The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Don’t abandon Anambra, indigenes urged

    Don’t abandon Anambra, indigenes urged

    Anambra indigenes living in states outside the Southeast have been urged not to abandon their homeland, but assist in developing it and stop the habit of concentrating their investments on other people’s territories.

    Eminent personalities led by Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coscharis Group , Dr. Cosmas Maduka made the call at this year’s League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) End-of-Year Lecture and Dinner in Lagos.

    Maduka, who spoke on the topic: “Capitalising on untapped opportunities in Anambra”, said his firm pays N450 million tax yearly and he personally pays  N50 million yearly. He added that his state, Anambra, would benefit greatly from these monies for its growth, if he lived or was based there.

    The renowned automobile and spare parts dealer added that all of the riverside areas of Anambra State are good for rice cultivation and that his Cos Farms, sited in the state, is in its second year of rice production and is about to bring an irrigation system that would enable it to harvest the product thrice a year.

    The Coscharis boss told Ndigbo to work towards the dredging of the Onitsha port so that container ships can berth there. According to him, Igbo importers were forced to take their operational headquarters to Lagos by the Federal Government’s decision to have functional seaports in the Western part of the country only.

    Maduka expressed worry that rather than love Ndigbo for their hard work and immense contributions to their host communities’ growth, the latter perceive them as people who want to dominate.

    He advised Ndigbo to stop the Biafra agitation, describing the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Biafra Independent Movement (BIM)-led agitation as “unprofitable because Ndigbo would always venture beyond their homeland.”

    Instead of dreaming Biafra, they should invest their energy in service. “Money comes from service”, he added.

    Civil Engineer Dominic Ekesi, in his contribution, lamented the neglect of vocational education, stressing that artisan and technicians are very relevant to the economy of any state. He cited the case of the founder of Fiat, who was just a mechanic when he went into automobile manufacturing.

    He advocated the creation of venture capital for Anambra graduates who have entrepreneurial drive.

    Prof. Pat Utomi of Lagos Business School called for the building of a megapolis stretching from Awka in the Southeast to Agbor in the South-South and another megapolis linking Aba and Port-Harcourt as additional centres of development to the Lagos-Ibadan axis, which Nigeria already has.

    He said as an alternative to the long-awaited Second Niger Bridge, three road-tunnels can be built under the river linking the Southeast to three points on the Western side of the Niger.

    The founder of Leap Africa, Mrs. Ndidi Nwuneli, in the lecture, drew attention to the discrimination the Igbo states faced in the distribution of housing and development grants.

    Mrs. Nwuneli said she has noticed a pattern of giving a state such as Kaduna State grant worth 500,000 dollars per year and Enugu State just receives 50,000 dollars and Anambra State gets nothing per year. As a result, anytime she has opportunity of sitting in a granting board, she now asks “What is coming to Anambra State?” Every privileged Igbo should do likewise, she counselled.

    The chairman of the occasion and former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr. Raymond Obieri recounted LAP’s services to the state such as promotion of unity, electorate enlightenment and election monitoring.

    He noted that the League needed to maintain its secretariat, pay its workers and carry out the major activities.

    He, therefore, called on those indigenous to Anambra to donate to the League because its activities require funds.

    Contributing, LAP President and renowned chartered accountant Willy Nzewi asked for funds, stating that the League’s need for funds is heightened by 2017 being an election year when it has to play its needed role. “I will ensure judicious use of the money”, he promised.

    Dignitaries at the lecture included the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. David Ifezulike, one-time Surveyor-General of the Federation, Prof. Peter Nwilo and past presidents of LAP, Dr. Ndi Onuekwusi and Dr. Katia Ekesi.

    LAP is an association of capable professionals of Anambra State origin that partners government at any level to re-build Anambra State and Nigeria into a rich, modern and safe society.

     

  • Worshippers thank God despite recession

    Worshippers thank God despite recession

    This is not the best of times for Nigerians. The rich and the poor feel the hardship prevalent in the land due to the current economic recession which resulted from fall in oil prices at the international market.

    Jobs are hard to come by and some of those in gainful employment are losing their jobs. There is increase in poverty rate; high cases of robbery incidents and among other social vices are on the increase.

    While there is no end in sight yet to the economic recession and as Nigerians continue in their lamentation over the country’s economic situation, members of Christ Holy Church (CHC) International, Province III Headquarters, Aba Abia State were preoccupied with preparation for this year’s harvest activities.

    They overlooked all the economic misfortune the country is experiencing to seek the face of God in thanksgiving and bazaar in this year’s annual harvest of CHC Aba Superintendence headquarters.

    At 11:00 in the morning, the atmosphere was charged when the harvest proper began and lasted till 4:00 p.m. as various groups, families, friends and well-wishers including invited guests took their turns to dance to the altar with their gifts.

    According to some of some parishioners, thanksgiving is the only way they can show appreciation to God for His protection throughout the year. No amount of money or item brought before God can quantify the grace and favour that they have enjoyed from God throughout the year.

    One of the invited guests said: “I am overwhelmed with what I saw here. Since I have been attending harvests in churches, I have never seen people making thanksgiving the way this people have done. In them you can see joy and happiness. For these people to have come before God with these kinds of gift items means that they made adequate preparation for this day. It shows how much they valued being alive.

    “It shows how much thankful they are that God preserved their lives even in the midst of the current economic situation that the country is experiencing. It takes discipline and respect for God for a people such as these to deny themselves pleasures to do what they are doing today.”

    The officiating minister, His Eminence, Rt. Rev C.C Obiefuna, Bishop of CHC Province II Headquarters, Nkpokiti Enugu Enugu State in his homily reminded Christians of the need to be thankful to God who have sustained them throughout the year.

    Quoting copiously from Psalm 150, Bishop Obiefuna went further to list some of the benefits attached to thanksgiving and urged the parishioners to present their gifts before God with pure heart which he said comes with a lot of blessings.

    In an interview, Elder Reginald Umeike, Barrister Donatus Ikpeogu and wife of Province III and Head of Women/Children Department Aba Superintendence, Senior Deaconess Christiana E. Umeh described this year’s edition of the harvest as a success.

    According to Ikpeogu and Umeike, the annual thanksgiving day is one of the most important days in the calendar of the church as it provides them with the opportunity to thank God with whatever they have.

    However, Deaconess Umeh also called on the people who are yet to imbibe the culture of thanksgiving to do so, even as she expressed hope that the 2017 harvest will be better than this year’s.

     

  • Let’s conserve our forests, Amosun pleads

    Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has said that there is need for collaboration between the public and private sectors in reviving the depleted forest reserves across the state. He therefore called for public-private participation (PPP) to enable the state to achieve the purpose.

    The governor made the appeal during the launch of tree planting project at Olokemeji in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State by Tree Restoration and Planting Company (TRECO).

    Represented by the Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal, he said the protection of the environment through planting of trees and taking care of existing ones should not be left to government alone, saying individuals and corporate organisations should join hands with government to achieve the set goal.

    “We all need to ensure a drastic reduction of the rate at which our forest resources are depleted through indiscriminate exploitation without a proper regeneration programme,” he said.

    The governor said despite high population growth which had resulted in an increase in demand for wood, among other forest products, required participation among stakeholders geared towards ensuring that policies that would help bridge the gap between forest products demand and supply.

    In her remarks, the Minister for Environment, Aminat Muhammed who was represented by the Federal Director of Forestry, Mr Philip Bankole said the rate of deforestation in Nigerian forest reserves was alarming, urging that all hands must be on deck to revive the forest reserves across the country.

  • Women discuss Igbo unity, girl-child at summit

    Women discuss Igbo unity, girl-child at summit

    The Southeast has been lagging behind, especially in unity. The situation has been a source of worry to the men. Women are only bothered about issues concerning the women folk which they discuss at the famous August Meeting. But there is a new thinking among some women under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters who believe they can help the men to develop the Igbo nation. OKODILI NDIDI reports that the group held a summit at Owerri where it decided to complement the efforts of the men.

    In the yesteryear, Igbo women at home and in the Diaspora waited for one year before they come together to deliberate on issues affecting them. This was usually during the famous August Meeting.

    However, some prominent Igbo women reasoned that it was not right to wait for a year before they gather and discuss issues affecting them. They also reasoned that it was time Igbo women complemented the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward; not merely discussing matters that affect the women folk only.

    It was against this background that some Igbo women, under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters converged on Owerri, the Imo State capital, to deliberate on how to complement the efforts of the men to move the Igbo nation forward. The summit, they said, does not indicate that the annual August Meeting has come to a dead end.

    For instance, the cultural glamour and grandeur which usually were features of the annual August Meeting didn’t reduce by any inch; rather they became serious tools for social and political agenda-setting for the Igbo nation.

    This much came to the fore during the grand finale of the summit held at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) Owerri, the Imo State capital in November where a large number of successful and influential Igbo women both those in the country and in the Diaspora converged to brainstorm on the challenges confronting Ndigbo.

    Like their male counterpart, the women deliberated on how to rise above the challenges that had held the Igbo nation down and how to move forward as a people.

    Unlike what obtains in August Meeting which has been traditionally confined to villages and communities, and where a handful of women meet separately to discuss the peculiar challenges of their immediate environment, the summit by the Prominent Igbo Daughters comprised women from all walks of life who had the burning desire to help the men to develop the region. Women from the five states of the Southeast Zone came under one umbrella to discuss issues of common interest.

    Another significant feature of the summit, with the theme, “Looking at the Next Generation of Mothers”, was the leading role played by the wives of the Southeast Governors and the personalities that attended the summit.

    Among them were wife of Nigeria’s first Head of State, Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, Senator Joy Emordi, former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Senator Nkechi Wogu, Vivian Okadigbo, wives of Governors of Abia and Enugu states Nkechi Ikpeazu and Monica Ugwuanyi respectively, among others.

    Beginning with a courtesy call on the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha at the Government House, the women outlined their vision to complement the efforts of the men by contributing their quota in moving the Igbo nation forward.

    The women noted that having identified disunity among the Igbo leaders as the major impediment to the progress of Ndigbo, they have resolved to use their positions as wives and mothers to unite Ndigbo.

    Speaking on behalf of the women, wife of the Imo State Governor and chief host, Nneoma Okorocha, said they were compelled to initiate the venture by the love for Ndigbo in particular and the country in general.

    According to her, the resolve to tackle the challenges of the girl-child as the next generation mother as encapsulated in the theme of the summit, is as a result of the fact that “once you get it right with the girl-child, the society gets right”.

    Continuing, she said: “Most of the challenges the society is experiencing are as a result of the failure of mothers to inculcate the right moral values in their children. There is near-total failure of parenting. If you have children and they all grow up to be successful and responsible citizens, it as a result of the efforts of the mother. Also when you have children and they turn out to be robbers, kidnappers, terrorists and assassins, it is as a result of the failure of the mother.

    ”We are propelled by the love for the Igbo nation to converge and brainstorm on the way forward. We are here because as Igbo women, we have resolved to go back to the drawing board to get it right and if we must get it right, we must get the girl-child right.

    “We have decided to be pillars of support to our men and not sources of discouragement, so that we can contribute our quota to the development of the Igbo nation. As mothers, we should take responsibilities in building a better society by building our homes.

    “At present, Igbo women have decided to stand up and take the bull by the horn and the day has finally come when the Igbo nation will sing a new song.”

    Chairman of the occasion and former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, commended the women for taking steps to assist the men in making the Igbo nation better.

    He particularly commended the wives of the Southeast Governors for bringing Igbo women together under one umbrella to brainstorm on the challenges their region of origin is experiencing.

    Nwobodo also noted that the issue of the upbringing of the girl-child is critical to building a virile and successful nation.

    He said: “For Igbo women to gather to discuss the place of the girl-child is a confirmation of the fact that if there is any group that wants Nigeria to remain together, it is the Igbo.”

    Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, in her goodwill message, assured that the Igbo women will continue to complement the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward.

    She praised the idea of gathering to discuss the challenges confronting the girl-child, stating that the development of the girl-child is a sure way to a better future.

    In a similar manner, wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, emphasised the need for mothers to take responsibility in the upbringing of their children, especially the girl-child.

    She noted that as future mothers and society builders, priority should be given to the upbringing of the girl-child.

    Addressing the women earlier during a visit at the Government House, Governor Okorocha described the gathering of the women as what the Igbo nation has been waiting for to move forward.

    He said: “We the men have tried to balance the equation but this may be what we need to unite the Igbo nation. There is nothing a man can do without a good woman by his side and where we the men have failed as a result of ego, the women should fix it.

    “It is time that our men began to recognise the place and role of women in nation-building. Nigeria is waiting for the Igbo and we must start to get it right and I see this gathering of the women as a necessary thing to do.”

    The event was also a cultural renaissance of a sort as participating states used the event as a showcase for their different cultural dances which held the audience spellbound.

  • Don’t abandon Anambra, indigenes urged

    Don’t abandon Anambra, indigenes urged

    Anambra indigenes living in states outside the Southeast have been urged not to abandon their homeland, but assist in developing it and stop the habit of concentrating their investments on other people’s territories.

    Eminent personalities led by Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coscharis Group , Dr. Cosmas Maduka made the call at this year’s League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) End-of-Year Lecture and Dinner in Lagos.

    Maduka, who spoke on the topic: “Capitalising on untapped opportunities in Anambra”, said his firm pays N450 million tax yearly and he personally pays  N50 million yearly. He added that his state, Anambra, would benefit greatly from these monies for its growth, if he lived or was based there.

    The renowned automobile and spare parts dealer added that all of the riverside areas of Anambra State are good for rice cultivation and that his Cos Farms, sited in the state, is in its second year of rice production and is about to bring an irrigation system that would enable it to harvest the product thrice a year.

    The Coscharis boss told Ndigbo to work towards the dredging of the Onitsha port so that container ships can berth there. According to him, Igbo importers were forced to take their operational headquarters to Lagos by the Federal Government’s decision to have functional seaports in the Western part of the country only.

    Maduka expressed worry that rather than love Ndigbo for their hard work and immense contributions to their host communities’ growth, the latter perceive them as people who want to dominate.

    He advised Ndigbo to stop the Biafra agitation, describing the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Biafra Independent Movement (BIM)-led agitation as “unprofitable because Ndigbo would always venture beyond their homeland.”

    Instead of dreaming Biafra, they should invest their energy in service. “Money comes from service”, he added.

    Civil Engineer Dominic Ekesi, in his contribution, lamented the neglect of vocational education, stressing that artisan and technicians are very relevant to the economy of any state. He cited the case of the founder of Fiat, who was just a mechanic when he went into automobile manufacturing.

    He advocated the creation of venture capital for Anambra graduates who have entrepreneurial drive.

    Prof. Pat Utomi of Lagos Business School called for the building of a megapolis stretching from Awka in the Southeast to Agbor in the South-South and another megapolis linking Aba and Port-Harcourt as additional centres of development to the Lagos-Ibadan axis, which Nigeria already has.

    He said as an alternative to the long-awaited Second Niger Bridge, three road-tunnels can be built under the river linking the Southeast to three points on the Western side of the Niger.

    The founder of Leap Africa, Mrs. Ndidi Nwuneli, in the lecture, drew attention to the discrimination the Igbo states faced in the distribution of housing and development grants.

    Mrs. Nwuneli said she has noticed a pattern of giving a state such as Kaduna State grant worth 500,000 dollars per year and Enugu State just receives 50,000 dollars and Anambra State gets nothing per year. As a result, anytime she has opportunity of sitting in a granting board, she now asks “What is coming to Anambra State?” Every privileged Igbo should do likewise, she counselled.

    The chairman of the occasion and former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr. Raymond Obieri recounted LAP’s services to the state such as promotion of unity, electorate enlightenment and election monitoring.

    He noted that the League needed to maintain its secretariat, pay its workers and carry out the major activities.

    He, therefore, called on those indigenous to Anambra to donate to the League because its activities require funds.

    Contributing, LAP President and renowned chartered accountant Willy Nzewi asked for funds, stating that the League’s need for funds is heightened by 2017 being an election year when it has to play its needed role. “I will ensure judicious use of the money”, he promised.

    Dignitaries at the lecture included the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. David Ifezulike, one-time Surveyor-General of the Federation, Prof. Peter Nwilo and past presidents of LAP, Dr. Ndi Onuekwusi and Dr. Katia Ekesi.

    LAP is an association of capable professionals of Anambra State origin that partners government at any level to re-build Anambra State and Nigeria into a rich, modern and safe society.

     

  • Flyover in Ebonyi excites motorists

    Flyover in Ebonyi excites motorists

    Despite appreciating government’s commitment to ensure that modern market is provided for traders in Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, traders at the 6,000-capacity international market, located on the Trans-Sahara Highway which links the state with Enugu and Cross River states, have expressed their worry over how to cope with heavy vehicular traffic on a road directly opposite the market.

    Chief Peter Oba, former Chairman, Abakaliki Main Market Traders’ Association whose committee is negotiating the relocation of the traders said most neighbouring states in the area do not patronise the markets in Ebonyi State as they even pass through the state to Onitsha, Nnewi in Anambra State to buy goods whereas such goods abound in Abakaliki.

    To reverse the trend, Oba said every facility that would make the international market attractive would be put in place, noting that with three flyover bridges being built along the road by the government, there was no basis to raise the fears over traffic flow.

    “I have gone far in negotiating with importers from neighbouring states for them to invest in the International Market, Abakaliki with the view to improving the Internally Generated Revenue of the state through commerce. We have transformed 22 local unorganised markets into organised daily markets,” he said.

    Oba, who is also the President Ebonyi State Amalgamated Traders’ Association, further explained that as the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Trade Unions/Associations and Market Development, he serves as a bridge between the government and the traders.

    “Traders in Ebonyi State understand the workings of government and perform their social responsibilities without murmuring or grumbling. As providence would make it, just recently, the dream came through.

    “It was a moment of joy for the commerce sector as the people trooped out en masse to witness the official test-running of Akanu Ibiam Flyover in Abakaliki built by David Umahi-led administration.

    The flyover would enhance free flow of traffic through the international market and link the neighbouring states. To many observers, it was like a moonlight night, especially for those who wondered how such gigantic project could be executed in the current economic recession which the country is experiencing.

    Before now, Akanu Ibiam Junction which situates at the heart of Abakaliki by Trans-Sahara International Highway and formerly known as Spera In Deo Junction used to be a nightmare not only for motorists but also residents and other road users.

    Apart from the traffic gridlock that was permanent feature in the area, it was also a death trap for both pedestrians and motorists as road mishaps were recorded there often.

    As a result of the development, Umahi promised the people during his electioneering campaigns that he would, in addition to beautifying the city, construct a flyover to ease traffic for motorists plying the ever-busy highway.

    During the test-run of the flyover, Umahi noted that the state would, by next year, embark on the construction of another flyover at Nkalagu Junction to reduce the spate of accidents there.

    The governor pointed out that the project was aimed at making the state capital one of the best in the country.

    He commended the Ministry of Works, especially the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Fidelis Nweze for being steadfast to the developmental dreams of the state government, even as he assured the people that three more flyovers would be constructed at Nkalagu Junction, Vanco and Ebonyi Hotels to ease traffic congestion.

    The Commissioner for Works, Nweze explained that the flyover was opened for use to allow for sand compartment, pointing out that the finishing touches would continue despite allowing motorists access to it. For the traders, it was a dream realised as they are to relocate to the market.

    Incidentally, the event was a platform to bless two indigent teenage hawkers, Ukamaka Ikema and Chimuanya Nwarie.

    The two children had unknowingly ran into the governor at the Akanu Ibiam Flyover.

    Ukamaka, 10 is a primary three pupil of Ezikwo Primary School while Chimuanya, 12, is a JS I student of Evangel Nursery, Primary and Secondary School  in the state capital.

    Umahi, in the company of his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe and some members of the state Executive Council, had, on noticing that his security aides frightened the children, directed his orderly to bring them to him.

    After interacting with Ukamaka, who was hawking satchet water, the governor asked his ADC to deploy a patrol vehicle to go and bring the parents of the teenagers from their homes. The children had told the governor that they had closed from school before they began hawking for the day.

    Later, the governor interacted with the mothers of the two children, warned them against sending their wards to hawk. After hearing the plight of the parents, he approved N500,000 for each of them for their upkeep and tuition.

    Umahi told the parents to deposit N200,000 each in their banks and use the balance of N300,000 each to start small-scale business.

    The women, who were over-joyed, also had another package. They were both offered temporary appointments by the governor. Before they left the Government House, accounts were opened for the two children by officials of Zenith Bank.

    Mothers of the two beneficiaries, Mrs Blessing Nwarie and Mrs Ada Nwota, both natives of Okposi in Ohaozara Local Government Area, praised and thanked the governor for the gesture.

    They said they were convinced that Governor Umahi was God-send to uplift the downtrodden.

    “I pray that the Almighty God should continue to shower his blessings and wisdom upon our amiable governor and family,” Mrs Nwarie prayed..

    Ukamaka and Nwarie, in their separate remarks, thanked Umahi and promised to be good children.

  • Dignitaries extol Ojukwu’s virtues at memorial

    Dignitaries extol Ojukwu’s virtues at memorial

    For several hours on Saturday, November 26, guests from far and near joined Igbo leaders who assembled at the Ojukwu Memorial Centre, Owerri the Imo State capital to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the death of former Biafran Leader, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi, Odenigbo Ngwo and the Ezeigbo Gburugburu.

    It was all glamour and show of opulence as the expansive Ojukwu Centre was filled to capacity.

    Great sons and daughters of Igbo land were in attendance as a show of respect for the man they loved. Friends of Ndigbo from the Northern part of Nigeria were also in attendance.

    Major El Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha and his entourage were present.

    Major Mustapha said: “I have been attending Ojukwu memorial service since the past five years. My passion for identifying with Ndigbo in celebrating the late Ojukwu was informed by the fact that the late Ojukwu was a leader who loved his people and was prepared to defend them against any form of injustice.

    “His patriotism and sacrifice endeared him to his people. This manifested in the huge crowd present at this 5th anniversary celebration. “Special thanks go to my good friend, Ralph Uwazuruike and Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, who exhibited faithfulness to the late Ojukwu and is still faithful to him even in death.”

    Mustapha called on Ndigbo to unite so that they could take their pride of place in Nigeria’s scheme of things.

    The chairperson of the event, Prof. Antonia Maduekwe said she was privileged to be the chairperson of the event where people from North, West, Southsouth and the clergy gathered to remember a great man.

    She said she regarded Ojukwu as a fearless, bold hero and a man who believed in the rule of law, equity and justice. She thanked Ndigbo for a job well done in organising the memorial service.

    Leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasheun thanked Ndigbo for believing in Ojukwu even in death. He urged Igbo leaders to work hard to realise the interest of Igbo which are paramount for the development of the area. He advised Chief Uwazuruike not to relent in propagating Ojukwu’s legacies and all he stood for.

    Ambassador Ojukwu thanked all who came to identify with Ojukwu’s family, especially the OPC leader; Maj. Mustapha; Bishop Emmanuel Iheanachor, Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, Prof Maduekwe, President of Nigerians in the Netherlands, Chief Evelyn Azih, AlhajiYerima Shetima and His Royal Highness (HRH), Eze Anya Nso, Eze Nri.

  • Kidnapped NULGE chief freed

    The abducted Deputy President of the Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Comrade Ikechi Nwaigwe has been set free by his captors. Nwaigwe regained freedom with one plea to federal and state governments: declare a state of emergency on security as well as provide jobs for youths to stem the spate of kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country.

    Nwaigwe who was abducted at the gate of his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Ogbor Hill, Aba, said he was baffled to discover that kidnap for ransom had become a booming business.

    Narrating his ordeal to reporters in Aba, the NULGE official who is still in hospital over injuries inflicted on him by the kidnappers, lamented that he was abducted as he made attempt to drive into his residence and taken to a forest where he was kept with three pregnant women.

    He said, “I’m calling on the federal and state governments to declare a state of emergency on security across the states. The security agencies should re-strategize on how to end this menace. I was kidnapped at the gate of my residence at about 7pm and kept in a forest for five days with three pregnant women; we were given food that could barely stop us from starving. They kept maltreating us because they said our families are delaying the ransom. At 11pm interval, they will unchain us and remove the blindfold and take us into a building. But 5pm, they will chain and return us to the forest, it was routine. I was released on the early hours of the fifth day when they told me that my ransom has been paid. It is an experience I can never wish anybody, even my enemy.”

    He urged the government to create jobs and provide soft loans as well as build skill acquisition centres to empower youths to divert their energies to useful ventures.

     

  • Army: we’re ready for Yuletide, not IPOB

    Army: we’re ready for Yuletide, not IPOB

    The army says its mock exercises and other security demonstrations are to keep the Southeast safe during the Yuletide, not preparatory to hunting down Igbo secessionist groups. SUNNY NWANKWO reports

    Since the Army launched Operation Python Dance in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on November 28, with a directive that the exercise be reenacted in other formations across the Southeast, one question has stood out: is the Army about to crack down on the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)?

    No, said Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division Enugu, Enugu State, Col. Sagir Musa; it is only a security strategy to keep the region safe during the festivities.

    At the 14 Brigade Headquarters in Ohafia, Abia State where our reporter witnessed the Python Dance launch, there were mock crisis situations which the army swiftly put under control, to demonstrate its readiness to contain crisis. Some members of the public also saw how the military receives and processes information before moving into a situation warranting intervention.

    The Abia launch was supervised by the Chief of Operations and Training, Army Defence Headquarters, Major General David D. Ahmadu.

    The Python Dance exercise, according to Col. Musa, will last one month, ending in January. Other security and para-military organisations in Abia also witnessed the exercise.

    Major General Ahmadu shed more light on the IPOB and MASSOB issue, clarifying that Operation Python Dance was designed to enforce peace, without necessarily targeting any secessionist groups.

    The army has come under heavy criticism by pro-Biafra groups, which claimed that the military was planning to declare a state of emergency in the Southeast and was using the Python Dance not only to check the activities of pro-Biafra agitators but also hunt down anyone who would take to the streets in solidarity with the detained leader of IPOB and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

    Maj. General Ahmadu said, “We are not zeroing in on IPOB, MASSOB or any other group for that matter; it is for general internal security. Everybody needs peace in the region and that is what the exercise was meant to provide by checkmating the activities of hoodlums in the area and not necessarily targeting any group”.

    The Army Chief of Training and Operations was of the view that by involving its officers and men in internal security of the nation, the military had not in any way contravened any section of the constitution.

    He said the army would rather work with sister organisations and para-military agencies to ensure the success of ‘Operation Python Dance’ in the Southeast from December till January 2017.

    The Brigade commander of 14 Brigade, Ohafia Brig-Gen Lawrence Fejokwu told journalists that the exercise, which he said was the first of its kind in the area, would see the military working with other security agencies to ensure that peace reigned in the area during the Christmas period.

    Fejokwu said if necessary, the army would assist the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in ensuring that the roads were made free for easy follow of traffic during the yuletide.

    The 14 Brigade Commanding Officer stated that since IPOB and MASSOB are not posing any security problem in the state, ‘Operation Python Dance’ was not specially targeted at them, stressing that kidnappers and those who involved in other crimes would have no hiding place.

    All the military and para-military organisations operating in the state, except the police attended the launching performed by Maj.-Gen Ahmadu and other top military brass including commander of 144 Battalion, Asa, Lt.-Col Umar Kasim Sidi.

     

  • Imo police join change campaign

    Imo police join change campaign

    The ‘Change begins with Me’ campaign of the Federal Government is yielding results in the police, one institution that is grossly perceived to be corrupt. But perception or not, law enforcement agents are already in the forefront of the campaign for a corrupt-free Nigeria.

    In Imo State, the Commissioner of Police Taiwo Lakanu launched the crusade at the Imo International Conference Centre.

    The audience, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, students, youth organisations, government officials and other stakeholders, were thrilled when hundreds of policemen filed out with placards with such inscriptions as, ‘say no to corruption’, ‘bail is free’, ‘corruption kills, kill corruption’, ‘I am the change’, ‘change begins with me’ and ‘say no to bribery’, among others.

    The scene evoked mixed feelings, but the message that it will no longer be business as usual in the police force was not lost on anyone. The determined look on their faces and the joy with which they flaunted their new identity showed that officers and men of the police force have been desirous to change the negative public perception about policemen.

    Flagging off the campaign at the colourful event, Lakanu said it is aimed at correcting the attitudinal problems and negative habits in the police.

    He noted that the campaign will also change the public’s perception of the men and officers of the force.

    According to him, Nigerians are entitled to a better service delivery from the police and as such must have a better perception of their services.

    He said, “During the launch, the President admonished every Nigerian to contribute to change by changing the way we conduct ourselves, engage our neighbours and generally how we relate with the society. Evidently therefore, the entire campaign is anchored on change of attitude and a total re-orientation of the way we live. As a result, in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police for the Nigeria Police Force to embrace the campaign, the Police Force to embrace the campaign, the Imo State Police Command is launching the campaign”.

    Speaking further,the Commissioner of police said, “No one can fault the assertion that there is a compelling need for a sweeping change of attitude within the Nigeria Police Force. This is more so as the perception of the institution by members of the public is unfortunately one that is not only corrupt but inefficient and brutal.

    “As negative as such a perception may be and as indicting of the force as it may also portend, the fact is that it was formed from nothing. It is indeed a by-product of the way members of the public are treated by some policemen.

    “Most Nigerians perceive the police force as corrupt, even though not every policeman is guilty of the vice. However, the fact a few bad eggs have decimated the image of the whole institution renders it objectionable to those they are supposed to be serving. Hence the need to key into the ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign becomes inevitable if the Force must change such negative impressions and perceptions.

    “For instance, under my leadership, the state police command has been working assiduously to effect a change of attitude among members of the force. We have set up a monitoring unit called the X Squad to serve as an organ for Police oversight and accountability at the command.

    “At the highest level of the command’s leadership, the attitudinal change has commenced in earnest and is expected to trickle down to the bottom. The leadership of the command has vowed to walk the talk as the era of saying one thing and doing an entirely different thing is long gone”.

    The police boss at the occasion also launched what he called Operation ‘Nkpochapu’, which he said is designed to flush out all criminal elements in the state, especially during the yuletide.

    Reacting to the development, one of the traditional rulers who graced the occasion, Eze Leo Nwokocha, said that the launching of the campaign by the Police, will rebuild the trust of the public in the police force.

    He stressed that the traditional institution will also key in into the campaign, adding that true change can only come when every Nigerian and public institutions embrace change and seize to do things in the old manner.

    The monarch commended the state police command for quickly adopting the change slogan, adding that, “the Imo CP has always insisted on doing things the right way and this has reflected in the conduct of policemen across the state and I am sure that with the launching of this campaign, many more officers and men in the command will turn a new leaf and this will be in the overall interest of the society”.