[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Lagos State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has announced the final results of the controversial primaries held for governorship aspirants on Tuesday.
Tunde Balogun, APC Lagos chairman, declared Jide Sanwo-Olu winner of the election with 970, 851 votes. Incumbent Akinwunmi Ambode scored 72,901. The race has been between the two. Mr Balogun made the announcement despite the position of the party’s electoral committee which was sent by the National Working Committee to conduct and supervise the exercise.
The committee members addressed a press briefing around 4:00 p.m., saying they were unaware of any election and effectively nullified the exercise whose results Mr Balogun announced tonight. The chairman of the committee, Clement Ebiri, also told Grassroots Publishers online at about 6 p.m. that no primaries held and his committee was still with the materials to be used for the primaries.
Multiple sources at the APC national secretariat in Abuja told Grassroots Publishers online Tuesday night that fresh primaries might hold on Wednesday. But late on Tuesday, TVC News reported that party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said the results announced by Mr Balogun would stand.
If Mr Oshiomhole indeed supported the primaries that held Tuesday, it would mark an apparent nullification of the decision of the committee he sent to the state. Tuesday’s exercise was consumed by controversy almost as soon voting started at ward units across the state in the morning.
The exercise was conducted via direct primaries method, but loyalists of Mr Ambode alleged disenfranchisement and threatened to hold their own exercise.
Mr Ambode’s supporters accused Lagos APC leaders of employing high-handed tactics to ensure the victory of Mr Sanwo-Olu.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]en. Peter Nwaoboshi on Tuesday picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial ticket for the Delta North Senatorial District for a second time at the party primaries in Asaba. Nwaoboshi polled 506 to beat his closest rival, Prince Ned Nwaoko, former member representing Aniocha-Oshimili Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, “who polled 453 votes and Chief Paul Osaji a former Commissioner in the state with 216 votes’’.
Chief Uzor Nwandu, the Returning Officer, PDP Electoral Committee, who announced the result, declared Nwaoboshi winner of the election for garnering the highest votes of 506 out of a total of 1,194 votes cast.
She declared that the number of void votes were 19.
According to her, the total votes cast is 1.194 and the number of accredited delegates are 1,214.
“The breakdown is as follows; Paul Osaji pulled 216 votes, Price Ned Nwaoko pulled 453 votes while Nwaoboshi pulled 506 to emerge winner.
“I hereby return Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi as the PDP candidate for the Delta North Senatorial District for the 2019 elections,” Nwandu said.
Gov. Akimwunmi Ambode and National Leader Senator Bola Tinubu
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ex-Lagos governor also noted that, by his (Tinubu) action, he was only responding to the yearnings of the party supporters as a leader. Ex-Lagos State governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, further explained why he dumped Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the party’s preferred choice, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Speaking shortly after voting at Ward C, Ikeja council, when he had participated in the Lagos APC governorship primary, Tinubu who acknowledge that Ambode has done well in office, was however quick to add that the party preferred his challenger because the governor lacks “character.”
Tinubu, who insisted his withdrawal of support for Ambode was not personal, further said “this is an elixir for the general election. Ambode Akin, he’s doing well, yes; he hasn’t been a good party man; not only the glamour, not only about brick and mortar. A talent is determined by character. For you to become an influential person, you have to respond to the yearnings of the people. This is politics; democracy, one man, one vote.”
The ex-Lagos governor also noted that, by his (Tinubu) action, he was only responding to the yearnings of the party supporters as a leader by acceding to their request not to anoint Ambode ahead of next year’s governorship election in the state.
He added that without followers, there can never be a leader, saying that should he decide to go against the wishes of the party members, he would have failed in his role as a leader.
“Who did I support in 2014? Ambode. Life is dynamic. It’s those who made me the leader of the structure in Lagos who said it was what they want. It’s only if you have followers that you’re a leader in democracy.
“If I look back and I don’t find them again; if I don’t respond to them, if I fail to accede to their request, I would have failed the leadership test.
“This is not personal; it is beyond me as a person. Every democratic constitution is preceded by ‘We, the people’. So, I had to submit myself to the wishes and the yearnings of our party,” Tinubu declared.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nother petrol tanker fire was recorded in Lagos yesterday along the Lagos-Badagry expressway. No loss of life was recorded in the fire said to have started in the early hours of the day after a tanker spilled its contents between Barracks and Onireke bus stops in Ojo Local Government Area.
The inferno, however, destroyed nine vehicles and caused heavy traffic congestion. According to witnesses, the fire began at about 5 a.m. The vehicles destroyed included a Peugeot station wagon, a Space bus, a Mazda bus, a Toyota SUV and the contents of a Mack trailer conveying crates of drinks.
According to residents, who attributed the fire to the terrible state of road along the corridor, the Lagos State Fire Service was notified immediately the fire started but they could not do much as they ran out of water after battling the fire for hours.
Reacting to the incident, the Lagos State police public relations officer, CSP Chike Oti, said the attention of the command was called to the incident and its men were promptly dispatched to bring the situation under control. He confirmed that nine vehicles were involved in the fire and no life was lost.
The spokesman explained that, on arrival at the scene of the carnage, no fuel tanker was found or burnt as a result of the fire. He, however, disclosed that, in the evening of the previous day (Monday), a fuel truck was seen at the point where the fire began, with its content leaking uncontrollably from the storage tank.
“As a result, the fire service was called to attend to the situation. They arrived shortly and applied some foamy substances on the road. At the end of the exercise, both the fuel truck and the fire service men left without problems. Meanwhile, the commissioner of police, Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi, has directed the Disaster Management Unit of the command to investigate the cause of the fire in collaboration with relevant agencies,” he said.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]olitical economist, Prof Pat Utomi, has been declared winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2019 governorship election in Delta State. Utomi emerged the torchbearer of the APC at a parallel governorship primary organised by the Chief Cyril Ogodo-led factional State Working Committee of the party in Asaba, the state capital.
The exercise which started on Sunday ended in the early hours of Monday following the declaration of results by the returning officer, Elder Favour Adibor in Asaba on Monday.
Utomi polled 2,486 votes to defeat three other aspirants for the governorship ticket of the APC at the primary which was generally peaceful.
The former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Engr. Victor Ochei, polled 801 to come a distant second while Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, a former National Deputy Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party scored 368 to come third.
Chief Great Ogboru came fourth with 106 votes. A total of 3, 755 votes were cast by delegates.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the second parallel governorship primary which is also holding in Asaba by the Prophet Jones Erue faction has started counting delegates’ votes. – Punch
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]en. Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just concluded Osun gubernatorial election has vowed to use both physical and legal means to upturn the results in his favour.
Adeleke, who made this vow during a press briefing held on Friday in Ede, Osun, lauded Nigerians and members of the media for their enthusiasm in support of the democracy. He alleged that he was robbed at the polls, assuring that no effort would be spared in the effort at upturning the results.
The PDP flag bearer urged the people not to be low spirited, adding that the defeat was a temporary setback, which would be a victory, at last.
The senator said he sympathised with those wounded during the election, promising that those arrested would be released soon.
He also expressed gratitude to the domestic and international observers for their impartial coverage of the election, allegedly marred by violence, malpractices and irregularities.
Adeleke added that the people of Osun must remain vigilant, but calm. The Osun PDP Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, also alleged that the gubernatorial election was rigged and accompanied with violence.
Adagunodo lauded Nigerians and members of the media for their enthusiasm and the passion demonstrated in support of democracy.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),has continued to strengthened its enforcement capacity to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the rage against smuggling in the Command.The Comptroller Michael Agbara led proactive team has continued to clampdown on unrepentant smugglers who are working for personal gains, to the detriment of our economy.
Compt. Michael Agbara, Controller, Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, who by any matrix, can be called an anti-smuggling czar, has vowed not to relent in the national assignment of ridding the country of contraband items, describing smugglers as economic saboteurs who are bent on circumventing the law. Interestingly, he has an unending catalogue of seizures and arrests made within his Command.
He has always held on to the philosophy that you can never succeed as an anti-smuggling officer by mere saying smuggling is bad and smugglers are dangerous to our national economic growth. You must try to show example by fighting it head-on and putting your life on the line to show that you can die for this course. This anti-smuggling czar whose antecedents are record breaking at Idiroko Border Command, the Area Controller of the Ogun Customs Command, Micheal Agbara when it comes to customs operations wondered aloud that while a good number of well meaning Nigerians are appreciative of government efforts to rid the nation of corruption in all its ramifications, some smugglers are unrepentantly bent on circumventing the lofty mission for their selfish interest. A believer in optimum delivery wherever he serves. Compt. Micheal Agbara, enumerated the obvious consequences of smuggling to the nation’s economy and her citizenry especially when it has brought unspeakable grief and sorrows to those caught and members of their families.
He described the seizures made by the eagle-eyed officers of the Command under the recently introduced new operational policy of the service led by Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), Comptroller General, NCS to maximize revenue generation for the nation and also ensure a stronger, more oriented, vibrant and efficient customs service as gallantry. While the government is putting all the necessary measures in place to sanitise the nation’s export market, Compt. Micheal Agbara appears to have found an answer to the rot at the land border stations in the south west geopolitical region. Compt. Micheal Agbara, who has shut the door against corrupt Customs officers,agents and smugglers has deployed fierce looking officers to the re-invigorated crack team of the Command.This proactive team had a rough battle with smugglers in its strive to clear the mess at the land border station.In the month of August,the Command intercepted and seized smuggled items with total duty paid value of N382,263,360 million.
The prohibited items include 33 vehicles,6,194 bags of foreign rice,395 kegs of vegetable oil, 1,954 pairs of used foot wears, 7 bales of second hand clothes,45 cartons of frozen poultry products, 340 kegs of PMS and 160 cartons of juice.
The Command also confiscated 6,194 bags of rice in August remained the highest monthly seizure, since the inception of federal government policy on agricultural development in the area of boosting local rice production.The Ogun Customs Command also within the same month, generated a total revenue of N799,682,839.62, which exceeded the target of N727,775,499.91, set for it, and the command equally participated in a joint operation, which has led to the seizure of large quantity of petroleum products in a creek at Ijoun area of Ogun State.
The Ogun Customs Command Customs boss cannot stop praising his proactive officers for the major seizures recorded by the command in the recent time. Compt .Michael Agbara, has matched his words with action going by the directive to his proactive eagle-eyed officers to work towards crippling smugglers and getting them out of the illegitimate business.We appeal to our proactive Compt. Michael Agbara, and his men not to relent in the national assignment of ridding the country of contraband items, describing smugglers as economic saboteurs who are bent on circumventing the law .
Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola APC governorship candidate in Osun State
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Gboyega Oyetola winner of the Osun State governorship election.
The election held on Saturday was declared inconclusive by INEC, which necessitated a rerun on Thursday.
INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Joseph Fuwape declared Oyetola winner, having polled majority of votes in the election, to defeat Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Oyetola polled 255,505 votes to defeat Adeleke, who got 255,023 votes.
In the rerun election, the APC polled 1,160 votes won massively in all contested wards and polling units despite outcry of alleged rigging and intimidation of the opposition party, while PDP got a paltry 325 votes.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has vowed to shut down the Lagos airport and other facilities in the state, following the organisation’s directive to commence a nationwide strike.
The NLC Vice President, Amaechi Asugwuni, who was addressing journalists on Thursday, while aggrieved workers embarked on a protest in the Alausa area of Lagos, said the decision was in compliance with directives of the national leadership of the union.
“From here, we are going round Lagos to ensure that every institution is indeed shut down. Today if the airport is opportune to open today, I am very sure that they will not open tomorrow. Nobody flies in this country,” he said.
The comments come less than 24 hours after the Federal Government held a meeting with the national leadership of the NLC to reach a conclusion over the new minimum wage.
The meeting, however, ended in a deadlock.
Consequently, the NLC directed all its members and affiliate unions to commence the industrial action.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, had insisted that there was no going back on the nationwide strike, as the Federal Government had failed to meet their demands.
The VP, Asugwuni maintained that the workers in Lagos State would ensure full compliance with the industrial action.
Lagos NLC
Furthermore, he accused the Federal Government of being insensitive to their needs and denying workers an opportunity to an enhanced wage across the federation.
He said, “The indefinite adjournment of the minimum wage is a ploy to deny Nigerian workers an opportunity to earn an enhanced wage. We will refuse it, we will resist it and we will do everything within our power to ensure that indeed struggle and liberation come by what we are doing.”
The workers are demanding an upward review of the minimum wage from N18,000 to between N50,000 and N65,000.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]enerally, deities and spirits represent an important aspect of traditional religion in virtually all African societies. Although the names of these deities and spirits, their method and time of worship vary from society to society, their significance and relevance in traditional observances cut across all the cultural contexts of Africa. The names and worship patterns in any given African society are basically dictated by the culture of the given society. the worship of deities and spirits, hierarchy in the cultural context of Ibusa, in Oshimili North Local Government of Delta eState, south-South Nigeria. Ibusa, like any other traditional African society has no classical work or records about her religious practices.
Therefore, the research relied mostly on oral interviews, direct observations, group discussions, and interactive sessions with elders and traditionalists for data collections,analysis and inferences. In adapting this approach, we were able to ascertain the names of these deities and spirits, their individual and collective roles, the hierarchical organization, as well as the worship methods as strictly adhered to by the practitioners.
According to the people of Ibusa, deities are god’s representatives on earth and sacrifices and prayers are offered to God through them.“God is the Supreme Spirit, the Creator of everything… but this Supreme Spirit has made many inferior spirits who are nearer to man and through whom man normally offers his worship to Him.” As regards the spirits,it is believed that they are of many different types populating the universe In all African traditional settings, the people recognize the existence of the Supreme God,called deities and spirits.The worshiping of deities and spirits in Ibusa community has gotten to the climax that even the government cannot protect it citizens against this evil ancient traditional practice.
After years of either speaking from both sides of the mouth or outright refusal to comment, the commissioner of Police , in Delta State of Nigeria has practically admitted the helplessness of the officers of his Command over the deity, Ogwugwu-Uja, a traditional practice in Ibusa of Oshimili North Local Government of Delta State whereby pre-teenage or teenage male children are ‘chosen’ to serve the Chief Priest as heir apparent to the traditional throne and the forceful circumcision of sisters of the Child Chief Priest. Declining to go into specifics, Delta State Police Chief, admitted that failure of the Police Force to protect victims of the traditional practice remains a contradiction and a huge challenge “you may look at this from the perspective of clash of modernity and ancient practice. As Area Command; we have an obligation to cultivate and maintain cordial relationship with the traditional rulers but also protect the human rights of citizens. It is obvious that the law takes precedence over traditional practices and we are therefore obliged to step in when any law is contravened. The challenge is that so far no victim has managed to show evidence of any law being broken”Confronted with the recent and specific cases of master Tobechukwu Jude Nweke ( 11 years) and his 9 year old younger sister Joan Nnamaka Nweke who were sought after for the traditional ritual but their parents, who are known staunch Christians, resisted strongly leading to all manner of torture, the Delta State Police chief declined to comment, saying “the Nigerian Police Force does not comment on individual cases but I can assure you that all matters in the nature that you have described are investigated in collaboration and consultation with the traditional rulers and if anyone is found to have contravened the law, actions will be taken” Asked how many cases his Command has prosecuted since inception or at least under his watch, the DPO declined to provide details. Meanwhile information available to us has it that apart from the notorious Nweke saga, there are over the past 20 years no less than 5 reported incidents, one of which resulting in the death of the 5 year old sister of the child Chief Priest due to complications from the gruesome circumcision she was put through. The child Chief Priest disappeared two years later, unknown today whether he is dead or still alive hence the hunt for a new one.
The Nweke case is said to be complicated by two factors. Firstly the child’s grandfather is a member of the community Traditional Ruling Council and by implication, one of the custodians of the age long practice. He is suspected to have given his tacit approval and suspected to regard the choice of his grandchildren as an honour. Having fallen out with his son, Mr Esogbuzie Nweke, the father of the children in question, he made overtures to the High Priest, Ohene, to soft-pedal on his family but was promptly abducted, extra-communicated from the community for two market weeks but released unharmed and placed under “house watch”. Secondly, Esogbuzie Nweke and his wife Mrs Judith Nweke, are known serious Christian believers. Indeed Mrs Judith Nweke is the President of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO)in a Lagos archdioceses who had announced in her inaugural speech that she is resolved to confront such practices against children and the girl child. Her husband resisting the abduction of the child Chief Priest led to his torture and release to enable him produce the child for consummation of the traditional ritual. When he absconded and would not produce the child on the appointed date, a delegation was sent to Lagos, their base, to fetch them. The Nweke’s are said to have escaped out of the country, possibly to the United States of America.
All efforts to trace them have so far failed. The grandfather could not be reached for an interview after initially
agreeing to one but would not honour the appointments made.
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Lagos State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has announced the final results of the controversial primaries held for governorship aspirants on Tuesday.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nother petrol tanker fire was recorded in Lagos yesterday along the Lagos-Badagry expressway. No loss of life was recorded in the fire said to have started in the early hours of the day after a tanker spilled its contents between Barracks and Onireke bus stops in Ojo Local Government Area.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has vowed to shut down the Lagos airport and other facilities in the state, following the organisation’s directive to commence a nationwide strike.
