The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • 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’

    • 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.”

  • Appeal Court reserves ruling in Omo-Agege, Gbagi, Pela’s petitions

    Appeal Court reserves ruling in Omo-Agege, Gbagi, Pela’s petitions

    The State and National Assembly Appeal Court sitting in Lagos has reserved judgment in three appeals by the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ovie Omo-Agege; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Labour Party (LP), Kennedy Pela, challenging the election of the People Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Sheriff Oborevwori as Delta State Governor.

    The three-member panel presided over by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, leading Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole and Justice Hadiza Shagari, reserved its decision after taking arguments from counsel for all the parties.

    Read Also: Delta guber: Appeal Court reserves ruling in Omo-Agege, Gbagi, Pela’s petitions

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oborevwori as the winner after he polled 360,234 votes, as against former Deputy Senate President Omo-Agege’s 240,229.

    Dissatisfied, PDP, SDP and LP challenged the declaration.

    But Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba affirmed the election of Oborevwor, saying the opposing petitions lacked merit and failed to prove their allegations of over-voting, non-compliance with the Electoral Act and over-voting.

  • We won’t lower standard of projects in Rivers, says Fubara

    We won’t lower standard of projects in Rivers, says Fubara

    Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has promised that no situation will compel his administration to lower the standard of projects he inherited from his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

    Speaking when he inspected work done at the Woji-Aleto-Refinery Road project, Sir Fubara said Rivers would continue to witness more projects.

    “I can assure you and the world that no matter what the situation is, we are not going to lower the standard we have come to meet,” he said.

    Fubara explained that the Woji-Aleto-Refinery road was inherited from the former administration, saying it was important to create an alternative route before the reconstruction of the East-West road.

    The governor said the state government met its commitment to the contracting firm, Raffoul Construction Company and expected them to speed up work for early completion.

    Read Also: Fubara/Wike rift: Asari Dokubo, Jack-Rich sue for peace in Rivers, urge support for Tinubu

    He said: “We had an understanding with the contractor and we did our own part of the commitment, so we are here to see what they are doing because we have given them a time line when the project should be completed.

    “This is a follow up of one of the commitments we made to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when we visited him about two months ago to thank him for all the good things he’s doing for us; appointment of our illustrious sons into very important positions. During that visit we promised him that in a way to help the Federal Government, we will create an alternative route to decongest the East West road.

    “We inherited it and we promised that in line with our commitment of our mantra of consolidation and continuity, we must see that this road is completed.”

    The governor expressed satisfaction about the state of work done and urged the contractors handling the project to ensure speedy delivery.

  • ‘Abia ready to investigate School of Nursing’s admission racketeering’

    ‘Abia ready to investigate School of Nursing’s admission racketeering’

    Abia State Government has said it is ready to investigate allegations of admission corruption going on at Athe School of Nursing during its Preliminary Test Sessions (PTS) held recently.

    The government in a statement signed yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication, Mr. Dodoh Okafor, said the government was concerned with allegations of bribery and other forms of process distortions going on at the School of Nursing.

    He urged parents with evidence to forward same to the government.

    Our correspondent reports that the state government decided to investigate the allegation of corruption at the School of Nursing after some parents and students had during a protest in front of the Government House in Umuahia accused some workers of the School of Nursing of corruption and other forms of financial inducement and exploitation.

    Okafor, who said the Governor Alex Otti administration would be transparent in every process of governance, noted that every allegation would be investigated against officials of the School of Nursing.

    He said all accused persons would be called to present their side of the story. 

    This is even as the state government noted that nobody would be shielded and that nothing would be swept under the carpet. 

    “Abia State Government wishes to acknowledge the grievances expressed by certain students and parents, who were involved in the recent Preliminary Test Sessions (PTS) examinations into nursing schools owned by the state government.

    “Being a government that is responsive and sensitive to the feelings of its citizens, the administration is concerned about the allegations of bribery and other forms of process distortions as the affected students and their parents have publicly made. 

    Read Also: Gbajabiamila, UN special representative inspect solar project at Iponri market

    “Even then, responsible governments all over the world, it must be noted, act only on facts and established evidence, and not on hearsay and conjectures. 

    “As the officials who addressed the protesting students and parents in front of the Government House, Umuahia directed, the students and their parents are required to write a formal petition to Governor Otti, stating the issues and providing reliable, foolproof evidence to substantiate their allegations. 

    “Such petitions should reach the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor as quickly as they can be properly put together. 

    “We assure citizens that every allegation will be investigated and all accused called to present their side of the story. Nobody will be shielded and nothing will be swept under the carpet. 

    “Governor Otti is committed to running a transparent and sincere administration where international standard practices will be adhered to in all issues regarding service delivery. He has already directed that nobody should honour any illegitimate request allegedly coming from him,” the statement said.