The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Abia lawmaker promises better representation

    The member representing Isuikwuato State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Mrs. Uloma Onuoha has assured people of her Constituency that she was going to represent them effectively in the state 6th Assembly as a legislator.

    Hon. Onuoha was inaugurated on Thursday with other 23 lawmakers from various constituencies across the state as members of the Abia State 6th Assembly.

    Addressing constituents at a reception in her honour after the her swearing-in at the chambers of Abia State House of Assembly also promised to ensure that she would use her position as a lawmaker representing the area to attract development and things that would improve the well being of youths and the entire people of Isiukwuato.

    She added that she was going to ensure quality and transparent representation adding that her doors would always be open to receive suggestions and contributions from her constituents and party members on how to better the lots of the constituency even as she sought for wisdom and more prayers for her to succeed as a lawmaker.

    She also thanked Isuikwuato people and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for their support for her throughout the campaign and electioneering periods.

    Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Isuikwuato Chapter Mr. Simeon Onyeje who described the lawmaker as a dependable person said they were proud of her and expressed optimism that the lawmaker would give Isuikwuato people a voice in the State House of Assembly and will also drive home democracy dividend to the people that reposed trust in her.

    Mr. Ndubuisi Ihejirika, Mr. Jude Obinkwu, and Enyioma Ekebuike in their separate goodwill messages thanked Isuikwuato people for the support so far given to Hon. Onuoha from the election period to the day she was sworn-in ceremony as member representing Isuikwuato Constituency and however pledged their continued support for her.

  • Candidates shun debate

    CANDIDATES for the state legislative elections in Abia State have abstained from a scheduled debate organised by a television station.

    The debate, organised by Modern Communication Limited (MCL) TV, according to the organizsers, was to provide a platform where candidates of various political parties would sell their manifestos to the electorate.

    It was also meant to help the electorate make informed decisions on whom to vote for during tomorrow’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Candidates of political parties present at the debate were those of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Emmanuel Unegbu Emmanuel who wants to represent Ikwuano, Labour Party (LP) Lucky Akabuike, for Umuahia North and PPA candidate for Umuahia South, Nwigwe Lucky.

    A media consultant to the MCL TV, Dr. Charles Chinekezi, who was visibly angry by what he described as undemocratic and uncivilised attitude of the candidates, bemoaned the attitude of the candidates who, by their actions, have exhibited acts of disrespect to Abia people who they were aspiring to represent and also expecting to get their votes tomorrow.

    According to him, the organisers, after inviting all the political parties and their candidates, also did a follow-up to ensure that they were duly notified, wondering why they boycotted the exercise after the publicity and to appear on the day at no cost to the candidates.

    Chinekezi, who stood in for the chairman of the political debate committee, Chief Ogwo Agu, said it was regrettable that the candidates boycotted an opportunity that would have enabled them to sell their programmes and mandates to the Abia electorate.

    “We extended invitation and reminders to all the state Assembly candidates of the various political parties in Aba zone. A good number of them promised to participate. We don’t know why they boycotted the exercise. The debate is one of our station’s contributions to the development of democracy in the country. It is at no cost to the candidates.

    “We aimed at helping the electorate assess the quality of candidates who seek to represent them at the House of Assembly. At least, this would have helped the electorate to make the right choices. The days of voting in people because of sentiments are over. We don’t want to leave the electorate blind,” Chinekezi said.  He expressed fears that a decline in the quality of Assembly candidates would continue to be counter-productive, allow the legislature be manipulated by the executive and affect the kind of legislation they make for the state as long as the electorate were not allowed to elect the right people into the legislature.

    One of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Assembly candidates, who spoke in confidence, said he could not afford to attend the debate because it came at a time when he and probably other candidates were busy campaigning across his constituencies.

  • Jonathan inaugurates power plant

    Jonathan inaugurates power plant

    Sooner or later, residents of Aba, the commercial nerve of the Southeast will be less dependent on the national grid for their electricity supply. President Goodluck Jonathan was there to inaugurate the first phase of the Alaoji National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

    The President inspected facilities at the Geometric Power/Aba Power Limited, the companies behind the NIPP, promising that the Federal Government would resolve all pending issues so that  residents of the commercial city will enjoy uninterrupted power supply.

    The company, since the completion of its plant, had been having issues with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) over franchise-related matter. But President Jonathan, impressed with what he saw during his inspection of the facility, vowed that the Federal Government would not allow such heavy investment to be a waste.

    “This project is well-planned and will change the face of Aba in terms of power supply. Aba is a city that is highly industrialised with so many small and medium enterprises that need stable power supply to grow better and create more jobs for our people. We need to resolve this matter. This kind of investment cannot be a waste. We must call the parties involved in the matter–government, Geometric and EEDC to resolve the matter,” the President promised.

    He praised former Power Minister, Prof. Barth Nnaji who is the chairman of Geometric Power/Aba Power Limited, chairman Diamond Bank, Pascal Dozie and Governor Theodore Orji for their support towards the project.

    The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo said his ministry was working hard towards finding an amicable solution to all issues among the Federal Government, Geometric Power and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

    Prof. Nebo noted that with a capacity of 141 megawatts of power, the company was capable of satisfying the electricity needs of the entire Aba metropolis, adding, “the excess power generated by the plant would be absorbed into the national grid.”

    Outlining the genesis and operations of the plant to the President, the chairman of Geometric Power/Aba Power Limited, Prof. Nnaji described the project as “a child of necessity.”

    He said the desire of Aba industrialists, including the small and medium-scale industries and “our desire to contribute our quota to increasing power supply in the country began over 10 years ago.”

    According to him, it was realised that the best way to ensure that Aba city quickly has reliable and affordable electricity was to build this off-grid power project that serves the metropolis.

    He added that at the same time, the then World Bank President, Mr Wolfensen and the then Finance Minister who is the current Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with Aba industrialists, including the Aba Ariaria manufacturers (SMEs).

    At the meeting, the Ariaria manufacturers were asked to identify their number one problem which if addressed would significantly improve their production; they unanimously said it was reliable electricity.

    He outlined: “Mr. President, this convergence of desire for reliable electricity is what led us to this historic Aba Integrated Power Project. At that time, I and our development partners from the International Financial Corporation (lFC) of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EID) and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (now known as FMFM), wanted to find a business model for power development in Nigeria that is sustainable, can stand on its own, and can be easily replicated by various investors in other major cities in Nigeria.

    “We recognised that the country will not be able to afford sovereign guarantee for all of its power needs. We, therefore developed a model of customised embedded generation that would not require sovereign guarantee.

    “Consequently, we set about developing this integrated power project to satisfy the electricity needs of Aba metropolis at a time when the Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 was not yet enacted. In 2005, the Federal Government had to concession Aba metropolis as the only security of the investment in the project instead of the normal sovereign guarantee. We have met the terms of our concession agreement with the Federal Government, by building this 141MW Power Plant with state-of-the-art equipment from General Electric (GE) and rehabilitating the entire distribution network in Aba.

    “In addition to the power plant, we have built over 105 km of 33KV overhead lines within the Aba metropolis. You can see Mr. President that the steel tubular poles used to build the 33KV line infrastructure is unlike any other in Nigeria. We have also built over 40km of new 11KV lines in Aba. We have completed five new sub-stations consisting of the Power Plant’s 3x60MV A sub-station; four new 2x15MV A sub-stations at various parts of Aba town.

    “In addition, we have refurbished the only three existing Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) sub-stations which are dilapidated, by building three new control buildings with outdoor sub-station gantries within the premises of the existing PHCN sub-stations. In order to ensure the reliability of gas supply, we built a 27km gas pipeline from Imo River to this power plant and built the gas infrastructure to support the supply of reliable gas to the power plant. To date, we have invested over $500 million or over N100 billion in this project.

    “The power project is virtually complete, the power plant, various sub-stations and 33KV lines have been energised and fuel is available for this project. The remaining interconnection work on the distribution network within the premises of the existing PHCN sub-stations and the 11KV lines should take less than two months.

    “This was the remaining work that was being done by our contractors before the entire Enugu Electricity Distribution Company was handed over to another party by the BPE without excising Aba from the sale.”

    Continuing, Prof. Nnaji informed Mr. President of the protracted issue that has been holding down the company from switching on the plant and start power generation and distribution.

    He said: “This action, in spite of our valid concession agreement and your assurances that the agreement was sacrosanct, emboldened the operators of EEDC to stop our work and chase away our contractors from the sub-stations thereby ensuring that Aba people will not get benefit of this project.  This means that the BPE, in effect, double-sold Aba metropolis (which includes Aba and Ariaria in spite of the very fact that the agreement we had with the Federal Government clearly states that whenever there is privatisation, our company has first right to purchase the facility in Aba hence our heavy investment in this project.

    “As you can see Mr. President, the developers and investors in Aba IPP have developed a world-class electricity infrastructure with the belief that their investment in Nigeria is safe. We have made all effort to get BPE to correct what (for choice of words) may be called an “error”.

    “So far, they have not yielded to doing the correct thing. Rather, they have sought to justify this error and have continued to politicise the situation unnecessarily, thereby playing with the investment of this magnitude that aims at improving the well-being of our people and the interest of our country and the people of Aba at heart.

    “Mr. President, I and the other investors in the Aba answered the call of our beloved country to come home and be part of the development of our dear country. The investors and stakeholders include members of the Aba business community, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and our banks, especially Diamond Bank.

    “This travesty has been very cruel to us all. People in the investment community continue to wonder if this can happen to Nigerian investors with a well-structured agreement. How then can they be sure that their investments and agreements will not be breached in the future? This action by the government has certainly put cold feet on the legs of potential investors. The only instrument for doing business in developing and developed countries across the globe is an agreement, which must be respected and held sacrosanct by all parties.

    “All the various committees set up to look into this issue have come up with the same answer: that our agreement should be respected by the Federal Government and that Aba power should be offered the Aba and Ariaria Electricity Business Districts as enshrined in the agreement. I have been assured by Mr. Vice-President that the technical committee of National Council on Privatisation (NCP) and the NCP legal committee have made the same recommendation.

    “However, the painful fact is that this critical issue has been left festering since November 2013. It costs our company $3.5m in bank interest charges alone; plus more than N30 million for insurance coverage; other operational expenses every single month to carry a project that is not yielding any revenue due to the deliberate, hostile and crippling action of Enugu DISCo and the BPE over 15 months ago.

    “So far, about eight committees, including committees of the NCP, Nigeria Electricity Regulating Commission (NERC), and Ministry of Power among others, have investigated this matter and came up with the same recommendation. There is no more need for another committee; all that it requires is your decision and firm action that will ensure the full implementation of their recommendation to sell Aba metropolis to Aba Power.

    “We are therefore pleading with you to take a decisive action today and rescue our company and the people of Aba from the shackles of deliberate man-made mischief. We also plead with you to ask Enugu DISCo (EEDC) to immediately allow our contractors to complete the interconnection works that will allow Aba to receive this power.

    “Please, give the people of Aba an opportunity to get the intended benefit of this project, which is absolute reliable electricity. It is unfortunate that the powerful economic and political saboteurs within the system have denied your administration the golden opportunity of using the Aba metropolis electricity ring-fence as a shining example of your power reform agenda.

    “Nevertheless, we remain fully committed to ensuring that this project will be completed under your watch for the benefit of Aba Business Community and the Nigerian people.

    “Our team has worked very hard and made personal sacrifices to ensure that this project will be the first fruit of your power reform initiative in which the private sector will be empowered to drive power production and distribution in Nigeria. It is for this reason that it gives our people tremendous joy that you are here today. We hope that your visit today will liberate the Aba Integrated Power Project and release the huge economic potential of an “Enyimba City” (Aba) where electricity will be taken for granted. We are confident that your action in finally resolving this issue will do wonders for the regional economy and create hundreds of thousands of jobs for our teeming youths.”

  • 18 co-operatives get MDGs grant in Ebonyi

    18 co-operatives get MDGs grant in Ebonyi

    Eighteen agro-based cooperatives have benefitted from the Millennium Development Goals Conditional Grant Scheme (MDGCGS) of the Ebonyi State government.

    The cooperatives, drawn from six local government areas namely Afikpo North, Onicha, Ivo, Ohaukwu, Ebonyi and Ezza North got N500,000 each, totalling N9m.

    The benefiting cooperatives had earlier undergone training on the various agro-based investment opportunities in the state to further equip them with the requisite knowledge needed to establish their own businesses.

    At the launching of the scheme, during which cheques were presented to the cooperatives, wife of the state governor, Mrs Josephine Elechi expressed happiness and appreciation to the state government for supporting the scheme.

    She also commended the federal government for initiating the grants through the MDGCGS Office. She said it would boost agriculture at the grassroots.

    She said, “This scheme is aimed at complementing all poverty alleviation and employment initiatives of the Federal Government”

    “I want to express my deep appreciation to the state government under the leadership of Chief Martin Elechi for making it possible for the 18 benefitting agric-based cooperatives, three each from Afikpo North, Ebonyi, Ezza North, Ivo, Ohaukwu and Onicha LGAs to partake in the programme, through the approval and release of funds to be disbursed to the beneficiaries”.

    “I am glad to note that each of these cooperatives will also receive a total of five hundred thousand naira for a group of agricultural activities…along the agricultural value chain to be operated through a micro-credit finance process”.

    “This will go a long way in assisting the agro-based cooperatives to further expand and improve upon their various ventures, which will in turn ensure increase in agricultural production for economic benefit of the large society”.

    “May I therefore call on various organisations and groups to encourage agricultural programmes by embarking upon small-scale agricultural ventures, through the formation of cooperatives”.

    “I am convinced that through these measures, it would be easier for our farmers to access agricultural inputs, subsidies and funds from government and other agencies to facilitate the growth of their agricultural programmes”.

    “I hereby charge the benefitting cooperatives to make judicious utilization of facilities provided them through the MDG/CGS agric bases micro cooperatives scheme, so as to actuaries the objectives for which the scheme was designed”.

    The Focal Person of Ebonyi MDG/CGS, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu said the grants was part of efforts to eradicate goal 1 of the MIllenium Development Goals (MDG).

    She said the training and grant will go a long way in helping the cooperatives’ members to move their farming system ahead.

    Dr Obichukwu urged them to go into Agro business like fishing farming etc.

    The Head of Service, Mrs Ugo Nnachi noted that the MDG has enhanced the life of Ebonyi people especially those in the rural areas.

    She said the grants will go a long way in encouraging the cooperatives to judiciously use the grants to diversify on their Agro based ventures especially now that the oil prices is dwindling.

    Mr James Uchenna, from one of the cooperatives from Ezza North thanked the state government and the MDG/CGS on behalf of the beneficiaries for the grants which he noted will help them improve on their farming system.

    He also promised that they will use the funds judiciously for the purpose for which they were given.

  • A day for women in Owerri

    A day for women in Owerri

    Men gave way and could only watch from the sidelines. Women, among them the elderly and expectant mothers, went through the streets of Owerri, the Imo State capital, with just one song in their mouths: change. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    It was quite a spectacle watching Southeast women take over Owerri, the Imo State capital. In their colourful attires, they moved with determination, eager to let everyone know where they stood on the future of the state, region and even the entire country. There were expectant and nursing mothers among the crowd as they filled the Dan Anyiam Stadium, where their song grew louder and as clear as their message. They wanted change. They wanted change in the leadership of the country. And the retired General Muhammadu Buhari was their choice, they said.

    The stadium was filled to capacity as early as 8 am. The enthusiasm of the broom-waving women defined their yearning for change.

    The gathering, which also attracted octogenarians, was a testament of Igbo women’s resolve to support a new order.

    Owerri was literarily taken over by the army of women who marched round major streets in their colourful attires dancing gracefully to the admiration of the men.

    Motivating the women were the wives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Hajia Aisha Buhari, the vice presidential candidate, Oludolapo Osinbajo, the state governor’s wife, Nneoma Okorocha, the party’s National Woman Leader, Ramatu Tijani and other women and wives of prominent politicians from the zone and beyond.

    Addressing the huge crowd, Mrs. Buhari, who rode into the stadium on a double-decker bus amid ovation, enjoined them to support the change that will midwife a new Nigeria, where “the Nigerian women will have a feel of what governance is all about”.

    She stated that for this new Nigeria to be actualised, “the women should vote for the APC en masse,” assuring that once this is done, they should know that they have played a prominent part in the salvation of Nigeria.

    Aisha, who was given the Igbo name Ogechi, meaning God’s time, harped on the need for the unity of the country at all times, adding, “We are one in this country and we should work together irrespective of religion or ethnic differences”.

    Urging support for the reelection of the Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and other APC candidates, she charged the women to return to the communities and mobilise for the party.

    Also addressing the women, Mrs Okorocha described women as agents of change, noting that change revolves around them as home builders.

    She urged the Southeast women to give massive support for the APC Presidential candidate, adding that the change has started in Imo State and would spread to other parts of the zone.

    According to her, the emergence of Buhari as the nation’s President will restore the economy and security of the country.

    Several other women, who addressed the people, took turns to underscore the need for women from the zone to join other zones of the country to support and embrace the change that is sweeping through the country.

    That notwithstanding, the determined women also assured that they will take the massage of change home to their husbands, who they said will “equally support their wives”.

    In his remarks, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, described Buhari as a great and disciplined Nigerian who is poised to end corruption, adding that “when he takes over as President, criminals will flee the country”.

    He said, “When Buhari comes on board, he will lock up the pump of corruption and education will be free in the entire country as it is in Imo State”.

    In attendance at the rally were, wife of the Vice Presidential candidate, Oludolapo, Osibanjo,  APC National Woman Leader, Ramatu Tijani, wife of former Bayelsa State Governor, wife of former Benue State Governor, Wife of Senator Chris Ngige, among other prominent women.

  • Sacked workers protest in Aba

    Sacked workers protest in Aba

    More than three years after their disengagement, non-indigenous Abia State civil servants have staged a street protest seeking to be recalled to their positions.

    The protesters, sacked on October 1, 2011, marched through streets of Aba, the commercial hub of the state, demanding that Governor Theodore Orji recall them.

    The protesters bore banners and placards with such inscriptions as “We are the sacked workers in Abia State, call us back to work”.

    Some of the sacked have indeed been reinstated by the protesters said the number of the recalled workers were too small.

    They said that they were using the opportunity to also mourn not less than 35 members of the group who died since their sack, stressing that they were not going to rest until the government recalled all of them.

    Mrs. Ijeoma Ihejirika who led the group on the protest in an interview with reporters said that they decided to embark on the protest to remind and also draw the attention of the Abia State Governor that as he prepares to leave office on May 29, he was yet to fulfill the promise of total recall of its members into the its civil service even as they expressed the fear that the incoming government may overlook their way.

    Ihejirika who could barely speak as she was soaked in her emotions said that their members were dying in their numbers out of frustration and idleness arising from expectation that they would be called back to work as the governor promised.

    According to her, most of the workers who were due for their retirement were yet to get their gratuity and pension since 2011 till date which has made life miserable and difficult for them, adding that some of them who had put in their years in service, hoping to live on their gratuity and pension could hardly afford a square meal for their family to feed on.

    Thanking the governor for the ones that they have absorbed, she urged him to show mercy and act on his words in order not to create the impression that the promise he made was to score cheap political goals and appealed to the governor to direct his commissioners and Head of Service of the state to implement without any further delay, the orders of the state government in reabsorbing them into their various ministries.

    One of the disengaged worker that gave her name as Joy Ajah stated that she has received a re-instatement letter since May 2014 from the government but was yet to be placed in a ministry.

    She said that the delay in the promised re-instatement process was making life more unbearable for her and others in her shoes who have no other means of income because they were made to visit the state capital frequently without any positive result.

    She therefore called on the state governor to fulfill his promises to them now rather than allowing the issue to drag on.

     

  • Hope for pensioners

    The grief of Abia State pensioners may soon be behind them. But that depends on two factors: one, if the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Alex Otti wins the election, and two, if he keeps his promise to pay the retirees’ arrears.

    Otti said in Umuahia, the state capital, that he would pay the arrears if elected.  The former Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc was speaking at forum with some members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) from the 17 local government areas of the state.

    Otti who sounded bitter over pensioners’ plight in the state, described them as the foundation and pillars upon which the Nigeria and modern civil service was built and should not be neglected.

    He said, “Anybody who doesn’t respect his parents is on his way down the drain. These people gave their all in the service to the nation as civil servants and do not deserve the kind of treatment being meted out on them today.”

    The candidate bemoaned the inability of governments over the years to treat senior citizens fairly.

    Otti regretted that senior citizens were, in addition to their unpaid arrears, also forced to pay heavily to access medical facilities, adding that he would end medical tourism in the state.

    He said that he had concluded plans to establish three major specialist hospitals in Ohafia, Umuahia and Aba with state-of-the-art facilities in order to take care of the medical healthcare of the people, expressing hope that the projects on completion would be staffed by health professionals and would make the state a choice destination for the treatment of various healthcare related cases.

    Otti lamenting how the state resources have been badly managed by the incumbent administration challenged the government of the day to account for what they have done with the money the state have so far realized from the rich oil deposits in the state.

    The former Diamond Bank chief went further to promise more dividend of democracy, free and compulsory education, and giving the state a facelift within the first 4years of his administration, adding that it was time politics should be taken serious not to be left in the hands of politicians to toy with it.

    In his response, Abia NUP chairman, Comrade Chukwuma Ndubuisi Udensi thanked the APGA candidate for finding time to come and see them.

    Udensi said he was optimistic that Otti would perform credibly if elected governor of the state owing to his track record and antecedents in Diamond Bank where his (Otti) records stand tall which he believed Otti would replicate as the governor of the state.

    Recall that no fewer than 500 pensioners in Abia State on Wednesday stormed Government House in Umuahia to protest for the third time in a month, the non-payment of their arrears of pension and gratuities which they said had lingered for more than 16 years.

     

  • Antibiotics manufacturers forum set up in Enugu

    Antibiotics manufacturers forum set up in Enugu

    A pharmaceutical forum has been inaugurated in Enugu to produce a brand of antibiotics Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablet or AMX-DT, the aim being to make the medication readily available, especially in the Southeast.

    NAFDAC, the nation’s food and drugs agency, set up the forum in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO).

    Speaking at the inauguration, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the objectives of the forum were to identify and mobilise interested indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce Amoxicillin DT to increase its availability.

    It was also to foster and accelerate the readiness of indigenous manufacturers to produce quality, safe, efficacious and affordable AMX-DT and to create an information sharing connection for indigenous manufacturers and programme managers on AMX-DT.

    The DG represented by Deputy Director, Technical Services and Focal Person, United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities (UNCoLSC) for NAFDAC, Mr. Ali Ibrahim, disclosed that the agency was working with some indigenous manufacturers towards ensuring the production of AMX-DT in Nigeria.

    He stressed that the forum would provide a platform for more interested manufacturers who would benefit from technical assistance provided by NAFDAC.

    Orhii explained that because Amoxicllin DT has been identified as most effective broad-spectrum antibiotic used for bacterial infections of the ear, sinuses, throat, urinary tract, skin and abdomen, it would be especially useful in the treatment of children with bacterial pneumonia, which he said accounted for 17 percent death of children less than five years.

    He noted that studies showed that Amoxicillin was more efficacious in the treatment of children with severe cases of pneumonia compared to Co-trimoxazole.

    The NAFDAC DG who disclosed that pneumonia accounted for most neglected of the top childhood killer diseases in Nigeria, global map for pneumonia incidence shows Nigeria as the leader after India among the ten top countries mostly affected.

    In a remark, National Pneumonia Coordinator USAID Targeted States High Impact Project, Dr. Francis Ohanyido said that pneumonia was the number one killer of children under five in mostly Africa and Southeast Asia.

    He regretted that Africa accounted for 60% global deaths of under five of pneumonia cases just as he said it has negatively impacted on attainment of Nigeria’s MDG 4.

    He urged manufacturers of pharmaceutical companies to take advantage of the market in the country to go into production of AMX-DT which has been proven to be its drug and reduce the child mortality rate existing in the country.

     

  • Beauty queen fights crime

    Beauty queen fights crime

    Twenty-three-year-old Jennifer Nkiruka Okorie may have won the crown, but there is a lot on her mind beyond her looks.

    She was graceful in her flowing red attire, beaming with a disarming smile.

    Jennifer was also conscious of the fact that people raised their cameras and their phones to take her picture as she strutted by.

    But it may all have meant pretty little to her. Her crown, she said later, was to enable her  fight crime and help save young people from self-destruction and threatening the rest of society.

    Miss Okorie, a final year student of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) from Ohaozara, Ebonyi State, was crowned Miss Goodluck Nigeria, Southeast,  at the East-End Hotels and Suites in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    Before her in the hall were thousands of people, including another beauty queen, Miss Global Tourism, Amaka Okafor, who came in  from Enugu.

    The crown had hardly been lowered on her head when she launched her project which is focused on curbing violence, thuggish behaviour and youth restiveness.

    The beauty pageant was sponsored by Goodnews Organisation. The predominat colours of the night were green, white and red.

    Presenting her address, the beauty queen said that her entry into the contest was borne out of her desire to establish a platform through which she could contribute to making the world a better place to live.

    She said, “Since it has pleased God to answer my prayers by helping me to emerge as the winner of this contest, it then behoves on me to swing into action by bettering the lot of fellow youths.”

    Why choose to be beauty queen? The Nation probed after the event around 3am.

    Miss Okorie said, “I have felt disturbed by the level of restiveness that had characterised our national life especially as it affects the youths in the society.

    “These people are supposed to be tomorrow’s leaders; the rate at which young people engage in thuggish acts and all forms of violence nowadays is very alarming and one feels that something serious must be done to, at least to reduce it.

    “Furthermore, my agenda is to give due attention to numerous children who, not by their own making but by circumstances of life, are confined in orphanages and destitute homes.

    “My plan is to carry out massive campaigns through out the South East of Nigeria, reaching out to the youths to pass the message across for peaceful and responsible living.”

    The beauty queen also said that she would organise seminars, symposia, distribute hand bills and mount bill boards in various strategic positions in the zone to drive home her point.

    “This I hope to achieve by mobilising both materials and cash for the upkeep of the inmates of orphanages and destitute homes across the Southeast of Nigeria.”

    “It is a fact that this set of human beings need our assistance and we cannot fail to make them feel loved, and I know  that this project is going to cost me a lot but God willing, we shall conquer,” she  said.

    She did not end there. Miss Okorie told The Nation that the media would be fully involved in whatever she was going to do to actualise her project, adding that such persons needed love and care in the society.

    The all night event attracted individuals and government functionaries including Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Special Assitant on Security Matters, Chikodi Anarah who promised to contribute his own quota to the realisation of the queen’s projects.

    Politicians also tried to outdo one another in a bid to be recognised in the overwhelming crowd.

    One of them, a chieftain of one of the top parties in the state, told The Nation that any politician who missed out on such an event was planning his or her own funeral politically in the state.

    “We are here to give this beauty queen our support and solidarity,” she said.

    “Yes, she is young but the project she wants to execute has attracted all and sundry and we will not allow her to be alone.”

    Miss Okorie will need such politicians to fulfill their promises.

  • Enugu prepares for trade fair

    Enugu prepares for trade fair

    Enugu State, especially its business community, is looking forward to the 26th edition of the International Trade Fair.

    The state’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) is finalising parrangements for the event scheduled to start on March 27 and end April 6.

    The theme of the fair is “Engendering the Nation’s Business Climate for Enhanced Industrialisation, Investment Inflow and Employment Generation.”

    This date was fixed before the postponement of the general elections. The Chamber expressed awareness of the current focus on political campaigns and scheduled elections, saying, “We have strategically designed our action plan for the Fair so that the current campaign and upcoming elections would not affect it in any negative way.”

    “Of course, you know we are concerned on the issue of deepening our democracy as we are also aware that it is only with a thriving economy and free enterprise that our democracy would be well sustained.

    “26th Enugu International Trade Fair by the grace of God is going to be an exciting and result-oriented 10 days beneficial business concourse. We thank you sincerely for being here as we seriously count on you as partners in progress as we share in the vision of the common good.”

    ECCIMA President, Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye while unveiling the plans for the fair, said: “This Fair has been packaged to have meaningful and positive effects and outcome for all stakeholders, particularly for exhibitors and participants.

    “Part of the value addition to this Fair is the erection and availability of over l000sqm marquee air-conditioned dome for corporate and international exhibitors. This is in addition to other existing facilities that will enable enhanced environment for the successful hosting of the Fair.

    “We are partnering with a marketing communications firm based in Lagos to enhance and boost the level of participation and visitors to the Fair through a unique introduction of gift presentations to lucky visitors to the Fair with the support of partnering exhibitors and participants of which the promotional activities is commencing.”

    Okoye said the Enugu Chamber would be work-related, working with the company for improved management of gate ticketing through advance sale of passes and car entry tickets.

    He said the idea was to enable people have early access to entry pass instrument for visiting the Fair and to a great extent decongest as much as possible the usual rush and crowd that besiege the entry point for access to the Fair ground when the Fair commences.

    Okoye said: “We shall be consolidating efforts towards enhancing the special designated area in the Fair complex for the exhibition of new products, prototypes, innovations and research findings for commercialization. Recall, that the idea is to boost technological advancement by bringing researchers, business people and industrialists together. This remains one of the core focal points and cutting edge of the Enugu International Trade Fair.

    “We are hopeful that we are going to receive the support of the Enugu State government towards the rehabilitation of internal roads within the Fair complex for a more amenable atmosphere/environment for vehicular and human traffic. We are happy that efforts in this direction commenced last year including the rehabilitation of access road to ease vehicular movement around the Trade Fair vicinity, and we hope that this would be completed before the Fair commences in March, 2015.”

    Okoye disclosed that the Agriculture Sector would continue to be a major fulcrum in specially designated areas during the Fair towards boosting indulgence in agricultural production and commercial farming.

    “As part of our strategic efforts to boost the success of the Fair, we shall by next week be commencing the sensitization tours and consolidating our marketing with visits to stakeholders both in public and private sector in Lagos, Abuja and across the South East and South/South States.

    “We have equally put in place measures to ensure stable and quality supply of electricity and water. Being conscious of the state of power supply from the Enugu Electricity Power Distribution Company and without prejudice to the genuine efforts to improve supply we have commenced the repairs and maintenance of the two stand-by generator sets in the Fair complex in event of public power failure,” hinted the ECCIMA president.

    According to him, the chamber has commissioned the reinforcement of the distribution network of electricity lines inside the Fair complex including the changing of a good number of wooden electric poles to concrete poles. “This has become necessary as the weak wooden electric poles used in the initial networking had during the last Fair led to the sagging of electric wires which caused power interruptions. We shall continue to gradually replace the wooden poles with concrete poles, particularly those that are weak.”

    Okoye assured that that security during the fair would be tight adding, “we are pleased to note, that we have not had any security breach/problem since we started hosting our Fairs in the Trade Fair complex within the Golf Estate area about five years ago,” and expressed that we shall deepen our human efforts in this direction trusting that God will continue to keep watch over us.”

    He also added that the Enugu chamber was pleased to note that Enugu remains one of the most peaceful state in Nigeria and  prayed that this would be sustained.

    He announced that the Fair would be chaired by oil magnate, Chief Arthur Eze. “May I also inform you that in our efforts as it is incumbent on us to accelerate private sector development, we have strategically designed to have a leading private sector personality who have distinguished himself/herself, chair the opening ceremony of the Enugu International Trade Fair.

    “Interestingly, we shall during this 26th Enugu International Trade Fair have as the maiden private sector Chairman during the Opening Ceremony of the Fair in the person of Engr. Prince Dr. Arthur Eze, Chairman, Oranto Petroleum and Atlas Petroleum International Ltd. “We shall continue to count on the support of the public in the effort to improve the standard in our Fair hosting. It is therefore with singular honour and pleasure that I formally on behalf of the Council of the Chamber present the 26th Enugu International Trade Fair Brochure to the public.