Alex Otti, governor of Abia, says members of the public should be wary of an individual allegedly impersonating the state’s chairman of the disability commission.

David Anyaele, the special assistant on persons with disabilities (PWDs) to the governor, who spoke on Friday in Umuahia, the state capital, said steps are being taken to investigate the activities of the alleged impersonator.

In May 2023, Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Abia, appointed Eldad Monu, a PWD, as chairman of the commission and also constituted the governing board, representing various disability clusters.

But Anyaele said Otti dissolved all boards of ministries, parastatals, and agencies when he took over as governor to reconstitute them.

The governor’s aide described the alleged impersonation as “an affront and an act of deceit”.

He noted that many national and international organisations might have “ignorantly funded the impersonator’s activities” under the guise of representing the disability commission.

“The public is advised to report any entreaties, requests, or demands by this impersonator or any other person acting on his behalf, using the disability commission as a cover, to the state government for appropriate action,” he said.

[TheCable]

When I sat down to write my column this week, I was overwhelmed by the multitude of issues I wanted to address: the presidency’s pushback against New York Time’s factual reporting on the unprecedented economic crunch in Nigeria that was exacerbated by President Bola Tinubu’s twin policies of subsidy removal and floating of the naira, the political and judicial shitshow in Kano regarding emirship, the unabating suffering in the land, minimum wage, etc.

Every country, including the United States where I live, has problems. I always recognize that. But it seems to me that Nigeria’s problems are peculiar because they are always the same year in, year out, and people who should solve them don’t even pretend to be interested in solving them. They repeat the same motions, mouth the same sterile and predictable defenses, and hurl the same insults at critics.

So, I asked myself if there was even any point in my writing. Who reads what I write anyway? Of those who read, who cares? Of those who care, who is in a position to change anything? Am I wasting my time by writing about issues that won’t change? Should I take an emotional break from Nigeria?

This isn’t the first time I am grappling with these questions publicly and privately. I am sure I am not the only person who struggles with these questions. 

Many people have wondered what I stand to gain from my passionate interventions in Nigerian affairs when I am not a direct victim of the dysfunction of the country and won't be a direct beneficiary of the systemic overhaul I desire for the country.

 I used to think people who asked me these questions were shortsighted. I still think they are. 

But I am, right now, just sick and tired of being sick and tired. We owe debt for this colorful expression to the late African-American civil rights activist from Mississippi by the name of Fannie Lou Hamer.

At a memorable speech she delivered at a rally with Malcolm X in Harlem, New York, on December 20, 1964, in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's Congressional Challenge, Ms. Hamer said, among other things, “And I've been tired so long, now I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, and we want a change.”

My own emotions are different from Hamer’s. I am not even in the emotional state to ask for a change because I’ve been doing exactly that for more than 20 years. I think I am once again suffering from what I called outrage fatigue in a 2021 column. 

It is, as I pointed out, instigated by sustained sensations of powerlessness, hopelessness, mental exhaustion, and cynicism, which ultimately lead to indifference and even compassion fatigue.

My outrage usually flows from a wellspring of righteous indignation over injustice, avoidably missed opportunities, elite cruelty, and preventable existential catastrophes. It is nourished by expectations that its forceful ventilation will jolt people to act and cause policymakers to make amends for the good of the society.

That was what Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist James Earle “Jimmy” Breslin meant when he said, “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns for newspapers.”

But outrage, rage, and even compassion, are not a permanent condition; they are intrinsically temporary. It’s impossible to keep your sanity while you are in a perpetually agitative emotional state. In other words, outrage fatigue is an unconscious self-defense mechanism. It’s the mind’s way to decompress and regain equanimity.  

It’s bad enough when outrage changes nothing and when both the people on whose behalf you’re outraged and the people whose bad behavior activated your outrage use you for target practice in throwing vituperative darts for daring to be outraged. But it’s worse when people pretend that the consequences of ignoring well-intentioned outrage are unanticipated. 

I wrote scores of articles warning that the neoliberal path to development that the Tinubu administration has now wholeheartedly embraced would result in exactly what Nigeria is going through. In fact, before Tinubu was sworn in as president, I wrote that removing petrol subsidies would instigate an unmanageable economic catastrophe that would make governance difficult.

It turned out that more than a decade ago Tinubu himself had written almost exactly what I have been writing about the consequences of subsidy removal on the economy. Now his media aides are pretending that they don’t know that his policies are responsible for the unexampled inflation that’s destroying the lives of common people. 

Today, every section of Nigeria is enveloped in profound existential turmoil thanks to both the inability and unwillingness of the government to confront the problems that afflict the country.

In Kano, we now have two emirs, a federal emir and a state emir, and the judiciary just added fuel to the kingship fire raging in the state through what Professor Auwalu Yadudu fittingly called a “strange and baffling” judicial pronouncement.

Meanwhile, Kano State governor Abba Yusuf (who I used to like) has reverted to his default destructive vengeance that I advised him against in previous columns. He has reportedly sent bulldozers to tear down the palace where the “federal” emir lives. Recall that the governor’s first major “project” upon being inaugurated as a governor was to go on a frenzied destruction spree of opponents’ properties.

In my September 23, 2023, column titled “Why the Kano Verdict Can’t Stand,” I wrote:

“After its expected victory, though, NNPP’s Abba Yusuf and his benefactor Rabiu Kwankwaso need to rule with grace and maturity, not vengeance and infantilism. Destroying buildings is no governance. Plotting the dethronement of monarchs that didn’t support you is a page from Ganduje’s sordid playbook. They need to be different. Success, they say, is the best revenge.”

Like the federal government, they didn’t listen. Well, the law is clearly on the side of the Kano State government on the controversy regarding who is the emir of Kano. Although I think Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is a debauched egomaniac, he is right now the rightful emir.

 The federal government has no power to determine who is a king in any state of the federation. Femi Falana has also pointed out that federal courts have no jurisdictional competence to sit in judgement over kingship matters.

So, the Kano State government just needs a little more maturity to let the judicial process play itself out. Destroying the residence of Aminu Ado Bayero is the sort of destructive infantilism I counseled against, but which seems to flow in the DNA of the governor.

To be honest, I am just tired. A popular leftist American bumper-sticker slogan says, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” Well, I am paying attention. It’s just that I have reached the elastic limit of my outrage because Nigeria’s tragedy is self-inflicted, predictable, and preventable.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Dr. Jamillah Okpatuma

(Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, National Hospital Abuja) 

Topic: "Cholera: A Public health Challenge"

Date: 22nd June, 2024                     

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......we are the poverty capital of the World.

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's downplaying the hardship in the country with his view that it's not peculiar to Nigeria alone

Obi said that rather than face the reality that we are the poverty capital of the World and the most insecure people and take decisive steps to stem the situation, the government is trying to play the ostrich even when the people are overwhelmed by the situation.

Writing on his X handle the former Anambra State Governor said "The problems facing Nigeria are well-known to all Nigerians. We are the poverty capital of the world, among the most insecure people on earth, among the hungriest, have poor education quality and the highest number of out-of-school children, high infant mortality, corruption, unemployment, the highest income gap between the poor and the rich, high corruption perception index, infrastructure and healthcare challenges, and more.

"It's disheartening to hear those in charge, who were hired to address our problems, make statements like "we are not the only ones struggling with poverty and hunger." Instead of merely acknowledging that other countries face similar challenges, we need to hear a thorough plan of action to tackle our unique struggles. We require concrete solutions and a clear vision to address these issues, not comparisons that downplay our circumstances. I urge those in leadership positions to offer tangible solutions, not mere reminders that others face similar challenges. We need a comprehensive approach to tackle our specific challenges, not generalizations that dismiss our experiences.

"A true leader provides direction, guidance, solutions, and reassurance in times of crisis. This is the hallmark of visionary leadership and a trait of nations that are making progress and advancing their development. They don't simply state the obvious but offer a roadmap for overcoming obstacles. Just like a pilot, who doesn't just announce turbulence; they assure passengers that they will do everything possible to ensure a safe journey.

"Only then can we begin to trust that our country is in capable hands, working towards a brighter future for all Nigerians.

Signed.
Yunusa Tanko
POMR SPOKESMAN 
21 June 2024.

There is much to differentiate between the respective felony trials of Hunter Biden and Donald Trump. For starters, even Trump supporters should agree that Hunter Biden’s crime – that he falsely stated on a gun purchase form that he was not using controlled substances – occurred in the middle of his addiction. It was not part of any planned criminal scheme, which is what a New York jury concluded in Trump’s case.

Nonetheless, the facts and circumstances underlying both convictions argue in favor of a pardon and commutation of prison terms, if any, for both men.

To his credit President Biden has already stated he would neither pardon nor commute the sentence of his son. However, if Trump happens to win the November election, his supporters with family members who have suffered the effects of addiction should support Hunter Biden’s pardon and commutation of any imprisonment sentence imposed on him. I once wrote a favorable review about Sen. J.D. Vance’s remarkable book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in which Vance recounted the ravages of addiction in his own family and local community in rural Ohio. I would hope Ohio’s junior senator also weighs in supporting a pardon and commutation for Hunter Biden.   

Trump’s case is much different, of course. The former president is not an addict in any clinical sense, though a layman would say he’s addicted to attention. That’s not a crime. What is a crime is paying hush money prior to a campaign and then filing deceptive paperwork about it. Trump and his acolytes have criticized District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution as partisan. I’ve explained in previous columns why I think that criticism is wrong, but Hunter Biden’s conviction in Delaware has moved the debate past that point – or, at least, it should have.

Trump supporters claim that the New York trial was tainted because of its very venue – that the verdict was a result of a politically partisan jury pool (Manhattan County voted almost 80% for Biden over Trump in 2020). But they can’t have it both ways. Hunter Biden’s Wilmington trial took place in a city just as Democratic – and in Hunter Biden’s hometown. If 10 citizens (presumably Joe Biden-voting jurors, based on the overwhelming Biden vote in Manhattan) were biased when they voted for guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, how does that explain the conduct of the Delaware jury? It’s time for MAGA-style Republicans to accept both verdicts. But now what? History provides a guide.

I was once angry with Gerald Ford when he pardoned Richard Nixon for his Watergate crimes days after assuming the presidency in 1974. With the benefit of hindsight, I (and many leading historians) believe President Ford made the right decision. “Our long national nightmare is over,” Jerry Ford said after taking the oath of office. And in his wisdom, Ford realized that the healing process could never begin as long as Nixon’s behavior was the subject of criminal prosecutions. Since Donald Trump was tried and convicted, a cornerstone our democracy – the rule of law – has been upheld. Incarcerating Trump would undermine that message by making him a martyr to his followers.

So now I recommend to President Biden he would show grace and the necessary deflating of the hyper-partisanship of the 2024 presidential campaign by announcing his support for a pardon and commutation for his opponent by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. It’s not Biden’s decision to make, as it’s a state case, but I believe she would be receptive to the president’s entreaties, especially if he assured her privately of his sincerity. And I would hope that Trump – were he to win in November – would personally pardon Hunter Biden. I also hope, fervently, that it doesn’t come to that. There’s an irony here, however: A Trump pardon could forestall that disaster – it might actually help Biden politically.

Here’s my reasoning: Although Jerry Ford’s decision in 1974 was politically courageous, and right for the country, it came with a steep political cost. Ford almost certainly lost the 1976 presidential election because of the Nixon pardon.   

But President Biden is in a different situation. I believe that in this case the right thing for the country would also be politically popular, albeit not among most of his most vocal anti-Trump Democratic base. Donald Trump was indicted and convicted by a jury of his peers. So, a fundamental principle of our Constitution – that no person is above the law – has been upheld.  

By announcing his support for a Trump pardon, Joe Biden will also be upholding another fundamental principle: that the most important decision in our Republic – the election of the president of the United States – should be decided at the ballot box and not in a courtroom.

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Lanny Davis is the founder of the Washington, D.C., law firm Lanny J. Davis & Associates. He is co-chair of the global public affairs and strategic communications firm Actum LLC. From 2018-2024 Davis served as a legal advisor for Michael Cohen, but for the N.Y. DA trial Cohen is represented by experienced N.Y. counsel. Davis uniquely operates at the intersection of law, media, and politics to solve client problems. From 1996-98, Mr. Davis served as special White House counsel to President Bill Clinton. In 2006, he was appointed by his Yale College friend, President George W. Bush, to serve on a special post-9/11 White House panel to advise the president on privacy and civil liberties issues. He is the author of six books on politics, government, law, and crisis management. He has been writing his “Purple Nation” column since 2010.

Prof. Salami Ismaila, a distinguished scholar from the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Ergonomics) at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has advocated for human-centred design at workstations, even as he underscored the critical importance of ergonomics in enhancing human well-being and productivity, as well as improving human life.

Delivering the University's 92nd Inaugural Lecture at the Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building onJune 19, 2024, titled "Ergonomics: A Paradigm Shift from FPJ to FJP towards Adopting Human-Centered Engineering," Prof. Ismaila emphasised the necessity of incorporating ergonomics principles into workplace and tool design, such as regular breaks and stretching exercises, to mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal issues and improve overall quality of life.

Highlighting the shift from "Fitting People to Jobs" (FPJ) to "Fitting Jobs to People" (FJP), he argued for designs that prioritise human capabilities and limitations.

Prof. Ismaila, a former Dean of COLENG affirmed that workstations should support neutral postures, adding that employers should provide adjustable furniture to meet the diverse ergonomic needs of employees.

Stressing the integration of ergonomics into existing occupational health and safety policies, Prof. Ismaila discouraged prolonged sitting in meetings without breaks.

Besides, he suggested incorporating basic ergonomics principles into educational curricula to promote good habits from an early age, while calling for collaboration between government, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders to implement measures that optimise workplace designs, equipment, and processes.

He suggested further that educational institutions should enforce guidelines to ensure students carry only necessary books, thereby reducing physical strain.

According to him, he advised educators to follow school timetables strictly and ensure students carry only necessary books to reduce their daily load.

Advocating for the widespread adoption of ergonomic principles across various sectors, Prof. Ismaila highlighted the vital role of ergonomics in creating human-centred environments that enhance both well-being and productivity.

His words "I have, thereby, showed that the applications of ergonomics make life pleasant, comfortable exciting and cost-effective. I also showed that it is important for heads of industries to adopt ergonomics principles to reduce the attendant costs associated with business-as-usual principles as good ergonomics is good economics."

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, who chaired the event, expressed his appreciation for the Lecture's success, lauding Prof. Ismaila as a dedicated and practical-oriented scholar who has significantly contributed to the University’s growth and research efforts aimed at improving Nigeria’s development.

…as Gambaryan seeks compensation for prolonged detention in Nigeria

US lamakers have continued their push for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive currently detained at the the Kuje detention facility, and facing trial on charges money laundering charges to the tune of $35 million.

Two members of United States Congress, French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan visited the binance executive in detention and expressed some concerns over his condition and called for his immidiate release.

The Congress members alleged that executive was suffering from malaria and double pneumonia, and has been denied medical attention. They also alleged that Tigran was in wrongful detention on money laundering charges.

Hill, announcing this on his X account. noted that Nigeria had dropped tax evasion charges against Gambaryan but urged the US Secretary General and others in authority to secure his release.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) @RepHoulahan and I visited with US citizen Tigran Gambaryan in Kuje Prison in Nigeria. We found him suffering from the conditions there, as he has malaria and double pneumonia, and he reports that he has lost significant weight. Even worse, he’s being denied access to adequate medical attention.

“Although I am pleased that Nigeria dropped tax evasion charges against Tigran on 6/14, it’s my view that he’s being wrongfully detained on charges related to money laundering.

The lawmaker argued that, “Tigran has devoted his professional life to fighting money laundering and tax evasion, having spent ten years as an IRS Special Agent where he successfully led cyber and financial crime investigations.”

He further said that at the time of Gambaryan’s arrest, he was working as a contract employee at Binance and was instrumental in criminal investigations and compliance in cooperation with Nigerian authorities.

The lawmaker recalled that on June 4, he joined a letter with other Congress members, urging for Tigran’s immediate release.

He announced that two days later, over 100 former federal prosecutors and agents wrote to Secretary Blinken further urging State Department to use all means available to secure his release.

“Tigran must be immediately granted a humanitarian release, the remaining charges dropped, and he must return home to America where he belongs”, he wrote.

It would be recalled that some US Lawmakers had requested President Joe Biden expedite the release of Gambarya.

The 12 lawmakers addressed Biden, Secretary Antony Blinken, and Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Roger Carstens, emphasising the need for urgent intervention.

Meanwhile, Gambaryan, has ammended his fundamental human rights motion, he is requesting that the Federal High Court in Abuja mandate the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis

Gambaryan, had in May filed a suit alleging that his detention violated his fundamental human rights. He claims that the ONSA and EFCC’s actions have infringed upon his rights by prolonging his detention and seizing his international travel passport.

He urged the court to declare his detention and passport seizure as violations of his fundamental rights and to restrain the authorities from detaining him further in connection with any investigations into Binance.

Tonye Krukrubo, his lawyer has sought the court’s permission to amend the initial suit. In the amended proposal, Krukrubo is seeking the costs of the action on a full indemnity basis in addition to the initial claims.

The Court will hear the ammnded motion July 9, 2024, Meanwhile, his colleague, the Court has struck out the fundamental rights suit filed by Nadeem Anjarwalla the Binance Executive who is currently at large.

[Businessday]

Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of USDC Circle, one of the leading stablecoin assets in the cryptocurrency industry has expressed strong optimistic views on the potential of stablecoins saying the assets will account for 10% of global economy in the next ten years.

Jeremy shared his opinion on X explaining his views on the cryptocurrency market and the growing adoption of stablecoins in the global financial space.

Jeremy predicted that with the rate of global adoption of stablecoins. They will account for 10% of the global economy in the next ten years.

“ What does it look like when 10% of global economic money is stablecoins, and when credit intermediation moves from fractional reserve lending to onchain credit markets built from the ground up on safer, digital cash instruments (e.g. stables), and opens up credit and debt to the long tail of supply and demand in the same way that Amazon did for commerce and AdWords did for advertising? All of this is achievable over the next 10+ years.” Jeremy tweeted.

Jeremy explained that stablecoins were experiencing a serious wave of adoption and integration into the global financial ecosystem and that was a major bullish trend for cryptocurrency and its assets in general.

He also highlighted the serious gains made by blockchain technology over the years and the growing use of stablecoins in several services and financial transactions. The growing demand for stablecoins as financial assets spells a positive future for cryptocurrency in the global financial ecosystem in the coming days.

“I’m more bullish than I have ever been about crypto. I have been building @Circle for over 11 years, and at no time have I been more optimistic than right now. I also believe that the overwhelming majority of people have an extremely narrow and limited understanding of what’s unfolding. And that’s super bullish, too.” Jeremy tweeted.

Jeremy also explained the evolution of the internet over the years highlighting the influx of open networks, protocols, and software that have helped transform industries and people’s lives. He stated that crypto was a groundbreaking addition to the internet space and it is on the verge of transforming society and the economy.

Before the introduction of crypto, the internet was limited by trust issues and a lack of alternatives to ensure trusted data and transactions. Crypto offers a solution to this problem through a decentralized and trustworthy framework.

“Internet infrastructure had enabled frictionless, nearly free movement of data and seamless ability to connect and deploy software and hardware on a global network, and it was clearly struggling with its own success and weight. The internet lacked a layer for trust, and without that, it was capped in terms of the utility it could provide to the world.” Jeremy added.

For the future, Jeremy predicted that by the end of 2025, Stablecoins will be legal electric money available almost everywhere establishing the assets as an integral part of the global economy.

“By the end of 2025, stablecoins will be “legal electronic money” almost everywhere, which sets them up to become a larger and larger portion of the $100T+ market for electronic money,” Jeremy added. 

What To Know 

• Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency whose value is tied to another asset class to keep a stable, steady value. The most popular kind of stablecoins is fiat-backed stablecoins, which are tied to currencies such as the U.S. dollar.
• There are three popular fiat-backed stablecoins and they are USDT (Tether), USDC (Circle), and PayPal USD (PYUSD). Among stablecoin providers, Tether (USDT) has captured a significant market share, exceeding $100 billion and accounting for over 70% dominance in the stablecoin market.

[Nairametrics]

Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Thursday, described the recent judicial orders in Kano State as an embarrassment to the judiciary.

Falana, while speaking on the court ruling in an interview on Arise TV, said there is a need for higher courts to address the political and judicial confusion in both Kano and Rivers states.

He said, “Sanusi was not said to have disobeyed any order, so if the order affected him, he ought to have been put on notice.”

Falana described the court’s stance as confusing with regard to the broader issue of the Supreme Court’s judgments on the limitations of federal high court powers over traditional institutions.

He further stated, “To be a Chief is not a fundamental right; it is a privilege.”

Falana said the state high court’s order in favour of Sanusi created further confusion.

He said, “The practice in the past was to allow the court of appeal to clear the confusion, and in this case, an appeal has been filed.”

Falana faulted the federal high court’s involvement in matters of traditional institutions, stressing that only state governments have legislative power over such issues.

He stated, “The constitution has made it clear that the National Assembly can only enact laws on matters in the exclusive legislative list; traditional institutions are residual.”

Speaking on the ongoing legal battle over the extension of local government officials’ tenures in Rivers, Falana referenced Section 7 of the constitution, which mandates democratically elected local government officials.

He said, “In the case of Rivers, there’s already a judgement that the amendment of the law is illegal and unconstitutional.”

Falana expressed concern over the disregard for Supreme Court decisions by political figures, calling for the media to challenge this behaviour.

He warned that the practice of extending tenures without proper elections could lead to chaos.

Falana added, “Ordinarily, the elections should have been conducted just like governorship elections.”

He also faulted the overreach of federal powers in local governance, advocating for a clearer delegation of responsibilities.

He said, “The federal government is currently over-bloated; there is a need to delegate powers to the federating units.”

Falana called for constitutional reforms to enhance the functionality and recognition of local governments, adding that these issues must be addressed to maintain the rule of law and democratic integrity in Nigeria.

[NaijaNews]

The Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives has disowned one of its members, Hon. Dumnamene Deekor, saying he was neither their leader nor spokesman and as such he was never instructed to speak on behalf of the caucus.

In a statement signed by the Leader of the Rivers State Caucus in the House, Hon. Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante, the lawmakers dismissed a statement credited to Deekor calling for sanction against the coordinator of the G-60 Federal Lawmakers in the House, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, over the latter’s comments on the political crisis in Rivers State.

Abiante said the leadership of the Rivers Caucus in the House has always been based on seniority, adding that a second term lawmaker cannot therefore lead the caucus when there are more senior lawmakers in the House.

He explained that as a lawnaker, Deekor is aware of the fact that every member of the House has the right to comment on any issue affecting any part of the country as they have sworn to defend the integrity of Nigeria.

The statement read: “The Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives read with dismay a statement purportedly issued by the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency, Hon. Dumnamene Deekor calling for the discipline of the Coordinator of the G-60 Lawmakers in the Green Chamber, Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga over his position on vexed issues in the polity.

“While we wouldn’t stand against the popular phrase: ‘everybody is entitled to his opinion’, we refused to collectively accede to Dum Deekor’s self serving stands as he has never been elected by the Rivers State Caucus to speak on our behalf.

“It is a trite knowledge and backed by precedence that the Leadership of the Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives and the National Assembly are based on seniority. Hon Dum Deekor being a second term lawmaker cannot arrogate to himself the position of Caucus Leader in the midst of 3rd and 4th term lawmakers.

“For the records, Deekor was properly elected in 2019 haven lost his seat in 2015 at the Court of Appeal which barred him from being a member of the 8th Assembly. He was recently reelected in 2023 to serve his second term in the House. This alone disqualifies him to jostle for the leadership of the Rivers State Caucus.

“We call on the general public to discountance Dum Deekor’s statement as vituperations of a gord being.

“The National Assembly is not guided by Village Council’s rules and as such everyone reserves the right to make contributions inline with his innate conviction. Hon Ugochinyere has in the estimation of right thinking Nigerians proven himself in the act of quality representation.

“Dum Dekor should realize that a member of the National Assembly is not only representing his immediate constituency, but also the entire Nigeria as he is entitled to make comments or speak on issues that threatens the peace of any part of the country for which we all took oath to preserve and protect .

“Dum that claims to be an experience legislator should have known this fact and allow Ugochinyere to speak on matters that affect any part of the country as a bonafide member of National Assembly.”