Peter Obi Slams Soludo Over Recent Article

Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi has hit back at ex-CBN Governor Charles Soludo, who said that Obi built no signature project in Anambra State during his tenure. He described the former governorship aspirant as a man haunted by his past.

Obi’s reaction came through his Media Assistant, Valentine Obienyem. He described the article by Professor Charles Soludo as full of evidence of one who is still nursing deep hatred against those he wrongly assumed were responsible for not renewing his appointment as the Governor of the Central Bank and those that thwarted his move towards becoming the Governor of Anambra State last year.

While he agreed with some of the points raised by the former CBN boss, Obi regretted that the aim of the write-up was not to instruct or contribute to positive national discourse, but to hit back at those he is nursing secret grudges against.

“Talking about signature project, Obi has them in abundance. He built over 30 bridges, built the State Secretariat, built the teaching hospital, built the permanent site of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, rebuilt Iyienu, Borromeo hospitals, Holy Rosary and St Joseph hospitals; and Our Lady of Lourdes among many hospitals with signature structures dotting them,” Obienyem stated.

“Beyond the foregoing, Soludo should be told that Obi did much more in areas that are far more important than mere structures. He returned schools to the Church and committed billions that could build any form of signature project of Soludo’s imagination. Because of this, Anambra State is today the number one in external examinations in the country.

“Moreover, he changed the psyche of the people of the State and removed Anambra State from her pariah status to one of the exemplary States in the country,” Obienyem said. He recalled how Soludo in 2013, said Obi was the foundation upon which the new Anambra State was built and commended him for changing the fortunes of the state. He therefore wondered why Soludo would just turn around and declare that the tragedy of Obi’s tenure was that he built no signature project.

Obienyem described as surprising, the fact that a renowned economist such as Soludo, who in the same write up, prided himself of saving $45 billion in the nation’s external reserves when he was Governor of CBN, in the same article, should condemn Obi for saving money for Anambra State.

“When he said he saved $45bn, does it mean that at that time Nigeria’s problems were over? Now oil price is falling and state’s allocation are bound to fall, Soludo should be told that the money Obi saved will be used to cushion the effect, among others reasons for states to save at all times. He also talked about clearing Nigerian debts without acknowledging that the architect of it is Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who is still part of Jonathan’s Government”.

Peter Okoye and wife Lola,go to court

Just like Paul Okoye,Peter Okoye and wife Lola also  tied the knot in Ikoyi Registry last week
       

Cute Family Weekend

      

As the war against insurgents in some parts of Borno State continued yesterday with the military still carrying on the coordinated ground and air mop operations, our correspondent has learnt that another 53 terrorists were killed as they opened fire on troops combing the bushes.

Military sources said that the pursuit was an aftermath of the “diversionary terrorists attacks on Maiduguri and Konduga, which have led to the destruction of many lives, including some troops and the terrorists as well as properties.”

“Security sources confirmed that at least 53 more terrorists lost their lives as troops in pursuit of terrorists engaged those that fled and their additional reinforcements in the outskirts of Konduga and Maiduguri in a battle on Sunday night and yesterday’s morning.”

Several machine guns and anti-aircraft guns, as well as, improvised explosive devices were destroyed by the troops.

The source noted, "Health and emergency workers are having hectic challenges in evacuating terribly mangled corpses of the terrorists for mass burial."

Meanwhile, a tweet on the Twitter handle of Defence Headquarters disclosed that a substantial number of heavy weapons have been recovered in addition to the number of terrorists that died in the night fighting till Monday’s morning. 

It added unfortunately that Nigerian forces also recorded some casualty but that "troops and Air force patrol are still ongoing."

- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-insurgency__53_more_terrorists_killed_in_maiduguri_konduga_attacks#sthash.LHxxZtE1.dpuf

                                                       

As the war against insurgents in some parts of Borno State continued yesterday with the military still carrying on the coordinated ground and air mop operations, our correspondent has learnt that another 53 terrorists were killed as they opened fire on troops combing the bushes.

Military sources said that the pursuit was an aftermath of the “diversionary terrorists attacks on Maiduguri and Konduga, which have led to the destruction of many lives, including some troops and the terrorists as well as properties.”

“Security sources confirmed that at least 53 more terrorists lost their lives as troops in pursuit of terrorists engaged those that fled and their additional reinforcements in the outskirts of Konduga and Maiduguri in a battle on Sunday night and yesterday’s morning.”

Several machine guns and anti-aircraft guns, as well as, improvised explosive devices were destroyed by the troops.

The source noted, "Health and emergency workers are having hectic challenges in evacuating terribly mangled corpses of the terrorists for mass burial."

Meanwhile, a tweet on the Twitter handle of Defence Headquarters disclosed that a substantial number of heavy weapons have been recovered in addition to the number of terrorists that died in the night fighting till Monday’s morning. 

It added unfortunately that Nigerian forces also recorded some casualty but that "troops and Air force patrol are still ongoing."

- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-insurgency__53_more_terrorists_killed_in_maiduguri_konduga_attacks#sthash.LHxxZtE1.dpuf

AIT Online Presidential Poll Live (GMB currently leading)

 

There is an online presidential poll currently going on,with General Muhammadu Buhari on the lead.you can vote via http://www.aitonline.tv/elections

NDDC intervenes in Rivers’ cholera outbreak

 

Following the recent outbreak of cholera in 14 communities in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has donated drugs and medical supplies for distribution to the health centres in the affected local government area.

Presenting the items to officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Health at the Basic Health Centre in Ebukuma, Andoni local government area, Chief Ephriam Etete-Owoh, the representative of Rivers State on the Governing Board of NDDC, said that the commission had to intervene immediately to save lives.

“President Goodluck Jonathan was concerned about the loss of lives in Andoni communities and has directed that we take care of the sick people urgently,” he said.

Etete-Owoh, who made the presentations on behalf of the NDDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said that the commission would identify appropriate locations where water projects would be sited in the communities to ensure that potable water was provided for the rural dwellers in the affected communities.

Giving details of the drugs and medical kits donated by NDDC, the Head of NDDC Health Unit, Dr. George Uzonwanne, said the medical items were meant to cater to up to 1,000 patients. He said the items included 50 cartons of disinfectants, 2,000 gloves, 500 insecticide-treated nets, 5,000 doses of de-worming tablets, 40 bags of intravenous giving sets, 100 hand sanitizers, 250 cartons of dextrose, among others.

Receiving the medical supplies, the medical officer in charge of Andoni local government area and a representative of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Theophilus Dagogo, thanked the NDDC for coming to the aid of the 14 communities affected by the cholera outbreak. He said that the items would help in alleviating the suffering of those undergoing treatment at the heath centres as well as assist the health teams to check the spread of the disease in the communities.

Dagogo observed that the provision of potable water for the people was posing a big challenge because water in the area had a lot of iron and thus needed to be treated.

“Efforts are being made to address the water problem, but we have many settlements to deal with. So, the challenge is enormous,” he said.

The Ebukuma Community Development Chairman, Mr. Collins Ikwut, commended the NDDC for its quick intervention and appealed for more assistance in equipping the health centres in the area. He also called for urgent action to tackle the water problem in the area.

The outbreak of cholera was reported in Rivers State on January 5. According to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, 20 people died of the disease in Andoni within one month. He said that about 171 cases of the disease had been recorded so far in the state.

Cholera is usually transmitted to humans through contaminated food or water and can kill within a short period.

Unmanned Drone Crashes in Borno Village

                              
BREAKING NEWS...
UNMANNED DRONE CRASHES IN BORNO VILLAGE

An unmanned drone suspected to be used on the counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast has crashed at Dumge village of Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State this afternoon, KSM News has learnt. Dumge is 30km northeast of Maiduguri.

Earlier today CNN had reported that the U.S. Secret Service is investigating a “device,” described as a small drone, found on the grounds of the White House, a White House official said Monday, and Press Secretary Josh Earnest said early indications are that the device does not pose an ongoing threat.

The Secret Service is sweeping the White House grounds on Monday morning looking for anything else that might be on the ground.

At Mafa, KSM News could not dig deep to ascertain the source or make of the drone but one Muktar Usman says of the drone on the social media as follows: "It could be French. And what happened after that? The drone is still armed. I can see missiles attached to the wings. Locals have to be careful!"

The Nigerian military is yet to issue statement regarding the drone.

INEC Rejects Governorship Nominations Of Parties In Seven States

                                                      
 

         The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the submission of governorship candidates by seven parties in different states of the federation.

The parties and the states affected are:
Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in Delta State

Labour Party in Niger State

New Nigeria Peoples Party in Ogun State

Unity Party of Nigeria in Oyo State

United Democratic Party in Rivers State

Peoples Democratic Movement in Sokoto and Zamfara States respectively.


The commission, on Monday, released the verdict, stating Section 187 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) as its reason.

The portion of the Electoral Act provides that a candidate to the office of a governor shall not be deemed to be validly nominated for such office unless he appoints another candidate as his running mate.

It might be the end of the road for these governorship candidates as INEC has insisted that they cannot run in the February election.