The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • ‘No initiation, no marriage’

    ‘No initiation, no marriage’

    In the past, for failing to undergo a stringent manhood ritual in some Ebonyi State communities, a man was forbidden to marry, among other harsh consequences. Now that tradition has been whittled down to the elders’ chagrin. OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE reports

    It was a tough ritual but if you were a young man in Afikpo North and South councils of Ebonyi State in those day, you had better go through it. In some cases, you could live in the wild for years before you were readmitted into the community. If you shunned the tradition, you were forbidden to marry. If you chose to have an affair and manage to put the lady in the family way, you lost an ear to the sharp knife of the no-nonsense keepers of the tradition. There were other tough sanctions including fines and having your house pulled down.

    That tradition is now seriously threatened by modernity and Christianity, and the elders are sad, saying that the rite, among other things, helped to check promiscuity and its consequences.

    For a person to be accorded all the rights and privileges of a male child in Ehugbo, Amasiri and Edda in the two local government areas, and regarded as a full-fledged man who could  marry and participate in decision making of the communities, such a person must undergo the initiation process called Ibu-ubu and Ipu-ogo.

    Anything short of this usually attracted serious sanctions including pulling down the person’s residential building and that of his father and removal of one of the ears of such a person.

    Chief Idume Ajah said, “This was so serious before that you didn’t dare the male ones and get married without being initiated; you didn’t try that at all unless you wanted severe sanctions which you may regret.

    “You don’t also impregnate a girl without doing initiation otherwise you should be ready to lose your residential building and your property and your father should also be ready to do so too. Not only this, one of your two ears will be cut off with sharp knife or razor blade if you try it.

    “You will also be fined heavily if you impregnate a lady without undergoing this male initiation. These sanctions were so serious before that nobody does rubbish but now it is no longer like that, it is no longer serious and that is why most of our girls today are being impregnated indiscriminately.

    “Marriage was honourable but nowadays people get into marriage anyhow without recourse to our tradition especially the male initiation which was a ticket to marriage.

    “So culture to me especially this aspect in our area is not all that bad because it is for the betterment of the people. It checkmates teenage pregnancy which is now rampant in our area today because the occult initiation of males is no longer taking very serious as before,” he said.

    “For one to undergo the initiation especially the full one, such a person must be in the bush for seven years and must appear in the attire prescribed by the elders by wearing only a tiny towel or palm fronds on his waist throughout the seven years or period of the initiation.

    “During this process the person cannot return home until the initiation is completed.

    He explained that if one didn’t want to do the one of seven years, such a person can do that of two weeks or two days which are not usually serious like the one of seven years but that the person that undergoes that of seven years is usually different in terms of character.

    A community leader in Amasiri, Afikpo North local government area of the state, Chief Idam Enyum told The Nation that the male initiations are usually done between August during the New Yam Festival and dry season period.

    He noted that at the climax of the initiation women and the uninitiated men keep indoors while the invisible spirit parades the villages. The women he explained are not supposed to see the spirit otherwise they develop incurable swollen stomach.

    “During the initiation period especially in some special hours, any male who has not undergone the initiation and also women are not allowed to move around especially the playground known as ogo where the initiation usually takes place otherwise strange things will happen to them. They will develop swollen stomachs that cannot be cured.”

    “In Edda, Afikpo South local government area, you can even be attacked or killed if you are a woman and you move around during certain periods of the initiation.

    “This is because the males who have undergone the initiation before including those undergoing the initiation process are usually stark naked patrolling the villages till certain periods of the time. So it usually annoys them if their nakedness is seen by women during that process”.

    “This is usually taken so serious that if you come out, you may be attacked or killed and nothing will come out of it,” he said.

    Enyum regretted that the initiation is losing grip in some parts of the area, adding that most of the buildings where the initiation process takes place are now dilapidated with some falling down without attention and blamed in on the advent of Christianity.

    “You see, Ibu-ibu is seriously losing grip in Ehugbo. People are no longer taking it so serious that our fattening rooms and structures where the initiation usually takes place have fallen down with some dilapidated and no attention as to reconstruct them is given.”

    “I think it is because of Christianity. Our people have all entered into church including most of the elders who were leading this initiation process before. So it is no longer as serious as it used to be except in some places in Amasiri and Edda.”

     

  • Another dark hour in Anambra

    Another dark hour in Anambra

    Less than four months ago, a petrol tanker fire killed 69 persons in Onitsha. Now a lorry accident has claimed 25 lives in another community in the state, NWANOSIKE ONU reports

    On May 31 some 69 persons died in a petrol tanker fire; 15 vehicles were burnt. Now 25 souls have died in a lorry crash. Sorrow has been so painfully defined in Anambra State lately.

    Since last week, the people of Umuchu community have been counting their losses after a lorry crashed in the community. Apart from the dead, many others were injured.

    It was during the closing ceremony of the New Yam festival in the community, being celebrated in each village after the general one by the entire community.

    Five masqueraders were said to be among the dead.

    It was said that 11 of those who died in the accident hailed from Umuchu, while others were from other communities like Umunze in Orumba South council. Two others died in the hospital, it was said.

    From the 13 in Umuchu who lost their lives, eight were from one village named Ibughugu.

    The accident shocked the community, forcing Governor Willie Obiano to shelve his official duties to rush to the community early the following morning.

    The governor visited some of the injured at the Divine Mercy Hospital, where he told the traditional ruler of the community Igwe Goddy Ezechukwu and some of the leaders of the area that he would pay the bills of all the victims.

    The Umuchu community has been meeting to organise an interdenominational service for the deceased tomorrow (Saturday) at the Umuchu Town Hall.

    Speaking with The Nation on the arrangement, the chairman of the memorial service committee, Hon Ezeafulukwe Chukwuma said the community had sent letters to Governor Obiano, the state House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly, among others, adding that it was to accord them full respect.

    Chukwuma commended Obiano for his quick intervention on the incident, as well as for picking up the hospital bills of the victims.

    On Monday, the committee met with all the families of the victims to discuss modalities of the memorial service.

    He said, “It is not going to be mass burial for them by the community but a memorial service and after that, each family now goes to bury their own.”

    Apart from Obinao’s visit, one of the prominent sons of the community, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, who accompanied the governor to the scene of the incident and hospital, lamented that what befell his community was calamity.

    Ezeemo who contested the governorship election in 2010 on the platform of Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA), is the leader of the party in the state.

    He said commercial drivers need comprehensive driving tutorials as a way of checkmating incessant auto crashes.

    Ezeemo said, “Though every motorist needs proper driving lessons but those on commercial driving need it more because their mindset once on steering appears to be something else, as most of the auto crashes could be avoided if the drivers are well trained.”

    He expressed concern over the frequent multiple accidents in the state, referring to the last that claimed almost a whole family at Agu-Awka axis of the state.

    He also called on the members of the federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the state to take their jobs seriously by ensuring that vehicles are roadworthy.

    He said that the crash involving a haulage truck, two Sedan cars and an 18-seater bus at Afor Ibughubu village in Umuchu was heartbreaking as it could have been avoided if proper road signs were marked.

    Also he advised that people and masquerades should contend themselves in the village square during traditional festivity that displays masquerade as rural areas were getting fast development that exposes such celebrations to modern dangers.

    He commended the people of Umuchu Alanso for not taking laws into their hands when the auto crash occurred in spite of their grief, according to him, they handed the driver of the lorry to the police in place of lynching him.

    The monarch of the community, Igwe Goddy Ezechukwu told The Nation that he lacked words to describe what happened on the day.

    He said the community is going through pains and agony.

    He asked, “Do you know what it means losing such a number of people in one day in a community?”

     

  • ‘Invest in adolescent girls’

    Activities commemorating this year’s International Day of the Girl Child have ended with the investiture of Mrs. Aisha Buhari as the Grand Patron, High Level Women Advocates for Girls Education in Nigeria during an advocacy visit of 50 adolescent girls to her.

    The wife of the President at the interactive session with the girls promised to advocate publicly for legislation against child marriage. She encouraged parents to keep their daughters in school for at least 12 years. “No single girl will be left behind in my movement to get every girl into school,’ promised.

    With the theme of “The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030”, UNICEF and other partners including the Federal Ministry of Education focused their activities on the transforming power of education to empower adolescent girls to overcome all challenges that affect their lives and inhibit their prospects of advancement.

    The 2013 National Demographic Health Survey indicate that there are about 20 million adolescent girls in Nigeria and there is very low education rates among them especially those in the lowest wealth quintiles in the society. In Nigeria 60% of the 10.5million children out of school are girls. Data indicate that among other factors one reason for low enrolment and retention of girls in schools especially in the north is the lack of female teachers in the rural areas.

    In response to this UNICEF with funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and counterpart funding from five participating States started the Girls’ Education Project. The Girls’ Education Project Phase 3(GEP3) aims to achieve one million enrolment of girls into school by the end of the year 2020.

    The project is currently running in five Northern States of Nigeria: Bauchi, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara. Since implementation commenced in 2012, the project has contributed to the enrolment of additional 360,000 girls in primary schools in the five states.

    “Adolescent girls should be empowered through deliberate policies to transform their lives and those around them. Young girls who are educated are better placed to improve their own and their children’s health and chances of survival, and boost their work prospects”, said Jean Gough UNICEF Representative in Nigeria  Investing in high quality girls’ education, prepare girls for life, jobs, and leadership. It directly translates into the girls being powerful and positive change agents of development.

     

  • Abia happy with tribunal

    Abia State government has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Governorship, National and State House of Assembly election petition tribunal in the state, describing it as a true reflection of justice to all parties concerned.

    The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to  Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr. Godwin Adindu,  who said this while addressing journalists in Umuahia, the State capital, noted that Abia people are happy with the judgments delivered so far by the tribunal, even though they are yet to complete their assignment.

    He added that the people of the state are very much happy with the painstaking efforts with which they have addressed all issues brought before them.

    “Election cases are not quit easy but the tribunal has taken pains to address all the matters before them one after the other. Abia people are happy with all the judgment so far. We believe that all the judgment are  fair to all concerned   and they have reflected the true taste of justice and the wheel of justice has been allowed to run its full course in election cases in Abia State,” he said.

    Adindu condemned the attempts by some elements of the major opposition All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the State to dent and assassinate the character and the integrity of the honorable jurist of the tribunal by accusing them of collecting bribe from the PDP as well as compromised with properties in the united states of America for them to alter justice.

    The governor’s chief scribe insisted that such allegations and accusations levelled against such honorable jurist were not palatable at all and at the same time do not reflect the true identity of the Abia people and as such the Abia state government wants to disassociate herself from such comments.

    “We vehemently condemn the action of those making such comments in totality and we also want to advise them to refrain from insulting the intelligence of our judiciary.

    “We as a people respect the rule of law, the impartiality of the judiciary, we respect the judiciary as the last bastion of hope for the masses and therefore will not be happy when anybody or group of persons  tries to dent the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.

    “We believe that the tribunal members have done a good work in Abia State and they are going to complete their work successfully having taken the final written addresses of both parties and having dismissed sine die.  We all also hope that they will come up with the date of the final judgment which will be fair to both parties.

    He also condemned ‘the serial campaign of calumny’ that has been unleashed against the honorable tribunal on the pages of newspapers by APGA members in the State, adding that  just from there have been four full page advertorials alleging all manners of things against the tribunal members.

    “In one of such advertorials the authors even campaigned for the jailing  and execution of the members of  the tribunal. We say that the people who have been making such attempts to undermine the judges are not guided by good morals and wisdom and therefore we ask them to refrain from such act without delay,” he added.

    Adindu pointed out that the chairman of the major opposition party Rev. Austine Ehiemere further embarrassed the state when he openly denied having knowledge of one of such advertorial he authored and signed which was published on page 49 of the Nation newspaper on Friday the 16th of October 2015.

    “Such action was very embarrassing to his person and party and the people of Abia State.  It shows the level of desperation with which this opposition party is pursuing the issues of election.

    “It does show that they are not ready to serve Abia people in all sincerity but only advertises their quest for personal aggrandizement,” he said

     

  • Lawmaker hosts Corps members

    Lawmaker hosts Corps members

    The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Sam Onuigbo has held a befitting send-off as well as welcome party for the Batch C members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the area.

    The send-off party was for Corps members leaving the Ikwuano/Umuahia area after their service year, while the welcome ceremony was for those just posted there, especially the Ambassador’s Model College, Obuohia Obi-Ibere in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.

    The ceremony which attracted a number of personalities including the state coordinator of the NYSC, Adewoya Omotayo and the chairman of Abia state Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), Udo Ogbonna who served as the chairman of the occasion was the third time the ceremony was being held this year alone.

    Speaking during the ceremony, the federal lawmaker, Onuigbo said that the ceremony has been going on for the past five years and that it was initiated as a platform to appreciate out going and in coming corps members for their services to the community.

    Onuigbo said that the ceremony is also to encourage the incoming corps members so that they would motivate the students who they have come to teach during their primary assignment and make them aspire to the highest level in the society.

    He commended the initiators of the NYSC scheme which he said has been acknowledged as one of the greatest policy giant leaps for the consolidation of the post-independence era and urged all to continue to support the scheme, “which has united the country and contributed in no small way to the development of democracy and good policies in the country”.

    The lawmaker commended the corps members for their selfless service to his community in particular and the state at large, adding that their good conduct during their stay in the school made them to live peacefully with their hosts.

    In his speech the NYSC state coordinator, Omotayo congratulated the lawmaker for the scheme and for attracting NYSC to his community and for his support to the corps members posted to his village, “This goes a long way to show that people are appreciating the efforts of the NYSC scheme.”

    Omotayo commended the corps members who served in the community and those who have been posted to serve there as replacement for the outgoing corps members and urged them to do well and not disappoint the NYSC.

    The Abia NYSC boss said, “You deserve commendation for agreeing to come to serve here with its attendant terrain, am sure many people would not agree to be here, but I can see that you all are happy being here which is the basis for establishing the scheme”.

    He praised Onuigbo for initiating the building of the school for his people and sustaining it till date, adding that his love for NYSC and the corps members has gone a long way in sustaining the school for his people and promised to send more corps members to the school since

    they are treated very well by the community.

    Earlier in his address, the chairman of the occasion, Ogbonna said that Onuigbo has been having this program for corps embers posted to his community, saying that the gesture of the law maker has gone a long way to encourage the youths of his community to aspire to greater heights through embracing education.

    Ogbonna said that the way Onuigbo has been treating the corps members posted to his village has led to increase in the deployment of NYSC members into the secondary school in his community, “The impact of these corps members has been noticeable on both the students and

    people of the community”.

    In his speech the outgoing Corps Liaison Officer (CLO) Oyekami Abimbola encouraged the students of the model school Obuohia Obi-Ibere to be focused on their education which is the key to success, through reading their books, being disciplined and law abiding, “So that you can utilise effectively all we have taught you”.

    Abimbola thanked Onuigbo for his support to them while they were in the community and his contributions towards their welfare and urged him to extend same to the incoming corps members, saying that his gesture trickled down to the people of the community who took them as their own during the service year.

    He noted that the people of the community were taking turns to bring food stuffs to them and that the gesture of the community people led to their saving money and encouraged them to work harder to leave their marks in the community, “We will never forget this Obuohia Obi-Ibere all through our lives as we had the best of times here”.

    The highlight of the occasion was the donation of several bags of garri, bunches of plantain, red oil by the women of the community, while the different parting gift items were given to them as memorabilia, including cash gifts as transport fare by the lawmaker.

  • Homes, farms submerged in Imo

    Homes, farms submerged in Imo

    Just when the residents thought the flood was over, it swept in again, leaving communities in grief. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    The rampaging flood that rendered hundreds of coastline dwellers homeless and farmlands desolate in Oguta Council Area of Imo State has receded and normal life had returned. Farmers were already looking forward to a bumper harvest. Then suddenly, the rivers, like a caged lion, forced through the barriers and submerged the entire communities.

    Caught unawares, the communities, which were yet to recover from the havoc of the 2012 flood disaster, were overrun with little resistance. Their homes, properties, farmlands were all washed away as they struggled to escape to higher lands.

    Even though the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had earlier warned of a repeat of the 2012 disaster, and advised farmers to harvest their crops and evacuate the flood plains to minimise the damage. But the timely counsel was ignored.

    But one fateful day, as some survivors put it, the Oguta blue lake with its calm and dazzling beauty, could turn to a rampaging monster that will swallow its hapless neighbours.

    Mr. Lawrence Ihebuike, a peasant farmer, had retired to bed after the day’s job of attending to his flourishing crops, when suddenly he heard a gushing sound followed by rushing water that overflowed his entire three bedroom bungalow.

    He said, “All I could rescue were my two little children, who I carried and swam through the flood that had almost submerged the entire building.”

    Mr. Ikenna Samuelsson said, “In 2012, I lost everything I laboured for. My farmland and fish ponds were washed away by the flood. But I refused to give up and returned to the farms but see what has happened again. Then we were promised heaven and earth by the politicians that turned the 2011 flood disaster to a political show but nothing happened and today, another disaster has happened and we don’t know where to start from.”

    A night after the incident, one could hardly know the boundary between the ocean and where used to be lush farmlands. The crops, especially yam and cassava were uprooted and the premature tubers floated on the rising ocean.

    From a patch of land located on the hilly part of the coastline, the flood victims, sat in pitiable groups and watched helplessly the ruins of what used to be their homes and farmland.

    Many of them wept uncontrollably, while others too dazed to utter a world gazed forlornly at the distant sky as if the panacea to there is locked somewhere in the cloud.

    Although, experts had forewarned the coastline communities in Oguta and Ohaji-Egbema that the state will experience unusual heavy amount of rainfall this year, which may likely result to the rise in the water level in the surrounding ocean.

    The state had quickly put up measures to avert the predicted disaster. Blocked drainages were reopened and illegal structures built on waterways were promptly demolished.

    But as soon as the initial fears of the warning were conquered, the farmers returned to their homes, not knowing that the danger was far from over.

    Also lately, NEMA had asked the residents of the coastal communities evacuate the floodplain and harvest their crops as quickly as possible to mitigate the damages that will come with the forecasted flood.

    The NEMA Coordinator, Owerri Operations, Dr. Innocent Ezeaku, who disclosed this on Monday during a sensitization programme titled “Flood: Early Warning and Solid Waste Management” in Ose-Motto autonomous community Oguta Council Area, said that the way to avoid excess loss in case of a re-occurrence of the 2012 flooding, is for the people to be prepared and apply the early warning measures.

    According to him, “I want everybody to be very vigilant this time around, because the flood can come overnight and overrun the communities. The people should call on NEMA any time they notice unusual rise in the level of the rivers around them.

    He disclosed that the Federal Government has built Internally Displaced Person’s camps (IDP) in different communities of the flood prone areas as part of its preparation for the expected flooding.

    Ezeaku, added further that relief materials like food items and other essential materials have been procured to enable for quick response to any displaced person, while urging the state government to preposition medicament necessary for effective response.

    The NEMA boss who attributed the flooding to indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into rivers, urged the people to be desist from activities that could endanger the environment.

    However, these warnings could not save the day as over 100 hundred houses and large expanse of farmland including cash crops have all been submerged.

    Meanwhile the Deputy Chief of Staff to the state Governor, Mr. Kingsley Uju, has assured the victims that the state government is doing everything possible to cushion their plight.

    Speaking during the presentation of relief materials to the victims who were reluctant to move into the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) Camps, Uju advised the people to move to the upland or    designated places across the state.

  • Women group urges youths to take up agric careers

    Women group urges youths to take up agric careers

    An organisation, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) has held a career-counselling for youths in Abia State, urging them to take up careers in agriculture.

    The event was held in conjunction with the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, (MOUAU) Demonstration Secondary School.

    No fewer than 176  SS1 and SS2 students of  the school attanded.

    Speaking during the counselling in Umuahia, a fellow of AWARD, Dr. Chinelo Ezeocha said that the event was organised to ensure that the youths of the state are encouraged to return to agriculture.

    Ezeocha recalled that agriculture in the 1960s was the economic back bone of the state and that many of the infrastructural development of the state were done through the revenue generated from agriculture.

    She recalled that there are several farm settlements scattered across the state and that they have been wasting away, “There is need for them to be revived and made habitable for the teeming youths of the state to be fully engaged”.

    The lecturer in food science department of MOUAU said that there is a sharp decline in the number of youths that go into agriculture as a career, stressing that there is need for the trend to be reversed.

    She explained that the youths going into agriculture will ensure food security, job opportunities and also help to reduce youth restiveness in the state, while crime rate will be reduced to the lowest level.

    Ezeocha regretted that the youths in the state are finding it hard to take up agriculture as a career, “They [children] are complaining that agriculture is a hard profession bearing in mind that many people are still using obsolete equipment to farm.”

    She called on state and federal governments to provide modern day equipment so that the youths will be willing and encouraged to go in to agriculture for the good of the people of the country and also ensure food security.

    The food science lecturer said that agriculture does not mean only food production, “It includes cash crops like cocoa, rubber, cashew, oil palm and many others which if well managed will ensure increase in revenue generation for the youths”.

    Ezeocha said that youths should never shy award from agriculture, stressing that agriculture does not require custom men harassing them as they would in the other way round export the excess produce to the outside world.

     

  • Suspected pipeline vandals’ kingpin held

    Suspected pipeline vandals’ kingpin held

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State command, has announced the arrest of a suspected key oil pipeline vandal Ibe Chukwunta.

    The command said he was nabbed at his residence at Nnewe after a gun battle.

    Chukwunta hails from Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Area of the state.

    Items recovered from him included 24 jerry cans of gas, a single-barrel rifle, three bags of Indian hemp, a lighter, two cutlasses and a motorcycle.

    The state commandant, Mr. Stephen Lar-Kaiyo said, “This is the kingpin of pipeline vandals in Enugu State; he provides protection for other vandals at his residence.  We recovered petroleum products and Indian hemp from his home”.

    He said that Chukwunta was well armed and on drugs.

    Lar-Kaiyo said, “He was ready for war. He exchanged fire for fire with our personnel. As you can see, you can see empty shells of ammunition. It was a serious war. But due to the nature of our training on this kind of operation, we were able to overcome him and got him arrested.

    You will wish to know that this arrest was made very early in the morning, around 5am. The products you are seeing here are the vandalised proceeds that the vandal got engaged in. The contents there are up to 900 litres, two bags of Indian hemp to facilitate his illegal operation.

    You can also see a single-barrel gun with which he used to engage our personnel. He was alone when our men swooped on him. Apart from taking part in vandalism operations, he gives protection to the other vandals.

    “It was like when others had left, he remained there with his own products. On storming his personal home, we discovered that his premises were being used to gather so many petroleum products such as these. We were able to get some of these in the vicinity of his house.

    “NSCDC has intensified surveillance on NNPC pipelines, PHCN cables and other critical assets. They will make sure that the economy of this country will not be tampered with as oil is the main source of income in this country, the eagle eye of our men will be on them and they will be caught.”

    Chukwunta claimed he was sleeping with his family when the NSCDC officers broke into his house and collected his hunting gun, adding that he is a hunter and farmer.

    He kept mum when asked to explain the recovery of Indian hemp from his house.

    Short of admitting that he was also an Indian hemp dealer, he admitted consuming the substance. He equally said that the oil he has in his house was red palm oil which he stores and sells when it becomes scarce.

    He claimed it was his kinsmen who took the operatives to his house, but could not give any reason why his relatives pointed the finger at him.

  • Enugu women protest herdsmen’s ‘menace’

    Over 20 women from four local governments in Enugu State have urged the state government to prevail on Fulani herdsmen to keep their cattle away from their farms.

    The women who represented the Anglican Diocese of Enugu North comprising Enugu North, Enugu East, Udi and Ezeagu,  alleged that the herdsmen also rape women and kill while their herds destroy crops.

    The women made the call during a peaceful demonstration at the state House of Assembly.

    Leader of the group, Mrs Achogaonye Eze said the herdsmen should be stopped for the sake of security.

    Eze who is the wife of Bishop Sustenance Eze of Enugu North Anglican Diocese, pointed out that apart from raping women and killing people in the communities, the herdsmen also rob and kidnap people.

    She lamented that they are helpless because they had complained to the law enforcement agencies to no avail.

    She disclosed that people are now afraid to go to the farm unless they are in groups for fear of rape or outright killing and recounted their ordeal thus:

    “They have butchered two men who tried to confront them; they rape women and destroy their crops.

    “They pretend to be selling bush meat and when you stop over to buy, their gang will come out of the bush and rob you of your belonging.

    “They are now wielding AK 47 guns at villagers who confront them and since the vigilantes do not have such sophisticated weapons they withdraw,” she enumerates and posted that they should be asked to vacate Enugu State for good.

    “Our people are molested, they feel that they own the land. If we don’t stop them, they may rape your own wives,” she avers.

    The demonstrating women carried placards that read in parts, “Fulani herdsmen kill our men with AK 47”, “All we are saying is, Fulani, leave our farmlands”, “They butchered two men at Eke, stop robbing us at the high ways, etc.”

  • Residents hail Ikpeazu, seek quick completion of roads

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has got the thumbs-up for his intervention on roads in Aba, the state’s commercial capital. But the residents equally asked that the job be done quickly so they can be put out of their nightmare.

    Poor roads and clogged drains have for long given Enyimba City a dirty face and its residents all sorts of problems. But on June 1, the Ikpeazu administration started an ambitious rehabilitation plan.

    Asphalt has been laid on Owerri Road, off Okigwe Road, as well as on Ukaegbu, Umuola, Umule, Tonimas roads. Work on others has reached advanced stage with drainage channels built.

    Some residents praised the Ikpeazu administration on the  facelift drive.

    A shop owner at Tonimas Junction said, “We want to thank the governor on his efforts so far. It no news that in the last eight years, we were subjected to all manner of suffering because of the bad nature of our roads especially those of us living and doing business around Umule, Tonimas Junction and its neighbourhood. Sometimes especially in the evening we find it hard to come back home because of the high cost in transportation and it could get worse at the slightest drop of the rains.

    “Are you talking about getting a cab from Azikiwe Road or the usual gridlock at Faulks Road? The government is doing something meaningful and we want them to intensify efforts to ensure that the contractors finish the work in due time.”

    There are challenges, still. Motorists find it difficult to drive through Aba as most portions of intra-city roads have collapsed, making driving in the commercial city a herculean task.

    A motorist who gave his name as Mr. Frank however, opined that the usual gridlock along major roads like Ama Ogbonna junction, Azikiwe road, fualks road among others would be eliminated if government should do something to address the situation by directing the appropriate agencies of government to move their equipment to the areas concerned.

    According to Frank, the cost of vehicle maintenance is becoming too much on them to bear, stressing that they leave above income as they spend their money on maintaining their cars rather than using the money to feed their families.

    “We spend most of the week in the mechanic because of one breakdown or the other that at the end of the day, we find it difficult to feed our families. This situation I believe will be addressed if the government will look into the internal roads in Aba. You are in Aba. The governor, I learnt goes to work in Umuahia from the Governor’s lodge in Aba. I believe he sees what people are passing through. He should come to the aid of the people of Aba. I learnt he has been trapped in the traffic on one or two occasions while returning to Aba. The founding fathers of Aba and Abia had good plans and if successive administrations had followed their footsteps, the traffic situation of Aba wouldn’t have been that bad as it is today. I am optimistic that if the governor will be allowed to work, he will definitely do his best to ensure that the roads in Aba were fixed, but before new roads will be constructed, the old ones should be properly managed and maintained,” the commercial driver said.