Monica Dongban-Mensem: In God’s Name, Go!

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January 15, 2024

Hon Justice Dongban-Mensem and Chidi Odinkalu

By Chidi Odinkalu

“The three-person panel whom Monica Dongban-Mensem sent to Plateau State could not have wrought that amount of destruction without her active consent, if not instruction. It is simply inconceivable that a Justice of Appeal Court, like Okon Abang – sworn in only in October 2023 – could have gone to the home state of the President of the Court to confidently wreak so much political damage without her explicit instruction. Last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal in Plateau was rogue, procured and perverse. It set aside the reasoning of the Court which denied the people their chosen representatives. But because the Court of Appeal is the final court in these matters, the decision of the Supreme Court is no remedy for the political ruin procured under the baleful influence of Monica Dongban-Mensem”

Nearly one year after the country began voting in February last year, Nigeria’s Supreme Court is still casting the final votes in the 2023 elections. It has been a long, tortured and traumatic election season. First the people voted. Then the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decided what it announced as the results. By March last year, those two phases were done.

Since then, judges have been casting their own votes and the courts have been busy announcing their own results. Last Friday, the Supreme Court affirmed seven governors as duly elected. In the cases concerning Kano, Plateau, and Zamfara States, the court overturned the Court of Appeal which had sacked the governors. These governors ultimately survived because there was another instance after the Court of Appeal to which they could take their grievance. Many legislators, whose own cases must end at the Court of Appeal, were not so lucky.

Kano, Plateau, and Zamfara are three highly flammable theatres. The final verdicts in these cases saved the country a lot of needless bloodletting.

Plateau State has been the site of resilient atrocities for over three decades, since 1994. A vast number of inquiry reports into various massacres and atrocities in the state over this period attest to this.

For the past decade, Zamfara has competed with Borno State for the prize of the most prolific killing field in Nigeria.

Kano, the site of many eruptions since 1953, is the most densely populated state in Northern Nigeria and arguably also the country’s most politically volatile state.

It was not in dispute who got the highest votes in these states in the 2023 elections. But, following the vote by the people in March last year, the Court of Appeal under the direction of Judge President, Monica Dongban-Mensem, decided to alter the outcomes in these cauldrons with casual malevolence.

In Zamfara State, they purported to unseat the Governor but did him the favour of ordering a rerun in three Local Government Areas, which they voided. The court’s perverse reason for this was that “it was wrong for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt results from the IReV, because IReV is not part of the collation system, but for viewing purposes.”

In Kano, the Court of Appeal issued a judgment in favour of both parties in the contest for the governorship of the state, claiming in one length to uphold the decision of the election petition tribunal invalidating the election of the incumbent on the slate of an opposition party, while in another breadth nullifying the same decision. In a reasoning that had the effect of overruling the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal implausibly held that the Governor was not a member of the party that sponsored him in the Kano governorship election.

Plateau was the state where the Court of Appeal was most willful. It is also the state of origin of Judge President Monica Dongban-Mensem. Two days before her 63rd birthday, on 11 June 2020, Mrs. Dongbam-Mensem became the seventh President of the Court of Appeal. At the time, the governor of the State was Simon Bako Lalong, a lawyer who, like Mrs. Dongbam-Mensem, hails from Shendam in the Central Senatorial Zone of the Plateau State.

The following year, Mr. Lalong appointed Monica’s daughter, Buetnaan Mandy Dongban Bassi, a judge of the High Court of Plateau State. Her mother sat on the National Judicial Council (NJC) which approved her appointment. Two years later, in September 2023, the same NJC sent Buetnaan’s husband and Monica’s son-in-law, Paul, to the Court of Appeal.

In his previous life as Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Lalong used to be a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) when belonging to that party was fashionable. With impressive timing, however, he flipped to the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming state governor on its platform in 2015. In the 2023 election, he was the Director-General of the presidential campaign of the ruling APC.

In that election also, Mr. Lalong, who was born nearly six years after Mrs. Dongbam-Mensem in May 1963, ran on the platform of the APC to represent the people of Plateau Central in the Senate. If he had won, Mrs. Dongban-Mensem would have been his constituent and confidant. They come from the same neighbourhood. In the event, he lost to Napoleon Bali of the PDP.

Mr. Lalong thereafter challenged his loss before the election petition tribunal. For parliamentary elections, all disputes end at the Court of Appeal. The Court sits in panels of three Justices designated by the President of the Court. In Plateau State, all appeals went to a panel presided over by Justice Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu who has been a Justice of Appeal Court since March 2014. She was joined by Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, who was appointed to the court in 2021; and Okon Abang whose term on the court began only in October 2023.

On 7 November, this Court of Appeal panel nullified the election of Senator Bali, claiming that “the PDP and its Senatorial candidate have no legal ground to participate in the election having failed to obey the judgment of a Plateau High Court that the party should conduct lawful elections for the purpose of having officers for Wards, Local Governments and State Council.” In his place, the court returned Simon Lalong as the winner of the election in which he had been roundly defeated.

Lalong was one beneficiary among many from a judicial hit-list methodically compiled by the Court of Appeal in Monica Dongban-Mensem’s home state. By the time its demolition job was over, the Court had sacked two PDP Senators from the state and five members of the House of Representatives elected on the PDP ticket.

In the 25-member state House of Assembly, the Court of Appeal removed 16 members elected on the platform of the PDP, handing their seats and control of the state parliament – with malice aforethought – to the APC.

Their victims included: Timothy Datong (Riyom); Rimyat Nanbol (Langtang); Moses Sule (Mikang); Salome Waklek (Pankshin); Bala Fwangje (Mangu South); Maren Ishaku (Bokkos); Dagogot (Quaanpan North); Nannim Langyi (Langtang North); Nimchak Rims (Langtang South); Danjuma Azi (Jos North-West); Gwottson Fom (Jos South); Abubakar Sani Idris (Mangu North); Happiness Akawu (Pengana); Ibrahim Abalak (Rukuba/Irigwe); Philip Jwe (Barkin Ladi); and Cornelius Deyok (Qua’apan South).

In all these cases, the Court claimed that the PDP should not have fielded candidates. Their reasoning overruled a long line of Supreme Court decisions. This was not a mistake; it was judicial malpractice on a very corrupt scale. At the minimum, the panel should have been called to order when they issued the first decision. But the Judge President who sent them there was getting what she wanted.

Instead, inebriated with hubris from the corrupt demolition job they accomplished in Jos, one of the members of the panel, Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, traveled to Yola in Adamawa State last December to celebrate the mandates they had laid to waste, claiming that the PDP “had no structures on the ground at the point they were presenting their candidates.” He alone could explain what he meant.

This was a judicial hatchet job. Any claim that the President of the Court of Appeal was not herself a member of the Panel is laughable.

Such is the state of the judiciary in Nigeria at this time that the three-person panel whom Monica Dongban-Mensem sent to Plateau State could not have wrought that amount of destruction without her active consent, if not instruction. It is simply inconceivable that a Justice of Appeal Court, like Okon Abang – sworn in only in October 2023 – could have gone to the home state of the President of the Court to confidently wreak so much political damage without her explicit instruction.

ast Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal in Plateau was rogue, procured and perverse. It set aside the reasoning of the Court which denied the people their chosen representatives. But because the Court of Appeal is the final court in these matters, the decision of the Supreme Court is no remedy for the political ruin procured under the baleful influence of Monica Dongban-Mensem.

The ruin caused and supervised by this President of the Court of Appeal is incalculable.

The legislators whose mandates she has stolen are entitled to feel done over.

The people of the Plateau whose will she has ruined are entitled to feel cheated.

She and her cohort of carefully selected judicial mobsters have brought the judiciary into irreparable disrepute.

Even now, those three Justices on the Plateau Court of Appeal panel should still be brought to account.

While we await that, the only thing left to say to Mrs. Dongbam-Mensem is: in God’s name, please go!

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at [email protected]

Kano And Plateau: We Have No Hands In Supreme Court Decisions-APC

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James Orji

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January 15, 2024

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, said the party did not influence last week’s Supreme Court verdict in both Kano and Plateau governorship election.

The Nigerian apex court had upheld the election of Governors Abba Yusuf and Caleb Mutfwang, respectively contrary to suggestions that they would lose their appeal against an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which sacked them from office.

The two governors are of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

Six other governors were also affirmed by the apex court in the land mark judgment. They are; Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Bassey Otu (Cross River) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).

Following last week’s Supreme Court judgment, some persons have alleged that the two states were traded off by the ruling party.

Reacting, APC Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, APC chieftain said the decision of the nation’s highest court was in line with the rule of law, adding that his party has accepted the verdict in good faith.

The APC chieftain who spoke on Sunday, explained that the judiciary as the bastion of rule of law has spoken, and its verdict must be respected, cautioning critics not to denigrate the nation’s temple of justice.

According to him, “The judiciary spoke and that is why we have the various tiers of the judiciary.

“You have the trial courts and then, you have the Court of Appeal.

“Thereafter, you have the Supreme Court and that is not in any way to denigrate the understanding of the learned justices who were at the various levels of adjudication systems.

“The trial court appreciated and pronounced the fact as they understood it and the same thing happened when they went to the Court of Appeal.

“Those in the final court saw it differently and of course, pronounced judgment based on the facts that were before them.

“So, it does not in any way denigrate one section of the judiciary against the other and it is in the wisdom of our founding fathers that we have these various layers of adjudication process; that first, if you err at the trial court, then, those at the higher courts may look at it and find a different understanding.”

Duru stated further: “I did not see any politics in it. I did not also see any arrangement based on that. What did happen was that at the trial court, they understood the facts differently.

“At the Court of Appeal, they also understood it, but more importantly, at the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter in the judicial process, a different understanding was given to it and a pronouncement was made accordingly.

“Law is what it is. Law is based on law and then on facts.

“We should applaud our judiciary for again rising to the occasion and espousing the law in a way that Nigerians are confident that you can take your differences and grievances to an impartial arbiter and there will be justice dispensed in a way that is satisfactory to all parties involved.

“It is also commendable in a way that it did also suggest that even if there is the suspicion of interference in the arm of government, Friday’s ruling and exposition on the part of the judiciary also did show that they are essentially independent.”

Davos Economic Forum: Is Shettima Attending With 5 Delegates?

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James Orji

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January 15, 2024

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Vice President Kashim Shettima will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2024 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, scheduled for Davos, Switzerland.

It is the first forum to be attended by the number two citizen in the country after President Tinubu cut the number of delegates to represent the country at local and international meetings by 60 percent.

The president capped the number of delegates to accompany him to foreign and Local trips at 20 while that of the vice president was slashed to five delegates.

The president said last week that he took the decision to reduce the cost of governance.

Nigerians are watching closely how many delegates are accompanying the vice president to this forum in Switzerland.

The forum which is expected to draw heads of state across the world starts this week in the European nation.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement he released on Sunday, Shettima will have a meeting with the President of the World Financial Corporation, IFC, Makhtar Diop during the confab.

Nkwocha disclosed that the VP will join other global political and business leaders at the annual Forum to discuss global socio-economic and development issues.

The statement said, “Top on Vice President Shettima’s agenda, apart from the plenary session, is the launch of the Private Sector Action Plan for African Continental Free Trade Area at a special session to be co-chaired by him.

“He is also billed to hold high-level discussions with the Managing Director of IFC, Makhtar Diop and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, among others.”

Shettima has represented President Tinubu at international fora seven times since they came to office in may this year.

Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians are in doubt whether the attendance of Nigerian leaders at such fora has benefitted the country in any way.

As Uzodimma’s Second Term Beckons

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The Source

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January 15, 2024

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By Oguwike Nwachuku

Today, January 15, 2024, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, CON – Chairman, Progressives Governor’s Forum, Chairman, South East Governor’s Forum and Governor-General of South East (apology to APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Chief Emma Enekwu) – will be sworn in for a second term of another four years as Governor of Imo State.

His first tenure of four years ended yesterday, January 14, 2024.

The first time Uzodimma was sworn in as Governor was on January 15, 2020, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that he was the validly elected candidate in the 2019 Imo State governorship election despite the political shenanigans, mumbo jumbo and abracadabra that led to his being denied his rightful place ab initio.

A lot had been said on the rigorous and painstaking court processes from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court where the Justices returned his stolen electoral mandate to him, to the joy of many Imo people. So, we won’t waste our time on what is already public knowledge.

Our concern today is purely to evaluate some of Uzodimma’s superlative performances in his first four years in order to let us into what greater benefits await the good people of Imo as the journey for his second term in office commences.

Uzodimma’s 3-Rs Shared Prosperity Government anchored on Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery is not just a slogan. It is a well conceived idea to cater to the immediate, medium and long term basic needs of Imolites who suffered mismanagement over the years in the hands of leaders, and wrecked and left without direction, as Uzodimma discovered on January 15, 2020 when he assumed office.

Giant strides in the first four years

Uzodimma’s giant strides during his first four years are seen everywhere, depending on where one is standing.

However, as another term beckons today, what perceptive minds see loading is a consolidation of the foundation the Governor laid four years ago in all the sectors of the state’s economy.

There is no way anyone cannot see Uzodimma’s legacies in the past four years.

They are there, even for the blind to behold, including civil service reforms, education, commerce and industry, information, health, transportation, finance, budget and planning, environment, mines, solid minerals and petroleum, power, revenue generation, human capital development and youth empowerment, agriculture, industrial policy, digital economy/e-government, roads infrastructure, housing, lands and survey, tourism, culture and creative arts, labour, women

affairs, justice, security, sports development, relationship with the other arms of government; among others.

In all these areas, Uzodimma has created legacies of something to cheer and Imo people are grateful.

His superlative performance in the past four years was the reason they massively voted for his reelection on November 11, 2023, such that the Governor won in all the 27 local government areas of the state, a feat no democratically elected

Governor, living or dead, has achieved.

In four years, Imo under Uzodimma witnessed a phenomenal economic leap and it is worth mentioning what the economic score card looks like as he takes another oath of office today.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the World Bank show that under Uzodimma’s watch, Imo State emerges the fourth biggest economy in Nigeria with the following metrics:

A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N7.658 trillion
The 11th best place for business and investments in Nigeria
An Ease of Doing Business ranking of 11/36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
The highest density of hospitality industry in Nigeria
The largest palm oil plantation in West Africa
The biggest natural gas reserve in West Africa

.The state’s real estate, especially the Owerri Metropolis Land and Properties, became one of the most sought after in terms of high return on investments in Nigeria.

. Imo was rated the toast of the South East and South South states, and the investment destination for the Diaspora, as well as the entertainment hub, leisure and tourism capital of Nigeria.

Care for public sector workers

Uzodimma does not believe that routine payment of salaries of civil servants and pension to retirees should be the yardstick to measure a government’s performance.

He introduced reforms in the civil service that took into consideration, the seamless payment of salaries and pensions via an automated payroll system; free bus shuttle; free medicals, including health insurance scheme; official vehicles for Permanent Secretaries; capacity training/retraining of workers; elevation of workers whose promotions were stagnated for more than 12 years and the introduction of the 13th month salary, the first time in the history of Imo State, et al.

His foray into road infrastructure, including junction renewals and beautification, did not just stop with the signature roads of Owerri-Orlu; Owerri-Okigwe; Owerri- Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia; Oguta-Mgbidi-Omuma-Akata-Opkoro Orlu Road, Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to Owerri-Aba Road, MCC-Toronto-Road Safety road, and others which were commissioned by former President

Muhammadu Buhari, his Vice Yemi Osinbajo, and then Senate President, Ahmed Lawal, among other top government functionaries.

Uzodimma also paid attention to inner city roads like: Dick Tiger Street; Concorde Boulevard junction by Port Harcourt Road; Muhammadu Buhari Drive (formerly Federal Secretariat Road); Fire Service junction improvement, Douglas Road to Naze junction; Government House junction improvement, Imo State University junction; Okporo-Omuma Road; Stadium Road, Okigwe;

Oparanozie-Edede-Amaigbo Street; Umuahia Street;

Lake Nwaebere Stree; Olokoro Street; Okeikpe Street; Arugo Street; Egbema Street; Ngwa Street;

JP Ajaelu Street; Thomas Moore Street; Gozie Nwachukwu Street; Archdeacon Dennis Road, Aladinma; Assumpta/Ibari Ogwa/ Port Harcourt Road; Dick Tiger Street; Golden Child Road; Egbema/Adapalm/Obosima Road; St. Joseph Catholic Church Road, Orlu; St. Mary’s Okigwe Roundabout, Okigwe; IMSUTH Road, Orlu; Chukwuma Nwoha Road; Naze-Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze Road (phase one); Akachi Road (Evan Enwerem Way); Relief Market Road; Ring Road Aladinma Housing Estate; Ring roads behind Concorde Hotel; Egbeada By-pass Road, among others.

Also, Links Hotel Road; Pius Nwoga Road; Hospital junction; Umuguma to High Court Road; Bank Road/Assumpta Avenue; Emmanuel College to Pastoral Centre; Imo Police Headquarters Road; Nekede Old Road Bridge; Amakohia Flyover Road; Bishops Court Roundabout; Ebere Links end of new Government House Road; Amakohia-Onitsha (DSS Road); Works Road by Bala Suya; Bank Road/Assumpta Avenue; Cherubim junction to Owerri Club Road; Ahiajoku Centre-Port Harcourt Road; Umezuruike-Warehouse Road; Ihitte Ogada-Awaka-Emekuku-Ekemmegbuoha; Old Road Nekede-Area H junction; Nwachukwu Orizu extension; Umuguma-Port Harcourt Road-Holy Rosary International College; Uchenna Bus stop; Ring Road in Irete, Umuguma Last Roundabout Road; Industrial Layout (Celestine Izunobi Crescent); Nwachukwu Orizu by World Bank Road; Holy Trinity-World Bank Road; Ejimkeonye Street, among others.

Uzodimma also tackled head-on the flooding in Owerri that was not just a recurring decimal, but made most landlords to abandon their property while their tenants relocated to other cities.

A novel flood control mechanism, a balloon-driven technology, was deployed by his government to deal decisively with flash floods and today, Owerri is completely rid of the menace.

The signature road projects did not stop the Governor from embarking on the construction of 135-kilometre local roads across the 27 local government areas of the state.

Uzodimma believes that linking urban roads that are critical corridors to the local government roads will provide synergy between Imo’s external and internal neighbours and help stimulate economic activities and social life in the state.

Brand new edifices take centre stage

It was not all about roads in four years.

Uzodimma also built brand new edifices which include Executive Chambers, Banquet Hall, First Lady’s Office, Imo State House of Assembly Complex, General Hospitals in Omuma, Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema, court complexes in Owerri West and Oru East, markets, schools, Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport night lighting facility, Air Force Base barracks, Naval Base, and more.

His relationship with the other arms of government is not only cordial, but fosters trust between the three arms of government in a way that the immeasurable benefits rob off on the people.

In the early days of Uzodimma’s administration when he discovered that Judges in Imo State did not have official vehicles, he quickly provided vehicles for all of them, extending same to Magistrates.

He restored seniority in the appointments of heads of units in the judiciary, a system that was bastardised before his assumption of office in 2020.

Health for all

Uzodinmma cited 305 Health Centres in all the 305 electoral wards in Imo, which are being complemented with Mobile Clinics equipped with modern facilities and drugs and manned by professional healthcarers.

The primary purpose is to cater to the health needs of rural dwellers as healthcare delivery is key to socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

Three state-of-the-art General Hospitals in Omuma, Oguta and Ohaji Egbema that Uzodimma commissioned recently are to work in synergy with existing Teaching Hospitals – Imo State University Teaching Hospital and Federal University of Technology, Owerri Teaching Hospital – to serve the people well.

Today, all year round free medical mission, involving medical experts in the United States of America and other parts of Europe in conjunction with the Imo State government, has become routine. In the same vein, millions of Imolites are today benefiting from the free Imo State health insurance scheme, courtesy of Uzodimma.

When Coronavirus hit the world like a tsunami, Imo under Uzodimma, was one of the few states in Nigeria that managed the pandemic properly and recorded low deaths.

Funding education

Despite global economic downturn, Uzodimma funds Imo’s six tertiary institutions – Imo State University, Owerri; University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo; Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko; Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma and Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma.

During the long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which almost crippled the university system two years ago, no single lecturer in any of the above institutions was owed a dime by the Uzodimma administration.

His response to those who wonder how he performs the magic of funding many institutions is, “Where there is a will, there must be a way. We are investing in the future of our youths who will in turn sustain us and the state.”

Uzodimma has also invested hugely in primary and secondary schools to the extent that recently, he commissioned through the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB), the renovation and equipping of 305 primary and secondary schools in the political wards in Imo.

It is not just about renovating and equipping schools, he takes seriously the training and retraining of teachers.

His plan to employ about 10,000 teachers in the state’s teaching service is anchored on the fact that the new teachers will impart great knowledge to students using modern teaching techniques and competencies.

Tackling unemployment

Another area Governor Uzodimma has left a big mark in the psyche of Imo people is in the empowerment of youths through the Digital Economy and E-Government Ministry.

Currently, about 100,000 youths have been trained and empowered with start-up kits and capital under the Skill-Up Imo programme and the Governor’s target is to take 300,000 youths or more out of unemployment by the end by the end of his second term.

“By empowering these youths, we are shielding them from crime, especially from the clutches of unscrupulous politicians who would want to use them to achieve their selfish and often nefarious aims.

“Government has spent more than N10 billion in this empowerment exercise. I would like to express my gratitude to the Central Bank of Nigeria and other development partners who have walked with us in this journey,” Uzodimma said.

Through his Shared Prosperity administration, Imo State, as shown in the 2024 Budget of Renewed Economic Growth, will vigorously pursue her 2024-2034 Development Plan and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework where all the socio-economic parameters that will define the scope of her development in the nearest, medium, or long term, gain traction.

This has become possible because of Uzodimma’s visionary, pragmatic and transformational leadership skills that are at play.

Benefits worth celebrating

Uzodimma’s first four years in office produced huge benefits that are worth celebrating, such as reconstructed intercity and urban roads, recovery of Adapalm, recovery of Imo Standard Shoe Industry, restoration of the Ottamiri Water Scheme abandoned by previous administrations, rebuilding of the Imo State Secretariat and House of Assembly Complex, upgrade of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri to a Teaching Hospital for Federal University of Technology, Owerri, upgrade of Alvan Ikoku College of Education to Federal University of Education, recovery of Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, establishment of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, revival of Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma, creation of Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma, revalidation of the accreditation of the College of Medicine, Imo State University and Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Orlu and Aboh Mbaise, dredging of Oguta Lake/Orashi River to the Atlantic Ocean, et cetera.

Under Uzodimma, Imo received $30 million from a World Bank initiative – the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) – for accountability and transparency in fiscal budgetary processes.

The state has also keyed into the Hope Green Revolution, an acronym that would drive a money-spinning Imo Environment Laboratory and Waste Recycling initiative, under the Sustainable Trans-Environment International Foundation (STEI), to reduce green house gas emissions, among other development partnership initiatives on agribusiness involving the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Uzodimma’s love for law and order also played out in the past four years and brought to the fore his experience as an astute lawmaker. He initiated no fewer than 30 Executive Bills and signed them into laws after they were passed by the State House of Assembly.

The Bills include but not limited to: Imo State Revenue (Amendment) Law No.1 of 2020; Imo State

Administration of Criminal Justice Law No.2 of 2020; Imo State Waste Management Agency Law No.5 of 2020; Imo State Governor’s Pension and Privileges (Repeal) Law No.8 of 2020; Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law No.8 of 2021; Imo Security Organisation (IMSO) Law No.2 of 2021.

Governor Uzodimma’s second tenure will be used to consolidate on the gains of the past four years in security, peace, infrastructure, agriculture, transportation, youth and women empowerment, poverty alleviation, transparency and accountability in government, political inclusiveness codified in the Imo Charter of Equity, and many others as they affect all sectors of society.

He proclaimed that much in his 2024 New Year broadcast.

His emphasis on efficient and transparent administration with equity and justice as the banner says a lot about his second term mindset.

Also, the 2024 budget of N592 billion with N491 billion or 83 per cent earmarked for capital expenditure underpins Uzodimma’s intention to continue working assiduously to enhance the infrastructure development base of Imo and consequently, equitable sharing of prosperity to the people.

His words: “Working harder in the coming years, exceeding my previous efforts, will no doubt justify that confidence. In this respect, I am glad to announce that we are determined to beat our own records in governance.

“Already, the march towards the actualization of that vision has started with the 2024 budget, which I recently signed into law. Out of the budget of N592 billion, N491 billion or 83 percent is for capital expenditure, while N100 billion or 17 percent is for recurrent expenditure.

“The practical interpretation of the budget is that if we built 20 roads in 2023, we are going to build 40 in 2024. If we empowered 2,000 youths in 2023, 4,000 youths should take their turn in 2024.

“With this capital expenditure-centred budget, there shall be an avalanche of projects in Imo State in 2024. This harvest of projects will always be evenly and equitably sited in the 27 local government areas of our state.

“Now that the election, which I believe was the remote and immediate cause of the politically contrived insecurity in the state, has been won and lost, I plead with all and sundry to sheath their swords and work in harmony with my administration to deliver more democracy dividends to our people.

“I reiterate that my administration will be more inclusive and there will be enough room for all. Like I earlier said, we need a renewed love, a renewed hope, and renewed economic growth for our state so as to usher in peace and progress and prosperity for all.

“As outlined in the 2024 budget, Imo is going to witness a tremendous improvement in infrastructure and development in all facets of the state this year. I want Imo people to be rest assured that my performance in the second tenure, which begins in January 2024, will dwarf the achievements of my first tenure. Read my lips and hold me by my words.

“This is why my administration will not brook any form of corruption in the public sector. Every kobo belonging to Imo State must be deployed to work for Imo people. Public service must be seen as a call to work for the people and not an opportunity to loot their common patrimony. Public office holders under my watch must adhere to this simple protocol or be forced out.

“Let me use the opportunity of the new year to urge our religious and traditional rulers to continue to pray and work hard for the sustenance of peace in our state.

Those who feel aggrieved one way or another should embrace peace. We all need to work together for the interest of our state.

“This is a new dawn where the lines of division or politics shall remain blurred.

We are now on the threshold of history, working in concert for the development of our state and our people. Let us come together and work together as one people with one objective, which is to make Imo State better and greater. Let us not forget that this is our one and only state.”

“The only reason we have joined politics is to have the opportunity to serve our People,” Uzodimma will keeps saying.

Governor Uzodimma has always reiterated this promise and I doubt if he is prepared to renege on it.

To say that he would pay greater attention to the dredging of Oguta Lake/Orashi river to the Atlantic Ocean as well as the realisation of the approval for the establishment of an oil and gas Free Trade Zone for Imo State in his second term is to say the least.

He is aware that both projects are at the heart of the long awaited economic boom in Imo in particular and the South East in general, taking into consideration all the economic corridors and safety security nets in the zone.

Keeping the oath of office

More importantly, Uzodimma is aware that the projects, by implication, are the consummation of the shared prosperity lingo that the people have long bought into.

He has kept faith with the people of Imo State on the oath he took four years ago and one doubts if he will do anything to the contrary. Not even when he reminds whoever cares to listen about the covenant he had with God regarding his governorship.

The oath Uzodimma took before God before the one he took on January 15, 2020 remains germane even as he takes another oath today.

He said: “While I was praying to be the Governor of Imo State, I promised God that if He made me Governor I will use the position to work honestly for the good of the people. God has done his part by making me the Governor and it was now left to me to do my own part.

“I have not come to grab or steal your money. I have come to work for you instead. Consequently, I charge you to beam your searchlight on me and if you find that I took your property or money, you should immediately raise the alarm.”

Speaking at the Imo Stakeholders meeting on January 5, 2023, the fourth in the series, Uzodimma reminded the people again of his covenant with God regarding his governorship.

“It is almost three years since I made these profound declarations and assurances, the question I now ask you is: have I kept faith with my promises? Let me reiterate that those declarations and assurances of 2020 still subsist.

“They will continue to subsist for all the period of my governorship. I repeat, also, that if you find me reneging on these promises, you should not hesitate to raise the alarm.

“I can only add that by the grace of God Almighty who made me Governor, I will not fail Him or Imo people, who voted for me. I will continue to serve you to the utmost of my ability, in truth and the fear of God,” he pledged.

Love Uzodimma or hate him, what, perhaps, marks him out from the genre of leaders who superintended over the affairs of Imo State before him, is his passion for service based on open, transparent, credible, inclusive and accountable governance model.

That remains the magic wand with which he has built trust with the people, the government at all levels, the Church, the international community and the development partners. And that will continue to be his staying power in politics as long as his story continues beyond today’s swearing in for second term.

Nwachuku is the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to Governor Uzodimma

2027: Coalition Parties Will Fail-APC

By

James Orji

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January 15, 2024

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The planned rainbow coalition by opposition parties in Nigeria to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress, APC, will fail, the ruling party has said.

There was suggestion recently, that the presidential candidates of the three major political parties in the country during last year’s election, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Musa Kwankwanso are planning to merge forces ahead the 2027 presidential election.

Abubakar, the PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election has indicated interest to lead the coalition.

Neither Obi nor Kwakwanso have publicly spoke on the issue.

Reacting, the National Director-General of APC Professionals Council, Seyi Bamigbade, said the coalition would be in futility.

It’s ‘dead on arrival” the APC chieftain said in Lagos at the weekend.

According to him, the arrowhead of the coalition, Abubakar is not destined to be president after trying to occupy the country’s highest office four times and failed.

Bamigbade said no amount of coalition would upstage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office, adding that Nigerians freely gave him their mandate.

It’s time for Abubakar, a former vice president to retire from politics, Bamigbade said.

The APC chieftain said, “He is not destined to lead the country and Nigerians have affirmed that, when they rejected him in 2007, 2011, 2019 and 2023.

“His planned coalition will wield no magic wand. In fact, it is dead on arrival as the Nigerian people will still reject him again and again.

“We will rather advise the former vice president to prepare to retire to his Dubai second home and enjoy his old age as he will be clocking well over 80 by 2027.”

Last week, Pat utomi, a Labour Party chieftain hinted that he has spoken with Atiku, Obi and Kwakwanso on the need to set their differences aside to form a new party capable of disloging APC from power in 2027.

Atiku Calls For Security Reform, Condemn Murder Of Nabeeha

By

Akinwale Kasali

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January 14, 2024

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By Akinwale Kasali

Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate at the 2023 Presidential Election has called for the immediate revamping of security architecture to curb the activities of kidnappers and bandits operating unchecked in the country.

The former Vice President spoke as he lamented the tragic death of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, who was killed by her abductors in Abuja.

Atiku said this is a major issue in which the security architecture of the nation needs to be re-addressed

In a Statement on his official handle on Sunday, Atiku expressed hus sadness over the reports of the brutal murder of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, who was abducted with her siblings and has been in the custody of their abductors for almost two weeks.

He wrote, “This is yet another reminder that kidnappers and bandits are operating unhindered in our country.

“The security architecture needs to be rejigged to the extent that it stems the free rein of criminal elements and guarantees the safety of lives and property.

“The security agencies should step up action to rescue the rest who are still in the custody of the kidnappers”.

It would be recalled that bandits kidnapped Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar and his six children in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

The deceased, Nabeeha, was among the six children of Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar.

She was laid to rest according to Islamic rites on Saturday.

Nabeeha was a 400-level biological science student at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Others abducted include: Najeebah (500 level, Quantity Surveying), Nadheerah (300 level, Zoology)

The kidnappers had earlier contacted the family, demanding N60 million ransom, but now increased to N100 million after Nabeeha’s murder.

The incident sparked a public outcry on social media, prompting Nigerians to seek justice for Nabeeha and the release of her siblings.

However, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson, Nigeria Police Force while responding to a post by Ahmed Bashir, the former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, said, “We have been working on it, but we need some info.

“We will try our best possible to emplace all necessary measures to rescue them unhurt.

“But we need to get some information please.”

Nigeria’s Defence Chief Props Up Personnel, Promises Better Days Ahead

By

Ayodele Oni

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January 14, 2024

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By Ayodele Oni

The Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) General Christopher Musa in his goodwill message to mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration assured that the welfare of the personnel would be given priority, just as he charged them to remain resolute in defeating all forms of security threats.

“I will continue to prioritize your welfare while steering the affairs of the armed forces in line with my leadership philosophy which is “To Nurture a Professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People Centric, Capable of Meeting its Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint and Collaborative Environment.

“On this special occasion, let me also honour and acknowledge the immeasurable contributions of our gallant officers and men both serving and retired. Your selfless dedication to service in protecting our nation’s freedom and security has resulted in the relative peace which we enjoy today.

“I assure you of my unremitting support as you continue to uphold our values of respect for the rule of law, professionalism, loyalty to constituted authority, discipline, selfless service and courage.

“For those who have suffered one form of injury or the other, we appreciate you and we will continue to pray for your quick recovery.

“Similarly, for those who have passed on, we thank you for your great sacrifices. Always remember that all your efforts and steadfast devotion in defence of our democracy and national unity in line with our constitutional roles will never be in vain.

“Furthermore, as we reflect on the gains achieved so far, I charge you to remain resolute in defeating all forms of security threats so as to ensure enduring peace and security in every area of our dear nation.

“I therefore urge you to continue to remain vigilant and uncompromising in the discharge of your constitutional responsibilities.”

The army chief commended President Bola Tinubu for his numerous and timely support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, assuring unalloyed loyalty and commitment to defending the nation’s democratic values whilst ensuring peace and cohesion in the country.

“Similarly, let me appreciate our esteemed families, particularly our spouses, for their inestimable roles in keeping the home front whenever duty beckons on us. Your untold sacrifices as a result of our prolonged absence have been impactful and productive.

“This is evident in the qualitative outputs of the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in their respective areas of national assignment. While appreciating you in this regard, I implore you to sustain your efforts in ensuring that our homes remain peaceful.

“On this note, let me once again congratulate all my gallant officers and men on this auspicious and significant occasion. I wish you all a successful Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day 2024. God bless the Armed Forces of Nigeria and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Continued War Against Banditry Best Way To Honour Nigeria’s Fallen Heroes – Airforce Chief

By

Ayodele Oni

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January 14, 2024

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By Ayodele Oni

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, on Sunday said that the best tribute to fallen members of the armed forces in the course of fighting for the country is to sustain the ongoing war against banditry.

The airforce chief declared that “there is no better way to pay tribute to members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who have paid the supreme price in the defence of Nigeria than to sustain the joint air, ground and maritime strikes against terrorists, insurgents, economic saboteurs and other non-state actors in the country.

The CAS, according to Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, in a press statement, also stated that “We have no excuse not to deliver on our mandate as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has provided the wherewithal for us to succeed.

“We must, therefore, continue to sustain the momentum of our operations and give our citizens the confidence they require to go about their businesses without fear.”

He commended the Air Component Commanders of the various joint theatres of operation in the country for the series of successful air strikes undertaken since the beginning of year 2024, just as the nation prepares to celebrate the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

“Indeed, as recent as yesterday, 13 January 2024, air interdiction strikes by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai at Tumbunma Baba near Lake Chad, proved successful as several terrorists were eliminated and their vehicles and structures destroyed.”

Air Marshal Abubakar noted that while the entire nation can never repay the fallen heroes, efforts at restoring peace and tranquillity in all parts of the country must be sustained to return the country to its peaceful past, which was made possible by the dedication and commitment of the fallen heroes.

The CAS called on Nigerians to continue to offer gratitude, goodwill, solidarity and unrelenting prayers to the fallen heroes and their families.

In doing so, according to the CAS, the entire nation will not only be according these great patriots the honour and credit they truly deserve, but also reassuring those still in service that the country would never forget their sacrifices nor forsake them in their own hours of needs.

AFCON 2023: Wasteful Super Eagles Salvage Draw Against Equatorial Guinea

By

Akinwale Kasali

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January 14, 2024

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By Akinwale Kasali

The Super Eagles of Nigeria squandered multiple chances in their opening Group A Fixtures against the National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea in the ongoing African Cup of Nations Championship in Côte d’ Ivoire.

Iban Salvador of Equatorial Guinea opened scoring in the encounter in the 36th minutes to give his side a surprisingly lead.

Their lead lasted just two minutes as Victor Osimhen equalized for the Nigeria National Side with the first half ending 1-1 after the Super Eagles missed several chances to have taken the lead.

The second half was not different as the Super Eagles dominated the encounter but failed to register their second goal of the encounter.

The Equatorial Guineans remained compact in defense as they halt the attacking flair of the Super Eagles, as Osimhen wasted Two One-On-One Chances to give his Team the lead.

Following the failure of the Super Eagles to capitalize on their chances, the match ended 1-1, as both team shared the spoils.

Coach Jose Peseiro has surprisingly left the criticized Francis Uzoho on the bench with Chippa United Football Club of South Africa Goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali in goal.

Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong and Zaidu Sanusi in the heart of the Super Eagles defense, with Alex Iwobi, Yusuf Alhassan, Frank Onyeka, Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman in the midfield with Victor Osimhen leading the attack.

With the stalemate, the Super Eagles are Third on the table and will face host, Elephants of Côte d’ Ivoire on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 for their Second Group B Match.

Supreme Court Judgements On Election Petitions; Evidence Of Free Judiciary – IPAC

By

Ayodele Oni

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January 14, 2024

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By Ayodele Oni

More reactions continue to trail Supreme Court judgments on election petition cases as Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Yusuf Dantalle observed that President Bola Tinubu has further reinforced the rule of law as cornerstone of democracy by allowing courts to adjudicate freely on the various election petitions.

IPAC, representing all registered political parties in Nigeria in a statement, commended President Tinubu for his commitment to the independence of the judiciary and the principles of the rule of law following the Friday’s Supreme Court pronouncements on state governorship elections.

The statement, signed by its National Chairman, appreciated President Tinubu’s neutrality in the legal process, noting his “refraining from interference in the judicial process” as a crucial factor in upholding the integrity of the judgments.

The Council emphasized the importance of a fair and impartial legal system in building trust among citizens and fostering an environment where justice prevails.

“By allowing the courts to adjudicate freely, President Tinubu has reinforced the rule of law as a cornerstone of our democracy.

“Ensuring that every individual is equal before the law is fundamental to creating a just and prosperous society.”

The Council expressed confidence that President Tinubu’s commitment to the rule of law will serve as a beacon for other nations and inspire future generations.

“His dedication to these values contributes significantly to the unity and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

It pledged continued collaboration with the government and other stakeholders in strengthening the country’s democratic institutions and ensuring credible elections.