News
Senator Okorocha Challenges Gov Ihedioha
The Imo West Senator, Rochas Okorocha has given his successor, Governor Emeka Ihedioha, seven days to show proofs that his wife and family members carted away 67 vehicles belonging to the state.
Okorocha who is the immediate past governor of the state, dared the state government to publish the particulars of the vehicles and details of the N50 billion allegedly diverted by his family.
Recall that the state Committee on Recovery of Government Property headed by Hon Jasper Ndubuaku had alleged that Okorocha’s wife and family members made away with the vehicles.
However, Okorocha’s Media Aide, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo in a statement insisted that the allegations were aimed at tarnishing the ex-governor’s image.
The statement reads: “The media had quoted the Chairman of Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s Committee on Recovery of Government Properties, Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku as claiming that the former Governor of the State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the wife, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha left with 67 Vehicles and N50 billion. They also made similar claims against appointees of the former governor and other related bodies that worked with the last administration.
“Against the backdrop of these repeated claims, we want to respond in this manner; We Challenge Governor Emeka Ihedioha and his appointees to publish the list and particulars of these 67 vehicles and the details of the N50 billion the former governor and the wife made away with vis-à-vis other items thereto. And we give them 7 days to do the Publication or bend their heads downward in shame.
“We also challenge them to publish the properties the former appointees must have left with, either as a group or as individuals. The burden to publish evidence of all these claims is now on Governor Ihedioha and his appointees.
“We equally want to ask that they harmonize their claims because almost all the key appointees of the WhatsApp and Face-Book government in the State have made their diverse Claims on these issues, to the extent that nobody knows who among them should be believed. They should harmonize their claims before the publication.
“The governor himself had made his own claim talking about Cars and N70billion taken away. The Chief of Staff of the governor had equally claimed that the former governor left with 31 Vehicles and about N40 billion. Now the Chairman of the Recovery of what they call government properties, Mr. Ndubuaku has come up with the latest claim of 67 Vehicles and N50 billion. The new Attorney-General, Barr. Ndukwe Nnawuchi has also added his voice by also making the claim of N20 billion against the former governor.
“We want to let Nigerians know that the PDP people in the State are doing their Campaign for possible re-run because they know that, in all considerations, Chief Ihedioha never won that election. All these smear Campaigns against Owelle Okorocha and the wife are geared biasing the minds of Imo people against their beloved former governor in preparation for the possible re-run. This is the fact.
“That is also the reason no day passes without their making one invalid claim against the former governor or the other. If they are not talking about the flyovers built by the former governor being death traps, they would talk about the tunnels not properly built or about vehicles and money taken away.
“They have equally embarked on systematic looting and diverting the attention of Imo people with their repeated claims over non-existent issues. They are also insulting the former governor and the wife by talking about cars taken away.
“We have also taken cognizance of the threat Mr. Ndubuaku issued about mobilizing 6000 youths to go against those he claimed carried away government properties. We are happy that such threat has come from them. And they have only succeeded in putting us on notice. We are now left with no option than to keep our fingers crossed and watch events as they unfold.
“And with the stories associated with the Vehicles at the National Assembly when the governor was leaving as Deputy Speaker, they think that any other person could do such a thing. The PDP people behave like locusts or vampires and they see every other person from that dimension.
“Finally, Nigerians should ignore them until they muster the courage to publish what they have claimed. Since the burden or the yoke of proof is always on the neck of the accuser”.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority says it has commenced a clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom State.
The state Coordinator, Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Bakshar Hussaini, in his office on a courtesy visit.
He said, “We have started enforcement of LPG retailers embarking on illegal decanting of LPG, filling stations, LPG refilling plants and other illegal downstream operations in the state.
“We are currently working on the illegal proliferation of decanting of LPG in the state, Eseka stated, adding that gas is very volatile, and some of them are using gas that is not meant for the purpose.”
He said he has directed that gas plant owners should not load gas on people who don’t have licenses NMDPRA in the state, warning that “decanting of gas from cylinder to cylinder is an illegal activity which is punishable by law.”
He also called on marketers to register and renew their licenses before operating LPG in the state.
“We used the opportunity to talk on the aspects of the downstream which has to do with our enforcement, sealing of filling stations and those who are using diesel for industrial purposes that are yet to register with NMDPRA.
“We have also commenced engagement with individuals and organisations using storage tanks that are over 500 litres, to come and register with the Authority in the state,” he added.
Eseka thanked the Commandant for coming to re-strategise and collaborate with the Authority in the state.
Earlier, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Hussaini, explained that the purpose of coming was to collaborate with NMDPRA on how to checkmate indiscriminate decanting of LPG in the state.
“I know with the present situation in the country, a lot of them are going to cry and you have to use human face to handle their cases so that we don’t injure the government and the public themselves,” he said.
He lamented that some people used their houses to sell cooking gas which can cause environmental hazards to the public.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced plans to phase out the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made this known at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs, held at the INEC Conference Room, Abuja on Thursday.
This was part of the identified 142 recommendations released by the Commission which deals with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management.
Other areas of recommendation include electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.
The Chairman said there are eight recommendations among the 142 which require legislative action by the National Assembly.
“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC, as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.
He, however, said that those who already have the Permanent Voter Cards can still use them to vote.
He added, “But going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. ”
Yakubu said this new development will save costs and further eliminate the issues around the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.
He also said the practice of buying up the Permanent Voter Cards from voters to disenfranchise them, would be reduced.
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to present the 2025 proposed budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session, revealing that the President has sent a communication to that effect.
“The president has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025m budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024,” he said.
The proposed budget, totalling N47.9 trillion, was earlier announced by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu.
NMDPRA begins clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom
Elections in Nigeria: There’ll be no more need for voter cards – INEC
BREAKING: Tinubu to present 2025 budget proposal to National Assembly Tuesday
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