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2023 Guber: Ebonyi State Hausas Endorse PDP Candidate, Narrate Ordeal Under Umahi.
In an unprecedented display of solidarity, Ebonyi state Hausa Community unanimously visited and threw their weight behind the People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Odii. They also pledge to work assiduously to ensure his victory at the polls. They made this assertion after paying Dr. Odii a visit Thursday at Abakaliki.
Speaking on the visit, leader of the delegation, Alhaji Idris Datti noted that the PDP candidate is the only one who has a plan for inclusion in his campaign manifesto. Datti said the Dave Umahi administration has neglected the Hausa Community and treated it with a lot of disdain.
He said the Hausas in Ebonyi have endured untold hardship under Umahi who has continued to isolate and targeted them in his avowed war against political opponents.
According to Datti the Hausa Community have never had it so bad in the hands of the state government, stressing that Ebonyi state Hausas have no where else to call home other than the state. He recalled that the government of Dr Sam Egwu recognised the Hausas and even made him a Special Adviser but Umahi completely neglected them.
He said, “even when I go to Kano with my children they always say let’s go back home. I tell them Kano is home but they insist that they only know Ebonyi. My father’s house at Abakaliki is over a hundred years old. I probably speak better Igbo than some of them. Yet Governor Dave Umahi has treated us as third class citizens and have shown us that we are not welcome.”
Datti also decried the activities of Ebubeagu militia, noting that the outfit have specially targeted Hausas for ethnic cleansing. He said, “the militia group normally harass everyone but they have a special eye on us the Hausas. They have attacked us unduly and profiled us ethnically. We live in fears of our lives. Yet Umahi will go up North and lie that he’s taking good care of us. He lying to our leaders in Abuja.”
On the political atmosphere of the state, Datti said the Hausa Community have endorsed the PDP candidate as he (Dr. Odii) have promised to carry them along. He said, “the PDP candidate has clearly shown us he’s not going to discriminate against us as Dave Umahi has done. Umahi has enacted policies that have excluded us. One of our big traders here lost close to 80 shops when Umahi suddenly moved the markets. This has led to a serious economic hardship in our community. Umahi has also earmarked our houses for demolition. It took the intervention of the Sultan of Sokoto and other well meaning Nigerians to stop the ugly plan. Some of the houses are as old as a century. He has isolated our traditional leadership by refusing to extend any courtesy to our Sarki (king). He stopped his salaries for no reason. Even when he shared cars, he neglected him.”
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.