OKADIGBO PICKS DATE FOR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE. SEE PHOTOS.

OKADIGBO PICKS DATE FOR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE. SEE PHOTOS.

Okadigbo 1

 

A former Speaker of the Students' Representative Council (S.R.C) of the Ambrose Alli University, (A.A.U) Ekpoma, Student Union Government (S.U.G) in Edo State, Comrade Austine Umarein popularly known as Okadigbo 1 has announced date for his traditional marriage ceremony. 

Okadigbo, who is a Masters Degree student in Ambrose Alli University, confirmed that the traditional marriage will take place in Ekpoma, the Administrative Head Quarter of Esan-West Local Government Area of Edo State on the 20th day of December, 2015.

The former students' Leader has always been a vocal critic of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole's government. 

And recent utterances and actions of the Comrade Governor seem to have vindicated the one time Rt. Hon. Speaker of the A.A.U Students’ union Parliament.  

In 2012, Okadigbo led several students and youths to endorse the candidature of Barr. Ken Imansuangbon ( a.k.a Rice Man) for the Edo State Governorship election of that year.

 Though Imansuangbon later lost the primary election to Charles Airhiavbere of the Peoples' Democratic Party (P.D.P). 

He is now set to be joined in holy matrimony with his heartthrob, Miss Ibhade Irebgeyen, the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) of I.B Makeover Ltd. (A beauty and Make-Up outfit).  

See more pictures below.

                                      

Congratulations to Mr. Speaker...

.Kogi PDP Cries Out, Says INEC, Military, DSS Are Compromised, Releases Damaging Facts

    Kogi PDP Cries Out, Says INEC, Military, DSS Are Compromised,      Releases Damaging Facts 

                          

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi State Chapter has alleged that there is a clear sinister agenda to compromise the outcome of the state’s gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on Saturday November, 21, 2015.


According to a statement released by the party’s publicity secretary, Bode Ogunmola, a certain military officer Lt. Colonel Isidore Amah is the arrow head to help the All Progressives Congress to help rig the elections.

The statement reads:
The attention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi State Chapter has been drawn to the following developments, which clearly indicate a sinister agenda to compromise the outcome of the Kogi State gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on Saturday November, 21, 2015:

– That Lt. Colonel Isidore Amah was transferred from his duty post in the North-East to Kogi State two weeks ago and has instructions to manipulate the elections in favour of the APC candidate Abubakar Audu. Lt. Colonel Amah is known to be an election hand for hire and is very knowledgeable about the terrain in Kogi State, Igala Land to be specific. In 2007, then a Captain in the Nigerian Army, he is alleged to have killed 4 unarmed election observers, because they challenged his partisan disposition.


– That in the last house of assembly elections, Lt. Col. Amah took a 2-week leave from his base in the North East to aid the APC in rigging elections in Kogi East. He has been deloyed to Dekina Local Government area of Kogi State where Idris Wada hails from to aid the APC to rig out the Governor in his Local Government.


– That the following INEC staff and ad-hoc staff for the Kogi State gubernatorial election have been compromised:

1.    Christopher Utile: 07030556354. He is the Electoral Officer for Kogi Local Government. He is from Benue State. He brought in two (2) bus loads of persons to serve as ad-hoc staff for the elections. The persons in question did not go through any training whatsoever. The changes were made Thursday afternoon.

2.    Idris Uchari: HOD Training at INEC office in Lokoja. He has connived with APC to hijack the Ward collation officers. Upon completion of training he took them to meet Abubakar Audu’s son, Mohammed Audu where most of the collation officers were given N50, 000 each.

3.    Aminu, a staff of Federal University Lokoja collected N1 million from APC agents this morning. He was sighted by members of the DSS. His number is 08035913960.

4.    ACP Aurelius Adejoh allegedly provided Johnson Musa with guns and a Toyota Hilux van. Mission is to attack PDP agents. ACP Aurelius Adejoh is a retired police officer.

5.    Rtd General Akpa has mobilized soldiers into Ankpa Local Government. He is the head of Security for the Audu/Faleke Campaign Organization.

                        

In the light of the above, we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari as the custodian of our democratic institutions to immediately intervene and ensure the following:


– That the said Lt. Colonel Isidore Amah be immediately arrested and investigated based on the details of his clandestine assignment to Kogi State. Coming at a time the Buhari administration is preaching loudly about the need to instill discipline into the Nigerian Army, such flagrant abuse of military power should not be condoned by Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief.


– That INEC immediately investigates, review and replaces the compromised INEC and election ad-hoc officials listed here in this statement.

l

EDO 2016: IS OSHIOMHOLE DESTROYING THE APC...? BY FELIX ISERE.

 EDO 2016: IS OSHIOMHOLE DESTROYING THE APC...? BY FELIX ISERE.

Conspiracy Theory according to some leading political scientists is when a leader who has been popularly voted into power begins to take some unpopular decisions and act in a way that tends to weaken his own political party paving the way for the eventual takeover of power by the opposition.

In the light of the above viz-a-viz Edo State Governorship election holding next year, it will be unapologically right to  state that CONSPIRACY THEORY is seemingly at work in Edo State currently. 

Conspiracy theory is when Edo State governorship election is very close and Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Eric Aliyu Oshiomhole consistently and intentionally continues to take some unpopular decisions and act in ways that will ridicule and destroy the ever dreaded All Progressive Congress, (APC) and all her members so that Edo people can then vote for the Peoples Democratic Party, ( PDP). 

 All the Governor's recent overt and perhaps covert acts have all the trappings of a conspirator and a destroyer.

For a while now, I have decided to be silent and observe the terrain but now I have to break out from my shell and speak out before it is too late. This is because the conscience is a naked wound that can only be healed by the truth. 

According to Martin Luther King (Jnr), “There comes a time when Silence will become betrayal”.

Therefore, I do not want to be too silent and be accused of betrayal by my people in the nearest future. 

Conversely, the late Environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa will always say that, "He that refuses to speak and remain silent in a time of injustice is either a coward or a traitor"

In view of the above, all well meaning APC leaders and supporters of the Party must speak up now because it is very conspicuous even to the blind that Comrade Oshiomhole does not wish the Edo APC well and he does not want the Party to win the next governorship election in the State. 

I reasonably suspect that Governor Oshiomhole on assumption of office as Edo State Governor has either agreed with some PDP elements to hand over power to the PDP or he has recently entered into an unholy alliance(s) with these elements in the PDP to give them power cheaply.  

For those low-thinking, sycophantic, demented and hypocritical A.P.C supporters who will insult me, call me names or say I have collected money from PDP to write this or even accuse me of anti-Party activities, these are the questions your must avert your mind to and possibly proffer answers right now! 

1. What could be more than conspiracy when the Governor decided to sack about 17,000 workers few days after the last elections in the name of austerity measures where on the other hand there was increase in the number of aides and staff in Government House? 

Was it not more logical and economically viable to drastically reduce the number of government appointees thereby reducing the overhead cost?

2. What could be more than conspiracy when the Governor decided to collect loans, receive Bailout Funds etc and has not accounted for how these monies were spent and or the projects that were embarked on using the money collected?

3. What could be the real meaning of Conspiracy when the comrade Governor wakes up from his bed and decided to introduce Land Use Law and vehemently supported and defended the increase in the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (AAU) tuition fees just few months to the gubernatorial election when he knows that these actions will certainly be seen as draconian or unfair and will no doubt be rejected by Edo people thereby undermining the electoral chances of the APC in Edo State next year? 

4. What else could be the meaning of Conspiracy when the Comrade Governor decided to ban and outlaw aspirants in the APC from exercising their right to declare intention to contest the next year election within the Party? 

What could be the reason behind the Governor's instruction that no aspirant should form structures, mobilize for support or commence consultations (campaigns) within the Party until he unilaterally lifts the ban when on the other hand, PDP aspirants have long started mobilising and building structures across the State and beyond?

.5. What else could be the meaning of conspiracy when the Governor knows that the Esama of Benin is well respected by the Binis and enjoys enormous goodwill with millions of supporters both within and outside the State but still went ahead for no good reason to attack and insult the highly revered octogenarian just few months to the election?

Or is it that the Comrade Governor Oshiomhole is no longer aware that he was voted into power to correct the wrongs in Lucky Igbinedion regime and not to continually  lament about Lucky's failed  regime  and consistently  use it as an excuse whenever his stewardship in Edo State is being questioned?  

6.What else could be the meaning of Conspiracy when a governor who has done very well decided to become rash, start making noise, does anything that comes to his mind without listening to anybody? 

It is unfortunate that my hitherto highly intelligent Governor now behaves like a man who has lost focus and continuously embarrasses his party members by his unruly acts.

I can continue with so many questions but for the limited space accorded me.

 This is the time for our party leaders and all lovers of the APC to call the comrade governor to order.

It is sad how he has ridiculed our ever admired, loved and dreaded party and abysmally reduced it to such an infinitesimal state of mockery. 

We must not allow him to kill APC before he leaves office.

His actions if not quickly tamed may make Edo people who have overtime rejected the  PDP to now see her as a  better alternative in the forth coming polls in the State. 

He has refused to understand that people don't judge you by the good things you have done before but by the bad ones you have recently done or doing. 

The governor should be told that it is not how good a journey started; rather, it is how well it ended.

It is regrettable ignominious that those who are suppose to be hiding their heads in shame in Edo State are now being seen as lords, philosophers, prophets and messiahs. 

We must stop Oshiomhole now before he totally sells and destroys our Party. 

We all fought for the Party and made sacrifices to ensure the Governor's victory in 2012, but it is sad that those who were on the 'other side' fighting us are now enjoying the cosy ambience of the Government House and are even throwing stones and pebbles at us from their high havens in Osadebe Avenue.  

I don't care if I am called any derogatory name for writing this piece. However, I do care about the APC and about my Edo people.

 I prefer to be an activist who will stand by the people in times of injustice than to be a blind politician with no credibility and integrity.

I can't remain silent in the midst of all this hullabaloo because of what people may say. 

My conscience and training will not let me do that. I have received too much of insults and attack from people due to the recent actions and inaction of one man and I vow never to allow such nonsense continue.

Without prejudice to the above and despite all these inanies by our comrade Governor, I wish to state very strongly that the PDP is still not an option. Edo people should keep faith with the APC led Government. 

 However, if Oshiomhole decides to impose an unpopular candidate just to further reduce APC’s chance of winning the next election, I can assure that we will support any other party that presents a better and more popular candidate either from the Labour Party (L.P), the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) or even the PDP.

In conclusion, I wish to aver that I still remain a great supporter of President Mohammadu Buhari and the APC but I am no longer a fan of comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole until he amends his ways and stop the further destruction of our darling All Progressive Congress, APC.

 Comrade Felix O.Isere, a former Students’ Union Leader at A.A.U and a Legal Practitioner writes from Benin-City.

A.A.U GETS NEW S.U.G OFFICIALS.

                      

                           A.A.U GETS NEW S.U.G OFFICIALS. A.A.U GETS NEW S.U.G OFFICIALS

                     

                      As Physically Challenged Student Contests To Be Director of Welfare.

                                                        

 Authorities of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, (A.A.U) in Edo State have constituted the students' Union Executive Council. 

The election was held amid complaints and allegation of manipulation of the electoral process and undue interference by officials of the Edo State Government.

The recently conducted election had a blind student who made history by contesting to be the Institution's Students' Union Director of Welfare.

Prior to the election day, the candidates were subjected to rigorous security screening both in Ekpoma and Benin-City, the State capital. 

Some of the students and a few of the aspirants initially kicked against taking the screening to Benin-City. They contended that screenings are always done conventionally in Ekpoma and not Benin-City, stating further that there was something sinister about taking security screening to Benin. 

They were however assured that the exercise in Benin will be fair and just to all. 

Three candidates keenly contested for the position of the Union's Presidency. 

Tanyere E.  Richard, 300 level student of the department Political Science, Israel O. Eboiyehi, 400 level Medical Laboratory Science Department and Khalifa Oshiomhole a 400 level Engineering Student campaigned vigorously  to be elected President.

At the end of voting, the ballot boxes were taken to the New Lecture Theatre (NLT) where sorting and collation of results took place.

 Announcing the results, the A.A.U Students’ Union Electoral Commission headed by the Dean of Students, Prof. Isaac Aigbedion, declared Oshiomhole as the winner of the election having scored 2116 votes to beat his closest rival Richard who polled 1351 votes.

Also, 200 level Theater and Media Art Student, Sandra Ekhator who joined the race barely three weeks to the election won the Vice-Presidency with 1895 votes.

While John Isaac Egharuwa, 300 level Education Student won the position of the  Secretary General with 2,008 votes.

Meanwhile,  Mathew Akhabue, a 300 level blind Student of the Department of History and International Diplomacy lost the position of the Director of Welfare to  his closest rival Jennifer Okonober from Sociology department who pulled 2,081 to emerge victorious. 

The inauguration ceremony which took place at the Students' Affairs Division Conference Room had in attendance the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku who was represented by the Dean of Students, Prof. Aigbedion. The Deputy Registrar, Students Affairs and other Staff of the Students' Affairs Division of the Institution. 

The new executives were urged to take their academic activities serious while functioning efficiently in their various offices.

Their roles were reeled out to them by the Dean of Students after taking the oath of office.

In his inaugural speech, the President of the Students' Union, Comrade Khalifa Oshiomhole thanked the students for electing him and congratulated the School Management for conducting a successful election. 

He promised to serve the students with the fear of God and to always protect their interest.

He stated further that he was ready to be a good mediator between the students and the School Management by constantly relating students' issues to the Management and vice versa. 

 

Other newly sworn in officials include Royal Ikpen,  Assistant Secretary General, Palmar A. Justice, Financial Secretary. Cletus Oriahbor, Director of information,  Stanley,  Director of Sport and Moses Director of Social Activities.

The new S.U.G officials now have their work cut out for them as their main task is how to get the school authority and the Edo State Government to reduce or possibly reverse the astronomical increase in the school fees payable by the 100 level students aside other high expectations from the students.

However, some students of the University are of the view that the new S.U.G may not do much as the fear of victimization is the beginning of wisdom for most of the officials who have occupied various positions in the Union after the Itote Damisa’s led administration where S.U.G officials were summarily dismissed from school and results withheld on trump- up charges. 

The new President, therefore, must now work to prove cynics wrong as most of his critics believe that his alleged closed links with the Edo State Government and other top officials of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s Administration got him the position.

An Appeal For Justice In My Case: Punish Me If I Am Guilty, If I Am Not, Please Exonerate Me

An AppealFor Justice In My Case: Punish Me If I Am Guilty, If I Am Not, Please ExonerateMe. 

Nobel Eyisi, a charming young man who got elected as President of the Students' Union of the Anambra State University has been having a running battle with his fellow executive members, his Vice Chancellor and the entire University Management leading to his impeachment and  indefinite suspension from the University.

Below is Mr. Eyisi's story told in his own words. Read on please.  

Dear Sir/Madam: Therefore, I, Noble Eyisi, the impeached and suspended Students’ Union Government President writes this letter as an appeal for justice in my case. I was elected the Students’ Union Government President on the 11th of December 2014 and was inaugurated on the 15th of December of that same year.

 After my election and the Christmas break, on the 5th of January, our government embarked on the reduction of transport fare in the university from N30 to N20. At first, it seemed an uphill task as the drivers went on strike but with time and by God’s grace, they were back and conformed to the new N20 transport scheme.

This gave us a very good recommendation and applause from the university management, students and citizens of our state and country. To be candid, the reduction of the transport fare to N20 was a huge sacrifice from the part of the Students’ Union Government as I, the former president sacrificed the sum of N20,000 per day from the Transport Trust Fund (TTF), a sum of money collected by the SUG from drivers. This Transport Trust Fund (TTF) was illegal and unconstitutional as it extorted money from the students (the higher the TTF, the higher the transport fare). For the general students, it brought us love and goodwill as we have helped them save N10 whenever they board a bus, shuttle or keke but from my fellow executives, Students’ Representative Council members (though not inaugurated then) and the judiciary, it brought me hatred as they felt I took away their daily bread because they were supposed to benefit N8,000 daily from the illegal Transport Trust Fund (TTF). I was by God’s grace able to navigate the ship of SUG despite pressures to bring back the Transport Trust Fund (TTF) up until second semester.

Before the resumption of second semester, I called my fellow executives for a meeting where I pleaded with them and convinced them to buy into my idea of reducing the price of food from N200 to N150 inside the university campus. They all accepted and agreed to it, the food vendors were called and most of them accepted but due to the imminent first semester examinations, we weren’t able to begin implementation.

At the eve of second semester, I brought to the notice of the students our decision to bring down food price from N200 to N150, which they all loved, accepted and supported since it had been a cry in their hearts and it began working as most food vendors complied. But this policy was greeted by a strong university management resistance. The Vice-Chancellor called me expressing his dissatisfaction with it and asked me to make things right. I felt so sad but I had to obey my superior. So I rested my case, very much against my wish but my students felt that their rights, expressions and feelings were being trampled on. Even if it meant that the rent collected by the Commercial Ventures of the university from the food vendors be reduced, let it be, but let the interest of the general students be heard and protected.

Since the university management did not want the policy to see the light of the day, I felt so sad and decided to rest my case, but at the same time, my students still felt cheated. Despite the management’s high-handedness on them through increment of fees, institution of new fees, intimidation by university security agents etc, the management still wanted to extort money from them through the food prize. With the new implementation of dues by the management and other increments, the students began asking me questions relating to monies which they were asked to pay which was new in the system, increment in some fees and so on and this led me to write an 8-point letter to the Vice Chancellor asking him questions which my fellow students have been asking me. Please sir, find attached an exact copy of the letter I sent to the Vice Chancellor. (Attachment 1)

It may also please you to find out that there are still other issues which I did not point out in the letter which includes:

Increment in the General Studies (GS) fee of Year one students from N1,000 to N4,000

Increment in the Continuous Education Programme (CEP) school fees from N35,000 to N39, 800,

Payment of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) dues of N2,500 and yet there is no clinic, how much more obtaining free medical treatment; amongst many others which may still be hidden to me.

After I gave him the letter confidentially on the 4th of May, he called the management staff of the university, entire executives of the Students’ Union Government, the Speaker, Students’ Representative Council and the Chief Judge of the Students’ Judicial Council to a meeting where he countered the entire letter point by point.  In the meeting which held on the 8th of May, my phone was seized from me and I was almost slapped and intimidated by words spoken by the management staff present in the meeting. I still felt unsatisfied with the response he gave us and unfortunately the letter got to other fellow students. While the whole situation grew tense, the Students’ Union Government bus under my care was seized from me, my friends were arrested and threatened and I too was threatened by the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor. Please find attached a copy of this letter (Attachment 2). It is also important to note that the University management never gave me money for the maintenance of the SUG bus, though I have written to them on countless occasions, rather my parents had always provided me with the money with which I have continuously repaired and maintained it.

Meanwhile, instead of addressing the issue, the Vice-Chancellor instigated my fellow executives to sign a vote of no confidence against me where they accused me of a 5-count charge. It is also attached here sir (Attachment 3) and after the impeachment, I responded to the charges and sent them to the Vice Chancellor of which I am yet to get a reply to (Attachment 4). The response is also attached. My fellow executives also sued me to the Students’ Union Government Court on a three-count charge, based on why I brought down the transport fare from N30 to N20, why I removed the illegal and unconstitutional Transport Trust Fund (TTF) and why I reduced the price of food within the university which was all student-oriented.

While the whole situation was growing tense, I thought the Vice-Chancellor would have managed the situation well despite media reports, rather he mandated that I be removed quickly from office. Please sir, newspaper reports from this issue are also attached here (Attachment 5). The only condition he gave me to remain in office was to recant all I said in the letter by calling a press conference which I will address. I was suspended from being the Students’ Union Government President of the university on the 18 May, on a Monday, which was not the normal day the Students’ Representative Council was to sit. The suspension was unconstitutional and also on the 22 May, I was impeached. This was made possible by the Students’ Representative Council members who had strongly been influenced and bought over by the Vice Chancellor through their Heads of Departments, hence, they ensured I was impeached and more because they were threatened that disobedience would result to problems in their different courses. It will also please you, sir to note that the suspension as the Students’ Union Government President was done by the veto power of the Speaker as majority of the quorum of the House seated on that day were against it.

After my impeachment, students were really sad and feeling that their rights had been trampled on, peacefully protested. On the 3rd of June, a peaceful protest was conducted of which I was also part of. After the protest, I kept on attending lectures regularly and on Monday, 8 June, a court order was served to the Vice President and Speaker by the Anambra State High Court against my suspension as SUG President and impeachment. On the 11th of June, on entering the university, I was arrested in the university by a personal security aide to the Vice Chancellor. I was intimidated and from the Administration Block of the university, I was dragged into the security van of the university and taken to the State Security Service Headquarters of Anambra State located at Amawbia. There and then, the Director showed me my suspension letter and I was asked to pack my things immediately and leave the university and also that I should not be seen in the university until further notice. I was also asked to sign an undertaking to this which I did. I kept on asking for a copy of my suspension letter but no one gave it to me. Accompanied by security agents of the university, I packed my things and left.

It will also please you to note sir, that on the morning of 11th, a circular had already been shared to all the security agents in the university that I should not be seen in the university as I had been suspended. It was given to them by the Chief Security Officer of the University. All this happened even with an order of the Anambra State High Court which I had with me. Please find attached the statements of the court order (Attachment 6) and the Chief Security Officer’s circular (Attachment 7).

All through my stay as the Students’ Union Government President from December up until May, it had been a selfless service. The only amount of money I had ever received from our SUG account which should be autonomous was N70,000 which served as my take-off grant. It came weeks after we had written a letter to that effect and ever since then I have never received any of my entitlements as the SUG President. Even a transport route in the university which the SUG ought to be in charge of as an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the welfare of the students was high jacked by a personal security aide to the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Anayo Anizoba and when I brought up the issue, the wife of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Gladys Ahaneku called me and asked me to take 40% of the money and leave the remaining 60% to the security aide which I disagreed to.

Finally, in a country where people’s rights are being trampled upon, I still believe that justice must be upheld. I’m a very young, patriotic Nigerian citizen of this great country who decided to serve my country in the capacity of Students’ Union Government Presidency of my university, and all through my service in office, I have fought selflessly for the rights and privileges of my students. I don’t deserve to be kicked out of the university considering the fact that I have not been involved in any illegal practices or misconduct. All I have done was for the best interest of the students and for the good of my country. I sincerely and desperately appeal to you as a father to look with pity upon me and consider my case as I have no one else to run to. Thank you very much sir for your time, understanding and resolution to intervene on my behalf. God bless you. 

Comrade Noble Eyisi

Department of Political Science

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.