The Nation Newspaper

Category: South East

  • Otti bans articulated trucks

    Otti bans articulated trucks

    • Visits accident victims
    • Promises to offset medical bills

    Abia State Governor Alex Otti has banned movement of articulated trucks during the day.

    Otti, in a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Dodoh Okafor, said articulated trucks would only be allowed to ply the roads between 8pm and 7am.

    The ban followed an accident which occurred on Tuesday on Aba Waterside bridge, located at Ogbor Hill area of the busy Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway.

    Otti said investigation would be carried out to ascertain the immediate and remote cause of the accident.

    He promised to offset the medical bills of those receiving treatment at public and private hospitals.

    The governor spoke after visiting hospitals in Aba where the victims were receiving treatment. 

    He thanked God that those affected were responding to treatment, hoping that they would soon be discharged.

    Read Also: Otti reads riot act to 24 perm secs

    The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, said measures would be put in place to forestall future occurrence, including restricting the movement of heavy duty trucks

    Dr. Otti said efforts would be made to fix deplorable roads.

    The medical directors of some of the hospitals, including Prof. John Chikezie of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Dr. Patrick Okolo of New Era Hospital and Dr. Emenike Chidi of Impact Hospital thanked the government for coming to the rescue of the accident victims.

    “We are doing our best to ensure their quick recovery.” 

  • Eno okays establishment of 10 dialysis centres

    Eno okays establishment of 10 dialysis centres

    • RCCG donates facility

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has approved the establishment of 10 dialysis centres in each of the federal constituencies in the state

     The governor has directed the recruitment and training of professionals to meet the manpower needs of the centres, which are to be fully operational by next June.

     He spoke yesterday at the Immanuel General Hospital, Eket, where he inaugurated Enoch and Folu Adeboye Dialysis Centre.

     The centre was donated by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

     Eno ordered the deployment of personnel from the state hospitals in the dialysis centre to ensure the facility is not underutilised due to lack of personnel.

     “I have directed the Head of Civil Service to work with the Ministry of Health and the Civil Service Commission to absorb them as quickly as possible so that we can have permanent workers here. We don’t want to have equipment here, yet we don’t have the manpower to operate them,” he said.

     The governor made a case for aggressive sensitisation on kidney related ailments and measures to checkmate their occurrence.

     He directed that the Ministry of Health should collaborate with the Ministry of Information and Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor to undertake the sensitisation.

    Read Also: Tinubu committed to improving lives of vulnerable communities – Shettima

     Eno extolled the gesture of RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and wife, Folu, in partnering government through the church’s humanitarian arm, ‘His Love Foundation’, to provide medical services for the people, especially those plagued by kidney diseases.

     RCCG Intercontinental Overseer, Christian Social Responsibility, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, speaking on behalf of the church, said RCCG, driven by passion for humanity and the need to bring help to people afflicted by kidney diseases, had through “His Love Foundation”, set up 12 dialysis centres across Nigeria and was pleased to set the 13th in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, among other interventions.

     Health Commissioner Prof. Augustine Umoh, expatiating on the imperative of the intervention, said dialysis was one of the best ways of managing kidney failure and lauded the state government-RCCG partnership.

     He affirmed the delivery of three dialysis machines, with accessories, by the church to the centre.

  • Stakeholders fume over Ndiomu’s ‘inefficiency’, plan protest 

    Stakeholders fume over Ndiomu’s ‘inefficiency’, plan protest 

    Protest for the sack of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj.-Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (Rtd), is imminent, following alleged reports of “inefficiency” by the PAP boss.

     Stakeholders under the auspices of Niger Delta Emancipators gave the hint in a statement yesterday by its President, Opuwei Ogelekekeme, in Warri, Delta State.

     Ogelekekeme said the group and other critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta would storm Abuja soon to protest Ndiomu’s continuous stay in office and alleged failure in “reintegrating freedom fighters into the society and in the smooth operation of the Amnesty programme.”

     The group had called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to remove Ndiomu for a more capable hand who understands the struggle of stakeholders.

     It stated that “the prevailing peace in the region appears threatened by complaints not only of corruption but also of Major-Gen. Ndiomu’s oversight of the amnesty programme’s fundamental goals.” 

    It was gathered that hundreds of ex-agitators enrolled in the second phase of the Amnesty programme convened in Bomadi, Bomadi Local Government to make resolutions on the next line of action to take concerning the developers.

     Operating under the umbrella of the ‘Second Phase General,’ this group had issued a 21-day ultimatum for Ndiomu to step down, otherwise he would face the discontent of those who had borne the brunt of ensuring peace, tranquility and development in the region, The Nation learnt.

     According to a source, the ex-militants contemplated two options, “to advocate an overhaul of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by removing Ndiomu, whom they accuse of following the path set by the past administration in terminating the programme or to return to the creeks where they belong.”

    Read Also: 40% IGR deduction: Burden will be passed to parents, colleges of education union warns FG

     A stakeholder and Speaker of the Ijaw Mobile Parliament, Kingsley Warekuromor, said if Ndiomu was indeed following the past administration’s approach to ending the PAP, “it indicates lack of goodwill toward President Tinubu and potentially inciting unrest in the region”.

     Ezonfade Otus-Kelly, an Ijaw Youth Council leader from Seimbiiri clan in Delta State, Western Zone, stressed the importance of reintegrating the ex-agitators.

     Tabai England and Timibrabo Tevin of the Ijaw Patriotic Group, in their assessment of the ex-agitators’ assembly, urged President Tinubu to take actions by appointing a qualified leader for the Amnesty Office.

     They said Ndiomu not only failed to “comprehend the genuine grievances of these agitators”, but has also become “disconnected” from the reality of effectively managing the programme.

    These developments are behind the ex-agitators’ resolve to lead a protest, expressing their dissent by vowing to “dance naked in the streets of Abuja after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum for Ndiomu’s resignation or replacement.”

  • Abia govt shuts 197 ‘substandard’ private schools 

    Abia govt shuts 197 ‘substandard’ private schools 

    Abia State Government has shut 197 ‘substandard’ private schools as part of its efforts to reform the education sector.

     Information and Culture Commissioner Okey Kanu said this when he addressed reporters at the Government House, Umuahia on the outcome of yesterday’s state Executive Council meeting.

     He said about 900 private schools had been inspected in the ongoing inspection of private schools.

     Kanu said the exercise followed government’s resolve to improve the standard of education.

     He also spoke on government’s plan to fix internal roads in the major cities, saying Ministry of Works had been directed to undertake the task.

     Commissioner for Health Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo said over 8,000 people had received free medicare under the free medical services offered by the government.

    Read Also: Tinubu committed to improving lives of vulnerable communities – Shettima

     She said government had begun to retrofit Cottage Hospital in Aba, to enhance its capacity, adding that it would soon be reopened.

     Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner Uzo Nwachukwu said government had appointed Transition Committee (TC)  chairmen, deputy chairmen and councillors for the 17 local governments.

     He said individuals with the capacity to deliver the rebuilding agenda of the current administration were selected to do the job.

     Nwachukwu said TC members were entitled to statutory six months tenure and that by reviewing the law, their tenure could be extended.

  • Dietary re-evaluation will reduce diabetes mortality rate, says Soludo

    Dietary re-evaluation will reduce diabetes mortality rate, says Soludo

    Wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has called for re-evaluation of dietary lifestyle and physical habits, following growing mortalities resulting from diabetes.

     Mrs. Soludo, who made this known in a statement to mark 2023 World Diabetes Day in Awka yesterday, canvassed for healthy consumption culture, physical exercise and maintenance of right attitude to reduce body weight.

     She referred to the 2021 report by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) that over 537 million adults globally, representing one in every 10, between 20 to 79 years age bracket, were living with diabetes, with an estimation that the number could rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045.

     The governor’s wife, founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), ‘Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo’, said part of the NGO’s vision remained preaching healthy lifestyle as an important factor to fight deadly diseases such as diabetes.

     Reiterating her calls on residents to be mindful of what they consumed, Mrs. Soludo noted that although food remained the first and major medicine against most killer diseases, making the wrong choice of it could be detrimental to health.

    Read Also: 40% IGR deduction: Burden will be passed to parents, colleges of education union warns FG

     “Understanding the nature of the disease is an important step to managing and preventing it. Routine medical checks and early diagnosis are key to managing diabetes,” she stressed.

     Soludo’s wife urged parents to watch the type of food available for their children, and to stick to diets that could boost their immune system, in view of global reports of more than 1.2 million children and adolescents between ages of 0 to 19 living with type one diabetes.

     She also enjoined households to take extra steps towards getting quality health care by enrolling in the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme, promising the current administration’s continued commitment to enacting health policies beneficial to residents.

  • ‘Family endorsement of candidate not criterion’

    ‘Family endorsement of candidate not criterion’

    • From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

    An aspirant contesting for the position of President General of Evwreni Clan Improvement Union (ECIU) in Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State, Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere, has said family endorsement of a candidate is not a criterion for the election.

     Ukpebitere, who made this known in a statement while reacting to a report credited to the head of the Ukpebitere dynasty, Prince Clement Ukpebitere, described the report as mere propaganda to score cheap popularity in Evwreni kingdom with four communities, namely Uneni, Okpahwaz, Urevwe and Unenurhie.

    Read Also: Tinubu committed to improving lives of vulnerable communities – Shettima

     Kenneth, who said he hailed from Urevwe community, slammed Clement and others for allowing themselves to be used by mischief makers in the kingdom to distort facts over Saturday’s forthcoming election into the ECIU national executive committee.

     He said: “To contest for any position in ECIU, you need not be endorsed by your family. Once you are a member of Evwreni Clan Improvement Union, you are free to contest for any position. It is the delegates who will vote for the rightful candidate.”

  • High fares force Enugu residents to trek long distances

    High fares force Enugu residents to trek long distances

    Some residents of Enugu have decried the rise in transportation cost within the metropolis, which has resulted in hardship among the people.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the development yesterday, observed that most struggling residents have resorted to trekking many kilometres daily, with its attendant risks.

    Some of the commuters said the increase in fares, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and non-availability palliative measures after five months, have foisted untold hardship on them.

    They complained about another recent slight increase in the already unbearable transportation cost in the metropolis.

    According to them, the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, was increased from its official price of N650 per litre to N665 and N670 in most filling stations in Enugu metropolis.

    They said in the Nsukka and Oji River axis of the state, the price of petrol is between N670 and N680 per litre.

    Mr Obinna Ezinwa, a transporter plying Gariki–Holy Ghost axis of Enugu, said his colleagues felt the pains of the people, but they could do nothing about the situation.

    “The high fare we charge is a reflection of the high cost of petrol we buy to run our vehicles and the daily levy by the government which has been increased to N400 per day.

    “We have also noticed that many people have resorted to trekking and we see them sweating profusely in the hot sun just because they cannot afford to pay for fares.

    “There is nothing we can do on this because of the prevailing high cost of fuel,’’ he said

    Mr. Jude Okoli, a tricycle operator, said they no longer charge N50 from commuters, notwithstanding a very short distance.

    Read Also: High transport cost forces Enugu residents to trek long distances

    Okoli said the least fare commercial tricycles take from a passenger is N100 because the cost of transportation has increased by over 100 per cent.

    “It is sad to see many pupils, whose schools are far from their homes, trekking for about four to six kilometres in the morning and making the reversal trip in the hot afternoon after school.

    “It is obvious that people are passing through difficult times while the state government has not shown any concern or roll out measures to mitigate the effects,” he said.

    A resident of Enugu, Mr Okechukwu Obineri, decried the lack of plans by the government to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal, five months after the decision was taken.

    “You cannot imagine that Enugu State has increased the daily levy being paid by transporters and traders even when they clearly understood the pain most people are passing through in the state due to fuel subsidy removal.

    “The state is adding burdens to already  impoverished residents of the state in the name of increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    “I want to advise that the state should focus more on how to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),’’ he said.

    A civil servant, Mr Cosmos Chukwuani, urged the state government to provide transport palliative for workers because, Enugu State civil servants are the least paid throughout the country.

    “Some states have reduced the number of days that civil servants come to work to cushion transportation burden; while some have provided long-buses shuttle at subsidized rate for their civil servants.

    “To date, there is no scheme implemented by the state government,’’ he said.

    Chukwuani said they are yet to feel the effect of the palliative approved by the Federal Government to all the states.

  • Warri South begins polio vaccination

    Warri South begins polio vaccination

    Warri South Local Government of Delta State has begun “Polio Outbreak Response 2 (OBR2) Campaign” in the metropolis.

    The Chairman, Dr. Michael Tidi, inaugurated the exercise yesterday in Warri.

    He said poliomyelitis is a disabling and life threatening disease caused by the polio virus, adding that it could only be prevented with safe and effective vaccination.

    He said the four-day immunisation is for children of five years and below.

    The chairman urged parents to bring their children forward for the vaccination, saying “Nigeria has been experiencing outbreak of another form or variant of the polio virus, the Circulating Variant Polio Virus type 2 (CVPV2).

    “A child can get it if he or she is not immunised against all types of polio virus or lives in an area where the virus is circulating.”

    Read Also: E-ticketing for Lagos-Ibadan, Warri – Itakpe rail lines coming

    “Polio vaccine given multiple times can protect a child for life. Poliomyelitis mainly affects children under five years of age.

    “One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis.

    “The best protection you can give your child and community is vaccination with the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and the injectable inactivated polio vaccine,” he said.

    Tidi said achieving and maintaining high routine childhood immunisation coverage is critical to keeping every child safe from polio infection.

    “Our children should be given polio vaccine immediately after delivery and every subsequent vaccination scheduled, including

    the immunisation pluses, until after five years of age.

    “It is hoped that this exercise will go a long way in improving the overall health status of our children in Warri South Local Government Area.”

  • Soludo, Obi, others honour Achebe in Anambra

    Soludo, Obi, others honour Achebe in Anambra

    Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, will unite in Anambra to honour literary giant, the late Prof Chinua Achebe.

    They will assemble with others, including monarchs, writers, intellectuals, literary activists, book lovers and political giants, as young writers in Anambra State are set to host the 2023 Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture. 

    The Coordinator, Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State chapter), Izunna Okafor, made this known in Awka while giving update on the association’s preparedness for the 2023 edition of the event.

    Okafor told reporters yesterday that Achebe’s Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture, initiated in 2016 and currently in its 8th edition, was a literary event the association annually hosted in honour of Nigerian literary icon, the late Achebe.

    He said it was a celebration of his life, works and legacies, adding that this year’s event would (as usual) hold on Achebe’s birthday, November 16, at the Anambra State Central E-Library (also called Prof. Kenneth Dike State Library), Awka, starting at 10am, with dignitaries and participants in attendance.

    Revealing this year’s theme: “Ten Years After… Remembering Achebe’s Legacies in Today’s Nigeria”, Okafor said the lecture would be delivered by the 2023 LP presidential candidate, Obi, while Governor Soludo would be the special guest of honour.

    Read Also: Soludo, Obi, others to gather in Anambra for Achebe

    He added that the event would be chaired by an award-winning writer and monarch of Obosi kingdom, Igwe Chidubem Iweka.

    The traditional ruler of Achebe’s hometown, Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido, will be the royal father of the day, among other dignitaries expected at the event.

    Okafor said: “The event will feature 2023 Achebe lecture, drama, spoken word poetry, announcement of the winners of the 2023 Chinua Achebe Essay Writing Competition (for secondary schools), special reading, award presentation, among other literary packages.”

    He said the occasion would also feature the unveiling and presentation of the 8th Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology, titled: “Anthills of Words (In Memory of Achebe)”, which was the association’s newest international anthology of poems and essays, published in honour of Achebe. 

    The annual international anthology, he said, was one of the writers’ ways of immortalising Achebe, and contained poems, essays and reviews written and submitted by writers from countries.

    Okafor, an award-winning author and journalist, said the open-to-all event, which would mark Achebe’s 93 posthumous birthday and 10 years of his death, would equally be graced by literary icons from within and outside the country, who would be in Awka to honour Achebe.

    Born on November 16, 1930 Prof. Chinua Achebe, who hailed from Ogidi in Anambra State, was a foremost Nigerian writer, critic and author of Things Fall Apart. He died on March 21, 2013 at 82.

  • ‘Involve us in education policy making’

    ‘Involve us in education policy making’

    Association of Private Schools’ Owners has appealed to Anambra State Ministry of Education to carry its members along in its decision making policies.

    Southeast President, Ihuoma Ugochukwu, who made the appeal during a visit to the ministry, also solicited assistance in terms of finance, books, palliatives and other interventions.

    He praised the Commissioner, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, for her achievements in less than two years in office, promising the association’s support to move the education sector forward.

    He said: “During COVID-19, we wrote to the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure those of us in the Southeast are remembered and they invited us and we were happy our appeal was granted.

    “In 2015, we also wrote to the ministry in the state to assist in alleviating the sufferings of our members, especially in approval of our records, and it was during your tenure that it was answered.

    “We want to tell you that more than 200 schools have registered since you reduced the bottlenecks disturbing us in private schools. Your records of two years have surpassed others.

    “In 2015 when some private schools organised themselves to cause mayhem, threatening to embark on illegal strike, we rendered that move unsuccessful, a feat applauded by parents and stakeholders.

    “We want you to involve us in policy making in the state. So many issues are begging for attention in private schools. If you go through our textbooks, many don’t have introductory parts and students are using them.

    “We need to be compensated for employing teachers, we need some books, money and other palliatives to assist us to continue in our work.

    Read Also: Colleges of education seek exclusion from 40% IGR remittance 

    “Again, we will be happy to have a meeting with other Southeast commissioners for us to know about our problems in the region. We’re ready to sponsor the meeting anywhere we agree.”

    Responding, the commissioner described education sector as a tree with several branches, identifying private schools’ owners as one of the important branches. 

    She appreciated the team for their visit, which she said would spur her ministry towards continued progressive movement, urging them to key into the initiatives of the government. 

    She said: “This government is all inclusive and Mr. Governor wants to bring governance to the doorsteps of everyone. He wants all children to be empowered, especially educationally.

    “We’ve been reviewing the textbooks yearly, quite unlike what was obtainable in the past. We sample opinions of teachers on the approved books. Those which are not good in context and content, we’ll change them.

    “We want to have data of all schools and students under your organisation. The essence is for us to know the number of students and pulpils for any palliatives.

    “The World Bank may also want to intervene in our school system. This data is very important to protect your schools.”