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Tag: Deputy Governor

  • Ondo Deputy Governor denies allegations of beating up his wife

    Ondo Deputy Governor denies allegations of beating up his wife

    The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has denied allegations of physically abusing his wife, describing it as taking politics too far.

    A statement issued on Sunday in Akure by his media aide, Mr. Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, quotes Aiyedatiwa as stating that the allegations were baseless and the imagination of a faceless group.

    It would be recalled that there was news making the rounds on social media that the deputy governor allegedly assaulted his wife.

    The statement, which noted that the deputy governor reserved the right to privacy particularly with respect to his family, said there had never been any issue of domestic violence as alleged, as his wife, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, was at the moment outside the shores of the country.

    “It has come to the attention of the Office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, that a baseless and false report credited to a faceless group alleging the deputy governor of domestic abuse and assault on his wife.

    “This falsehood and its peddlers would have ordinarily been ignored at this time but the need to halt further negative reports and rumours capable of creating needless tension in our state has necessitated this response.

    “The said allegation of domestic abuse against the person of the deputy governor is a figment of the imagination of those behind it and their ungodly intentions to cause crisis in the state had been known for weeks and therefore such falsehood did not come as a surprise.

    “It is not a secret that Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa has lived and worked in the United Kingdom for many years before her husband became an elected public official in Nigeria.

    “And since then she has been shuttling between the United Kingdom and Nigeria to take care of the home and the children who are also in the United Kingdom.

    “Therefore, any report of alleged domestic issues within the family should be taken as the handiwork of the enemies of the state who are bent on causing crisis where there is none.

    “And we therefore warn those spreading such falsehood to desist or face the consequences,” the statement said.

    According to the deputy governor, he has been busy with official duties of his office and performing duties delegated to him by his boss, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, while on leave.

    “It is, therefore uncharitable for anyone to claim that the deputy governor has in that period carried out “multiple assaults” on his spouse who is out of the country.

    “This is nothing but political blackmail taken too far.

    “We urge the good people of Ondo State to ignore such falsehood as those behind it may just be plotting further attacks on the deputy governor to promote their sinister agenda,” the statement concluded.

  • Kogi’s deputy governor, 7 others withdraw from guber race as Gov. Bello unveils his anointed

    Kogi’s deputy governor, 7 others withdraw from guber race as Gov. Bello unveils his anointed

    Friday’s governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi took a dramatic turn on Thursday as the deputy governor, Mr Edward Onoja, stepped down for the state’s Auditor-General, Ahmed Usman-Ododo.

    Seven other aspirants, including a former Commissioner for Finance, Mr David Adebanji-Jimoh, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris and Mr Okala Yakubu, also stepped down following Usman-Ododo’s endorsement by Gov. Yahaya Bello.

    Others still are Mr Abdulkareem Asuku, Chief of Staff to Gov. Bello and the state’s Accountant-General, Mr Momoh Jibrin.

    Eight aspirants voluntarily withdrew from the race at a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja on Thursday and presided over by Gov. Bello.

    Chairman of the primary election committee, Gov. Mohammed Bello-Matawale of Zamfara confirmed the development after Thursday’s meeting.

    “All other aspirants who have not withdrawn from the race are free to participate in Friday’s direct primary election to be held across the state.

    “The gentlemanly agreement was reached and announced at a stakeholders meeting of the party held on Thursday in Lokoja,’’ he said.

    Matawalle said Gov. Bello, who hosted the meeting, unveiled his anointed candidate in the person of Usman-Ododo.

    While announcing his withdrawal from the race, Onoja thanked his leader, Gov Bello and all his supporters for their love and prayers.

    Onoja enjoined his supporters to allow love, patience and perseverance to lead at Friday’s primary election and at the Nov. 11 governorship election in the state.

  • Police in Nassarawa confirm abduction of ex-Deputy Governor

    Police in Nassarawa confirm abduction of ex-Deputy Governor

    The Police Command in Nassarawa State has confirmed the abduction by gunmen of a former Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Onje Gye-Wado.

    The confirmation is contained in a statement on Friday in Lafia by DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state.

    Gye-Wado was deputy governor of Nassarawa between 1999 and 2003 under the administration of Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu.

    The PPRO in the statement said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Maiyaki Muhammed-Baba, has deployed tactical operatives to rescue the former deputy operation.

    He said that the police received reports that the former deputy was kidnapped by gunmen in the early hours of Friday at his residence in Wamba Local Government Area (LGA).

    “Information received by the police command indicated that on Friday, April 7 at about 12:30 a.m., gunmen invaded Gwagi Village in Wamba LGA, broke into the residence of the former deputy governor and abducted him to an unknown destination.

    “Upon receipt of the information, police operatives attached to Wamba Division swiftly moved to the scene, but the hoodlums had fled with the victim before their arrival,” the police spokesperson added.

    Nansel stated that the police commissioner had further mobilised reinforcement comprising police tactical teams, the military, vigilance groups and local hunters to complement the ongoing search to rescue the hostage hale and hearty.

    He assured the public that the police would do everything possible to arrest the perpetrators of the act and make them to face the law.

    He called on those with useful information that would aid the rescue of the erstwhile deputy governor to call the following telephone numbers : 09115629178, 09067877096, 08112692680 and 08104441179.

  • Immediate past deputy gov of Imo State, Gerald Irona remanded in prison

    Immediate past deputy gov of Imo State, Gerald Irona remanded in prison

    The immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, on Thursday, was remanded in prison custody by a Magistrates’ court in the Owerri area of the state.

    The presiding magistrate, C. N Ezerioha, after hearing the prosecution counsel and defence counsel, ordered that Irona be remanded in Owerri correctional centre.

    She further said that the court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

    Counsel for the ex-deputy governor, S. I Imo, had immediately after he was arraigned moved a motion that Irona be granted bail on self-recognition.

    Imo said that if the ex-deputy governor could not be granted bail on self-recognition, a state lawmaker, Frank Ugboma, representing Oguta State constituency was willing to take him on bail.

    But the lead prosecutor, Sunday Ogbuji, opposed the bail application, saying that the Magistrate lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.

    Apart from that, the lead prosecutor said one of the charges preferred on the Irona bothered on felony.

    Ogbuji said only a judge of a high court could grant Irona bail.

    After hearing both parties, the magistrate ordered that the ex-deputy governor be reminded in prison.

    In her ruling, the magistrate agreed with the prosecution counsel that she lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or grant the accused bail.

    Immediate past deputy gov of Imo State, Gerald Irona remanded in prison
    Immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona

    The judge while ordering that Irona be remanded in Owerri Correctional centre, said that the prosecution counsel should make all documents available to the defence counsel to enable them to take the next legal action.

    She also ordered that the case file be transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution.

    The three-count read “that you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspire with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

    “That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo state ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo State with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo State and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

    “That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, do convert to your own use two Land Cruiser jeeps ( V8 and V6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and Ninety-three million naira property of Imo state government thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that the police had on Wednesday arrested Irona at his Owerri residence, a development the state chapter of the PDP described as a plot to assassinate the immediate past deputy governor.

    Irona was the deputy governor of the state between May 29, 2019, and January 14, 2020, when the supreme court ordered that Emeka Ihedioha be removed as the governor of the state and Uzodinma be sworn in as the duly elected governor of the state.

  • 2023: Return APGA back to winning ways to honour Ojukwu-Dozie Nwankwo, Senatorial candidate

    2023: Return APGA back to winning ways to honour Ojukwu-Dozie Nwankwo, Senatorial candidate

    Members of the All of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)globally have been advised to return the party to it’s formidable winning ways to honour its founder, Late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu

    The challenging charge was dropped this on Saturday in Awka by the party’s senatorial candidate for Anambra Central in the fast approaching February 25,2023 election while inaugurating his formidable Campaign organization.

    Nwankwo, popularly known as “Onyendozi”, the great builder; bemoaned what many saw as the drift within the party hierarchy.

    He therefore urged the members of his campaign structure, other officers and members of the party to work for general benefit of the party, ” just as we all worked collectively hard in the governorship election and recorded a resounding victory.

    According to him, presently APGA is being tested and challenged in diverse ways, especially in Anambra State, but being the party in power here, the institution of government must be made to work for and benefit us.

    ” This is a payback time.

    “It’s sad that someone would schedule an event at the International Conference Center on a day APGA members have events all over the state.

    ” We certainly need to reawaken the dogged Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu spirit in all of us. APGA must stand tall as it always do, in our state. Things happening around us make it look like we are no more the party in power.

    “This event, that is the inauguration of my campaign organization is to encourage, motivate and cherish all of us about the beautiful ideals of APGA that we are all proud of.

    There was a time our Deputy Governor left, I stood stoically on my feet, remained unrelenting, steadfast, resolute and salvaged, recovered and restored the party, such that at the end of the day we missed nothing…”

    Flanked by the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Njikoka/Dunukofia/Anaocha, Chief Pete Ibida and some State Constituency candidates in Anambra Central senatorial zone, Nwankwo who is the incumbent member at Green Chambers of the National Assembly amidst a standing ovation unveiled and inaugurated his campaign team.

    He said, “I hereby urge you to go out and work to ensure we all emerge victorious. Go and work, show your skills. See this as a call to duty. A service to God and humanity!

    Ibida also charged them to imbibe spirit of oneness.

  • Flood devastates one-third of land mass in Anambra – Deputy governor

    Flood devastates one-third of land mass in Anambra – Deputy governor

    More than one-third of the land mass in Anambra has been devastated by flood which has also taken 17 lives as at Tuesday.

    The floods have also caused the collapse of infrastructure, public and private buildings and means of livelihoods of residents, the deputy governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim, said on Wednesday.

    He was addressing officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who brought relief materials to the state in Awka.

    Ibezim said the “devastating flood’ hit seven of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

    “The situation is too strenuous for us to handle all alone; we provide three metals daily for victims in displaced peoples’ camps.

    “Officials of relevant ministries and agencies are deployed to ensure the welfare of the victims in those camps,’’ he said.

    Ibezim thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and NEMA for the relief materials provided, but appealed for more assistance.

    “We need more help from both government and good-spirited individuals to handle the challenge,’’ he stressed.

    In his remarks, NEMA’s Director-General, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, said the 2022 floods hit 450 of the 774 local government areas of the country and the FCT.

    “The 2022 Annual Flood Outlook forecasted that 233 local government areas in 32 states and the FCT would be at sizeable risk.

    “It stated also that 212 council areas in 35 states and the FCT were within moderately probable flood risks.

    “Already, NEMA is inundated with reports of flood in more than 450 council areas in 36 states and the FCT and it is still counting, causing loss of lives, livelihoods, properties and infrastructures,’’ he noted.

    Ahmed said the development should spur the country to concrete and deliberate action to check future disasters.

    He added that there was the need for the people to take full advantage of early warning alerts from hydro-meteorological services agencies to reduce the impact, especially the loss of lives.

    He said the Federal Government could not compensate the traumatic experiences of the victims, but must help to alleviate their sufferings with the relief materials.

    “To ameliorate the sufferings of affected persons, the Federal Government approved the delivery of 105 tonnes of maize and 88.7 tonnes of sorghum.

    “It also approved the delivery of 98.7 tonnes of garri and 1,000 bags of 10 kg rice, among others,’’ he said.

    Ahmed was represented at the presentation of the relief materials by Mr Thickman Tanimu, Coordinator, NEMA South-East Zonal Office, Enugu

    Also making a submission, Chief Paul Odenigbo, Executive Secretary Anambra Emergency Management Agency listed seven areas already hit by flood in the state.

    They are Ogbaru, Anambra West, Anambra East, Ayamelum, Ihiala, Awka North and Ekwusigo Local Government Areas.

    “As at Wednesday, 28 holding centres have been activated to receive displaced victims. Already, there are 28,280 persons in those centres.

    “The flood has also affected 60 per cent of the state’s land mass, and has been worse than experienced in 2012,’’ Odenigbo said.

  • Kaduna govt set to recruit 10,000 teachers after mass sacking

    The Kaduna State Government has concluded plans to recruit 10,000 primary school teachers to replace disengaged ones in order to improve the quality of teachers in the state.

    The Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, made this known in Kaduna on Wednesday at the inauguration of the distribution of learning materials to pupils in 4,260 public primary schools and 838 learning centres.

    Recall that the state government had on June 19, announced the sack of 2,357 primary school teachers for failing the government’s competency tests.

    The state government had in 2018 sacked 21,780, for failing a similar test while 233 others were sacked in December 2021 for allegedly presenting fake certificates.

    According to the deputy governor, the government shall continue to weed unqualified teachers in public schools and no amount of distraction will stop it.

    “The quality of instruction is very important in determining the educational outcomes of our children and we cannot allow only the children of a few to steal the advantage that education provides.

    “Nor shall we continue to allow poor quality education to be available to the children of the weak and vulnerable in our society, who attend public schools.

    “Children of the poor also deserve competent teachers, and it is our sworn responsibility to ensure that they get it, “he said.

    Balarabe said that the state government had renovated more than 500 public primary and secondary schools and provided perimeter fencing in many schools as required by UN agencies for the security of children.

    She added that new schools were built including new science secondary schools and many blocks of classrooms constructed in primary and other secondary schools across the state.

    Balarabe said that the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and the state primary education development projects had ensured construction of more classrooms at the primary school level.

    This, according to her, is to accommodate the return of out of school children to classes.

    “However, as important as classrooms and physical structures are in creating conducive learning environments, lack of access to books pose an even greater challenge to learning.

    “Therefore, our free book policy is to increase access to textbooks, exercise books, sandals, sharpeners, pencils, erasers, school bags and magnetic boards.”

    She said that when poor children were exposed to books early, they would learn to read better, adding that the more children had access to books the more likely they would learn better.

    She noted that the problems in education were “simply overwhelming” adding that the government alone could not bear the burden.

    “That is why other stakeholders must come in with more commitments if we are to make any meaningful progress.

    “To the best of my knowledge, the private sector has of recent been relatively quiet in terms of their contributions to education and public schools.

    “We will, therefore, be happy to see the private sector come in with interventions in education as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

    “As government provides leadership, teachers, parents, community-based organisations, religious leaders, traditional rulers and even the school children need to give their support and contributions.”

     

  • 2023: PDP screens deputy governor nominees

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, commence the screening of nominees for deputy governors from 28 states for the 2023 general elections.

    The screening took place at the party National Headquarters in Abuja with the Deputy Governorship Candidates Screening Committee chaired by Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, also having Dr Akilu Indabawa as Secretary and Mr Sunday Omobo, as Administrative Secretary.

    A nominee for deputy governor for Akwa-Ibom-State, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, speaking to newsmen shortly after her interview, commended the state governor, his wife, party leaders and people of the state for nominating her.

    Eyakenyi, the Senator representing Akwa-Ibom South Senatorial District, who was cheered by women group from the state, said that women of the state had every right to be excited over the slot of the deputy governor given to them for the first time.

    “I am going there as a mother for the 31 local governments of Akwa Ibom State covering women, men, youth and the elderly.

    “I am going there to serve, to set a standard and ensure that after me, another woman can pick up the position.

    “ I will also ensure that women have their due and right at the executive, legislative and party level.

    “I am also going to be a model and standard to every woman in Akwa-Ibom State,” Eyakenyi said.

    The PDP Governorship Candidate for Lagos, Olajide Adediran, who was also sighted at PDP National Secretariat, also spoke with newsmen on the nominees for the state deputy governor.

    Adediran, who is popularly know as Jandor said the nomination of five persons for his running mate show that Lagos as a center of excellency has many qualified person for the position.

    “Every one of the five nominees is qualified to be my deputy governor,” Jandor said.

    He gave assurance that the people of the state would be as popular or more popular than him.

    “We represent a breath of fresh air in Lagos State. You have seen that in me and my running mate as well,” he said.

  • Oyo PDP threatens to sack deputy Governor for defecting to APC

    The  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state  has threatened to sack  the deputy governor of the state, Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, if he fails to resign voluntarily.

    The party disclose this  on Monday in Ibadan the Oyo state capital.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that Olaniyan had last week announced his defection to the opposition All Progressive  Congress (APC) in the state.

    Olaniyan, who was elected along with Governor Seyi Makinde as Deputy Governor on the platform of PDP in 2019, said that he has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Meanwhile the PDP, which is the ruling party in Oyo state, has told  the deputy Governor to resign immediately or risk being sacked.

    PDP, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Engineer Akeem Olatunji, threatened that it would sack the deputy governor if he fails to resign.

    The party posited that it had resolved to retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld illegally and unlawfully by the deputy Governor.

     

    According to Olatunji, the deputy Governor used the platform of the party to rise to the position of deputy Governor in the state and should ordinarily relinquish as he no longer belongs to the party.

    He said “It is only when you contest election as an independent candidate and win and then decide to move to any political party of your choice that you become the owner of the votes cast by the electorates, unfortunately for Olaniyan who wants to eat his cake and still have it.

    “Our position is simple and very clear on this matter and as a matter of legal implication, the votes in any election in Nigeria are to political parties, and not candidates.

    “Failure to follow this advise and adhere strictly to it from the PDP which is the legitimate owner of every single vote cast by the electorates in the 2019 governorship election, the PDP shall not hesitate to immediately deploy every constitutional means to prevent this daylight robbery.

    “We’re determined and resolved to retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld illegally and unlawfully by the deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan because it belongs to the people of Oyo state who have handled same to the PDP”.

  • Appeal Court strikes out suit seeking the sack of Umahi as Ebonyi Governor, his Deputy, for defection

    Appeal Court strikes out suit seeking the sack of Umahi as Ebonyi Governor, his Deputy, for defection

    A suit seeking the sack of Ebonyi Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe from office for defection has been struck out by the Court of Appeal Enugu Division on Friday, for being inconsistent with the Constitution.

     

    The duo in November 2020 defected to the All Progressive Congress(APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

     

    Following their defection, the candidate of the APC in the 2019 Governorship election, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji and his running mate, Justin Ogbodo Mbam, approached an Ebonyi High Court seeking the sack of the Governor and his Deputy.

     

    The plaintiffs prayed the Court to declare the seats of Umahi and Igwe vacant on account of their defection from the PDP to the APC.

    Ebonyi Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe

     

    Ogbuoji and Mbam also demanded the Court to order that they be sworn-in immediately as Governor and Deputy having emerged second in the said election.

     

    But the High Court, in a judgement on February 28, struck out the suit and awarded N500, 000 as damages against the plaintiffs.

     

    Not satisfied with the ruling, the plaintiffs appealed the decision.

     

    But in a 37-minute judgement, the Appellate Court agreed with the lower Court’s ruling on the matter.

     

    The Appeal Justices, in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Alfa Belgore, dismissed the suit for being inconsistent with the Constitution and extant laws of the country.