Oshiomhole Battles for Political Life
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May 08, 2016 Vol. 2 No. 39 ₦200 Putting smiles Protests, on the faces deaths as of internally economic displaced hardship hits persons varsities hard PAGE 2» PAGE 4» SUNDAY WEATHER Lagos - 32oC Abuja - 31oC PortHarcourt - 23oC Oshiomhole battles for political life By Ishaya Ibrahim (Lagos) “If it was before, when they announced that tionship has turned sour. and Titus Oise (Benin) Despite occasional verbal political Greek gift of N25,000 minimum wage, the fireworks, Edo is generally peaceful. dams Oshiomhole, who whole state would have been celebrating But the rift in Government House is rode on his reputation as a tearing the state into two factions, and democratic Labour leader him, dancing in the street and saying Osho the APC national leadership looks the to become Edo State gov- baba. Now they call him Osho wayo.” other way, unperturbed. ernor in 2008, is being ac- President Muhammadu Buhari, APC Acused of dictatorship from all angles, leader, declines to call the combat- a charge that threatens smooth transi- ants to order, especially Oshiomhole, tion as he quits office in September. whose preference for Obaseki is the Adversaries are aghast that, Osh- genesis of the conflict. iomhole, a virulent critic of autocrats, easy. Party (PDP) juggernauts. When TheNiche asked Buhari’s both military and civilian, is determined The former Nigeria Labour Congress Ever since his Deputy, Pius Odubu, to impose Godwin Obaseki as the All (NLC) president is getting sidekicks showed interest in the governorship, Progressives Congress (APC) candidate from his APC stalwarts as well as fron- things have not been the same be- to succeed him. But he is not finding it tal punches from Peoples Democratic tween the two men. Their robust rela- Continues on PAGE 5 BIG ISSUE INSIDE THIS ISSUE CLOSE UP POLITICS 15» ‘We’re telling PDP and JUDICIARY 25» the Nigerian challenge LIFE 31» story through of 2019 FAITH 40» people’s voices’ politics BUSINESS 51» SPORTS 59» PAGE 38» PAGE 18» Zenith, FBN, 5 others make N13b in fees Page 53 TheNiche 2 May 08, 2016 www.thenicheng.com News Putting smiles on the faces of internally displaced persons Those sent packing from their homes by insurgents face multiple problems in internally displaced camps. But one of the problems, hunger, is being tackled by the government in an unusual manner. Assistant Editor (North), CHUKS EHIRIM, reports. Ali (dressed in white), with some of the children Another group of children in the camp ore (FCT). • 211 (25kg) bags of • 156 bales of cloth camps. than rice The materials were do- Ali, who had earlier “Today’s event is the half Food in short supply • 340 cartons of veg- nated to the IDP camp at walked around the large second in the series of the etable oil the International Chris- premises housing the donations to be made in Even in the IDP camps, • Eight jerry cans of 20 tian Centre, Uhogua vil- IDPs who are mainly the first phase. We have the victims do not sleep litres of vegetable oil lage, Benin City – hand- from the North East, said flagged off the exercise with both eyes closed as • 33 jerry cans of 25 li- ed over to the Camp the plan is to give suc- in Adamawa State and North East has been dev- the ravaging insurgents tres of vegetable oil Director, Solomon Fol- cour to the victims of reached out to four IDP Mastated by Boko Haram occasionally strike and • 4,820 cartons and 32 urunsho, in the presence Boko Haram. camps, namely: Damare, insurgents in the past send many to their early tablets of Eva and Savon of the wife of Edo State His words: “It gives St. Theresa, Fufore, and three years. deaths. soap Governor, Iara Oshiom- me great pleasure to Melkohi.” The zone accounts IDPs also face severe • 100 cartons of slip- hole. be here, joining all our Ali disclosed that the for over 95 per cent of hunger because food at pers well-meaning stakehold- committee is conscious more than 10,000 Nige- their disposal pale into • 16 sacks of school Safe corridors for ers who are united in of government’s ef- rians slain by the jihad- insignificance compared bags trading, farming one mission. forts to guarantee safe ists since their campaign with the large numbers “Our common objec- corridors for trading, turned ferocious in 2009. being fed daily. tive is working together farming and other eco- At a point, Boko Haram However, a presiden- to bring succour to mil- nomic activities without was in firm control of 14 tial order to the Nigeria Even in the IDP camps, lions of Nigerians who hindrance. of Nigeria’s 774 council Customs Service (NCS) have been displaced, In his view, rebuild- areas. In each area they to distribute confis- the victims do not sleep traumatised and separat- ing the North East “will occupied, they sacked cated food items stored with both eyes closed as ed from their loved ones. therefore require a legitimate governments in warehouses across “Working with partner strong collaboration of and installed their own the country to IDPs has the ravaging insurgents government agencies, all Nigerians, united in illegitimate regimes, in- started yielding fruit. the Nigeria Customs the belief that an injury cluding religious and tra- occasionally strike and send Service is executing a to one or some of us, ditional heads. Materials donated many to their early deaths. Presidential mandate to represents an injury to Most survivors of the alleviate the plight of all.” onslaughts flee their A committee set up by IDPs also face severe our internally displaced homes to become refu- NSC Comptroller Gen- hunger because food at brothers and sisters. Support from other gees in their own coun- eral, Hamid Ali, to col- “The scope of our in- agencies try, or what is com- lect and donate the relief their disposal pale into tervention involves monly referred to as materials flagged off its transferring relief items He expressed gratitude Internally Displaced assignment in Yola. insignificance compared that have been seized to the chief of army staff, Persons (IDPs), scat- It moved to Benin City with the large numbers and forfeited to the chief of air staff, inspec- tered across many states, and donated federal government, tor general of police, including Edo and the • 1,897 (50kg) bags of being fed daily. through appropriate le- commandant general Federal Capital Territory rice gal processes, to the IDP of the Nigeria Security www.thenicheng.com Putting smiles on the faces of internally displaced persons Foodstuff Twist, we are asking for more of this in future.” The entire Uhogua vil- lage went into celebra- tion, with people lin- Over 85 per cent of the ing up the dusty road leading to the camp to campers are young boys welcome Ali and his and girls, most of whom entourage. Momentary happiness returned to have lost their parents the campers, who organ- ised cultural dances to and may not know herald the event. where they hail from. 85% of campers chil- There are many dren Over 85 per cent of the nursing mothers and campers are young boys and girls, most of whom pregnant women have lost their par- ents and may not know as well as volunteer where they hail from. There are many nurs- workers, including ing mothers and preg- Other relief materials nant women as well as German nationals, who volunteer workers, in- and Civil Defence Corps ed. ment of the Nigeria Cus- cluding German nation- are assisting Folurunsho (NSCDC), corps marshal “We have also re- toms Service and the als, who are assisting in the humanitarian of the Federal Road Safe- ceived tremendous sup- Presidency for their sup- Folurunsho in the hu- ty Corps (FRSC), director port from the Red Cross port to the IDPs in Edo manitarian work. work. general of the National and the media. We ap- State.” TheNiche learnt that Agency for Food and preciate you all.” Folorunsho thanked the campers consume as Administration and Con- Oshiomhole said: “I the Customs, describing much as 10 bags (50 kg) trol (NAFDAC) for their am, on behalf of the the gesture as “a source of rice a day. “unconditional support” Edo State Government, of joy to the people in since the exercise start- thanking the manage- the camp. But like Oliver TheNiche 4 May 08, 2016 www.thenicheng.com Ishaya Ibrahim Acting News Editor 0807 204 0241 News [email protected] Protests, deaths as economic hardship hits varsities hard By Henry Oduah tunately their facilities were insensitive to the hardship of Special Correspondent, Lagos inadequate. Nigerians over lingering fuel “They referred us to the crisis, power outage, and con- igeria’s general hospital. But there tinuous rise in food prices. oldest uni- was no fuel in the ambulance TheNiche learnt that the po- versity, the to take us there. That was lice raided the institution and University how our friend died in the arrested several students. The of Ibadan process.” Faculty President of the Man- (UI), joined agement Science Students, theN list of federal institutions UNIPORT, OAU Peter Ofurum, was reportedly shut down after students’ un- shot dead by the police. rest, even though the protest Within a week, two federal Occupy Nigeria, a non- was peaceful. tertiary institutions – the Uni- governmental organisation UI Vice Chancellor, Profes- versity of Lagos (UNILAG) (NGO), demanded the sus- sor Idowu Olayinka, directed and UNIPORT – were closed pension of UNIPORT Vice students to vacate their halls down because of students’ Chancellor, Professor Ndowa of residence after they dem- protests over unstable elec- Laale. onstrated against poor power tricity and water supply.