Category: South East

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has emerged the winner of the 2022 All Nigeria Universities Debate Championship.

UNIPORT’s Public Relations Officer, Sam Kpenu, said the institution came first out of the 30 Nigerian universities that partook in the championship, which was held at Illorin, the Kwara State capital.

Kpenu in a statement on Saturday quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, as congratulating the debate team and its handlers for the great achievement.

The VC said: “I commend the team and the handlers for bringing this honour to the university. We are indeed very proud of you.

“I am impressed with your performance and as a university, we will do anything that will promote academic excellence in line with the mandate of the university.”

The statement added: “The University of Port Harcourt has a verifiable history and experience in rising to the big occasion when it comes to competing. Our debate team has redefined and conquered the debating frontiers among universities in Nigeria”.

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Anambra State says it has taken over collection of local government revenue windows in the state.

It warned the public to stop paying fees, levies and dues accruable to the local governments to the state government or be prosecuted.

Addressing members of the union at a rally in Awka, the state NULGE president, Chikwelu Adigwe, said the decision followed poor and fraudulent way of contracting and collecting LG revenue windows by certain agents of government.

He said: “The revenue collections have rendered both administrative and financial structure of the LG system bankrupt, non -functional and dilapidated.

“The fraudulent collection of revenue in the state is contrary to the provisions of Schedule Four (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

According to the NULGE boss, the local government on request of state government, gave consent to collect some revenue windows and share at a percentage ratio between the two tiers of government.

He listed revenue windows to include market stallage fees, property rate, environmental sanitation levy, motor vehicle emblem, open air advertisement fee, motor park tolls and others.

He however, regretted that the state government did not live up to the agreement of remitting the LG share of the collected revenue over a decade.

He added, “The state government abused this privilege and even emasculated the LG of over 80 per cent of her revenue windows outside the ones on the agreed list.

“The big surprise is that the state government levy exorbitant fees over and above what is obtained in the revenue tariffs of the LGs, and residents are paying with no corresponding benefits.

“Liquor Licence cost N3, 500 per annum but the state government revenue agents charge N10,000. With all these financial emasculation, the LG can no longer perform basic duties effectively and efficiently.”

Adigwe said that revenue windows of the LG as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the Anambra State Laws of 2005 had been taken over by the bonafide custodians -the LGs

“NULGE Anambra hereby terminates all previous agreement with the state government on revenue collections on grounds of abysmal failure on the part of the state.

“Arbitrary levying of fees and licences to the public without appropriate legislation by the state House of Assembly are hereby illegal according to the law.

“We urge the public to stop paying fees, levies and dues accruable to the LGs to the state government or face prosecution,” he said.

Also speaking, Vice President, NULGE, Mr Augustine Nwafor, urged the governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to conduct LG election within six months to standardise LG councils in the state.

The Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District in the National Assembly and former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has described Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State as a destiny helper who God uses to write a destiny.

Senator Nnamani also described Ugwuanyi as “a man of greater peace, a man of empathy, a man of sympathy, a builder, a game changer, a transformer and a man that can stand as a mountain of Zion, who God can use to divide the red sea”, adding that in Gov. Ugwuanyi “I saw a man who can help sufferer not to suffer anymore”.

The former governor, who spoke during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Udenu Local Government Area, the county home of Ugwuanyi, added that the governor is “a good man, consensus leader, Mr. Project, man of the people and father to all”.

Senator Nnamani reaffirmed his endorsement of Gov. Ugwuanyi as the leader of the state and thanked “Udenu community for giving us such a human being”.

The former Governor who attended to the colourful and well attended rally in a PDP uniform bearing the photograph of Gov. Ugwuanyi as a mark of respect and loyalty said: “You know that since creation, I have never worn this type of dress. Since I grew up I have never worn this type of dress. This is the first time, to submit to a greater person. I thank Udenu for given us Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.”

The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered an immediate investigation into the invasion and killing of humans and cows at the New Cattle Market in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

Recall that The Nation had reported that unknown gunmen invaded the cow market/abattoir at Omumauzor community in Ukwa West LGA, killing eight persons and a number of cows.

Ikpeazu, when he visited the area for an on-the-spot assessment of the cattle market and abattoir, assured that the State Government has the capacity to protect the lives and property of people and residents of the State.

The governor who disclosed that investigation was still ongoing to unravel those behind the dastardly act said that preliminary investigations show that the invasion of the cattle market was not carried out by the youths of the immediate community as investigations revealed that the youths were the ones that assisted the victims after the attack.

Ikpeazu assured that the investigation would be deep and all those involved would be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the land.

He further informed that the government is not going back with the decision of locating the market there but would fortify security there by citing a military base and other security units in the area as well as reinforcing the perimeter fencing around the new market and abattoir. He promised that his government will forestall such incidents in the future.

Ikpeazu, who regretted that our society still has blood-thirsty people who can kill mindlessly, sympathized with the victims and assured that the government would continue to find a way to provide succour to those who lost their property to enable them to continue with their business.

He further said that he will meet with key stakeholders from the area this weekend on the issue.

The Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, has stepped up its war against illegal refineries by constituting a task force to battle the menace identified as the cause of the soot pandemic in the state.

In a letter dated January 21st, the Executive Chairman of Degema, Michael Williams, named 10 persons as members of the task force with Malvin Thompson, a former acting leader of the Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Abuja Chapter, as its Chairman.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had declared total war against illegal refineries to address economic sabotage and environmental pollution.

He also mandated all chairmen of local government areas in the state to identify and destroy all illegal refineries within their domains.

In the letter titled, ‘To whom it may concern,’ Williams named Okeinaye Pakirima as the Vice-Chairman of the Degema Task Force and one Sobrasua Odum as the Secretary.

Others are Asweivi Ogidi, Wilson Williams, Ibinabo Braide, Godgift Ekine, Dikibujiri Abbey, Akonte Trinya and Victor Georgewill as members.

Specifying their terms of reference, the letter said: “Their duty is to identify, confiscate and destroy all illegal crude oil refining sites and dumps. They are also duty-bound to arrest perpetrators and hand them over, same to security agencies for prosecution.

“All security agencies and community leaders are enjoined to cooperate and assist them in the discharge of their legitimate duties of sanitising our waterways and communities of all illegal operations, our health and ecosystem”.

MOSIEND’s  National Director of Mobilisation, Alhaji Bara Brown, expressed joy over the appointment of Thompson as the Taskforce Chairman, describing it as timely.

Brown referred to Thompson as a disciplined and focused youth leader with the capacity to mobilise community support to stem the tide of unwholesome practices in the area.

He commended William for his foresight and urged the council boss to properly equip the task force

Delta Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has boasted that Deltans will not crucify him had he sited the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Delta in his village, in Owa-Alero, Ika North East LGA, rather than in Agbor, Ika South LGA Delta State.

He said that contrary to “deliberate falsehood” being peddled in some quarters about the location of the medical school, it would be sited in the university’s premises at Agbor.

He said upgrading some existing institutions to universities was the right thing to do, stressing that his administration “does not play politics with projects and programmes.”

Okowa, who spoke in Owa-Oyibu, Ika North LGA, expressed dismay at the misinformation over the location of the medical school, saying it was intended to cause disaffection among Deltans.

His words, “Let me put it on record that the College of Medicine is to be sited at the main campus of the University of Delta, Agbor.

“I am reiterating this today because some people have continued to pass false information through social media and I don’t know the reason why people have continued to do that.

“We do not play politics with our institutions; we do not play politics with our projects and programmes.

“As Governor, it’s possible that I would have decided that the university be sited in my village and I don’t think that people would have crucified me. But, I chose to do the right thing. We did the upgrade of existing institutions to universities; so, for people to play politics with it, I think it’s very insulting.”

According to Okowa, he meant well for the state and the people and urged them to support the government’s programmes and policies.

Okowa warned those behind the attacks to desist and engage in things that would benefit Deltans rather than sending wrong messages to them.

Continuing, “Enough of the dichotomy in this state. We must stop spreading not just rumours but falsehoods.

“We must learn to be supportive of the government so that working together we can truly develop our state and make it one of the best states among the comity of states in the country.

“We are already on track in that direction and it is my hope that we would work together to enthrone the next administration that would continue to build on the foundations we have laid.”