Eno’s 18-floor towers in Lagos, Shaibu’s reinstatement, other stories from South-south

These are the major stories from south-south Nigeria last week.

PDP sweeps Delta LG poll

The week began on Sunday with the news that the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State won all 25 chairmanship seats and 499 out of the 500 councillors in the just concluded local elections in the state.

Jerry Agbaike, the chairperson of Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, announced the result of the poll on Sunday in Asaba.

While the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori described the poll as free, fair and transparent, Tony Ndanenu, a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state, said the poll was “heavily compromised.”

Mr Ndanenu said elections were not held in most of the wards and areas in the state.

Abduction of naval operatives, others

There was sad news on Wednesday about the abduction of a driver and 18 passengers at Azumini, a boundary town between Akwa Ibom and Abia State, south-east Nigeria by gunmen.

The passengers were travelling inside an Akwa Ibom Transport Company bus from Uyo to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State, en route to Abia State, when the gunmen intercepted it at Azumini.

Also within the week, gunmen abducted a naval operatives and eight others at a relaxation spot in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John confirmed abductions.

The abductions added to the soaring cases of kidnap-for-ransom in Akwa Ibom.

Eno’s 18-floor towers in Lagos

On Monday, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno said the state is about to build an “18-floor Ibom Towers” in Lagos, south-west Nigeria, amidst the food prices crisis in Akwa Ibom.

The government plan has attracted criticism from the public, especially residents of Akwa Ibom.

Reacting to the report published by PREMIUM TIMES, the spokesperson to the governor, Ekerete Udoh, said the project is aimed to serve as an income-earner for the state.

Mr Udoh on Friday said the state government will also build a three-star hotel in Abuja, where the current state liaison office is located.

He stressed that the project was the government’s audacious plan to tap into the bullish Lagos and Abuja real estate markets by converting the hitherto state-owned moribund properties into commercial investments to earn income.

Meanwhile, Governor Eno has expressed mixed reactions over the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments in the country.

Mr Eno, while expressing support for the judgment, however, expressed concerns that local governments in the state must find a way and continue to pay salaries and not abandon it to the state government – the backlogs he said the state government is currently paying.

Court reinstates Shaibu as Edo deputy governor

Philip Shaibu was on Wednesday reinstated as the deputy governor of Edo State in a judgment delivered on Wednesday by Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja.

Mr Shaibu was removed from office three months ago by the Edo House of Assembly for allegedly disclosing official government secrets, an allegation Mr Shaibu dismissed as “hatched”.

Meanwhile, Mr Shaibu has dumped the PDP for the APC.

Pro-Wike lawmakers lose bid to stop Fubara from spending Rivers funds

The endless supremacy battle over the control of the political structure between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, continued last week at a Federal High Court in Abuja as the pro-Wike lawmakers lost their bid to stop the governor from spending state funds.

The lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule had, shortly after their reinstatement by the Appeal Court, gave Mr Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget to them, a request the governor declined.

READ ALSO: Court refuses to stop Fubara from spending Rivers funds

After the expiration of the ultimatum, the lawmakers wrote to Mr Fubara, demanding that the governor stop spending money from the consolidated revenue account of the state.

They filed a suit to further press home their action, praying the court to stop the governor from spending the state funds.

The judge, Emeka Nwite, refused to grant the lawmakers’ request.