NEWS
No LG Starved of Funds for Dev Now in Benue – Ado chairman
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The caretaker committee chairman for Ado Local Government Council, Mr. Charles Agbese, on Tuesday, said that no local government council in Benue State is being starved of funds for development under the current dispensation of governor Hyacinth Alia.
Mr. Agbese who was reacting to a statement credited to his faceless group of him complaining about non availability of funds to execute projects at the local government councils, said that at no point did he make such comments.
According to him, governor Alia had before now granted autonomy to local government councils in the State, saying that all the 23 council Chairmen have unhindered access to funds coming to their various councils and making judicious use of the funds.
He said that his attention has been drawn to news channels where it was alleged that the local government is lacking funds to execute projects.
The caretaker committee chairman in a statement by his Media aide, Dickson Otokpa said ” Our attention has been drawn by a faceless news channel, alleging that the Caretaker Chairman of Ado LGC, Charles Agbese, addressed a non-existent press briefing.
“We want to state categorically that the Chairman did not grant any interview to anyone on that issue.
“We have said times without numbers that we would not denigrate ourselves and the exalted office of the Local Government Chairman to engage people in baseless talks and we will not stop people whose stock in trade is to lie for a living.
“But for the sake of the unsuspecting public, the Chairman did not grant any interview to anyone. He did not even at any public or private place decried lack of funds to function.
“The Chairman has everything he needs to succeed on his given assignment and even if the Chairman has financial challenges he knows the right channels to follow without necessarily going through faceless media outlets.
“We can say categorically that the motive behind the publication is to cause distraction and disaffection among a people with common vision for a new and greater Benue”, the statement said.
He said those spreading the news of lack of funds to function are enemies of the State who do not see anything good from the present administration despite the numerous achievements recorded so far.
He however urged people of the state particularly Ado indigenes and APC family to disregard the information in totality and consider it as misinformation against the council chairman.
NEWS
Ododo Commiserates with Ogbe Community over Gruesome Murder of Two
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has commiserated with the people of Ogbe Community of Yagba West Local Government Area over the gruesome murder of two young men in the community.
Ododo in his condolence message, vowed that the state government will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book and guarantee security in the area.
The Governor who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon.
Kingsley Fanwo on Sunday, at Ogbe, said that the government is totally out against criminal elements in the state.He assured the people of Ogbe while addressing them that the state has all the forces required to tame criminalities and defeat terror.
The governor told the people of the community to demonstrate confidence in the commitment of his administration to stamp out insecurity, urging them not to take the law into their hands by launching reprisal attacks.
He assured them that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the armed forces and security agencies, is giving the State all the necessary support to launch a holistic offensive on the agents of criminality, assuring the people that Kogi would remain one of the safest states in Nigeria.
Responding on behalf of the community, the former Councilor of Ogbe Ward, Hon. Adeleke John thanked the Governor for promptly responding to the community in her darkest hour.
In his words, “We want to thank the Governor for promptly coming to our aid and for identifying with us in this dark hour. It shows we have a Governor who is responsive and responsible.
“We will not embark on any reprisal attack because we are not hopeless. We have confidence in the Government to protect us”, he said.
NEWS
North-East Govs’ Forum Issues Harp on Regional Devt, Challenges
By Yagana Ali, Yola
The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has called for an end to the security challenges in the area while emphasizing on the sustenance of development across the region.
The governors made the call at the weekend in a communique at the end of its 10th meeting, held in Bauchi, Bauchi State.
The forum, made up of the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, expressed delight at the growing strength of subregional cooperation and appreciated the successes recorded through their leadership styles.
The communique highlighted several key resolutions, including: Acknowledging the forum’s progress and commitment to fostering a common ground for the benefit of the people; and commended the Bauchi State Government for hosting the Northeast Trade Fair.
They expressed concern over the neglect of the Northeast in federal government capital projects, particularly infrastructure development, urging the Federal Government to address the power blackout in the region and improve energy infrastructure.
They resolved to set up solar power plants to generate at least 10 Megawatts per State and called for the extension of transmission lines to improve energy supply and industrial development.
The governors also demand for maximizing hydropower generation in Kashimbilla and Dadin Kowa dam, addressing climate change and environmental degradation through sustained regional efforts.
It also harped on charging the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) to be consultative and work with States for energy development; investing in agriculture value chains and supporting procurement of improved seedlings; partnering with OCP Africa to support agriculture in the Northeast; and strengthening partnerships with UNICEF for improved water and sanitation coverage.
The forum appreciated the Government and People of Bauchi State for hosting the meeting and resolved to hold the 11th meeting in Damaturu, Yobe State, between August 30-31, 2024.
Chairman, NEGF and Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, signed the communique.
NEWS
Intersociety Calls for Nullification of Imo 2023 Guber Election, Demanding Fresh Poll
From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu
International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has strongly called for Judicial nullification of Imo Nov 11, 2023 governorship shambolic election.
The Chairman of the board Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi stated this during a press conference held in Enugu on Sunday May 19 2023 at new heaven suite.
Umeagbalasi in his speech noted that the Imo election was not credibly conducted stressing that the election witnessed violence, election rigging, voters intimidation and vote buying, political corruption, composed of harvested and written results.
According to him, “the facts and finding arising from our several investigation obtained before, during and after, widely condemned and rejected 2023 Imo governorship poll, which have shown how supposedly State actor or government Democratic institutions turned themselves into rigging tools in the election, thereby making the poll worse of the worst in Nigeria’s electoral process and recent election history.
“Despite deployment of Nine INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners, scores of INEC’s national commissioners and several top security chiefs including serving police DIGs, AIGs, CPs, Military and SPY Police Commanders accompanied by Police crack Squads.
SSS, Army, Navy, Air force paramilitaries, and government controlled militias. The State actor democratic institutions ended up becoming and serving as rigging tools in the shambolic poll. In the end, supervised brutal subversion of the sacred electoral wishes of the conscientious Imo voting populations”.
He therefore called for both nullification and also an all-inclusive fresh poll that will be conducted under an atmosphere of popular participation, including access to PVC and secured voting environment and voting materials.
He further called on the Nigerian judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariawoola to use this rare opportunity to courageously return the Judiciary to the saintly status quo and save it from further bleeding.
He beckoned on retiring CJN to retire on August 22, 2024 at the mandatory retirement age of 70 years with honor by “politically” reversing the Jan 14, 2020 Imo State governorship supreme Court Hara-Kiri.