TIMES SQUARE GAZETTE

  ...to open defence July 18 The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Enugu, Chijioke Edoga, on Sunday, closed his case against the victory of Governor Peter Mbah in the March 18 election before the election tribunal sitting in the state. Mr Edeoga closed his case after calling 30 witnesses and one witness subpoena from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Victor Okafor, to prove their allegations. The governorship election petition tribunal is hearing the petition filed by Mr Edeoga against the election of Mr Mbah of the PDP as the governor. Mr Edeoga is praying the tribunal disqualifies Mr Mbah over an alleged NYSC certificate forgery and manipulation of election results. When the matter came up for hearing, the INEC subpoena witness, Mr Okafor, told the tribunal that his commission provided five Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were provided in the subpoena list. The LP counsel, Eyitayo Fatogun (SAN), tendered the five BVAS mach...

  …nobody will harrass citizens for coming out under our watch – police Security agencies in Enugu State have assured residents in the state to go about their normal businesses as they were on ground to protect them from any form of attacks and harassment.  Operatives in the State gave this assurance on Sunday in Enugu while reacting to earlier reports by some newspapers quoting residents in the state as saying they were tired of the continuous illegal sit-at-home declared by some faceless criminals popularly called unknown gunmen.  This was even as our correspondent noticed the presence of joint security agencies, particularly the army, at various locations as a reassurance of the safety of the citizens.  While reacting to the distress call by citizens in the state urging security operatives to end the illegal sit-at-home by bringing those responsible for the enforcement to book, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Enugu State Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, sai...

  By Agu Nnamdi The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its Enugu State governorship candidate, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr. today, Sunday, withdrew the petition filed against the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah challenging the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in the state. The petitioners’ counsel, Prof. Race Achara while addressing the tribunal said his client wished to make an oral application to withdraw the petition which had its suit number as EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 from the court. “My lords, as has been instructed by my client, I wish to make an oral application before the honourable tribunal to withdraw the petition filed against the first, second and third respondents in this matter so that we will no longer be wasting the time of the court, as we were not able to gather the evidence that will help in prosecuting the matter, ” counsel to the petitioners said. Replying to the petitioners’s application, the first, second and 3rd respondents told the court that they ha...

  ..  as Edeoga's witness confirms he participated in PDP primary  By Udegbunam Amaka A witness, Casmir Agbo, the Labour Party chairman in  Enugu State called by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, on Saturday, July 15, told the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the Enugu State governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has NYSC stamp confirming it as genuine. Recall that on Friday, a subpoenaed witness from INEC, Dr Dimas Friday Emmanuel, called by Edeoga had testified that Mbah's discharge bore the NYSC stamp confirming it was issued by the institution.  The prosecution witness 26, Agbo, while under cross examination by Mbah’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN),  was presented with some documents earlier  admitted in evidence by the tribunal, and asked to identify if there...

REMEMBERING OGBETE (COAL CAMP) Reminiscing on a peaceful settlement of an area popularly known as, and referred to as COAL CAMP (Gazette Name is OGBETE), let us begin with the early settlers and the structures that made Coal Camp great. Then from there to the recent 1970s, 1980s & 1990s. It is important to remember here that, in those days, akara 1 penny and agidi 1 penny were more than enough breakfast for any school pupil. Bread tolo (3 pence) and akara tolo could serve the breakfast of a family of four. Akara nai (9 pence) will round a class of 20 pupils. We came to know the long luxurious buses as either Babangiri or Udoye. We joined the very sparinglyn to Uwani, Asata, Stadium, and Polo Park. Coal Camp can be said to have developed as a Center when the labour force of the then Nigerian Coal Corporation started growing. The Colliery Quarters were built immediately for the workers with the Clerks Quarters for the Middle Level Cadre. Others who could not get accommodated there ha...

  It's laughable how Ndigbo are trying to exonerate the people who initiated the current unrest in the South East and lord it entirely over to Barr Simon Ekpa and making it look as if Ebonyi State is fighting the Igboland. This is one of the areas I don't like the character of Ndigbo. Always using a part to judge the whole. Such a bad synecdochal judgement!  Barr Simon Ekpa didn't originate what's happening today in the South East. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Uwazuruike and Nnamdi Kanu did. It's unfair how these three are addressed as heroes, others villains. I'm not on the side of Simon, I'm just trying to be frank with what's happening in the South East. I am a rational thinker about the Biafran philosophy. Simon hasn't done half of what the other three have done. He hasn't said what the other three have said. He's just a rising Biafran struggle celebrity. We must have to view him from this focal point.  The weakness of Ndigbo lies in the Biafran smok...

  Residents across Enugu State have cried out to the governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for help over the continuous declaration and enforcement of the illegal sit-at-home order by a faction of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by Simon Ekpa. The residents, who spoke to newsmen at different locations in the state when a civil society group, Coalition for the Advancement of Good Governance (CAGG) led by Comrade Nduka Festus, went round the state to sensitize and also sound out the people on the negative impacts of sit-at-home on them, said they were tired of the protracted sit-at-home order. The people, who rued their losses, lamented  that the sit-at-home was inflicting unimaginable pains, hardships and hunger on them. At Abakpa market, Mrs., Beatrice Onyinye, a trader, recounted the ordeal she was facing in her business as a result of the sit-at-home. She said that school fees had oiled up while she was also unable to pay the rent for her shop since the illegal sit-at-home o...

  By Andrew Ochei  The Enugu State Governorship Election Tribunal today, Friday,  refused to grant the application of Chijioke Edeoga, the Labour Party governorship candidate in the March 18 election seekihg to obtain another order subpoenaeing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  to bring the BVAS machines to the tribunal for inspection by the party.  The lead counsel to the petitioner, V. O Azinge, SAN had reminded the court yesterday, that the INEC, which is the first respondent, had refused to effect the order of the court by allowing the petitioner to inspect the BVAS machines. In response, the INEC lawyer, Humphrey Okoli told the court that the INEC had obeyed the order by granting access to the Labour Party,  adding that the attendance register to that effect was with him in the court. Azinge however denied the position of the first respondent, praying the court to mandate the first respondent (INEC) to comply with the said order of ...