BREAKING: Police seal off venue of PDP National Convention in PH

News reaching us from Nigerian info FM. 92.3 is that the venue slated to hold the PDP convention in PH has been sealed up by men of the Nigerian Police force.. more details shortly

Barely four hours to the commencement of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, armed policemen has sealed off the Venue of the convention, sources confirmed.

It was gathered that all roads leading to the Old Presidential Lodge and the Deputy Governor Lodge are now blocked with Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).

The sources added that the Rivers State Government House is “partially sealed”.

They claimed to be obeying Abuja Court Order, which INEC said it had not seen as at yesterday’s night.

NEWSVERGE reports that Justice Okon Abang, of a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, had suspended the convention stating that the suspension was in the interest of justice to both factions in the party in a suit pending before him and also to curb the excesses of some parties in the suit and to serve as a disciplinary action against those treating the court with levity.

In another ruling, Justice Ibrahim Watila of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had restrained the police, the Department of State Services and the electoral body from interfering or stopping the Port Harcourt convention.

The injunction, which was also gotten from the court by Senator Ben Obi, also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to supervise the convention.

The court on Monday restrained the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Director of the Department of State Security Service, (DSS), the Director DSS Rivers State and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from interfering in the conduct of the party’s convention.

Meanwhile, the Abuja Judge held that Senator Obi ‘secretly went to Port Harcourt’ to obtain the said order when he knew he was a party seeking to be joined in the legal action filed by the Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff’s faction.

Sheriff’s faction had filed a case with the court to stop the Port Harcourt convention days after another court upheld his leadership of the PDP.

“Any court of coordinate jurisdiction which makes it a habit to grant ex parte injunctions against decisions made by a sister court is on its own,” he said.

In the case, Senator Sheriff had challenged the legality of the planned PDP convention and requested that the court should stop it on the grounds that it was being organised by a body not known to the law.

After suspending the convention, the court adjourned to the August 16 of for continuation of hearing.

Leadership crisis had deepened in the opposition party in May, after some members of the party removed Senator Sheriff as the party’s chairman and set up a caretaker committee to organise another convention where its principal officers would be elected.

After his removal, Senator Sheriff has continued to lay claims to the leadership of the party, saying that a court had issued an order suspending the convention before it was held.

He has obtained a court ruling upholding his leadership.

On Sunday, however, Senator Sheriff said he had received recommendations from the party’s reconciliation committee, but said he had also made his own demands which he would stand on.

Part of his demands, he said, was for the planned national convention to be shelved while arrangements should be made to hold a convention in Abuja that will be transparent.

After the court in Port Harcourt gave its ruling on Monday, the Ahmed Makarfi’s faction published a statement welcoming Party leaders, delegates, members, supporters, invited guests and observers to the planned National Convention.

A Nigerian footballer Dies In Azerbaijan During Training

A young Nigerian footballer by the name Michael Umanyika died on Monday while training with his team Zagatala PFK, a First Division club in Azerbaijani.
While the training was still in session, Umanyika suddenly stopped and fell, and all efforts to revive him proved futile. It has been reported that his death was almost instantaneous.

It was his first training session with Zagatala PFK after returning from Nigeria, where he spent his vacation.

The 20-year-old midfielder joined Zagatala PFK in the 2015-2016 campaign and made 20 appearances for the club over the course of the season.

Umanyika died from an apparent heart attack, but this has not been confirmed officially.

CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF A TIV WOMAN

The beauty of a TIV WOMAN has been ably portrayed by this young lady.
She is a 400 level student of Mass Communication Benue State University,
She is the 4th child in a family of five children,
She attended the famous Government  Girls College makurdi,
She was born on the 19th of july 1991 to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Atakpa,
She is from Sengev council ward in Gwer-West local Government of Benue State,
She was crowned the MISS GWER-WEST in 2013
She was crowned the ADOO ASHE U TIV (THE BEAUTY OF TIV) on the 15th of July 2016,
She is no other but Miss Atakpa Mnena Jennifer Gabriella (ADOO ASHE U TIV

PRESS RELEASE

COALITION OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WITH LIKE MINDS

BEING A PRESS RELEASE BY THE TRIO OF, GLOBAL AWARENESS FOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, VOLUNTEER AWARENESS NETWORK MOVEMENT AND COALITION FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF COALITION OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WITH LIKE MINDS ON THE ALLEGATION OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST THREE NIGERIAN LEGISLATORS ON OFFICIAL ASSIGNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THEME: SEXUAL MISBEHAVIOR OR BRUTAL/RACIAL OPPRESSION 

Respected Gentlemen, women and stakeholders of the press, our attention has been drawn to serious allegations/claims made by the United States Government through its ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle against three highly respected honorable members of the Federal House of Representative, Nigeria. In a 9^th June petition addressed to the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the ambassador allegedly accused these three lawmakers, Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah (Gwer East/Gwer West, Benue State), Hon. Samuel Ikon (Etinam/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium, Akwa Ibom State), and Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (Gamawa, Bauchi State), of committing what he termed ‘sexual misbehavior’.

Recall that, between the 7^th to the 13^th of April this year, ten honorable members were selected and subsequently invited by the United States Government to attend, the International Visitor Leadership Program on good governance, in Cleveland, Ohio. The US authorities claimed they received misconduct report from some employees of the Marriot hotel in Cleveland where the honorable members lodged. These horrible allegations were very explicit. Hear Mr Entwistle “Mohammed Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited for sex. Mark Terseer and Samuel Ikon purportedly requested the hotel parking attendants assist them solicit prostitutes”. To further add salt to injury, the US mission in Nigeria hurriedly cancelled/revoked the visas issued to the lawmakers barring them from future trips to the United State. This is a gross misuse/abuse of power and a flagrant disregard of the rights/privileges of these lawmakers. Also, it is pertinent to note this very simple but hard truth; He who asserts must prove, meaning an accused stands innocent until proven/pronounced guilty and enjoys the benefit of any doubt. But even as we speak, the erstwhile US ambassador to Nigeria and also a runaway diplomat has failed to provide any evidence, or has he indicated any interest to present any corroborative proof to support his country’s spurious accusations against these highly esteemed lawmakers of our great nation.

Furthermore, the fact that the alleged misconduct occurred in April, but it took the US a whole month to petition the Speaker; a country which prides itself on its ability to give an accused person fair hearing and dispense quick justice, left a lot to be desired and clearly there is an ulterior motive. Why didn’t the US security agency confront these lawmakers with the allegation? In Hon. Mohammed Gololo’s case, how is it possible for him to attempt to rape a lady in his hotel room without the lady screaming? In a technologically advanced country like the US with its up-to-date CCTV cameras, why were video footages not presented as evidence against them? These and many unanswered questions have countered these accusations, making it false, speculative, a terrible blunder and a complete blackmail to malign/tarnish not just the good image of these legislators, but also the integrity of the Nigeria State among the league of nations. Ours is not a perfect society, but we would not blackmail any nation or its citizens without substantial evidence.

In view of the aforementioned, the personality, integrity and diplomatic competence of James Entwistle have been brought to disrepute, as he is nothing but a mere rubble-rouser and a reckless diplomat who is not fit to represent the US in Nigeria. He made these unfounded allegations without any shred of evidence. This is an affront to the National Assembly and a big mockery of our sensibility as a people. These are plain trumped up charges by certain individuals using their authoritative positions to gravely ridicule the good people of Nigeria and by extension, Africa. We also believe these are all part of a grand plan and concerted effort to project black people as having weak and loose morals. This is not the first embarrassment we have received from western countries, but this is one too many, and we vow to make it the last, as we will do everything within our powers and the confines of the law to put an end to this bullying attitude of this self acclaimed saints (USA).

People of the press and fellow Nigerians, it is against this backdrop and out of passion, love and concern for this great nation that we make bold to say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”. A lawmaker anywhere in the world is a representative of his country everywhere he goes. This is the reason why we as proud Nigerians cannot sit and do nothing while our representatives are humiliated, defaced and unjustly accused of sexual misbehavior.  A congressman in the United States is treated with utmost respect, and such a person will not accept any form of unjustified allegation against his/her personality especially by another country.

 

We as civil society groups in Nigeria who stand to uphold peace, equity, social justice and transparency are severely worried by the fact that Mr. James Entwistle who was the US ambassador to Nigeria breached protocol by writing a petition to the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, instead of writing to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama. The same James Entwistle, arrogantly rebuffed the National Assembly by turning down an invitation from the Federal House of Representatives. It is also confirmed that no evidence was tendered alongside the allegations, as the estranged

hotel employees have refused to testify to all the allegations they purportedly made. It is also very disheartening to know that the visas of these honorable representatives were revoked without giving them fair hearing.

We therefore call on members of the public, the press and every other well meaning countryman/woman to stand up against this show of disrespect to our lawmakers and by extension our great nation. We urge you all to remain calm and resolute as we MUST see to a fair conclusion of this matter.

                                                                                            

Long live Civil Society Groups in Nigeria

Long live Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, and Benue states

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Thank you all