South East
I Was Accused Of Plotting To Kill Deputy Governor – Abia Deputy Chief Of Staff
Abia State Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS), Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, has admitted being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Umuahia, on allegations of plotting to kill the Deputy Governor, Comrade Chris Akomas.
The DCOS who was reacting to media reports that he was detained for two days by the Deputy Governor himself while his release was secured by the Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, said a team of Police officers from the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo, came to Umuahia and took him to the SCID where they interrogated on the allegation that he was plotting to kill the Deputy Governor.
According to him, the Security Officer to the Deputy Governor had fired a petition to the IG, alleging that he (Ogbonnaya) and others government functionaries were plotting to kill the Deputy Governor, adding that the Police had asked him that he wanted to kill the Deputy Governor because the Deputy Governor want to run for governorship election.
Briefing newsmen in Government House, Umuahia Friday, Ogbonnaya said:
“I was embarrassed to read that I was detained. The Deputy Governor himself was embarrassed.
“The truth is that I was detained at the SCID by a team of Police officers from the IG’s office. The Security officer to the Deputy Governor alleged that I and others were planning to eliminate the Deputy Governor. He made the statement to the officers from Abuja .
“I was detained for five hours. The security officers alleged that I went to Nenu with a squad to kill the Deputy Governor but when I did not succeed I came back to Umuahia to reduce his (Deputy Governor’s) security personnel.”
Ogbonnaya explained that in January, he had organized a party for the staff of the office of the Deputy Governor and expressed his appreciation to them. He said he also used the forum to convey to them that the staff strength of the Deputy Governor’s office would be scaled down to cut down on overhead spending.
He said he told the staff that the proposed downsizing would affect drivers and security personnel. According to him, 53 Policemen were working in the office of the Deputy Governor and that N2 million is spent on them weekly as allowance.
On his encounter with Police, Ogbonnaya said they asked him that he wanted to kill the Deputy Governor because he (Deputy Governor) wants to contest governorship election.
“I told them that that was not to my knowledge and if he (Deputy Governor) had asked me I will tell him that he was not qualified, not academically, but by the Abia Zoning arrangement,” he said was his response.
He said the Policemen were bent on taking him to Abuja but for the intervention of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Chief Ukpai Agwu Ukpai, who secured his release. He said he has been reporting to Abuja in connection with the matter.
Asked if he discussed the proposed staff pruning with the Deputy Governor, Ogbonnaya said “I am the Chief accounting officer in that office and I do know the difficulties we are facing in paying allowances.”
The DCOS said his annoyance stems from the denial by the Deputy Governor that he was unaware that the Security Officer implicated him. Explaining further, Ogbonnaya said that the Security Officer, in his petition, did mention him by name but alleged that certain government officials were planning to kill the Deputy Governor.
However, in his statement to the Police officers from Abuja , according to Ogbonnaya, the Security officer specifically mentioned him (Ogbonnaya) and one Ogbonnaya Obike as being behind the plot to kill the Deputy Governor,.
Sources close to Government House hinted that all has not been well between the Governor and his Deputy and there has been serious efforts to paper the cracks and conceal their quarrel from the public . The sources claimed that the bone of contention is the 2011 governorship contest.
Just last week, the governor who was in Lagos vigorously denied any rift with his deputy, insisting that their relationship was most cordial. When Abia hosted National Cocoa Day last year, Orji had described his Deputy as the “most loyal Deputy Governor in Nigeria “ when the Cocoa Committee paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House.
However, none of them has made any comment publicly on the development narrated by the DCOS.
The police in Ebonyi State say they have discovered the body of a yet to be identified middle-aged woman in a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Loveth Odah, stated this yesterday.
She said the body has deep cuts on the chest and neck and has been deposited in a mortuary. According to the spokesman, it was discovered at Crown Garden Hotel located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the capital city.
Mrs Odah, who said that the victim was found in the pool of her own blood, said the suspect had been identified as one Uchenna Awoke.
She said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Eze, the supervisor, and other workers had been taken to the police station for questioning and accused the hotel management of negligence.
“The manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for questioning and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management. How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident.”
“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted. All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
The Senate yesterday passed the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2018.
The proposed commission aims at enhancing the infrastructural development of the South East zone, which is grappling with huge ecological challenges.
It also seeks to act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The proposed legislation requires the concurrence of the House of Representatives to become a bill of the National Assembly, and the President’s assent to become a law.
Senators Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) and Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo) jointly sponsored the bill read in the Senate on June 22, 2016.
Its passage in the Red Chamber followed the presentation of the report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by its former Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa), on the floor of the Senate.
The bill, after Paulker’s presentation, was considered clause by clause by the committee of the whole, and amendments made by the lawmakers were read for the third time and eventually passed.
In his remarks, presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended his colleagues for a job well done.
In his words, “Every morning we pray that God should give us the grace to do only those things that will promote the peace and unity of this country.
“I believe that we have shown today that we are committed to the unity of this country, and it is this unity that will give us faith in this country.
“This faith will in turn help us to pursue peace and progress,” he said.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, members the South East caucus of the Senate, led by Sen. Enhinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), thanked their colleagues and members of the committee for their efforts.
Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, urged the President to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him, in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria”.
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East, and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done,” he said.
The lawmaker said he hoped the House of Representatives would give concurrence to the bill as it went in the Senate.
When established, the South East Development Commission would be the third zonal interventionist body in the country.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Founder and Presideng Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday predicted that nothing would disturb the peace of Nigeria and its story would change for the better in the year 2019.
Oyedepo made the declaration at the just concluded annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family, christened the “Dominion”, in a satellite telecast of the church.
In the telecast monitored in Abuja, the cleric also declared that 2019 would be a year of “I have Dominion”.
“Nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria; the story will change for the better in the name of Jesus.
“Nigeria shall not see bloodshed, the Prince of Peace will continue to dominate in Nigeria, in Africa and Nigeria is declared blessed.
“Anywhere you step, accident is forbidden; death will not come near you and our nation.
“Anything that is of grace in my life, I freely release upon you today.
“God has opened the year 2019 to us, celebrate Him because its our year of “I have Dominion,” he said.
The Bishop added that the year 2019 would be a year of humbling testimonies for Nigeria and pace-setting testimonies.
He further declared that 2019 would be a colourful year for the nation.
According to the cleric, as long as Jesus has the final say on the issues of Nigeria, it will experience greatness.
Oyedepo said that there would be no more cause of alarm in any area of the nation and its citizens.
He advised Christians in Nigeria to delight themselves in the spirit of servant-hood, adding that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood.
“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood. As you keep rising on the ladder of leadership, you must retain our spirit of servant-hood, constantly working to add value to others and be kingdom minded,” he said.
According to him, dedication is at the root of dominion, saying: “Sow yourself as a seed by being totally dedicated to God and His Kingdom’’.
He told his congregation that sacrificial giving guarantees the meeting of all their needs.
“When you engage in taking care of the well-being of others, God is also committed to your well-being,” he explained. The cleric admonished Christians would engage in meeting the needs of the needy, every barrier on their path of destiny would be crushed.
“Nobody tampers with your life, your career, your family and goes away with it because you are promoted to God’s kingdom.
“God will stand for your defence in the day of trouble. Every sacrificial giver has a defence around him in the day of trouble always have that in mind,” he said.
He reminded his congregation that the Church is not a building; the Church is a people and the Redeemed of the Lord.