Delta Women Protest Murder, Detention Of Elderly Persons

Over 100 women in Delta State have protested the gruesome murder of one Afamefuna Ubaka and detention of 14 elderly persons.

The women from Ogbe-Odogwu, Azuugwu, Ogwashi Uku community in Aniocha South local government area took their grievances to the Government House, Asaba, the state capital yesterday

They fingered their monarch, his guards and others in the murder of Ubaka, an Okada rider.

The women, who wore black, wept, rolled on the ground and carried placards with inscriptions urging the state government and the monarch to order.

Some of the placards read: “Release our fathers and youths; Police do your job; Investigate the murder of Afamefuna Ubaka; Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, please help us we are tired of living in fear in our father land.”

Chike Malije, leader of the protesters said they were at the governor’s office to ask for justice, and how peace can be restored in their community.

He stated that their “men no longer stay at home, they come home late. You can see that men are not part of this protest because they would be arrested. I am here because I am directly affected by the murder of the young man”.

He added that about eight people have been in detention for the past six to eight months without being charged to court.

“This problem started in 2020 when the Obi wrote our family for us to nominate somebody for the Odogwu position. That is the due process and we on our part, we now consult the oracle, so by the time we concluded the process, the man that the oracle chose was taken to the palace but the Obi turned him down, saying that he has made his own choice. This started the spate of arrests of our people.

One of the aggrieved women, Mrs favour Ikeweji, said many of them had fled the community following daily harassment and intimidation of the men by the Obi and his foot soldiers.

But Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, the palace secretary said the Obi in Council of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom was aware of the false, fictitious and incorrect stories surrounding Ubaka’s death.

He said the Obi-in-Council does not comment on social media on matters being investigated and would leave it to the appropriate authorities to conclude their findings.

Responding on behalf of the state government, Edwin Uzor, the special adviser on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution to the governor said his principal was aware of the matter.

He said, “The governor is going to look into it to ensure that the right thing is done. I can assure you that in a few weeks’ time, the matter will be over,” Uzor said.

Researchers Demand Quality Monetary Policies From Cardoso

A Nigeria-based independent think-tank and research organisation, Pol Eco Analytics, has called on the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Michael Olayemi Cardoso, to implement quality monetary policies to grow the Nigerian economy.

It urged the CBN boss to recognise the need to chart a new course and endeavour to link the critical reforms with improving fiscal and trade policies of the federal government that would strategically lead to an export-oriented economy.

In a statement signed and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja by the senior researcher of Pol Eco Analytics, Adefolarin Olamilekan, said the CBN governor can achieve this by initiating critical monetary reforms to address macro and microeconomic imbalances, foreign reserve challenges, robust FX management and guarded interventions in the real sector and sub sectors of the nation economy.

According to him, the Nigerian economy performance within the first quarter of 2023 economic growth weakened and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth fell from 3.3 percent in 2022 to 2.4 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) in Q1 2023.

He said, “On the other hand, real gross domestic product (GDP) improved slightly  in growth to 2.51 percent in Q2 2023 lower than 3.54 percent recorded in Q2 of 2022.This could be attributed to the challenging domestic and global economic conditions being experienced that has put pressure on Nigeria’s economy.

“Instructively, the Nigerian economy cannot afford the current persistently high double digit general inflation of 25 percent with food inflation at a staggering 29 percent, macroeconomic instability, low investment drive , sluggish economic growth, escalating poverty 64 percent and fragility that have compounded unemployment at 37 percent.

“In this regard, as a matter of national priority, Pol Eco Analytics as a stakeholder in the Nigerian economy and development project, believes domestic policies in the form of quality monetary policy from the CBN can play a major role in improving Nigeria’s economic performance, bring significant growth and buffers against any external shocks.”

Olamilekan said the organisation having carefully observed the country’s economy, particularly from the angle of CBN monetary policy actions currently and in the past, noticed that the CBN would need to carry out a monetary management reforms that are crucial, as measures to rebuilding the nation monetary space to restore the naira value, macroeconomic stability, and the financial sector value creation.

“Pol Eco Analytics is in no doubt that the window of opportunity of Dr Cardoso’s appointment as the governor of the apex bank alongside his deputy governors could have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of Nigerians and establish a solid monetary foundation for sustainable and inclusive financial growth,” the statement concluded.