October 7th: Assault Against Ani Ahaba National Holiday

* Need For An Independent Ani Ahaba Secret Service Cum Intelligence Corp 

 * Why Ani Ahaba Youths Must Say Heavy NO To Cultism & Violent Crimes

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

To all Nwa Ani Ahaba everywhere under the sun, the date 7th October is never a day we wake up celebrating, rather, it is one we do lots of sober reflection.

So sad and terribly bad on such a day so sacrosanct and sacred to our Ani Ahaba National Memory, calamity struck us far below the belt.

A day since 2009, the Ani Ahaba Traditional and Social - cultural institutions broke the silence over the age long, Ani Ahaba Genocide of 7th October 1967.

Since this date, as a nation, we had always sought ways to express both the horrible past and the terrors our Heroes past lived those days with.

What happened on the 6th & 7th day of October this year, can only be seen, studied and analysed in the light of what happened same date in 1967.

There is no other way one can describe what happened this year, than to qualify it as a huge slap and an assault against our collective Ani Ahaba Memory, an assault, we all allowed to happen, with our eyes wide open.

What happened was a clear example of living with and doing nothing about the Social evils of our youths enlisting into violent groups and associations commonly named Secret Cults.

For all intents and purposes, we still owe Ani Ahaba a lot of gratitude, especially, when we come to terms that what happened on the 6th & 7th October this year, was only an assault, as this gives us a lot of room to prepare against any future massive onslaught we may not be able to contend with as a people.

With the wake of 2010, Ani Ahaba was blessed with the yearly visitation of two American scholars, whose works on the Ani Ahaba 7th October 1967 Genocide, has since began to gains international attention and appeal.

To many of us who take pride in our weekly engagements as Ani Ahaba Activists, the yearly research works of Prof Liz Bird and Prof Frazer Otaneli on this Ani Ahaba Genocide of October 1967, has no human vocabulary enough to qualify it.

To us not even an Olinzele Chieftancy title will be enough a town wide reward for these two grand parents, whose love for both Ani Ahaba research works and community development, no human words can express.

To us, with their works they have to us become like the stars of the heavenly host, which according to the legends says , EVEN IF HUMANS FORGET, THE SKYS WILL NOT, BECAUSE, YOU LIKE STARS SHINE BRIGHTLY DAILY'

Same is how we Ani Ahaba Activists feel about our own Prof Bird and Frazer.

For the sake of the needless and mindless killings of three youths between 6th and 7th October this year, it in many ways remind us a lot about the 1967 Ani Ahaba Genocidal experience.

Coming back from work on 6th October, with lots of tiredness and about dozing off on the Chair and like a News that is not true but very true in all sense, it hit me so hard that a youth in his prime have just being killed by folks believed to be Cultists.

That news robbed me my night sleep, as earlier that day with some Ani Ahaba Activists, we had worked hard and planned on how to stage peaceful march, candle light memorial night event and to attend an early morning church services to pray for the repose of the souls of our Ani Ahaba Heroes, like flash of lighting, all these planning lost their meaning and bearing.

We had to face the new reality, the killings of three youths between 6th and 7th October this year.

With these three souls gone down on days that are our Ani Ahaba National Holiday, there became great need and the challenge for the town's youth leader and his executives to had before now address Ani Ahaba Youths on this horrible and violent attack on the eve and on the day of our National Holiday.

That the town's youth leader and his executives are yet to make any public statement nor embarked on visitation to the affect Families and at least use all means at their disposal to begin calling for town wide town hall meetings, does not in any way, demonstrate pro youth leadership.

That even on the Facebook Page of Asaba community youth (ACY) nothing proactive has been done nor that platform used effectively to address this sad experience, is indeed a poor pro youths representation.

Also the horrible experience of this year is a wake up call to the town's newly inaugurated traditional legislators (Ndi Otu Ihaza).

If the past and present corp of Otu Ihaza had successfully in the past and currently enacted a rule and sustained same, that at our Ineh Festival, no Jupiter will empower any youth to celebrate the Festival with either sharp objects or weapons of any sort, without attracting sanctions of the traditional legislature and that of the Asagba In Council.

If the town had succeeded at this, we believe that these traditional institutions can enact new rules banning the least show or existence of any of these violent cult groups in the land.

At this point of our Ani Ahaba communal trying times, all the churches in the land must wake up with ideas and proactive ones too, beyond just praying, ideas that can offer practical solutions to this ZERO friendly foreign investment attractive happenings and killings.

As no meaningful Prosperity thrives in any community that folds its fists and watch its youths kill off their mates, what sane investor will invest in such community.

The leadership of our traditional institutions should carefully sit amongst themselves and constitute means of hand picking their mates who can design the best formidable air tight Intelligence and information gathering Network, call it some form of Ani Ahaba homeland secret Service, to help us stop all these violent crimes and hopeless killings, at times I wonder why the nation’s secret service, the Police and other relevant security outfits do not make the known leaders of these cult groups to suffer bitterly with each of these past killings, with such response, the lives of our future leaders would have been spared as Ani Ahaba mark this year's Ani Ahaba 1967 Genocide Memorial.

Please now to the leadership of all these violent cult groups operating in Ani Ahaba, be you an Ani Ahaba citizen or not, be it registered in your conscience that if you all do not seek out internal means to change the violent natural response of your boys to daily issues, one thing is constant, it is that you have directly through your leadership roles enthroned POVERTY in the land, as no investor will want to invest in Ani Ahaba.

There is no justification for the killings of these three youths, for Pete's sake, we are in a democratic era, whatever are the sins these three youths committed against any rival cult, we believe that those so offended can communicate same to their groups leadership to initiate an inter cult dialogue session, this response no matter how slow it may appear to any group, is the only sane way out of any sin committed against any individual, group or association.

Ani Ahaba Youths, you must begin to sharply disdain and publicly shun the least form, appearance and face of Cultism, you should as a matter of urgency replace it with more proactive engagements in sporting activities, entrepreneurial pursuits and educational cum career development opportunities.

Cultism and violent crimes are one of the worst Anti-Social engagements any Ani Ahaba youth should experience.

PLEASE ANI AHABA YOUTHS SAY NO AND MEAN NO TO CULTISM AND VIOLENT CRIMES 

Barr. Obusom Earns Achievers Media Award

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

The Local Government Chairman, Oshimili South Council, Pst Barr. Chuks John Obusom, has earned an award, Asaba Post News Wire confirmed yesterday.

An Abuja based media outfit, Credible and Strong Saron Communications Limited, publishers of African Peoples Voice Newspaper, conferred upon the council boss their 2016 edition award of excellence.

According to our source, at the venue of the award presentation, last Monday, the media outfit honoured Pst. Barr. Obusom as 'the most outstanding LGA Chairman’ for the year 2016.

Elder Samson Olayimika - Chairman/C.E.O of the publishing house, in his speech, commented that Barr. Obusom is like the proverbial “The Golden Fish” that has no hiding place and as such, hints about his leadership exploits has reached far and near, demonstrating purposeful leadership.

Based on the above, the media house sought the occasion to honor who they reasoned is committed to advancing good governance and sustainable development initiatives aimed at uplifting the grassroot populace.

High point of the event was presentation of plaque and certificate to the Awardee, Barr C.J. Obusom, Oshimili South Council Chairman.

According to our source, the council boss in return, presented to the visiting delegation a copy of a book he authored recently, CHRISTIANITY AND POLITICS IN NIGERIA.

Also present at the occasion were members of the council’s Executive arm, councillors, and a media professional, Mr Seun Akinde, presenter, New Nigeria Program, LTV Lagos.

Obiano and his critics

  By Okechukwu Anarado

AS 2016 draws to a close, the media is rife with speculations on Anambra State politics with its increasing tempo and burgeoning intrigues.

2017 provides the citizens of Anambra another opportunity to choose who governs them when Chief Willie Obiano’s four year tenure as governor rounds off on 18 March, 2018.

Obiano’s constitutional entitlement to run for a second term and his expressed intent for such pursuit could explain the manoeuvres among some politicians to either covet the exalted seat or just scuttle his re-election.

In all the positioning, however, the only certainty is Gov. Obiano’s candidacy under the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APAGA). Other demonstrations of gubernatorial intents largely lurk behind uncertain party platforms amidst lures of mercantile godfathers on the prowl.

While ‘the rest of them’ find a common ground in vicious antagonism against Obiano, with Ndi-Anambra in discomfiture, the media world, particularly the social aspect thereof, would rather project hyperbolic bent in the unfolding plot than miss the theatrics it embodies.

Surely, the dominance of Anambra 2018 in conversations on the politics of the state is sustained for the wrong reasons. There are deliberate efforts from some quarters to subtly or outrightly undermine discussions and views on Chief Obiano’s government.

They choose to rudely disregard the wide endorsement that Obiano has attracted for his achievement in making Anambra secure and continually improving the operational structures that have sustained the enviable position since he assumed office. They appear jubilant with the administration’s trailblazing feat of becoming a frontline industrial and commercial hub in Nigeria.

The governor’s success in furthering the state’s excellence in the education sector, where the performances of both the students and teachers of the state have continued to attract laurels in national and international competitions, would not impress; neither would investors leveraging on the Governor’s business friendly acts and policies.

The most trenchant of hawkers of mischief are now on the prowl to malign the governor whose managerial expertise in financial matters have sustained the warmth in the state, despite the hardships consequent upon the national economic recession.

Obiano pays workers before the end of the month. He recently introduced what he called Economic Stimulus: a package thoughtfully designed to soften the pains of the recession particularly among low income earners in the markets, parks and streets of Anambra.

This tendency became clear with the early emergence of these critics of the administration who lay no claim to dispassionate critiquing of its vision and mission.

Cautionary as the early signals were, their sustained pronouncement of odium on an administration that has positively redefined Anambra by reinventing the dignity and pride of the people leaves regrets on its trail.

The alibis readily provided by the liberal windows of the cyberspace seem to permit this cult of politicians’ unlimited expression.

And in giving vent to their selfish misgivings, governance could crash and state affairs go hellish: that Obiano may suffer blackmail and malicious damage.

This attitude sharply disagrees with Bill Clinton’s eternal counsel that while ‘Criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy … we should remember that there is a big difference between criticizing a policy or a politician and demonizing the government and the public servants’ on whose shoulders the weighty responsibility of the state’s sustenance rests.

Anambra people should be put on red alert. One of the recurrent contributory phenomena to political turbulence in the 25 years of the State is the sudden eruption of sour relationship between colleagues in politics.

The ripple effects of such lack of understanding nearly wrecked the state in the seven years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s reign under Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinugu (1999 – 2003) and Dr. Chris Ngige (2003 – 2006).

The above given, what, other than any of: lethargic temperament of many towards history; acquiescence of deliberate defamation of historical facts to serve the postulator’s whims; arrogant insincerity among a crop of political leaders, or a confluence of the above factors, would have unrestrainedly fed the prevailing controversy over the relationship between Gov. Obiano and his immediate predecessor, Chief Peter Obi?

If Obi did not only mentor Obiano’s current political headship of the State, but further entrenched the Governor’s comfortable abode in statecraft by a widely publicized N75bn bequest, how could such chasm as the one making the rounds today have developed between so popular a benefactor and a benevolent beneficiary?

And if Obi solemnly swore to painstakingly search for a successor who would build on his (Obi’s) legacy for a greater Anambra, and indeed worked hard to insure the fruition of this dream, what bewilderment is spared everyone upon the rift between the twosome whose administrative trends have progressively nurtured the heritage upon which Anambra’s virile statehood is hinged?

Chief Willie Obiano has fared well in governance and statecraft, and all fair minded patrons of the state have an obligation to lend support to his commitment to a prosperous and safe state.

Far from being doubtful of Obiano’s popularity among his people, I only insist that Anambra be spared the pains of deliberate misrepresentation of their governor by a few who have willfully opted to attack the person and the office of the governor of Anambra State.

Available records show that since Obiano took the reins of office on 18 March, 2014, he has not wavered on his convictions for good governance.

Obiano does not need to dissipate energy on self defence. His detractors seek no rational reason. The people of Anambra should rather embrace Chinweizu’s clarion call to resist any plot that projects ideas that are ‘full of gaps and misleading pictures’; acts that are capable of driving ‘a perfectly fine right foot to strive to mutilate itself into a left foot.’

Anarado writes from Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State

Gov. Okowa’s Youth Empowerment Programs Not For PDP Youth Alone…..Hope George

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba.

Comrade Hope George, Delta State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, recently, debunked the allegation state-wide that the on-going youth empowerment programs of the Delta state government were open only to youths loyal to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing journalists shortly after the celebration of this year’s African Youth Day Event, Comrade Hope George, congratulated young Deltans over the relative peace recorded so far in the state.

Responding to allegations about various state sponsored youth empowerment programs being operated with bias, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on youth development, Comrade George, pressed forward his defence for his boss, the state governor on the subject matter.

Right from onset of the Delta State funded youth empowerment programs, till the last recent two batches, the selection and empowerment process had being opened to all young Deltans, with zero ethnic or political considerations/bias.

The recent reported cases of abuses and beneficiaries’s unwholesome practices the scheme recorded, prompted the state governor to introduce new checks and balances into the scheme.

You, journalists will agree with me that recently, it was reported that the governor caught a former beneficiary attempting to sell off his starter’s pack.

The issue for the need of new beneficiaries having to fill and submit a guarantors form, is one of the strategies the governor introduced with a view to embed credibility into the scheme.

As list of accepted and valid guarantors are drawn from traditional rulers, influential/credible community & religious leaders, entrepreneurs and other persons of reputable characters.

Credibility, value for tax payers fund and keeping with good governance regime, constitute reasons for paradigm shift the state’s youth empowerment programs witnessed, Comrade Hope George explained.

This year’s African Youth Day celebration had as its theme, ‘Promoting Youth Mainstreaming as a Catalyst towards Harnessing the Democratic Dividends’.

Participants at the annual celebration held at Delta State Youth House were drawn from young social media practitioners; National Youth Council Leaders from 25 LGAs of the state; young media experts; young political office functionaries and appointees of the state government; youth-led faith based organizations; youth representatives from various youth voluntary organizations and youth led community based organizations.

      

Realignment Bill of 2016 Budget, others Scales Reading at the Delta House of Assembly

BY PATRICK OGBOGU

A bill to make the realignment of the 2016 approved budget legal has scaled the second reading at the Delta State House of Assembly, just as the Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority Law passed second reading, with the State Special Court bill scaling first reading; while the FSP report was adopted

The backing for the realignment of the 2016 approved budget was sequel to a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Hon Tim Owhefere, seconded by Hon Samuel Mariere and was invariably adopted by the House.

Hon Owhefere while throwing more light on the importance of the bill, pointed out that the realignment of the bill was a minor amendment, adding that the bill will not affect the total amount that had been approved, but was targeted at infrastructural developments.

Hon Owhefere said rather than allow some to be fallow, some budgets sub-heads should be moved to areas of critical needs in order to enhance the development of the state.

Also speaking in support of the bill, Hon Mariere, Pat Ajuduh; Tonye Timi and Evans Ivwurie lauded Gov Okowa for the move to realign the 2016 approved budget in order to complete ongoing projects in different parts of the state, including the Okpanam road dualization, the Ughelli roads etc.

In their contributions, Hon Angela Nwaka; Dennis Omovie and Alphonsus Ojo observed that despite the paucity of funds the governor was determined to address critical infrastructural needs of Deltans.

The lawmakers said the bill will have a positive impact on the lives of Deltans as it will enable the governor to move dormant funds to areas of critical needs.

The second reading was adopted propelling the Speaker, Rt Hon Monday Igbuya, to refer the bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to submit their report on Tuesday next week.

Also at Wednesday plenary, the House adopted the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation on Delta State Fisical Strategy Paper FSP 2017-2019.

The adoption of the report was sequel to the presentation of the report by the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hon Tonye Timi on behalf of the Chairman, Hon Erihatake Ibori.

Hon Timi while presenting the report said the committee discovered that the FSP was a frame work of the economic and fisical update of both historical and current factors affecting preparation and implementation of the budget.

He said the FSP was the first step in budget preparation process, while the FSP will give projection and indication of income and expenditure for three years.

The lawmaker declared that after a thorough analysis of the document, the committee agreed with projections made by the executive arm of government in order to facilitate its use for the preparation of the 2017 budget and therefore recommended that the document be approved by the House so as to its use for the preparation of the forthcoming 2017 budget.

The Majority Leader, Hon Owhefere moved separate motions for the report to be received for further considerations and adoption which were invariably adopted.

Meantime, the Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority Law passed second reading, while a bill for a law to establish the Delta State Special Offences Court bill to prosecute environmental offenders scaled first reading. The second reading has been slated for Thursday Dec 6, 2016.

The House later adjourned to resume sitting on Thursday.