who came to her compound, and had hurriedly entered her house and bolted the door, shutting her assailants out. But she was not so lucky on the second attempt, six months after, as she was taken, and her car also stolen by her assailants.

At 80, Lady Ughanze had no better faith in anything else than her belief in God. A devout Christian of the Catholic stock who diligently attends morning mass every day. Her faith in God and His ability to protect her from the machinations of her enemies was incontestable.
Indeed, when her second son, Uche bought a Honda CRV car, she insisted that the car’s number plate be customized and registered with a bible verse 'Psalm 37'. Its first two verses read thus: "I do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong, for they are like the grass...They will soon wither away like green plant; they will soon die." With this, madam Ughanze will cruise through the village, feeling secured in her car, but it was in the same car that she was taken on 26 June 2012, and her quest to attend mass that day or any other cut short.

Four years after, her children’s prayers that one day she will walk in to tell them the story of her long absence has remained unanswered, but what they say torments them most is the silence that has continued to trail her disappearance. The family said that having supplied the necessary tips and even the phone number of the suspected kidnappers, with which they had called to solicit ransom to the police, it is up to them to move in and conduct a thorough investigation that will lead to the arrest of the kidnapers. The family also expressed unhappiness that the initial suspects arrested for quizzing as the phone numbers belonged to them were also set free without relating back to the family.

Speaking to journalists on the incident years after the kidnap, her son, Uche Ughanze said he is afraid for his mother’s life as her kidnappers, who initially called him to ask for N100m ransom have suddenly stopped contacting him when they learnt that he lodged a complaint with the police. Ughanze stated that the problem has made him restless, to the extent that he is now finding it difficult to concentrate on his business, from where he could raise the money to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

But speaking to THISDAY through their counsel, Mr Odinaka Obiorah on the fourth year of the disappearance of his mother, Uche said the conclusion of investigation will help bring to book the perpetrators of the crime and also set the family’s mind at rest as to whether their matriarch is still alive or dead. Obiorah said the family still has a strong belief that Mrs Ughanze who was 80 as at the time of his kidnap last four years was still alive, but said that a thorough investigation will also reveal if she was dead.

“We call on the police and other security agencies to rise up to their duty as we are not in doubt as to those who kidnapped our mother. Justice should take its course no matter who is involved or how powerful they are. It is the position of the family that they do not know if their mother has been killed or still alive but they know that petitions and other similar letters being circulated by the detractors have killed the search for Lady Roselyn Ughanze. The authors of said petition and letters are putting up smiling cheeks to Lady Roselyn Ughanze’s discomfort and her family’s predicament over same. It is, to say the least, unconscionable or unfortunate or both. I announce the family’s plea to those who have access to Lady Roselyn Ughanze, their beloved mother, to let her know if she has not been killed that the detractors killed all the family’s efforts to locate her. She should be told also that the family, though down now, but have not given up in their search for their mother.” Obiorah submitted.

When THISDAY visited the Anambra State police command to know if the police plans to reopen investigation on the matter, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ali Okechukwu was not in the office. He however told our correspondent that he was in a meeting when he was contacted on phone, pledging to call back. But as at the time of filling this report, he did not return the call.
ENDS.