You’re a Power-hungry Dictator, Rivers Police Commissioner Tells Governor Amaechi

Governor Amaechi

The Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Joseph Mbu, on Thursday descended on Governor Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as a power-hungry dictator.

The commissioner made the comment at a press conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, during which he responded to claims by the Rivers State government that the crime rate in the state had gone up since his arrival in the state.

Mr. Mbu said Mr. Amaechi hated him and had been playing politics with his name because he refused to be subservient to him.

He said, “Sometimes, silence is golden but sometimes it is misconstrued. I have respect for Governor Amaechi but his attacks on me are going beyond bounds.

“Our governor is very tyrannical, he is a dictator. He wants everybody to say ‘yes sir’ to him and I said I will not say so. I am a professional.

“The governor should please stop playing politics with my name. I will tell the whole world why the governor is against me in the next interview. I will also tell you the crime rate before I came to Rivers and what the situation is now.”

The police commissioner also suggested Mr. Amaechi was power-hungry and had tried unsuccessfully to usurp his role as chairman of internal security meetings in the state.

He said a formal letter from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) directed the commissioner of police to chair the meeting, but that Mr. Amaechi insisted that it should be rotated.

“One issue I have had with the governor is who chairs internal security meetings in the state.

“He, (governor) said we should rotate it but I said no, there is a letter from the NSA on this.

“It is the commissioner of police that does. I told him if my predecessors did not do what was right I won’t follow them.

“The commissioner of police is to chair the forum and assume responsibility to brief the governor.
“I told him the Inspector-General of police has so many sources of information. I told the governor that my loyalty to the governor is total,’’ he said.

Mr. Mbu also said that no formal security meeting had been held since he came to the state, noting that he had not received any letter convening security meeting.

“I am not here for any agenda. I have respect for the office of the governor and the governor of the state, but let him (governor) also have respect for the police and me,’’ Mr. Mbu said.

But responding to the police commissioner’s claims, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, described Mr. Mbu’s comments on Mr. Amaechi as “most unfortunate”.

“Mbu’s comments are most unfortunate, but we will prefer to address the matters raised administratively,” she said.

Traders ‘Arrest’ 6 Suspected Boko Haram Members In Borno

 Traders at Gamboru market in Maiduguri, Borno State, Wednesday, rounded up six suspected Boko Haram gunmen and handed them over to soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF, eyewitnesses said.

This is even as suspected sect members, yesterday evening, detonated an Improvised Explosive Devise, EID, in the metropolis, targeting the patrol vehicle of the JTF, in spite of the emergency rule imposed on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, and the total ban on the use of GSM and Thuraya Satellite cell phones in the troubled states.

The gunmen, according to eyewitnesses, entered the market and were spotted by a trader that saw weapons hidden under their garments.

A 36-year-old grocery merchant in Maiduguri, Babagana Aji, said: “It was a trader that alerted us when he saw them and we immediately trailed and rounded them up.

“We caught them before they could bring out their guns. After we succeeded in disarming them, we beat them blue and black before handing them over to the soldiers.”

Another trader, Sanusi Dantakai, said Gamboru traders had had it up their neck and were forced to take the bull by the horns.

He said: “This Gamboru market had suffered several attacks. Boko Haram has set it on fire twice and killed several traders and an orange vendor, among others.

“We are tired of the losses we incur at every attack carried out by Boko Haram. That was why we summoned courage to catch them today.”

Meanwhile, the sound of the explosion, which occurred at 6:30pm in the metropolis forced residents and traders to rush back to their houses to avoid being caught in the 6pm to 9pm curfew imposed on the state.

Due to the total network black out, spokesman of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, could not be reached for confirmation at the time of going to press.

NGF Crisis: Governor Kwankwaso Is Deceitful, Says Jang

Governor Jonah Jang

Plateau State Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang, has said his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Rabiu Kwakwanso, is bearing a moral burden in his explanation of what transpired at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election.

Jang, who scored 16 votes, lost to River State Governor Romiti Amaechi who secured 19 votes in the election.

Jang, in a statement on Thursday by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, said by Kwakwanso’s admission, his nomination as chairman of the NGF by the northern governors was a political game, which showed the level of “descent to which some politicians had sunk in terms of lost moral ethos.”

Kwakwanso was quoted as saying though, the northern governors nominated Jang, it was only meant as a political game, and so he did not win the election.

The statement read in part, “Governor Kwakwanso’s account of events during the Northern Governors’ Forum, which led to the adoption of Governor Jonah Jang as the candidate of the region for the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, has thrown a moral glitz on Nigeria’s political turf.

“His admission that he personally nominated Governor Jonah Jang and asked Governor Suswam of Benue to support his move only because ‘it was a game…’ clearly showed a mind luxuriating in unethical lyrics.

“That the Kano State Governor could walk cool out of the room wherein ‘they’ had decided to set up Benue and Plateau for a national ‘fall’ tells us a bit about why we may not capture back soon Nigeria’s political morality. That he could nominate Jang as consensus candidate and still not ‘vote’ for him showed an incredible double-speak!

Questioning Kwakwanso’s morality, the statement asked, “Where was the porch of intergrity Kwakwanso had constructed as Nigeria’s Defence Minister?

“Is this ‘game’ part of the crafted Kwankwasiyya curriculum that must be passed by those under the governor’s tutelage? Is crass deception now being introduced as part of a leader’s necessary attitudinal regalia in Nigeria’s politics? Will this form part of our national values as we trudge toward 2015, and the years beyond?”

Meanwhile, a chief of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Henry Omorodion, on Thursday, warned that the crisis in the NGF portended danger to the 2015 general elections, saying only spiritual intervention could avert the danger ahead.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Omorodion, who is the Odunanoba of Benin Kingdom, and Chairman of Hensmor Group of Companies, said spiritual solution was needed to achieve a stable polity.

OAU Explains Controversy Over Undergraduate’s Baby

The Baby

Authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, say a 400-level engineering student, Miss Oyinlola Rotimi, did not attempt to flush her newborn baby boy down the toilet at Moremi Hall on Wednesday.

Rotimi had caused commotion when she was seen in the toilet with the baby.
But a statement by the Head, Public Relations Unit, OAU, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, on Thursday, said Rotimi did not attempt to kill her baby, whom he said was rescued from the water closet of the toilet.

Olanrewaju said the father of the baby is a “400 level Student of Mechanical Engineering, OAU, Ile-Ife.”

He said an investigation into the incident showed that Rotimi had no intention to kill her baby, adding that she was inexperienced about labour.

The statement read, “The truth of the matter is that, there was a delivery of a baby boy by an inexperienced mother who, in her naivety, thought she was pressed by call of nature while she was actually in labour pains.

“Prior to the appearance of the baby, the young, inexperienced mother had discovered that she was bleeding and went to the toilet only to observe that something expelled into the water closet.
“It was at that juncture that she screamed and shouted for help when her friend, Miss Satope Oladayo, heard her voice and traced her to the toilet from their room. It was when Satope entered the toilet and found the baby that she (Satope) called an elderly cleaner for assistance because the two of them were novices in childbearing.

“As of now, Rotimi’s mother is with her and she has started breastfeeding her baby.
“Upon interaction, in the presence of the Matron, Mrs. M.G. Oyedele, Oyin stated that prior to the delivery, she was passing stool and had visited toilet several times but the last time she went around 7am, she could not describe how she was feeling.”

NGF Crisis: How Amaechi Defeated Jang – Governor Oshiomole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday in Abuja narrated how Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State defeated Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, election.

Oshiomhole, who spoke at the 9th triennial delegates conference of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, warned that the crisis in the NGF was not about the forum, but about democracy in Nigeria, especially in 2015.

He lamented that if governors could dispute an election where only 35 persons voted, how would they ensure free and fair election in 2015?

The Edo State Governor, who berated labour for not taking decisive action on the crisis, called on
unions to get more involved in the country’s governance, saying time to remain non-partisan was gone if Nigerian must get the benefits of democracy.

Oshiomhole said: “I read the communiqué of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and I was not satisfied with its statement on the NGF election. An election was held, one won and one lost.

“NLC cannot be appealing to both parties to behave, it should appeal to the one that lost to behave and accept defeat. What are we going to be remembered for? That we were silent when everybody was going crazy?

‘They were preachers’

“35 people went into a room and they were saying let us be reasonable, the world is watching us. One by one they were sermonised like very seasoned pentecostal pastors.

“We had some who said we must do open ballot. I said how can you do open ballot when you are already fighting before the ballot. Let us do secret ballot because we are products of secret ballots. Why are we now afraid to do it?

“There should be one governor, one vote. Then, 35 now voted and my twin brother from Delta State became the agent of the two candidates and he stood by the Director-General, who was unanimously appointed a month earlier.

“Votes counting,
executive madness”

“They counted 35 papers. So one by one in the open and in an open secret ballot we voted, and counted the votes. They were 35, representing the 35 state governors present. When they were counting, Jang, Jang, Jang, the Niger State Governor said ‘Jang in early lead’.

“After then, they started counting Amaechi, Amaechi, Amaechi and in the end, the votes were out. Jang got 16 votes and Amaechi got 19 votes. However, immediately, the very people that voted said no, no, no, we are going to walk out.

“I said, how can you walk out? Even in madness, there are levels. Unfortunately, people who call themselves Christians and Muslims, who insist they are executive governors, were demonstrating executive madness.

“All this is just sycophancy when the facts are so clear. Comrade presidents of NLC and TUC, you cannot be quiet. You must take a position. From all you have heard and seen thereafter, if Jang won, say so and if he did not win tell him to stop parading himself and behave.

“That is the truth. If you choose to live the life of a liar, you cannot live longer but the difference is even in death. Those who speak the truth, there is a place reserved in heaven for them.

“But those who choose to tell lies, there is also a place in hell that is reserved for them. This matter is serious.

It’s about democracy

It is not about NGF; it is about democracy. I need you to know the implication if you do not already know.

“If we can dispute or contest whether 16 is majority instead of 19 in a small election, can we expect 2015 election to be free and fair? Do we need to get there before we see it?

“The time to fight is now. It is about you, not them. How could you say that votes were cast, that people signed a document in April for an election that was to take place at the end of May? And that the person that won in April is valid and not the person that won in May.
On economy

Oshiomhole added: “I need you to engage in specifics about the economy. You must revisit our industrial policies, emphasise production and not importation. I think we need to emphasise that Nigeria must return to production.

“We must not only make the refineries to work, we must build new ones so that more people can be employed. If we resolve that we can stop importation today. Where will our young engineers work if we are exporting jobs and importing unemployment, exporting prosperity and importing poverty?

“The economy is not about statistics. It is about real human beings and their well-being. So, I ask you, the labour movement: let us engage them.”
Jonathan reacts

Speaking, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said the NGF was a voluntary association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and that he had never and would never interfere in its affairs.

He, however, called for the support of labour in his efforts to transform the nation, recalling some of the achievements his administration had achieved since two years of assuming office.

He called on labour and all lovers of democracy in the country to appeal to Governor Jang to accept defeat in the interest of free and fair elections in 2015.

Watch Video : Highlight Nigeria 1 – 2 Uruguay

 Uruguay striker Diego Forlan celebrated his record 100th appearance by scoring the winner as the South Americans beat Nigeria 2-1 to keep their Confederations Cup hopes alive here Thursday.

Forlan lashed home a thunderous strike on 51 minutes to reignite Uruguay’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals from Group B following their opening defeat against world champions Spain on Sunday.
Uruguay had taken the lead through defender Diego Lugano in the 19th minute before Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel equalised for the Super Eagles with a rare goal on 37 minutes.

Confederations Cup Group B table after Thursday’s games
(Played, won, drawn, lost, for, against, points):

Group B

Spain  2 2 0 0 12 1 6

Nigeria  2 1 0 1 7 3 3

Uruguay  2 1 0 1 3 3 3

Tahiti  2 0 0 2 1 16 0

Note: Top two teams qualify for semi-finals

Video Match Highlight: Spain 10 – 0 Tahiti

Spain were in complete control at the Maracana, demolishing Tahiti 10-0 on Thursday to book their place in the Confederations Cup semi-finals. With the world’s top ranked team facing off against a side 137 places lower, pre-match predictions heralded a double digit scoreline, andla Roja did not disappoint, with Fernando Torres scoring four times, and David Villa adding a hat trick of his own.

The Chelsea striker struck either side of a David Silva effort, before Villa added Spain’s fourth just before the break to give Spain a 4-0 half-time lead.Spain’s record goalscorer would add his 55th and 56th international goals in the second half, alongside a Juan Mata piledriver and another pair of efforts from Torres, who also missed a penalty, before Silva added the tenth goal a minute from time.

The result sees Spain join Italy and Brazil in the last four, while Tahiti are all but eliminated, needing a result beyond the realms of speculation against uruguay in their final game to erase their negative-15 goal difference. Vicente del Bosque put out a completely different team to the one that beat Uruguay 2-1 on Sunday, as Javi Martinez, Santi Cazorla and Mata were all handed starts after appearing as substitutes at the Itaipava Arena Pernambuco.It did not take Spain long to get the ball rolling, but Tahiti keeper Mickael Roche will no doubt be disappointed at the ease with which he let Torres’ shot slip past his grasp at the near post.

Torres had a chance to make it 2-0 five minutes later, but he opted, and failed, to lob the keeper, when Villa was in acres of space waiting for the tap in.Certainly, the vast majority of the fans inside the Maracana were behind the minnows from French Polynesia, with every incursion past the halfway line greeted with a deafening roar.But such forays were few and far between, as Spain continued to dominate proceedings despite rarely playing above a leisurely pace.

The stadium was brought to their feet once again after a barnstorming run from Steevy Chong Hue was halted by a cynical Raul Albiol challenge, but Marama Vahirua could not get the free kick past the wall.Jonathan Tehau blocked on the line from Juan Mata, and Roche was again able to tip away from Cazorla as the second Spain goal loomed large, and duly arrived on the half hour mark when Villa slipped in Silva behind the fullback for an easy finish.And moments later, Torres made it 3-0 after breaking the offside trap, rounding Roche and prodding home.

Villa nearly added a fourth 38 minutes in when he blasted into the side netting at the far post, but the Barca striker would make no mistake seconds later, sliding into an empty net after Spain overloaded on a five on one break. [Goal]