Heat instilled in Bayelsa Election: Duoye Diri will Know his Fate as he appear in the Tribunal

Election in Bayelsa: The State Governor, Duoye Diri will Know his Fate as he appear in the Tribunal.

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal holding in Abuja is set to give judgments in three petitions.

The petitions comprises of Vijah Opuama of the Liberation Movement versus the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and three others.

Another petition is between Ibiene Stephen of United Peoples Congress and INEC and others while the third and last petition is between Owei Woniwei of Alliance for Democracy and Governor Duoye Diri and three others.

The competitors are challenging the election of Senator Diri as the duly elected Governor of Bayelsa State.

A former aspirant of the Bayelsa governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Timi Alaibe, challenging the candidacy of Senator Diri in the November 2019 election.This comes a month after the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed.  

It is cleared that in a similar suit Alaibe who had earlier lost a at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal is claiming that he is the authentic candidate of the PDP.

But the court dismissed the case on Tuesday, on the ground that it was a pre-election matter.

On February 14, a day after the Supreme Court sent out the former governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon, and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo that Governor Diri was sworn in 

Emmanuel, Alumni, others extol virtues of ex - UNIUYO VC’s mother

INIOBONG USORO, Uyo

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state at the weekend joined other sympathizers to bid farewell to the late Affiong Harrison Hogan Ekpo, mother of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Prof. Akpan Ekpo.

Speaking at the funeral ceremony held at Ikot Obio Eka village in Etinan Local Government Area, governor Emmanuel, described the madam Ekpo, who died at age 83, as an Amazon whose wealth of knowledge and education has helped in fostering unity of purpose and the development of the society.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the governor admonished the family “to take solace in the fact the deceased lived eventful and impactful life” of community service to God and humanity.

He urged the living to borrow a leaf from the departed by living a life that is worthy of emulation, noting that as the society to continue to grapple with the challenges of development, it behoves all to be in the vanguard of transforming the society for the betterment of the people.

The ex-students of the institution under the aegis of the University of Uyo Alumni Association (UUAA) led by the President, Prof. Gabriel Umoh, said the late Affiong would be sorely missed given the fact “the matriarch had carved a niche for herself and the family in the annals of history”.  

In his tribute, Akpan Ekpo, one time VC of UNIUYO and the immediate past Director General of the West African Institute for Economic and Financial Management (WAIFEM), said the exemplary life of her mother ensured high level educational attainment and training for him and other members of the family and prayed God to repose her soul.

Members of the state and National Assemblies including Mr. Onofiok Luke (House of Representatives; Hon. Aniefiok Dennis, House of Assembly, top functionaries of government and the academia, were among those who graced the ceremony.

Don't inflame A'Ibom over tribunals' verdicts, NGO warns APC

Worried by the tension generated by the outcome of tribunals’ rulings which affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as having won the last general elections in Akwa Ibom state, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has sued for peace and urged the aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates to toe the line of law in addressing their grievances.

The Network Advancement Programme for Poverty and Disaster Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPPDR), an NGO committed to societal and economic justice, frowned at the resort to blackmail and propaganda over the rulings so far, advised the main opposition APC to accept the verdicts in good faith.

Addressing Newsmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital at the weekend, the President of the group, Alhaji Al-Mustapher Edoho, said “the resort to extra-judicial actions by the APC has seriously disturbed the prevailing peace enjoyed by the residents since the emergence of the governor Udom Emmanuel – led administration since 2015.

The tribunals chaired by Justices W.O. Akanbi and Mrs. Jeniffer Ijohor, has so far ruled that the PDP won the polls in all the National Assembly elections as earlier declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chaired by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini.

The state APC has been protesting the outcome of the rulings, alleging the panels heavily compromised and bend the course of justice in favour of the ruiling PDP in the state and called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the party leadership led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other party stakeholders to intervene.

According to the leader of the youth wing of APC, Comrade Stephen Udo Ntukekpo, the rulings declared so far for the PDP was heavily manipulated by the state government in favour of the PDP.

In the rulings so far decided, Obong Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong, was affirmed as the winner over the former governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District and Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (Akwa Ibom North-East), who was ruled as having won the poll against Mr. Bassey Etim of the APC.

For the Federal Constituency contest, Mr. Unyime Idem (PDP) was affirmed the winner over Hon. Emmanuel Ukoette of the APC in the Ukanafun\Oruk Anam zone while Mr. Patrick Ifon (PDP) was also given a clean bill as winner over one Mr. Akpabio in the Eket\Esit Eket\Ibeno\ Onna House of Representatives seat.

In the same vein Mr. Aniekan Umana (PDP) was affirmed as winner over Hon. Emmanuel Ekon of the APC in the race for the Abak\Etim Ekpo\Ika Federal Constituency and the incumbent Chief Nse Bruce Ekpenyong (PDP) got the nod of the tribunal as winner of the Oron Federal Constituency contest over Hon. Victor Etim Atai of the APC.

But the APC rejected the verdicts and called on the appropriate authorities to launch probe into the verdicts which they claimed failed the due process test in the eyes of the law.

To maintain peace in the polity, the NGO cautioned the feuding APC candidates and urged them to pursue their cases to logical conclusion at the Appeal Court instead of resorting to violence which they noted could destabilize the polity and truncate the ongoing development projects of the state government.

While commending the state for its achievements in the last 100 days into the second term, Edoho pointed out that “no amount of violence would change the will of the people who delivered their votes to the PDP”, adding: “2023 will soon come. Therefore, all the feuding candidates should note their mistakes and return to the drawing for better showing in the next polls”.

“In the last 100 days, the administration has shown enough commitment to changing the face of Akwa Ibom in terms of development especially in the areas of industrialization, infrastructural revolution in roads, human capital development, physical empowerment and job creation”, Edoho said.

Besides, he pointed at the development strides in some Local Government Areas especially Eket and Esit Eket, noting that “improved allocations to the councils has tremendously help the Chairmen, Hon. Frank Archibong (Eket), Mr. Iniobong Robson (Esit Eket) and others to demonstrate much commitment to grassroots development.  

AKPABIO DEMANDS REFUND OF N300M FROM JUSTICE HAFIZ TAHIR

 UNLEASHES MEDIA ATTACK DOGS ON TRIBUNAL MEMBERS 

Following his inability to secure favourable judgement from the Akwa  Ibom National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, Senator Godswill Akpabio has launched media attacks on members of the Tribunal.

Akpabio has also vowed to stop at nothing to retrieve the N300m obtained by Justice Sheriff Hafiz Tahir who had promised to convince other members of the tribunal to sway judgement in his favour.

It was gathered that Akpabio sensing defeat, had allegedly secured the services of one of the panelists Justice Tahir to get the three man panel to secure him the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District seat, which he had lost to Chris Ekpenyong on February 23.

Justice Hafiz subsequently delivered a minority judgement in Akpabio's favour at the tribunal on Wednesday, while Justice Akanbi and Justice Douglas both unanimously dismissed the petition as lacking in merit.

It is generally believed that the absence of Justice Hafiz on Thursday night during the delivery of judgement in the case between Nsikak Ekong of the PDP and Emmanuel Akpan of the APC, may have been as a result of his inability to influence the Chairman and the other member of the tribunal to accept Akpabio's bribe, forcing the latter to ask for an immediate return of the 'appreciation token.'

Justice Hafiz Tahir's bribery saga came to fore on Thursday, when on sighting some loyalists of Senator Akpabio, led by Hon. Nse Ntuen at the court premises, he took to his heels and left the court arena leaving the other two judges to preside over the last lap of the case involving Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, which also went in favour of PDP.

Having failed to secure judgement in his favour, the former National Assembly Member for Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District, and current Minister of Niger-Delta has reportedly instructed his media team to launch attack on the Chairman and Members of the tribunal. 

He is reported to have boasted that he has the Appeal Court President in his pocket and has vowed that judgement will be procured at whatever cost, especially with his much taunted Abuja connection. 

The latest blackmail campaign launched on the Tribunal Members by his media boys, according to a source in Akpabio's camp is one of the strategy already mapped out to deceive the public.

Meanwhile, observers within and outside the Senatorial district have called on Senator Akpabio to call his media attack dogs to order.

Several social media and offline reactions to the attack on the tribunal members have condemned the style adopted by the defeated Senator whose petition was dismissed for lacking in merit.

 They have advised him to accept defeat, congratulate the winner and move on to concentrate on his new assignment at the Niger-Delta Ministry.

But undaunted, Akpabio has reportedly instructed his media hirelings to give Akanbi the 'Igini' treatment for failing to do their bid.

It would be recalled that Akpabio had before the elections launched a media campaign for the removal of Mike Igini, when the former student activist refused his offer to cooperate with APC and rig the election in their favour.

The sitting of the tribunal in Uyo was also resisted by Akpabio and his media urchins who campaigned vigorously in futility and for the relocation of the tribunals to Abuja.

A NEED TO REVAMP PAPER MILLS IN NIGERIA

It is on record that the Nigeria's three paper plants have been abandoned. Also, paper are being brought into the nation 

Mindful that the Nigerian paper plants were built up by the Federal Government during the 1960s and the 1970s. The paper processes under perception are Nigeria Paper Mill (NPM), Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC), and Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company (NNPMC), situated in Kwara State, Akwa-Ibom State, and Ogun State separately. The Jebba paper factory was to create ridged containers, sack make, craft paper, direct and chip board just as fluting media. The NNMC was considered to create 100,000 tons of newsprint for each year. On its part, the NNPMC was intended to address the nation's issues recorded as a hard copy and printing paper. 

The privatization of Nigeria's three government - claimed paper factories has turned sour, leaving the nation with another tremendous salary shortage. The individuals who purchased the plants, including the ones at Oku Iboku, Jebba and Iwopin, neglected to revive them

Further alert that this lovely thought has crumpled. As per The chief general of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Azikiwe Onwualu, who talked with LEADERSHIP, the ongoing measurements demonstrated that the nation lost well over N800 billion every year to paper items importation. The printers Association of Nigeria has additionally regretted that the nation is as of now losing about $1 trillion yearly through the importation of more than one million metric huge amounts of paper at an expense of $1,000 per ton. These plants earlier utilized 300,000 individuals and had speculations worth over N100 billion.

Worried that the undesirable condition of the printing business is unfavorably influencing the training area. Insights demonstrates that more than 100 million books are required yearly in the nation for the 20 million understudies in schools .By the National Book Policy, five books is the necessity set for per student. 75 percent of these books are printed outside the nation. This is on the grounds that printers makes more cash printing abroad on the grounds that the obligation on importation of distributed books is zero percent while importation of paper, as crude materials into the nation is up to 30 percent. 

Stressed that the aftereffect of the non-execution of the paper factories is the botched chance for employment creation in the area, which likewise sums to a misfortune for the Nigerian economy. In the event that this paper factories are working, a huge number of Nigerians would be effectively utilized working in this plants. Also, the books and paper required by understudies would have been less expensive if there are delivered locally. This will drive Export as this paper can be sent out to other African nations. It would have flaunted the economy and the instruction area. Occupations would be made if the division is revived and made to work ideally 

Inclination the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) to survey obligation on importation of distributed books and importation of paper as crude materials into the nation and make it ideal to print locally in Nigeria 

Desire the Minister of Information and National Orientation to consider a summit that will ponder and proffer answers for the recovery of the paper processes in Nigeria 

Command senate council on Education to liaise with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Director General, Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) and all important government foundations for execution