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What Gov Okorocha said about Certificate of Return after meeting with Buhari
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State says he is confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will issue a Certificate of Return to him as the Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.
Okorocha expressed this optimism while speaking with State House Correspondents after a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“As it stands today, I am just waiting patiently for the release of my certificate of return for an election that I duly won.
“And I am hoping that INEC will release my certificate as I have not contravened any section of the constitution, neither have I done anything wrong to warrant the withholding of my certificate.
“I pray and hope that INEC will do what is just and right.
“INEC conducted elections, results were declared by the returning officer and I won; only to hear one week later that somebody wrote a petition that he made that declaration under duress; the question is where?
“Was it in his private house or at the collation centre? If it was at the collation centre, members of the SSS were there, policemen were there, as well as international observers and INEC officials.
“So, who actually put him under duress? The man has not been able to say that; he has never made a statement about that. So I think INEC will want to do the right thing very soon,’’ NAN quoted him as saying.
According to Okorocha, he was in the Presidential Villa to request the president to visit the state to inaugurate his many projects.
The governor said that he had completed the new cargo airport terminal, warehouses and cargo shelves that needed to be commissioned.
He said he also completed a new police headquarters and a new prison headquarters in the state.
Okorocha said that the aforementioned projects were Federal Government projects undertaken by Imo State Government.
He also listed other projects to include the Justice Oputa Court and the new Imo State High Court complex.
“So, we have well over a thousand projects verifiable to be commissioned; we are requesting Mr President to kindly commission the Federal ones and see how many of the state ones he can commission too.
“The 27 model hospitals are much bigger than the state will need, but those hospitals were built for possible concessions; as people come, they take over the hospitals and equip them.
“But we have some of them running already; the one in Ikeduru is fully running and is being taken over by an American company; we have some taken by some Churches and private organisations.
“That is our style of making Imo State a tourist destination for Nigeria by building those 27 general hospitals, a diagnostic centre, a free child and mother hospital and the Imo Medical Centre.
“So, put together, we have 30 hospitals with close to 10,000 beds built by this administration; those hospitals are futuristic so to say.
“They have been roofed; they have all been tiled and fenced; what remains is that we are looking for management because if you pack in now, you might not have the need for it; we are talking about the future, not now,’’ he said.
On the Imo State governorship election, Okorocha said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate Emeka Ihedioha, did not win the election as he flouted Section 179 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said that the returning officer was not fit to be a professor; and should be charged for not respecting the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Okorocha, however, attributed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s poor performance in the state to the imposition of a candidate by the party’s leadership.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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