Category: South East

Anambra State Government has reassured its commitment to sustainable quality and affordable health care service delivery for its citizenry.

Health Commissioner Dr. Vincent Okpala stated this at the weekend at a three-day training for 40 enumerators in Health Account Study with the theme: “Strengthening Anambra State Health System for Primary Health Care Delivery”.

He said a survey conducted in 2018 enabled the government to generate data for the implementation of policies and programmes in the health sector, expressing joy over citizens’ easy access to quality and affordable health care through the adoption model, which he said many states were trying to adopt.

Okpala said: “The result of the study conducted in 2018 led to the establishment of the State Health Insurance Scheme, which has impacted positively on citizens’ lives.

Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has said it has saved N380 million from its rebranded biometrics system.

It said an upgrading of its personnel/payroll system has eliminated “all loopholes of human factors and infractions.”

The Managing Director/ CEO, Bashorun Askia Ogieh, who spoke at the weekend to reporters in Warri, said the savings realised from the biometrics system had been deployed in the construction of a four storey DESOPADEC tower in Warri, Warri South Local Government.

He said a staff management database for administration, saved in cloud system, had been developed to check age falsification and tampering rife in the commission.

Ogieh blamed the untoward effects of low crude receipts from the federation account in the last two years on operation of the commission and praised the board for creatively redressing the challenge of cash crunch.

He said the challenge of ghost workers and non-conducive work environment have been tackled by the commission with improved staff welfare and technology.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki at the weekend met with youths from the 18 local governments.

He said the government would pay N190 million to the victims of police brutality as recommended by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry constituted to investigate police brutality, human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings by the disbanded police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), in the state.

Obaseki spoke during a meeting with the youth at the Government House in Benin City.

He said: “I set up a panel to investigate cases of police brutality against the people. The panel has done its work and submitted its report.”

“In summary, 117 petitions were received, 25 of them were struck out, while 10 were dismissed. The panel recommended compensation to be paid to victims totalling N190 million, while the amount of judgment sum recommended being enforced was N98 million. I have accepted that we will pay those who were victims; we are not waiting for anybody, not even the Federal Government.”

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Rivers State has disowned reports that it is recruiting lecturers.

Spokesman Sam Kpenu said there was no time the management placed advertorials for lecturers’ employment.

He said in a statement yesterday: “The attention of the management of the University of Port Harcourt has been drawn to a publication making the rounds in the social media that the university is recruiting academic workers.

“The public are, therefore, enjoined to distance themselves from such publications, as it can only be the handiwork of fraudulent individuals.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the university only advertised for the appointment of External Auditor, Director of Works and Services as well as Director of Procurement.”

“If and when the university has need for any recruitment exercise, official notice will be channelled through its website @ www.uniport.edu.ng as well as mainstream/conventional media outlets.

“This fake and fraudulent recruitment exercise has been reported to the security agencies and it is expected that for those involved in this unwholesome practice, the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.”

A group, Igbo for Progressive Nigeria (IPAN), has described as unnecessary, threats by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to shut down Southeast from November 5, to prevail on the Federal Government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

IPAN President Lawrence Onuzulike, speaking yesterday in Awka at a news briefing, said Kanu’s trial had been satisfactory, urging the group to allow a smooth conclusion of the matter.

IPOB had declared November 5 to 10 as sit-at-home days in the Southeast, which coincided with the governorship election in Anambra State.

Onuzuluike said it was mindboggling for a group that alleged marginalisation to deny itself basic right of an election.

He advised IPOB to listen to the voice of reason and not insist on its opinion.

Said he: “We’re satisfied with Kanu’s trial so far. This why there’s no outcry. I was in Abuja to witness first- hand the trial. Kanu looks well fed, clean and healthy.

“I was happy with what I saw. He was allowed to mingle with his family and take pictures with them. I think so far they’re giving him fair trial. We were the first to issue a statement immediately he was arrested.”

A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, loyal to the former minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has threatened the leadership of the party with contempt charges.

The faction claimed that the APC defied a court order restraining it from conducting the ward, local government and state congresses.

It also claimed that contrary to the injunction of the Bayelsa State High Court, the party went ahead to conduct same and subsequently inaugurated Dennis Otiotio, a lawyer, as the chairman.

Before the October 16 state congresses of the APC held across the country, a Bayelsa High Court had restrained the party with an injunction against conducting the ward, local government and state congresses.

The restraining order was based on a suit filed by three aspirants: Omadec Victor, O. Esuenifie and Seimiegha Agbozu in a suit, YHC/107/2021.

A chieftain of the party and state chairmanship aspirant, Sunday Frank-Oputu, in a statement threatened to file a suit at the Federal High Court seeking sanctions against the party.

He said he will only jettison the suit if the APC Appeal Committee cancels the outcome of the exercise, which threw up Otiotio as the chairman.

In a petition dated October 18, Frank-Oputu, a member of Lokpobiri’s faction, called on the party leadership to cancel the state congress purportedly conducted on October 16 and conduct a more credible, free and fair one.

In his petition to the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, he urged the party to cancel the state congress held by the Chief Timipre Sylva faction, describing it as devoid of foundation due to the subsisting order of the state High Court that restrained the party.

Frank-Oputu claimed that Sylva’s faction displayed open disrespect for court order issued against the conduct of the ward, local government and state congresses.

He said: “The ward and local government congresses in Bayelsa were purportedly conducted on void footing.

“It, therefore, means that there was no delegate anywhere in the APC in Bayelsa to anticipate the conduct of the failed state congress of October 16, which ought not to have taken place at all. So, it was a nullity, as the exercise was an infraction on the subsisting order of the court.”