The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Poly council chair tackles fraud

    The chairman, Abia State Polytechnic Governing Council, Aba has revealed his administration’s plan to stamp out corruption in the institution, including plugging cash leakages. Dr. Chukwu Wachukwu was speaking in Aba, lamenting that a N2 billion loan taken by the past governing council to offset workers’ salary arrears was mismanaged, leaving the institution in huge debt. He also said the Visitor to the Polytechnic, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu paid off the loan to enable the new council operate on a clean slate, but regretted that the institution has further been exposed to another debt amounting to over N2 billion with a bloated staff strength.

    Wachukwu, flanked by members of the council, said, “The N2 billion loan was to offset 8 to 10 months salary arrears. It was totally mismanaged through fictitious contracts; they were unable to offset the salary arrears owed workers. We have the various workers unions who are now on strike; they were there and said nothing. They have suddenly woken up to embark on strike. It was just reported to me that there is a difference between the hard and soft copy versions of the wage bill. This is part of the rot we won’t tolerate. Anybody found to have taken money belonging to the Polytechnic must pay, not his status. We will step on toes to rebuild Abia Poly and transform it into a first-class institution.”

    The chairman disclosed that the council has plugged revenue leakages while members have taken a decision not to collect sitting allowances until all arrears of salary owed workers are cleared.

     

  • Community bemoans poor roads

    Community bemoans poor roads

    With vast fertile land and other resources, Obeagu-Isu, a remote community in Onicha Local Government Area is of Ebonyi State should be brimming with happy residents. Far from it. Its farmers have a handsome share in the state’s palm oil, rice, cassava and yam market. The sore point is its poor roads, which have virtually cut off Obeagu-Isu from other communities.

    Speaking with The Nation, the interim chairman of the council of chiefs of the Isu community, Chief Gabriel Ani, popularly referred to as Mallam Gab, said bad roads have been their major headache.

    “It is very unfortunate to state that the issue of development is an illusion to us,” he said. “In fact, we have nothing like development. Our roads are very bad and this is the major setback we have as a community towards development. For instance, in this rainy season even up till December, most Vehicles cannot ply our roads due to its bad state.”

    Also speaking, a resident of the community, Mr Odim Nwaguma decried the impassable roads. He noted that the road that links the community to the Nkwo-Agu Central Market, situated close to the local government secretariat was constructed in 1979 during the Mbakwe administration in the then Imo State but without repairs or any kind of maintenance, they are in deplorable condition.

    “Driving from Nkwo-Agu to Obeagu-Isu is like getting yourself immersed in dust due to the bad state of the road. In fact, my car got stuck at a point and developed faults which I had to repair. Besides, this particular road that links Nkwo-Agu to Obeagu-Isu is a federal government road constructed in 1979 during the Mbadiwe administration. Then, I was ten years old and till now it has not received any form of attention or maintenance from the government. I’m in my fifties now, so you can do the Mathematics yourself.”

    Another resident, Mrs. Cecilia Njoku stated that the villagers are used to the nature of the roads. She said sometimes, the women walk to Nkwo-Agu, which is about 100 miles from the village to sell their farm produce. Other times, they are left at the ‘mercies’ of the drivers of the ‘slow and steady’ pick-up vans who take them and their goods to the market at the cost of N300.

    Our correspondents, who visited the community, gathered that it could only boast of a small government clinic that is in a deplorable condition, few boreholes dug by the government, dilapidated primary and secondary schools built by the community. Electricity supply is poor.

    Buttressing this fact, Chief Ani decried the government’s inability to provide basic social amenities for the community, lamenting that some villagers had lost their lives on the bad roads.

    “The only infrastructure put in place so far by the government is boreholes and a small clinic housed by a community hall in Orie-Agu in the whole of Obeagu-Isu. I even call it a ‘half clinic’. My house is the first concrete building in Obeagu-Isu. Electric poles were erected from Orie-Agu down to my house even before 1998. The poles have been here and falling.

    “The ones connected to my house have no wires and have been turned to firewood for cooking. The facilities in the schools are not adequate for teaching the children. It is a pathetic situation in this community and we are terribly in the dark,” he moaned.

    It was gathered that the community fought a war over the Ojiegbekwe land with the Ezza community that ended in 2008, lasting for 97 years. So while other communities were forging ahead politically, the people were involved in a war which drastically reduced their economic and human resources, thereby, making them politically dominated in government.

    While lamenting on the inability of the people to transport their resources like palm oil, rice, cassava, yam and wood to neighbouring towns and cities for sale to generate income for community projects, Chief Ani noted that he intends organising few elites in the community to see the governor of the state to appeal for the people’s representation in political positions at the state level.

    The residents appealed to federal and state governments to come to their aid.

  • N7.5m reward for 30 entrepreneurs

    N7.5m reward for 30 entrepreneurs

    No fewer than 30 entrepreneurs have shared a total of N7.5m, being their prize for participating in a radio programme organised a brewery. Life Continental Beer gave out the cash on its radio programme Life Progress Booster Show targeted at innovative businessmen and women in the Southeast.

    The presentation of prizes to the entrepreneurs took place at Mimi’s Bar All Season Avenue, Owerri, where 20 winners selected on the radio show and another 10 chosen for their outstanding business proposals at the venue, were rewarded with N250,000 each for their business ideas.

    Earlier in June, the brand presented N7.5m to 30 winners in Enugu.

    Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, NB Plc, Funso Ayeni said at the event, “We believe in the strength and capacity of the people of the Southeast to thrive even amidst hardship and a recession, but we also believe progress can only be achieved with support, especially for excellent business ideas. We have a lot of people with those wonderful ideas with us here today so there is a need to connect with them to ensure they make progress with those ideas. That’s why the Progress Booster show was specially created for the people of the South-east.”

    “We started with 50 winners in 2015, and this year, we are targeting 200 winners. So far, we have had 60 winners. We still have room to receive, select and support more viable business ideas,” he added.

    Some past winners at the event shared their experiences and achievements with the audience thanking Life Beer for supporting their businesses. They encouraged the new winners to make good use of the support given to them, and also implored the audience to participate in the competition.

    Other participants at the venue went home with various consolation prizes.

  • Enugu power firm donates books to schools

    As stakeholders await government to increase funding to the education sector and ensure that schools are better equipped to compete fairly with the private institutions, kind-hearted companies are doing their best to strengthen the institutions.

    The donation of books and computers to schools in Oraifite, Anambra State by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), a non-governmental organisation, is one of the many gestures that needed to promote sound learning environment and strengthen public schools.     Both institutions donated books and computers worth millions of dollars to 15 tertiary institutions and 30 secondary schools spread across five South Eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Each of the five states had three tertiary institutions and six secondary schools that benefited from the scheme.

    Some of the benefiting institutions are Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), Ebonyi State University, Abia College of Education Technical, Arochukwu, among others. The benefiting institutions were nominated by their states.

    The intervention of the EEDC and SEOF in the education sector is expected to help create more qualified graduates in the country. It will also help to ameliorate some of the challenges faced by the education sector in the country.

    Speaking at the event held in Oraifite, Anambra State, Coordinator, SEOF, Hon. Tony Obi, praised the effort of EEDC in partnering the foundation to develop the education sector. He urged the beneficiary institutions to ensure that the books and other educational materials that were donated should be used for the purpose it is meant for.

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, EEDC, Robert Dickerman said the gesture is in line with EEDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy of contributing towards the development of its host community.

    “We know the importance of education, we have an obligation and responsibility to our communities, our business is not just to provide electricity, our job is to help and support the communities which we are a part of”.

    For him, “education is a part of the core of the development of any society; we are very honoured to be part of this donation and we committed to take active role in the education development of the 5 states in which we are community member”.

    Dickerman said that besides lighting up homes, companies and industries, can also light up minds. “We believe that the things we are trying to do and the thoughts we have towards supporting social programmes under our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives will be best served by partnering with such a foundation,” he said.

    Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Okonkwo applauded EEDC and SEOF for this gesture which is a shining example of a CSR act, and welcomed by the state government.

    He said, “Government alone cannot accomplish all that is needed in the education sector, and it is usually a great relief when corporate establishments like EEDC come out to boil up the effort of the state government”.

    The governor said that the use of books cannot be over emphasized and that the donation would go a long way in educating the students. He said that the books will form the stock in the different libraries of the different beneficiary institutions; and will encourage them to maintain functional libraries.

  • Community gets king, 12 years after

    Community gets king, 12 years after

    FOR 12 long years, the Umennekwu Agbo Oguduasa Isuikwuato community was without Eze, the personification of traditional institution. The serene Abia North community knew that something was missing in the lives of the people.

    In the absence of a major political figure, the community knew that a traditional godfather to galvanize socio-cultural activities was imperative if the community was to move forward.

    The people were also aware that to fill the yearning vacuum, they needed to be thorough, painstaking and down to earth to avoid rancour. They waited, carrying the cross of a major vacuum of a rallying point with measured breath. Calculated steps, they said, were taken to fill the vacuum.

    That wrong choice of Eze has been the undoing of many communities in Igbo land is evident everywhere you go. In most cases, causes of communal strife and prolonged discord among the people have their roots in Ezeship brawl. The Umunnekwu Agbo community did not want to make any mistakes. It did not want to take the wrong step that has the capacity to land the people into avoidable crisis of confidence.

    Thanks to a sense of maturity and the determination to do things differently, the Umennekwu Agbo community tactically avoided creating bad blood among the people. The search for Eze may have been compounded by the absence of hereditary Ezeship lineage. The people nevertheless craved to engender a seamless transition to a new and acceptable Eze. They persevered and kept the faith with the appreciation of the fact that no crown comes without a cross.

    The search for who becomes the traditional primus inter pares, an Eze who will depict the way of life of the people, the value system and the curator of the social and cultural institutions was therefore thrown open. The entire community was carried along in the long search for an acceptable Eze. A high powered search committee headed by His Grace, Most Reverend Andrew I.O. David was constituted to screen aspirants who came in their numbers.

    After a rigorous screening, Eze Okey Augustine Udeh, a retired Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Managing Director emerged. Eze Udeh was installed Nkalu Ukwu of Umunnekwu Agbo. Nkalu Ukwu title, it has to be underscored, is a radical departure from the subsisting Ikeoha title. Ezes from the community have always been known and addressed as Ikeoha. In-depth research was said to have been carried out before the title of Nkalu was arrived at.

    The massive crowd that turned out on August 27, 2016 to witness the coronation of Eze Okey Augustine Udeh, was a telling indication that the new king was widely accepted. Nobody wanted to be left out of the ceremony, the traditional institution that saw the day as theirs, the clergy that added religious dimension to the event, cultural dances that brought class and colour to the occasion, women folk who turned up in their gorgeous attires, the elderly and the youth were all represented. Even security operatives were visibly present to ward off the ubiquitous kidnappers whose fear has become the beginning of wisdom in parts of the state. It was indeed an event to behold.

    Eze Udeh, in his Umunnekwu Agbo first speech, pledged total commitment to serve the community, her people and her affairs. He believed his coronation filled a vacuum and ended years of anxious waiting.

    For him, August 2, 2016 marked a new beginning and an entry into an era of change. The Monarch quoted Socrates who said “The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new.” He pleaded with his people to think Umunnekwu Agbo first in all they do assuring that his coronation had heralded the era of justice and fairness.

    One of the personalities that graced the occasion, an Aba based hospitality industry magnet, Chief Jimmy Ikwuegbu, described the coronation as highly successful. Chief Ikwuegbu said it is a thing of joy that a vacuum of 12 years was seamlessly filled. His prayer however was that there should be collaboration between Agbo and Mgbelu Umunnekwu communities for maximum benefit. He urged town unions in the two communities to explore the relationship. Chief Ikwuegbu prayed Eze Udeh to use his exposure in administration to strengthen the relationship between Mgbelu and Agbo Umunnekwu with a view to reviving lost cultural ties especially the iri ji (new yam) festival.

    Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Jonathan Nwigwe on his part, noted that Ezeship coronation comes once in the life of an individual. Nwigwe was full of praise for the Umunnekwu Agbo community “for the mature and peaceful way the search of Eze was conducted especially when many other communities were still in court over the Ezeship.”  The position of Ezeship, he said, is an opportunity to serve the people. He pleaded with the people of the area to support the new Eze to succeed.

    Dr. B.O.C. Ikokwu who described the coronation as fantastic said the community wanted a credible Eze. He said the screening committee set out five criteria which included having a means of livelihood and being a community leader. Eze Udeh, he said, single handedly brought electricity to the community in 1992, a feat nobody thought was possible. Ikokwu said with the successful installation of Eze Udeh, the community has delicately balanced its leadership equation. “What we expect now is to march forward and unleash development in all the nooks and crannies of our community,” he said.

    The highly revered Eze Joseph Ewerem, Nkalu 1 of Mgbelu-Umunnekwe was one of the royal fathers who graced the occasion in his majesty to further cement the bond of brotherliness between Mgbelu and Agbo Umunnekwu communities.

    Multi-talented Ernest Orji, the master of ceremony, was at his best at the occasion. It was, as it were, one coronation he seized with both hands to show-case his managerial prowess to the admiration of the teaming audience.

  • Monarch urges Ndigbo to go back to farm

    The traditional ruler of Igbo Ukwu kingdom in Aguata, Anambra State Dr. Martin Ezeh has urged Ndigbo to prioritise agriculture as was once the case in the Eastern Region led by the late Dr. Michael Okpara.

    The monarch spoke during the celebration of National New Yam Festival  at Yam House, Etiti Village in the community.

    He said, “In 1962, Eastern Region during the era of the late Dr. Michael Okpara, was named the fastest growing economy in the world. Why can’t we re-enact such miracle even by our individual states, and we are calling on the federal government to begin restructuring so that Nigeria can practise full and true federalism. Without agriculture, nobody will survive because any being created with blood and flesh needs food which is agricultural produce.

    “Agriculture which is part of culture is symbolic of identity, whosoever that loses agriculture has no identity, no matter where you are, even the white men engaged so much on agricultural practices.”

    Ezeh, insisted that Igbo nation had always been known for innovation, industry, entrepreneur among others, which according to him, were the attributes that would make a country developed and advanced.

    He queried the rationale behind the backwardness of Ndigbo in investing in their homes despite the ingenuity and extra ordinary wisdom of the people.

    The monarch described the new yam festival as the time of coming together to celebrate the products of yam plantation in Igboland by the traditional rulers who were the chief custodians of tradition in the communities.

    The National chairman of Mbido Igbo Association, Mazi Okafouzu Ugochukwu, noted that the unity of any nation or tribe was guaranteed by their culture which according to him was the product of their religious belief.

    He said any attempt by any group of people to separate people’s culture from their religion meant chaos in such place.

    Ugochukwu, therefore, thanked the federal government for elevating the festival to an international status.

    The representative of the National Gallery of Art, Ibrahim Adamu therefore, adviced the Mbido Igbo Association (MIA), as the promoters of the Igbo culture to lure private and corporate organisations into the festival in future, instead of waiting for governments.

    He said that the federal government had concluded plans to back off from sponsoring cultural activities in Nigeria.

    The Director-General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Chief Dr. Sally Mbanefo was represented by Mrs. I. Fibi.

    She said that the corporation had done enough in promoting cultures in Nigeria, adding that Igboukwu New Year Festival was one of such in the Southeast.

    Again, (NTDC) said it had marketed the festival in various countries of the world including Spain, Britain, Germany, Dubai and South Africa, adding that soon investors would troop to Nigeria to explore the cultural heritage of the people.

     

  • Student anaesthetists launch community outreach

    Student anaesthetists launch community outreach

    No fewer than 600 patients resident in Obe Agbo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State have been treated free by the Association of West African Students Anesthetists (AWASA), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH).

    The exercise which covered both children and aged were tested and treated of ailments like high blood pressure, stroke, malaria, typhoid as well as HIV/AIDS.

    The leader of the AWASA team, Emmanuel Agabaidu who spoke at the occasion said the gesture was the little way of showing appreciation to the society which took care of their training.

    He said the exercise was a yearly ritual in which the association reaches out to communities by giving the members free treatment.

    Agabaidu explained, saying,  “Although not all the ailments that can be treated by us, we do as much as possible to treat those we are able to and refer the difficult ones to specialists.”

    The AWASA leader said his members contribute money on their own volition to purchase drugs for the exercise.

    The traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Osita Nweke who was overwhelmed by the gesture of the AWASA expressed joy that his community was benefitting from the exercise.

    He also expressed happiness that members of the community turned out enmasse “the way we want it.”

    “I wish the AWASA well for remembering our community. We have the majority as you can see that more and more people are trooping in to be tested and treated,” said the royal father.

    Also the chairman of the Nkanu West local council, Afam Okereke who was represented by the official of the council, Barhlomew Edeh said Obe Agbo was privileged among the 47 communities in the local council to be chosen.

    He said the exercise would ginger the council into installing “a rewarding structure of preventive medicine.”

    He urged the people to continue on their agricultural ventures because a “well fed person leads a healthy life.”

    “I am happy that the AWASA team is here today. And I am happy that the people responded by turning out in large numbers. No doubt that by the end of the day, everybody will be happy of the exercise,” remarked the chairman.

     

  • Community rallies at yam feast

    Community rallies at yam feast

    Mbaise, a community in Imo State, relishes unity at a memorable New Yam festival, OKODILI NDIDI reports

    It is not just a tuber to be dug up, roasted or boiled and eaten. There is quite a feast when the first yam is eaten, signalling the onset of the harvest season. Residents gather, sporting their best clothing. Cultural troupes showcase their skills. Tourists pour in to witness the feast. The traditional ruler, surrounded by dignitaries, reaches  for a knife and slices it through the roasted tuber, and the crowd roars in applause. That was the atmosphere at Mbaise in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State during this year’s edition of Iri ji, the new yam festival.

    The festival, reputed to be one of the foremost tourist attractions in the state, invoked fond memories of greatness through hard work. A man is considered to be wealthy only when he can feed his family all year round and still has a barn full of yams, the king of crops.

    At this year’s edition in Mbaise, hospitality, friendship and industry were on display as visitors were treated to uncommon scenes, including the royal dances and the traditional cutting of the roasted yam.

    The traditional rulers equally added colour and glamour to the event with their unique dresses and sundry dance steps. It was indeed a time to relish.

    At the event, great farmers proudly displayed their prize yams, some of them so big that one could wonder if they were actually dug out from the earth or produced by a craftsman.

    Not just in Mbaise nation but in the entire Igboland, new yam festival or ‘Iri Ji’ as it is called, is one of the most significant and popular traditions. It is celebrated at the beginning of every harvest season to thank the gods of the land for blessing the people with a bountiful harvest and to mark the beginning of another farming season.

    In Igbo land, new yams are not eaten especially by titled men until the new yam festival has been celebrated as a mark of respect for the crop that is regarded as the king of all crops in Igboland, which can only be cultivated by men.

    Celebrated in the time of plenty, as the harvest season is known,  the New Yam Festival is associated with heavy eating and drinking. Friends and visitors are lavishly entertained with various yam delicacies like pounded yam, yam porridge and roasted yam eaten with vegetable soup and red palm oil and smoked fish.

    In the past, it was a time great farmers with large barns of yam were recognised and rewarded with traditional titles.  Nowadays, New Yam Festivals are no more the exclusive reserve of great yam farmers. It has become socio-cultural event where the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people is showcased.

    One of the greatest yam farmers, Ezeji Felix Onwere, attributed this year’s rich harvest to the benevolence of God who ensured that the elements were in farmers’ favour. He noted that yam farming is one of the most intricate aspects of farming.

    He said that Imo State has the potential of producing yam for the consumption of the entire country and for export.

    “Imo State,” he said, “has been known for farming and we have the capacity to produce enough yams for the entire country and for export purposes. You can see the sizes of the yams on display today that tells you what we can do. But we need the support of the state government to enable us go into large scale farming.”

    The Iri Ji Mbaise has continued to gain national and international recognition and sponsorship, an indication that when properly harnessed, the festival could boost the state’s tourism sector.

    Receiving the sponsors of this year’s edition Grand Oak Ltd, makers of Seaman’s Aromatic Schnapps, in his palace at Obohia, the chairman of the Mbaise Council of Traditional Rulers Eze Chidume Okoro thanked God for a successful and bountiful farming season.

    The monarch noted that the iri ji Mbaise festival is a cultural heritage of the people, which has been faithfully observed from generation to generation, adding that it was a time set aside to appreciate God for blessing the people with bountiful harvest.

    He seized the opportunity to commend the state government for encouraging farming through its numerous agricultural policies, especially the grants given to farmers for palm cultivation, adding that if the agricultural policies of the present administration are sustained, it would guarantee food security and prosperity for the state.

    The traditional ruler further thanked the state governor for the massive infrastructure development in the state, especially the flag-off of the Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Campus of Imo State University and the free education programme, which he noted benefitted the people of the state.

    Commenting on the contributions of the sponsors to the development of the annual festival, Eze Okoro, noted that the Seaman’s brand has stood out among the lot and has been consistent with its support in the last ten years.

    He said, “The Seaman’s brand has added immense value to the iri ji Mbaise festival through sponsorship and we are most grateful to the brand. In Mbaise, we don’t just see the Seaman as just a drink, it has a history with our people and it is part of our culture. For

    example there is this belief among our people that when we pray with the Seaman’s schnapps our ancestors will answer, so it is the drink of the spirit and we use it in all our traditional activities”.

    The state government while commending the good people of Mbaise for preserving the cultural heritage of Ndi Igbo, assured of government’s decision to improve on infrastructure in the area.

    Governor, Rochas Okorocha, represented at the festival by his deputy, Eze Madumere, Governor of Imo shortly after performing the traditional cutting of yam,  “Iwa Ji”, urged the people to continue to use the iri iji festival as a tool to unite the people and revive farming in the state.

    He described the iri ji festival as the height of the celebration of Igbo culture, which he said is universal in every Igbo community, adding that “yam remains the chief crop of Igbo land and mainstay of agriculture in the traditional Igbo society and it is worthy of celebration”.

    Madumere noted that the Iri Ji festival is a symbol of the enterprise spirit of the Igbo man.

    He also asserted that development of agriculture is one of the measures taken by the state government towards the diversification of economy.

    Speaking further, he revealed Governor Okorocha has directed that construction work will begin on some of the roads as soon as the rains are over. He also asserted that academic activities will soon begin in Mbaise-Ngor-Okpala Campus of Imo State University.

    It will be recalled that Governor Okorocha had promised to build Campus of Imo State University in Mbaise-Ngor-Okpala axis as proposed under the administration of late Dr. Sam Mbakwe, which became a mere political tool but was begun and 80 percent near completion by the Rochas Okorocha led Rescue Mission Government.

    He also used the opportunity to call for the support of the good people of Mbaise Nation, saying that Rescue Mission Government’s strength does not lie on force and might but on the love, cooperation and massive support it enjoys from the people including the people of Mbaise Nation.

    The high points of the event were the visit to the barn and “Iwa Ji and Iri Ji” ceremonies, which afforded the people of Mbaise and other guests to appreciate Mbaise Nation by making donations for the execution of some of the community projects.

     

  • Electricity workers, others protest poor power services

    Electricity workers, others protest poor power services

    Members of civil society, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and workers under the umbrella organisation, National Union of Electricity Employees have protested the shortfall in administration and services of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State.

    Consumers of electricity in Aba and its environs have been crying out over the arbitrary increase of electricity bills, irregular power supply and estimated bills. Some EEDC staff said they are understaffed, necessitating the engagement of casual workers.

    The protesters displayed placards, some of which read, “EEDC should provide electricity supply for its customers; EEDC should provide customers with pre-paid meters; Stop arbitrary sack of workers; NUEE say No to casualisation; NUEE say No to EEDC High-handedness; Stop giving customers estimated bills”.

    Some of the protesters including Mr. Ossy Abangwu, chairman, National Union of Electricity Employee (NUEE) in the state, and a national officer of the union, Mr. Tony Ndubuisi told our reporter on the EEDC premises that they were protesting what they described as “anti-labour policies and inhuman workers treatment policy of the EEDC.”

    Ndubuisi said, “In addition to the anti-labour policies of EEDC and inhuman treatment working conditions in which the workers have been subjected to, which includes arbitrary sack of workers as if we are not working or as if we are in slave labour and we say no.

    “This is not how people should work in their own country, there should be dignity in labour. People should be punished or sacked when they commit an offence that warrants sack, the country has labour laws and the labour laws of Nigeria should be followed by the EEDC; that is our point. The National Union of Electricity Employees is saying that they should follow and obey the labour laws of the country.”

    Continuing, Ndubuisi who accused the management of the EEDC of failing to use professionals, said “We say no to load rejections…EEDC refuses to pick loads and when you refuse to do so you suffer the masses, we say no to it. When there is load, the electrical facility will be busy which will also need manpower and this will create employment to the unemployed. We are telling the EEDC to pick loads so that their workers will  have work to do.”

    Abangwu corroborating Ndubuisi added “There are cases of sack even as I am speaking. Lists are being compiled on a daily basis and people are losing their job everyday. Someone can be sacked without any reason even by mere gossip which is very wrong to sack workers based on mere gossip or allegation. It is also not every misconduct that should attract sack. These are what we are saying no to, because we don’t have to work and be treated like slaves in our own country. We are protesting so that the management will change this attitude because it looks as if we are working under threat and fear.

    “We are also protesting the absence of pre-paid meters by EEDC; the federal government has said that the distribution companies should give customers pre-paid meters so that you only collect money for services you render. But it has been recorded that when you are going about, EEDC is also going out to collect money from people for services they do not render, using a system that everybody has discredited called estimated billing and crazy billing, and this is why workers are sacked often.

  • Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Students of three universities tried one another for size. Before them were various topics in which they were expected to show their mastery. The bout was at Suncity Hotels Exclusive in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    The institutions were Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).

    The competition, organised by the AI Concepts in partnership with the Victor Oguaju Foundation (VOF), was meant to produce academically sound youths.

    The exercise was tagged the “genius party”.

    The chief executive officer (CEO) of AI Concepts Mr. Enyekwe Kelvin who is himself a 400-level Chemical Engineering student of UNIBEN, said the exercise was to keep the students busy in their studies. Enyekwe is also the publisher of Alpha Success Pack.

    During the competition, which went through an elimination process, six students scaled the hurdle among the 120 that showed interest.

    The exercise was based on comportment, communication skills and vibrancy, among other criteria, according to the chief judge of the competition, Mr. Obidiwe Mmesoma.

    At the end of the contest which lasted for over five hours, Mr. Moujama Obiora, a pre-degree student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka came out tops and was presented with his award.

    Oguaju said the foundation was committed to community development and has since inception, in 2015, carried out  health and educational projects.

    He said the foundation was contributing its quota in nation building. He congratulated the participants for showing the spirit of sportsmanship.

    Oguaju called on fellow youths to identify with and engage in things that would contribute to national development.

    He said, “Now, we are on break, let us shun violence and acquire skills within and outside our disciplines in school that will help us in the near future after our graduation”.

    The winner of the competition, Muojama Obiora, who spoke with The Nation  thanked God for guiding him through the exercise, while giving kudos to other participants for making him tax his brain the more.

    He praised the organisers of the competition for such a brilliant idea, which he said would help the students achieve their aims.