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Kogi Guber: Kogi East Elders raise the alarm over purported atmosphere of fear, intimidation
***Ask Kogi Central traders to resume their trade in the East
The Kogi East Elders Council has raised the alarm over what they claim to be an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and insecurity being created by the ruling Party the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of preparation for the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election in the State.
The group spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday on what they claimed is the state sponsored insecurity in Kogi East
Addressing the press conference Amb. Ali Ocheni said
“As the count-down to the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election in Kogi State draws near and based on the recent happenings in our state, we find it necessary to draw the attention of Nigerians and the International community to the terrorism being sponsored and unleashed on Kogi State in general and Kogi East senatorial district in particular by agents of the Kogi State political leadership.
“We demand the removal of the current Commissioner of Police who supervised the recent extra judicial killings in Kogi East senatorial district.
“The Director, State Security Service, Kogi State should also be replaced. His ineffectiveness has led to the escalation of violence in the State.
“Another person we demand be removed and investigated immediately is Navy Commander Akalezi. We had requested severally that he be transferred out of Kogi State. Instead, he was sent to the Republic of South Africa for a senior division training and is now back in Kogi to continue doing the biddings of the government.”
He called on the Federal authorities to pay attention to the goings on in Kogi State because any breakdown of law and order in Kogi State will not augur well for Nigeria.
“For the purpose of reminder, Kogi State shares boundaries with ten States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It has the highest number of boundaries with other federating units in Nigeria.
“Kogi State is the southern gateway to the Federal Capital Territory. No one wants to imagine the chaos a breakdown of law and order in this state will have on the nation as a whole.
“We call on the federal government to ensure a level playing field for all contestants in the forthcoming election through the appropriate mechanisms.
As elders of the people, we have spoken.
According to ambassador Ocheini the State has been polarized in unimaginable terms through the use of the twin weapons of poverty and ignorance against the people.
“The polarization of the citizens has reached the extent that Ebira traders in Kogi Central are now afraid of coming to the regional markets in Ejule, Abocho and Anyigba in Kogi East.
“As Elders in Kogi East, we wish to use this opportunity to inform our brothers and sisters in Kogi Central that Kogi East is safe to all Kogites and Nigerians.
“We therefore call on them to resume their trading activities in Kogi East as we have never seen them as enemies or adversaries.
“Citizens of Kogi State must be allowed to choose whoever they want to lead them, regardless of party affiliation.
Former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Professor Tom Adaba, has passed away at the age of 84.
According to reports, he died peacefully on Saturday in Abuja.
Chief Adinoyi Joe Anivasa, Secretary of the Egbira Elders Forum, confirmed the news, stating, “I feel sad to inform you that our elder and leader, Prof. Tom A. Adaba, has answered the call of nature this morning. Further details about his burial arrangements will be communicated later.”
Born on July 2, 1941, Prof. Adaba made significant contributions to Nigeria’s broadcasting industry. Between 1988 and 1992, he became the first Nigerian to serve as President of the African Council for Communication Education.
Despite calls for suspension from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Nigeria Police Force, the Osun State local government election proceeded as scheduled on Saturday.
Governor Ademola Adeleke voted in Ede North Local Government Area, describing the process as peaceful and urging residents to exercise their franchise.
The AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, cited a Court of Appeal ruling allegedly reinstating sacked local government chairmen, while the police warned of potential security threats.
However, the Osun State government insisted on holding the election, emphasizing its commitment to obeying a court directive. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) boycotted the polls.
Voting took place under tight security, with minimal commercial activity observed in Osogbo, the state capital.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Commissioner for Information, Jonathan Vatsa, has indicated that Firmer President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence at the public presentation of former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, The Journey of Service, held in Abuja on Thursday was not surprising.
Speaking to journalists in Minna on Saturday, Vatsa suggested that Buhari’s no-show was a result of unresolved bitterness over the 1985 coup, in which Babangida overthrew him and subsequently detained him.
According to Vatsa, Buhari may still harbor resentment, especially over being denied the chance to bid his late mother farewell while in detention.
“It Would Have Been the 9th Wonder of the World If Buhari Had Attended”
Vatsa claimed that Buhari’s absence was expected, given the deep-seated history between the two former leaders.
“The memory of the ‘mother of all betrayals’ has not left him. It would have been the ninth wonder of the world if Buhari had attended that book launch,” he said.
The APC chieftain also linked Buhari’s perceived neglect of Niger State during his eight-year presidency to his history with Babangida.
“The whole world knows that Niger State was made a scapegoat by Buhari because of IBB. For eight years, he did not pay any serious official visit to the state, and not a single federal project was executed here. The Baro Port project was abandoned, and federal roads across the state were left in disrepair,” Vatsa alleged.
He claimed that despite the overwhelming votes Buhari received from Niger State in 2015 and 2019, the state was sidelined due to the personal history between the former presidents.
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Niger State paid for the sin of one man,” he lamented.
When asked for his opinion on the contents of IBB’s autobiography, Vatsa said he would reserve his comments until he has read and digested the book fully.
“There are certain things I expected to see in the book. Once I am done reading, I will invite you all for my comments,” he stated.
The book launch attracted several high-profile attendees, including President Bola Tinubu, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Yakubu Gowon, as well as former military head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Other dignitaries included former Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, and ex-vice presidents Atiku Abubakar, Yemi Osinbajo, and Namadi Sambo, alongside traditional rulers and state governors.
Buhari’s absence, however, remained a major talking point, reinforcing speculations that the 1985 coup remains a sore point in Nigeria’s political history.
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