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Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 — 11<br />
:Vanguard News<br />
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
INVESTITURE: From Left, Secretary of Conference, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Babatunde<br />
Taiwo; Prelate-Emeritus, Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Uche; Prelate,<br />
Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Oliver Ali Aba and Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev.<br />
Michael Olusegun Akinwale, during the investiture of His Eminence, Dr. Oliver Ali Aba as the new<br />
Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, at Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos, yesterday.<br />
2023: Many injured as Ebubeagu<br />
allegedly attack LP loyalists in Ebonyi<br />
•Ebubeagu, Police, LG boss speak on attack<br />
By Peter Okutu<br />
A members BAKALIKI—MANY<br />
of the Labour<br />
Party, LP, in Ebonyi State have<br />
reportedly been injured following<br />
alleged attack on the party's<br />
loyalists at a rally by gunmen in<br />
Okposi, Ohaozara Local<br />
Government Area, LGA, of<br />
Ebonyi State.<br />
The gunmen, LP alleged, were<br />
members of Ebonyi Command of<br />
the Southeast Security Outfit<br />
code-named Ebubeagu.<br />
The gunmen, according to the<br />
LP House of Assembly candidate<br />
for Ohaozara East Constituency,<br />
David Ogbonna, shot at the<br />
party faithful and inflicted varying<br />
degrees of injuries on them.<br />
He alleged that they were led<br />
by the Chairman of Ohaozara<br />
LGA, Consider Ajah.<br />
Among others, Mr Ogbonna<br />
in a statement said "Yesterday<br />
(Saturday), as party faithful<br />
gathered at our (Labour Party)<br />
office at Mgbom-Okposi, waiting<br />
for the arrival of the Labour Party<br />
Candidate for Ohaozara/Onicha/<br />
Ivo federal constituency -<br />
Nkemkanma Kama, the men of<br />
Ebubeagu Security Network led<br />
by Ohaozara Local Government<br />
Chairman invaded the venue.<br />
"As they entered the venue,<br />
our campaign office, our<br />
supporters on the road waiting<br />
for our arrival erroneously<br />
thought we were the ones<br />
possibly because of the exotic car<br />
of the Local Government<br />
Chairman.<br />
"They rushed to warmly<br />
welcome 'us' only to meet young<br />
men numbering over 40 wielding<br />
all kinds of automatic guns who<br />
came down from the fully loaded<br />
Toyota Hiace Bus and Sienna<br />
buses and opened fire on<br />
Innocent people. They shot at<br />
the people and chased both men<br />
and women at the venue,<br />
making efforts to apprehend as<br />
many as they could."<br />
Mr Ogbonna said three<br />
persons have so far been<br />
confirmed shot on their legs; one<br />
had his femur (bone of the thigh)<br />
shattered and had been taken to<br />
an Orthopedic Centre.<br />
According to him, "As at this<br />
morning of 13th November 2022<br />
(yesterday), three of our<br />
supporters from Uburu who came<br />
with Labour Party Candidate of<br />
Ohaozara West are yet to reach<br />
home and their phones have not<br />
been reached. We are yet to<br />
establish a contact with the<br />
Personal Assistant, PA, of Labour<br />
Party Candidate for Ohaozara<br />
East Constituency. His phone<br />
has not been reached since he<br />
ran away from the event venue<br />
yesterday (Saturday).<br />
"Two of our supporters from<br />
Ugwulangwu are yet to reach<br />
home and their phones not<br />
reachable. Six women supporters<br />
from Ugwulangwu and one of our<br />
women leaders from Okposi who<br />
ran for their lives yesterday in<br />
the process lost their handbags<br />
containing phones and other<br />
valuables including cash.<br />
"One of women supporters from<br />
Okposi who was pursued, fell<br />
head-down on her way to safety<br />
and has remained unconscious.<br />
However, Doctor confirmed she's<br />
still alive."<br />
Mr Ogbomna also alleged that<br />
"all canopies, tables and chairs<br />
at the venue were badly<br />
damaged. The music box<br />
(Speakers) of the DJ was shot at<br />
by the Ebubeagu, damaging<br />
them near-irreparably and even<br />
confiscating some of his<br />
equipments. The drums of the<br />
Cultural Women dancers from<br />
Afikpo were destroyed and some<br />
seized.<br />
"The drum boxes of the<br />
By Nwabueze<br />
Okonkwo<br />
ONITSHA—BARELY five days<br />
after an explosion rocked<br />
chemical line of Onitsha drug<br />
market that claimed no fewer than<br />
three lives and injured seven<br />
others, Anambra State<br />
government has deployed two<br />
bulldozers and heavy duty trucks<br />
to evacuate the debris at the scene<br />
of the incident.<br />
As a result, the entire drugs<br />
market popularly known as<br />
Ogbogwu and some parts of Tools<br />
and Allied section of the<br />
Bridgehead market affected by the<br />
explosion have been closed for<br />
businesses.<br />
Chairman of the drug market,<br />
Ndubuisi Chukwuleta, who<br />
disclosed this yesterday at the<br />
evacuation site, said contrary to<br />
previous reports that four lives were<br />
lost to the incident, only three<br />
persons were confirmed dead, while<br />
seven sustained various degrees<br />
of injuries at the last count so far.<br />
Alongside some executive<br />
members of the drugs market,<br />
including the Secretary-General,<br />
drummers who were on the road<br />
waiting for us were destroyed<br />
and drummers beaten<br />
mercilessly. As at yesterday<br />
night, three of supporters from<br />
Ugwulangwu reported that<br />
operatives of Ebubeagu visited<br />
their compounds asking after<br />
them. As we write now, they have<br />
relocated out the community for<br />
fear of their lives."<br />
Gathering illegal<br />
—LG boss<br />
But the Chairman of the Local<br />
Government Area, Mr Consider<br />
Ajah, denied leading an attack<br />
on the Labour Party supporters.<br />
He, however, admitted that<br />
Ebubeagu officials went to the<br />
area to stop the people gathered<br />
there from blocking the road,<br />
saying "We did not attack<br />
anybody. They were blocking the<br />
road which is a federal highway<br />
and we had to intervene to<br />
prevent them from disrupting<br />
people's movement. We have a<br />
law that before you hold any form<br />
of gathering you must get<br />
approval from the local<br />
government for security<br />
purposes. But they did not do<br />
that. We have no interest in what<br />
any other party is doing but they<br />
should do the right thing at all<br />
times."<br />
Ebubeagu<br />
Commander speaks<br />
However, reacting, the<br />
Commander of Ebubeagu,<br />
Nnanna Friday, denied that<br />
Ebubeagu operatives were in the<br />
area, saying "We did not attack<br />
anybody. They should stop<br />
mentioning Ebubeagu every<br />
time they have problems among<br />
themselves. They may have<br />
been attacked by their fellow<br />
members who they may have<br />
had a disagreement with and<br />
they now turned around and<br />
blame it on Ebubeagu. They did<br />
same thing recently in Izzi and<br />
we later discovered that they<br />
were attacked by their members."<br />
Police not aware<br />
On his part, Police<br />
spokesperson in the state, Chris<br />
Anyanwu, said the command<br />
was not aware of the incident.<br />
He promised to make enquiry<br />
and get back to our Reporter<br />
later.<br />
He was yet to do so at the<br />
time of this report.<br />
Onitsha chemical explosion: Market shut<br />
as govt's caterpillars evacuate debris<br />
Chigozie Obiayo; Assistant<br />
Secretary, Benjamin Akudo;<br />
Provost, Bob Onyeka; Treasurer,<br />
Ken Olisaeke and Chibuzor<br />
Anozie, PRO, Chukwuleta, also<br />
disclosed that three lines of the<br />
drugs market and some lines in<br />
the nearby Tools and Allied marked<br />
totaling 400 shops were razed<br />
down as a result of the explosion.<br />
Other members of the executive<br />
committee present included Prince<br />
Emeka Nwogu, Clement Machie,<br />
Benjamin Ikebata, Samuel<br />
Nnonyelu, Samuel Ndibe,<br />
Sunday Igwe, Chris Umeh, Israel<br />
Onyebuchi, Ernest Nwafor and<br />
Ikejiofor Chibueze.<br />
According to Chukwuleta, the<br />
owner of the chemical shop that<br />
exploded and spread to other shops<br />
is still at large, noting that those<br />
injured are still responding to<br />
treatments in the hospitals where<br />
they were rushed to.<br />
Commending the state<br />
government for deploying the<br />
bulldozers and heavy duty trucks<br />
to clear the debris under the<br />
supervision of Onitsha South Local<br />
Government authority, he pleaded<br />
with politicians, groups and<br />
individuals to come to the<br />
assistance of the victims, now that<br />
his executive is overseeing the<br />
medical expenses of the injured<br />
victims.<br />
Also speaking, former chairman<br />
of the Bridgehead market, Emeka<br />
Ezeanyika, who noted that he was<br />
still in shock, commended the<br />
drugs market executive committee<br />
for taking proactive steps since the<br />
incident and called on the state<br />
government and voluntary<br />
organizations to help the victims<br />
whose shops and goods were<br />
consumed by the inferno.<br />
Secretary-General of the drugs<br />
market, Sir Obiayo and the<br />
Assistant Secretary, Benjamin<br />
Akudo, commended the officers<br />
and men of the Bridgehead<br />
Division of the Nigeria Police for<br />
their gallant efforts at protecting<br />
the market and its environs from<br />
vandals since the incident<br />
occurred.<br />
Obiayo and Akudo noted that<br />
the monetary value of goods lost<br />
to the inferno is still unquantifiable<br />
at the moment and solicited for<br />
both financial and material<br />
assistance to the victims, just as<br />
the flood victims are still counting<br />
their losses.<br />
NGE inducts 36 new members<br />
into guild, installs 15 fellows<br />
OWERRI—THE Nigerian<br />
Guild of Editors, NGE, has<br />
inducted 36 new members and 15<br />
members as Fellows of the Guild.<br />
The induction followed a Gala<br />
Night organised for the Guild by<br />
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo<br />
to conclude the 18th All Nigeria<br />
Editors Conference, ANEC, 2022<br />
in Owerri.<br />
In his address, Uzodimma called<br />
for stronger ties between the media<br />
and the political class to usher more<br />
development.<br />
The governor said democracy<br />
had proven to be the best form of<br />
governance anywhere in the world.<br />
"It is also given that for<br />
democracy to triumph, the political<br />
class and government cannot do<br />
much without the media. All I ask<br />
of you is the understanding of the<br />
essence of democracy in any<br />
jurisdiction.<br />
"I ask of you to understand the<br />
need to protect our land, national<br />
interests, be focused and objective,<br />
and for us to create a convivial<br />
environment for every stakeholder<br />
to contribute to national<br />
development," he said.<br />
Uzodimma also urged the media<br />
and editors to change and correct<br />
the wrong perception and<br />
narratives being created about<br />
Africa by foreign media.<br />
He expressed consternation that<br />
Nigeria's democracy is still<br />
described as "nascent'' even after<br />
many years of uninterrupted<br />
democracy.<br />
"I want to plead with you to take<br />
courage; it may not look like what<br />
you are expecting, but there is<br />
hope for Nigeria. We must stop<br />
spending money and energy<br />
lamenting on the nation's<br />
problems, but rather proffer<br />
solutions,'' he stressed.<br />
The governor, who described<br />
THE PEOPLES Democratic<br />
Party, PDP, governorship<br />
candidate in Enugu State, Dr.<br />
Peter Mbah, has promised the<br />
electorate and residents of the<br />
state of his ambitious economic<br />
package geared at driving<br />
exponential growth across the<br />
state.<br />
Addressing the Forum of<br />
Senior Special Assistants and<br />
Special Assistants to the state<br />
governor, Mbah assured that<br />
coming from the private sector<br />
where he was able to change the<br />
narrative in different industries;<br />
he had come prepared to hasten<br />
development in the state.<br />
"We have what it takes to move<br />
Enugu to the next level of<br />
development. We have<br />
development programmes that<br />
will scale up production. The time<br />
for the industrialisation of our<br />
state is now.<br />
''There is no more time to waste.<br />
There's no more procrastination.<br />
That's the meaning of our tagline,<br />
'Tomorrow Is Here','' he said.<br />
While charging the forum to<br />
take the message and good news<br />
of his integrated development<br />
plans to the people, especially<br />
those in the rural areas, Mbah<br />
declared it was a new dawn for<br />
the people.<br />
He said the PDP had built<br />
massive infrastructure and<br />
enhanced development in the<br />
state over the past 23 years,<br />
which the people were enjoying<br />
today.<br />
He reiterated his commitment<br />
to continue to attract new<br />
infrastructure developments<br />
through his laudable blueprint<br />
which would concentrate on<br />
agro-allied industrialisation, new<br />
energy and mineral resources<br />
sector, ease of doing business that<br />
would boost productivity, and<br />
availability of N100 billion seed<br />
himself as "the most blackmailed<br />
politician in Nigeria'' also called for<br />
objective thinking and reportage<br />
as well as constructive criticism of<br />
his administration.<br />
In his remarks, President of the<br />
Guild, Mr Mustapha Isah<br />
commended the lofty projects<br />
executed by the governor,<br />
particularly the Owerri-Orlu Road,<br />
Owerri-Okigwe Road, and the<br />
state House of Assembly complex.<br />
Isah urged the governor to<br />
remain focused and disregard the<br />
antics of detractors.<br />
The president also advised the<br />
governor to spread the money of<br />
the state in providing for the elderly<br />
people.<br />
Speaking on their observations<br />
after a tour of projects executed by<br />
Uzodimma, a Fellow of the Guild,<br />
Ms Ajayi Gbadebo, urged the<br />
governor to sustain his tempo of<br />
development.<br />
Gbadebo, who lauded the road<br />
infrastructure, particularly around<br />
Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma,<br />
appealed to the governor to ensure<br />
that water runs at the teaching<br />
hospital in Orlu.<br />
The Executive Director of DAAR<br />
Communications Plc Mr Imoni<br />
Amarere, shared Gbadebo's views.<br />
He urged the governor to<br />
sustain efforts in developing the<br />
rural areas.<br />
The inducted Fellows of the<br />
Guild included former NAN Editorin-Chief,<br />
Mr Alli Hakeem and Dr<br />
Reuben Abati, former Special<br />
Adviser (Media and Publicity), to<br />
former President Goodluck<br />
Jonathan.<br />
Some others were former<br />
Managing Editor of New Nigerian<br />
Newspapers, His Royal Highness<br />
Victor Awogu and Lagos State's<br />
Commissioner for Information and<br />
Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso.<br />
2023: We're in haste to fulfill our<br />
devt plans for Enugu people — Mbah<br />
fund for the youth through<br />
venture capital firms.<br />
Mbah, who emphasized the<br />
need for aggressive campaign<br />
and political sensitisation and<br />
education in all the communities<br />
in the 17 local government areas,<br />
urged the forum to take<br />
ownership of the project by<br />
converting new members with his<br />
well thought-out development<br />
programmes.<br />
"Most importantly, you have<br />
to inform our people about the<br />
exponential growth they are<br />
about to witness when we come<br />
into office. Agriculture is going<br />
to be grown five fold. We are<br />
committed to moving the state<br />
from a public to private sectordriven<br />
economy. This will give<br />
our children great opportunity to<br />
thrive in the private sector and<br />
create wealth.<br />
"So, it behooves on you to take<br />
our message of what PDP has<br />
done in the past 23 years to the<br />
people. It is our duty to inform<br />
them that the peace and security<br />
they are enjoying is the result of<br />
PDP efforts. It is also our duty to<br />
bring back the remaining<br />
members of our party into our<br />
fold.<br />
"Last election, PDP won 95.5<br />
percent in the state. We can't<br />
afford to allow the record to<br />
diminish during your time as<br />
SSAs and Sas," Mbah said.<br />
Earlier in his remarks, the<br />
Secretary General of the Forum,<br />
Humphrey Onyima, said the<br />
gathering was a form of solidarity<br />
for Mbah's aspiration, addingthat<br />
they had already commenced the<br />
journey.<br />
Onyima, who spoke on behalf<br />
of other SSAs, said they were<br />
capable of delivering their<br />
mandate in all the wards,<br />
communities and door-to-door<br />
sensitisation.