I didn’t share Jonathan’s rice as Xmas gift —Edo PDP gov aspirant

BENIN—A governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in this year’s election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has denied allegations that he shared rice meant for the presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the state as his Christmas gift to Edo people. Ize-Iyamu Ize-Iyamu In a statement in Benin, yesterday, he said, “For the records, Dr. Jonathan or PDP never brought rice to distribute for the presidential election in Edo State, so it is impossible to comptemplate its being diverted. “It was Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, a support group for the then President, that sent some 5kg bags of rice which were given to the party leadership to distribute and were never given to me as state coordinator. “The rice I shared during the last Christmas was in 50kg, 25kg, 10kg and 2kg bags respectively. The 2kg bags which had the inscription of PDP and operation feed Nigeria was produced by a friend and his phone number is boldly written on the bags. He gave me these bags free of charge to give to as many people as possible as gift during Christmas. “I stuck my stickers on the bags after bagging them to enable the recipients know where the rice came from and I thank God for all those who supported me to achieve this gesture of love in a state that has been plundered by those who promised to abolish poverty. “I challenge those who persist in lies and character assassination to call the phone number on the back of the 2kg bags and confirm the producer of these bags. Common sense which is lacking in the life of political thieves could have revealed that rice stored for over a year would be prey to weevils and clearly not suitable for human consumption.” He accused those he called political hirelings of attempting to cast aspersions on the integrity of his person by falsely accusing him of diverting rice meant for the presidential campaign of Dr. Jonathan and distributing same as his own Christmas gift to Edo people. “This baseless allegation, which is absurd, was quickly refuted by the leadership of PDP in Edo State as untrue. That emphatic statement ought to have cleared the matter but clueless detractors desperate to earn their pay stuck to their mischief and insisted that their allegation must be investigated,” he said.

Police kill 2 robbery suspects in Ughelli shootout

UGHELLI—THERE was tension, yesterday, at Upper Afiesere Junction, Ughelli, as a combined team of policemen and vigilante engaged a gang of suspected armed robbers in a shootout, during which two of the bandits were killed.

IGP-Solomon-Arase

A senior police officer attached to the Ughelli ‘A’ Division, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, said that a police patrol team was drafted to the robbery scene at 1.10p.m., following a tip-off on the operations of the hoodlums.

The source gave the identities of the suspects killed in the shootout as Orido Kess and Simple.

The source said: “On sighting the team, the hoodlums numbering four, opened fire leading to a gun duel, resulting in the death of two suspects. Two others escaped into a stream with bullet wounds.”

Items recovered from the suspects were two motorcycles, a cut-to-size double-barrelled gun, one locally-made pistol, four expended and two live cartridges.

Arms scandal: Osoba group disowns Falae over N100m donation

ABEOKUTA—The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ogun State has broken its silence over the controversial N100 million allegedly collected  by its National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae from the former Chairman Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,, Chief Tony Anenih, saying, contrary to Falae’s claims of distributing the money to state chapters of the party, it did not get any money from him.

Olusegun Osoba

The money was allegedly linked with the $2.1 billion arms fund believed to have been mismanaged by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Falae had admitted receiving N100 million from Anenih.

The party, which was under the control of former governor of the state, Chief Segun Osoba in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Olu Agemo and the Secretary, Clement Adeniyi yesterday in Abeokuta, declared that it was never notified of or involved in any negotiation to partner with the PDP or any other party for the purpose of winning the election or maintaining peace during the period as claimed by Falae.

According to the party, ”We were never informed by the National Secretariat of our party of the decision to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan or any other candidate as the party’s presidential candidate.

“That, we were never informed of any donation of funds to the party by the PDP or any other party.

“That the SDP in Ogun State did not receive any financial or campaign logistics assistance from the national secretariat of our party or any of its principal officers.

“That in April 2015 we made our position clear on the sources of our campaign funding through advertisement in the Guardian, Vanguard, Punch and Tribune newspapers of Monday April 20, before the current revelation.

“We plead with our members and supporters who have received this untoward revelation with great shock to remain calm and await the convocation of a general meeting where these issues shall be thoroughly discussed and appropriate decisions taken,” the statement read.

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“We assure you that the SDP in Ogun will continue to operate within ethical and moral norms as laid out in the principles of Progressive Welfarism established by our progenitor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the struggle to establish an egalitarian, peaceful and equitable nation”, the statement read.

#BayelsaDecides: How Dickson won Bayelsa Gov poll

YENAGOA—Governor Seriakae Dickson was, yesterday, returned as the winner of the Bayelsa State governorship election. This followed the declaration of the results of the supplementary elections conducted at the weekend in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 101 polling units in six other local government areas. The supplementary elections followed the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw and the 101 units due to irregularities in the governorship election conducted on December 5, 2015.

VICTORY—Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson (centre), flanked by his wife, Rachael (right)and PDP Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, raising their hands in victory, shortly after INEC’s announcement, declaring Dickson as winner of the State Governorship election, yesterday.

Dickson, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polled 134,988 votes to triumph over his predecessor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Timipire Sylva who polled 86,852 votes. A total of 232,167 votes were cast in the election out of which 6,647 votes were rejected as invalid.

Moses Siasia, a younger brother of Nigeria’s Under 23 football coach, Samson Siasia, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, took a distant third with 1,572 votes despite a high-profile campaign.

The declaration of the final results by the returning officer, Professor Zana Akpagu commenced shortly after 8.00 p.m. last night and punctured the high drama and suspense that had held many of the state’s political stakeholders for most of yesterday.

The agents of the PDP, Chief Fred Agbedi and that of the APC, Barrister Dennis Otiotio had in the course of the day at the collation centre, Yenagoa, repeatedly exchanged accusations over the conduct of the supplementary elections in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and some other units where the elections were cancelled last December.

Earlier in the day, the returning officer for Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Dr. Johnson Dagana had declared the result of the election in the local government area putting Dickson as the winner of the contest in the area with 23,2081 votes. Sylva, who had earlier predicated his possible victory in the governorship election to amassing significant votes to wipe away the 30,000 plus lead of Dickson, garnered last December, however, failed to record the upset in the local government area.

Bayelsa Governorship election results

In the end, he got only 10,216 votes out of the 33,607 valid votes cast in the local government area that is also the base of Dickson’s late patron and first civilian governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Following the declaration of the results, Barrister Otiotio, agent of the APC candidate immediately renounced the declaration of Dickson as the winner, saying the election should have been declared inconclusive on the claim that the difference between the two leading candidates was less than the number of cancelled votes. He also alleged irregularities in voting in some sections of the state.

His claim was immediately dismissed by Agbedi, the PDP agent who blamed the irregularities on the APC even as he acclaimed the performance of Dickson as the reason for the PDP victory.

Ekweremadu congratulates Dickson
Following the declaration of the results, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the highest elected PDP official in the Federal Government, congratulated Dickson saying the victory was sweet.

He said: “It is a sweet victory, coming against all odds. It is a testimony to the performance and popularity of Governor Seriake Dickson and our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“I commend the people of Bayelsa State for standing up to be counted, for protecting their democratic rights to freely choose their leaders. They have made a resounding statement to the effect that the state remains a PDP enclave and that they are committed to keeping it so.”

He, however, charged Governor Dickson to repay Bayelsans for their faith in the PDP and his leadership credentials with greater transformation in his second term.

He also enjoined him to reach out to his opponents for the peace and progress of the state, while ensuring that every part of the state is fairly treated irrespective of their political choices.

The state chapter of the PDP, however, rued what it described as the cost of human lives it took the party to achieve victory.

The party stated this through the Director of Publicity, Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, shortly after the declaration of the results.

“It’s painful that this victory has come with so much pain because we lost dear ones. Those who died are our brothers. So many are yet in the hospitals nursing life threatening injuries because our opponents wanted to win at all cost. We wish to express our deepest condolences once again and to assure them that their death will not be in vain”, it stated.

Obuebite who noted that the victory was important because it came the way of the PDP even in the face of intimidation, tyranny, threats and violent attacks, added that “despite the challenges, democracy won.”

He said: “We want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank all Bayelsans for their doggedness and patriotism because even in the face of such terrible intimidation and violence decided, out of their own volition, they came out to re-elect and return the Countryman Governor to office for the next four years. We are grateful for your remarkable decision as expected in a democracy.”

 Dickson thanks electorate, says no celebration
In his acceptance speech, Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, thanked the electorate for ensuring his re-election for another four years, but said there would be no celebration because of the number of lives that have been lost.

The governor in an emotion-laden statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, released to journalists last night in Yenagoa, however, vowed that he would do everything possible to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

He promised to work tirelessly to justify the mandate given to him “as we tried to do in the first four years to almost universal acknowledgement and approbation.”

While extending a hand of fellowship to his political opponents, Dickson said since election has been won and lost, the needs of Bayelsans, the challenge of improving their material condition remains and is even more urgent.

The text of the Governor’s statement reads thus: “My good people of Bayelsa State, I am extremely humbled tonight on the valiant efforts you made to revalidate the mandate you gave me four years ago. With all manner of forces arrayed against us not least the utter desperation of our political opponents, community after community led by women and youth stood gallantly to defend the sanctity of their votes and to resist the efforts of hoodlums who style themselves as “militants” to undermine the democratic process.

“To the extent that the people ensured that they spoke loud and clear and that their choice clearly emerged provides some reassurance that our democracy is coming of age. Sadly however the elections were conducted at the price of several lives lost and mayhem visited on many communities by mindless brigands clearly suborned by those who do not respect the democratic process and have equally scant regard for the sanctity of lives and property. Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate because people have died.

“I want to assure you that we will do everything possible to identify the culprits and bring them to justice. I want to express my heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the innocent victims of the violence. The government will be undertaking a full account of what happened.

“The mandate you have given us having been clearly demonstrated, I want to assure you that my administration will work tirelessly to justify this mandate as we tried to do in the first four years to almost universal acknowledgement and approbation. The present economic climate in the country may be very harsh with the precipitous slide in oil revenues but I want to assure you that we will courageously tackle the challenges of economic and social development with renewed vigour.

“Here I will like to extend a hand of fellowship to our political opponents. The election has been won and lost but the needs of our people, the challenge of improving their material condition remains and is even more urgent. That should now be the focus of all our attention and efforts.

“God bless the valiant people of Bayelsa.”

Police force-feed thief dozens of bananas

Indian police s successfully deployed an unusual technique to retrieve a gold chain that a thief had swallowed while officers were in hot pursuit — they force-fed him more than 40 bananas.

The man denied snatching the chain from a woman in the street in Mumbai and swallowed it in a desperate bid to conceal his crime last week, but hospital X-rays suggested otherwise.

Police in the western Indian city administered an enema which failed to yield the desired result.

Doctors said an operation would be the best way forward, but police officers decided it would be too expensive and opted instead for the bananas.

“He was fed more than 40 bananas throughout the day,” Mumbai police Senior Inspector Shankar Dhanavade told AFP.

“Eventually the chain was found. We made him wash and disinfect it,” the policeman added.

The 25-year-old man appeared in court on Friday and is in police custody, said Dhanavade.

According to reports, it was not the first time Mumbai police had turned to the fruit in order to recover a stolen item.

In July last year a chain was retrieved after a thief was made to eat two dozen bananas and drink several litres of milk laced with laxatives, the Hindustan Times reported.

Months earlier in April, a thief was fed five dozen bananas after swallowing a gold chain with a large pendant.

The thief successfully excreted the loot. But the disgusted victim refused to touch it and instead took it to a jeweller in a plastic bag, the newspaper said.

Catholic Church plans to transfer Fr. Mbaka

INDICATIONS have emerged that fiery priest and
Director of Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka may
be transferred out of his station, Christ the King Parish
in GRA, Enugu State.
The speculated transfer of Mbaka by Enugu Catholic
Diocese is coming against the backdrop of his recent
prophecies especially in the politics of Nigeria where he
predicted the defeat of former president Goodluck
Jonathan at the polls.
Reliable sources told Daily Sun that the decision to
remove Mbaka was scheduled to affect other priests in
an attempt to make it look like a routine church affair.
Another source, however, confirmed that the church is
afraid of the possible reaction of his followers and the
adoration faithful, who make up more than 80 per cent
of the population of Enugu Catholic Diocese.
Mbaka was criticised extensively by the clergies in the
South East when he backed President Muhammadu
Buhari to beat Jonathan in the March 28, 2015
elections.
In his New Year message, Mbaka lambasted those who
labeled him a false prophet and demanded to know who
is the false prophet.
Speaking on the issue, Director of Social Com­
munications of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Joseph Offor noted
that the Diocese embarks on postings of priests every
six years.
Offor, who spoke to Daily Sun on phone, explained that
there would be general posting and re-posting of priests
this year.
“Yes, the postings will be announced this week. The
bishop decides who should be posted where; it has
nothing to do with a particular individual. It is a routine
practice which is done every six years.”
Also reacting, Mr. Val Nnadozie, a politician and
adoration faithful said: “For me, I think it’s just a rumour
which is making the rounds. And it is my view that the
bishop has the right to transfer any priest.
“However, it won’t be right if such a transfer is done
with malice or as a punitive measure for holding an
opinion on an issue.”
Our source revealed that the transfer, which is due to be
announced this week, may see Mbaka being posted to
the adoration ground, Emene, which is not yet a parish.
He claimed his prediction was based on prophetic
revelations, saying he was compelled by divine intuition
and unsavoury socio-economic incidents in the country
to voice out his concern.
Delivering a sermon titled “From good luck to bad luck”
during the crossover night Adoration mass to usher in
the New Year, the radical priest said he and millions of
other Nigerians were disappointed by Jonathan’s
administration, arguing that it had failed to rescue the
Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in April
2014.
Interestingly, Fr. Mbaka had earlier anointed former
President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Dame Patience
Jonathan, as the next First Lady of Nigeria.