News

Crisis Looms In Ebonyi Assembly Over Umahi’s N33bn Loan Request

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2023

There is a brewing face-off in the Ebonyi House of Assembly not unconnected to a recent alleged demand by Governor David Umahi for the approval of a fresh N33 billion loan by the Assembly.

It was learnt that Umahi wrote to the House demanding an approval to borrow the money to enable him complete his projects before handing over on May 29, 2023.

This development, The PUNCH gathered, has generated mixed reactions among residents of the state, wondering why the governor was requesting for such a whopping sum in a state already indebted to local and international financial institutions to the tune of N75 billion.

Others are querying the relevance of the loan for project completion, even when Umahi has barely five weeks to leave office.

Meanwhile, the House of Assembly has remained adamant in its refusal to approve the N33 billion request from Governor Umahi despite persistent pressures from him and his foot soldiers.

A source said, “The House has approved the release of N6 billion for the settlement of accumulated gratuities and pensions owed to civil servants in the state since 2015 when Umahi came to office.”

The crisis has further deepened with a call from Assembly members to impeach the Speaker, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, if he refuses to resign.

The PUNCH reports that Nwifuru is also the governor-elect in Ebonyi State and has been the Speaker of the House since 2015.

A document, titled, “EBONYI SPEAKER UNDER FIRE TO RESIGN OR RISK IMPEACHMENT,” which was signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr. Egede Sylvester, obtained by The PUNCH, said the members demanded immediate resignation of Hon. Nwifuru and his deputy, Kingsley Ikoro, or they would face impeachment.

The call came barely three weeks after Nwifuru was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission as governor-elect of the state.

The document quoted the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Victor Chukwu, as having spoken on behalf of his colleagues, saying, “The members of the House are no longer satisfied with the leadership of the House under the administration of Chief Francis Nwifuru and urge him to resign in his honour and for the betterment of the State Assembly and the state at large.”

It added, “His resignation would afford him the opportunity to be fully involved in the affairs of his inauguration as the governor.

“On his part, the Speaker, Nwifuru, said he had duly listened to their plea and thanked them for revealing their grievances, urging them to trade with caution for the peace and development of the state.”

Reacting, the Speaker and Governor-elect, Nwifuru, said the only request from the executive arm of government was on remittances from the excess crude account.

“The request was for 60 per cent of the funds from the Excess Crude Account to be used to offset the state’s liabilities to the Federal Government. We duly approved the request and you did not hear anything about loans,” he said.

He also debunked the report that the Assembly members threatened him with impeachment if he did not resign to prepare for his swearing-in as governor on May 29.

“I did not hear such thing and do not know who told you about it. You should know that such report is fake. You should ask the Leader of the House and its Information Officer whom you claim told you such.”

Also, responding to the loan request, the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Media and Strategy, Mr Chooks Okoh, said there was no official statement as regarding the development but that whatever the governor did had always been for the interest and development of the state.

News

Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

Published

10 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved portfolios for five executive directors on the board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The appointees and their portfolios are: Hajiya Biliquis Jumoke- Administration and Human Resources, Mrs Aisha Rufai Ibrahim-Commercial and Industrial Development.

Others are, Mr James Abel Uloko-Corporate Services, Prof. Muhammad Bashar-Finance and Atika Ajanah-Projects.

The president urged the executive directors to work closely with the governing board of the commission to promote and coordinate sustainable development of the North-Central geopolitical zone.”

News

Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Published

11 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Apo, on Monday, issued a bench warrant against two lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the arrest order following repeated failure of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to appear before the court to enter their plea to the charge that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the charge marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred on June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought intervention of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled before trial Justice Samira Bature of the high court.

The IGP, in the charge, maintained that the two lawyers committed offences punishable under Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.

At the resumed proceeding of the court on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was bereaved, hence his absence for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was on the strength of an application by the defendant that the case was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered why the duo were also absent in court for the case to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the court that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a letter that was accompanied with a medical report dated September 3, indicating that he had a health challenge he described as “Degenerative disorder of the lumber vertebrae,” in addition to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd defendant equally went to the hospital on Monday morning to keep to a routine appointment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, he drew attention of the court to an application the defendants earlier filed to challenge its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the court to issue a warrant for the defendants to be arrested y security agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to both parties, he was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He court stressed that the medical report did indicate that the 1st defendant would not be able to attend court, adding that the 2nd defendant did not adduce any material to justify her absence.

Consequently, relying on the provision of section 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the defendants to be arrested and produced before the court on October 8.
(VANGUARD)

News

Community Attributes Access Road To Reduction In Maternal Mortality In Bauchi

Published

14 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A cross-section of residents in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has attributed the reduction in maternal mortality to the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Kirjaule–Lame roads.

Mr. Samila Jauro, who spoke on behalf of the community, made the disclosure during a media tour of ongoing Bauchi State projects in the area.

He explained that in the past, no fewer than 50 pregnant women and their babies had lost their lives due to delays in accessing healthcare caused by the poor condition of roads.

“We have lost many of our pregnant women and their unborn babies in the past because of bad roads.

“But the present administration has changed our lives through its infrastructural development,” Jauro said.

While commending the state government, he appealed for the electrification of Kirjauke community.

“We are grateful for the road project, but we still call on the governor to provide us with electricity.

For the past 18 years, we have had no source of power,” he added.

The Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Works, in 2023 awarded a 40.5-kilometer road construction and rehabilitation projects in the aforementioned sites.

Speaking on the progress of the projects, the Site Engineer, Mr. Ado Shehu, said the project had reached 75 percent completion.

“The Kirjaule–Lame and Magama–Gumau roads were awarded at the end of November 2023.

“Some portions are already completed, while others are at the second layer and shoulder stage to ensure a successful outcome.

“The duration of the project according to the contract is 36 months.

” But with 75 percent already completed, the project will be finished ahead of schedule,” he said.