Benchmark Naija

OWERRI— The schism, which has been trailing the appointment and consecration of the new Bishop of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Peter Okpalaeke, by the Papacy, took a more dangerous dimension weekend, as priests allegedly got entangled in what people described as a dirty battle. Vanguard   investigations revealed that Rev. Fr. Januarius Chima Ahaneku went to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, at about 7.15p.m., following his posting to the parish by the Vicar General of the embattled Diocese, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii. While Fr. Ahaneku was accused of storming the parish with thugs and assaulting the resident priest, Rev. Fr. Marcellinus Nweke, Ahaneku, however, said he was there on legitimate posting. Nweke confirmed that he had to alert the police and the people when his brother priest allegedly exhibited an act unbecoming of an ordained Catholic priest. He said: “They started harassing us, using hammer and some iron bars to break the doors and gained entr...

Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Monday attended the All Progressive Congress (APC) stakeholders meeting in Sokoto, a move seen as a precursor to his formal defection to the party from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). Associates of the speaker said his presence at the meeting, Monday, may herald his official defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. At the meeting, the APC zoned its governorship ticket to the Sokoto-South senatorial zone where Tambuwal hails from. This move is seen as paving the way for the speaker to contest for the state’s governorship seat or the presidential election under the party. The party in Sokoto said majority of its members voted in support of zoning the ticket to the zone in view of the fact that both the Sokoto-East and Central have ruled the state for eight consecutive terms each. One source at Monday’s meeting said Mr. Tambuwal told the gathering to accept him as “one of you startin...

The All Progressive Congress has written to the Inspector General of Police concerning the violent behaviour of Asari Dokubor against APC Publcity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohahmmed. The APC has a running verbal battle with Mujahid Dokubor. Source: AIT

Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the new government house was an act of insensitivity to the plight of Ekiti State people, many of whom cannot afford to feed once in a day. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has described the newly built Government House in the state as a show of wickedness to the people of the state by the immediate past Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the new government house was an act of insensitivity to the plight of Ekiti State people, many of whom cannot afford to feed once in a day. Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, Olayinka said no progressive minded Ekiti State person would see the out-of-this-world luxury provided with over N3.3 billion borrowed fund for Fayemi, his wife and children and will not weep for the state and its people. Olayinka, who said Fayose was al...