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A’ Ibom Election Tribunals Relocate To Abuja …Movement Is Baseless, Says Ex-AG

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Akwa Ibom State Election
Petitions Tribunals sitting in Uyo have been ordered to relocate to Abuja following alleged misconduct by some parties involved in the petitions.
The two tribunals sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, are those of the Governorship Election Petitions and the National and State Houses of Assembly Elections.
Though no official statement was issued from the secretariat concerning the two tribunals, a source in the secretariat, who spoke on ground of anonymity last Monday, confirmed the relocation.
Speaking with newsmen a counsel to All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the tribunal, Mr Fidel Albert, said that the relocation was announced during sitting.
“The court announced that they are relocating but the venue is not officially mentioned.
“When enquiry was made as to why the relocation, the chairman said that the order was from the President of Court of Appeal,” Albert said.
Albert, who is appearing for 23 APC candidates in the National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunal, said that some of his clients would be affected financially by the relocation.
He said that the cost of transporting witnesses and materials would be high and painful for those clients with little finances.
Albert, who opined that somebody must have petitioned the President of Court of Appeal on the sitting, expressed the hope that the relocation was for the cause of justice.
Source said that three-member Tribunal for Governorship Election is headed by Justice Goddy Anunihu and other two members are Justice Raphael Aguwa and Justice J. B. Olowosegun.
The Chairman of National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal is Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, and the other members are Justice J.C.Iguh and Justice Bala Shuaibu.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared winner of governorship election, the three senatorial districts seats and the 10 House of Representatives seats in Akwa Ibom.
PDP also was declared winner of the 25 seats in the State House of Assembly leaving only one out of 26 for APC.
Meanwhile, a  former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Akwa Ibom, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko, says that the movement of the state election petition tribunal to Abuja is unconstitutional, baseless and lacking any justification.
Nwoko said this in Uyo when interacting with newsmen, he noted that the movement of the tribunal to Abuja has a multiplier negative effect on the entire state.
He said that the PDP was not in a hurry due to the fact that whatever proceedings that ‘are conducted in Abuja, unless the tribunal comes back to Akwa Ibom, is a nullity and amounts to no issue’.
According to him, if one is to rely on the case of Ibori and Ogboru, the Court of Appeal held that an election petition tribunal created pursuant to section 285, subsections 2, must hold its sitting in the state where the election took place.
He declared that to move the election petition tribunal outside the territory of the state where the election was conducted was a violation of the constitution.
“We in the PDP, we the Akwa Ibom lawyers, and the NBA, are ready to challenge the movement of the tribunal to Abuja. It has a multiplier negative effect on the entire state.
“Why we are not in a hurry is that whatever proceedings are being conducted now until they come back to Akwa Ibom, outside the territory of Akwa Ibom, is a nullity and amount to no issue.
“You can imagine the kind of burden, financial and logistic that will be put on the party that are going to move about 15,000 witnesses to come and testify in the election petition tribunal in an election that took place in Akwa Ibom”, he added.

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Fouchee Celebrates Asari’s Recognition 

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The Amayanabo of Fouchee Community in Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, HRH. A.C.Blakk-Iwerima, says the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri is the icing on the achievements of the Rivers State Governor in 2024.
HRH. Blakk-Iwerima, who was speaking recently to newsmen after the annual thanksgiving service of the Fouchee Community, said the recognition of Dokubo Asari was fit and proper and sounds like music in the ears of all people of Ifoko ancestry.
He commended the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara, for the recognition of Dokubo Asari, whose leadership role, he acknowledged, stands out.
He also commended the Governor for the many steps being taken to restore sanity in governance and dousing desperation through people-centered  policies in  the State.
According to him, “the Kings, Chiefs and people of Fouchee and Ifoko Communities in the Kalabari ethnic nationality are very proud of Alabo,  Alhaji Dokubo Asari, whose links with Ifoko has been most rewarding”.
HRH. Blakk-Iwerima promised to give all the support needed to enable the team working on the Fouchee Atlantic Project to succeed, and expressed hope that the Rivers State Government would also give the needed backing.
He further called on Asari to use the recognition to strengthen the Kalabari Se Kobiri and bring all aggrieved persons and  communities to see the need to work together.
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Kalabari Media Forum Hails Recognition Of Dokubo Asari As Amayanabo

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The Kalabari Media Forum has endorsed the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri and the historical relevance of the award.

 

A communique issued after the 2024 end of year summit of the Forum also commends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara for the recognition which they described as the best end of year gift to the Kalabari people.

 

The Communique signed by the Coordinator of the Forum, Alabo Dagogo Clinton and the Secretary, Mr. Harry Awolayeofori Macmorrison states that the gesture should make the Kalabari people to get back to the drawing board and consolidate on existing inter and intra communal peace within the region.

 

According to the statement, Torusarama Piri was the first place where the founding fathers of Kalabari converged from different cultures, tribes and backgrounds. Adding that those saying that the Kalabari people are not united should think again.

 

” As the different founding fathers were able to form a formidable ethnic nationality, modern day Kalabari  should be able to sink the differences between the constituent communities and with other non-Kalabari speaking neighbours to achieve the needed internal cohesion for development”.  It states.

 

The Forum further congratulated Alabo Asari Dokubo on his recognition and urged him to use the opportunity to do even more for the Kalabari people and Rivers State as a whole.

 

According to the statement, the Forum is happy with the recognition of Dokubo Asari not  because he is one of the patrons of the Forum, but because he is about the most Kalabari-centric figure living, who has also committed enormous resources for the protection of the Kalabari people.

 

They urged the Kalabari Se Kobiri and the entire people of the ethnic nationality to work with Alabo Dokubo Asari and put to rest speculations about Kalabari that some persons have exploited against the interest of the Kalabari people over the years.

 

 

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We’re Upgrading Tourism Sites Across C’River – Otu

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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has said plans were underway to upgrade tourism sites across the state to meet international standards.
Speaking with newsmen in Calabar, Otu said this was to attract local and international tourists to the state.
He said the state was also working on creating the needed infrastructure to boost tourism in the areas of transportation and  accommodation among others.
“We are currently training personnel within the state and outside the country to upgrade our tourism sites. We are partnering with investors to bring some of them to 21st century standard.
“Currently, we are trying to ensure our roads are taken care of. We are not waiting on the Federal Government again because it has become clear that priorities are too many, so, we have to help ourselves.
“We want to ensure people easily access those tourism sites with very little difficulty and we are looking at stabilising our product pricing by making sure transportation is improved. We will explore gas, electricity and train.
“We are going to improve aviation as well”,  he said.
Speaking on the just-concluded Calabar Carnival, Otu commended the competing and non-competing bands for their remarkable imput which culminated to the success of the event.
He appreciated everyone who worked behind the scene in the nine months preparation period for the carnival.
According to him, with guidance from renowned professors, researchers, individual artistes and many more professionals, the carnival was improved on.
He said in view of the need to bring back the international carnival, the state would work on ensuring world-class accommodation facilities are put in place ahead of the next edition.
He noted that the state would have a post carnival review to assess the areas to be improved on and other programmes to introduce.
Otu said depending on the outcome of the review, the state would be considering establishing diaspora bands in 2025.
“International carnival is not scrapped, we are looking at the prospect of established diaspora bands in 2025. This time, we are going to have a post carnival review to put things right.
“We are aware that three to four months ahead of the Calabar Carnival, hotels were already fully booked. So, we are trying to make sure we do not only have enough hotels but also ensure they are upscaled to international standards.
“This is because next Calabar Carnival will be a bigger picture with our international carnival in place.
“We already have international hospitality facilities that are moving here, we have hotels that are almost completed which can compete with any hotel across the world”, he said.
Otu, expressed excitement over the exhilarating performance of physically challenged individuals in the carnival.
He said the possibility of having a dedicated carnival band for them in 2025 would be explored.
“We do not see them as being limited by whatever challenges they face. We are looking at some of the things they have put to us but there must be a policy.
“We are looking at setting up a proper structure in their favour. So, to encourage them on the carnival front, the chairman of the Carnival Commission will check if they actually need their own band”, he said.
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