Category: South East

LAFARGE Africa Plc., has reaffirmed its commitment to host communities in Cross Rivers State with the inauguration of several development projects to mark its annual community day celebration.

Speaking at the 2021 Community Day and stakeholder engagement event which held recently, the Production Manager of Lafarge Africa Plc Mfamosing Plant, Cross River state, Mrs. Idara Uyok, said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between Lafarge, its host communities and the Cross-River state government.

Uyok remarked: “This initiative is to further demonstrate our commitment to supporting community development in line with our sustainability strategy, one of which focuses on people and our communities.”

Uyok stated that the forum did not only provide an opportunity for Lafarge to interact with its various stakeholders but also to share its CSR scorecard for 2021 and other footprints within the communities.

“As an organisation, our commitment with our host communities goes beyond our activity today. We are focused on sustainable initiatives that will leave an enduring footprint within the communities, impacting generations in a sustainable manner.”

“In the year 2021, as part of our CSR footprint in the community, we supported over 130 secondary and tertiary students to stay in school through our annual educational support programme, donated school desks across communities, recruited NYSC volunteers for teaching support in our host communities, donated school materials for pupils in our host communities’ primary schools,” she further stated.

AN unidentified young man has died in a rival cult clash in Essi Layout, Warri South council area of Delta State.

The incident reportedly happened on Friday night.

The deceased was found lying on a dirt path, with machete cuts on his forehead and arms, yesterday morning.

According to reports, several shots rented the air as the cultists engaged in a show of power.

Police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe confirmed the incident.

“It is confirmed, I think it was a cult clash.”

THE Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industries Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA, has expressed concern over the borrowing of  N5 trillion to finance the deficit budget.

The President of the Chamber, Sir Emeka Nwandu made this known in Enugu at the 48 Annual General Meeting of the Chamber in Enugu.

Nwandu said that the debt burden of the Nigerian economy, especially that of the continuous borrowing from the Central Bank has left the exchange rate on all-time low.

“Effort must be made to save the naira and our economy.

“The Chamber is worried about the Federal Government plan to introduce N10 per litre tax on all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages through the Finance Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 31,2021.

“Sincerely we think that this tax if implemented would be counterproductive as the reason stated by the Federal Government for imposing this tax does not outweigh the unemployment issues it would generate,” Nwandu said.

He however supported raising revenues for health-related and other critical expenditures as stated by the government and suggested that high import duties should be placed on foreign manufactured drinks only, to encourage local beverage drink manufacturers.

“We appeal to the Federal Government to play with caution on the implementation of the Petroleum Industrial Act, (PIA) and the potential removal of subsidy planned for this year, 2022 to avoid inflationary pressures that could be detrimental to household income considering the slow pace of household income growth in Nigeria since 2015”, he said.

The ECCIMA president established the chamber’s commitment in the promotion of business and economic development as well as collaborating with various levels of government in boosting business and investment opportunities in Enugu state, the south east, and indeed Nigeria.

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, yesterday, was at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu, to pray and honour the fallen heroes in commemoration of this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD).

Ugwuanyi who on arrival at the venue of the event, observed and inspected the parade mounted by the military, laid the remembrance wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and released the pigeons symbolizing peace, after Christian and Islamic prayers were offered for the repose of the fallen heroes’ souls and the wellbeing of their families.

The governor thereafter identified with wives of the fallen heroes present at the event and announced donation of gift items to them in commemoration of the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

The wreaths were also laid by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Major General T. A. Lagbaja, represented by the Garrison Commander, Brig. Gen. C.A. Ataki; the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Ground Training Command, Nigerian Air Force, Enugu, AVM Ibikunle Daramola; the Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi; the Acting Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Raymond Ozoemena; the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Abukakar Lawal; the Chairman of Nigerian Legion, Enugu State Council, Asst. Cmdt. General Emeka Norman Igwesi; the Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, and representative of wives of fallen heroes.

A police inspector was on Friday shot dead in a crossfire attack between Imo State Police Command tactical teams and armed hoodlums who came to attack Mgbidi Police Station in Oru West Local Government of the state.

The hoodlums, who stormed the police station at about 9.45pm on Friday in a white Hilux vehicle shot sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance into the station but were repelled by the Command’s Tactical teams and the police operatives of the division who engaged them in a gun battle.

The Command’s spokesman, CSP Michael Abattam, said  yesterday that the hoodlums were repelled before they could gain entry into the police station but an inspector lost his life in the process.

“But in the process an inspector was killed while the hoodlums suffered huge defeat with many of them sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds,” he said.

According to him, “On 14th January, 2022 at about 2045 hours, the Command’s Tactical teams at Mgbidi Police Station repelled an attack by some hoodlums who came in a white Hilux vehicle shooting sporadically, attempted to gain entrance into the station but were repelled by the ever gallant Imo Command’s Tactical teams and the police operatives of the division who positioned themselves professionally.

“They engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.  In the process, the attackers were suppressed almost immediately, having suffered a huge defeat, with a number of them sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds, they retreated and escaped in the Toyota Hilux vehicle they came with. And were given a hot chase by the police operatives.

Consequently, a vigorous and aggressive manhunt of the hoodlums is ongoing with the sole aim of tracking and arresting the fleeing hoodlums since they cannot go far because of the huge damage done to them. However, in the course of the attack a police Inspector lost his life, while another sustained minor bullet injury on his hand.”