The factional Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Godwin Osiyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Ogori-Magongo, has recounted the six grounds on which 17 members of the House impeached Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal of the same PDP-Okene II, was impeached on December 10 this year.

He said that the six grounds arose from general feeling of discontentment among members.

Addressing newsmen in Lokoja today, Godwin Osiyi said that one of the reasons for the impeachment was the former speaker’s gross incompetence and lack of capacity and confidence to preside over the proceedings of the 6th Assembly.

Other reasons, he said, included the former speaker’s insensitivity to members’ interest and plight and misrepresentation between the Assembly and the Executive for his personal interests and aggrandizement.
According to him mismanagement of the Assembly funds and other valuable resources and betrayal of trust members reposed on him as well as high-handedness in the administration of the Assembly “as he operates like a sole administrator” are other sins of the impeached speaker.
however, the embattled former speaker said that though he was not opposed to the impeachment, but that it ought to have followed due process.
He declared that the manner in which it was conducted contravened the House rules and procedures for impeachment.
Lawal alleged that legislators plotting his removal forged the signature of Umar Ahmed Imam (APC), the member representing Lokoja 1 Constituency, as one of the 17 members that signed the impeachment notice. [myad]

The embattled senator representing Abia North Senatorial district, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has declared alleged that his opponent and PPA senatorial candidate, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu as being broke.

“Orji Uzor Kalu is not rich. Let me tell you, very soon Diamond bank he took loan from will come for him. He is broke. Let nobody deceive you into believing that he is rich.”

Ohuabunwa who was addressing to multitude of his supporters in Umuahia town insisted that Orji is never a successful and wealthy businessman, advising his supporters to disregard all forms of deceitful information that would intimidate them into losing confidence of winning the yet to be fixed reelection date.

According to him, it is a mere speculation that his opponent is a successful businessman, adding that such belief is built on lies and deceit.

Ohabunwa admitted that the former governor of Abia state and serving senator, Chief T.A Orji is far richer than Orji Uzor Kalu.

“As we talk, T.A Orji is one of the richest former governors in this country. I really don’t know where they got the fact that Orji Uzor Kalu is rich. He is not. Let me tell you, very soon Diamond bank he took loan from will come for him. He is broke. Let nobody deceive you into believing that he is rich.

“I wouldn’t mind to say that we are just two in this race. At least people can trace my wealth and that of the other man, David Onuoha Bourdex who is in APGA; though I will beat him. We have genuine wealth, and with a good family background. Where is Orji Uzor Kalu’s wife? You can’t see her, and yet he is planning to represent you people at the Senate. We say no way!”

He asked his supporters to verify how former governor Orji Uzor Kalu managed to realize the Christmas hampers and gift items he doled out, saying: “Go to his house, you will see protesting traders. These are innocent and well-doing traders that he bought their goods on credit, and after delivering, he drove them out and they are out there protesting.

“We need to stop him with our votes. I’m going back to Abuja with my own feel of experience. Since I left business I’ve been politicking. Abuja needs men like us who can do the business of politics. Let me tell you, as broke as Kalu is, he is looking for power that will bounce him back into renovating his house in Igbere, as well revive his businesses. His only business that is working is The Sun Newspaper, though struggling. And within the month, we got the news of how it was traced to Dasuki’s loot.

“Recently, I read where he boasted of his ships under Slok. The truth is very simple here, because he used to have seven ships, but now, there is one functioning while one is dry-dock. Still on the Sun Newspaper, you are all aware of the crisis they are facing. To realize money, you can see how they established the award platform which is known today as Sun Man of the Year. These are avenues designed to make money for sustenance.”

Hhe encouraged his supporters to lead the course of realizing quality and effective representation through his mandate under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). [myad]

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has asked teachers in the services of the state to sit up and be productive or face the consequence of being redeployed to farms.

Governor Umahi who spoke in his country home, Umunaga- Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area when the members of the State Universal Basic Education Board and the Secondary Education Board led by Chief Hyacinth Ikpor and Mr. Emmanuel Odoh respectively paid him Christmas homage, insisted that he would not take it kindly with anybody that would stand in the way of sound education in the state.

“I want you to sit down and look at how to improve education. The only way you are judged is by the improvement in education,” he said even as he ordered them to re-evaluate their teachers before the middle of January, 2016.
He assured them however that no one would be sacked after the exercise, but that only those that were fit would remain in the classrooms, while others would be re-deployed to areas like Agriculture.
“Our educational system is very much in problem. I think the immediate past administration did not really care about Education.’
Describing education as a very important sector in his administration, the governor said that the need to convene an interactive meeting of all stakeholders in the education system on how to tackle the problems.
He maintained that the desire of his administration to make the state come first in the Senior Secondary School Examination and the National Examination Council evaluations could only be achieved within the first two years of his administration through the collective efforts of all the stakeholders.
Earlier in their respective remarks, the Chairman of UBEB, Chief Ikpor and his SEB counterpart, Mr. Odoh, said they came to felicitate with the governor and to congratulate him on his election tribunal and court of appeal victories.
They restated their determination to continue to work according to the goals of the present administration to ensure that the decay in the education sector was stemmed. [myad]

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has asked teachers in the state to measure up to modern standard of teaching, warning that he would not hesitate to redeploy any of them that has nothing to offer the students to other areas.

He made it clear however that his administration will not sack any teacher from the state civil service: “but we will not fail to reassign any teacher that does not have the requisite qualifications to be in the classroom.”

Governor Tambuwal who spoke today in Dogon-Daji, Tambuwal Local Government Area in his address at the annual national congress of the Old Boys Association of his Alma-mater, Government Secondary School, Dogon Daji announced: “beginning from the next budget, government will ensure continuous training and retraining of teachers to update their knowledge and make them conform to modern teaching techniques.
“Huge sums of money have been budgeted for that purpose.
“Let me announce it here that we do not plan to retrench any teacher working with the state government. In fact, we need qualified teachers to address shortfall in numbers.
“What we will not condone in our schools are unqualified teachers who have nothing to offer our children.
“If after giving you the necessary training, we discover that you do not have the capacity or enthusiasm to teach, we will reassign you to where your expertise if most needed.”
The governor commended the executive of the association for its diligence in the face of mounting challenges, even as he solicited its support in government’s efforts to take Sokoto State to greater heights. [myad]