Category: South East

Our Reporter

The Edo State Government will on Wednesday begin enforcement of restrictions on large public gatherings for persons without evidence of COVID-19 vaccination within its offices.

The move is a part of intensified efforts to contain the pandemic and protect the majority of residents against the deadly virus, following progressive rise in the number of infections and mortalities in the state.

The state has so far recorded 1,034 confirmed cases and 53 fatalities in the third wave of the pandemic, with about 20 deaths of those who were not inoculated with the vaccines in the last four days.

With a progressive rise in test positivity rate in the past nine weeks, young people less than 50 years old account for over 73.1 per cent of total confirmed cases in Edo, while unvaccinated persons account for over 98 per cent of all fatalities recorded in the state.

Speaking to reporters during the state’s daily press briefing on COVID-19 at the Government House in Benin City, Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa, said entry into government offices will only be allowed on presentation of proof of vaccination.

Read Also; Katsina, FCT begin polio immunisation campaigns

According to him, “if you have to enter the state secretariat and other government offices, you must have your vaccination cards; we are going to implement this in all the key areas to ensure that we don’t have people being infected because the other person is proving difficult.”

Irowa noted: “The first phase of the enforcement, which begins tomorrow, September 15, is targeted at state government facilities.

“Those that cannot provide their COVID-19 vaccination cards may have to excuse us and be working from home, pending when a decision will be reached. As a state, we are doing everything possible to make sure that people don’t get infected.

“We are appealing to our people to get vaccinated because that is the more suitable way to prevent the severity of the disease and avoid death. The enforcement teams will commence tomorrow to help us reduce the number of cases and deaths that we are recording daily.”

On his part, the Head of COVID-19 Enforcement Team, Mr. Yusuf Haruna, said the government has trained 20 special teams spread across the state to commence the enforcement of “no vaccination, no entry into government-owned facilities.”

Haruna said: “As we all know, the government has the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens.  In view of this, we have trained 20 special teams that will be spread across the 18 local government areas of the state.

“They will commence this enforcement from the 15th of September, 2021. What we expect our people to do is that, while going to work, they should go with their vaccination cards. The government is not forcing anybody to take the vaccines, but it has the responsibility to tell you not to spread the virus.”

By Bisi Olaniyi, Benin

Students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday barricaded roads in front of their Ugbowo and Ekenwan campuses, to protest fee increase.

They blocked the Benin-Ore-Lagos expressway and Ekenwan Barracks road that leads to Gelegele Port in the densely-populated part of Benin early in the morning and made motorists and commuters to groan, as they were forced to get to their destinations through horrible alternative narrow and bad routes, thereby causing heavy traffic.

The students, who carried placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Oppression comes in different forms’ and ‘We didn’t sign for this injustice’, also played solidarity songs with a public address system.

Read Also; One injured as Osun poly students protest

One of the protesters, who declined to give her name, said they were unhappy with the N20,000 that was added to their fee within two weeks of opening the university’s portal, which had been frequently down, thereby denying students access to pay.

She said when the portal was opened, UNIBEN authorities gave the students till September 3 to pay their fees, with a warning that any payment after the date would attract additional N10,000.

The protester said immediately after the September 3 deadline, additional N10,000 was added, totalling N20,000.

UNIBEN spokesperson Dr. Benedicta Ehanire was contacted for her reaction, but she did not respond at press time.

By Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

Delta State Government has said it has revoked the multi-million naira contract for the building of Asaba/Oko-Amakom/Oko-Obiokpu/Oko-Anala road over poor performance.

The contract, awarded in 2018, transverses Oko communities in Oshimili South Local Government.

Information Commissioner Mr. Charles Aniagwu told reporters on Tuesday that the contract was revoked because the contractor was not working with the speed expected by the government after collecting mobilisation funds.

Read Also: Road construction: Kebbi pays N300m compensation

He said the government would check its records and evaluate the contract performance, to find out if the contractor would refund some money to the government or not.

Aniagwu said the government would engage another contractor with adequate capacity to complete the job, in line with the speed required for the completion of the project.

He said the government approved the construction and reticulation of a major water scheme at Okerenkoko in Warri South Local Government, adding that the council approved the inclusion of certain erosion sites in Warri as part of efforts to address flood in Warri and Effurun.

Our Reporter 

A group, the New Nigeria Initiative, on Monday in Benin urged Governor Godwin Obaseki and the House of Assembly to enact an anti-grazing law.

It noted during a march to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat that the enactment of the law would be in consonance with an agreement reached by the 17 South governors.

The Chairman of the group, Mr. Uwadiae Odigie, said the horror perpetrated by herdsmen on peaceful and law-abiding people of the state was no longer acceptable.

The solution, he said, was to end open grazing.

“This organisation, moved by the unspeakable horror being perpetrated on peaceful and law-abiding people of Edo, initiated a bill to ban open grazing in Edo.

Read Also; Assembly holds public hearing on anti-open grazing bill

“This bill has since been sent to the House of Assembly for consideration and passage.

“After waiting in vain, we made spirited efforts to see Governor Obaseki on the need for intervention. At the end of the day, we were directed to see the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.

“We have been mounting pressure on Speaker Marcus Onobun on the need to pass the bill to ban open grazing in Edo, but efforts have been in vain.

“Now it has been transparently and sufficiently established that herdsmen are the ones unleashing terror and fear in Edo.

“The horrible and shocking cases of the murder of Olajide Sowore and the recent kidnapping of elder statesman, Dickson Imasogie, and other isolated cases are proof,’’ Odigie said.

Gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, killed Olajide Sowore, the younger brother of Omoyele Sowore, African Action Congress presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, on September 4.

The younger Sowore was on his way to Ondo State from Igbinedion University in Edo where he was studying Pharmacy when he met his premature death.

By Chris Njoku, Owerri

Owerri Zonal Development Union (OZDU) has urged ex-governor Emeka Ihedioha and other governorship aspirants from the Mbaise clan in Imo State to drop their ambitions and support aspirants from other parts of Owerri zone yet to produce a governor, in 2023.

In a statement yesterday after a crucial stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri, the group’s Publicity Secretary, Chief Stanley Onyechere, said although the people of Owerri zone were determined to ensure the emergence of an Owerri zone candidate as the next governor, “it’s very important that such governor should emerge from other parts of the zone, who are yet to occupy the position.”

He said the decision was taken at the general meeting of the group held in Owerri.

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“We have resolved that the next governor should come from Owerri zone, in the interest of equity and justice. However, Mbaise clan should be honourable enough to stay out of the contest, as the former governor, Ihedioha, has taken their turn,” Onyechere said.

He said other parts of the zone such as Mbaitoli, Owerri West, Owerri North, Owerri Municipal and Ngor Okpala should be supported in 2023.

“If we will support any aspirant from Mbaise, it can be from Ahiazu or Ezinihite, but definitely not from Aboh where Ihedioha hails from. There are hundreds of qualified aspirants who can be governor from Owerri zone. Ihedioha should not even think of contesting again after losing the mandate at the Supreme Court,” Onyechere said.

He said the zone had set up a Contact and Mobilisation Committee to begin consultation with stakeholders from other zones and leadership of parties towards the realisation of the Owerri zone agenda.

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Indigenes of Odumodu in Umunya, Oyi Local Government of Anambra State have cried out over alleged murder of two indigenes and illegal detention of five others by suspected members of a vigilance group.

They also lamented alleged forceful acquisition and sale of over 400 plots of land by the security outfit at the behest of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Chris Onyekwuluje.

Addressing reporters yesterday, the Secretary, Odumodu Ebonabo Community Improvement Union, Sunday Esedo, said many of them had fled the community for fear of arrests and killings by the vigilance group.

He urged Governor Willie Obiano to intervene by setting up a commission of inquiry, noting that the police should investigate the matter to ensure that the culprits were prosecuted.

Esedo said: “Trouble started when members of the vigilance group, who were recruited by the monarch six years ago, demanded their own share of the proceeds from the sale of the land.

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“The sharing formula culminated in crisis, which led to the murder of two members of the community, Okwudiri Okeke and Paul Nwabuebo, who, the Igwe claimed, were killed by indigenes and had since been making indiscriminate arrests.

“For over three months now, many of us have been on exile because the monarch has pursued able-bodied men in the community. Currently, you will see mostly women if you visit the community.

“The vigilance group is the private army of the monarch used to settle scores. Your life is in danger if you’re not in his good books.”

Counsel for the community, Chief Obiora Umeh, narrated how one of the indigenes of the community, Ebuka, was beaten, tortured and detained with no trace of his whereabouts, until recently.

He added: “They also arrested five others, who they tortured and stripped naked, paraded round the village, forced to drink mud water and taken to a shrine where they were made to take oath before they were taken to Asaba, Delta State, where Ebuka has been detained.

“We took the matter to court over infringement of human rights. The judge, after going through the application, granted them bail last Wednesday after necessary things were done for the perfection of their bail.”

Umeh however, said, they were disappointed when they were told that the detainees would not be released despite the signing of their release warrant by the court.

Igwe Onyekwuluje denied alleged hijack of the vigilance group.

He said those claiming to be on exile were only running away over their involvement in the murder case, which he added was being investigated.

“There is no village like Odumodu Ebonabo in Umunya. Rather, it was registered by my accusers to sell community land,” Igwe Onyekwuluje said.

Our Reporter

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.

The bill, which is for a law to prohibit open grazing, regulate cattle ranching and for connected purposes, was recently passed by the House of Assembly.

Read Also; Assembly holds public hearing on anti-open grazing bill

The Leader of the House, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, had explained after the passage of the bill that it would be cited as the “Prohibition of Open Grazing and Cattle Ranching Law of Enugu State” after the governor’s assent.

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

The Anambra Indigenes in the Diaspora has endorsed the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for the November 6 governorship election.

The group disclosed this in a statement endorsed by the former Mayor, Enfield England, UK, Ernest Ezeajughi; Mayor, Atlanta Georgia, USA, Prince Neville Uchendu; and Chairman, Planning and Strategy Committee, Dr. Michael Chukwujekwu.

The statement was made available to reporters in Awka on Monday.

Read Also: Anambra 2021: Who will save APGA?

The body comprises Anambra indigenes living in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy and India.

It said members’ decisions to pitch tent with Soludo, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was informed by issues affecting the state, especially concerning the coming governorship election.

According to the statement, the group said it was concerned about the pedigree of who became the next governor of the state with a view to ensuring security of lives and property as well as advancing development in all sectors.

The group pledged to mobilise forces in countries of their residence to promote development in the state if Soludo emerged as the next governor.

By Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

• Compensation demanded

Youths at Omoku in Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government of Rivers State have demanded compensation from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), for alleged attacks on them during their protest at the company’s facility on June 30.

The youth, who spoke yesterday during another protest in Port Harcourt by Omoku Youth Federation (OYF), promised to use other tougher measures to get their rights, “if NAOC insists on its uncivilised ways.”

They decried what they termed dehumanising and unwarranted torture on them by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by Agip, apparently to attack and disperse their protest.

Read Also; One injured as Osun poly students protest

Addressing reporters during the protest, the leader of the protesters, who is also an official of the group, Dr. Lucky Ojoba, said the June protest at Agip facility in Omoku was meant to seek the attention of the company to listen to them and accord them rights as host communities, in accordance with the Local Content Law of 2010.

“But it is regrettable that instead of getting the expected attention, NAOC mobilised thugs to unleash mayhem on the peaceful protesters and inflict injuries on them,” he alleged.

He said Omoku had over 100 oil wells, out of which 91 were functional, with NAOC being the sole operator since over 50 years oil was discovered in the area, but he lamented that there was nothing to show for it as far as the indigenes were concerned.

Efforts to get the reactions of the company failed, as attempts by The Nation to speak with its Corporate Affairs Manager, Chuks Nzekwe, were resisted. The phone lines were blocked by the receiver.

By Elo Edremoda, Warri

The leadership of the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS), youth chapter, otherwise called West Africa Youth Council (WAYC), has honoured Mr. Joseph Inegbegha with an investiture as a youth ambassador.

The Chairman, ECOWAS Youth Council, Amb. William Seun, who presented the plaque on behalf of the organisation in Warri, Delta State, said the recipient was being recognised for his commitment to youths’ development in Nigeria.

“We are gathered here to celebrate an achiever, Inegbegha, for his dedication to duty, industriousness and to honour and encourage a youth leader, an apostle of positive change, a programmer and a young personality to be honoured as a youth ambassador from Bayelsa State,’’ he said.

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William said Inegbegha had touched lives in the Niger Delta by taking youths off the streets through empowerment with cash gifts and capacity training in skills, some of who are now employers of labour.

He said Inegbegha is a nation builder and a peace promoter, whose positive contributions to the lives of youths attracted the ambassadorial award from ECOWAS Youth Council.

William urged him to continue the good work, to enable other youths emulate him.

The recipient promised to do more for the youth. He thanked ECOWAS for the award.

Inegbegha said the honour is a challenge for him to put in more efforts to campaign for youth empowerment and development through education, skill acquisition, as well as championing youth inclusion in government.