NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015
News 47
SOUTH-EAST
Face your problem, Umahi tells Elechi
lQuit PDP, ex-Assembly leader urges Elechi Charles Onyekwere and Uchenna Inya ABAKALIKI
T
he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the governorship election in Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, has asked the state Governor, Chief Martin Elechi, to respond to the allegations leveled against him by the state House of Assembly, instead of embarking on a smear
campaign. In a statement issued in Abakaliki yesterday by Umahi, who is the deputy governor of the state, he asked the governor to defend himself on the eightpoint impeachment notice served on him and refrain from pointing fingers at the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim and himself (Umahi). The statement signed by Abia Onyike, Umahi’s Director, Media and Public-
ity, said it was abundantly clear that Elechi has had a running battle with the House of Assembly for a long time now over several issues, which the House said was bordering on constitutional breaches. “The deputy governor, who is also the PDP governorship candidate in the coming elections believes in the principle of separation of powers and does not seek to meddle in the internal affairs of the House of Assembly,” Umahi said.
1,127m
76
The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions of developed countries in 2006. Source: Itu.int
The life expectancy of women at birth of Kuwait in 2010-2015. Source: Un.org
Some of the allegations of constitutional violations heaped on Governor Elechi, include the appointment of 13 local government caretaker committee chairmen and 28 development centre coordinators as well as local government service commissioners without clearance by the House of Assembly. Other allegations included the payment of over N3.8 billion to EDON Nigeria Limited for the construction of Ebonyi International Market and an additional N500 million for the same project, which
12.7m
The total number of connected Mobile (CDMA) lines in 2011. Source: Ncc.gov.ng
is not even nearing completion after eight years. The House of Assembly also accused Elechi of conniving with his family members, whose companies or those they have interests in it, were awarded over 95 per cent of all contracts in Ebonyi State from 2007 to 2015. Meanwhile, a former leader of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Ikechukwu Nwobo, has urged Elechi to resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the Labour Party (LP).
€528m
The total revenues of FC Barcelona in 2013-2014 season. Source: Goal.com
No case against Ihenacho’s candidature, says court Steve Uzoechi OWERRI
J
ustice Mohammed Shuaibu of an Owerri Federal High Court yesterday said there was no case before him challenging the nomination of Emmanuel Ihenacho, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Imo State. The jurist said this during a court proceeding between the former Chairman of APGA in the state, Prince Cletus Nwaka and APGA. Referring to the claims in the suit, the jurist said the issue before him for determination was whether Nwaka and his co-plaintiffs, were validly dissolved by the Victor Umeh-led national executive of the party some years back, stating that it had nothing to do with the validity or otherwise of any of the party’s candidates for the 2015 elections. He, however, warned that nobody should misinterpret the case before him to suggest that he was entertaining a suit to remove or validate any APGA candidate for any election. The judge went ahead to strike out an ex-parte motion filed in the case by one of the plaintiffs on the ground of abuse of court process. The case which ordinarily was for adoption of counsel’s written addresses, was however, adjourned to March 12, 2015 so as to get the response from the chief judge of the federal high court on a letter the second defendant in the suit, Chief Victor Umeh, wrote asking for the transfer of the suit on an allegation of bias against the court.
L-R: Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye; representative of the President, Mr. Mike Onolenemen and representative of the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Godwin Madueke, at the inauguration of the rehabilitated Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja-Ikom-Mfum road in Enugu …yesterday
Police arrest House of Assembly candidate, 36 others for murder Uchenna Inya Abakaliki
E
bonyi State police command has arrested a House of Assembly candidate, Chidi Ejem, 38, and 36 others for allegedly killing a 36-year-old man, Udu Emegha, of Amaigbo Etiti Edda, Afikpo South Local Government area of the state during an attack on Labour Party supporters in the area.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chris Anyanwu, made this known in Abakaliki while briefing newsmen. He said: “A group of hoodlums, numbering 20 and led by one Emmanuel Innocent from Amaigbo Etiti Edda, besieged the house of the deceased and attacked him, beating him to a coma. “The said Udu Emegha gave up the ghost later and a team of police operatives
rounded up the said Emmanuel and others in the house of one Chidi Ejem. Chidi is a House of Assembly candidate and a 38-year-old man. “The exhibits recovered include three cutlasses with blood stains, a single barrel gun and some expanded cartridges. “The state CID has just commenced investigation into the matter and the cause of this murder will
be unraveled. We have in our net Chidi Ejem, Emmanuel Innocent and 35 others. So far, we have arrested 37 suspects in connection to the murder,” Anyanwu disclosed. Chidi Ejem was a former special adviser to Governor Martin Elechi, on Solid Mineral Development, Petroleum Product, Pricing and Distribution. He resigned his position to contest in the general election.
APC women commence booth-to-booth campaign in Imo Steve Uzoechi OWERRI
T
he wife of the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Eileen Uwajumogu and the wife of Chike Okafor, the immediate past Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Akudo Okafor, yesterday led a cream of women leaders to a mas-
sive All Progressives Congress (APC) women rally in Obowo. The rally, which drew women from across the Okigwe South Federal Constituency and beyond, was to herald the booth-to-booth campaign of APC women in the constituency. Addressing the rally, Uwajumogu traced the
history and achievements of the Rochas Okorocha administration, noting that the unprecedented lift in the welfare of Imo citizens through massive infrastructural upgrade, across the 27 council areas, was a positive departure from the antecedents of previous administrations that only impacted the lives of a few power-
ful elites. While harping on the long term benefits of the free education programme of the administration, she described the policy direction of the administration as peoplefriendly and urged all women to ensure continuity by voting APC candidates at all levels in the general election.
Umeh makes case for Jonathan’s re-election Tony Okafor Awka
T
he All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, yesterday said the implementation of the National Conference resolutions would reposition the Igbo structurally in Nigeria, urging Ndigbo to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, to facilitate the actualisation of the resolutions. Umeh, who is the Anambra Central senatorial district candidate of the party, said this in an interview with newsmen at Agulu-uzoigbo, Anaocha Local Government ahead a tactical meeting of his campaign team. National and state assemblies’ candidates and chairmen of the seven local government areas in the district also attended the meeting. He noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) dissociated itself and stayed away from the national conference, where the future and unity of the nation was openly discussed. He gave kudos to Jonathan for taking up the challenge of organising the conference, which many other leaders before him dared not discuss.
Lawyer petitions police over threat to life Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI
A
legal practitioner, Clement Odah, has forwarded a petition to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Maigari Dikko, over alleged threat to his life and that of his family members. Odah had recently sent a petition to the House of Assembly, alleging contract sleaze, misappropriation of public funds, against the state governor, Martin Elechi, his son, Elechi Nnanna Elechi and Sir Edward Nkwegu, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP). The petition, dated February 23rd, 20I5 copies of whhich was obtained by New Telegraph in Abakaliki, alleged that killer squads have been contracted to either exterminate or kidnap him. According to him, he alleged that the killer squads are working for the Labour Party in Ebonyi State.