Top Stories
Fake
crash helmets flood Nigeria
By
OUR REPORTERS
COMMUTERS are in for more hectic times as the seeming genuine drive by the
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to check-mate carnage on Nigerian roads
through its order for the compulsory use of crash helmet for motor-cycle riders
has opened a can of worms. As the order issued about three months took effect
on January 1, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) quickly placed an
advertorial on specifications for the crash helmets the cyclists, popularly
known as okada riders, and their passengers ...
Balarabe Musa explodes!
THE epoch
presidential election ruling is a testimony that Nigerian opposition parties
are weak and opportunistic. If not so, the Supreme Court ruling which he said
was a legal exercise that lacked the peoples legitimacy could not have been...
N40m
Scholarship scam rocks Borno
From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
MIRACULOUS disappearance of N40 million from the vaults of Borno State Scholarship
Board of the State Ministry of Education has been blamed for the inability
of West African Examination Council (WAEC/NECO) to release 2007 Statement
or results of all the indigenous students thereby robbing them of admission...
Unspent
Funds: Contract scams rock ministries
From CHUKS EHIRIM; Abuja
BIDDING to conceal their inadequacies and avert punishment, federal ministries
which under utilised their votes have flouted the directive of President Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua, that all unspent funds from last year's budget be returned
to the...
NEWS
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new states
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a spent force –Urhobo leader
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to death
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for Nigeria –Businessman
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goes tough on crime
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LG Council suspended
• 1999 Constitution Review:
Rep slams NASS leadership over N1bn allocation
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see Nigeria through 2009 – Gov Daniel
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on 2008 budget allocation
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rate, says commissioner
• NGO to curb pipeline vandalism
• Speaker urges Nigerians
to live in peace, harmony
• Gov Oshiomhole dares lawmakers
over sacked workers
•Gov Jang held hostage at
Budget presentation
• Jos riot is poverty-motivated
–Gov Yuguda
• Beneficiaries of Harmony
Estate laud Gov Saraki
• House Minority Leader distributes
N100 million poverty alleviation materials
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Ohakim for free Xmas ride
Calling Tony Mac-Pepple To Order
By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE
A lot of politicians in Nigeria who are not democrats and as a result have
been unwounded behind in the President Yar'Adua-led administration have resorted
to peddling of information worthy of mass destruction against this government
but most especially against the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led Rivers State
Government. And it would amount to uselessness repeating the cause of the
cult wars that rattled Port Harcourt in the recent past, but what we know
remains unchangeable that unless a criminal makes his confession in the open
that he is no longer a criminal the stigmatization from people following such
person wouldn't easily join history.
Now, a Tony MacPepple, has become an arch-trader of the aforementioned business.
Rivers political watchers are now accusing him of doing the bidding of his
masters: the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, and the one
time Minister of Transportation Dr. Abiye Sekibo, to pull the Amaechi government
down. MacPepple has now also lengthened his dragnet to the Unity Government
in the state allegedly describing the Action Congress leader in the State,
Prince Tonye TJT Princewill as segregative and as well as a tribalist.
But that does not surprise anybody because it could be noted that this MacPepple
and his employers are just envy because of the soaring profile of Princewill
since he joined active politics in 2007. But how else can a writer describe
again the likes of Odili and Sekibo that have not been described? If Odili
still has a name in the minds of some Rivers people because of his role as
Father Christmas when he held forte as governor of the state, the name Abiye
Sekibo has gone underground.
This could be why a Commissioner in the state recently described Sekibo as
a drowning politician and as well as a great liar. Any one who is drowning
physically or spiritually all he needs is just help, not vituperation. But
Sekibo seems not to be a politician of peaceful-minded in the state. However,
he now points at his father's house with the left hand from Abuja. Today,
it is MacPepple, but last time it was one Dagogo Clifford who was spending
his precious time and energy writing fictitious fables against Amaechi and
his government. But that Dagogo has today gone oblivion perhaps on noticing
that it is only a fool that eat all the food presented him by his host. One
advice to MacPepple and his alleged principals is that it does not pay to
run people down.
What Rivers people need now is not rancour, bickering and tinkering but love,
peace and unity irrespective of tribe. Nigerians are today hailing Obama and
America for Obama's victory in the November 4th presidential election even
that Obama wasn't paternally from America. He is from Kenya in Africa. If
MacPepple, as reportedly said, is angry that Princewill is favouring his Kalabari
people in the AC in the Unity Government of the state, he should know that
the Special Duty Commissioner, Dr Ibiamu Dave one of the AC's Commissioners
is from Andoni and not Kalabari. Hon. Badey Suag, member of the Governing
Council members of Rivers State Science and Technology and the AC Chairman
in Rivers State is from Ogoni and not from Kalabari. Chief William Igweh,
Princewill's guber candidate in the last general election and currently the
Senior Adviser to Gov. Amaechi is an Ikwerre man and not from Kalabari axis.
So, from where did Tony Mac-Pepple got his dubious statistics used in his
fruitless attack against Prince Tonye Princewill who assured against all odds
to allow him fly the flag of AC in the last LG Election in the State.
His recent antecedent to friends and lovers of Princewill is still confusing
to any sound mind in the State. The fact remains that the only Kalabari so
nominated by AC in the Amaechi-led Government is only Hon. Osima Ginah, the
Commissioner for Urban Development who has against all odds pointed out to
the people of Rivers State what an AC Government would have done if they are
in control of the affairs of the State excellence in all ramifications. However,
one does not understand where MacPepple is getting his information from. Albeit,
it does not surprise one that traducers can go to any length to run their
victims down. And that is what could be perceived MacPepple is doing, but
he should not use Prince Toney TJT Princewill as a study notebook.
•Onwumere wrote from Rivers
