WE LOVE OUR NOLLYWOOD...BUT HERE IS ONE OF ITS EVIL EFFECTS ON OUR PSYCHE...SHALL WE EVER BE FREE?

DPO COLLECTS SAND FROM COURT PREMISES FOR SUSPECTED RITUALS

[caption id="attachment_9226" align="aligncenter" width="452"] nollywood medicineman?[/caption]

OWERRI— Eagle-eyed security officers at the Imo State Customary Court of Appeal, Owerri, yesterday apprehended a man, who came into the premises to collect sand for suspected ritual purposes.

The man, who was still held at the security gate when Vanguard visited the scene at 3.30p.m, not only gave his name as Alphonsus Madu but claimed to be a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, serving in Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

“My name is Alphonsus Madu. I am a Deputy Superintendent of Police. I am the Ika Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in Akwa Ibom State Police Command,”Madu told Vanguard.

On why he came under the heavy rain to collect sand from the court premises, Madu confessed that he has a case pending in the court.

He said: “I have a land matter pending in the Customary Court of Appeal, Owerri. I have been fasting all day in respect of the matter. I came to pick some sand from the court premises in continuation of my fasting and prayer.”

Asked why he chose a non-working day to carry out his mission, he claimed that Sunday was the only opportunity he had to visit Owerri.

When reminded that the court was a hallowed establishment and this singular act was capable of terminating his service, Madu told Vanguard that he was very sorry.

He said: “I am not here for ritual purposes. I have no intention to go into any ritual. I only needed the sand for my personal prayers. I am afraid that this act may jeopardize my service.”

Contacted on his mobile line, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, said: “Even if the man is a serving police officer, he has no reason to be in the court premises on Sunday and under the heavy rain.”

Katsina said he would interview the man today to ascertain if truly he is a police officer and why he preferred visiting the court premises under the rain to collect sand.

“The man must be a funny human being. Does he not know the security situation in the country? I have ordered the DPO, New Owerri Division to bring him to my office for interview,” the CP said.

Efforts to reach the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Pius Ifeanyi Okpara, for his comments failed as he was said to be slightly indisposed to talk to anybody.

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA/VANGUARD

ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES VERSUS EXAM MALPRACTICES...WHICH IS WORSE?...ARE NIGERIAN STUDENTS WHO CHEAT FOLLOWING VERY BIG FOOTSTEPS IN THE SAND?

Electoral malpractice: Group calls for Akpabio’s resignation

A coalition of 17 civil society organisations drawn from within and outside Nigeria under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society on Electoral Security and Transparency Initiative has called on Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio to resign over his alleged confession of electoral malpractice.

The group also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged self confession.

In a press statement signed by Ali Abacha, the National Coordinator Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency and Good Governance, on behalf of the coalition, the group decried what it called “elite phenomenon whereby those in positions of authority openly flout laws of the land with utmost disdain yet arrogantly admit to this and in most cases, get away with it.”

Referring to the alleged admittance of Akpabio to influencing a senatorial election result and personally replacing the winner with his preferred candidate, the coalition condemned acts of election rigging by impunity perpetuated especially by top government officials.

It said: “For whatever reason, this is an unjustifiable act at that level of governance and injurious to deepening democratic governance in the country. It should therefore be condemned by all well-meaning democrats not only in Nigeria, but the world at large.

“Against this backdrop we hereby call on Governor Akpabio to consider his rigging confession as self-indicting and therefore call for his outright resignation from the exalted office of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State to face prosecution for electoral fraud.”

The group also called on the House of Representatives to commence investigation into the activities of Akpabio, so as to avoid further disintegration of democratic ideals in the state.

Akpabio was quoted to have said: “I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before, and I said it is important for me to give that region a Senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that’s where he comes from.”

OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU/NATIONAL MIRROR