Encomium
These are very terrible times for the trio of Mr. Goddy Jedi-Agba, a governorship aspirant in Cross River State, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senate Leader and Hon. Chris Etta, two-term member of the House of Representatives. And it is all traceable to the crisis currently rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, across the country. Friday, November 7, the party suspended Jedi-Agba, and 10 other stalwarts over alleged gross indiscipline as well as outright abuse of party rules and guidelines.
The party leadership also referred Senator Ndoma-Egba and Hon. Etta to its national headquarters for appropriate sanctions over their alleged conducts in the just-concluded ward delegates’ election in the state.
Those sanctioned included Barr Venatious Ikem, former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Sandy Onoh, immediate past Commissioner for Environment, Liganus Odigha, Dr. Godwin Igile, Kenneth Ndoma- Egba, Ernest Irek, Ubi Itam Ettah, Hon James Tambang, Mr. Tony Mkpang and Samuel Willie.
Information at the party secretariat in Calabar has the party chairman, Ntufam John Okon, saying the decision to suspend the 11 members was arrived at after the state executive working committee’s meeting that examined the roles played by each of them during the last ward congress. The suspended members by their conducts are alleged to have not only ridiculed the party, but did everything possible to compromise the system just as they have taken the party to court against the its rules.
The excuse for not suspending Sen. Ndoma- Egba and Hon Ettah is that the state exco does not have power to suspend them because the constitution of the party says as members of the National Assembly, if any NASS member has a case against him, such should be referred to the National Working Committee of the party. The suspended members are to appear before the disciplinary committee headed by Barrister (Mrs.) Josephine Effiom, former chairperson of Akpabuyo LGA.
But the men at the centre of the suspension have dismissed the purported order as mere rumour and a non-issue. Meanwhile, watchers and analysts of the political arena in Calabar say it is display of crass ignorance and a comedy of very frustrated people at the state chapter of the party. The onus of the matter, according to them is that some people are not only afraid but very uncomfortable with the rising profile of Jedi-Agba in the race towards 2015.
FORGERY SCANDAL STILL TRAILS EDO HOUSE LEADER, PHILLIP SHUAIBU
The tale of how the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly (ESHA), Hon. Phillip Shuaibu not only falsely claimed to be a graduate of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) but a former staffer of a certain Benin City-based firm is clinging to him like leprosy that has despised all forms of medical intervention.
The case which is before a Benin high court is becoming messier with every sitting. At the last sitting last week, a witness told the court that the house leader never graduated from the UNIJOS as claimed. That wasn’t all. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd (ZVNL), Mr. Zakari Ayonote equally told the same court that Shaibu never worked in his company as claimed by the embattled legislator. Phillip Shuiabu is standing trial for criminal falsification of his tax clearance certificate, falsification of UNIJOS certificate and the claim that he worked for Zaknote Ventures Nigeria Ltd.
theatrics came to life before Justice Esther Edigin, President of the court when the prosecution witness, Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, a journalist said his investigations as a professional has revealed that Shaibu never graduated from UNIJOS as claimed. According to the witness, the additional discovery that the lawmaker falsified his tax clearance documents and never worked with ZVNL prompted his petition to the relevant anti-graft agencies.
Mr. Ayonote, the second prosecution witness also told the court that the accused person was never a staff of his company of which he is the MD/CEO. According to him, the only relationship between him and Shuibu was when the latter approached him for a loan to contest the presidency of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). And according to Ayonote, it was Mr. Luqman Muhammed, a former member of the ESHA that introduced Shuaibu to him and denied ever giving the accused any document to obtain tax clearance from the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, insisting that most of the staff in his company were casual workers who were often paid by hand.
As we speak, even the counsel to the prosecutors, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has informed the court that persons suspected to be agents of the accused were threatening some witnesses. Whatever comes of the case, we shall let you know.
IFEANYI UBA LEADS BILLIONAIRES FOR OPM N1 BILLION-PH CATHEDRAL
The Omega Power Ministries (OPM) may be on its way out of the present ‘zinc cathedral’ which has been in use for the past eight years, according to the General Overseer of the ministry, Apostle (Dr.) Chibuzor Gift Chinyere. This is because the church has concluded plans to erect a one billion-naira church auditorium which when completed would sit no less than 12 thousand worshippers.
Already there was a call by the G.O. to the over eight thousand-member congregation at the OPM headquarters, off New Airport Road in Port Harcourt to call on members and friends of the ministry to participate in raising the money for the project. The G. O. the call was necessary as it would afford those who contributed in building the Lord’s House to receive manifold blessings from God, and it comes with the tonic God will build your life if you build his house.
The last Sunday event which was packaged as the grand finale of OPM’s 8th anniversary as well as the 41st birthday celebration of Apostle Chinyere, attracted people from all walks of life, many of whom are members of the church.
Some of the high and mighty at the event were Rivers State PDP guber aspirant, Senator Lee Maeba, Chairman of Capital Oil and former guber candidate under the Anambra state Labour Party, Chief Ifeanyi Patrick Uba, the Chairman of Sobaz Oil cum National President of IPMAN, Chief Obasi Lawson; the Paramount ruler of Oginigba Community of Port Harcourt LGA, HRH, Eze S.B. Odum and former Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Chief Okey Emuchay.
OPM, which in recent years has become a favourite spot for some of Nigeria’s entertainment stars also saw the presence of actor Larry Koldsweat, a pastor in God’s vineyard and popular Nollywood actor, Jerry Amilo.
Meanwhile, over N100 million was raised to cut the anniversary cake which was a prototype of what the proposed cathedral would look like. The oil magnate, Chief Uba while donating N50 million to kick start the project, said the monies raised at that event were only in ‘preparation for the D-Day’, when the proper launching of the building would take place’.
That D-Day, according to OPM’s founder, Apostle Chinyere, would come up in the first week of December, 2014. Highlight of the celebration was the consecration of marriage for 10 couples and dedication of 35 babies by Apostle Chinyere.
