Zamfara APC defends Mattawale, says protesters are rented crowd

All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara has urged the state minister of defence Bello Mattawale not to be distracted by the anti-progressive elements protesting against him, as they are ignorant, rented crowd who did not have an iota of what they were doing.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau by the Zamfara state APC publicity secretary Yusuf Idris said the protesters are anti-progressive elements who do not mean well for the state.

“The attention of the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC has been drawn to a malicious protest orchestrated by some anti-progressive persons against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle”.

“The protesters, largely made up of a rented crowd and those who did not have an iota of what they were doing, marched to the Headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja with their frivolous claims against the Minister and former governor of Zamfara and asking the anti-graft agency to investigate the Minister”.

He disclosed that the issue being raised is an over-flogged one.

“In fact, if the claims were true, the EFCC would have since made the details available to the public.

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“The rented crowd were ignorant of the national laws constitutional and judicial process in the operations of anti-graft agencies against a suspect resorted to a protest of envy and vendetta against the rising popularity of the Minister Bello Matawalle”

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) response to sponsored protesters explains to them that the commission’s constitutional mandate is not driven by personal vendettas, political differences, and tribal sentiments but focused on upholding the rule of law and combating financial crimes without fear or favour”.

According to the statement, such protests have been coming from Matawalle’s political rivals organised by a few people from Matawalle’s home state, “sometimes using non-Zamfara indigenes who never knew the road to Zamfara and the latest, using people idling in the outskirts of Abuja and beggars to hold placards that they could not even read what the content said against the Minister”.

He said in Zamfara, the Minister’s support has continued unabated and they strongly believe that such failed protests will always meet brick walls and embarrassment to the sponsors who are presently trying to hide their faces over failure through sponsored protests to distract Matawalle from carrying his assigned national responsibility.

“At the party level, we know these people and we know their antics and political strength (if they have any) and we want to assure them that their envy against Matawalle will lead them nowhere because the Minister who is the APC leader in Zamfara, has since moved on with his life and has always shown readiness to work with anyone for the progress of Zamfara and Nigeria.

“The party leadership at all levels is with you and ready to defend the policies and programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at all levels.

‘We are calling on the Minister to continue with his efforts to achieve peace and security throughout Nigeria for every citizen to go about his legitimate business without fear of being attacked or kidnapped.

“We urged the minister not to be distracted by the anti-progressive elements who don’t mean well for Zamfara State and Nigeria as a whole”.

Zamfara APC defends Mattawale, says protesters are rented crowd

Poor power supply: Your cup is full, IPOB tells Enugu DisCo

Separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened to shut down the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company over poor power supply in the South-East.

The group called on the Chairman of the Enugu DisCo, Emeka Offor, and its management to “stop defrauding” the people, adding that residents had been compelled to pay “illegal estimated bills” which run into hundreds of thousands of naira.

IPOB, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful; said it is “calling for steady lights in the region by EEDC. If they continue with the abysmal light supply in the South East, IPOB will have no option but to shut down EEDC offices in the South East in the shortest possible time.”

The statement read partly, “Following the abysmal electricity experienced in the South East, we call on EEDC to provide adequate electricity in the area or exit the region for reliable companies to take over.

“EEDC is defrauding her consumers with exorbitant electricity bills without supplying the power. The company has refused to give its consumers prepaid electricity meters but keeps giving illegal estimated bills. In many communities in the Southeast, EEDC gives community bills running in the hundreds of thousands of naira. Whether the light was provided or not, any village that didn’t pay the illegal estimated bills will have the irregular light supply disconnected.

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“Communities buy their power transformers and electricity cables. At the same time, they pay the corrupt EEDC company to link power to the community. Afterwards, EEDC will bill the same village for the same power supply.”

The group alleged that the EEDC had failed to either restore or return some faulty transformers in some communities after they were dismantled, lamenting that such would inhibit business and industrial activities in the region.

The statement added, “EEDC dismantled some communities’ faulty transformers for repairs and maintenance but failed to return them for years. Some 10 years and some five years. To date, those transformers have not been restored nor seen.

“EEDC’s cup is full and we are going to show them that people are owners of the region and they are reaping Ndigbo off with abysmal power supply and exorbitant bills.

“The abysmal and unavailable power supply from EEDC will frustrate economic activities and industrialisation of Biafra Land. EEDC, therefore, must be kicked out.”

The pro-Biafran group partly tied the DisCo’s “over N12 billion” debt owed to the Transmissions Company of Nigeria to the epileptic distribution of adequate electricity in the region.

“EEDC’s indebtedness to the Transmissions Company of Nigeria (TCN) to over N12 billion, led to TCN restricting EEDC from using some of their facilities in Enugu. As it stands, EEDC is struggling with corporate integrity issues and liquidity to run its operations.

“The pertinent question to ask is, “Does EEDC have the capacity to distribute adequate electricity to the Southeast with her grossly insufficient budget?

“It is obvious that EEDC is fully aware of her limited capacity to deliver steady power yet they keep going around the Southeast defrauding and extorting the Governors and citizens in the name of power supply. The Federal Government has deregulated the power sector. Monopoly in the power sector is over,” the statement noted.

The pro-Biafran group also called on the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to make public the details and terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and the EEDC, on March 25, 2023.

Poor power supply: Your cup is full, IPOB tells Enugu DisCo

Nigerian soldier accused of sleeping with colleague’s wife dismissed

The Nigerian Army has dismissed a soldier after he was found guilty of having s3x with his colleague’s wife, SaharaReporters has reported.

According to multiple sources, the Lance Corporal was dismissed during the week at 231 Battalion in Biu, Borno State.

“The soldier was fired from the Nigerian Army for sleeping with his colleague’s housewife. We’re happy as this will serve as an example to others involved in this act now common in our barracks,” one of the sources said.

Another source added, “Our colleague, Abdullahi has been dismissed at 231 BN Biu. He slept with his regular’s wife. So sad.”

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The source added that the dismissed soldier had a notorious history of s3xual indiscipline before he was reported to the army authorities.

His offence – indecent professional misconduct and having s3x with a fellow soldier’s wife – contravenes Sections 79 and 93 of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The law prescribes jail term and dismissal from service with dishonour.

This comes a few days after the Nigerian Army authorities dismissed two soldiers for stealing armoured cables from the Dangote Refinery, Lagos.

Nigerian soldier accused of sleeping with colleague’s wife dismissed

(SAHARAREPORTERS)