Get In keeping with the reversed electoral time
schedule, the Independent National Electoral
Commission; INEC, conducted her second and
last phase of 2015 general election on Saturday
11th April, 2015 in twenty-nine states of the
Nigerian Federation. Inclusively-speaking, Abia
State, which had her last governorship election in
2011, was one of the states the election took
place in on the said date.
schedule, the Independent National Electoral
Commission; INEC, conducted her second and
last phase of 2015 general election on Saturday
11th April, 2015 in twenty-nine states of the
Nigerian Federation. Inclusively-speaking, Abia
State, which had her last governorship election in
2011, was one of the states the election took
place in on the said date.
According to news reported by some media in the
country, the election was marred by violent
disturbances in some parts of Nigeria, even to the
extent of many Nigerians losing their lives.
In Abia State, to the glory of God, no case of
political assassination has been recorded since
Chief T. A. Orji emerged as Governor. This is
because the Governor and the People’s
Democratic Party; P.D.P, do not believe that
politics must be played with bitterness, hate and
violence.
country, the election was marred by violent
disturbances in some parts of Nigeria, even to the
extent of many Nigerians losing their lives.
In Abia State, to the glory of God, no case of
political assassination has been recorded since
Chief T. A. Orji emerged as Governor. This is
because the Governor and the People’s
Democratic Party; P.D.P, do not believe that
politics must be played with bitterness, hate and
violence.
During the governorship and House of Assembly
elections in the State, the opposition All
Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, that came into
the contest, like a chicken infested with cocidiosis,
exhibited unrestricted and inordinate ambition
that was characterised by desperation and violent
tendencies.
elections in the State, the opposition All
Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, that came into
the contest, like a chicken infested with cocidiosis,
exhibited unrestricted and inordinate ambition
that was characterised by desperation and violent
tendencies.
Inspite of all provocation, members of the
People’s Democratic Party in the State
maintained the discipline, maturity and equanimity
for which they have always been known. As a
Party that has its focus on the people, it
successfully resisted every attempt by the APGA
to drag her into violence and wanton destruction
of lives and property of precious cm do Abians.
People’s Democratic Party in the State
maintained the discipline, maturity and equanimity
for which they have always been known. As a
Party that has its focus on the people, it
successfully resisted every attempt by the APGA
to drag her into violence and wanton destruction
of lives and property of precious cm do Abians.
No wonder, despite all clandestine manoeuvres by
the opposition and few unscrupulous electoral
officials, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu still led his closest
opposition rival; Mr Alexander Otti, with a record
margin of eighty-three thousand and fifty-three
(83, 053) votes in the gubernatorial election that
the Returning Officer, Professor Chukwuma
Benjamin Ozumba, declared inconclusive.
the opposition and few unscrupulous electoral
officials, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu still led his closest
opposition rival; Mr Alexander Otti, with a record
margin of eighty-three thousand and fifty-three
(83, 053) votes in the gubernatorial election that
the Returning Officer, Professor Chukwuma
Benjamin Ozumba, declared inconclusive.
Suffice it to state, at this juncture, that the
Returning Officer in the said election; Professor
Ozumba, is a personality that should, ordinarily,
be accorded a lot of respect and honour, taking
into consideration his various degrees of
accomplishment in medicine, academics,
administration and social engineering.
Returning Officer in the said election; Professor
Ozumba, is a personality that should, ordinarily,
be accorded a lot of respect and honour, taking
into consideration his various degrees of
accomplishment in medicine, academics,
administration and social engineering.
There will
be hardly any person that would go through his
profile as a Professor of Gynaecology, a one-time
Dean of Faculty of Medical Sciences, a former
Provost of College of Medicine of the famous
University of Nigeria Nsukka, the initiator and
founder of Professor Chukwuedu Nwokolo Annual
Lecture Series and currently the Vice Chancellor
of University of Nigeria, Nsukka that would
hesitate, even for a second, to infer that Professor
Ozumba deserves dignity and reverence from his
fellow country men and women.
Even though the erudite Professor of Medicine
may not be a learned gentle-man, as lawyers, out
of professional sophism and braggadocio would
put it, he must have been familiar with the duties
and functions associated, if not by law, by
convention, with a returning officer.
It may not be out of place to remind whoever
that cares to listen that the good essence of
Professor Attahiru Jega; a former Vice chancellor,
drafting his colleagues in as electoral returning
officers in Nigeria’s electoral system is to reduce,
at least minimally, the human problems of
imperfection, pettiness and gullibility and, by so
doing, restore confidence and credibility in the
country’s electoral environment.
On hearing that Professor Chukwuma Ozumba
was the Returning Officer for the April 11, 2015
governorship election in Abia State, many
indigenes and residents of the state were
hilarious because they felt that a round peg had
simply been put in a round hole.
be hardly any person that would go through his
profile as a Professor of Gynaecology, a one-time
Dean of Faculty of Medical Sciences, a former
Provost of College of Medicine of the famous
University of Nigeria Nsukka, the initiator and
founder of Professor Chukwuedu Nwokolo Annual
Lecture Series and currently the Vice Chancellor
of University of Nigeria, Nsukka that would
hesitate, even for a second, to infer that Professor
Ozumba deserves dignity and reverence from his
fellow country men and women.
Even though the erudite Professor of Medicine
may not be a learned gentle-man, as lawyers, out
of professional sophism and braggadocio would
put it, he must have been familiar with the duties
and functions associated, if not by law, by
convention, with a returning officer.
It may not be out of place to remind whoever
that cares to listen that the good essence of
Professor Attahiru Jega; a former Vice chancellor,
drafting his colleagues in as electoral returning
officers in Nigeria’s electoral system is to reduce,
at least minimally, the human problems of
imperfection, pettiness and gullibility and, by so
doing, restore confidence and credibility in the
country’s electoral environment.
On hearing that Professor Chukwuma Ozumba
was the Returning Officer for the April 11, 2015
governorship election in Abia State, many
indigenes and residents of the state were
hilarious because they felt that a round peg had
simply been put in a round hole.
With the caliber of Professor Ozumba coming to
play the role of a big umpire, it was the thought
of every Abian that the medical guru would not, in
any way, exhibit the least iota of variegation in
conduct or character. No one could ever have
entertained the fear that such a personality that
has been noted for scruples would ever conduct
himself in a manner that could get more than two
hundred and eighty thousand Abians bewildered
to the extent of almost concluding that the
Professor of pedagogy might have had his age-
long integrity compromised by attractions that
can not be deeper than being ephemerally
pecuniary.
play the role of a big umpire, it was the thought
of every Abian that the medical guru would not, in
any way, exhibit the least iota of variegation in
conduct or character. No one could ever have
entertained the fear that such a personality that
has been noted for scruples would ever conduct
himself in a manner that could get more than two
hundred and eighty thousand Abians bewildered
to the extent of almost concluding that the
Professor of pedagogy might have had his age-
long integrity compromised by attractions that
can not be deeper than being ephemerally
pecuniary.
An internationally acclaimed academic of the
height of Professor Chukwuma Benjamin Ozumba
was not, in the least, expected, for whatever
reason, to have allowed himself to be
unhygenically and surreptitiously dragged into the
murky depth of incredulous bigotry hinged on the
sacrilegious impulse of material acquisition.
height of Professor Chukwuma Benjamin Ozumba
was not, in the least, expected, for whatever
reason, to have allowed himself to be
unhygenically and surreptitiously dragged into the
murky depth of incredulous bigotry hinged on the
sacrilegious impulse of material acquisition.
At the level of Professor Ozumba, the Anambra-
born bibliophile is not expected to dabble into
actions that would portray him as working at
cross purposes with veracity and reality.
born bibliophile is not expected to dabble into
actions that would portray him as working at
cross purposes with veracity and reality.
A distinguished scholar like Prof.Ozumba, to whose
credit there are more than three hundred
publications, should not be vulnerable to any form
of subterfuge that could lead him into actions
that, when subjected to proper scaling and
balancing, would end in projecting him as being
avoidably inconsistent.
Generally-speaking, the governorship and
legislative elections in Abia State went well in
Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa-North local
government areas of Abia State.
credit there are more than three hundred
publications, should not be vulnerable to any form
of subterfuge that could lead him into actions
that, when subjected to proper scaling and
balancing, would end in projecting him as being
avoidably inconsistent.
Generally-speaking, the governorship and
legislative elections in Abia State went well in
Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa-North local
government areas of Abia State.
There was no basis for any altruistic person to
have contemplated tampering with the results as
rightly declared by the respective collation officers
in the three local government areas. The elections
in the said areas were free, fair and credible, with
the results reflecting wholly and entirely the
wishes of the people where the elections took
place.
have contemplated tampering with the results as
rightly declared by the respective collation officers
in the three local government areas. The elections
in the said areas were free, fair and credible, with
the results reflecting wholly and entirely the
wishes of the people where the elections took
place.
Ironically-Surprisingly, the Returning Officer; Prof.
Ben Ozumba, under whose directive the University
of Nigeria, Nsuka had conferred an Honorary
Doctorate Degree on Mr. Alexander Otti in
Business Administration on January 26, 2013, in
sharp contrast with the tenets of veracity,
transparency and dignity, announced that the
results of elections from the three local
governments that every body in the state knows
to be among the strong holds of Dr. Okezie
Ikeazu had been cancelled.
Ben Ozumba, under whose directive the University
of Nigeria, Nsuka had conferred an Honorary
Doctorate Degree on Mr. Alexander Otti in
Business Administration on January 26, 2013, in
sharp contrast with the tenets of veracity,
transparency and dignity, announced that the
results of elections from the three local
governments that every body in the state knows
to be among the strong holds of Dr. Okezie
Ikeazu had been cancelled.
People were shocked
to hear that Professor Benjamin Ozumba, who
had been assumed to be of very high repute could
quickly yield to cheap and damaging conduct that
would end up calling his demeanour to question.
The most disturbing aspect of the Professor’s
conduct being that he condescended to the very
porous mental level of saying that he took his
inglorious action only based on observations
made by International Election Observers.
Ofcourse, at his level of intellectual development,
he should have known that an election result
already declared at a local government area by
the appropriate Collation Officer should not be
tampered with.
to hear that Professor Benjamin Ozumba, who
had been assumed to be of very high repute could
quickly yield to cheap and damaging conduct that
would end up calling his demeanour to question.
The most disturbing aspect of the Professor’s
conduct being that he condescended to the very
porous mental level of saying that he took his
inglorious action only based on observations
made by International Election Observers.
Ofcourse, at his level of intellectual development,
he should have known that an election result
already declared at a local government area by
the appropriate Collation Officer should not be
tampered with.
One may, however, sympathize with Professor
Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumbafor his moral crash
in his regrettable outgoing in Abia State. This is
because even if the Professor had wished to do a
transparent job in Abia State, the leprous
presence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner
in the state; Professor Selina Omagha Oko, whose
immorality and lack of transparency and integrity
compelled the Professor Jega-led Independent
National Electoral Commission to send her on a
punitive compulsory leave in 2011 owing to her
despicable behaviour during the governorship
election in Imo State, was strong enough to
corrupt him.
Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumbafor his moral crash
in his regrettable outgoing in Abia State. This is
because even if the Professor had wished to do a
transparent job in Abia State, the leprous
presence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner
in the state; Professor Selina Omagha Oko, whose
immorality and lack of transparency and integrity
compelled the Professor Jega-led Independent
National Electoral Commission to send her on a
punitive compulsory leave in 2011 owing to her
despicable behaviour during the governorship
election in Imo State, was strong enough to
corrupt him.
It is an open secret that Professor
Selina Oko had held clandestine meetings with
cronies of Mr. Alexander Otti severally at a branch
of Diamond Bank at Aba. Being morally bankrupt,
Mrs Oko was all out to take maximum pecuniary
advantage of the guber election in Abia State and
since the desperation of Mr. Otti blind-folded him
against the realities of Abia political situation, her
avarice became fuelled to such a dangerous
extremity that Professor Ozumba had to become
a victim of her greed.
Selina Oko had held clandestine meetings with
cronies of Mr. Alexander Otti severally at a branch
of Diamond Bank at Aba. Being morally bankrupt,
Mrs Oko was all out to take maximum pecuniary
advantage of the guber election in Abia State and
since the desperation of Mr. Otti blind-folded him
against the realities of Abia political situation, her
avarice became fuelled to such a dangerous
extremity that Professor Ozumba had to become
a victim of her greed.
Nigerians would continue to wonder why a person
like Mrs. Oko, whose kleptomania is evidently
cancerous, should be allowed to remain in a
commission that should symbolize discipline,
integrity, transparency, hope and national pride.
It is, however, re-assuring that despite the
finance-induced conspiracy that was hatched by
both Professor Ozumba and Oko, truth later
prevailed when reason dawned on Professor
Ozumba who shamefully and remorsefully
reversed his obnoxiously unwarranted cancelation
of results from Obingwa, Osisioma and
Isialangwa-North local government areas.
like Mrs. Oko, whose kleptomania is evidently
cancerous, should be allowed to remain in a
commission that should symbolize discipline,
integrity, transparency, hope and national pride.
It is, however, re-assuring that despite the
finance-induced conspiracy that was hatched by
both Professor Ozumba and Oko, truth later
prevailed when reason dawned on Professor
Ozumba who shamefully and remorsefully
reversed his obnoxiously unwarranted cancelation
of results from Obingwa, Osisioma and
Isialangwa-North local government areas.
Abia State is Gods own sate and God is known
for equity, justice and fairness. Despite the
enormity of conspiracy mounted against the good
people of old Aba Division, God has already
shown that He is indeed, equity-keeping God.
for equity, justice and fairness. Despite the
enormity of conspiracy mounted against the good
people of old Aba Division, God has already
shown that He is indeed, equity-keeping God.
Despite being inconclusive, the election result
already released by the electoral body
conveniently and comfortably place Dr. Okezie
Victor Chibuikem Ikpeazuon an indisputably clear
lead with a total superior vote difference of
eighty-three thousand and fifty-three votes over
and above Mr. Otti.
already released by the electoral body
conveniently and comfortably place Dr. Okezie
Victor Chibuikem Ikpeazuon an indisputably clear
lead with a total superior vote difference of
eighty-three thousand and fifty-three votes over
and above Mr. Otti.
Advocates and supports of equity should,
however, not rest on their oars for it is not over
until it is over.
however, not rest on their oars for it is not over
until it is over.
Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; KSC, JP
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