BREAKING: Okorocha Renames Douglas Road, Et al, 'Somtochukwu'

Okorocha Renames Douglas Road, Et al, 'Somtochukwu'
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In what could be described as shocking to Imolites, it appears the Government of Imo State has made a U-turn over the death of Master Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, the 10-year-old boy allegedly killed by soldiers during the demolition exercise of Owerri market at Douglas road as the governor Chief Rochas Okorocha declared his intention to rename the ancient revered Douglas road and the structure to replace the demolished Ekeukwu market 'Somtochukwu' after the deceased. The governor disclosed that his motive was to honour the innocent soul.

 

 

 

Governor Okorocha who spoke when traditional rulers and leaders of Owerri paid him a visit at the Government House, Owerri, on Wednesday 13th September 2017,  said he has been able to liberate the people of Owerri from a wicked clique made up of one or two families who had held Owerri people in bondage over the years.

He said: “Government has decided to honour Somtochukwu although the boy’s death was confusing because an action can’t be taking place on Douglas road, and the person died at Mbaise road. No matter what happened, whatever be the case, since that boy died within that period of liberation, that boy must be honoured. And for the fact that the whole of Owerri leaders are mourning him, wore black even to Catholic and Anglican churches. And if Owerri leaders can mourn a boy from Nnewi, Anambra State, that shows that there is something great about that boy.”

 

According to him, “So for every activity in that Ekeukwu and Douglas road, the boy will be honoured, because he died on the day of the event. That boy is more important than any Eke or Afor, Ekeukwu or Ekenta. So both the Douglas road and project to be sited there will be named after the boy, Somtochukwu. The project will be named Somtochukwu and the road, Somtochukwu road in line with the way all of us are mourning that boy. I will not go back to deity again by naming it Ekeukwu road. Imo State has gone past that level.

 

“They are fighting me because I have liberated you people. What do I benefit by building township school, rebuilding Emmanuel College, Akwakuma Girls, Government College, Government Technical College, building Owerri Girls, inland roads, ICC, trade and investment centre, two flyovers, two tunnels, heroes square, roads. What do I benefit as Rochas Okorocha if not for the development of Owerri. No governor has done in the history of Owerri, what I have done for Owerri people? My crime is that I have liberated you people from bondage.”

 

The governor said: “I have a stake in Owerri, no governor has invested the way I have invested in Owerri and no Owerri son or daughter has invested more than me in Owerri, both the living and the dead, I stand to be challenged. The worst of it is that when Eze Njemanze died, I offered to build a house for him but the same clique refused. When I came into office 2011, I had meeting with elders of Owerri of which Bob Njemanze was present, they advised me to remove Ekeukwu, that, it was bringing crime to the City. I refused but only to remove it five years interval. Just watch the development this will bring to Owerri people. Ekeukwu has nothing to do with the identity of Owerri people. Owerri cannot develop Owerri. It will take people from outside Owerri to develop Owerri. You must open your doors for people to come in and develop it. It is not true that I am not preserving your identity, I preserved your identity by building Township School and other monumental structures in Owerri. If Ekeukwu means deity that does not want progress, that deity must go, but if it is Ekeukwu that brings progress fine.

 

The governor went further to boast, “Believe me, if there is any man who loves Owerri people, it is Rochas Okorocha. If there is any man who cherishes Owerri, it is me, I make bold to say that. If there is another person who loves Owerri more than me, he should come and let’s check the facts available for public consumption.

 

He equally disclosed, “I have not seen such accommodating set of people like Owerri people. They are nice people. There is nothing wrong with Owerri but there is a clique in Owerri, a small clique that kept Owerri people in bondage for more than decades. That is the problem of Owerri. What I have come to do in Owerri is to set the captives free. Those people resist anything good coming to Owerri people unless it is coming to their family. This is the truth and Owerri people are confused about the true situation. If not for me, you cannot have these traditional rulers now sitting in Owerri. This clique doesn’t want Owerri to expand. The four autonomous communities in Owerri wouldn’t have existed because they fought it. The majority leader in the House of Assembly wouldn’t have been a leader because he would have been mandated to carry cows to their homes and pledge to their deities before they can accept him,” the governor said.

 

He further stressed: “I have rescued Owerri from bondage and Owerri is now free. You will see your children now prospering and growing but before now it was only one family in Owerri that grows, one family and one family alone. They produce the judges, lawyers, doctors and everything but you can’t see any other growth in Owerri. This group of people inside Owerri resist every good thing coming to Owerri. They resort to the courts to stop development coming to Owerri.”

 

 

Scripted by: Rostrum

 

 

 

 

 

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JUST IN: Nigeria's Defence Headquarters Declares IPOB 'Militant Terrorist Group'

Nigeria's Defence Headquarters Declares IPOB 'Militant Terrorist Group'
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The Nigerian military has declared the pro-Biafra separatist group, Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) a “militant terrorist organisation.”

The military made the declaration in a statement on Friday by the Director of Defence Information, Major Gen. John Enenche.

It's noteworthy  that clashes between soldiers on a military operation and IPOB members in Abia State have left several people wounded. Although there have been reports of deaths particularly of IPOB members, none has been confirmed.

IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu are campaigning for an independent country of Biafra made up of ethnic Igbos. Though they had said their campaign was non-violent, Mr. Kanu said this week stated that their stance would be reviewed soonest, accusing the military of attacking unharmed members of his organisation.

Rostrum had earlier reported how the police in Abia State blamed IPOB for the burning of a police station in Aba, where a dusk to dawn curfew has since been imposed.

In his statement, Major Gen. Enenche listed five reasons the military considered labelling IPOB a terror group.

These include “The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public access roads, extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks, as well as militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.”

Read the full press release below.

PUBLIC AWARENESS ON THE STATE OF INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF BIAFRA (IPOB)
1. The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) group which has posed to be a security challenge in the Country, has been metamorphosing from one stage to the other. After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient, to notify the general public that; the claim by IPOB actors that the organization is non-violent is not true. Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB. In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that has been terrorising the general public among others include:
a. The formation of a Biafra Secret Service.
b. Claimed formation of Biafra National Guard.
c. Unauthorised blocking of public access roads.
d. Extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.
e. Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.
f. Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a check point on 11 September 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles.
g. Attack by IPOB members, on a military check point on 12 September 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.

2. From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to confirm to the general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation. Therefore, parents and particularly unsuspecting residents of the South East and other Nigerians should advice their wards to desist from joining the group.

3. The Defence Headquarters restates its commitment to handling all the security challenges in the Country and further assures all Nigerians of the protection of lives and property.

However, this this coming barely few hours after the Nigerian Army disclosed that the 'controversial' Operation Python Dance commences  in full force tomorrow being Saturday, 16th September, 2017.

Scripted by: Rostrum









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OPINION II Today is International Day of Democracy

TOWARDS ERADICATION OF CORRUPTION IN DEMOCRATIC SETTING AS THE WORLD MARKS THE 2017 INT’L DAY OF DEMOCRACY ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15

 By Fred Doc Nwaozor

 

       

Today Friday, September 15, the world over is commemorating the 2017 International Day of Democracy. The Day, which is annually celebrated, was adopted on November 8, 2007 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

         

In its resolution in 2007, the General Assembly, which believes that human rights and the rule of law are best protected in democratic societies, encouraged governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy and also decided that 15^th of September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy.

        

The International Day of Democracy was first celebrated in the year 2008. The UN General Assembly recognized that the year 2008 marked the 20^th anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which gave people a chance to focus on promoting and consolidating democracy worldwide. The event which featured various activities was used to raise public awareness about democracy.

         

According to BBC English Dictionary, democracy is a ‘system of government or organization in which the citizens or members choose leaders or make other important decisions by voting.’ The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines it as a ‘fair and equal treatment of everyone in an organization or any group of persons, and their right to take part in making decisions’.

          

Political Science, on its part, referred democracy to as ‘the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ Furthermore, democracy could be described as the slogan or anthem of a certain organization that is being cited or sung, and understood by the entire members of the organization or union.

         

The last time I checked, democracy of any country deserved a thorough sustenance because it’s no doubt a welcome development. This implies that any democratic state is expected to be fiercely safeguarded at all cost owing to the fact that any practice that gives peace to those concerned requires adequate sustenance.

         

However, it is appalling that in most developing nations such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Rwanda, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, among others, democracy has suffered from enormous maltreatment due to corruption. Without mincing words, corruption has remained a blood-sucking cankerworm in the democratic dispensation of numerous countries in the world to include the aforementioned ones.

        

Corruption has indeed hampered the socio-economic and political growth of several nations, thereby constituting nuisance to the available human and natural resources of the nations in question. Surely, the various lingering uncalled, bilious and questionable attitudes including personal aggrandizement, nepotism, election rigging, abuse of human rights cum rule of law, misappropriation of public funds as well as impunity of most public/political office holders, in a country like Nigeria, is solely attributed to corruption. In a nutshell, unequivocally, corruption has obviously rendered so many countries incapacitated, all in the name of ‘democracy’.

         

Since democracy is believed to be the only system of government that allows the citizenry to express their views in any manner they prefer as well as act as they desire, people have unfortunately mistaken its flexible and liberal features for laxity and docility. The leaders on their part, rather than safeguarding the constitution which is the rudimentary symbol of democracy, have equally chosen to abuse the content of such essential document that’s required to be kept sacrosanct at all times.     

         

Democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of their lives. On the contrary, Nigeria as a country has failed to uphold this philosophy. This is why the youth are no longer the major dominance of the country’s political arena as it was during the postcolonial era.

        

In spite of Nigeria’s bureaucratic nature, the youth cannot boast of at least ten percent (10%) participation in her political strive. Rather, the old men who started the game have vowed to die in service thereby endangering thorough participation of the youth that are regarded as the most productive class, which is purely contrary to the mandate of the UN. These among many more factors presently found in the seemingly democratic setting of many nations across the globe are solely products of corruption.

          

Hence, as Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the International Day of Democracy, we are expected to join hands in the ongoing crusade that is targeted towards total eradication of corruption in our democratic system, which has eaten deep in our bone marrow.

        

To this end, I call on the civil society and all concerned institutions cum individuals to endeavour to contribute their respective quotas in their various jurisdictions through sensitization of the entire citizenry via several forms of awareness campaigns. We must acknowledge that this is the only way we can embrace the real dividend of democracy.           
          

Similarly, there’s equally an urgent need for us to ensure that our young ones are given the opportunity to effectively participate in the country’s democratic dispensation. Thus, we ought to endeavour to highlight the challenges and opportunities of young people engaging in democratic processes.

          

Survey indicates that people between the ages of 18 and 30 constitute a fifth of the world’s population; yet, several studies show declining faith among the said set of people in politics, with decreasing levels of participation in elections, political parties as well as socio-cultural organizations, or what have you, across the global community. This apathy applies to both established and emerging democratic states.

         

Since it has been proven beyond doubts that corruption remains the prime bane of democracy and has succeeded in causing mankind an untold hardship, it’s pertinent to acknowledge that we can never get it right if it isn’t holistically eradicated. Think about it!  

Comrade Nwaozor, public affairs analyst & civil rights activist,

is the Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub - Owerri

(follow: @mediambassador) 

 

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BREAKING: North Korea Fires Second Missile Over Japan Within Three Weeks

North Korea Fires 2nd Missile Over Japan Within 3 Weeks
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In defiance of the United Nations (UN) recent sanctions, North Korea had in the early hours of Friday September 15, 2017 fired a missile that flew over Japan's northern Hokkaido far out into the Pacific Ocean, recording second time within barely three weeks. South Korean and Japanese officials said, "deepening tensions after Pyongyang's recent test of its most powerful nuclear bomb".

                           Kim Jong-un

 

"The missile flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific about 2,000 km (1,240 miles) east of Hokkaido", Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

 

Warning announcements about the missile blared around 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Thursday) in parts of northern Japan, while many residents received alerts on their mobile phones or saw warnings on TV telling them to seek refuge.

 

U.S. Secretary of Defence, Mr. Jim Mattis said "the launch put millions of Japanese into duck and cover", although residents in northern Japan appeared calm and went about their business as normal after the second such launch in less than a month.

 

The missile reached an altitude of about 770 km (480 miles) and flew for about 19 minutes over a distance of about 3,700 km (2,300 miles), according to South Korea's military - far enough to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

 

The U.S. military said soon after the launch that it had detected a single intermediate range ballistic missile but the missile did not pose a threat to North America or the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, which lies 3,400 km (2,110 miles) from North Korea. Pyongyang had previously threatened to launch missiles towards Guam.

 

"The range of this test was significant since North Korea demonstrated that it could reach Guam with this missile," the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement. However, it said the accuracy of the missile, still at an early stage of development, was low so it would be difficult to destroy the U.S. Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.

 

U.S. officials repeated Washington's "ironclad" commitments to the defence of its allies. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for "new measures" against North Korea and said the "continued provocations only deepen North Korea's diplomatic and economic isolation".

 

South Korean President, Mr. Moon Jae-in echoed that view and said dialogue with the North was impossible at this point. He ordered officials to analyse and prepare for possible new North Korean threats, including electro-magnetic pulse and biochemical attacks, a spokesman said.

For a graphic on North Korea's missile and nuclear test.

 

The United Nations Security Council was to meet at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) on Friday at the request of the United States and Japan, diplomats said, just days after the 15-member council unanimously stepped up sanctions against North Korea over its Sept. 3 nuclear test.

 

Those sanctions imposed a ban on North Korea's textile exports and capping imports of crude oil.

"The international community needs to come together and send a clear message to North Korea that it is threatening world peace with its actions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo, describing the launch as "unacceptable".

 

North Korea has launched dozens of missiles under young leader Kim Jong Un as it accelerates a weapons programme designed to give it the ability to target the United States with a powerful, nuclear-tipped missile. Two tests in July were for long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching at least parts of the U.S. mainland.

 

"This rocket has meaning in that North Korea is pushing towards technological completion of its missiles and that North Korea may be feeling some pressure that they need to show the international community something," said Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum.

 

It would be recalled that just late last month, being August, North Korea fired an intermediate range missile from a similar area near the capital Pyongyang that also flew over Hokkaido into the ocean and said more would follow.

 

N.B: Stay tuned for further news on 'North Korea Fires Second Missile Over Japan Within Three Weeks'. 

 

Scripted by: Rostrum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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JUST IN: Resident Doctors Suspend Industrial Action, Resume Today

Resident Doctors Suspend Industrial Action, Resume Today
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In the early hours of Thursday, September 14, 2017, Nigeria's National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced the suspension of its 10-day old industrial action embarked upon against the Federal Government (FG) after a marathon meeting among the executive members.

The decision was made after several appeals from the FG coupled with the general public.

However, the doctors said they would review the response of the government in about two weeks time. There is some good news for Nigerians especially those who have loved ones at the mercy of the Nigerian healthcare system across the country.

‎The Chairman of NARD, Ibadan Chapter, Mr. Segun Olaopa while addressing journalists on the decision to suspend the strike, said: “The decision was reached following appeals from the public that the doctors should give the federal government more time to meet our demands.”

This development indicates that all resident doctors nationwide are expected to resume work today being Friday, 15th September, 2017. Hence, hospitalized patients will now put up a sigh of relieve.

It would be recalled that the resident doctors, penultimate week, outrightly declared an indefinite strike over various perceived maltreatments from the FG.

Scripted by: Rostrum










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SHOCKING: Super Eagles Drop Six Places, Ranks 44th In The World

Super Eagles Drops Six Places, Ranks 44th In The World
---- Despite Recent Successful Outings

 

 

The Nigerian Super Eagles have slipped six places below to be placed 44th position in the world - from their previous 38th position - in the latest edition of the FIFA rankings released on Thursday, 14th September, 2017 in spite of their recent 4-0 defeat against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at Uyo Akwa-Ibom State coupled with the 1-1 draw at the Cameroonians' side, Yaoundé precisely, over the ongoing Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.

 

The Gernot Rohr’s team is now rated fifth in Africa according to the world football governing body.
 

Cameroon fell 10 places to 45th position in the world and sixth in Africa. Nigeria’s next opponent in the race to Russia 2018, Zambia zoomed 18 places up (78th in the world) after recording a double against Algeria.
 

Cape Verde were the biggest movers (up 47 rank, 264 by points) with Switzerland plummeting after losing 119 points.
 

Germany dethroned Brazil from the summit of the ranking following two impressive FIFA World Cup qualifying victories over Czech Republic and Norway.

Brazil, Argentina and Switzerland occupy the second, third and fourth positions, respectively, in the world.


Scripted by: Rostrum










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HILLARIOUS: The Dubai Mansion Everyone Wants To Live In

The Dubai Mansion Everyone Wants To Live In
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A penthouse apartment in Dubai, which was purchased for AED102 million (US$27.7 million), may be the most expensive apartment ever sold in the United Arab Emirates city, according to the building’s developer.

The unit at One Palm, a 90-unit cantilevered tower built by developer Omniyat on the eastern tip of the Palm Jumeirah’s trunk, is thought to have snagged the top-apartment-sale title from a unit at the Bulgari Resort and Residences that sold earlier this year for a comparatively paltry AED60 million (US$16.33 million).

The undisclosed buyer bought the unit on the condition that a 20-meter-long private lap pool be built on the rooftop of his new abode, according to an Omniyat news release early this week. Though the building will offer three pools as part of its amenity package, the buyer wants to be able to swim in private.  

In addition to its unexpected new rooftop pool, upon completion in 2018, the unit will have five bedrooms, several living areas with views of the Dubai Marina, and almost 11,500-square-feet of exterior space, including several balconies, terraces and the rooftop area.

Buyers in the building will be able to pick from interiors designed by either Japanese firm Super Potato or London-based luxury design studio Elicyon. The penthouse buyer reportedly picked the latter, according to the Omniyat statement.

Buyers will also be able to enjoy the building’s amenities, which will include a fine-dining restaurant, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, indoor and outdoor cinemas, a barbecue area, a residents lounge, a children’s pool and playroom, a luxury spa and a private jetty.

Earlier this week, Omniyat, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, announced that the building has officially topped out ahead of schedule.

The sale is another sign pointing toward a healthier market in the city. Local economic conditions have squeezed Dubai’s real estate market in recent years, but the city saw an almost 17% increase in transaction volume in the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period last year, according to the Dubai Land Department—driven by strong activity in affluent neighborhoods like the Palm Jumeirah.


Scripted by: Rostrum









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