Abia State Governor-elect Dr. Alex Otti has played host to the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria, Dr. Lars Richter.
Richter was at Otti’s country home in Nvosi, Isialangwa South Local Government, on a courtesy visit.
Details of the visit could not be ascertained at press time. Efforts to speak with Otti’s close allies and media team were not successful.
Teachers in public primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State have embarked on strike because of the failure of the government to clear their debts.
The development led to the closure of public schools all over the state.
The strike was declared in a circular dated April 20, 2023, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary- General of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Sam Umo-Inyang.
A copy of the circular was sent to the Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Labour & Manpower Planning and a few other stakeholders.
According to the circular titled: ‘Resumption of Strike action’ and obtained yesterday in Uyo, the strike took effect on April 25.
The statement said: “I am directed to inform you and you are hereby informed that the state wing, Executive Council of Nigeria Union of Teachers, which comprises representatives of teachers from the 31 local governments, has approved the resumption of strike, which was started in March 2022, but suspended due to the intervention by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“The strike takes effect from April 25, 2023.
“The resumption of the industrial action is consequent upon government’s refusal to implement the agreements reached with the Nigeria Union of Teachers on the outstanding indebtedness in the state, despite appeals from the NUT and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the grievances are as follows: Non-refund of 75 per cent contributory pension to primary and some secondary school teachers in the state, non-release of years 2021 and 2022 promotion letters to deserving secondary school teachers.
“Non-payment of years 2013, 2014, 2020 and 2022 leave grants to primary school teachers. Non-payment of years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 promotion arrears to primary school teachers.
“Non-promotion of deserving primary school teachers from salary Grade levels 14 to 15 and from Grade levels 15 to 16 for over nine years.
“In view of the above , you are further informed that teachers will not resume work on April 25, 2023 as they will remain in their homes until the above mentioned indebtedness are cleared by the government.”
The Programme Manager for Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy Control, Imo State, Dr. Charles Okafor, has expressed worry over rise in tuberculosis cases in the state, which is ranked as 8th among the 36 states of Nigeria with the highest number of TB cases.
Okafor, in his keynote address during a sensitisation training organised by Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, for journalists held in Owerri, Imo State capital, noted that in 2022, Imo recorded 4,367 TB cases, “and the majority of the patients are still on treatment.”
Out of this, he said Mbaitoli Local Government recorded the highest number of 800 TB cases, followed by Isiala Mbano and Aboh Mbaise with 602 and 600 cases, while Nkewerre, Owerri West and Onuimo recorded 200 cases each.
Okafor said a projected number of 117,330 Nigerians would be infected by the end of the year if no conscientious effort was made towards creating awareness on tuberculosis and eradicating the deadly disease.
He expressed dismay about the low TB awareness creation in Imo State, stressing that most people in rural communities were still not aware of tuberculosis, thereby spreading the disease among unsuspecting rural populace.
Okafor said low awareness impacted negatively on acceptance of diagnosis, uptake of treatment and adherence to treatment of the infectious disease caused by a germ (bacteria) Bycobacterium Tuberculosis.
“It affects mostly the lungs, but other organs such as the brain, kidneys, joints, bones, skin and abdomen can also be affected if left untreated,” he added.
The programme manager stressed the need for the media and religious leaders to partner National Tuberculosis Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), to create healthful messages around tuberculosis.
He hoped the programme would resolve issues around treatment refusal, increasing TB cases findings, and reduce the wrong misconception about tuberculosis.
The Focal Person, Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation, Imo TB Programme, Amaka Chizoma, highlighted the symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB to the participants.
She said the four symptoms used to screen patients included cough for two weeks’ duration or more, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.
She said untreated case could infect an average of 10-15 people in a year.
She listed the risk factors for tuberculosis to include malnutrition, HIV, diabetes and close contact with a person with undiagnosed TB.
“Tuberculosis is treated with oral medications for minimum of six months”, the focal person said, noting that a person on consistent TB medications for at least three weeks is no longer infectious.
To prevent TB, Chizoma said, there is need to avoid overcrowded areas and maintain good cough etiquette.
The Programme Officer, Social and Behaviour Change, USAID-Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Nkoyo Umoh, urged journalists to delve more into human angle stories, particularly those of TB cases, to present people and their problems, concerns or achievements in such a way that brings about interest, sympathy or motivation in the audience.
“A good human interest story will spark anger, empathy, compassion, sympathy, motivation, laugher, fear and love. Not in equal measure, but if you can tick all these boxes in some way, the story is bound to be a success and likely be shared and highly engaged with,” Umoh said.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has said there will be no vacuum in the presidency as President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office on May 29.
He said Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be sworn in as the next President, adding that anyone dreaming of interim government would be disappointed.
Okocha, the leader of the Rivers State APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for Tinubu/Shettima joint ticket, spoke yesterday during a visit by Orashi APC members to him in Port Harcourt.
He said: “Even nature abhors vacuum. There can be no vacuum in governance; “more so when election has been conducted and a President-elect has emerged. The person that was declared winner in the election shall be sworn in on May 29.”
Although Tinubu’s victory is being contested by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s (LP’s) standard-bearer, Peter Obi, at the election tribunal, Okocha said he was optimistic that Tinubu would be inaugurated on May 29 to take over from outgoing President Buhari.
Speaking about Rivers APC crisis, he identified totalitarianism as the leadership style that had run the party in the state aground.
“I was a founding member of APC in Rivers State. I was one of those in the mainstream of the founding of APC in Rivers State. I have said this on many occasions, I have told many broadcast stations within and outside this state.
“If you talk about those in the mainstream, the kitchen to the founding of APC in Rivers State, I am number two after Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. He was the Governor, while I was the Chief of Staff.
“As the Chief of Staff of the Government House, I was in charge of the political desk. I was the decision maker to the governor, particularly when it came to issues of politics. I was the engine room; I did all the overt and covert assignments,” Okocha said.
He described former governor Dr. Peter Odili and Governor Nyesom Wike as the fathers of modern politics in Rivers State.
The Chairman of Itu Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, Etetim Onuk, has appealed to the Federal Government to tackle gully erosion in the area.
Onuk, who made the plea during a tour of some erosion plagued areas yesterday, lamented that the lives and property of residents were being threatened.
He said residents of Itu are living in constant fear of landslide, particularly as the rainy season approaches.
The council boss lamented that the erosion challenge was beyond the capacity of the local and state governments.
He said he had been working towards getting the World Bank to get involved and pleaded that the Federal Government should intervene and save the people from the impending disaster.
Areas visited by Onuk include Oku Iboku, Ayadehe, Ntiat Itam, Ikot Annie Itam, Mbak Atai Itam and Ikot Anse Itam where the gullies either led to the relocation of residents, or are threatening to sweep them away or cut them off from the rest of the community.
He also inspected some parts of the ongoing dualisation of the Calabar-Odukpani-Itu road that passes through Itu Local Government.
Anambra State Government has warned that head teachers would be held responsible for any act or omission resulting in examination malpractices during the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Commissioner for Education Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh gave the warning at St John of God Girls Secondary School during a session with head teachers, organised by the state branch office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), in preparation for the examination.
She hoped that Anambra State would reclaim her position as the centre of excellence in education with the support of head teachers.
High point of the engagement was an undertaking by the head teachers to support Chuma-Udeh to eradicate examination malpractices.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the murder of five policemen and innocent citizens in Ngor Okpala Local Government of Imo State by suspected criminals.
It denied involvement in the killing and disassociated itself from such barbaric murder.
“We disassociate ourselves from such barbaric murder,” IPOB said in a statement yesterday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.
According to him, “IPOB is a peaceful movement, seeking separation from the Nigerian state through internationally recognised and accepted modus operandi called self-determination and not through murderous or criminal activities.
“IPOB seeks to create a calm and peaceful environment for everyone in our territory to safely dwell and for our people to come home and be part of the development of Southeast.
“It is not and has never been part of our objective to scare or kill innocent citizens. Although Nigerian security agents have been brutal on Southeast people, we have always maintained our calm.
“When the time for vengeance on those who have participated in the killing of peaceful Southeast people comes, we shall avenge and take responsibility for it.
“For now, our focus is to ensure the Southeast, particularly Ala Igbo, is calm and peaceful, as ordered by our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
“It is public knowledge that the Nigerian government is using state actors and non-state actors to create insecurity and chaos in the Southeast, just to blackmail IPOB.”
Members of Imo State Joint Parliament, comprising serving and former parliamentarians from the state, have urged the governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu and Labour Party (LP), Athan Achonu, to step down for Governor Hope Uzodimma in the November 11 governorship election.
They appealed to both candidates as former lawmakers to back their colleague, to complete his second term.
Addressing reporters in Owerri, after a meeting yesterday, the spokesperson, Imo State Joint Parliament (ISJF), Ezediaro Uzoma Henry, assured the two candidates that the association would support either of them upon expiration of Uzodimma’s second tenure in January 2028.
The parliamentarians also resolved to back Uzodimma as their sole candidate on November 11.
They said in a statement: “We appeal to the governorship candidates of other parties, especially those of the PDP and LP, who are equally former senators, to shelve their ambition and support their colleague and incumbent governor, Uzodimma, for another term in office.
“This plea is predicated on good reasoning for senators Anyanwu and Achonu to support their colleague, who is aspiring to occupy the seat of power in the state for another four years.
“That as one term senators of the Federal Republic and automatic members of Imo State Joint Parliament, the duo should not only shelve their ambition, but should also support the incumbent governor, who is their colleague as a two-term senator.
“That with explicit assurance, Imo State Joint Parliament shall throw its weight behind either of the two upon expiration of Senator Uzodimma’s second term by January 2028.
“That Uzodimma is our sole candidate for office of the governor of Imo State in November 2023.”
The National Vice Chairman (Southeast) of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Innocent Okeke, has described as laughable and untrue, the assumption that the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State in the November 11 governorship election, Senator Athan Achonu, had a deal with Governor Hope Uzodimma to undermine the party’s expected victory in the state.
Okeke’s remarks followed the trending voice message, alleging that Senator Achonu was given $2 million by Governor Uzodimma which he (Achonu) allegedly used to buy over the party’s delegates during the recent primaries of the party where he emerged as LP governorship candidate.
It was also alleged in the message that the aim was for Achonu to remain inactive as the governorship candidate of LP ahead of the election.
But in a statement issued in Enugu yesterday, Okeke, who was a member of the Electoral Committee for Imo State governorship primary, urged aggrieved aspirants to apply caution and shun any form of blackmail against the party members as recently seen in the trending voice message.
He said: “The above assumption is not only laughable, but also exposes the desperation of the originator. We must embrace the spirit of sportsmanship. Let those defeated in a fair contest congratulate the winner and work for the party’s victory, as we have over time witnessed in the other states where Labour Party conducted its governorship primaries.
“Contrary to what naysayers are selling to the unsuspecting public, the election was done in compliance with the delegates’ list, as they emerged from their wards after a credible congress.
“As we know, each ward represents a community in the state. This simply means 305 Imo State communities gathered at the Landmark Event Centre Owerri, on April 15 to elect the best candidate to fly the flag of Labour Party in the forthcoming election. Each community in the state was given the opportunity to contribute to who later became the standard-bearer.”
“As the National Vice Chairman (South East) of our great party and a member of the Electoral Committee, I attest to the fact that every process taken to conduct the primary election was transparent and without bias.
“We understood that it was never going to be easy managing 16 aspirants in an election, but we did it seamlessly to the applause of the contestants. Those trying to plant seed of discord in our party over the conduct of the primary election should have a rethink. They should rather explore avenues provided in the party’s constitution in seeking redress, not by mudslinging.”
Okeke described the primary as the most rancour free primary election in Nigeria, to produce a candidate for Imo governorship election for November 11, 2023.
“The party conducted the freest, fairest and most credible primary election for the emergence of a candidate.
“The exercise reaffirmed the genuine call for a paradigm shift in line with the new Nigerian mantra. Apart from having INEC officials to supervise the primary, security agents and observers were on ground to observe the entire exercise”.
The party chieftain also said Senator Achonu did not spring a surprise, as he was always among the top three of likely winner of the election.
While promising that party and its candidate would accommodate everyone in the scheme of things, Okeke hailed the aspirants for their commitment and conduct throughout the period of canvassing for votes.
Ward chairmen of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) have declared that former Transport Minister Chibuike Amaechi remains their state leader.
The ward chairmen, who met in Port Harcourt yesterday to review the state of APC in Rivers, said they were 100 per cent loyal to the ex-governor.
The chairmen in a communique they signed after the meeting condemned what they described as innuendos and propaganda targeted at discrediting Amaechi’s leadership.
“We reaffirm our loyalty and support to the leader of the APC in Rivers State, former Transport Minister and former Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We subscribe 100 per cent to his leadership and condemn all innuendos and propaganda targeted at discrediting his leadership credentials,” they said.
Over 22 ward chairmen, who signed the communique, said they resolved to adopt and endorse the vote of confidence passed on April 6, 2023 by the Ward 3 executive members of APC in Emohua Local Government in the state party Chairman, Emeka Beke.
They condemned what they referred to as sponsored distractions and court cases targeted at making Rivers State a one-party state, describing it as a ploy to force the party to withdraw its cases at the Election Petitions Tribunal.
The communique said: “We, therefore, endorse the position of our colleague ward executives in Wards 10 Tai Local Government, Ward 12 & 15 Obio/Akpor, Ward 19 PHALGA, Ahoada West Ward 9, Eleme Ward 3, Okrika Ward 9, Omuma Ward 8, who invoked the relevant sections of the constitution of our great party to enforce discipline against erring members and uphold the supremacy of the party.
“The forum calls on all ward executives across the state to protect the constitution of our great party by investigating and summoning all members of the party, who openly worked against the interest of the party by misappropriating party funds, campaigning for candidates of other political parties and any other activities that brought the party to disrepute. This, the forum believes, will help strengthen our base for party discipline and cohesion;
“We completely condemn and reject the embarrassment given to our great party by the announcement of suspensions and dissolutions at locations/venues unknown to our party. No executive of our party was elected in the media or by the media, but by duly constituted congresses of our party in accordance with the party’s constitution.
“No organ of the party can overlap its functions to carry out the duties of the wards. It is sacrilegious for anybody whether at the local government or state level to announce suspension of officers of the party at the wards. Similarly, any party member or officers of the party operating at the local government, state or national level suspended or expelled by the elected ward executive of the party, remain suspended or expelled.”
The ward chairmen said they rejected attempts at balkanising APC in the state by creating parallel structures, insisting that anything done outside the duly recognised structure or organ of the party would remain null and void.
They said: “We condemn the intimidation of ward executives by agents of the PDP within APC fold, who have received millions of naira to destroy the APC in Rivers State, as we shall not hesitate to publish names of these moles who are APC by day and PDP at night. We reject the agenda of these merchants who are working for the governor of the state to hand over our party to PDP.
“We wish to also make it known by way of public information that the ward executives of APC Ward 12 Obio/Akpor have stated countless times that they have no membership record for Mr. Tony Okocha as member of this party in that ward. Therefore, the local government, state, national offices of APC and the public should please take note.
“We commend the courage and tenacity of our candidates who have approached the tribunal to seek redress over the INEC stage-managed process in the name of elections in Rivers State. We promise our full cooperation and support to our candidates and pray that justice prevails.
“We fully support the relocation of the Election Petitions Tribunal out of Rivers State, to ensure the safety of our candidates, witnesses, lawyers and even the judges.”