Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Flood ravages Ebonyi villages, farmers seek FG intervention ÏÏÏ
Farmlands in five communities in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have been submerged by flood. The flood was caused by the blockade of a dam being constructed by the Federal Government in Npu, Anuri LGA of Enugu state. The affected communities are Ameke, Okue, Amaokwe, and Ngwogwo. Governor David Umahi, who was at the site of the dam, on learning of the development, on Monday, ordered a comprehensive report of farms and cash crops destroyed by the flood. Noting that the damage was huge, Umahi said that the report would be sent the Federal government with a view to assisting the state and farmers whose means of livelihood were severely affected. He said that, “We came
to the point of the Ukeh River dam that is being constructed by the Federal Government in Npu, Anuri LGA of Enugu State. “A comprehensive report will be carried out so that we can seek Federal Government’s assistance not only to the state, but to the farmers whose agricultural produce have been seriously damaged.” The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ivo LGA, Chief O. Ude, who accompanied Umahi to the site of the dam said the blockade caused water to overflow backwards, thereby destroying the farmlands in the affected communities. “If you look back from where we are standing, you will see a river coming down from there; that is Ivo, and this river is Ukeh. So, the rivers meet here and it is from here
that the constructors created an embarkment that makes water to flow backwards.” The chairman of Ngwogwo Community Development Union, Mr. Johnson Ukpai, lamented that the flood had destroyed agricultural produce like yams, cassava, rice, maize and cocoyam. He pleaded with the Federal Government to come to their rescue. Youths of the area were seen displaying cassava tubers which had decayed due to the impact of the flood. Barr. Augustine Ossai, a liaison officer in Ivo legislative council, also lamented the damages done by the flood and called on the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately come to the assistance of farmers in the area.
Opponents of grazing law are enemies of Nigeria — Miyetti Allah Pita Chikwem, Minna
ÏÏÏ The National Presi-
dent of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Social Cultural Association, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, on Tuesday, described those who were against the establishment of grazing law in Nigeria as enemies of progress. Bodejo told journalists in Minna that the establishment of grazing reserves was one sure way of bringing lasting solution to the crises between farmers and Fulani herdsmen. He expressed concern over how Nigerians play politics with the grazing law, saying people were condemning the proposed establishment of grazing reserves because a Fulani man happen to be the president of the country. “What people don’t know about this issue is that it did not start wih Buhari’s administration,
5 News
CARTOON
News Analysis
What’s the value of human life in Nigeria? Sam Nzeh
ÏÏÏWhat is the value of
human life in Nigeria? This is the question that stares at the face each time Nigerians are mowed down needlessly by security forces during confrontation across the country. Just on Monday, no fewer than 30 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Biafra Independence Movement (BIM) and the Movement for Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) were allegedly killed in Anambra State by security forces, portraying how cheap human life has become in Nigeria. The deceased were among IPOB, BIM and MASSOB members who were commemorating the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra Republic by the Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Aside those killed, several other members of the pro-Biafra groups were injured during the clamp down by the security forces in Anambra State. Over 50 of them were arrested by the military and taken to their 302 cantonment in Onitsha, the commercial city of the state. The clamp down on the pro-Biafra groups also took place in other South East states, with police arresting 320 MASSOB members in Ebonyi; 50 in Owerri, Imo State and 40 in Nsukka, Enugu State. Expectedly, the Nigerian Army, on Tuesday, defended the action of its personnel, saying they shot the pro-Biafra protesters over “unwarranted attack, breach of peace and creation of wide spread panic, tension and apprehension”. The police also defended the role of its personnel in the clamp down of the proBiafra groups, following
this up with the arraignment of those arrested in Ebonyi State on Tuesday. From any angle incident is looked at, it is clear that the deaths could have been avoided if the security forces had not employed lethal weapons in their confrontation with the pro-Biafra groups. Though it is the constitutional responsibility of security forces to ensure that there is no breach of peace by individuals or groups, the pro-Biafra groups inclusive, they should realise that the killing of the pro-Biafra members was needlessly. The incident does speak well of them. Our security forces should emulate their counterparts in other climes who employ nonlethal weapons to quell protests. This way, our security forces will be able to minimize if not eliminate the fatalities that always trail confrontation with protesters.
Bodejo
it was there at the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan”, he added. He said that, “the Fulani people had contributed to the development of this country, inquiring why somebody who contributed in developing the country will want to destroy it.” Bodejo admitted that there were some bad eggs among the Fulani, but that was not peculiar to them as there were also rampaging elements in
Aguta, Tiv and Birom as well as Niger-Delta. He said that the Fulani had become an object of ridicule and circumstances since the return of democracy in Nigeria because the Fulani elites who were supposed to champion their cause were reluctant to do so. The President warned those who disguise themselves as Fulani to perpetrate evil in the country to desist from doing that or face the wrath of law.
INEC fixes deadline for suspended re-run elections Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
ÏÏÏThe Independent Na-
tional Electoral Commission (INEC), has disclosed that all the suspended rerun elections in some states were to be concluded by July 31 this year. The Commission added that it must be convinced that the environment was conducive for the conduct
of free and fair elections. The Commission, it would be recalled, had suspended re-run elections in Rivers, Imo, Kogi and Kano states, citing security threats and violence. A statement, on Tuesday, in Abuja, by the INEC Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, explained that
the Commission would fix the dates for the elections after due consultations with political parties and candidates. According to the statement, “The Commission has received several submissions from political parties, candidates and interest groups, and has had preliminary consultations with security agencies on the way forward.