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Igwe-Elect Lists Development Priorities
By Bankole Adeshina
AHEAD of his formal coronation on April 18, 2009, as the 11th Igwe of Orlu Kingdom, Dr. Patrick Acholonu has listed education, socio-economic empowerment and promotion of art and culture as key development initiatives he would pursue on the throne.
Speaking on the focal points of his reign, the monarch noted that "Nigerian and African renaissance would remain a stillbirth without youth empowerment through education and social enterprise, humanistic principles and promotion of social and cultural values that define our existence as black people."
Acholonu stressed that the principal beneficiaries of his developmental agenda would be the Orlu people, adding that "Igboland and Nigeria will be positioned to join the African renewal that will contribute positively to promoting the potentials of the multi-cultural diversity of the black continent."
He charged traditional rulers in Nigeria to work with political leaders to make life and existence meaningful for Nigerians through provision of basic amenities and investment in human capital.
The monarch-elect decried "a situation where traditional rulers who should be custodians of cultural and social values are turning themselves into hangers-on of politicians and political office holders," stressing that the trend would undermine the position of the traditional institution.
Acholonu said: "I want to work with government and all agencies of developments to put our people back to work and to get them to do things that promote human dignity, social responsibility and national unity.
"The quest to build a virile and progressive society in Nigeria should be anchored on fairness, justice and equity without which any human society cannot make any appreciable progress.
"Orlu Kingdom will witness a huge socio-economic transformation through visionary leadership and partnership with citizens of the town at home."
The medical doctor is from the famous Acholonu Dynasty of Orlu Kingdom and inherits the throne from his late father, Justice Acholonu, formerly of Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Source: The Guardian, 28th March 2009.
Farmers advised on high yield
Written by CHIDI NKWOPARA
Owerri—Farmers in South East geo-political zone of the country have been charged to embrace large scale agricultural production with a view to tackling the current economic meltdown and the looming food crisis.
The Commissioner in charge of Agriculture and Health in the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), Chief John Nwosu, gave the charge during an inspection visit to Egbema Kingdom National Farmers Cooperative Union, Egbema.
“Apart from ensuring food security in the land, large scale farming would enable the farmers attract loans from the Federal Government and donor agencies”, Chief Nwosu said.
He reiterated the efforts of ISOPADEC to enhance food production in oil producing communities and called on farmers in the area to form viable cooperative societies to attract loans from the state and Federal Government, as well as from the Commission.
The Commissioner commended the Cooperative Society on its effort to boost agricultural production in the oil producing communities.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the farmers, Mr. Moses Nduka, appreciated the efforts of the Commission, and called for more assistance to enable them procure more sophisticated farm implements for aggressive agriculture in their area.
Source: Vanguard, 26th March 2009.
Imo to set up land panel
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
TO ensure a hitch-free land administration in Imo, the state government will set up a community planning committee on land matters, the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Levi Oguike, has disclosed.
Speaking with some monarchs and members of the land allocation committee in Owerri at the weekend, Oguike regretted what he called urban decay in the state.
He stressed that the committee, which is to be set up with good composition of credible persons, would handle the issue properly.
He stated: "The urban renewal programme of the current government of Ikedi Ohakim will be strengthened to solve the decaying experience in land use in the three zones and cities of Imo State - Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe. If you drive along, you will see land decay. This is not good. We need to embark on urban renewal through community planning committee."
He regretted that some persons and land developers in the past allegedly did not comply with the policy on land development in the state, stressing that his ministry was in full control to ensure total compliance with government's directive and specifications.
Responding, Chairman of the Land Allocation Committee, Obadiah Ugochukwu, noted that the community planning committee would help to restore the original master-plan of Owerri and major cities in the state.
Source: The Guardian, 24th March 2009.
Imo: Ohakim Floors Araraume at Appeal Court
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt and Amby Uneze in Owerri
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, yesterday dismissed the appeal filed against the decision of the Imo State Election Petitions Tribunal which upheld the election of the state Governor Ikedi Ohakim.
It therefore declared Ohakim of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as duly and properly elected according to the 1999 Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act having been returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a unanimous judgment, the Appeal court Justices held that the appeal filed by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacked merit as he could not advance any evidence to fault the decision of the tribunal.
This is the second governorship case the same court is resolving in favour of the PPA, the first being that of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Saka Ibiyeye, held that the grounds of appeal canvassed by Araraume not only lacked merit but were also incompetent, adding that for the panel to have resolved any of the issues in favour of the PDP candidate, he ought to have satisfied certain basic elements of the Court of Appeal Practice Rules.
According to him, the claim by Araraume that elections did not hold in nine of the 27 local government areas of the state was not proved in the course of arguing his appeal and therefore was fatal to the success of the appeal.
He said the claim by Araraume that he won in 18 out of the 27 local government areas of the state was an admission that the election held contrary to his claim of the election not holding.
The Justice described as fatal, the inability of the Appellant to recall the number of votes cast for him, his failure to call his polling agents to give evidence and his inability to recall the number of candidates that contested in the elections as well as his failure to peruse well, the documents used in the elections when made available to him.
Having found that the Appellant was unable to advance arguments to fault the decision of the lower Tribunal, Ibiyeye commended it for doing a thorough job that could not be faulted.
“Elections were held and results declared. In the course of that exercise, the evidence of each appellant’s witness in the relevant local government area, including the voters’ register, were examined against the background of the pleading in the petition and related evidence.
“I am of the considered opinion that the appellant’s surviving issues are both resolved against him and in favour of the respondents.On the totality of the appeal, therefore, same is deftly lacking and devoid of any merit whatsoever and is hereby dismissed.
“The judgment of the lower tribunal delivered on the 7th March, 2008 and upholding the election and declaration of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which returned the first respondent as the winner of the election is affirmed.
“In other words, I make an order affirming that the first respondent, Ikedi Godson Ohakim, was properly elected and declared winner of the governorship election of Imo state in the election held on the 28 of April, 2007. That is my judgment,” Ibiyeye submitted.
Speaking shortly after the judgment, Ohakim’s lead counsel, Chief Bon Nwakanma, SAN, commended the Nigerian judiciary for standing on the truth going by the judgment. The counsel for INEC, Chief Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the appeal.
Also commenting, counsel to Araraume, Chief Udechukwu, SAN, expressed reservation but said the judiciary had done its work to the best of their knowledge.
Meanwhile, the verdict was anticipated as people in the state were busy going about their businesses without any fear that the judgment would have been to the contrary.
With the final judgment given to Ohakim, a few people interviewed by THISDAY congratulated the governor and urged him to fast-track his development agenda as it would be of benefit to the generality of Imo people.
However, the governor has another hurdle to scale and that has to do with the April 14, 2007 governorship election which was cancelled by INEC as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Martin Agbaso, is currently challenging it at the Federal Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Source: This Day, 24th March 2009.
Appeal Court upholds Ohakim's election
Rules on Agbaso's appeal March 30
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt
THE Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt has unanimously upheld the verdict of the Imo State Governorship Election Tribunal which declared Mr. Ikedi Ohakim of the Progressive People's Alliance (PPA) as the duly elected governor of the state.
However, the court has granted the prayer of the Accord Party (AP) governorship candidate, Mr. Bekinbo Soberekon, for a substituted service in one of the national newspapers on the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
Justice Saka Ibiyeye yesterday dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (the appellant) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sought to reverse the electoral victory of Governor Ohakim (first respondent) in the April 27, 2007 governorship election.
Dissatisfied with the ruling of the lower tribunal, which upheld Ohakim's election as the governor of Imo State, Ararume had proceeded to the Appeal Court, alleging that the April 27, 2007 election was marred by corrupt practices, violence, and that he, rather than Ohakim scored majority of the total votes cast in the election.
He had also prayed the court to order bye -election in nine local government areas where he alleged that elections did not take place, claiming further that the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were fabricated.
Justice Ibiyeye ruled that Ararume failed in his appeal to fault the decision of the lower tribunal on its impeccable findings that elections were indeed conducted in the whole of the 27 local government areas of Imo State, contrary to Ararume's claim that elections in nine local government areas were inconclusive.
The judge noted that when Ararume claimed that he won elections in 18 out of the 27 local government areas, he had accepted the fact that results declared by INEC are deemed to be authentic until proven otherwise in a court of law.
He, however, observed that on cross-examination, Ararume had contradicted himself by not being able to recollect the total polling booths in the state, the number of candidates that participated in the April 27, 2007 election and the total figure he scored in the said election.
Based on this, Justice Ibiyeye said Ararume's claim that he scored 369,546 votes in 18 local government areas could then be regarded as a mere speculation and at variance with facts. He said the scores declared by him are vague, hence detrimental to his case against Ohakim.
Justice Ibiyeye said the petitioner failed to prove in the course of the case that the first and second respondents did not allow him to inspect documents. He recalled that the petitioner had applied for the inspection of document but when availed the opportunity, did not seriously do so. He added that such deliberate act does not call for any sympathy.
On the issue of wrong election form, the court described Ararume's argument as porous. The court noted that he had claimed he scored 27,400 votes, which was later altered at the collation centre in favour of the respondent. The court however noted that Ararume in pursuance of the case failed to tender any result to substantiate this claim.
He said: "The effect is that the petition has failed on the grounds on which he appealed. The tribunal in its finding reached the conclusion that elections were duly held in all the disputed local government areas. In other words, the lower tribunal found as a fact that elections were held and results declared. I am of the considered opinion that the appellant survival issue is on the result declared in favour of the first respondent."
The Judge declared that being unable to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt that he won the disputed election, that the totality of his appeal is devoid of merit and therefore held that Ohakim remains the duly elected governor of Imo State.
As soon as the judge made this pronouncement, the teeming supporters of the governor erupted in jubilation inside the court and made it almost impossible for the remaining justices' contribution to the verdict to be heard.
Counsel to Ohakim, Bon Nwakamma (SAN), lauded the Judges for what he called their painstaking judgment, which he described as a further display of commitment to justice.
Meanwhile, counsel to the (AP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Mr. Femi Falana's prayer for a substituted service on Governor Chibuike Amaechi was granted by the court.
Falana in an ex-parte motion filed yesterday had alleged that efforts to serve Amaechi had proved abortive, hence the application for the substituted service which the court expeditiously granted.
However, Ohakim's battle appears not over as the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, yesterday fixed March 30, 2009 to rule on the application of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), praying it to put on hold ongoing hearing into the appeal filed by the Imo State governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Martins Agbaso, seeking to unseat him.
The three-man panel led by Justice Rabiu Danlamin Muhammad reserved its decision till next Monday after listening to arguments from all parties relating to the application for stay of proceedings in the appeal filed by INEC.
While arguing in favour of the application for stay, INEC's counsel, Abdulahi Ibrahim, with whom was Tunji Oyeyipo (SAN), drew the attention of the panel to the notice of appeal filed at the Supreme Court by the electoral body, challenging the verdict of the Appeal Court, wherein it held that it had jurisdiction to hear the appeal.
He also referred to an application for stay of proceedings filed at the apex court, which he said, had been filed and served on all parties, including the registry of the Appeal Court.
Ibrahim submitted that there were a plethora of authorities in favour of the application for the appellate court to stay proceedings in the substantive appeal and cited the cases of Owuremi Vs Dada (1962) ANLR @ P.657 and Ezomoh Vs A.G Bendel State (1986) ANWLR, Part 36 @ P. 448.
Ohakim's counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), also told the court of a similar appeal he filed on behalf of the governor pending at the Supreme Court, also challenging the decision of the Appeal Court to hear the appeal filed by Agbaso.
He aligned himself with the argument of INEC's senior counsel and adopted his argument as his while referring the court to the cases of Ogunshola Vs Nicon (1999) 10 NWLR Part 623 and Olatunji Vs Owena Bank Plc (2002) 5NWLR Part 760 @ 325.
Counsel to Ifeanyichukwu Ararume of the PDP, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who also drew the attention of the court to his pending appeal at the Supreme Court, submitted that the application for stay was a straightforward issue and ought not to be subject of argument ordinarily.
According to him, the fact of a pending appeal should ordinarily necessitate a stay of proceedings by a lower court and cited Mohammed Vs Olawumi (1993) 4NWLR, part 287 @ P. 281 and FCMB Vs Abiola and Sons Ltd (1991) 1NWLR @ P. 155.
Although Fagbemi admitted that the Agbaso appeal was a "quasi - electoral" matter, he said it in no way diminished the hierarchy of the courts, which favours the stay of proceedings by a lower court in the event of an appeal at the superior court.
Counsel to Agbaso, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), opposed the application by INEC for stay, which got the support of Ohakim and Ararume, urging the court not to grant it.
"It is not the position of the law that a lower court should be abruptly stampeded to stay proceedings. The current position of the law is that where a litigation is time barred, the court must accord it speedy trial," Olanipekun submitted.
The court has adjourned till March 30, this year, to decide whether or not to stay proceedings.
Source: The Guardian, 24th March 2009.
Ihekweme threatens court action over botched Imo guber election
Written by CHIDI NKWOPARA
Owerri—IMO state gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP), Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, has threatened to go to court to forestall the possibility of any court validating the cancelled April 14, 2007, governorship election in the state.
Explaining his resolve to go to court, Dr. Ihekweme said that “Chief Martin Agbaso of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has a right to contest perceived injustice but he should not be allowed to use the instrumentality of the judiciary to ambush the law”.
He said that his picture and the logo of his political party were not included in the ballot papers of both the April 14 and 28 governorship polls, adding that this was enough to cancel the entire exercise.
“From all indication, Chief Agbaso wants to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the result of April 14, 2007, which the electoral umpire rightly cancelled, even as he failed to realise that since I was excluded from the poll, the whole exercise remained a nullity”, Ihekweme said.
He exhibited the letters he wrote to INEC complaining about the exclusion but quickly added that he decided to withdraw the suit he filed in the Election Tribunal to avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily.
Source: Vanguard, 20th March 2009.
Ohakim swears in board members, others
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
GOVERNOR Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State has threatened to scrap any parastatal or agency in the state that turned a drainpipe on the state resources.
Ohakim spoke in Owerri on Wednesday while inaugurating some boards of state agencies and swearing in the new President of the Customary Court of Appeal in the state, Justice Ambrose Egu.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has been urged to accord women a pride of place in the nation's quest for greatness.
Deputy Governor of Imo State, Ada Okwuonu, who gave the charge, also challenged women in the country, irrespective of their professional callings, to brace up and meet Nigeria's political, economic and social challenges.
Okwuonu also asked women who had attained certain heights in life to encourage younger ones to aspire high.
The deputy governor, according to a statement yesterday by her Chief Press Secretary, Nnawuihe Iwuala, spoke after receiving an award of excellence from the African Leadership Magazine in Abuja.
She urged women to exhibit confidence excellent dispositions needed to move the country forward, stressing that "negative tendencies would not make any woman excel."
Speaking at the event, the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua, challenged privileged women in the country to impact positively on the lives of children, the needy and women.
While Mrs. Yar'Adua received a Gold Medal Award, Okwuonu bagged the "African Women of Substance Award."
However, Ohakim also urged that the rights and property of the common man should be protected by the customary legal system in the state.
He stressed that a line should be drawn between the functions of the agencies' management and boards to avoid friction.
Ohakim directed the boards' members to work in tandem with management and staff of their respective parastatals to raise revenue in order to sustain them and create jobs for the people.
He said: "You are to translate new face of Imo into action."
The governor urged them not to become tyrants on the job, adding that they should work with zeal and friendliness to achieve results.
He urged Egu to discharge his duties "without fear or favour."
Speaking on behalf of others, Egu and Chairman, Imo Rural Road Maintenance Agency (IRROMA), who is also the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Ebere Udeagu, pledged to discharge their duties creditably.
Source: The Guardian, 20th March 2009.
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