Keke drivers, NSCDC Road Safety bicker over shooting

Written by AUGUSTINA Nwachukwu Aftermath of the alleged shooting of keke drivers by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday during a peaceful protest against what they described as subjugations/harassment on them by the corps, keke operators have reiterated their plea on the government to look into the matter and warn Federal Road Safety Commission and Civil Defence to leave them alone and allow them go about their daily businesses. An eye witness of the alleged Friday shooting by Civil Defence described the shooting of keke drivers as madness, saying that “this has shown to be madness on the side of the Civil Defence Officers as they are violating the Rule of Law, because the keke drivers were only protesting against their subjugations/harassment and not inflicting harm on any one and so nothing called for the shooting of the keke drivers.” Speaking to Nigeria Moment a keke operator who craved anonymity stated that Civil Defence and Road Safety are bent on frustrating them through harassment and intimidation, and sometimes extortion. Corroborating, Mr. Magnus, a keke operator, said that Road Safety and Civil Defence see them as their money bags all the time. “They depend on us for their daily bread. There is never a time Road Safety will stop us and will not find one fault or the other on us. For instance, I was driving along Okigwe Road after Federal Girls' College, I was not carrying anyone in front and they stopped me asking me for my papers which I quickly brought out, because all my papers are complete. Seeing that they have nothing to fault me for, one of them told me that he saw me when I dropped somebody in front when I saw them. I told them that it was not possible because I was carrying only two passengers and there was no way I could have dropped one when I still had one vacant seat at the back. They said that I was arguing with them and insisted to take me to their office or pay a fine of five thousand naira for 'insulting an official on duty'.” Continuing, Mr. Magnus stated that that infuriated him and he forcefully snatched his papers from one of them and headed to his keke when they blocked him with their van. He called on the state government to look into the incessant harassment on them by the Road Safety. In a similar development another keke operator, Mr. Cyracus Edeh who narrated his sad ordeal with Road Safety officials to Nigeria Moment stated that it was only along Okigwe Road that Road Safety mount their check point to extort money from them because, according to him, Okigwe Road is not in the heart of the town and they pretend to be doing their work while they are indiscriminately extorting money from them. “It is rare you see them at World Bank, Port Harcourt Road and some other places. They always come to stage their check point along Okigwe Road to harass us. I was happy with the protest we did because left for me I have always wanted a means to bring the incessant and indiscriminate harassment of Road Safety officials to the public notice and for the state government to come to our rescue. Federal Road Safety Commission used to be an impartial parastatal who when you see them on the road every driver conducts his/herself very well because once you are found guilty of an offence, you would be treated according to the stipulation of the law. But today, it is something else. “I was going from Whetheral to Orji, at Civil Defence junction where Road Safety always mount their check point they stopped me and as I was talking with them when they sighted from afar a keke that was carrying a passenger in front. They signaled to the driver to stop and one of them saw that the passenger in front was someone he knows, they exchanged pleasantries and they waved the driver to go. As if he read my mind, he turned and asked me what I am looking at and then told me to go. Since then, I realize that the saying that 'the law is no respecter of person(s) is not for the Road Safety.” But speaking to Nigeria Moment, the Public Relations Officer, NSCDC, Mr. Chimeziri Lowell (ASC1), said that keke drivers went on protest because Road Safety were discharging their legal duty alleging that they were illegally extorted. Asked if NSCDC is in any form of partnership with FRSC which makes FRSC to pack their impounded goods with the NSCDC he said: “There is no partnership of any sort. FRSC and NSCDC are both federal parastatals serving the same course. We have synergy among ourselves (all uniformed officials), and not just for FRSC only. “By virtue of proximity, Road Safety's bit is closer to us and we are authorized to keep their exhibits from the Imo State Command of FRSC.” On whether there was shooting in the protest by the keke drivers he said: “Yes there was shooting, but we were shooting in the air to disperse the mob who almost invaded us. As civil defenders, we defend the citizenry. We applied every possible means to calm them down but they refused to be calmed down. We used dialogue, address and even tear gas and they insisted and was surging forward. So we resorted to firing gun in the air. We didn't shoot anybody and anybody that was injured was not from our gun. Maybe that could have happened while they were trying to run when we were shooting in the air.” Corroborating, the Ag. PRO Federal Road Safety, Imo State Area Command, Mr. C.Y. Okemiri, stated that they have no problems with keke drivers but were doing their legitimate and lawful duty. He therefore called on keke operators to do the necessary things to avoid what they (keke operators) term as harassment. “We are doing our legitimate and lawful duty. We have no problems with keke operators. Everybody knows that they are not law abiding. They violate all the road rules and regulations; they carry over load, carry passengers in front, many of them don't have driving license and those that have, have expired ones.” Mr. Okemiri further stated that nobody was shot as claimed by keke drivers stressing that if anybody was shot, they should present the person. “Nobody was shot. If anybody was shot, who is the person, where is he? Is he in the hospital or mortuary? And if yes which hospital is the person(s).” He continued: “Civil Defence is like us. Mind you, offenders do not pay cash to FRSC. We have no backyard business with Civil Defence. There is nothing like partnership. We keep our impounded goods with NSCDC and that didn't start today. So whoever says we have partnership with NSCDC is their own personal opinion.” - See more at: http://themoment.com.ng/national/item/3904-keke-drivers-nscdc-road-safety-bicker-over-shooting#sthash.MTLzS8nV.dpuf

Looming war in Imo APGA, Ihenacho returns, to lock horns with Okey Ezeh, Agbaso agai

By COLLINS Ughalaa Nigerians, nay, the people of Imo State, would be treated to a theatre of war as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) spoils for war, and to batter once more the already battered party. The battle ground is the congresses, beginning from the Ward Congress which will hold on Saturday, 16 May, 2015, Local Government Congress 20 May, 2015, State Congress 23 May, 2015 and National Congress in June. And just like the battle of the general elections which was a fatal battle that has threatened the existence of the party, especially in Imo State, the congress battle is the battle for the soul of APGA. If the party gets it right this time, there would be hope that the party would survive the 2015 change tsunami; but if the party fails like it failed in the general elections, then we would be ready for a requiem service for the party. This is even as sources in the party said that Captain would return to the state yesterday (Tuesday) from his overseas trip ahead of the congresses. Recall that Captain travelled overseas after the governorship election where he scratched a miserly 28,000 votes. Other sources in the party who spoke to Nigeria Moment yesterday said that Captain's faction sensing that they would be defeated at the congresses by the people of the party who are tired of their leadership, have resorted to writing the results of the congresses to be forwarded to their ally at the national headquarters for approval. This was confirmed by other members of the party in other local governments in the state who called to express fear that the outcome of the congress might not be the true expression of the wishes of the members of the party who are yearning for a quick fix and a return of the party to its lost glory. They said some members of a faction of the party had compiled lists for the congresses and forwarded same to their leader in Owerri, expressing worry that such action was capable of sending the party into oblivion. Similarly, a leader of the party in Owerri, Mr. Ibegbulem, has called on the leaders of the party to ensure that it is not further weakened or placed in a more precarious position, saying that the best option for the party is to embrace all factions and work together in the spirit of the reconciliation that is sweeping across the party in recent time. He warned those writing lists of the congress secretly to desist from doing so and come together to work like a united one family, stressing that going ahead with their plans would force the aggrieved members to return to the trenches. He said that going back to the trenches should be the worst scenario the party should pray and guard against, adding that it is not good for the party. He said: “APGA had a problem due to factionalization, and we lost the election because of it. Now some people want to do the congress underground. We should have one APGA. Some people want to write the result underground. If this happens everybody would go back to the trenches. That was what they did last year that landed us into court and they should not do it again. “It is in the best interest of the party that they carry everybody along. Let them carry everybody, and the party would do well, so that we can have one APGA. The congress could harmonized and the position shared equitably among the factions so that we can have one house and live like one people”. The tone of the congress war was disclosed recently when during a meeting of the State Working Committee where Captain and his loyalists, many of whom were CICO members, made effort to remove the state chairman, Barr Peter Ezeobi, and to replace him with Barr Chudi Onuzo who was replaced by Ezeobi last year when Captain joined the party. The move to remove Ezeobi failed when some leaders of the party saw the handwriting on the wall and concluded that the best strategy to save Ezeobi from the shameful removal was to call off the meeting, particularly, when the meeting procedure was not being recorded. Thus the state chairman rose up and called off the meeting and he left immediately with the members of the SWC. Captain had accused Ezeobi of stabbing him in the back during the election by supporting the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha. But some leaders of the party had also accused Ihenacho of selling out in the middle of the election, saying that he never supported the party. But Ibegbulem called on the six principal leaders of the party: the state chairman, the secretary, the deputy chairman and the three zonal chairmen of the party to resign their positions, pointing out that they led the party to failure in the last general elections. According to him, and in what he termed his personal opinion, he said that the six principal leaders of the party who should resign have become the face of failure in the party, and should therefore give way for fresh blood to be injected into the party. He also said that for the first time in the history of the party, it scored zero, scoring below the number of voided votes in an election, whereas the party used to be hot contender in the elections in the state. He said: “The State Chairman, Deputy, Secretary and three zonal chairmen of the party should resign let's have a new face. They are the face of failure in the party. For the first time in the history of Imo we scored zero. In the governorship we scored less than the number of voided votes. So there should be no excuse for them. They should all resign because they led us to failure. In 2003 Agbaso won the election; in 2011 Okorocha won, and prior to that Ezekiel Izuogu battled very well for the seat with Udenwa. In UK the leaders of the three parties that failed in the elections resigned. I don't know why our own should be different. They should resign.” He pointed out that Captain has moved on after the governorship election, a comment that suggested he might not be interested in the coming congress. He said: “Even Captain said he has moved on and he even prayed for us, that God should help us to be in a position to run an elaborate governorship campaign without borrowing”, suggesting also he did not borrow money for the election. He called on Okey Ezeh, whom he said is showing interest in the congress, to ensure that he does not do the same things that led the party to failure. He stressed that Okey Ezeh should not indulge in any acts of impunity by falling to the temptation of writing the results of the election. - See more at: http://themoment.com.ng/national/item/3900-looming-war-in-imo-apga-ihenacho-returns-to-lock-horns-with-okey-ezeh-agbaso-again#sthash.9P1LDt9J.dpuf

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2015 Imo guber Okorocha in dilemma – Information Commissioner

By COLLINS Ughalaa

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has been said to be in a dilemma following his indesio0n whether to go for the Presidency or the governorship of the state for a second term in office in the 2015 general election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was made known by the Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Engr. Chidi Ibe, on Friday in his office during a press briefing with journalists.

Fielding questions on the Governor’s ambition in 2015 the Commissioner for Information and Strategy said that while the Governor is busy campaigning for his presidency ambition 90% of the people of the state are calling on him to come back home and contest the governorship of the state for the second term so that he could consolidate on his programmes and projects, stressing that such acts have put the Governor in a dilemma. He assured that as a listening Governor, Okorocha would listen to the people of the state at the end of the day and run for the governorship of the state for the second term.

“But why he (the Governor) is busy there campaigning to become president 90% of the people down here are pulling him down, saying he should not go; that he should stay here and complete his projects. So it is a case of one being in dilemma. And I know he is a listening Governor and I know that at the end of the day he will listen to Imo people,” he said.

The commissioner also said that there are other governorship aspirants in the APC in Imo State and that whenever the Governor said he was no longer running for the governorship of the state the aspirants in the party would become public.

He said: “It is not as if the APC does not have guber aspirants. APC has other guber aspirants, and if the Governor says he is no more interested in the position you would see other coming out. But it is a question of saying that the Governor has done well and that he should be allowed to continue, and there is n o need vying for any position when you have somebody who is better than you”.

He said that the Governor was not desperate over the governorship of the state, reiterating that the Governor had the ambition to become the president of the country and that he was emphasizing that ambition through his campaign for the presidency. He pointed out that the Imo APC and the people of the state were not allowing the Governor to run for the presidency as they preferred him to run for the Governorship.

“His Excellency is not desperate about governorship. He is not desperate. Before now he had a programme to vie for the presidency. What is presently happening is that he is emphasizing that ambition. But the APC and Imo people are not happy allowing him to go the presidency”, the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner explained that the Governor had done so much in the state that the people wanted him to stay back and serve them again as the Governor, stressing that both the old and young in the rural communities wanted the Governor to continue.

According to him: “The Governor has done so much that the people want him to stay back and consolidate on the things he has done. If you go down to your various villages you would see that old and young want him to stay for the next administration as the Governor of Imo State. But he has an ambition: his ambition is to become the president of Nigeria and he is emphasizing that ambition. And that is why we should always pray for the Governor so that he can make a wise decision.

“But I know that at the end of the day he will listen to the heart beat of Imo people; he will listen to what Imo people are saying; he will be able to interpret their pulse. If you look at what is happening in Nigeria today you would see that you can never get an executive position or commander-in-chief of any cadre in the South East. He has been so worried about it: that there is no service chief you would find in the South East; the Speaker, the Senate President, the Vice President and the national chairman of the ruling party have all eluded the South East. His Excellency is worried about this level of marginalization. And that is why he is so worried, that is why if you give him the opportunity to go for the presidency he would go”. 

Earlier in his speech, the Commissioner said the Governor’s agenda to ensure that everyone in the state benefitted from government, adding that there is hardly a family in the state that had not bene4fitted from his administration. He said the Governor had achieved in 3 years what the PDP did not achieve in 12 years.

He said the state had crossed the stage of backwardness as the Governor had put the state on the road of rapid development, saying: “we have crossed the burden of backwardness in Imo State. Imo State is on the road to rapid development. Imo State has metamorphosed from backwardness to rapid infrastructural development, and the Governor is not leaving any stone unturned to see to the rapid infrastructural development. This is just the beginning. His idea is that every local government and village must benefit from his programme. And you can hardly see a family that has not benefitted. That is why you must continue to pray for him so that God will continue to give him the wisdom to continue to do good for the people of the state.”

Rochas

Imo NUJ 2014 press week: Thanksgiving church service and visit to a motherless babies home

Shots at NUJ press week church service at He Reigns Chapel, Owerri Imo State on 30/11/2014.
Proudly Fourth Estate of the Realm 

SA Media to His Excellency, Owell Rochas Okorocha making a speech at He Reigns Chapel, during NUJ press week flag off ceremony.

Imo State NUJ Chairman Sir Innocent Igwe at He Reigns Chapel, Owerri

Bishop Ngozi Durueke blessing Journalists on the church service marking the kick-off of NUJ press week, in Owerri, Imo State.

Cross section of Journalists at the church service

1.      A cross section of Journalist led by the Chairman, Sir Innocent Igwe with Mrs. Ngozi Izunobi, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development representing the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development.

1.      Nigeria Moment newspapers Editor, Ezinwa Collins Ughalaa with a child at the motherless babies home

Imo PDP and the road to hell

Ohakim

Araraume

Chris Anyanwu

Kpaduwa

By COLLINS Ughalaa

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State may implode before the primary election. I have strong feelings about this. I have talked about the PDP imploding before the 2015 elections and said that such implosion would cost the party the much needed 2015 governorship election. But recent developments in the party have shown that the implosion may happen quicker that I had prophesied. The party may implode just before the primary. Yes, that is how quick it can happen. The party, from the look of things is sitting on a keg of gun powder and what we are waiting for is the slightest ignition, the least contact with friction or fire or any such thing that can cause the implosion. It is not as if the ingredients for the implosion are scarce, no; they are in quantum supply, and we have them in excess. The supply is more than the demand, as the economists would say. The only reason the party has not imploded so far is the tiny thread that is holding the party. And this fall will be worse than that of 2011, because it will reverberate all over the country, that PDP, the once glorious party, has fallen, like Babylon The Great.

The PDP should hold on to the tiny thread and ensure it does not cut; ensure that it is not stretched to the limits; ensure that the thread is not held on loosely. But I am afraid. I am afraid that the PDP may let this tiny thread cut; sorry, the PDP will cut this tiny thread and disgrace all of us. For one, the PDP is not behaving like a party that was forced to play the opposition for a period of four years. The party seems to be unconscious of the fact that it is an opposition party and that it is facing a formidable candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC) who is the Governor of the state, and who has the masses following him. The PDP is behaving like soldiers drinking and dancing in the face of a fierce battle, just like in the days of Noah when men were drinking and getting married, ignoring the warning from Noah and the impending destruction of the world. They did not mind what Noah said to them. They did not care that their world was about to be destroyed; and they continued to enjoy, to get married, and perhaps insult Noah and call him all sorts of name. But they couldn’t stop the impending destruction of their world. God did not continue to tolerate them, and he wasted no time in destroying that world. And they all perished, save Noah and his family and some animals.

As it is now, about 19 aspirants have picked their nomination and expression of interest forms. This is a reduction from the more than 26 aspirants that were in the media space for some months now claiming to be running for the governorship of the state under the PDP. We knew some of them were pretenders. And they have bowed out after enjoying the euphoria and after some people have addressed them as His Excellency. And perhaps they will continue to enjoy this title. That is what we see in our clime. If you want to be addressed as Honourable, no matter how dishonourable you are, buy some drinks and some meat pie and call friends and announce to them over the drink and the meat pie, that you are running for the governorship or the presidency or the Senate or the House of Reps; and the next thing you see is that they will begin to address you as Hon; His Excellency, etc,etc, etc.

As at my last count the following persons have picked their forms and are set to fight for the party’s ticket; set to tear down the party’s umbrella: Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Prof. Jude Njoku, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Hon Bethel Amadi, Chief Charles Onyeagbako, Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Lady Clara Njoku, Chief Charley Amanze, Engr. Emma Ojinere, Chief Chris Brown, Chief Charles Onuoha, Dr. Ngozi Olehi, Chief Ken Ojiri, Barr. Ken Njemanze, Benjamin Nzimako and Chief Mike Ahamba SAN.

These are heavy men and they are set to scatter and leave the party breathless, all in the mad race for the governorship. No party can house these big men and escape an implosion. It will take only an act of God to keep off the implosion. 19 aspirants is too much for the PDP in Imo State; it is an unnecessary number, and this shows how ill prepared the party is for the daunting task ahead. If the party is thinking of winning the governorship election in the state in 2015the 19 aspirants it has for the primary election is unnecessary. The party does not need it. How can 19 elephants fight without pulling down the house, without destroying the platform? How do you get 19 men to lock horns without the house collapsing? How do you house 19 powerful men in one umbrella without tearing the umbrella? That is the matter with the PDP now; their blessing has become their curse.

But how do men change their own blessing to become a curse? How do men change their advantage to disadvantage? How do men make their strength become their weakness? That is what the PDP has done, and by this reckless action they have placed themselves on the ugly road to perdition, on the road to hell. And hell does not hold any sweet experience. The Christians, not the Bible, say it is a place of torment, anguish and gnashing of the teeth.

I had expected the state chairman of the party, Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie, to come up with a position on the number of those aspiring to contest the governorship election. I had expected that the party should have said “this is our position as far as the election is concerned”. I had hoped that the leadership of the party in the state would come up with a policy direction on what to do to get the state from the APC. Alas! I don’t think the party has a programme. It appear to me that the party has left every strategy and programme to winning back the state to the aspirants, and once a candidate emerges, you would see that the party is grossly ill prepared for the outcome. This is why the party is left only with the carcass after every election. That is why the party is always rebuilding and never held intact. That is why Mr. A leaves the party today and returns to contest an election every four years. And it is my opinion that Barr Anyaehie is leading the party to hell. He might be a good leader; he might be democratic; he might be the legal and legitimate leader; he might be trusted; but as far as the election is concerned, I don’t see any programme coming from him yet, except that he has been singing around that he would provide level playing ground for all. And to the best of his ability he has done this. He has not stopped anybody from contesting; that is democratic enough. He has welcomed those who have returned to the party. That is fair enough. He has not discriminated against anybody. That is wonderful. But are these enough strategies to keep the party? I am afraid. Are these excellent strategies to win the election and avoid the impending implosion? I think a hell no!

Every leader who has a mandate to deliver must have some level of autocracy in his democracy. He must do the extraordinary. What is more important is the success he records. For example, in the press there is a rule that a newspaper is not produced by a committee. There is always one person whose responsibility it is to produce the newspaper, and he has a deadline. He must do all he can to make sure that he produces a newspaper that is good, that can compete in the market and serve the society. This person is called the Editor. It is his job to produce the newspaper; and if the newspaper were to be produced by a committee the Editor would have to seek the opinion of every member of the committee on every item for publication. This is the reason it is also said that there is no democracy in a newsroom.

If Anyaehie wants to be a nice man, if he wants to provide a level playing ground for all contestants – that is fair and democratic – but he should understand that that will also put the party on the road to perdition. My findings show that Anyeahie has not called a meeting of all the aspirants. There is no agenda for a consensus candidate. All the candidates are allowed to pursue their aspirations and I bet that what this freedom will lead to is implosion.

But why the level playing ground mantra? How many of the aspirants are ready to compete in a level playing ground? What Anyaehie is providing is what many of the aspirants loathe. They don’t want a free and fair election, and it is needless making that a policy. What the aspirants want is that they want to emerge the candidate of the party and the only way many of them want to do that is to bend the rules. Bend the rules they must, to clinch the ticket of the party. Nothing shows the bitterness that is brewing in the party among the aspirants and the impending implosion more than the delegates’ election that was conducted on Saturday. That election has brought to the fore the fear of an implosion in the PDP. Reports show that in Imo State the election did not hold in many places yet there are results from those places where the elections did not hold. There are reports of aspirants fighting each other. There are reports of aspirants hijacking the results sheets and running away with them. There were all kinds of intrigues, and that is what to expect in family that lacks organization, in a family where everyone is big. I have said before that the PDP is populated with people with big ego and it is this big ego that is leading the party on the road to perdition.

In a party that is organized, where there is unity and sanity, the likes of Ken Ojiri would have been prevailed upon to withdraw from the race. In a party where the members are serious about their mission, the likes of Chief Charles Onyeagbako would have been prevailed upon to drop his aspiration; after all they say that the interest of the party is supreme. And who determines what the interest of the party is? You cannot determine the interest of the party and push it forward when you are led by the people that only cut the snake by the tail. Only people that are pragmatic leaders stamp their feet and say what the interest of the party is and they go on to propagate it, and by the time you say good morning it would hank sank into the consciousness of the people, and they will follow. And it will become a culture, a way of life, and then you achieve.

Yes, the like of Dr Kpaduwa, though a man of vision and great experience, would have been prevailed upon by the leadership of the party to withdraw. In fact, the party should have since come up with a programme of having a consensus candidate. And if the party had taken that position, the number of aspirants would have been reduced. Yes, the like of Chief Jerry Chukwueke would have been asked to withdraw. It doesn’t not matter how rich you are. On the other hand, the leadership of the party would have come up with an elimination process where aspirants are asked to pick lots. That would have reduced their number. And the party would have been safer, better.

And as it is now, the life of the party has gone out of the hands of the state chairman. It is no more for him to give life to the party. There is very little he can do because it appears he is surrounded by men to whom he cannot say no. He seems to be the kind of person that says yes to all the aspirants because he wants to provide a level playing ground. It is up to Mr. President and the national leadership of the party to take actions to save the party from implosion. The President and the national leadership of the party should not sit on the fence. They should do something quickly because the life of Imo PDP is in their hands. They should summon a meeting of all aspirants and have a consensus candidate. That is the only medication that can keep the PDP alive. And it is no more in the hands of the state leadership of the party. Abuja should anoint a candidate and let the other back him.

And the way the Imo PDP is, there can never be a free and fair primary election. The aspirants have demonstrated this and we have got their message. If the PDP goes into a primary election the way it is now, it cannot come out of it. The only thing we will see is the implosion; we will see the carcass of the party lying by the way side.