IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has been called upon to join the 2023 Imo Governorship election to save the state from backwardness, adding that all information gathered revealed that he remains the only option for the state.

Addressing newsmen after meeting with the Director General of Divine Mandadte Movement (DMM) at its state Headquarters in Owerrri weekend, the group, Samdaddy Imo Mass Movement (SIMM) said that the ongoing insecurity and economic crisis including leadership imbalance in the state were factors that triggered their curiosity to look for one with the needed capacity to bring them out of the mess.

Coordinator of the group, Chief Francis Ibeh, maintained that should Senator Anyanwu refuses to accept the appeal to contest, they would mobilize over 1 million Imo citizens across the state to compel him to throw in the towel.

Chief Ibeh noted that his group would immediately embark on grass roots sensitization tour to woo everyone into the project, pointing out that the campaign will be carried out once Senator Anyanwu assures them of his readiness to accept their plea to join in the race.

According to Chief Ibeh, the call became necessary after their research to find out who is more acceptable across the three zones of the state, adding that responses gathered showed that Senator Anyanwu remains the only sure bet for the state.

He said that some people who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to the way they were treated are ready to come back to rejoin the party on one condition that Senator Anyanwu must contest the 2023 Imo Guber poll.

 Chief Ibe said, “what Imo state needs now is a man with an open heart, charismatic and runs inclusive administration. One that can be acceptable across the state, who is willing  and capable of uniting our state after it was ravaged by insecurity and economic disaster. Such man, we have found in Senator Samuel Anyanwu. We are calling on him to join the 2023 Imo Governorship race.”

Responding, Director General of Divine Movement (DMM), Hon Ngozi Ogbu commended them for taken the bold step, and promised to relate back to Senator Anyanwu.

He maintained that if the caliber of personalities in their team could boldly call on Senator Anyanwu to rescue the state from administrative servitude, he wondered why the PDP National Secretary would not accept their plea.

Hon Ogbu further charged them to continue to remain patience in their quest for good governance, pointing out that what PDP and the state need now is a credible person like Senator Anyanwu to heave a sigh of relief.

“PDP in the state has to be open for every interested aspirants to guarantee equity, justice and fairness. We should know that PDP is a public property where everyone belongs. Therefore, anyone claiming its ownership is not only playing with fire, but making a serious mistake of his life.”

Hon Ogbu, a former House of Assembly Member therefore admonished them to join the campaign against PDP dominance in the state, adding that if the party has more than five Governorship aspirants, some of its challenges will be easily solved.

Nigeria Police Force has suspended two supernumerary Police officers, Obaze Blessing and Obaze Emmanuella Uju, over misconduct and violation of social media policy.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this on Friday via his Twitter handle.

Speaking in the video he shared on his Twitter page, he said that the two female cops portrayed themselves as undisciplined and unprofessional in the viral TikTok they released.

“Above all, they portrayed themselves in the viral video and other videos as undisciplined and unprofessional in contravention of the police social media policy.’’

A three-storey building has collapsed in Kubwa Satellite town, Abuja. According to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday.

The building, which was under construction, collapsed at Hamza Abdullahi Street off Gado Nasco Road.

While some persons have been rescued with serious injuries and taken to the General Hospital, the number of casualties is yet unknown.

As of the time of this reporting, security agencies and National Emergency Management Agency officials were on ground trying to rescue those trapped in the rubble.

Manchester United will play La Liga side Real Sociedad while Arsenal will face former champions PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League group stage.

Erik ten Hag's side will also play Sheriff and Omonia in Group E in what appears to be a favourable draw for the Red Devils. Arsenal have also been drawn with Bodo/Glimt and FC Zurich in Group A.

Inaugural Europa Conference League winners Roma are in Group C with Real Betis, Ludogorets and HJK.

Group stage draw in full

Group A: Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt, FC Zurich

Group B: Dynamo Kyiv, Rennes, Fenerbahce, AEK Larnaca

Group C: Roma, Ludogorets, Real Betis, HJK Helsinki

Group D: Braga, Malmo, Union Berlin, Union Saint-Gilloise

Group E: Manchester United, Real Sociedad, FC Sheriff, Omonia

Group F: SS Lazio, Feyenoord, FC Midtjylland, SK Sturm Graz

Group G: Olympiakos, Qarabag, Freiburg, Nantes

Group H: Red Star Belgrade, Monaco, Ferencvaros TC, Trabzonspor

A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, has dismissed a statement by Ibrahim Masari that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; and some governors of the opposition party will work for All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Ologbondiyan in a chat on Friday said there is no truth in Masari’s claim, noting that PDP governors have seen the failure of the APC and won’t vote for the ruling party. The former PDP spokesman said, “The assertion by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s placeholder, Ibrahim Masari, that PDP governors will vote for All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is lame. It is an assertion that is not predicated on fact and as such, it cannot be taken seriously by Nigerians.

“The PDP governors have no reason, and have no basis to go and vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in view of the fact that Nigerians have already distance themselves from the processes of the All Progressives Congress and Nigerians, upon whom the APC has become a burden in the last seven years, are looking for every way and means to reject them at the poll.

“So, it does not add up that governors of PDP who have seen the failure of the All Progressives Congress will vote for the APC. It doesn’t add up. Members of the PDP have dismissed the assertion (by Masari) because there is no truth in it; it is lame.”

By Ikenna ONUOHA, Mnipr 

As a Communication student, our Teachers specifically taught us the difference between a town crier, one of the communication agents and the village gong man.

While the town crier may not be too skillful and wealthy in materials, but only does his work as the community informant or reminder, the gong man functions professionally and treats his kinsmen with equal rights and privileges.

One thing that differentiates the town crier and the gong man is skill and social class. The former carries out his duties untutored without expecting remuneration from his kinsmen, but the gong man most times, negotiates or bargains professionally for a better rhythm for his people.

The message or story telling is explicit only one who pays attention will understand and assimilates. Today, most politicians have misplaced their duties as town criers to the gong man.

This is because, our society today absorbs nonentities, selfish and greedy persons as leaders with or without referencing to future and what it will bring.

Scholarly, a gong man is a trademark of a musclebound man banging a gong at the beginning of every Rank film was dreamed up in the 1930s by the publicity manageress of General Film Distributors, which then distributed J Arthur's films. 

The lady had in mind Bombadier Billy Wells, "Beautiful Billy"to his fans, who had been British heavyweight boxing champion from 1911-19. He was filmed at Walton Hall Studios, Isleworth, in 1935. 

After the war, it was deemed that Wells should be replaced and his successor was hunky Phil Nieman, who was immortalized at Gainsborough Studios, Shepherd's Bush. Nieman's replacement, in 1955, was yet another athlete, Ken Richmond, who won a wrestling bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. 

Richmond, filmed at Pinewood, remains to this day. Incidentally, the gong is actually made of plaster and paper and the noise we hear, the reverberations of a Chinese tam-tam (three feet diameter), is recorded by percussionist James Blades.

Bringing it down to Imo politics and the expectations of many in the 2023 elections, we should not expect less a town crier and a village gong man.

Most individuals are ganging up and regrouping either to play the role of town crier or the gong man, but the confusion beclouding us makes them uncertain on which political position to gun for.

Some town criers bereft of the needed skills are angry that those better than them should not join in the 2023 elections to easily pave way for their inordinate emergence as members of the parliament or the executive.

Our major role as political spectators is to identify the town criers and the gong men, and ensure that our desperation to get it right in the 2023 elections does not elude us.

From 1999 to date, record has it that our state has produced town criers as Governors, but wish assuredly to elect a gong man as Governor in the 2023 elections.

Reason is not far fetched, the gong man will be skillful with defined or definite purpose of programmes to be executed once elected, instead, of the town crier whose only duty is to remind or inform the villagers that there would be meeting somewhere in the community.

We do not want those in the habit of creating unnecessary village and political crisis in our state, those still aggrieved over their abysmal loss in the 2019 post election matters to be relaunched.

This is because, their accumulated animosity, acrimony, vengeance and revenge against supposed political enemies will not allow them to concentrate to execute relevant project when elected as Governor.

In 2023, Imo needs people of proven integrity with open hearts, charitable and charismatic swag not only in character but in leadership, philanthropy and defined philosophy.

The era of ethnic and tribal sentiment including sex chauvinism is over. We do not want leaders with elitist mentality to Govern the state again, owing to the fact that such clandestine pursuit ended up cutting off the youths from accessing dividends of democracy from government in the past.

In as much as the issue of zoning must be prominently considered, there is need to look towards an apolitical jingoist who will not allow his internal interest and that of his immediate constituents to derail him from carrying every clan in the state along.

By so doing, we shall be expecting Imo of our collective dreams!

...It Shall End In Praise