National
Ohanaeze Youths Demand Probe Into Buhari’s Tenure Over Southeast Violence
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), the prominent Igbo youth organization, has called on the federal government to launch a thorough investigation into the tenure of former President Mohammadu Buhari, with a focus on the violence, arson, and unrest that plagued the Southeast region, particularly following the notorious Owerri Prison break in 2021.
In a joint statement signed by Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, OYC’s National President General, and Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Cedric Nweke, Secretary General, the organization urged the current administration to employ forensic analysis, pictorial evidence, video footage, and various investigative methodologies to examine the wave of violence that disrupted the once peaceful Southeast.
The statement comes in the wake of heightened tensions and attacks in the Southeast, with many urging for calm and a more strategic approach to tackling the insecurity that has gripped the region.
“We advocate for an exhaustive probe, leveraging forensic expertise and demonstrative evidence to scrutinize the catastrophic incidents in the Southeast during President Buhari’s administration,” the statement read.
The council specifically highlighted the Owerri Prison break as a pivotal event that unleashed further insecurity in the region.
OYC noted that the escalating violence, particularly from groups labeled as “Unknown Gunmen,” has often been attributed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but they urged a reassessment of this narrative.
The council insisted that IPOB remains a peaceful organization advocating for the independence of the Igbo people and other ethnic groups in the old Eastern Nigeria.
“There is a strong possibility that the remnants of the 2021 Owerri Prison break are being used by political actors masquerading as IPOB affiliates to perpetrate violence,” the statement suggested,
The statement also distanced IPOB from recent acts of destruction, including the burning of the National Open University Nsu Center and Senator Frank Ibezim’s residence.
OYC expressed concern over attempts to implicate IPOB in the region’s unrest, urging stakeholders to acknowledge the broader political context.
“The accusations against IPOB regarding these incidents need to be reconsidered in light of the real security challenges in the Southeast,” OYC added.
In addition, the council refuted claims that the National Open University Nsu Center was intended to be used as an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp for Fulani and Boko Haram insurgents.
OYC clarified that the center would serve displaced Igbo youths affected by the insecurity in the Southeast.
The council further recommended that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma consider repurposing the center as a skill acquisition hub for Southeastern youths, citing its strategic location and advanced facilities.
They urged the governor to resist politically motivated violence and establish a community-led supervisory committee to oversee the center’s operation, ensuring its exclusive benefit to the region’s displaced youths.
The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a leading Pan-African student body, has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Ogun State under Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, for its commitment to security and community engagement.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, highlighted the CP’s efforts in strengthening collaboration between the police, stakeholders, and other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the state.
“It is worthy of note that CP Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, has further fostered a harmonious working synergy between the police, stakeholders, and other security agents aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun State,” Okereafor said.
The student leader expressed confidence in CP Ogunlowo’s leadership, stating that Ogun State is on track to becoming one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria under his administration.
He also praised the professionalism and dedication of the Ogun State Police Command in tackling crime, regardless of its scale.
Additionally, PSM acknowledged the Ogun State government’s continued support for security agencies, particularly in providing mobility and logistics to enhance their operational efficiency.
The commendation comes at a time when security remains a top priority for residents and authorities in the state, with ongoing efforts to curb crime and ensure public safety.
The house of representatives has resolved to investigate the N1.1 trillion Sukuk road projects from 2017 to 2024.
The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during the plenary on Wednesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Gaza Gbefwi, a lawmaker from Nasarawa.
The investigation aims to uncover and identify “instances of diversion, inflation, or contractor non-compliance” in the execution of the road projects.
While moving the motion, Gbefwi said a report by the Debt Management Office (DMO) shows it raised over N1.1 trillion through six sovereign Sukuk issuances to finance 124 federal road projects spanning 5,820 kilometres across the six geopolitical zones.
The lawmaker highlighted the breakdown of Sukuk financing as follows: N100 billion in 2017, N100 billion in 2018, N162.557 billion in 2020, N250 billion in 2021, N130 billion in 2022, and N350 billion in 2023.
He said reports suggest that an additional N150 billion was issued in October 2023, bringing the cumulative total to approximately N1.242 trillion by the end of 2024.
“Despite this significant investment, Nigeria’s road infrastructure remains in a deplorable state, with over 70 percent of the country’s 200,000-kilometer road network still unpaved, as noted by S&P Global Ratings in January 2024,” he said.
“Without robust accountability mechanisms, the Sukuk programme risks becoming a conduit for mismanagement or corruption.”
The motion was adopted when it was subjected to a voice vote by Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, who presided over the plenary.
Consequently, the house mandated the committee on works to conduct a “forensic probe” into the allocation, expenditure, and outcomes of the N1.242 trillion Sukuk fund.
The parliament also directed the federal ministry of works to provide detailed records of all Sukuk-funded projects, including financial disbursements, project statuses, and updated contractors’ performance.
National
INEC Notifies Natasha Akpoti Of Recall Move, Confirms Receipt Of Petitioners’ Contact Details
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate,” the letter reads.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you.”
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days,” Olumekun said.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of her seating arrangement altercation between Akpabio and the Kogi central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also alleged her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.