Nigeria, a Better Country With Ndigbo - Gowon

L-R: Chief Willie Obiano, Gov of Anambra State, his wife Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu, General T.Y. Danjuma, former Minister of Defence & General Yakubu Gowon, former Head of State during the funeral service… 

Former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon has said that “Nigerians are better off with the Igbos." He spoke at the All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Onitsha Anambra State.

He made the assertion while delivering a eulogy at the burial service of Late Chief, Mrs. Chinyere Asika, wife of the former Sole Administrator of East Central State; just as governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano described the late First Lady as a woman who exemplified the virtue of patience charity and humility.

General Gowon's declaration was borne out of a deep appreciation of the commitment and sacrifice of Late Ajie Ukpabi Asika and his wife to the survival of Nigeria as one entity.

The former Head of State recalled that when he proposed the post of Sole Administrator of East Central State, Asika told him. “I prefer to do this for the good of Igbo people."

According to Gowon, “I was struggling to get an administrator for the newly created East

World Bank Appoints Arunma Oteh Vice President, Treasurer

 

The World Bank has announced the appointment of the immediate past Director General of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, Arunma Oteh, as Vice President and Treasurer.

A statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the bank said, ” As VP and Treasurer, Arunma will manage and lead a large and diverse team responsible for managing more than $150 billion in assets.”

The statement said “Ms. Oteh was selected to this position through an international competitive search”.

Her appointment is effective September 28, 2015, the bank said.

Below is the full statement:

Arunma Oteh, Vice President & Treasurer of the World Bank

Date: July 23, 2015 – 12:49

Arunma, a Nigerian national, was most recently the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria. Appointed to a five-year term by the President of Nigeria in 2010, she led the transformation of the country’s capital markets industry into a major global presence. She was a member of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Chairperson of the Africa Middle East Regional Committee of IOSCO.

Prior to joining the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria, Arunma was Group Vice President, Corporate Services, at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). In this role she oversaw a number of departments, including human resources, information and communications technology, and institutional procurement. From 2001 to 2006 she held the role of

Police Invitation: I Won’t Succumb to Intimidation, Says Ekweremadu

AGAINST the backdrop of invitation extended to him by the Nigeria Police to explain his alleged forgery of Senate Rule, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has said no amount of intimidation from any quarter would deter him from carrying out his legislative functions.

This was even as he assured all Nigerians and the international community that the National Assembly would do everything necessary not only to preserve the nation’s democracy but defend the independence of the legislature.

Vanguard newspaper is reporting that the Deputy Senate, who reacted to the police invitation to him, in a statement through his Special Adviser, Media, Uche Anichukwu, following concerns raised by Nigerians, his friends and political associates across the world, assured that everything was under control.

The statement said Ekweremadu has since the development, received ” numerous calls and messages from well meaning Nigerians, elder statesmen, governors, senators and Members of the House of Representatives across party lines.

“Concerned members of the international community, youth and women organisations, royal fathers, and Civil Society Organisatons, among others,  have continued to express utter dismay and concern over the unfolding drama in which his life and liberty are being threatened by desperate politicians.”

The statement added: “Senator Ekweremadu wishes to assure all Nigerians and concerned members of the international community that everything is under control and that all democratic steps

APC Govt Plans to Arrest Ekweremadu – PDP

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that the governing All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal government plans to arrest the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, according to a report by premiumtimesng.com.

The PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, who addressed a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, said to achieve the aim, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has invited Mr. Ekweremadu to report at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday after which he would be detained.

Mr. Metuh said the APC leadership is not happy with the emergence of Mr. Ekweremadu, a PDP member, as the Deputy Senate President and that after several attempts to make him resign, has now resorted to underhand tactics.

He said since President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that Mr. Ekweremadu’s election was ‘unacceptable’ to his party, the Deputy Senate President, who can only be removed by the

S’East Govs Demand Relocation Of Boko Haram Suspects to Abuja

…Want FG To Compensate Igbo Boko Haram Victims

L-R: Govs Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okorocha (Imo), Ikpeazu (Abia) & Umahi (Ebonyi)

South-East Governors under the aegis of the South-East Governors’ Forum yesterday charged the presidency to relocate the 43 Boko Haram suspects in Anambra state to Abuja where there is adequate security to contain such high profile criminals, according to a report by The Union Newspaper.

In a joint news briefing by the South-East Governors in Owerri after their meeting, the host, Governor Rochas Okorocha who spoke on behalf of the forum called on the presidency to take a second look at the relocation of the 43 Boko Haram suspects to Ekwulobia Prison, Anambra state, saying the development had only created fear and anxiety in the region.

Okorocha said, “This reminds me of our experience during the Ebola crisis, no local government agreed to our siting an Ebola centre in their domain so we brought the Ebola centre to the Government House where we can directly supervise it. In the same way, if there is any better