The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Outrage over Gbajabiamila’s choice of aide

    There is outrage in the Southeast All Progressives Congress (APC) over the appointment of Anayo Nnebe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    The APC in Anambra State, the Conference of Southeast APC Publicity Secretaries, and the Southeast APC Young Progressives Forum, condemned the action, and called for Nnebe’s withdrawal.

    Gbajabiamila on Tuesday announced Nnebe as one of his aides from the Southeast.

    But in their separate reactions yesterday, the party and other bodies described it as a big slap on APC, saying Nnebe fought APC and called their members all sorts of names during the elections.

    Those who signed the statement from the Southeast Forum of Publicity Secretaries of APC included Kate Offor (Enugu), Nwoba Chika Nwoba (Ebonyi) and Benedict Godwin (Abia).

    Pascal Chizoba Otimkpu spoke for Southeast APC Young Progressives Forum; Anamrba APC Secretary Chukwuma Agufugo spoke for his party, while Madukaife Okelo spoke for Conference of Southeast Publicity secretaries.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Gbajabiamila visits Zamfara, others

    Pascal said the outrage was not about appointment but agenda. “You cannot drive an agenda with people who do not believe in it. Nnebe and his cohorts had, and will never believe in our party’s agenda,” he said.

    Agufugo, who said the party had competent, well qualified and mature persons to handle any position, lamented that the choice of APGA member was wrong and should be withdrawn.

    “We reject the appointment of Anayo Nnebe as Special Assistant (Southeast) to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. Nnebe is a die hard opposition to APC in Anambra, the Southeast and Nigeria in general. He is instrumental to the Awka Federal Constituency seat eluding APC, though he also lost. Political positions in the ruling party should not serve to rehabilitate oppositions who cause damage to our party’s fortunes.

    “The Senate President made a similar error and promptly corrected it when issues were raised, and there ought to be enough deterrent flowing from there. We have nothing against Nnebe, but our zonal caucus has to grow, and it is not by appointing PDP men in APGA clothing, to the detriment of the long-suffering members of APC.

    “We have, in the past, witnessed all manner of flirtation between our structures outside the Southeast and the very persons who constitute opposition to us. We dissociate ourselves from this appointment and urge Southeast APC to rise in justifiable protest against this unjustifiable action. We will not relent in fighting this injustice.”

     

  • Relief as police conquer Imo horror forest

    A police swoop on the Awara forest has resulted in the arrest of several suspects, eliciting hope that Imo State’s most dreaded den of violent criminals has been demystified. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    At last the forest of horror has been demystified, ending decades of horrific and blood-chilling tales of death and destruction.

    The Awara forest in Ohaji-Egbema Council Area of Imo State was the den of criminal elements. Recently, it took a turn for the worse, becoming a haven for notorious inter-state kidnappers and militants who escaped security operatives in the Niger Delta.

    This paper once reported the flourishing kidnap business in the massive forest covering such communities as Awara, Ilile, Opiti, Umuapu and Mgbirishi all in Ohaji-Egbema council area stretching to the boundary of Rivers State.

    Kidnap victims say there were several camps operated by different gangs in the forest where victims are chained to trees until their relatives pay ransom. In some cases according to revelations by the victims, some of the unlucky ones were slaughtered for ritual.

    In the last few months, these hoodlums became even more daring in their operations as they adopted guerrilla tactics. They lay ambush along Owerri-Port Harcourt Road and diverted travelers into the forest, where they were held until ransom was paid. Some of the victims ended up being raped, molested or murdered.

    Not even the poor were spared as the dare-devil kidnappers abducted anyone available, whisked them into the forest and collected ransom as low as N50,000 depending on the negotiation power of the victim’s family.

    The impregnable forest attained the notoriety of ‘Sambisa forest’, instilling fear in the spine of the people at the mere mention of its name.

    But the myth surrounding the forest has finally been demystified and the horror neutralized. The Imo State police command, led by the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, braved it and invaded the forest.

    Expectedly, they met stiff resistance as the kidnappers engaged the policemen in a gun duel that lasted all through the night. At the end of the ten-hour operation, three of the gang leaders were cut down, while others were arrested.

    This was followed by a mop-up operation where seven kidnap victims were rescued from the various camps in the expansive forest.

    Celebrating the feat, the police spokesperson, Frank Mba, while parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters in Owerri, said, “You will recall that on the 9th of April 2019, the Inspector-General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu launched Operation “PUFF ADDER” and consequently directed all Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of all zonal commands as well as all Commissioners of Police in all their states to replicate same in their area of responsibility. Today, I am glad to inform you all that the effort is yielding tremendous results.

    “We have been touring various state commands in the past few months to brief the press on the achievements of the Operation so far, as such, we are here today to showcase to you, the achievements of the officers and men of Imo State Police Command.

    “We are however aware that the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Rabiu Ladodo has briefed and paraded suspects to you on a few occasions since the launch of Operation “PUFF ADDER” but we are here today to present to you some of the exceptional breakthroughs of the Command in crime fighting and detection. On this note, I present to you a total of nineteen (19) suspects involved in various violent crimes as follows;

    “Following a tip-off received on 4/07/2019 that a gang of kidnappers were holding some victims hostage in a forest in Ohaji, operatives of the Command swiftly swung into action and stormed the kidnap hideout. On sighting the operatives, the hoodlums engaged them in a heated gun duel during which three of the hoodlums fell to the superior fire power of the operatives and two others escaped with serious gunshot injuries.

    “However, the above named kidnap victims held captive in the kidnap hideout as at the time of the incident were all rescued unhurt including a pregnant woman. The rescued victims were subsequently taken to the Police Hospital for treatment, the doctor on duty certified that they were all okay and the pregnancy of the woman was still intact”.

    It continued that, “Sequel to the bursting of the kidnap gang at Ilile forest in Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A Imo State and the rescue of seven (7) kidnapped victims mentioned above, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) following thorough intelligence gathering and digital data tracking analysis arrested the above named suspects at Port – Harcourt, Rivers State. Suspects have made useful statements to the police touching on the various roles they played in the crime.

    “On 15/06/2019, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested the above-named suspect at Umuokanne in Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A of Imo State in connection with the kidnap of the above named victims. Victims were kidnapped along Maginezum/West Brook Hotel on 14/06/2019 and have identified the suspect among the gang that kidnapped them. The hospitalized victim Uchenna Anagbue was seriously inflicted with injuries all over his body for attempting to escape from the kidnappers den. After he was recaptured, the kidnapper put him into a septic toilet soak-away and covered it but if not for the quick rescue of the SARS Operatives, he would have died. Effort is on to gear to arrest the remaining suspect at large.”

  • Breakthrough as UNN produces electric car

    University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has recorded a rare feat by producing the first electric car in Nigeria.

    The car named Lion Ozumba 551 after the immediate past vice chancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba was produced by the Faculty of Engineering of the university.

    Explaining the techniques of the car, the coordinator of UNN mechatronic group who led the team that produced the car Mr Ozoemena Ani, said the vehicle was produced with 80 per cent local content materials.

    Ani said the car could be charged in any electric socket and when fully charged would go a distance of 30 kilometres.

    “We used 80 per cent local material content in building this electric car.

    “It cost us N800,000 to produce the car. When the car is fully charged it will go up to thirty kilometers before it can be recharged,” he said at the unveiling ceremony of the car.

    The electric car was driven round UNN campus which attracted the admiration of many staff and students

    The Director-General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Jelani Aliyu who was at the unveiling ceremony commended the University of Nigeria Nsukka for being the first to produce electric car in the country.

    He urged other universities in the country to emulate UNN desire in giving serious attention to issues concerning innovations and technology in order to move the country to the next level.

    “NADDC on February 6, 2019 invited UNN, University of Lagos, Usuman Danfodo University and Matrological Institute and urged them to prepare a paper design on how to produce electric car in the country.

    “The council is happy that UNN is the first to prepare a paper design and produced electrical car that has been unveiled and test-run today in the university.

    “We urge other universities and higher institutions in the country to emulate innovation and technology spirit of UNN,”  he said.

    The DG who was represented by Mr David Oyetunji who is Director Finance and Account in NDDC said, improving on automobile industry in the country would help create more employments as well as reduced huge amount of money used in importing cars into the country.

    “Improvement in automobile industry will create more employments as well as reduce huge amount of money used in importing cars into the country.

    NDDC commend UNN who recently produced the first gasification plant that used organic waste to generate electricity and today the same university is unveiling first electric build car in the country,” he said.

    In a remark, Prof Charles Igwe, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, who was filled with joy, said his administration would continue to give innovation and technology the highest attention in order to move the university to the next level.

    Igwe expressed appreciation to the immediate past VC of UNN Prof Benjamin Ozumba whom he said laid the foundation of innovation, technology as well as through his hard work made UNN the number one university in the country.

    “I feel happy that, I inherited strong institution from Ozumba and I promised I will consolidate on his numerous achievements.

    “I commend the engineering faculty for making the university proud as well as naming the car after Ozumba who ignited the fire of innovation and technology in the university.

    “I also commend NDDC for its encouragement as well as giving UNN a chance to show its potential,” he said.

    Speaking, Ozumba said he was overwhelmed when he received invitation to came and witness unveiling of the electric car which was initiated by his administration,

    “When I came on board I said we need innovation and technology to be at par with China, US, Sweden and other developed countries of the world.

    “That was why I provided the resources and encouragement for innovations and technology because I believe that is one of the ways we can improve our country’s economy.

    “It is my desire to improve the economy of UNN, the economy of Nigeria as well as increase the country’s foreign exchange,” he said.

  • Niger Delta group mentors Abia youths on jobs

    Worried by the high level of unemployment, poverty and youth restiveness among youths in the Niger Delta, a non-profit organisation, Niger Delta Youth Employment Pathways Project (NDYEPP) under Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has undertaken to change the dismal job outlook and reverse the criminality and negativity in the area.

    NDYEPP aims to do this by training and exposing youths of the area to  opportunities provided for them by ICT to become not only self-employed, but employers of labour.

    The organisation, funded by Ford Foundation, brought ICT experts and other successful entrepreneurs to mentor the youths on how they can use modern-day technology and facilities to become successful in three areas: agriculture, ICT and construction with plans to explore the leather and garment industry already in place in the state.

    The interactive session had representatives of the state government, captains of industry and entrepreneurs who mentored and shared ideas with the participants. Other beneficiaries who are already doing well in their businesses also had the opportunity to share with the participants how the programme has been able to help them not only get jobs but also become employers of labour in their respective fields.

    In an interview, Mr. Emeka Ile, the Project Lead for the Niger Delta Youth Employment Pathways Project (NDYEPP) said that the programme is geared towards changing the narrative of the people of Niger Delta States.

    He said, “We have been working across the nine Niger Delta states. Our work cuts across four thematic areas, but two core activities which include, Economic Development and Peace Building. So, basically, we are looking at how we can reduce poverty and reduce conflict in the region and working with state governments to advocate policies that make the poor to be included in the economy.

    “Anybody today knows that one of the biggest challenges that we have in Nigeria is youth unemployment rate is completely troubling and in many ways, it is connected to the kind of restiveness and challenges that we face across the Niger Delta.

    “The huge population of young people that exist is a huge asset to the country, but if that huge asset is not being utilized, that is a huge challenge.  So, people begin to channel their energies to different kinds of things. In the country as a whole, we are faced with the challenge of where you see nearly half the population of young people who ready and willing to work are not finding work.

    “You also see a situation where over 36% of the youth population in the Niger Delta area is unemployed. That is unacceptable and it is a challenge that we will all have to tackle straightforward.  I think that government at both federal and state levels needs to understand that these challenges exist. It will be a huge challenge if these problems weren’t tackled headlong.

    “We need to tackle unemployment in the Niger Delta. We need to begin to find new and innovative ways of getting young people trained, making them employable and supporting them to get into the employment market.

    “The truth is that Nigeria on itself is a paradox.  We are a very strong oil producing nation, where it is assumed that we have all the resources that ought to be, but yet, poverty is high.

    “The paradox is even worse when you now think of the Niger Delta which is the location where there is high unemployment rate which is probably higher than the National Average. So, that is a bit of challenge. The oil sector is a big sector, but in terms of employment generation, it is nothing to write home about.

    “The thing is that we need to get young people involved in other sectors that are creating job opportunities for the young people than the oil sector. That however doesn’t mean that we are not going to see ways of assisting them when there are opportunities in the oil sector.

    “We know that agriculture has a capacity to absorb young people, but we need to make that agriculture done in such a way that young people will be attracted and willing to participate.

    “Based on our study and evidences we have on the field, we also know that there are growing sector like construction etc. we need young people to be trained in skills that are currently being filled by people from outside the country.

    “The question is how we begin to skill them up in such a way that they begin to take these opportunities themselves and making interesting? That is why we are looking at agriculture, construction and ICT.

    “ICT may not create all the jobs itself, but it is a very transformative sector because it can help create job in every other sector. And rather than have young people leave the region and begin to head towards Lagos which is the next big buzz city, why don’t we create a pool of talents that can live, work, earn and spend in the region. These set of persons will help to build the economy here locally and they at the same time, help their parents and other people that may depend on them for daily living.

    “We are also looking at opportunities that exist in renewable. Here in Aba, we are also looking at renewable and here in Aba, we are also looking at other sectors where the government and others are also working. We know that Aba is the SME capital and opportunities are in leather and garment sector. We are looking at opportunities to create work for the unemployed youths within this sector.

    “Our point is not to train the youths in market relevant skills that are in demand and as well supporting them through business advisory, mentorship and to transcend from training into work. That is the core of our model.

    “This is a pilot project, we are basically aiming to demonstrate a model which other partners can buy into and scale up. For the first phase of this project that we just concluded, we targeted a thousand young people to be supported. We concluded with a thousand, four hundred and sixty eight of them that have been supported and many of them have transited into acquiring different training through apprentice into which some of them have been employed and others, starting their own business. We have over 600 people that have been trained in Abia.”

    Mr. Nkwachukwu Agomoh, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development speaking on behalf of the state government said “PIND has helped us to have a direction in terms of youth inclusiveness. The governor has also approved a summit that will help to channel our ideas towards initiating policy direction of how it will affect those in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME).

    “We are trying to collaborate with our sister ministries; Women Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Industry on how we can partner and d one particular project that will affect the youths with respect to providing jobs for the youths. In the next month, we are going to do groundbreaking projects that will affect both the youths and the elderly.

    What the present administration in the state is trying to do is to make sure that by 2023 we would have been able to wipe out a generation of youths who are presently unemployed. We are thinking of making those who are going to come out of school are going to be work ready.

    “By December, the governor is going to launch the Enyimba Economic City which is targeted at creating employment. We are going to have a free trade zone where most of us who are in one trade or the other are going to have share where we will have consolidated fees and there will be tax haven.

    “So, for whoever that is going to have a shop at the Economic City will have financial prosperity.  I am very much excited about it, because it is what has been bordering the government and everybody that is thinking for the youths that we have in the state that are unemployed.”

    Dr. Nnenna Chikezie, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs, in an interview said, “I was very happy to hear testimonies of how the programme has been able to transform the lives of some of the youths that embraced it.

    ”The ability of the organizers to partner with the state government is opening channels for the teeming unemployed youths.

    “We are looking for how to get the youths engaged because the white collar jobs that they are looking for is not there. It is a fact in Nigeria that one needs not to question.

    “Considering the number of youths that are being churned out from our universities every year, there must be need for us to open up the private sector for the youths and other entrepreneurs.

    “In my ministry, the government has been training people in skill acquisition over the years and we concentrate on women and youths.

    “The good thing that I have seen here is trying to deemphasised the meaning of empowerment by the political class and I am glad to say that you have the same mindset with us in government because when you train a person, you have empowered the person. When you train a person, you have empowered the person and when you give someone a skill in any skill, you have also empowered the person as well.

    “If the person is passionate about the skill he or she has acquired, she will go a step further in raising money for him or herself. Equipment empowerment is the best we can give to anybody. It is unfortunate that some of the items used for the empowerment is sold before the donor to bystanders and collect the money.

    “We need this kind of training for our women and the young population it will go a long way to help- the families.”

    Some of the participants thanked the organisers for holding such event and stated that they were committed in ensuring that they helped the organisers to achieve the purpose for which they initiated the programme.

  • Mother of five seeks help as husband absconds over pregnancy bill

    A Middle-aged woman, Mrs Chioma Nwaemerum has pleaded for assistance from spirited individuals to enable her pay her medical bill and re-unite with her family.

    Nwaemerum, a mother of five children, was admitted at the Christian the Saviour Hospital, 3-3 near Onitsha, Anambra state, where she was to put to bed.

    The Nation gathered that the hospital had billed her the sum of N224,000 for cesarean operation following her inability to deliver through the normal process.

    She was however, allegedly abandoned by the husband due to his inability to pay the said sum of money.

    Speaking with the Nation, Nwaemerum said the husband had left her to her fate in the hospital as a result of the whopping bills.

    She however expressed appreciation to all who intervened to ensure a successful operation.

    She said, “The medical director has been of immense assistance to me. He even operated me without deposit because, he knows we do not have money.

    “My husband could not afford such money and left us to our fate to solicit for help and people have since then been giving helping hand.

    “The parish Priest of St. Augustine Catholic Church, where we worship in Omeide 3-3, Father Benjamin Okonkwo, brought N75,000.

    “State chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, did not only bring his personal and organisational money, but was the brain behind the financial help coming from spirited individuals.

    “I urge the public to come to my help as I am still here in the hospital waiting for the bill to be completed before discharge”.

    A source from the hospital said the husband hurriedly left the hospital shortly after he was informed of the amount for the operation to save the baby and his wife.

    The source however regretted that the woman lost the baby due to delayed labour.

    The source said, “Though the woman was eventually operated upon by the hospital without the deposit, the baby could not survive the prolonged labour.

    “The husband who works as a mason, later sent N10,000 after some days, and another N12,000, making it N22,000 from his hideout.

    “It was not enough to take care of the woman’s feeding let alone paying the hospital bills, so, she is still kept at the hospital.”

    Reacting, the CLO boss, Comrade Ezekwueme, thanked God for a successful operation, urging the woman to take heart over the death of her baby.

    He appealed to the state government to establish maternity homes in all the 21 local government areas of the state to enable indigent pregnant women access free medical care.

    He equally thanked the medical director for his understanding on the condition of his patient by operating her without waiting for deposit.

  • Anambra coastal communities celebrate outstanding NYSC members

    It was a memorable day for outgoing 2018 Batch “B” Corps members in Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State when the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) stormed the area.

    Over 63 of them deployed to carry out their one year national service in the riverine communities could not hold back their joy as they trouped out in their numbers to receive the team led by the State Coordinator, Mr. Kehinde Aremu.

    Their excitement was not unexpected as such visits by the NYSC management team were rare in the area in view of the peculiarity of the terrain.

    Among the corps members were four of them who were honoured with Chairman’s Award for distinguishing themselves during their service year.

    The award recipients, Mr Sunday Anonime, Mr Iwuoha Ekemezie, Mr Omotunde Oluwafemi and Miss Grace Eze, were also presented with cash rewards.

    Speaking during the occasion, the NYSC state Coordinator, Mr Kehinde Aremu, said he chose the council area to celebrate with the corps members owing to the peculiarity of the terrain.

    He described Anambra West as a people in special need and promised that the NYSC would do what was within its reach to bridge the manpower deficiency gap.

    He appreciated the council for the love and hospitality shown to the corps members, assuring them that their requests would be considered.

    Commending the corps members for accepting to serve in the hard to reach riverine area to impact positively in the lives of the people, Aremu noted that such sacrifices hardly go unrewarded.

    He said the NYSC would help to tell the story Anambra West to the world, while promising to work on their request.

    The awardee corps members said the community lacked access to quality education, good healthcare and sanitation.

    They said they apparently shouldered the education of the people of the council as they made up the bulk of teachers.

    The only female awardee, Grace Eze, who was among those who declined being evacuated when crises erupted in the area, said she insisted on serving in the community due to the passion she had for the people.

    She said she thought mathematics and physics in the school where she was posted to, saying she also organized tutorials for the students including on weekends.

    “I also thought the locals how to prepare local okpa and abacha. I equally thought them cultural dances,” she added.

    Eze called on the state government to address the myriad of challenges in the area as a way of checking their underdevelopment.

    Earlier, Chairman of the Council, Mr Sylvester Okafor, appealed to the NYSC in the state to post more health specialists to the council to bridge the manpower gap in that sector.

    The council boss said the local government did not have any functional health facility nor government doctors in the 21 health centres in the council and prayed the NYSC to help uplift the people of the area.

    He said they also needed the service of pharmacists and laboratory scientists as there was no place where people can run simple laboratory tests for as little as malaria in the riverine area.

    He said, “Your coming to this place is not just for the fun of it, you have seen the condition of the people here, this is our request and I hope it will be granted, please post more doctors to Anambra West, if we can get five we will be happy.

    “We don’t have a laboratory here where we can even run a simple malaria test in this whole local government, but if we can have laboratory scientists, somebody can come from Ndiora, Oroma can come to Anam for the test.

    “The only hospital we have is a missionary hospital in Mmiata, managed by the Holy Rosary Sisters with one doctor who works day and night, that is why are calling for these graduate doctors to help the people in Igala area, Mmiata and other hard to reach areas.

    “The two we have now are leaving and by that we don’t have any again, so, please send us more doctors, we don’t need them to give us drugs, we need them to give us the manpower.”

    Okafor promised good incentives for corps members who work in the council.

  • Suicide: ESUT medical school brainstorms the scourge

    Irked by the ravaging epidemic of suicide in the society, the College of Medicine, University of Science and Technology (ESUT) packaged a lecture where the issue was discussed and dissected by an expert.

    With the theme: “Alarming Rate of Suicide: the underlying factors and issues”, the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Luke Anike in his opening remarks said suicide, basically has to do with the individual’s self-perception and ability to withstand stresses of any kind.

    Stressing that the lecture not only addressed a problem of the society but that it should be noted that it most importantly addressed “the problems of university communities as a greater percentage of those that were recently involved were undergraduates.”

    “Now that it is ravaging our youths especially in the university communities, it is important that we take a very close look at it from all ramifications with a view to stemming the tide”, Anike said.

    Professor Richard Uwakwe who teaches Neuropsychiatry at  the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi campus was the guest lecturer.

    He told the audience at the auditorium of the College of Medicine that a number of factors were found to be associated with either suicidal attempt or ideas which he listed as young age and traumatic experience.

    He said explaining the cause of suicide could be quite complex, involving philosophical, sociological and neurobiological issues.

    “Although, primarily, suicide in itself is not a mental disorder, however, most (90%) people who committed suicide have been found  to have had a mental disorder.

    “Incidentally the majority of mental disorders that are associated with suicide are treatable. But there is no treatment for suicide because it is the end of life. Rather what is available is the prevention of suicide,” the lecturer hinted.

    He asserted that the most important point in prevention of suicide is the recognition of at risk individuals. “While psychiatrists are trained to do formal risk assessment, there is a collective responsibility for suicide prevention, without necessarily medicalising a complex problem.

    “People who have mental disorders and those who are single, separated, widowed, divorced usually have higher risk.

    “Suicidal threats are not to be taken lightly and once an individual shows signs of possible suicide in the context of risk estimation, there is need for active intervention. Sometimes simple measures such as listening, showing concern and empathy can be very helpful.”

    Uwakwe posited that a number of factors constitute barriers in fighting against suicide in the Nigerian society.

    He gave for example, that psychiatry has a very low profile in most medical school curriculum, coming as a mere appendix to the more glamorous areas of medical specialties.

    He explained: “Consequently, many medical graduates have only a faint idea of psychiatry, where it is taught at all. Coupled with stigma, this is complicated by the fact that as today, Nigeria has no Mental Health Law.

    “Nigerian psychiatrists still operate with the outdated 1916 Lunacy Act and this has sometimes led to inability to prevent extended suicide.

    Uwakwe called on government at all levels to resolve the challenges of unemployment, job losses, poverty and insecurity as a necessary step towards tackling the problem of increasing rate of suicide in the country.

    He told the audience that Nigeria was under siege by suicide with 42 cases in six months.

    He recommended that in addition to addressing economic downturn in the country with the pressure it is putting on individuals, African values which enhance social integration should also be encouraged to help prevent suicide and suicide tendencies.

  • Flood destroys N50m drugs in Onitsha market

    Drugs worth over N50milion have been destroyed by flood water at the Drug Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, commercial city of Anambra State.

    This is even as a 45-year old trader, Nnaemeka Okoli, reportedly got drawned in Umuchu community in Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

    The two-day down pour which lasted for several hours on the first day, spread to almost half of the market, destroying drugs in over 130 shops.

    Some of the victims who made efforts to evacuate cartons of drugs already damaged by the flood, described the disaster as alarming.

    Speaking with the Nation, the traders attributed the cause of the disaster to the blockage of drainages in the area with refuses.

    They narrated how the previous rain compelled them to carry out emergency sanitation exercise which took them over three hours.

    One of the victims, Arthur Ndimele said the flood that ravaged the market so much that it was difficult to identify the drainages from the roads within the market.

    He said, “The early morning down pour started by 5.30am and by 7am our shops had already been flooded.

    “It was not up to twenty minutes we finished evacuating the flood that another heavy dòwn commenced.

    “The entire market got so flooded that we could not identify the drainages from the roads within the market.

    The Executive Secretary, Anambra State Special Taskforce on fake drugs adulterated and substandard products, Chibuzor Nwokeji said his team would embark on routine check soon after the flood recedes.

    He said, “The traders embarked on sanitation but the second rainfall has destroyed a lot of  drugs.

    “The drainage system linking the flood water to the River Niger have been blocked, making it difficult for easy passage of flood.

    “The taskforce will embark on routine check. If the drugs were totally damaged we will confiscate them to avoid selling them to the consumers which have now become poisonous to the body.”

    He appealed to the state government to come to their aid in view of the huge loss they experienced.

    The body of late Okoli, a trader at Nkwo market Umuchu, was said to have been dumped at the boundary between Osete and Ugwuakwu villages, both in Umuchu community.

    According to an eyewitness, the deceased had shut his shop around 7pm and was home bound when the incident occurred.

    He said, “It was raining heavily and night was fast approaching as at the time he closed. But on his way home, he fell into a deep drainage system that was filed to capacity with fast moving, devastating flood.

    “His where-about was not known and as his family went to sleep and handed over the entire thing to God after waiting tirelessly for his arrival.

    “The next morning, a search party was set up which later discovered the dead body at a lonely boundary spot after an intense search.

    Reacting, state Chairman, Civil liberties Organization, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme attributed the death to the ongoing rehabilitation of the Umuchu road by the state government.

    He added that the flood was not properly channeled by the construction firm.

    He said, “There should be proper channeling of the flood. This man had closed his shop and left because it was raining heavily and night was fast approaching.

    “Little did he know that it was death that was knocking on the door until he was washed away by the devastating flood.

    “The corpse has since been deposited at a morgue in Umuchu.”

  • Enugu CP urges commercial drivers to be ambassadors of anti-corruption

    COMMISSIONER of Police in Enugu State, Mr Sulaiman Balarabe, has urged commercial drivers to be ambassadors of anti-corruption by reporting all incidences of police extortion in the state.

    Balarabe said this on Friday during an interactive meeting between senior police officers in Enugu State Police Command and leadership of various commercial drivers’ unions/associations in the state.

    The interactive meeting was part of the command’s Campaign Against Police Unprofessional Conduct (CAPUCON) programme.

    He also urged commercial drivers to get their documents and papers right and up-dated as well as being patient and courteous to answer all questions posed by policemen on duty while insisting on their rights.

    “Every police personnel must serve the public with professionalism and fear of God without extorting anytime from anybody.

    “Presently, we are giving numbers of principal senior officers, Divisional Police Officers and special units as well as members of the Police Command Committee Against Unprofessional Conduct to you people (commercial drivers) to contact us on incidences of extortion.

    “Apart from  members of the Police Command Committee Against Unprofessional Conduct; we have IGP X-Squad and Command X-Squad that will be patrolling on plain-cloths in road routes to fish out the bad eggs in the force,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Attack: Enugu CP warns rumour mongers

    According to him, when any policeman extorts money from a struggling commercial driver, he or she is collecting a cursed money and the money will never profit the officer.

    Speaking, Comrade Chukwuma Okenwa, Coordinator of Values Project, noted that the Nigeria Police remained the best in Africa for exceptional performance in peace keeping especially in Africa and beyond.

    “But it is ironical, that the same internationally acclaimed performance cannot be replicated in the country due to unprofessional conduct such as extortion that had pitched ordinary Nigerians against police personnel,’’ Okenwa said.

    Comrade Austin Agu, Secretary of National Union of Road Transports Workers (NURTW), appreciated the commissioner for his honesty and forthrightness to ensure that the command check extortion.

    “I will implore our members and other commercial drivers to ensure that they do their part by getting their particulars up-to-date to avoid any form of embarrassment,’’ Agu said.

    Comrade Chike Nweze, Chairman of Motorcycle Union of Enugu State (Okada riders), lauded the commissioner and senior police officers in the state for being open and coming all out to address the menace of extortion.

    “We sincerely believe that this particular programme and synergy will work for the good of the society and foster a better relationship between the police and commercial drivers in the state,’’ he said.

  • Enugu bans operations of IPMAN’s state chapter  

    THE Enugu State Government has banned the operations of the state chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) till further notice.

    A statement by the Permanent Secretary (General Administration), Mrs. Josephine Onyia, stated that the state government took the decision after reviewing with great concern, the protracted crisis that has engulfed the state chapter of IPMAN.

    The state government added that the crisis “has assumed dimensions of cultism and banditry with its attendant grave security implications in the state”.

    Read Also: ‘Suspects in Enugu nurse murder held’

    It therefore disclosed that “a committee comprising Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services and other relevant stakeholders, will be constituted shortly to take charge pending the return to normalcy”.

    According to the statement, “the members of the public are further reassured that the Enugu State Government will, as always, live up to its responsibility of ensuring the security of lives and property within the state”