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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.

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