2019: We’ve issued notice of quit to Okowa, PDP – Emerhor

By Ighoavodha Alice

ASABA —FRONTLINE leader and 2015 governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, Olorogun O’Tega
Emerhor, has said his party has since served a quit notice on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.
Emerhor, who stated this in a chat with Vanguard , said that the APC will take over governance of the state in 2019, noting that Deltans were tired of the PDP and Governor
Okowa’s alleged bad governance.
Decrying the poor state of infrastructure in the state, the APC chieftain said there were no good roads in the state including Asaba, the state capital.
He said: “We served them notice long ago. Look at the roads in Asaba, this is the capital of Delta State, do you see any sign of
development here? Good government is coming with us.”
“We struggled to pass the Okpanam/Asaba Road to get to Okpanam town. This is within
Asaba. Why should we have a road like that? Delta State receives resources that should be used to develop this state. Good government is coming with us.
On the state of the APC in Delta,Emerhor said that the party was strong and intact.

PROGRAMMES MEANT FOR NIGERIANS MUST BE PRODUCED HERE, FG INSIST

By Onwudiachi Anwuli Joy

Nigeria’s Federal Government has insisted that any programme meant to be consumed by Nigerians must be produced in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, restated this on Wednesday 19th July 2017 adding, that he was not appointed minister to develop the economy of other countries at the expense of the Nigerian economy.

This was contained in a statement the minister released in Lagos through his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi.

He explained that the creative industry’s potential of creating one million jobs in three years cannot be realised if jobs meant for Nigerians are being exported to other countries under the guise of producing, in other countries, programmes to be consumed in Nigeria.

He said, ”I didn’t say that henceforth, all music videos and films will be produced in Nigeria, or that the production of music videos or films outside Nigeria will be banned. All I said was that if a programme is designated as a Nigerian (local) content programme, we will amend the code to ensure that it is produced in Nigeria. On that, there is no going back.”

The Minister recalled how his office was bombarded with calls from concerned Nigerians when the last edition of the ”Big Brother Naija” was produced in South Africa, saying he subsequently directed the National Broadcasting Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversy.

”Following the findings, we decided to amend the relevant sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to prevent a repeat of that development. We are now in the process of doing that, so that anyone who intends to produce a reality show or similar programmes for Nigerians cannot take the production of such shows outside Nigeria.

”Nigerians are a very proud and resourceful people, and we are sure that no Nigerian will be against a decision to prevent the jobs that can be done in Nigeria by Nigerians from being exported to other countries,” he said.

Anambra polls: Nobody can stop APGA from conducting primaries — Agbaso

By Ighoavodha Alice

ABA —National chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Martin Agbaso, has said nobody can stop the party from
conducting primaries to elect a candidate for the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra State.
Agbaso, who stated this in a statement by Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party,
Prince Ukaegbu, boasted that APGA was not disturbed by an order issued by Anambra State High Court sitting at Nnewi and presided over
by Justice Chukwudi Okaa, the father of Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Pharmacy, Valentine Okaa, stressing that the
Constitution and Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, favour the party to go ahead with the primaries.
He said: “APGA wishes to draw the attention of our members and the general public to the provisions of section 87 (11) of the 2010 Electoral Act, as amended, which provides that ‘nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general elections under this Act pending the
determination of any suit’.
“APGA states that the scheduled primary and events leading to the nomination of a candidate for the November 18 gubernatorial polls will go ahead unhindered and in accordance with the Constitution of APGA, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral
Act both in their letters and spirit.
“The party further wishes to seize this opportunity to caution Justice Okaa to forthwith return to the part of honour as his prefix connotes by striking out or dismissing the frivolous case before him, brought by Victor Oye for being an abuse of the processes of court.
Hon. Justice Chukwudi Okaa cannot legitimize an already discredited Oye leadership as affirmed and nodded by the court of Appeal.”
He stated the National Working Committee, NWC, of APGA, will meet next week to draw up guidelines for the primaries leading to the nomination of the party’s candidate for the November 2017 gubernatorial election subject
to the approval of its National Executive Committee, NEC.
Describing the court action as a desperate bid for the former national chairman of the party, Victor Oye, to distract the party in the build up
to the election, APGA commended the decision of the Nigeria Police Force in withdrawing from pursuing a futile appeal against the Order of
Mandamus of the Enugu High Court affirming the removal of Oye as the party’s national chairman.
Agbaso added that the withdrawal of the Police from the suit had confirmed the party’s position that the police had no business meddling in intra party affairs of a political party, having sworn to be an impartial defender of all.

IPOB does not have right to stop Anambra election – Obi of Onitsha

By Ighoavodha Alice

IPOB does not have right to stop Anambra election – Obi of Onitsha
The Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Ruler’s Council and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has cautioned the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over its statement on ‘No referendum, No election’ in Anambra state, saying that no one has the
right to stop the slated November 18, gubernatorial election in Anambra state.
Achebe who said this when he hosted the State leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene on Wednesday urged Anambra people to come out on November 18
to cast their vote. According to him there wouldn’t be any form of intimidation, fear or harassment because the federal government
will make provisions for security on the Election Day.
In his words, “The election is for us not for the entire country. You cannot have a referendum in one part of the country without carrying
other parts of the country along and the government must support and sponsor it before it will be organized and not curving out some part of the country for the referendum. The
election must hold and nobody or group of persons will stop it. Nobody should come to the state to cause unnecessary tension”.
On the other hand, Igwe Anchebe who saw the need for a united and develop Igbo charged Igbo people in the diaspora to return home and
invest rather investing in another man’s territory.
His words, “Our people should come home to invest in industry, factory, build schools and hospitals that will be beneficial to our people. We need non partisan strong institution to
create good environment for development. I commend the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership both at the national and state level for their
efforts within six months to unite Ndigbo”
Thanking Igwe Achebe for his candid advice the state chairman Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian
Okeke-Ogege said, “There is nothing we will do without you. If there is any case that is beyond us, we will consult you for advice and possible
resolution. Obi of Onitsha is bridge between the people and the government and his throne is
falling point for Ndigbo, Onitsha culture is a complete and standard that other Igbo land emulates”.
Stating further he said as quoted by the Sun newspaper, “Nobody who fought war will like to fight again. So we should be fighting war of sense and not physical war to being Ndigbo into the main stream in the country”.
In another development, it has been alleged that the IPOB spoke person, Mr Emma Powerful has issued a statement accusing Igwe Achebe of betraying Biafrans and its fight for an independent nation.