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No Provision For ‘Elders’ Forum’ In ASIMPIN’s Constitution -Exco

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The Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria (ASIMPIN), has distanced itself from a group which recently branded itself as ASIMPIN Elders’ Forum, stressing that the Association’s constitution has no provision for Elders’ Forum.
ASIMPIN’s executives, led by the Secretary-General, Prince Okey Egbuchulam; National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Dr. Obicee Okonkwo; and Senior Special Assistant to the President General, Mr. Emeka Nwosu; argued that the purported members of the Elders’ Forum are not recognized members of any Chapter of the association.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Dr. Obicee Okonkwo said, “One must first be a member of a Chapter before you can lay claims to be a member of the whole body. You can verify from the ASIMPIN Constitution and other legitimate members of the association if there is any provision for Elders’ Forum in the constitution.
“So, before we begin to interrogate what these individuals said, we should note that they had no right to speak in any capacity on behalf of ASIMPIN”.
The ASIMPIN NPS also cited Article 7, Section B of the Association’s constitution which stated that; “Mode Of Election: The mode of election into any office of ASIMPIN shall be by secret ballot. The National Executive shall be by collegiate, while Chapter shall be elected by all Chapter registered financially up to date members”.
He further explained that going by the constitution, fresh national elections will only be conducted after the chapter elections are held first, adding that interested contestants must be financial members.
Obicee, however, explained that the new biometric system criticized by the alleged Elders’ Forum was conceived to streamline the Association’s members to recognize financially-committed members in Chapters.
He recalled that in the previous and only election of the association, there was the national elections first before the chapter elections because the body had just been formed and needed to create a leadership structure.
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of ASIMPIN, Prince Okey Egbuchulam revealed that at the recent national executives meeting the association agreed to introduce biometrics as part of efforts to know real members of the body so that non-members aren’t smuggled in during elections.
Egbuchulam added that the ASIMPIN executives had contracted a private company to carry out the biometrics capturing for its members and the executives also distributed forms to the respective chapters to be obtained at N1,000 for raw data before biometrics capturing.
His words: “In September 2022, we had a NEC meeting at Villa Park in Lagos and we decided to do elections. However, to curb the fraudulent practice where candidates imported non-Igbos and non-members just for the sake of voting; we agreed that ASIMPIN’s Electoral Committee (ASIMPEC) will only be inaugurated after the biometrics and membership forms from the respective chapters have been completed.
“Subsequently, we printed forms and distributed them to all the chapters; but no chapter has been able to register one member. No one has gotten back to us that any single member has registered.
“We need the chapters to fully register their members before we arrange for the private company to do the biometrics. The private company we contracted for this biometrics has been calling us repeatedly, but we kept telling them to hold on”.

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Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD

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The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.

According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.

The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”

“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.

“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.

” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.

The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.

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Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia

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The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical  and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi

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South East Caucus Kicks As  Senate Rejects  Nwosu’s Immortalisation

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South East Caucus of the Senate has  appealed to President   Bola Ahmed Tinubu  to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu  considering his commitment  to achieving a  practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly  angered by the  Senate’s  rejection of the  need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent  1993 elections  stormed out of the Senate Chambers   and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South),  as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said  late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous  national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite  history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .

Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi

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