[size =70]part one[/size]
[img]https://z-p3-scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/cp0/e15/q65/s320x320/15672563_933570286743702_396530137680672374_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoiYiJ9&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeFxNPdxV_9WmbUUsnvKdHiS1v46JUBPdaC40ZzvuxyuPu64ebUfrhFXiG5E4lO7SphzsIXlMQzvaO_Fo5LeFOS8BDBeG5I8gb7LEdFy3iS2tQ&oh=b621df0527df0ea201bc7f68adab3cb2&oe=58FB983F[/img]
Multiple sources in Rivers state have told
NAIJ.com Aproko that former Nigerian first
lady, Dame Patience Jonathan is under
pressure to contest for the Rivers East
senatorial election in 2019.
Mrs Jonathan, 59, is from Okirika in Rivers
state and is eligible to contest for elections in
the state as well as that of her husband;
Bayelsa constitutionally.
One of the source told NAIJ.com Aproko that
a team of politicians have already started
mobilising themselves for the task ahead.
His words: ''There is already a team on ground
working towards achieving this objective.
Mummy (Mrs Jonathan) is aware and has not
told them to stop which means she is okay
with the idea.
''The team has started reaching out to
influential leaders in Rivers East senatorial
district and beyond to ensure that their plans
come to fruition.''
Another source who spoke to NAIJ.com
Aproko on the rumour confirmed the plans.
''The plan is on course. In fact, we have
people joining us on a daily basis because
many know this is a done deal.
''Mama Peace is no push over in Rivers
politics and her entrance into the political fray
will only boost the chances and image of the
PDP.
''To be honest, she hasn't said anything, but
the pressure on her is enormous that I doubt
if she will be able to reject it,'' he said.
Asked if the ongoing investigation by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) against the former first lady won't
affect her chances, the source said the she is
only being persecuted.
His words: ''The case has even made her more
popular because we all know she is being
victimised and the allegations by the EFCC
are untrue.''
Popularly called 'Mama Peace', Mrs Jonathan
has been neck deep into the politics of Rivers
state since the days of Rotimi Amaechi as
governor.
Political analysts won't be surprised at her
entrance into politics as she has always been
at the periphery of political movements.
The former first lady also enjoys a mutual
relationship with the Rivers state governor,
Nyesome Wike, who by virtue of his position,
is the political leader of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Efforts to reach her spokespersons as at the
time of this report proved abortive.
[color =blue]OUR UNRELIABLE APROKO[/color] reports a source
from the PDP told him that the former first
lady has every right to contest, saying "Yes we
know no be only the Jonathan's waka come
but whether Mama Peace contests for the
senate or not the Jonathan's manhood would
live on forever."
[size =70]part two [/size]
[img]https://z-p3-scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/cp0/e15/q65/s320x320/15542096_933577593409638_9062456350051171226_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoiYiJ9&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeEvMGgDJy4eq-Od3d0DAx77-pQSxARpWoNb5USFSfRWQiEVQ_aGEmhCEYKwxAMlRwFyeJeE0BhatH45eGC-7WQv7Y7vdCvlHttd8nXpw0hjtQ&oh=aa4c47b757ae9ce548aa5bec3f1677f8&oe=58F46F77[/img]
Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi
has accused the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) of subjecting Igbo travellers to hardship
by seizing rice meant for household
consumption at its numrous checkpoints in
the region.
Obi said this after he delivered a keynote
address during the end-of-the-year meeting of
Diamond Brothers Club, at Oriental Hotel,
Lagos, yesterday.
He told Aprokos that, some people visited him
at his Onitsha home to complain about the
hardship on people because of countless
Customs checkpoints on roads, especially in
the South-East.
Obi said to have first hand information about
the complaint, he travelled by road from
Lagos to Onitsha and described the situation
as worrisome and counter-productive.
Speaking further, Obi wondered if the roads in
Nigeria have become wharfs or borders to
warrant many Customs checkpoints.
“We know that Customs police our borders to,
among other things, guard against smuggling
of banned goods, but, if they do this
effectively at the borders, as obtainable in
other countries, there would not be need for
Customs checkpoints all over the place.”
Obi said he observed over 10 checkpoints
from Ore to Onitsha and added that, in this
time of recession, what was more worrisome
was that they stopped travellers and
demanded Customs papers, clearance papers
for vehicles, including those bought several
years ago.
“Even families going home for Christmas were
stopped and the rice they were given as gifts
in their offices or bought in the open market
were confiscated under the presence that they
were foreign rice.
Obi appealed to the Customs Comptroller
General, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), “to look with
interest” at what is happening and “to
completely overhaul their mode of operations
by targeting those importing banned goods at
the borders and not innocent Nigerians trying
painfully to eke a living.”
He commended Customs for their
contributions to the growth and development
of the country, but argued that, “taking their
checkpoints to places that have or have no
need of them is subjecting the people to
underserved hardship
[color =purple]OUR UNRELIABLE APROKO[/color] reports when he
contacted Custom officials they told him that
the NCS is doing what is necessary right and
impounding illegal rice, "We do our work
thoroughly by cooking some part of the rice to
confirm if it is foreign or not, all our officials
has gas cookers on check points and it
doesn't take more than 10 minutes to confirm
whether the rice is local or foreign." They said.
