The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Brewery staff kidnapped in Aba

    A staff of Nigeria Breweries Plc, Aba, Abia State has been abducted in the commercial city.

    His abductors, said to be armed, were suspected to be kidnappers.

    The Nation learnt that the NBL staff, identified as Charles Opara, a resident of Road 8, Federal Housing Estate, Ogbor Hill, had returned from work not knowing that dangers lay ahead.

    It was gathered that after a while, Opara had gone out to buy what he needed in his house, but on his way back home, around 9.00pm, a Volkswagen Golf car that had been trailing him, doubled-crossed and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

    A source said: “Immediately Opara got in front of his house and the gate to the building was opened, the hoodlums rounded him up at gunpoint and took him to their hideout”.

    It was yet to be established at the time of this report if the abductors had established contact with the family of their victim.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was yet to be informed about the incident.

    However, a senior police officer who spoke anonymously, confirmed the incident but said that they were yet to have a formal report from the victim’s family.

    The officer added, “The kidnappers will always warn them (the victim’s family) not to involve the police and this might not be a different case”.

    It would be recalled that it was around the same location that Ugochukwu Eke, the Umuahia correspondent of The Nation Newspaper was kidnapped on November 16 and was later released after his family paid some ransom.

  • A summit to grow women entrepreneurs

    A summit to grow women entrepreneurs

    Eager to get a foothold in entrepreneurship, women from the regional states gathered in Aba, Abia State’s commercial hub, to learn basic facts in management, reports SUNNY NWANKWO

    It was as much to gain new ideas as it was to correct old misconceptions. Interacting with other women who have made their mark in business boosted their confidence. Many left the summit saying they too can succeed and be an asset to their families, even the society. The women, over 500 of them, were told that money is not necessarily all you need to thrive in business. In this regard, love and passion trumps cash. How about information? The women learned, too, that knowing about their chosen business, especially the latest trends, is just as imperative as your cash and passion.

    The summit was organised by Diamond Bank to get women to own and manage their businesses and tap into the N200 billion Micro-, Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) loan cash provided by the Central Bank. But two years after its introduction, majority of women are yet to key into the MSMEs facility.

    That was why the management of Diamond Bank Plc started touring the country to educate, motivate and empower women on it. The aim, the bank said, is to help them become owners and managers of their own business and add value to the economy of their states and the country.

    Aba took its turn, hosting at Binez Hotel, Aba, the women who came from every state in the region to be lectured by financial experts and inspired by some successful women business owners who shared the story of how they started with little or nothing.

    Some women entrepreneurs mostly drawn from the private sector, including Pastor Mrs. Patience Goddy Okafor, narrated how they started with low capital and rose to become the success they are through prudent management.

    According to them, love and passion remains the key elements every entrepreneur needs to stay in business especially during adversity.

    Mrs. Okafor underscored the importance of information, noting that business is dynamic and that for a woman to prosper in it, she must be properly informed on its ethics and also adapt to new trends.

    The guest speaker who is also a preacher, reminded women of their role in the family, saying they must not allow their families to suffer because of their businesses.

    Mr. Charles Oguibe, a business manager in Diamond Bank, who represented the Regional Manager, Michael Agbara, said the programme was organised to sensitise their female customers on the need to key into the CBN financial empowerment programme for women entrepreneurs.

    Oguibe said, “This session is for Diamond Women (the bank’s account holders). We realised that women can actually contribute a lot to the economy of the country, but they do not have the financial wherewithal in terms of financing and knowledge…what we are doing here today is to give the knowledge and to let them know how they will be able to access the finances to support their businesses and whatever that they are doing. This is the third session of the empowerment programme. We held one at Ibadan, Benin and Aba.

    The most important thing about this programme is information because you need the right information to do better in business. This programme is a critical step towards helping women to be financially empowered. No commercial bank likes taking equities. We like them to start their business and we can come in to support them in whatever that they are doing. Ten per cent of the N200 billion fund floated by the Central Bank for MSMEs can actually be accessed by them. We also advice that they start their business, perhaps when they run their business for some months, we can come in and support what they are doing.

    “Diamond is the only bank that can give loans of up to N3million without any collateral. The mistake that banks make is that they look at collateral and at the end of the day the loan you are giving cannot support the business. What we are looking at is to check what they are doing can support the payment. If we are okay with that, we will go ahead and give out the loan.

    “But basically, this event is to prepare them for the CBN loan which they would use to support their businesses. The condition that they need to meet is that they need to open account with us for like three months and after the three months, they can be qualified for the SMEs loans. It is not about how much one have in account, but how well the person runs the account; how much that goes in and out of the account.

    “The responses from women in the other states we have been and today is so wonderful. We expect that at the end of this programme, women in Aba and others neighbouring states that attended this programme would have been empowered. We also expect that they should be bold to come out and access fund where they are qualified to do so. You know a man can take spontaneous decision, but women do not take decisions easily, their decisions are based on what they have been told.

    “What we are doing is to enable them cut that gap; once they come forward to tell us what they want, we can support them. We are encouraged with the level of their turnout,” Oguibe stated.

    Some of the participants including Mrs. Chidinma Aisedion described the programme as motivating and inspiring, adding that she was already thinking on how best she can improve on her business skills, having heard from the resource persons on how they  have gone ahead to make it in life after they started on a smaller scale.

    Mrs. Aisedion full of optimism on the impact of the programme said “It doesn’t matter how you started with, no matter how little you may start, tomorrow can be better. For now, I am actually selling jewellery in a small scale, but gradually, I know I will still grow and for me to grow, I need to have the finance to do the business. I know I can do much better if I should have more funds with me.

    “Despite having the flair, passion or anxiety for a particular business or trade, funding remains a key factor. When you have more money, you will expand your business. If there is a way they (Diamond) can grant me loan, I wouldn’t mind because I want to expand my business because the market is vast and I really want to go higher.

    “It was my husband that gave the money I am using to do my business at present but I feel like that I need to source for more funds to do my business, not from my husband this time, may from my bank if they wouldn’t mind granting me credit facility.”

  • Publisher rallies Ndigbo at magazine launch

    Publisher rallies Ndigbo at magazine launch

    It was a gathering of who-is-who in the Igbo community in Lagos as a new publication, Igbo Ezuo, was launched. The event which took place at Euc De Modern Hotel and Suites, Okota, Lagos, witnessed a large turnout of guests.

    Welcoming guests to the event, publisher of the magazine, Prince Kelechi Torti said that the aim of taking on the venture stems from the need to afford the Igbo far-away from home an opportunity to socialise and come together. In his words, Igbo Ezuo is purely an Igbo magazine designed to boost cultural integration.

    The magazine, he said, covers the social life of Igbo at home and in the Diaspora. Torti stated further that his wish for the Igbo Ezuo is that in 10 years, it must have expanded more.

    “Our undoing as a race and people is that we misplace religion in terms of our nature and calling as God’s own children. We were Igbo people before we became Christians. A people without God’s given culture, customs, tradition and language are a valueless people. Today, we embrace with alacrity the Western culture in disguise, believing we are worshiping God. Many have stopped giving Igbo names to their children. Igbo Ezuo magazine is born to correct our misconception as people and embrace our values,” Torti stated.

    This first issue of the magazine presents the great and ancient clan, Nnewi, its history, culture, custom, tradition and great people. A section of the publication is dedicated to celebrating the life and times of HRH, Dr. K.O.N Orizu III, the Igwe of Nnewi Kingdom and Nigeria’s longest serving monarch.

    Present at the occasion were Eze Ebube Nna, Engr. J.O.C Ezenuo, the Chairman of the occasion and a lot of prominent Igbo Chiefs resident in Lagos.The event also witnessed a high dose of comedy music and dance.

  • Abia repairs roads

    Repair work has started on failed portions of Aba roads, much to the relief of residents of Abia State’s commercial city. The roads have been a sore point but the state government has mobilised Grand Star Limited, a construction firm, to fix them.

    Our reporter, who went round the city, observed that work had already begun.

    At Ngwa Road opposite Eze Emejiaka’s palace, the construction firm and its staff were seen working on the failed portions of the road. The Nation gathered that the roads would be asphalted on completion.

    Some road users and commercial motorcycle operators, who spoke to our reporter, expressed happiness over the repair, but said they were also concerned about the quality.

    A tricycle operator who gave his name as Chuks Okekeke and another resident simply identified as Clinton, said that the failed portions were always fixed over the years but collapsed between three and six months after.

    They attributed the frequent collapse of the same portion to the use of substandard materials. They  also urged the supervisory and monitoring authorities to ensure that contractors work strictly according to specifications.

    They equally called on the state government to ensure that contractors build to specification or revoke their contract if they are in breach of contractual terms.

    “The governor might award this contract relying on the promise made by the contractors that they were going to build to specification but when they come to the field, they will do another thing. The appropriate ministry should make sure that they supervise these contractors frequently to ensure that they do the work as it is on paper and not just sitting in their offices. The governor cannot award a contract and come to supervise it. That is why the ministries were created to check the excesses of contractors.

    “I want to tell you that why some of the roads built don’t last is because the contractors do not use quality materials to do the job. They should also know that it is their image that is at stake and therefore should avoid anything that will tarnish their image or the image of their companies,” Clinton said.

    Mr Okezie Uche of Grand Star Limited who is in charge of Ngwa Road rehabilitation, in an interview, said, “We have been waiting for the rain to stop and now that the rain has stopped, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Theodore Ahamefule Orji asked us to come and remedy the failed portions on Ngwa Road; that is why we are here.

    “Before now, you will find out that the road was impassable. We had waited for the rain to subside; now the rain has gone and we’ve moved in. Give and take, here will be asphalted in the next two weeks. Apart from Ngwa Road, we are working currently on Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road from Opobo Junction and there a few other places.

    ”The governor has equally asked us to move into Port Harcourt Road as soon as we are through with the job here. Before now, you found out that this road was impassable. The people are happy that we are on site. They should expect a good job from us, so that the road will last and they will enjoy the dividends of work. The job is top quality. My advice for them is that they should avoid throwing refuse into the drainage. The way and manner people dump refuse in the gutters doesn’t help the road. If they can form the habit of dumping their refuse appropriately, the road will last. What spoils the road is the inability of water to flow freely from the drainage. When refuse is used to fill the gutter and water comes to the road, the road will damage no matter the quality of materials you used to do it. Once there is water on the road, it won’t last.”

     

  • Traders seek help over burnt shops

    Traders seek help over burnt shops

    Traders whose shops at 116 and 118 Ndoki Road by East Aba, Abia State were burnt in a mysterious midnight fire have appealed to the state governor Chief Theodore Orji, President Jonathan and public-spirited individuals for help.

    Some of them, who spoke when our correspondent visited the area, said that life has not been easy with them after the inferno as they were yet to pay for the destroyed goods which they bought on credit. Some others said that they were yet to offset the loans they borrowed from financial institutions, a situation which has made things doubly difficult for their families, even to feed.

    A shop owner, Mr. James Igwe Kalu, the breadwinner of his family, was in tears when he spoke. “Life has not been the same for us,” he said. “My family hardly eats and I can hardly sleep because I have not been able to offset the debt I owe the people from whom I bought the cloth in my shop. It is difficult for us to now put food on our respective family tables. Some whom their wives are pregnant are expecting to fathers and they are yet to have something doing. It is really a difficult situation and a trying time for us.

    “Children school fees can no longer be paid. Some of the people affected are planning to withdraw their children from the various schools (private). We are in December, very soon January where most of us will be paying our house and shop rents. We still have school fees to pay and as it stands now, we are yet to start off with our businesses.

    “Are you going to borrow money from a bank or any lending agency without depositing any collateral? Some have equally met their relations to lend them money but such couldn’t work out.

    “Our hope is going down every day and that is why we want to use this medium to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan, our dear Governor Theodore Orji, some political office holders and the philanthropists we have in Abia and beyond to please come to our aids.

    “We lost a huge amount of money close to N30million in the inferno and if not for the timely intervention of men of the State Fire Service the whole market would have been raised down by the fire. We are yet to know the actual cause of the fire. Officers of the fire service were here days after the incident and they are yet to relay to us what was the remote cause of the fire”.

    Some other traders who spoke to our correspondent corroborated Mr. Igwe’s story, though some of them who said that their distributors share in their pains still sell goods to them at least to sell and sustain their families while they were still expected to set off their old debts when situation improves.

    The Nation reported over two weeks ago that a mysterious midnight fire had engulfed their business centers, destroying goods of over N20million which left the traders wailing uncontrollably as they could not rescue a pin from their shops.

  • Corps Marshal makes case for policy continuity

    The Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi has seized the opportunity of a public lecture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to make a case for policy continuity.

    In his lecture entitled, “Governance and the Public Policy Process: The Contributions of the Federal Road Safety Corps to the Transformation Agenda,” Oyeyemi said that a major stumbling block to policy implementation and success was the tendency of governments to ditch the programmes of their predecessors in what he called “policy summersaults”.

    According to him, successive administrations have developed the tendency for policy discontinuity and project abandonment, by which every successive administration would want to start a fresh project or initiate a new policy without regard to existing ones left behind by the preceding administration.

    He called for a system in which an incoming administration is made to complete existing projects or fully implement ongoing policies before initiating fresh ones.

    “Prior to the emergence of the current administration which introduced the policy of Transformation Agenda, other administrations in the country were never bereft of developmental plans.

    “I would recommend that a law be made to ensure that succeeding administrations do not abandon the development policies or projects of the previous ones in the attempt to engender continuity and genuine development,” he stated.

    On the subject of transformation, Corps Marshal Oyeyemi is of the view that it portends a radical, structural and fundamental reassessment of the basic assumptions that underlie our reforms and developmental efforts as a people under one country.

    “The transformation of the country also includes entrenching an efficient, effective and corruption-free polity, hinged on equity, fair play and respect for a shared common vision. The policy also encompasses character moulding and imbibing of integrity in the country’s set of leaders, redefining the imperatives of transformational leadership, and creating the Nigerian dream that will inspire patriotism and commitment in the citizenry,” he stated.

    While situating the relationship between the transformation agenda of the country and FRSC’s contributions its success, Corps Marshal Oyeyemi stressed that while the transformation agenda is hinged on a multi-modal approach where each agency of the government and the private sector will transform within their sphere of influence, the amalgams are aggregated to make Nigeria fully transformed as a country.

    “And within the context of the transformation process, the FRSC’s contribution is hinged on four broad goals: Accra Declaration which seeks a 50% reduction in road traffic crashes and fatalities by the year 2015; United Nations Decade of Action (2011-2020) which targets reduction in road traffic crashes and fatality by 50% by the year 2020 and placing Nigerian roads, in conformity with the Vision 20:2020 within the league of the twenty safest roads in the world by the year 2020,” he revealed..

    “Ultimately, it is to transform the FRSC into a world-class organisation,” he added.

    Furthermore, Oyeyemi observed that the contributions of the FRSC to national development over the years have vindicated the vision of the founding fathers of the Corps whose proactive action led to its establishment in 1988 through military decree that have been reviewed by the civilian dispensation to make it operate even with greater focus. “The Corps was established basically to curtail the menace of road traffic crashes which have negative socio-economic consequences that hinder national development,” he stated.

    “FRSC has through patrol activities brought sanity to the nation’s highways, and that was made possible because of the strong collaboration it maintains with relevant stakeholders, some of who assisted in procuring additional patrol vehicles, ambulances and tow trucks for it.  “The Corps also invested heavily in ICT infrastructure and commissioned the call centre, which has enhanced its operational activities as evident in improvements in its response time to emergencies from about 50 minutes to 1 hour in 2007 to 15, 20 minutes currently.

    “In line with the need to ensure global best practices in road traffic administration and safety management in Nigeria, the FRSC embarked on documentation of its processes and procedures by adopting Quality Management System in line with ISO 9001:2008 certifications, which was awarded to the Corps in March 2013 by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON),” he stated.

    While further enumerating the role of the FRSC in keeping the nation’s roads safer, the Corps Marshal observed that in view of the damages to the roads by tankers and trailers through heavy haulages, spills and damages to road and road infrastructure in the event of road crashes which occur with attendant increased time spent on commuting, and general observed menace accounting for considerable loss of economic fortunes, the Corps formulated the tanker and trailers operation guidelines.

    “Conscious of the need to evolve acceptable driving behaviour amongst the motoring public, especially for future generation of drivers, the Corps embarked on a rigorous exercise which culminated into the Federal Executive Council’s approval for the infusion of road safety education into the nation’s schools curriculum.

    “This is in addition to the Council’s approval of a standard vehicle type for conveyance of school children to and from school in comfort and safety in conformity with global best practices.

    “The FRSC in another effort at making the road safe, having discovered that over 50% of crashed on our roads resulted from speed violation, introduced a new policy that would make all vehicles to be installed with the speed limiting devise,” he further stated.

    According to him, the first phase of the policy will commence on 1st June 2015 when all commercial vehicles are expected to be fitted with the speed limiting devices. “This policy took FRSC over two years to conceive, nurture and bring to the level of implementation with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders who were consulted at all levels and their expert opinions duly considered before the stakeholders’ conference where the decision on the implementation strategies was taken,” he pointed out.

    “From studies, we are convinced that if well implemented, the policy would reduce speed induced road traffic crashes by at least 30%.

    “And aside generally making the road safer, it will assist Nigeria to attain the goals of the Accra Declaration, the United Nations Decade of Action For Road Safety: 2011-2020 and Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020, all of which hope to place the country roads within the league of the twenty safest global roads by year 2020,” he emphasised.

    On the level of readiness of the nation to withstand the economic and social challenges of being one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 as envisoned by the national development agenda, Corps Marshal Oyeyemi stated that Vision 2020 document projects that Nigeria’s current GDP of $ US$509.9 billion would grow to $900 billion by year 2020. He added that if attained, the Vision will make Nigeria’s GDP to be at par with the size of present day GDP of Russia, Brazil and Canada.

    “The Vision 20:2020 equally projects a per capital income of $4,000; growth in the country’s population from 160 million to 200 million and generate of 60,000 megawatts of electricity. What is most significant to the transportation sub sector, especially the Federal Road Safety Corps, is that vehicular population which is currently at 9.7 million would grow to over 40 million by the year 2020,” stated.

    In trying to answer the questions of how Vision 20:2020 could impact on the nation’s road safety, if the status is attained, Corps Marshal Oyeyemi assured that the Federal Road safety Corps is conscious of the enormous responsibilities. Accordingly, he stated that the organisation has been putting in place measures that could address such challenges, adding that the leadership is conscious of the fact that when Nigeria becomes an economic giant by 2020, the estimated 40 million vehicles that will drive on Nigerian roads would impact significantly on increased number of containers and tankers on the highways.

    “We project that the current, 5,000 tankers transporting 150 million liters of fuel daily, would by 2020, require about 20,000 tankers and trailers to transport haulage across the country as we would have become an economic giant.

    “This therefore means that as more tankers and trailers would leave the ports with fuel and containers, and the collective impact they will have on traffic congestion especially on roads along the ports, particularly the Apapa-Oshodi and Lagos-Ibadan Expressways can only be imagined, except urgent and practical public policies are formulated to mitigate the envisaged impacts, even where the roads are expanded,” he explains.

    The Corps Marshal further expatiated on the economic cost of road traffic crashes to global economy, putting the cost conservatively at $518billion, which represents 1-1.5% of GNP of low-middle income countries and 2% of GNP of high income countries.

    “The economic cost of road traffic crashes to low-middle income countries economy is $65billion. Economic cost of road traffic crashes to Africa’s economy is $37billion. Nigeria loses about $10billion to road traffic crashes annually, representing about 3% of the nation’s GDP,” he stated.

    Furthermore, he disclosed that road traffic congestion in Lagos alone is costing Lagosians reduced access to spatially located urban resources and land uses, while road traffic congestions generally in Nigeria lead to problems of longer transit time between origin and destination points. These he said, culminated in high cost of transportation and excessive energy consumption, even as investments in the transport subsector are strategic to national development and economic growth.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Hope for cancer patients in Imo

    Hope for cancer patients in Imo

    The relief is coming on two fronts. One, more cancer-treatment centres are opening up closer home, helping patients to save money that would otherwise cover overseas flights and the like. Two, cost of treatment is cheaper, all things considered.

    The relief is huge in Imo where the state government has flagged off a fully-equipped cancer treatment facility called Ochiedike Dialysis Centre. It is the first in the state.

    The Centre named after the late father of the state Governor, Ochedike Okorocha, who died of kidney failure, was declared open by the Governor, Rochas Okorocha announced free tests and diagnosis for prostate and breast cancer for people over 40 years.

    The governor disclosed that the Centre is 100% owned by the state government but leased to Israeli medical experts to manage for 15 years.

    He noted that cancer has claimed the lives of many Nigerians but added that when detected at early stage, the disease can be handled and the patient’s life saved.

    The governor maintained that with the modern facilities in place and the medical team working at the Centre, people of the South-East and Nigerians at large will have no need of going to India again for treatments on kidney and cancer related ailments, adding, “I thank God for a dream come true. My vision to save the lives of numerous poor indigenes has become a reality.”

    He explained further  that the 27 new General Hospitals under construction will specialize in different fields of medicine when completed, priding that, “we are not only good in the education sector, we are also good in the health sector”.

    Earlier in her remarks, the Medical Director of the Centre, Mrs. Judith Glick recounted how her team led by Dr. Obi Njoku, former Commissioner for Health, presented the proposal for the Centre to the governor three months before the 2011 elections where he replied, “Why not, if I become the governor I will establish this diagnostic centre with you.”

    Dr. Glick said her team will develop and establish more medical units in the centre, just as she disclosed that investors are ready to establish a world class hospital in the State.

    ”It is time we stopped sending money out to other countries in search of medical attention; we are here for Imo people and Nigerians at large to remain strong, vibrant and healthy to enable everyone contribute in building a better Imo State and Nigeria,” she assured.

    In his speech, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Edward Ihejirika regretted the progressive increase in chronic diseases, despite efforts made by government through immunisation and improved hygiene.

    He explained that the Governor established the Centre to provide adequate medical care and services via the most efficient and experienced Dialysis Technicians and Nephrologists as well as reduce capital flight.

  • ‘Why I want to govern Abia’

    ‘Why I want to govern Abia’

    The struggle to succeed Governor Theodore Orji in Abia State is gathering pace, with Dr. Alex Otti, the immediate past Managing Director of Diamond Bank, giving reasons why he is in the race.

    Otti, running on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), said he has the requisite experience and qualification to be the next governor of the southeast state, come 2015.

    At an interactive session with reporters at a book launch authored by the former American Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Rabin Renee Sanders, titled “The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria,” at the Civic Centre, Ozumba, in Lagos, he said he would use his expertise as a banker to provide infrastructural facilities, power and total development from the urban communities to the grassroots in the state.

    “There would be revolving funds at the various 17 local government areas of the state to develop the grassroots,”  he said, adding,  “When the citizens of Abia vote in a leader with good track records, who would get Aba right, then Abia economy would be right. Aba was in the past the Japan of Africa. We would re-develop Aba into a modern commercial hub, which will, in general terms, involve urban renewal and city upgrading, provision of functional infrastructure, stable power supply, reliable and decent public transportation system, standard and planned industrial layout and cluster of parks.

    “We shall enhance marketing opportunities for ‘Made-in-Aba’ goods and services, particularly in leather products, by ensuring quality control  and show casing of the made-in-Aba brands in the economic capitals of the world.”

    The establishment of functional Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) would be given top priority.

    On health, he said some of the state hospitals would be developed and equipped to compete favourably with Indian ones.

    He said, “The education sector would also be revolutionalised. I believe the right man who can perform should have it.”

  • FRSC, Anambra tackle road crashes

    FRSC, Anambra tackle road crashes

    The sensitisation campaign took the form of a carnival but the stern faces of men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) conveyed the seriousness of the exercise.

    They gathered at the popular Aroma Square in Awka in collaboration with the Anambra State government to tell the people of the state that traffic offenders will no longer go unpunished.

    Anambra State Sector Commander, Mr. Sunday Ajayi pledged to eliminate the gridlock at Bridge head in the commercial city of Onitsha every festive period.

    But to get it right, Ajayi said that all stakeholders including the drivers, security agencies and the corps members to raise the awareness in road safety.

    The theme of the programme was entitled, “road safety is a shared responsibility, it depends on you”.

    Speaking with the Nation after the event, the FRSC Commander for Benin zone comprising Anambra, Edo and Delta states, Mr. Charles Akpabio, said there is need for strict adherence to safety regulations by motorists.

    He said that more than 50 percent of road crashes in the country were due to violations of speed limit.

    Akpabio said that everybody must get involved in the business of road safety as there was nobody who does not use the roads as part of his journey.

    “Every motorist like any other human being has some element of insanity in him, a good driver is one who drives with the mindset that other road users are equally mad”.

    He warned that the officers of the agency in the zone would be strict with the implementation of all safety rules and regulations, especially as the yuletide draws close.

    “Lack of attention to simple regulations and most especially, speed violations alone cause more than 50 percent of crashes on our roads, we are going to deploy radar guns, tranquilizers in our patrol  exercises to ensure that we reduce crashes at least 25 percent this period”

    For Ajayi, the commendation should go to Anambra state government for its assistance to the FRSC in the provision of logistics for their operations and the training of drivers in its employ.

    He said, “Anambra government has always provided the enabling environment for the command, we will continue to make effective use of such opportunities to achieve effective delivery.

    Governor Willie Obiano praised the FRSC command in the state for the safety level recorded so far in the state, but pledged continued partnership with the agency.

    He was represented by the state Commissioner for Transport, Chuma Mbonu, a lawyer at the event.

    He said, the state administration was paying huge attention to road infrastructure in the state as to ease traffic within the state.

    “Part of this effort is the construction of three flyovers in the Awka metropolis, this administration is very concerned about ensuring that roads in Anambra state are safe for all users” Obiano said.

    Some of the drivers, Okwudili Nwagu, Innocent Okezie, Anthony Okafor who spoke with the Nation said they would adhere to the rules and regulations of the agency, especially during the yuletide period.

    And to show the seriousness of the state government, Obiano has already banned the sale of alcoholic drinks in all the motor parks in the state.

     

  • Community relishes peace, growth

    Community relishes peace, growth

    The horrible spell is behind them now and the people can savour a stream of fresh air in their community. Okposi Development Centre in Ebonyi State was once engulfed in crisis no one is happy to remember. Violence descended on it in the form of youth restiveness, kidnapping, looting and murder, among other vices.

    But since Nze Magnus Eze took over as the Centre’s coordinator, his mantra has been peace and growth.

    The former coordinator, the late Ihebunadu Okorie, was kidnapped during a church service in Okposi and later killed by his assailants in a forest at Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state. Over three youths lost their lives as the community gradually became a den of criminals.

    On April 15, Governor Martin Elechi appointed Eze as Okorie’s replacement. Not long after, peace gradually started returning to the ever-busy and hospitable community of Okposi, thereby giving room to various forms of development.

    Now, the community made up of several villages including Amenu, Umunuka, Amechi, Umuka, Umuakuma, Mebi-Ameke, Ameluagu, Mebiowa, Mgbom Enu, Mgbom Ani, Isinkwo, Okposi Achara, Avu/Umuiwa and Okposi Okwu have witnessed the flag-off of a significant road construction work in the area.

    The exercise attracted representatives of the villages and prominent sons and daughters of the community who sang and praised God for the restoration of peace and the new wave of developmental initiatives gaining sway in the community.

    The coordinator who is the founder of a movement: “Mezie Okposi” movement is seen at different forum preaching peace and unity among the three autonomous communities namely Okposi Okwu, Mgbom N’Achara and Okposi even as he stressed that no meaningful development will come to a community where there is reign of terror and war.

    To ensure lasting peace in the area, Magnus Eze had the arduous task of bringing back Okposi people to once again have confidence in government by arresting youth restiveness that ravaged the area.

    So the security of lives and property was a top most priority.

    He was able to institute Security advocacy tour of the 12 villages that make up the DC, set up Enuakwa neighborhood watch, who in partnership with the Police and other security agencies provide security within the DC especially Court Area, the commercial hub of Okposi.

    Then, as part of youth empowerment scheme, he initiated the  training of 15 youths in various skills in partnership with National Directorate of Employment, NDE as part of the DC N10m capacity building and empowerment programme for the youth.

    It is necessary to state that another batch of 38 beneficiaries of Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment Programme was officially inaugurated on October 17, 2014.

    The Development Centre sponsored 15 wrestlers to qualify as state athletes for NAFEST, School Sports and National Sports Festival and paid N2.1m Bursary to 7 students in the  Nigerian Law School.

    It also inaugurated the Attitudinal Change Vanguards for moral rebirth of especially the youth and promoted the Mgba Okposi Festival 2014 (traditional wrestling contest).

    All these initiatives were necessary to redirect the minds of the youths and the entire community towards development and progress instead of violence.

    The 3km Umuakuma Road project which was flagged off by the chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Hon. Enekwachi Akpa was wooed to the state from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by an Abuja-based  lawyer, legislative consultant and son of the soil, Dr. Eze Anoke

    Dr. Anoke is also the President General of Okposi Community Development Union and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP aspirant for Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo (Ohanivo) federal constituency of the State in the 2015 general election.

    The road aside serving Umuakuma and Mebiokpa villages will also enable easy evacuation of sand from the Asu River.

    Speaking with The Nation, Dr. Eze Anoke stated that he used his connection at the National Assembly to ensure the road was funded in the 2014 budget and that he will ensure its continuous funding in 2015 budgetary allocation.

    He enjoined the people to see the project as their own and advised the contractors to work according to specifications.

    Responding, the engineer representing the indigenous company, Divine Favour construction company  handling the project, Mr. Matthew Godwin said the company was presently implementing the first phase of the project which would gulp over 200 million as it will be completed on December 31, 2014.

    Chairman of the council, Enekwachi Akpa while flagging off the project, thanked Nze Magnus for the return of peace to the community without which the project will not have commenced.

    He also charged the people to protect the equipments of the contractors and to give them all necessary assurance to ensure that they complete the work on schedule.