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Tag: south east

  • Udom Emmanuel elected Chairman South East/South South Governors Forum

    Udom Emmanuel elected Chairman South East/South South Governors Forum

    The South East, South South Governors’ Forum on Sunday elected Akwa-Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, as chairman of the forum.

    The forum at the end of its meeting in Enugu also agreed to pursue regional cooperation and integration for the economic benefit of the two regions.

    The governors, after the three-hour meeting, also agreed on political cooperation.

    The governors in their first meeting in the current dispensation, also resolved “to work together and realign as a people that share common heritage, culture and and affinities”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the forum agreed to hold its next meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 27, 2017.

    The communique of the meeting was read by Governor Udom on behalf of the governors.

    The meeting was attended by eight governors and a deputy governor; while two governors were absent.

    The governors present include: Igwenyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), and Nyesom Nike (Rivers).

    Others are; Okezie Ikpazu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Anambra Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, who represented Governor Willie Obiano.

    Governors Ifeanyi Okowa and Godwin Obaseki of Delta and Edo states were absent at the meeting.

  • Photos: Wike attends South-South, South-East Governors meeting

    Photos: Wike attends South-South, South-East Governors meeting

    Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State on Sunday attended the South-South and South-East Meeting held in Enugu State.

    See pictures from the meeting below:

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, being welcomed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, being welcomed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi and Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, (m) Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Deputy Senate President Ike (r) at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

  • We fully support calls for restructuring of Nigeria – South East leaders

    We fully support calls for restructuring of Nigeria – South East leaders

    South East leaders and stakeholders have reiterated their commitment to a united Nigeria where peace, fairness and equality of opportunities are paramount to citizens irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation.

    The leaders also threw their weight behind the call for full restructuring of the country on the platform of fairness and equity.

    The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, Gov. Dave Umahi announced yesterday in Enugu while addressing newsmen on the outcome of an interactive forum of stakeholders.

    Umahi, who is the governor of Ebonyi, said that leaders from the zone condemn all manner of hate speeches from any segment of the country.

    He said that they were in consultation with leaders from other parts of the country with a view to engaging the Federal Government in a meaningful dialogue.

    He said that the region was in full support of the 2014 National Conference report and urged the Federal Government to set up structures for implementing same within a reasonable time.

    “We are also in full support of the clamour for the restructure of the country and call on the Federal Government to start a dialogue with Nigerians on the modalities for achieving it,” he said.

    The governor said that the governors’ forum and South East National Assembly caucus would constitute the official organ that would speak for the people of the area.

    Umahi appealed to the Federal Government to take steps that would ensure safety of the people of the area wherever they lived in the country “just as we have guaranteed the safety of those in our domain”.

    Governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had in an address of welcome charged the people of the area to forge a common front.

    Ugwuanyi said that moment like that called for love among the people.

    The governor said that nothing would please residents of the state than to remember that Enugu was the venue where the people of the zone gathered to resolve their differences.

    The meeting which held at the Nike Lake Resort had all governors of the zone in attendance.

    Former Senate Presidents Chief Ken Nnamani and Chief Adolph Wabara as well as the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu was also in attendance.

    Other prominent leaders in attendance included, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, Sen. Gil Nnaji, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi and several members of the House of Representatives from the zone.

    Members of the clergy, traditional rulers and the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo was also represented.

  • IPOB frowns at Osinbajo over meeting without Kanu

    IPOB frowns at Osinbajo over meeting without Kanu

    Indigenous People of Biafra on Thursday berated the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for holding a South-East peace and conflict resolution meeting without involving its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

    In a statement in Awka, Anambra State, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on yesterday, IPOB said those who attended the meeting had no major stake in the conflict intended to be resolved.

    Osinbajo had on Wednesday held a meeting with leaders of thought from the South-East at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he warned those who had been engaging in hate speeches across ethnic lines in all parts of the country to always take into consideration that wars sometimes start with words and not necessarily with bullets.

    IPOB, in the statement, faulted Osinbajo’s meeting and described it as of no effect.

    It said “This meeting, we understood, was convened at the instigation of the Nigerian acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, following the political fallout from the hugely successful IPOB sit-at-home order of 30th of May, 2017.

    “From time, we firmly resolved that nobody among the governors or politicians can set an agenda for IPOB except our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

    “Therefore, any meeting without the consent of our leader or those nominated by him in a representative capacity, is a complete waste and is unacceptable to IPOB.

    “With one or two exceptions and with the greatest respect to the attendees at this Nigeria-sponsored gathering in Abuja, the so-called South-East delegation is in no way representative of the views of the leadership of IPOB worldwide, neither can they claim with any degree of sincerity to be speaking for the masses.

    “Therefore, all that Professor Osinbajo has succeeded in achieving with this meeting is to waste scarce resources that could have been channelled towards more useful purposes.

    “None of those that attended this meeting with Osinbajo gave the order for people to sit at home on May 30th. So, we are at a loss to understand the justification for their invitation to the meeting to discuss something they knew nothing about.”

  • South-East not marginalised in rail lines development – Amaechi

    South-East not marginalised in rail lines development – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday said that the South-East has not been denied the opportunity of using the rail services, and also not excluded from the 2016-2018 external borrowing plan.

    Amaechi made this clarification before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, while responding to allegation on the outright omission of Eastern corridor rail line in the 2016-2018 external borrowing (Rolling) plan.

    According to the minister, it is not true that Igbo’s have been denied the opportunity of using the rail.

    He said that the two main rail projects in the country, which was the Lagos-Kano and the coastal rail from Lagos to Calabar were not conceived nor approved by the present administration.

    The minister said that the present administration was only implementing the rail projects in three segments, which was Lagos-Ibadan, Kaduna-Kano and Calabar-Port Harcourt through counterpart funding.

    He said that the China EXIM bank covers 85 per cent while Federal Government was to cover the remaining 15 per cent including VAT and land acquisition fee.

    “What I heard was that, the Igbo’s said they have been denied the right to rail and I thought we should debunk that, it is not true that Igbo’s have been denied the opportunity of using the rail.

    “I will start by saying that they are included; none of these contracts was awarded by us.

    “The Lagos –Kano was awarded by President Olusegun Obansanjo in 2006.

    “Which cover Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Minna-Kaduna-Kano, with a branch line from Minna-Abuja-Kaduna, which was awarded at the cost of $8.3billion.

    “In 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan awarded the coastal rail line, which the Igbos was included, the rail takes-off from Lagos-Shagamu-Ijebu Ode-Benin-Sapele-Warri-Yenagoa with a siding to Otuoke to Port Harcourt.

    “If you know the geography of Nigeria very well, from Port Harcourt, you can go to Uyo without going to Aba and that is what is called the East-West road.

    “But to ensure that the Igbos were included it took off from Port Harcourt to Aba and Aba is part of South East in Abia state, which is longer and costly to Uyo, then Calabar,“he said.

    He said that an additional section from Benin-Abudu-Agbor-Uko-Ogwashukwu-Asaba to Onisha, stating that Onisha was in Anambra.
    According to him, It will be wrong for anybody to say that the Igbo’s were not carried along in course of rail development.

    Amaechi, said that the coastal rail from Lagos to calabar was awarded at 11.974 billion dollars, which was brought down to 11.1billion dollars under Buhari administration, saving 800million dollars.

    “So, both projects may not have covered the entire North East and South East but at least it got to South East either through Aba or Onisha.

    He, however, said that because of the huge financially implication of the projects, it was divided into three segments which are Lagos-Ibadan, Kaduna-Kano and Calabar to Port Harcourt.

    The minister said that the next segment was the Lagos-Ibadan, saying that the loan was applied for and 1.5billion dollars was approved but yet to be accessed.

    Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Shehu sani said that the meeting was called for the minister to explain the rationale behind the non inclusion of the eastern part in the external borrow plan.

    He said that the omission was causing controversies which needed to be cleared by the ministry.

    “This meeting was called by the committee in respect to the resolution on the outright omission of eastern corridor rail line.

    “ And the request for approval of the Federal Government 2016-2018 external borrowing plan, the concern is that, these have being raising some form of controversies across the country.

    “This committee was mandated to invite you to explain to Nigerians, the rationale behind the non inclusion of the eastern corridor in the rail line in the external borrowing plan of the Federal Government.

    “This invitation is also for you to give us the technical details of the proposed rail line projects. “ he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate dated April 21, said that the China Exim Bank had approved 5.9 billion dollar loan for rail projects across the country.

    The minister also used the opportunity to appeal to the committee and the National Assembly to fast track the approval of the loan to as to commence the implementation of the project on time.

     

  • $5.9bn China Exim Bank rail loan: Senate summons Amaechi over exclusion of South-East

    $5.9bn China Exim Bank rail loan: Senate summons Amaechi over exclusion of South-East

    The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to explain why the eastern rail corridor was omitted in current government borrowing plan.

    The Senate said the minister should appear before its Committee on Foreign and Local Debts to explain details of the loan to be obtained from China Exim Bank.

    The invitation followed a motion raised during plenary by Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, who claimed that the Eastern Corridor Rail Line was completed excluded from the Federal Government 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate dated April 21, said that the China Exim Bank had approved 5.9 billion dollar loan for rail projects across the country.

    Abaribe while presenting the motion observed that the loan being sought only covered the western corridor, excluding the eastern corridor which runs from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.

    According to him, since the loan will be repaid for by all sections of the country, every part of Nigeria should be taken into consideration.

    Abaribe noted that the Railway Master Plan developed by the Ministry of Transport was not referred to in the current borrowing plan.

    He argued that for the railway project to have meaningful impact on the development of the country, it should cover all parts of Nigeria.

    Contributing, the Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekweremadu said the rail project should cover all the corridors.

    “I’m aware that the Federal Government is committed to rehabilitating and upgrading the railway infrastructure in Nigeria since Obasanjo’s regime, but the eastern line still remains in the old gauge, it is not on the standard gauge,” he said.

    Ekweremadu said for every part of Nigeria to have standardised railway lines, “we must agree to obtain the necessary loan that will give us standard gauge in all parts of the country.

    “We must ensure that all parts of the country are connected so that people can move from one part to another”.

    However, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos) faulted the motion, saying it contained inadequate and inaccurate information.

    He said that when the present administration came to power, it took into cognisance the Aba-Onitsha rail line.

    “Let us do away with ethnic sentiments. All areas must be covered. Government is a continuum; the master plan is on ground.

    “All sectors will be covered as promised by the Federal Government. The loans must be secured and approved,” he said.

    In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola saraki said that “at the leadership level we are taking up this matter with the executive.

    “And that was what led to the amendment of the letter that came from the President.

    “The first letter that came from the President did not specify that the South-East, North-East axis must also be standard gauge.

    “We then insisted at the leadership level that every part of the country must benefit from the same and there must be a standard gauge. And that has been done.

    “We have refered this to the Committee on Foreign and Local Debts,” he said.

    Saraki then called on his colleagues to ensure that the spirit of Buhari’s letter was followed through while also calling for sincerity and commitment in processing the loan.

     

     

    NAN

  • South-East region to get more meters – EEDC

    South-East region to get more meters – EEDC

    The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), on Monday said it was committed to providing its customers in the South-East region with smart meters in 2017 to reduce complaints about high bills.

    The Head, Communications Department, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Eze, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba on Monday.

    He said the company had started providing meters in Awkunanaw area of Enugu State, adding that other states will gradually be metered.

    “Metering is one major thing we are taking very seriously in the New Year. Over N9 billion had been invested in metering project so far in the last one year.

    “The metering gap is quite huge and we do not have the resources to provide meters for everybody at the same time.
    “We have more than 700,000 unmetered customers in our network. So it is something that will take us a while. The 700,000 are the ones we have in our books.
    “There are electricity consumers we do not have in our books and are the people we are trying to bring into our books through the enumeration we are to start this January’’, he said.
    Eze said part of EEDC’s plan in the New Year would be to ensure that its services were improved to give customers value for their money.
    He expressed hope that generating companies would improve their generation and so improve the volume of electricity distribution to customers.
    He said EEDC was forced to manage the little electricity they were supplied, adding that the vandalism of oil pipes lately had contributed to the low level of supply being experienced.

    Eze urged the customers of EEDC not to delay in bringing complaints about service problems to the customer service centres created newly to ease access to the managers for quick solutions.

     

  • I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

    I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

    The presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari did not snub organisers of the recent South-East Economic and Security Summit held in Enugu.

    In a statement, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in Abuja on Friday that the President did not, and he absolutely had no reason to snub anyone.

    Garba said the President was presented with a request to attend the Economic and Security Summit by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

    “The President happily accepted. The visit to Enugu was scheduled for Dec. 22 as can be found in the weekly programme.

    “After this was done, some other stakeholders from the South-East came and advised him not go in view of the closeness of the date to Christmas:

    “That given the sensitivity of the period to the people, a presidential visit may come with over exertion and possibly be disruptive of Christmas.

    “In view of this, President Buhari requested that the event is pushed forward to January 2017. Given his nature, he did not insist.

    “He said if the change of date was not possible, then the event could go on without him. That was what the organisers chose to do.

    “The President did not, and he absolutely has no reason to snub anyone.’’