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Ebonyi Doctors Suspend Strike Barely four days after it embarked on a one-week industrial action to protest against alleged government’s refusal to implement the payment of consolidated salary structure as approved by the Federal Government, the Association of Resident Doctors in Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, (EBSUTH), yesterday called off the strike. 1. Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Grants and Donor Agencies, Elder Fed Udogu commended the doctors for accepting to shelve their strike while discussions continue between them and the government.
Ebonyi Doctors embark on warning strike ABAKALIKI—RESIDENT Doctors in Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, EBSUTH, yesterday, embarked on a one-week warning strike, protesting what they said are low income for doctors, non-payments of arrears for Monetized salary structure and the 4% increase in transportation allowances and other remunerations. In a statement, President and Secretary of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, in the hospital Dr. U M Agwu and Dr. Una Alfred said after its ordinary emergency congress on Tuesday, the doctors decried what they said was intimidation and suppression by the state government over their demands. Pleading with patients and the general public to bear with them for embarking on the strike, the doctors said the action became inevitable due to the refusal of the EBSUTH management and the government of Ebonyi state government to address the issues which were communicated to them in three separate letters addressed through the state commissioner for Health and Chief Medical Director of the hospital, respectively. Citing reasons for the strike the Doctors said: “for the past two years workers in other tertiary institutions both state and federal have been enjoying a special salary scale except the workers at EBUSUTH while every effort made to get the hospital management, the EBUSUTH management board and the Ebonyi state government to address this anomaly has proved abortive.
Labour Drags Ebonyi to Court Over Assassination Attempt THE Chairman Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) in Ebonyi State, Comrade Onyemaechi Eke has dragged five officials of Ebonyi State government to an Abakaliki High court demanding compensation to the tune of one billion naira as damages inflicted on him when the respondents allegedly conspired to assassinate him on May 3, 2008. The affected official include the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Fidelis Mbam; Commissioner for Donor Agencies, Fred Udeogu; Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Onyekachi Eni; the state PDP chairman Dave Umahi and the state PDP youth leader Chinedu Ogah. The labour leader, Eke had last month alerted that the PDP youth leader Chinedu Ogah attempted to assassinate him close to the FRCN Unity FM in Abakaliki when the union wanted to hold a phone-in programme at the radio station. Sequel to that, Comrade Eke went to court demanding compensation for damages inflicted on him. But when the matter came up for hearing yesterday, the presiding Judge, Justice H.A Njoku merely allowed for the presentation of the case and adjourned the next hearing for July 1, 2008. Eke who has been championing labour discussions with government on the implementation of monetized fringe benefits for the entire civil servants in Ebonyi State alleged that the five respondents had told him that the position he occupies is a sensitive one that ought not to have been occupied by him because of where he comes from, Ishiagu in Ivo council area of the state. He also alleged that the respondents had at a point threatened to dissolve his council; promised to snuff off his life; use PDP boys to beat up and stop him, adding and that indeed the PDP youth leader Chinedu Oga mobilized some boys who attached him on May 3. Eke therefore seeks a relief that "the degrading treatment, beating stripping naked, tying of hands and legs, squeezing into a vehicle, invading of personal car in search of documents, taking away and prevention from scheduled Unity Fm phone-in programme...offend my rights to dignity, personal liberty, and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed by section 34, 35 and 42 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999."
ASUU calls for removal of Ebonyi SSG ABAKALIKI — THE Ebonyi State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) has called on Governor Martin Elechi to drop the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Fidelis Mbam for alleged undue interference in the internal administration of the state university. But Mr. Mbam in a swift reaction said the state university lecturers were calling for his head because of their internal politicking on who succeeds the out going Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Fidelis Ogah. In a four-page statement made available to newsmen and signed by the Ebonyi University ASSU chairman and Secretary, Chima Stephen and Afiukwa Joseph, respec-tively, the union alleged that on many occasions, the SSG, Mbam had directly issued contradictory orders to the university even without recourse to the internal mechanism and administra-tions of the university. The union lamented that only recently the SSG ordered the university to re-open within seven days, the Ishieke campus closed by the university Senate in the wake of students’ disturbances during which private and university properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the students. But Mbam said, “It is the issue of campus struggle on who occupies the office of VC that is the problem. ASSU people have been lobbying me on who they want to succeed the out-going VC and I am not in-charge and will not recommend to the Governor. I have asked them to leave me alone to concentrate on the job I am doing. “On the campus closure, I merely conveyed the message of the government. The government spent over N300 million for the accreditation of the university courses, so why shouldn’t it have a say in the university? “I am a disciplinarian and I will not support any policy that is not correct. The issue of who becomes the next VC is the reason why they are calling for my resignation. Only the Governor will appoint the VC not myself and he appoints based on merit and not base on calumny. I advise people to face their jobs,” Mbam stated.
PDP wins Ebonyi Assembly bye-election NOTWITHSTANDING the apparent voters' apathy that characterised the bye-election held in Onicha West State Constituency of Ebonyi State last Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Michael Anoke Ude-Umanta of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 14,859 votes, as the winner. The bye-election was sequel to an order to that effect contained in the judgment of the state election petitions tribunal on September 11, 2007 which was also affirmed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu on March 13, 2008, following the nullification of the election of Nwenugu Nwite of the same party for wrongful substitution. Details of the result showed that Ude-Umanta defeated Cletus Okereke from Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) (671 votes), Mr. Obassi Offia from ANPP (253 votes), Moses Okoro from Action Congress AC (200 votes), while the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and MRDD candidates polled 337 and 109 votes respectively. Speaking while releasing the results, the electoral officer for Onicha area, Mr. Mike Umana, explained that voting took place in six wards of the constituency, including Agbabor, Isuonicha, Amanato, Enuagu, Umudome and Obagu, adding that a total of 171 INEC's members of staff took part in the exercise. Reacting to the outcome of the bye-election, Ude-Umanta said the voters' apathy that characterised the election has to do with the calibre of candidates fielded by parties. He pointed out that voters' confidence needed to be restored in the process, especially by ensuring that internal democracy prevailed before fielding of candidates by political parties.
Ebonyi communal clash claims another life ABAKALIKI— DEATH toll has risen to at least six in the fighting between the peoples of Ezillo and Ezza-Ezillo communities in Ebonyi state, as one Donatus Chima was slain yesterday. Fighting broke out on May 10 following a misunderstanding between one Chukwuma Agbo, an Ezillo man and his Ezza business neighbour at Ishimkpuma local food stuff market. Allegedly Agbo was trying to erect a commercial phone booth when he was accosted for encroaching on an Ezza land. The resultant argument led to open confrontation that assumed communal dimension when it attracted sympathy from both sides. At the last count over 50 houses have been razed, over twenty-five buses and motorbikes burnt as well as properties worth several millions of naira were lost, while the peoples have fled and are currently in refugee camps at Ngbo and other surrounding communities On the latest incident, Coordinator of Ishielu Development Center, Hon. Lawson Ede who conducted newsmen round the fighting scene amid tight police security, said the killing of Chima was as a result of reprisal attack from the old crisis. A villager who identified himself as Mr. Goddy claimed to have witnessed the incident and said that the youths of the area had gathered at the residence of the chairman of the village, Chief Ngele Igbo when they suddenly heard the sounds of gun shots which made them to take to their heels. “But while we were running, Oga Dona, as he was fondly called could not escape from his house. The people now caught him. They first shot him in the leg before finally matcheting him to death. They also took one of his hands,” he narrated. On the spot the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ishielu local government area, Mr. Mike Onuh were seen making arrangements to convey the remains of the late Chima to the State University Teaching Hospital, EBSUTH mortuary but refused to speak with newsmen.
Pact on power sharing now irrelevant, says Elechi GOVERNOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State yesterday said the agreement on political office sharing known as 'Charter on Equity' among the various zones in the state was no longer relevant since the idea was mooted during the struggle for creation of the state. Elechi, who said this while fielding questions from journalists on his actions in office within the last one year, disclosed that the so-called charter often referred to by politicians in the state does not exist anywhere. He added that as one of the chairmen of Ebonyi State Movement, he was sure that the draft charter was neither ratified nor did all 11 members endorse it. He stated that while five members of the committee signed the draft, six abstained, making it a minority report but maintained that "it was never debated by the body of Ebonyi State Movement or accepted. As such, it does not exist, not on paper but in practice." On the issue of local government reforms embarked upon by his administration, the governor noted that the preponderance of development centres was to escape the experience faced by Lagos State and avoid legal squabbles. He said there was need to maintain the 13 constitutionally sanctioned council areas and running the development centres for purposes of administrative convenience. Reacting to the high debt profile of N2.996 billion owed contractors by the past administration, the governor hinted that he had offset most of the debts except the N900 million owed to Strabag Construction Company. He, however, indicated that the government entered into a working arrangement with the company to spread out the payment by repaying N2 million at a time based on the available of funds. The governor said relocating operators of quarry sites from the metropolis has remained a major task for his administration, recalling the many complaints against the government's move to remove illegal structures from the state capital. He stressed that whatever his administration determine to implement, "we do with human face," even as he insisted on improving on the sanitary of the city. Elechi noted further that behavioural prejudices and misconceptions among youths have not helped the government in the area of economic empowerment, pointing out that what obtained in the state was not unemployment but disguised unemployment. "Programmes pursued by youths and offered in the university are not relevant to the needs of the society. Lack of qualitative education makes them unemployable. That is why we are focusing on agriculture and 75 youths would be sent to Songhai to undergo practical training in crop management and animal husbandry. Qualitative education is the key, the rest is history and you know it all," he disclosed.
Ebonyi: PDP reverses self over re-run polls THE Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has finally acceded to the pronouncement of the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal that Mr. Michael Anoke Ude-Umanta be fielded as the party's candidate for the re-run Onicha West Constituency House of Assembly seat, scheduled for May 31, 2008. Addressing party stakeholders from Onicha West at the Ebonyi Hotels, Abakaliki, at the weekend, the state chairman, Dave Nweze Umahi, stated that the party in consultation with its National Working Committee had taken a stand on the matter. "I stand here to announce to you that the party's candidate for the Onicha West State Constituency in the May 31, re-run election is Mr. Michael Anoke Ude-Umanta," Umahi said. However, the decision is raising dusts following threats by some aggrieved members from the area. The aggrieved members are insisting on the candidature of Sylvester Nwenugu Nwite, whose election was nullified. While the chairman was announcing the decision, some of the party faithful uncharacteristically started shouting, "no, no, no" in protest. Umahi said though the party was mindful of the stand of the law on the issue of who was the validly nominated candidate of the party, it set about to broker peace between the contending interests since, according to him, the party wanted to set its house in order because "whoever was right or wrong did not matter at that point in time." The chairman disclosed that Nwite resigned his membership of the PDP even when the leadership was trying to find out what happened. "There must be discipline in the party. Our searchlight is on to check anti-party activities. The leaders of the party in the state, in consultation with the national leadership, have taken a position and the party is supreme," he declared. Following the discordant tunes at the meeting, it was unclear whether the reconciliation exercise initiated by the party was successful. Umahi set up a nine-man electioneering committee, led by Mrs. Uzoma Ikpo with Anyigor Simon, as secretary. The committee was mandated, among other things, to ensure that PDP triumphs at the re-run election, campaign vigorously for the party in Onicha West, propose a budget for the election, liaise with the local councils and party chairmen in the area and security agencies to ensure a peaceful election. In his acceptance speech, Ude-Umanta, thanked the party for the honour and asked for forgiveness of all who felt offended because of his recourse to litigation. He said: "I thank you all for letting us in this state be seen as people who obey the rule of law. The law establishes every position. I am not the wisest of all to be the candidate. Whoever I must have offended by my utterances or court case, I beg to forgive me. I want to assure you that I will be obedient to the party at all levels. I wish to assure you also that I will be available to smoothen all the rough edges caused by frayed nerves. I want to be your servant and not your master." Apart from the members of the state working committee, including Mr. Fred Onwe and Mrs. Eugenia Nwali, other party chieftains at the stakeholders' meeting included member representing Onicha East Constituency in the state Assembly, Odefa Obasi Odefa; Special Adviser to Governor Martin Elechi on Political Matters and Assembly Liaison, Onwe John Onu; South East Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ali Odefa; and former member representing Onicha West Constituency in the state Assembly, Linus Okorie, among others. It would be recalled that the Ebonyi State Governorship and State/National Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal, headed by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, on September 11, 2007 nullified the election of Nwite as the member representing Onicha West Constituency following a petition by Mr. Michael Ude-Umanta against what he cited wrongful substitution by INEC after he won the party's primary election. Nwite appealed against the tribunal's judgment but the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu on March 8, 2008 affirmed the nullification of Nwite's election and ordered fresh polls in which the petitioner/respondent, Ude-Umanta, should be the candidate.
Ebonyi: A Little Taste Of Hostage Taking THE closest Ebonyi State came to witnessing the menace of kidnapping and ransom seeking was when a group of young men who paraded themselves as members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB) took shelter in a border community between Ebonyi and Abia States. They were alleged to be holding three Chinese workers kidnapped from an auto assembly plant in Nnewi, Anambra; with which they demanded a forty million naira ransom, before they could let go of the foreign nationals. The people of Nguzu-Edda took flight. And the pandemonium caused by the hoodlums led to shooting, looting and raping. The commanders of the military outpost acted on the side of caution and said they were under instruction not to invade the hideout so as not to injure the Chinese. The place was condoned off. The kidnappers made overtures for negotiation and reduced the demand from N40 million to N4 million. The story ended in an anti-climax when suddenly the kidnappers sensing that there was a ploy to nab them fled, leaving behind their captives. One Ubong Etim, a cab driver based in Port Harcourt said that politicians should be blamed for goading the kidnapping saying that most of the criminals were formerly political thugs who have tasted easy money without hard work or any visible means of livelihood. Ubong told The Guardian that he was forced to leave the area after his elder who works with an oil servicing company was kidnapped alongside some expatriates. Narrating the ordeal faced by the family while the search for his elder brother was on, Ubong said: "We did not know what could happen to him. Our fear was that he could be killed for nothing because these boys are always under the influence of drugs. My brother was just a welder and the Oyibos liked him because he was good. At a time some of us who were living with him became afraid that those who took him could also come for us. There was panic and when our aged mother was told that my senior brother was among those taken from Wilbros, she lost appetite and became sick." Ubong said the way politicians in the past pampered those criminals with money gave them the boldness to acquire sophisticated arms and ammunition saying that the impact of the menace is the number of people who are leaving the oil rich Niger Delta. "They would not know the harm they are doing to the place because to keep a white man in Niger Delta, you have to spend a lot of money to secure him. For every car carrying an Oyibo, there are always two other pick up vans carrying no less than eight soldiers or mobile policemen. If this continues in the next five years, it would be hard for people to do business in the Niger Delta. For me, nothing will make me go there again," he swore. But while Ubong blames politicians for the criminality in the Creeks, a legal practitioner from the area, Romokereawaji Utiezeh, told The Guardian that there is everything wrong about Nigeria as a nation. Utiezeh stated that a situation where a people who found themselves located on the surface of the earth in a particular place are not allowed by the law of the country they belong, to benefit from the proceeds of whatever is found in their domain is bad. "So as far as I concerned the kidnapping and criminality has come to stay in the Niger Delta, where crude oil is found. On the virulence of kidnapping and its ramification for the society, the legal practitioner contended that, "it is difficult where there is a law for any protest by any person or group never to border on criminality. So in this regard every act of any aggrieved within the area will always tend towards criminality and properly termed criminal". He introduced the fact that the abnormal behaviour exhibited by the youths in Niger Delta emanated from the frequent oil spillages and gas flaring in the area adding that "a place carbon monoxide is flared for over 50 years and the people inhale them, not much of decency could be required from the people there.
Ebonyi Denies Fresh Guinea Worm Cases THE Ebonyi State government has denied reports of fresh guinea worm outbreak in the state, saying the allegation of upsurge in Guinea worm infestation in the state was discovered to be a hoax after officials from the Federal Ministry of Health, investigated the claims. According to the Permanent Secretary, ministry of health, Mr. Steve Orogwu, the false report, only served to test the effectiveness of the states' disease surveillance outfit and reporting system. The ministry was accused of ineffective surveillance following the death of three doctors at the State University Teaching Hospital, (EBSUTH) Abakaliki from Lassa fever; as well as reported resurgence of guinea worm infestation in the state. Citing the case of River Blindness, Orogwu said the state was currently working towards total elimination, with a reduction in the prevalence rate of 55 percent in 1995, to less than 3 percent by 2005. He said the state plans to have at least one standard general hospital in all the 13 local government areas, while the development centres would have primary health care centres.
Two killed in Ebonyi communal clash Two persons have been killed in the communal crisis between Ezillor and Ezza communities in Ebonyi State over a piece of land. Several houses have been burnt in the crisis, which began last Saturday. Residents have been forced to take refuge in the neighbouring communities. They said over 10 persons have been killed. Others, they claim, have been abducted and taken to undisclosed locations. Police spokesman Fredrick Nudan, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),confirmed two people dead. Several others, he said, have fled the area. Nudan said the police would ensure the security of lives and property, and urged the people to return to their homes. Over 5,000 victims of the clash have received relief materials worth N2million from the Coordinator Ezza West Development Centre, Dr Mrs. Nora Alor. The materials, which included food items, drugs, detergents, clothings and other items, were distributed to the victims. Our correspondent, who visited the displaced, observed that many were still trooping to the camp following continued burning of houses. One of the victims, Mrs. Elizabeth Nkpor, whose house was razed, urged Governor Martin Elechi to wade into the crisis. She said: "Why these miscreants continued to vandalise, loot and burn down people’s homes, without being mindful of military and police presence, is simply because the military and police are not bothered. "My house, which was not amongst the burnt, was on Monday razed down when we had gone to work. It is very sad that one week into the crisis and police presence in the area over 250 houses have either been vandalised or razed completely," Mrs Nkpor said. She pointed out that the best option to bring to an end the arson was to instruct the police to shoot at sight. Speaking to reporters shortly after distributing relief materials, the Coordinator Ezza West Development Centre, Dr. Nora Alor, noted that the Ezzillo-Ezza communal crisis has left many people homeless and devastated. She solicited the intervention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to alleviate the suffering of the people and forestall any epidemic outbreak. Dr Alor urged the people to embrace peace and accommodate one another, adding that violence would never bring any meaningful development to the warring communities.
Elechi lauds NYSC scheme, explains move to relocate camp EBONYI State Governor Martin Elechi has described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as the highest form of practical education that caps up university training in Nigeria. According to him, the original idea that informed the scheme was intended to make students embrace life in other parts of the country so as to be nationalistic and patriotic. Elechi said this when the Moderator of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, (PCN), Dr. Usoro B. Usoro, paid him a courtesy visit in the Government House, Abakaliki, on Monday. He explained that the decision by his administration to relocate the NYSC camping ground from Girls' High School Sharon, Izzi, to MacGregor College, Afikpo, was to enhance the dignity of the human person. Reacting to the plea by the moderator that the foremost teachers' training college be maintained as an ecumenical centre, Elechi said: "We decided that rather than continue to punish youth corps members in an environment with subhuman conditions, it was better to recover the lost ground of McGregor and give the NYSC dignity of the human person". The governor, however, assured the Presbyterian Prelate that the change of name was not being contemplated in the transition of McGregor to a new NYSC orientation camp. He pointed out that since the government take-over of mission schools was a holistic measure, any thought of reversing the policy would of necessity be holistic even as he ruled out such possibility. He noted that the decision on the place of worship to be sited in the NYSC orientation camp was not that of the state government alone, arguing that since people of different religious persuasions congregate in the place, the authorities of the NYSC would have the final say on the matter. While commending the contribution of the PCN to the growth of education, the governor noted that "educational development has never been a static notion. It is dynamic, as such, best conceived ideas are bound to change with time. If we fail to accept that, then there is something wrong with our appraisal". Earlier in his remarks, Usoro recalled the passion that drove the PCN to reside at Afikpo to provide quality teacher education, expressing regret that the institution had produced many excellent teachers until the take-over of mission schools. The PCN moderator faulted the decision of the government to convert the McGregor College to a new NYSC orientation camp in the state and relocate students, stressing that in founding the school, the PCN relied on the goodwill of partner churches in the United States of America, Europe, Canada and Australia. Usoro decried what he called the attempt by government "to wipe out our name from the educational scene", recalling how in the past the state government claimed the mission's landed property without any form of compensation.
Chinese Invade Ebonyi, Buy Off Local Rice The food crisis that has shocked nations across the world has forced the Chinese to invade Ebonyi State, where they are buying off the rice that is locally-produced by the people. Sunday Independent gathered that the state, a major food basket in South East Nigeria, is now the toast of the new invaders, who may be capitalising on the general low awareness of Nigerians about the current situation to stockpile foods in their country. In a move that seems to enjoy the encouragement of the state government, foreigners, believed to be Chinese merchants, are said to have been noticed buying and freighting rice in huge quantities out of the state, a development that has raised wide-ranging feelings in the area. It was gathered that while the situation has created some sort of boom for the farmers, local consumers, for whom availability of the commodity had not presented major problems, are now contending with the problems of soaring prices. Traders, who seem hamstrung by the trend, are however lamenting that the state government was not pre-empting the situation, by buying and stockpiling the commodities, a situation they believed could create a lot of problems in future. Expressing the views of some of the traders in Abakpa Market, the main rice market in the state, Chief Johnson Okereke said the state could regret not stopping the trend, if it did not also stockpile the commodity. Also, the chairman of Abakaliki Rice Mill Owners Association, Vincent Nwibo, has cried out that the state may witness acute hunger in a very near future, unless the state government intervened in time with the loans it promised farmers. He noted that the hike in the prices of food items in the state, particularly rice, was as a result of the upsurge, where people from different parts of the country and foreigners invaded the Abakaliki rice mill, with trailers on daily basis, to buy off the commodities for processing and re-selling within within and outside the country. According to him, before now, a bushel of Abakaliki rice that sold between N2,100 and N2,200, depending on the grade, rose to between N3,800 and N4,000 immediately the foreign buyers came. He noted that although many problems, including natural disaster and pest, have been hampering rice production in the state, the major problem that could lead to serious drop in production would be insufficient manpower. He, therefore, called on the state government to develop a policy that would encourage Ebonyi youths to embrace farming, through the local government councils. He also condemned the idea of Nigeria importing rice from other countries, saying that farmers in the country should be encouraged to produce and stock food for the rainy day. But the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Emmanuel Echiagu, dismissed the fear, saying the development had somewhat sparked off superior attention to the rice farming alongside other crops in the state, pointing out that the quantity of rice being planted this season was greater than before. "A few weeks ago, trailers came from different parts of Nigeria to rice mill to buy. I also understand that some foreigners came here to buy off our rice. The good thing about it is that it has stimulated production," he said. According to him, many serious farmers have besieged his office demanding fertilisers, which the state government subsidised up to 40 per cent. "I believe it is going to boost rice production in the state this year, not just rice production but other crops like cassava and yam, in which we have comparative advantage. "So, people are really interested in boosting production this year," he added.
200 houses razed, one killed in Ebonyi communal clash By Nnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki, with agency report About 200 houses were razed while other properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed in a violent clash on Saturday between Ezillo and Ezza clans of Ezillo in Ebonyi State. One person was also feared killed in the incident. It was learnt that the crisis started on Saturday over the ownership of a piece of land at the Ezillo market. A source told News Agency of Nigeria that an indigene of Ezillo wanted to construct a telephone booth on the land but was asked not to do so by an Ezza man, who said the land belonged to his people. ”In the course of the argument, Ezza people burnt a motorcycle belonging to an Ezillo man and this led to reprisal attacks,‘‘ the source said. ‘‘What followed was massive burning and destruction of properties”, the source further said. It was gathered that some injured people were seen receiving treatment at some clinics in the village. A victim narrated how the Eziulo people have rendered them homeless “I lost everything including my clothes and money” she added. At Eziulo, the story was the same as houses, stores and properties belonging to the Ezza people were completely destroyed. Another victim and a Staff of Independent National Electoral Commission, told our Correspondent that he only managed to save his documents, as he was helpless watching his properties being destroyed by fire. The Chairman of Ishielu Local Government, Mr. Onwa Onwa, who spoke on the issue confirmed that one man was killed in the mayhem. Onwa said ‘‘the crisis is terrific,‘‘ adding ”I have never witnessed this magnitude of destruction before.‘‘ He said that was why he immediately contacted the state government, which responded promptly by dispatching a combined military/police team to the area. The chairman said an inquiry would soon be carried out to determine the cause of the crisis. The trucks carrying anti-riot policemen and soldiers were sighted in the village at about 5pm on Saturday. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Fredrick N-Nudan, confirmed the incident saying anti-riot police and soldiers had been drafted to the area to restore peace.
'In Ebonyi, We Are Using Boarding Schools To Achieve Integration' Mr. Agha Sunday Okoro, Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi State was a Mathematics teacher at the Tai Solarin College of Education, Ogun State and the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo. He spoke on the giant steps being taken by the state government to re-introduce the boarding school system and other issues bothering on education in the state. BY ONYEDIKA AGBEDO What is this boarding school system in Ebonyi State that is in the news? Ebonyi State is a unique state, in that it had a basic problem of integration, having being created from two states, with different ways of doing things both in the educational sector and other government establishments. And to merge these groups has been a difficult thing. Now this creates problem particularly in our educational sector. One thing Governor Martin Elechi came up with was to start up boarding schools to give the students more time for their studies, look at what the school system should be and get the best out of it. It will also give the teachers more time to teach the children. But above all, the social aspect is that it is going to give us an opportunity for our children to reunite the two groups, because we had been under the same Ogoja Province and later Abakaliki Province before the split into two, which lasted about 40 years. We want each of the 27 boarding schools we are starting with to have at least two children from each of the development centres in every local government area of the state. If these children now come together and stay in the same school for about three years in the same class, going to the same bathroom and playing together, you will discover that the social integration we want to achieve will be done faster. Within the first term, you will find out that your child will want to visit a friend. Even if you had all the bad feelings about that family, your child will eventually force you to go there and once you start visiting different homes, the state will start to be integrated. We shall start to see things that are good in our brothers in the other parts of the state. That is the essence of this boarding school, which many of us enjoyed during our secondary school days. Is the state is in a position to run an effective boarding school system, given what it entails? Yes, because we know what the demands are; we know what is expected. We may not do everything at once but we know that there are certain basic facilities that must be provided for the children to be comfortable. Health-wise, there must be someone within to take care of their medical needs before referring them to higher places. We will also ensure that the windows of the hostels have mosquito treated nets to ensure that mosquito bites are reduced. On security, we intend to have at least 10 trained guards in each of the schools. Some have been posted but we are monitoring the posting to ensure that it is the right type of people that are there. Once we find out that someone is not originally interested in that type of job, we don't want to take any risk, so we would drop the person. In addition, we intend to get the whole compound fenced and liaise with the communities to have at least four members of the security team come from there. We are involving the local government chairmen and the coordinators of the development centres, as well as the police to ensure that at certain peak periods, there is adequate surveillance around these and other schools. We are only using this as a pilot scheme to see what we can do to enhance the education of our children. On feeding, government knows that not all the children have the wherewithal to pay for the type of feeding we want to give to them. So government will subsidise their feeding. They come with their pillow and beddings but the beds and mattresses, kitchen utensils, etc are already there, while dinning halls and hostels had been renovated. At least two staff quarters per school have been provided. For teaching staff, we have enough in each of these schools to take care of basic teaching and learning. We don't want it to seem as if the schools are now different from others, so we are not going to deplete the teachers in other schools. If there is need particularly in the key subject areas like English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, we will engage more teachers into the schools. We will also get teachers in these areas to the other schools that are not boarding schools. If someone is a day student in another school, the government still owes him/her the duty of providing the teachers and facilities. For the boarding schools, government is providing two boreholes each, which is 54 in all. We have what they call V.I.P. toilets to supplement the water system toilets they have within the dormitories. We are supplying five 1000 litre water tanks for each school so that if for any reason the boreholes fail to function even for a day, water tankers will be sent immediately to fill those tanks. For electricity, we have contacted the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to find out our outstanding bill, because most of the schools were disconnected from the national grid due to non-payment. We have made some payments but now we want to clear the backlog of debts after crosschecking. How are you going to ensure that heads of these schools feed the children well, even when government supplies the food items? It seems it will constitute a major problem but I don't think that will happen in this case because most of the people in this state now know that part of the governor's slogan is that it is not right if it is not right; which means that it must be right if it is right. We have drummed it to these people that we will be meeting almost every week with the principals of these schools, who we had selected based on ability rather than seniority and who will be able to make the extra sacrifice to stay with these children and oversee what they are doing.
Ebonyi PDP in confusion over repeat polls THE Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is losing sleep over the nullification of the election of its favoured candidate after the tribunal and Appeal Court upheld a petition by another faithful. The case began when Mr. Michael Anoke Ude-Umanta, went to the State Governorship, State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, claiming that he was wrongfully substituted after wining the party primary. He claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) substituted him with Hon. Sylvester Nwenugu Nwite in the Onicha West state constituency. The tribunal, led by Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu, nullified the election, citing irregular substitution of the petitioner by the PDP. The Justice also chided INEC for allowing the substitution after PDP nominated Ude Umanta and directed INEC to conduct a bye-election and to ensure that the petitioner was fielded as the validly nominated PDP candidate for the house of Assembly election. Justice Iheme-Nwosu noted that the PDP failed to bear out evidence on the reasons for the replacement of the petitioner, with the first respondent, after the primary election in which the petitioner was nominated. The Justice said that both Nwite and Umanta belong to the PDP; the commission held that the election of Nwite was illegal since the Commission lacks the power to replace a nominated candidate without verifiable evidence. Counsel to the respondent, Ben Igwenyi, challenged the outcome at the Court of Appeal. And on March 13, 2008, the Court of Appeal in Enugu unanimously upheld the ruling of the tribunal. Reacting to the judgment, the former Chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi, Okeagu Ogada, a lawyer, noted that as painful as the judgment was, it could be blamed on the carelessness of the appellant. He said that the non-joinder of the PDP helped to weaken its case, as it was only the party that could assert its reasons for the substitution. And while INEC has scheduled May 10 for a fresh election, the PDP leadership is seeking ways to ensure that its candidate, Nwite, is retained. The party set up a five-man committee to study the judgments. A three-man committee was equally set up to study the recommendations. Another 14-man committee also followed. A member of the five-man committee, Hon. Emma Ikechukwu Nwobo, said that the committee was set up to bring about peaceful relations within the party. Meanwhile, Ude-Umanta disclosed that several delegations were sent to him asking him to accept a state government appointment and resign from contesting in the election. He described the demand as belated. He said that following his substitution he wrote letters to the party intimating it of the reason for his suit against INEC as well as outcome of the matter. In one of the letters he stated that he had no case against the PDP. He noted that he sued INEC, and Nwite, who lost to him in the party primaries of November 18, 2006 but was nominated as the candidate for the State House of Assembly elections. He noted that his reason for the legal action was to protest against INEC "for robbing me of and illegally giving my victory to Nwite and to reclaim and uphold my mandate as the validly nominated candidate of the PDP for Onicha West state constituency for the election into the House of Assembly." He also disclosed that on December 14, 2006, he wrote to the former national chairman of the PDP Dr. Ahmadu Ali. In the letter to Ali, he claimed that there were attempts to assassinate him. He wrote another letter to the state Governor, Martin Elechi, informing him of the bye-election as well as appealing for his intervention in the renewed bid frustrate his candidacy. In the widely distributed letter, the petitioner stated: "I am aware of grand plans by my persecutors to indulge in anti-party activities to ensure that our great party loses to the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) or the Labour Party (LP). I know that in a fair contest, no other opposition party could get up to 10 per cent of total votes cast." After the committee of 14 deliberated on the matter, the consensus was that Ude-Umanta should accept a political appointment so that Nwite could make it back to the Assembly. But the fact of the situation dawned on him when according to sources he met with the governor and the party's state chairman. The sources said that despite the pressures to settle for an appointive position, Ude-Umanta insisted that he would not betray his supporters and his ward to which he claimed that the position was zoned under a power sharing arrangement. "The Governor told him that the party reserves the right field a candidate and not the court," the sources added. In the face of the unfolding scenario, the leadership of the state PDP is busy devising ways to manage the situation. There are speculations that the PDP is planning to field Nwite under an opposition party platform after which he would return to the PDP or in the event of such plan not being feasible, the PDP would withdraw from the election. However, the immediate past State Chairman of PDP, Okeagu Ogada said that insofar as it would not be advisable for the party to withdraw from the court ordered re-run election, the issue to be addressed is "can it be reasonably said that the order of the tribunal enjoins PDP to adopt the petitioner as its candidate?" According to Ogada, "this question needs to be resolved or interpreted one way or the other before the re-run; either through intra-party dialogue or by the Federal High Court." He noted that though it is left for the party to play its role, the question is what options left for the PDP in the proposed election since the party was never a party in the petition or appeal contending that the court like equity or nature does nothing in vain. "Court cannot be expected to give order bounding on all parties that did not come before it," he stated. He noted that politically, nothing precludes the party from substituting the candidate since the selection of candidates for elections is the exclusive preserve of the parties. But while Ogada said that the nomination of Ude-Umanta was invalidated by irregularities, Ude-Umanta maintains that the allegations were false. He pointed out that what a segment of the party leadership characterised as violence was a creation of some loyalists of the government. How Ebonyi PDP resolves the political puzzle would give an insight to what Nigerians should expect from the Prince Vincent Ogbulafor led National Working Committee (NWC) as well as the much talked about determination to improve the internal democracy to the party. Challenges before the Nwobodo panel Meanwhile, when the Senator Jim Nwobodo-led South East Action Committee goes to Ebonyi, it would face the problem of making the party honour court decisions. The decision by the state party leadership to seek ways of disenfranchising Ude-Umanta is opening new wounds of hate in the party. The party is divided. Some faithful insist that Nwite should be returned while others feel that the PDP should obey the ruling of the courts. Those who support obedience to the courts, argue that by refusing Ude-Umanta support after his tribunal and Appeal Court victories would give the impression that the party was still attached to its old ways. Ude-Umanta's supporters accuse Umahi of championing the confusion. They claim that he has a hidden agenda to be become the dominant voice in the state PDP. Sources said that Umahi in the first place should not be the chairman. "Ordinarily by the power arrangement, it was the Edda people that are supposed to occupy the seat since an Ohaozara man is the deputy governor. The normal thing was that as another Ohaozara man became the minister, (Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu) the position of party chairman should be for Edda. "Initially, attempts were made to fish out a capable Edda person to hold the substantive office when Umahi was the care taker chairman, but some party leaders agreed that though Hon. Irem Ibom, was the man who was capable of holding the position, he was too independent minded and was working with the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim," the sources explained. This group also maintains that there was no need taking the matter further after the tribunal and appellate court declared Ude-Umanta as the valid candidate. "It boils down to future political ambitions. They always like to play up weak political characters that lack the capacity to challenge them." Umahi however said that he was content to be chairman. He also denied playing up divisions in the party. "When the Nwobodo Committee comes to the state, they would have no dispute to settle but will learn lessons in consensus building and harmonious party management," Umahi said. He rejected suggestions that he set up a five-man committee to undermine the judgment of the tribunal, which favoured Ude-Umanta. He said that by setting up the committee, the party was towing the path of reconciliation as put forward by the governor. Umahi also denied insinuations that the party was planning to sponsor Nwite on another platform, describing that as anti-party. But Ogada said that the Nwobodo panel might be involved in the matter. He said: "The Appeal Court upheld the nullification of the election of Nwite but the issue remains. The question is if Ude-Umanta was a PDP candidate at any time of that election? I, as the Chairman at that time will answer in the negative. I know the court can never chose a candidate for the party in any election. What remains is what the options are for in the proposed election." According to Ogada the issue is: "As the PDP was never a party in the election petition or appeal, can it be reasonably said that the order of the tribunal enjoins PDP to adopt Ude-Umanta as its candidate?" This is where the Nwobodo committee may get involved. And how far can the panel go in re-branding the party in the zone?
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Chief Martin Elechi |
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Ebonyi State Population Capital LGAs, Cities & Towns State House |
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