The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

Abia CLO condemns clampdown on media

Sunny Nwankwo

The swoop on the media at the weekend by soldiers has continued to draw reactions from Nigerians. The Chairman, Civil Liberty Organisations (CLO), Abia State Chapter Prof. Charles Chinekezi has condemned the action, urging President Goodluck Jonathan to call the army authorities to order to avoid a future occurrence.

Chinekezi who was speaking with journalists in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, described the military action as the “height of irresponsibility and anti-democracy”, stressing that such action could truncate Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

”For me, what has happened is the height of irresponsibility on the side of whoever that was involved; whether the military or government. Whoever was the brain behind that action is anti-democracy. That person, group or organization is anti-democratic and we cannot go on with people like that. The CLO condemns it in the strongest term and brand such people, irresponsible Nigerians. They are people that want to truncate democracy.”

He added “democracy that is available in Nigeria today was only obtained through the efforts of media organizations, writers who use only paper on pen and mere speech to try to remodel the society up to the level it has gotten to today. And how can we now accept anybody to truncate our democracy; be him a soldier, policeman, secret service agent, public servant or top government functionary who now want to staple the operational methodology of the Nigerian press? That person we cannot tolerate and we will go to any extent and whoever in this action wants to terminate the democracy in Nigeria.”

“Look at the level of trauma, disorganization that we are suffering in the hands of insurgents called Boko Haram and the trouble Nigeria is suffering in the international community. Look at the level of economic and political trouble we are going through inside our country at present and somebody is now targeting to destroy the press, how far can that person go? He asked

Reacting on the statement issued and signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade on why the military confiscated and stopped the circulation and sales of The Nation and other newspapers across the country on Friday, the civil right activist asked “What type of routine check would warrant soldiers to invade media houses and stopped paper circulation, what kind of routine check is that? Where has that kind of check ever been conducted before? If for example, the military had anything to inquire for, don’t they how to meet the editors, publishers among others to have a personal chat with them and also inquire to be helped in a particular area of information? Why should they take the extreme measure of invading their offices?

Continuing he stated; “the intention of whoever that is carrying out such nefarious activity is to stifle or reduce the effectiveness of the free flow of information. That is the only target they have, but I want to assure them that they have failed. It cannot deter the genuine process and the objective principles of objective and professional journalism and we will not be intimidated by anybody. We cannot be deterred. It is unfortunate that we will be talking this type of issue by now, it is very unfortunate. That is not the duty we send them to do.

“The duty we send them to do is to help and curb the level of insurgency that is rearing its ugly head in the north which is trying to disintegrate or disorganise Nigeria. They should know that by their action, they are trying to threaten National security by threatening the security of the press.

They want to destroy newspaper and mass media business and investment. They want to also destroy people’s carrier and government by extension. What they are doing is evil. Even in the draconian Abacha government and all the military juntas that have passed, we have gone through all these things. We have known the methodologies and I am advising the executive president to call whoever that is behind this action to order. He has a duty as the president of this country to call this people to order because they have crossed the Rubicon and are now going haywire and we cannot accept that, the CLO Abia chapter chairman stated.

June 12, 2014
Neighbours at daggers-drawn over boundary

Chris Oji

A breakdown of law and order looms in two communities in Enugu State, except the state government urgently intervenes.

On March 13, Ikem and Neke communities in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area engaged each other in a clash over a disputed boundary at Ugwu Okwunene.

Machetes were freely used and eight people sustained injuries on both sides. A house was also torched and two members of Ikem community were reportedly abducted but later rescued.

Different degrees of machete wounds were inflicted on members of the communities. One of them, Vitalis Agbo, from Ikem, lost a thumb.

After the conflict, each community took their victims to different hospitals in Enugu where they received treatment, though one Godwin Odo from Neke was said to have died four days later. His death, though, was allegedly attributed to complications of a terminal ailment he was said to be suffering before the machete injury.

Following his death, however, four members of the community, namely, Lousia Odo, 60, Alpheus Ushi, 38, Okwudili Nnamani, 40, and Lazarus Eze Idoko, 49, were arrested by the police and detained for six weeks. There was mounted pressure on the police from government and human rights activists to release the arrested persons, but the police did not yield. They were said to have swiftly conducted an autopsy on the dead person and arraigned the detainees on May 14, 2014 at the Enugu Magistrate Court 5 presided over by Mrs. I. S. Oruruo.

The autopsy report was declared missing in the three files submitted to the court by the police that conducted the autopsy.

The Enugu police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu, however, contradicted that claim on the eve of the arraignment of the accused persons. He confirmed that the post mortem of the deceased was ready and that it was one of the reasons for the arraignment.

It was also learnt that the complainants from Neke community failed to show up during police investigation at the scene of the clash. There was also a contradiction on the charge sheet in which the scene was referred to as Akpani Neke whereas it actually took place on the ground ceded to Ikem by the state boundary committee led by the Deputy Governor of the state, Sunday Onyebuchi.

The magistrate court had, however, referred the charge of arson and murder to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) while the suspects were remanded in Enugu Prison pending the transfer of the case to a high court that will hear the matter.

Two months after the incarceration of the four accused persons, Deputy Governor Onyebuchi, who is the Chairman of Enugu State boundary committee, was said to have mediated in the matter where he was said to have frowned at the action of Neke community which refused to vacate the Ikem land three years after his committee demarcated it.

The deputy governor was said to have ordered the chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government, Mr. Augustine Nnamani, to immediately secure the release of the four incarcerated Ikem people before they were charged to court but that was not done until they were committed to Awaiting Trial in the prison custody.

The traditional ruler of Ikem community, Igwe Francis Okwor spoke with reporters on the issue, pleading with Governor Sullivan Chime to intervene in the dispute. The monarch said that Governor Chime’s intervention was urgently needed in order to prevent further bloodshed between the twom communities.

Igwe Okwor said that Chime should do everything within his power to see that peace returned to the neighbouring communities and accused the chairman of Isi-Uzo local government, Augustine Nnamani of fuelling the boundary dispute by instigating his people to go to court even though the disagreement had been resolved by the boundary committee years ago.

Hon. Nnamani denied any involvement in the crisis, saying he was being framed up.

The royal father traced the land dispute between the two communities to 1952 when according to him, Neke community encroached on their land and Ikem sought a demarcation. The Uzo-Agu Association, an umbrella organisation of the five communities of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area insisted that the land should not be demarcated among brothers and Ikem people agreed with a proviso that Neke people should not go beyond Ngene Ikwe, a stream.

The two communities, the traditional ruler explained, continued to live like brothers without official demarcation until 1976 when a secondary school was built in Ikem known as Ikem Secondary School, Ikem. He said the people of Neke recently rose up and said the school should no longer be called Ikem Secondary School but Ikem-Neke Secondary School.

To this, the people of Ikem reluctantly agreed to avoid bloodshed and would have left it at that had not some Neke people started building on the land adjacent to the school premises, claiming that the school is not the boundary.

Igwe Okwor also explained that due to the continued encroachment and the erecting of buildings on Ikem land adjacent to the school premises, some people in Ikem rose up to defend their land and were attacked by Neke people.

“As if that was not enough, during the fracas that ensued, one Neke man died and Neke people claimed that it was Ikem people that killed him and thus four people were held in police detention for more than four months,” Igwe Okwor claimed. He wondered why it was Neke people that took them to court instead of Ikem taking Neke to court.

He said: “Five of our people were taken to the hospital because of machete cut injury inflicted on them by Neke people. Luckily, none of them died but one Neke man died and they said it was Ikem people that killed the man and for this reason, they are charging them for murder.”

Igwe Okwor said that the state government asked the council chairman, Hon. Augustine Nnamani to build a concrete beacon around the Ugwu Okwunene to stop the encroachment by Neke to the school premises which he has not done up till this day.

In the same manner, Ikem youths have also called on Governor Chime to secure the release of ”innocent detainees” of the communal clash. The youths expressed dismay that after the deputy Governor of the state, Sunday Onyebuchi, who also is the chairman of state boundary

adjustment committee, had ordered the Chairman of Isi-Uzo local government council to release the detainees; nothing was done about it.

June 12, 2014
Anambra decongests roads

Nwanosike Onu

Things are looking up in Anambra State. Governor Willie Obiano, taking off from where his predecessor Peter Obi left off, has mounted a campaign to rid the state of criminals, setting up a special task force to realise the objective. Now, his administration has turned its sights on the state’s congested roads, cluttered with all manner of disused and abandoned vehicles. Another task force has been set up for that purpose, and it has started yielding dividends.

The battle began on May 12, and has been on with state Commissioner for Transport, Chuma Mbonu and the Permanent Secretary, Transport, ENC Ogbaji leading the charge.

Also, members of the Anambra State Transport Agency (ASTA) with Emma Onwughalu as the Commander General have been on rampage impounding all damaged vehicles blocking the streets.

The exercise has taken the groups to the capital city, Awka, the commercial cities of Nnewi and Onitsha and environs.

The Agency is working in tandem with the military, the police, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other paramilitary agencies in the state.

Not only that, the transport commissioner Chuma Mbonu, told the Nation in Awka that Anambra state must be clean before the 100 days in office of Obiano this June.

Besides the transport ministry, other ministries such as environment and local government have also come together to fight the war.

Already, designated parks had been provided to alleviate the hardship the situation could create.

Also, dumping sites for confiscated vehicles had been created appropriately in designated areas in the state, while provisions had been made where people will park their vehicles.

Mbonu warned that defaulters of this directive would have themselves to blame, adding that owners of accidental vehicles should remove them within the stipulated time or have them removed by the task force at an unpleasant cost to the owner.

According to Mbonu, “note that in line with the programme of activities of the task force, the decongestion exercise has taken off in earnest and we are not joking about it”.

However the commissioner commended the people of the state for their cooperation so far in the exercise.

But one problem has been hampering the movement of the task force and that is lack of vehicles from the Government.

Therefore, the ministry requested for additional two vehicles to be attached to the task force.

The task force has equally requested for identification tags to be provided to them to differentiate them from others.

The Awka Commander of the (FRSC}, Hygenius Omeje has warned the operators of the agency that the exercise must be prosecuted with decorum.

He said that any impounded vehicle that stays for six months without the owner claiming it, the Task Force would not have any other option than to go to court.

“Our high ways are not parking yards, we are going to place further notifications after those sensitisations and already, we have notified transport owners in the state”.

For E.N.C. Ogbaji, the permanent secretary in the ministry told the Nation that the exercise is not to witch hunt anybody or group but to keep in line with the direction of Obiano’s administration of making Anambra the cleanest state in the land.

Furthermore, to show his seriousness in sanitizing the state in some areas, Obiano said on Thursday that his administration would soon strengthen, existing laws to guide unhealthy environmental practices in the state.

He said this during the world environmental day in Awka which had the theme “Small Island developing state”.

Obaino said the state was being confronted with deforestation, bush burning, indiscriminate waste disposal, blocking of flood channels pollution and excavation.

According to the state commissioner for Environment, Evarest Uba “we are planning to introduce into the state government’s statues community service for defaulters who cannot pay fine or those we do not want to send to jail”.

Prof. Frank Ezeonu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, said “Nigeria was yet to embrace the entire spectrum of waste management”.

June 12, 2014
‘I’m a mother, graduate, bus driver’

•Meet Blessing Ekwueme, Abia’s first woman commercial driver

She is every bit a model. She has made history but does not wear that honour like a badge. She is calm, yet very active, inspired and focused on her responsibilities and vision.

Mrs. Blessing Ekwueme is the first woman commercial driver in Abia State. She is so happy at what she does that she cannot imagine taking her feet off the accelerator in the foreseeable future.

She received a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics from Alvan Ikoku College, Owerri, and tried very hard to work with the Immigration and later the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). None of them clicked. She set up a trading business, buying crayfish from Calabar, Cross River State, and selling in Abia. One day, some fellows stopped by her stand, bent down and took away her stock. Why? She was not registered with the market union, she was told. That was it for selling crayfish.

Undaunted, she turned to driving, starting as a commercial bus conductor and taking home only a stipend. Five years ago, she decided to sit behind the steering herself and do the driving. But first, she needed to learn to do so. Will her boss teach her? Yes, and she paid attention while he did. Today, she fills her large bus with passengers and takes them to their destinations, and back.

Ekwueme is conscious of the fact that she operates in a male-dominated environment and not only is she courageous and determined to make the most of it, she is equally aware that she is a model to other people, especially women.

She is married to an oil rigger with whom she has three children. And she is happy to be contributing to the family upkeep, conscious of her role as a helper to her husband on the home front.

Mrs Ekwueme, who now operates a bus on the state youth employment scheme, spoke exclusively with SUNNY NWANKWO, detailing how she combines her many parts. Excerpts:

Family and education

My dad is married to two wives. My mother is the first wife. We were seven in number, but one of us, the first daughter, is late. Our most senior brother is a politician but he doesn’t stay at home with us.

I come from a responsible home. My dad was a civil servant, while my mum is a farmer. They trained me well.

I am married with three children. My husband is from Afor Umuda Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government Area. He works as a rigger at an oil company at Port Harcourt. He is at work for about three months and comes back to spend one week with us. In the face of this, I accepted to do something so that I don’t stay idle or join other women in gossiping and creating problems for my family.

I still believe that I am made to be a helper to my husband, so that is why I am supporting him and I think that we have a happy home today.

I had my NCE (National Certificate in Education) at Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State. I studied Economics there from 1998 to 2004.

I looked for job but it wasn’t that easy for me. When I was told that Immigration was recruiting, I applied but it didn’t work out. I applied for Road Safety, did their training but after much, my name was unable to come out. So, I said no, let me do business on my own I don’t want to be dependent on any person. That was why I decided to do business.

A stint in business

Doing business or trading is all part of my profession. I started with selling crayfish; when I go to Calabar, I will buy them in bags and come down here to sell not until one day I encountered a little problem when I went to a local market at Ariam in Ikwuano Local Government Area to sell my crayfish when people on union came and confiscated my goods that I was not supposed to sell anything in their market because I didn’t register with their union. I pleaded with them, but they refused to release my goods to me. So, when I went home I started thinking of the alternative because I really want to help my family. Staying idle might cause a lot of things for me in my home because I have seen some other homes that are broken today because the wife was not able to assist the husband in sharing some of the responsibilities in the home.

The road to driving

It was at that point that I decided to join transport business as a bus conductor where I was stipends. I joined driving 5 years ago. We were driving from Umuahia to Port Harcourt. While I was still doing the conductor work, I met one of the drivers and explained my intention to become a driver, but that depends if he can teach me how to drive even if it is for two weeks. He eventually did and I started practicing on my own, not until today that I am perfect. I really find joy doing it because I can take care of myself and my family.

Family’s initial reaction

Initially when he heard it, he wasn’t all that happy because he was saying that since I want to join commercial driving, that it will turn me to be a tout. But I made him know that my mission going into commercial driving was not to be stupid, and that I would still maintain my integrity, and I’m happy today that I’m still making him proud.

My mother in-law, like her son, initially objected to the idea of me going into driving. But I had to let her know that their own time and ours are not the same; that things were easier for them then, but now things are very hard. I told her that she shouldn’t expect me to fold my arms just because I went to school and therefore shouldn’t do the driving work because they were seeing it that I was going to mess around with men. I assured her that I was going to do the work better. After much battling, she came to understand that I am not the lazy type and that I mind my business. They are happy with me.

Adapting to driving

Commercial driving is not easy, especially when it is seen to be a job for the male folk. So, it wasn’t that easy for me to adapt because I faced a lot of challenges from male colleagues. On many occasions my vehicle was impounded and money demanded from me by these boys that collect money for daily tickets. That stopped when they understood that I am ready for the work.

Contact with Abia Youth Empowerment Scheme

They have seen me operating on Ubakala-Umuahia route. When the engine of the bus I was driving broke down, the owner of the bus said I should not be going far distance anymore, that I should be running the local route, so I started driving from Ubakala to Umuahia. The Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Mr. Sunny Nwakodo saw me on several occasions driving and made enquiries about me. The people he asked told him that I am a perfect driver, that I driver very well and like men too.

After some time, he called me and asked me some questions which I answered. Satisfied by my responses, he gave me the key to a bus, telling me to drive it to Aba and back. That day, I did well; I went to Aba three times. So, when I came back, I delivered well. That was when he decided to give me key to the bus and until today; I am still driving the bus. I didn’t pay any money to him. He just gave the key. What we normally do is a daily account depending on the number of trips. But basically, each trip is N5,000.

How impactful has the driving experience being

At least, I am using it to encourage other women, telling them that whatever a man does, a woman can do it much better. They should wake up and make Abia a better place just like our governor has been preaching. Now that I am doing it, there some areas I have been assisting my husband. At times, when they asked my children of their school fees, if my husband is not around, I pay it and don’t necessarily have to wait for him to come back and do it.

It is also giving my parents, my mother and father in-law joy. At least they are proud of me. So the job has really helped me.

Coping with male colleagues

It is not easy to be the only woman in the midst of about 30 men. You know that men are “Lions”. Being in their midst looks as if you are carrying a chicken to a lion’s den. At times, our chairman, Sunny Nwakodo used to be there for me when they come up to challenge, humiliate or intimidate me. He will always remind them that I am the only woman in their midst and that they should pamper and carry me. I think they are not happy seeing me coming up to challenge them, but at a time, they begin to see that I am destined to do so; that is my nature. I am born strong to be strong and hardworking. They have no other option than to obey what the chairman said.

Being among male colleagues, sometimes, I feel intimidated but because I know it is something that I am bound to see and a decision I made, I have to take up whatever that I see and now I don’t feel it all that. Whenever they challenge me, I react and I am still there (laughs).

Any plans leaving the business?

I am not thinking of dropping driving for now, unless I am being rewarded by the state government as the first Abia female driver with a lucrative and mouthwatering job (laughs out loud).

One day, one of my passengers said that he was going to talk to Chief T.A Orji, our governor, although I don’t know whether he has the means. He said I need to be recognized, rewarded and promoted for having the nerve to not only break into a field dominated by men, but doing the job even better than the men.

So, I am looking forward to be rewarded with a better job that is better than driving and risking of one’s life on the road. If the job comes, I will have no option but to drop commercial driving. But if it doesn’t come, I will continue with the one that I am doing now at least, I am feeding from it.

Risk in the business

I believe that there is no means of livelihood in this life that is easy. Before you make money in this life, you must undergo some risks. I don’t see it as a risk but a means of survival.

Relationship with passengers

Since I know that passengers are always right, when they become funny, I will understand. I will try to pet them so that I will get what I want from them.

On using her gender effectively

Just because I am a lady, many of the passengers believe that I drive carefully. Many people do wait for me at our loading bay because, according to them, they feel more relaxed and comfortable because of the way I drive. So, I have many passengers that do patronise me. I am satisfied and encouraged when I hear about the good things they say about me.

Coping with the job and responsibilities at home

My husband’s kid sister is staying with me. She helps in some house chores the way I direct her. At times when the kids are ill, she will take care of them till I will come back. The job actually doesn’t stop me from performing my responsibility as a woman. I do the things I am supposed to do for my husband, although it is not easy but there is nothing I can do because it is the type of world we find ourselves. I believe that one can only rest when he or she is old. But for now that I am still young, that is when I know that I am supposed to lay a good foundation for my family.

To other women who are in other spheres of life dominated by men outside commercial driving, they are just like me. I am advising them to carry on because they I know that they will still experience peace in their homes just like I am experiencing in my own home. I am proud to say that since I got married, there has never been any time my husband visited police station maybe because of a trouble that I caused. So, women who stay at home to gossip should desist from that and engage themselves into meaningful ventures in order to help their family and also meet their personal needs without depending so much on their husband to do it for them.

Advice to women

I want to be a leader which I have equally started through this process (commercial driving). I am advising other women to come out and be up doing because these days are not days that you fold your arms and wait for a man to fend for you or for manner to fall from heaven. They should come up and join me. I need people that could come up and join me to do this job that I am doing. Even if they don’t have their own car, they can drive for someone just as I am doing until when God will give them their own car.

I don’t see it as only for the men, I see it as a general work for everybody. Most of the problems we encounter in some homes today is as a result of idleness; when your husband go out to work and you relax at home, when he comes back and you ask him for something, he might not be able to give you exactly what you asked because you may not know what he is seeing to get that money and he might have other plans for that money that he came back with. So, you will see that a women staying at home and not helping her husband causes a lot of problems.

At least the people around here are proud of me. When they see me, everybody would want to greet me because I am doing well. I used to tell my younger ones that I am today loved by all is simply because I did not fold my arms and I don’t beg anybody for anything, even in my family I don’t beg anybody for anything instead, I love giving out, so it bring joy and happiness to me, my family and the community as a whole.

Relaxation?

Yes, I do relax on Sundays. I attend Sunday Service; I have enough rest that I need against Monday and I still believe that I will not do it forever. A time is coming by the grace of God, when I will have proper rest. But for now, I don’t think I need rest.

June 12, 2014
Abia PDP too strong to lose, says Orji

Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke

Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party’s strength in the state in the run-up to its national mini-convention at which it will ratify the party’s national chairman, Adamu Mua’azu.

Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia his return from a caucus meeting of the party in Abuja, Orji said the party is still the one to beat in the coming general elections next year.

Orji who has been a member of the PDP caucus said that the discussed the issue of the forth coming national convention where it is expected that the position of the national chairman will be ratified and the plans for the forthcoming elections will be unveiled.

The governor said that there is need for the ratification of Mu’azu as the PDP national chairman since his short tenure has brought peace to the party and reconciliation has been ongoing, “Therefore ratifying his office will strengthen the party and bring more confidence to the members”.

He said that since the new national chairman assumed office, “There has been absolute peace and harmony in the party, as he has been carrying everyone along and the confidence of the party members has returned, thereby making the party stronger”.

Orji, who was bestowed with the honour as the agric governor of the year by AgricExpos West Africa, said that the award was given to him during the agric exposition where agricultural produce of the state and other states were exhibited.

The governor said that the award made him to be a proud Abian and more determined to improve on the agricultural production of the state, stressing that the state is blessed with many agricultural produce.

He maintained that his administration is poised to bring back all the native foods that are being neglected, pointing out that such foods which, “Our people need such farm produce which has been neglected as they are better and good to the body, as our fore fathers lived longer on such food stuff”.

Orji said that his government has done well for the people of the state especially as it concerns agriculture, stressing that a lot of people have been empowered through the liberation farms that have been established all over the state.

The governor said that he is following the footsteps of President Goodluck Jonathan in the agricultural agenda, as Mr President has stopped the issue of fertilizer scandal which has tended to destroy the agriculture sector.

He said that the President has done well in the agriculture sector through the introduction of dry farming and approved the sum of N1 billion to be given to farmers, adding that such move will help to increase food production and security.

June 12, 2014
Innoson donates hall to ESUT

Days like that are rare at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). For the first time in its life, the university was receiving an edifice built and donated by an individual.

The Chief Executive of Innoson Group of Companies, Chief Innocent Chukwuma handed over the structure to the university, a multi-million naira bock built for the General Studies department of the institution. Chukwuma, who is a beneficiary of an honorary doctorate degree from the university, made the promise of building the edifice in 2011.

Last week he handed the building to the university. At the occasion, Chukwuma said: “It is a promise I made to the university. Thank God that the promise I made in 2011has been fulfilled today.”

Chukwuma said the gesture towards the university has not ended with the building of the General Studies building.

“This is the beginning of the many things I will do for the university. I am happy that the students will now study under good atmosphere devoid of hassles.”

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Cyprian Onyishi could not hide his joy as he told the audience comprising of staff, lecturers and members of the public that for the first time “we are having a building through an individual.”

Onyishi said that he was very proud to be associated with Chukwuma, adding: “There are very few of his kind in Nigeria. He has done a lot for humanity. In terms of employment, he has touched so many homes. Chief Chukwuma has made significant contributions to industry in Nigeria.”

While thanking him for the gesture, Onyishi said the building would go a long way in immortalising Chukwuma whom he said “had extended such gestures to other institutions of higher learning.”

The national chairman of All Progressives Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh who chaired the occasion and cut the tape, described Chukwuma as one shining star in a million.

He praised the businessman for his kindness, urging him not to relent in giving back to the society the blessings given to him by God. Umeh expressed optimism that the GS building would go a long way in improving the quality of education in the university.

“One thing is certain, all the students who will pass through this university must study under this roof because the General Studies is compulsory in all universities,” Umeh posited.

He enjoined both the lecturers at the general studies department of the university and the students to take advantage of the building and provisions there to enhance their knowledge.

June 5, 2014
Shelter for Enugu residents

There is one more thing to cheer in Enugu State: shelter.

The state government has continued to make steady progress in the implementation of its four point agenda a road map produced to guide it in the committed efforts to serve the people of the state better.

Apart from roads and urban beautification, one other area the administration of Governor Sullivan Chime has made a difference in the provision of affordable houses for residents of the state.

Chime commissioned the 384 flat Maryland Estate in Enugu comprising two and three bed rooms built by the State Housing Development Corporation. The estate is for low income and middle level workers in the state. It consists of 324 two bedroom and 60 three bedroom.

The Maryland Estate is one among the many estates developed and being developed in Enugu to meet the demand for shelter from Enugu residents. The administration had developed such estates like the Coal City Garden, Greenland and Ekulu East, popularly known as Zoo estates. The Palm Beach Estate, near Nsukka is almost coming to completion and it was the first suburban estate. The buildings included thirty and fifty units of self contained bungalows.

And in line with the governor’s determination to provide affordable and decent accommodation to workers in the state, the state government had approved a N2 billion loan

offer from the Federal Mortgage Bank for the development of the Enugu State Workers Estate at Ogbeke Nike, Enugu East local government area.

The project which will be executed by two Estate developers, Ceebt World Development and Kayllods Limited, will consist of two bedroom, 3-bedroom bungalow, 4-bedroom duplex and 2-bedroom block of flats.

The Maryland Estate was started by the administration of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani but the project was abandoned by the same administration after putting up only two blocks. Nnamani christened the estate Loma Linda after his school in the United States. But upon taking over the completion of the estate, Governor Chime returned its original name of Maryland.

Chime while commissioning the Maryland Estate has this to say: “I am delighted to be here to commission one project that is so dear to our heart, in fulfillment of our part of obligations to our people. We are here essentially here today to commission this laudable project which was commenced by the past administration. We have been attacked severally for abandoning projects started by the past administration.

“I believe all those attacking us will today realise that it has been long all these while, that it has been the policy of this administration to continue with projects that will endure to the benefit of the people of Enugu state,

“When we came in, we saw a project that was started, although no serious effort had been put in to realise that project. The contract was then awarded to a not too serious contractor. The whole concept of it was wrong. And we took it over, and today, we have this to show for our efforts.

“The same thing happened at the Ekulu East Estate, popularly known as Zoo Estate. That was what happened there. We came newly, we met a beautifully conceived estate but the machinery that was put in place to build the estate was so poorly executed. What was intended for that estate was not fully realised. We took it over. People who were given free plots, who were not actually intending to develop those plots; we have to revoke and distribute them to more serious people who immediately developed that place.

“If you go there, it is about the best estate we have, not just in Enugu but in the country. So in developing estate, it has to go with passion and you must be serious about it. It is not just about dashing people or giving people plots. If you want to develop an estate for the use and benefit of our people, you have to do so seriously.”

He poured encomiums on the the managing director of the Enugu Housing Development Corporation saying: :We want to thank the Managing Director of the Enugu Housing Corporation, Ikeji Asogwa, who had already told us what we have been able to do in the past two years. I will not repeat them. All the accolades that we have in the housing sector, we can easily say thanks to you. You have been a shining star. You have shown that your appointment was not a mistake. If given the opportunity, I will appoint you a million times over.”

He expressed hope that the incoming administration would “continue in this aspect to ensure that our people are fully accommodated. In Enugu we have this policy of not saying no to any application for land. Some people, when they get their approvals for land, they will say thank you. They believe it is a right. We all have a right to own land in Enugu if you can afford it. So a matter of policy, we have been giving approvals, but the problem has been availability of land.

“But recently, we have been able to earmark a place to be able to meet the demand for lands. All the efforts we made in the past, once upon a time, we acquired some thousands of hectares of lads to meet the demand of our people in respect of lands. But one big project took it over. We have recently also, dezoned an area and in a very short while, we should we should be able to meet all the demands of already approved applications for land to ensure that our people explain themselves and do what they want to do. But at the same time, I encourage the Housing Corporation in this area of developing, and letting people buy developed properties.”

Also speaking at the occasion, the state commissioner for Housing, Mr. Victor Okolo said th intention of the government was to ensure that the teeming people of Enugu state can say at least, ‘we can have a roof of our own.”

He said the essential thing about Enugu was that Enugu had been the capital of everything viz the capital of the Southern Protectorates, capital of Eastern Region, capital of East Central state, Capital of aol Anambra state and Old Enugu state regretting: “And our people, the indigenes of this state kept catching up, but not as fast our colleagues who were there before us.”

According to him, the situation made it that “most of our people are still under other peoples roof.”

June 5, 2014
Aba traders tell GSM operators to shape up

The 63rd edition of Consumer Outreach Programme organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Aba, Abia State has given GSM service providers something to think about, and work on.

Participants at the event, mainly business men and traders called on GSM network operators to address issues of perennial network failure and general poor service delivery usually experienced by telecommunication subscribers in the commercial nerve of the state.

They called for improved service delivery by the network providers, alleging that inconsistency in network signals and poor service delivery by majority of the network providers in the commercial city have adversely affected their business.

Some of the stakeholders including the chairman, Ariaria International Market, Elder Lucky Akubueze lamented that congestion and inability of traders in Ariaria and other markets in Aba to communicate easily with their customers and suppliers of goods and products remains a threat to their businesses.

Akubueze thanked NCC for providing mobile phone users the opportunity to meet their operators and expressed hope that the meeting would yield to better services as it has as well provided the operators firsthand information on the areas where they needed to improve their services to the Aba business community.

Earlier in a welcome address, Mrs. Maryam Bayi, Director Consumer Affairs Bureau represented by her deputy Mr. Joseph Atoyobi described the theme “Customer Care Help Lines: A Veritable Platform For Effective Service Delivery” said that the aim of the stakeholders’ meeting was to provide a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on topical communication issues as it affects the interest of consumers, adding “to address this concern, the Commission decided to host this consumer forum today at Aba to deliberate and proffer solution on ways of improving the accessibility of the service providers’ customer-care help lines by the consumers.”

Atoyobi, blaming network operators of self-centered said “The industry growth shows that there is incredible emphasis by the service providers to connect new consumers because of the available untapped markets in the country. However, the same level of emphasis not seen in the provision of after sales support to existing consumers” and further alleged “Report from survey conducted by the Commission on the accessibility of Service Providers Customer Care help lines and complaints received from Consumers via NCC Call center and Consumer Outreach Programmes revealed that the Service Providers’ Customer Care help lines that we expected to be the first call for a Consumer in distress are either not easily accessible or not dysfunctional.”

NCC deputy director stressing the need for more rural service center outreach lamented “Even in situations where the help lines are accessible, the waiting time for a consumer who opted to speak to a live agent remained unending and most often results into drop call and more worrisome are the difficulties experienced by the rural consumers who reside in remote locations where there are no provisions for walk-in customer contact centres by the service providers. This is not acceptable to the Commission and has to be addressed with a great sense of urgency.”

Various service providers’ representatives who spoke in turns at the event explained how they have been able to tackle some of the problems raised by consumers and assured of improved and quality services for their customers not only in Aba, but the country as a whole.

June 5, 2014
‘Why I want to govern Imo’

Like former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, he is simply Mr Okey Ezeh. And like Obi, he is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the vehicle with which he wants to drive into the Government House, Owerri, Imo State. Ezeh, the Chief Executive of a Lagos-based firm and Okechukwu Theodore Ezeh Foundation, speaks on his quest to govern Imo, philanthropy, among other issues, in this interview with OLUKOREDE YISHAU. Excerpts:

Why are you in politics?

It is something that came about because of the little experiment we had done, in what we call “tokenism”. When I left University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1991, I happened to be a product of the graduate recruitment system, which was in place at that point in time and it used to be that if you can make 1st class or a 2.1, you can go to the Guidance and Counseling department and companies such as Citi Bank, Lever Brothers, UAC and the rest would employ you… If you look at a state like Imo, for instance, it is just a typical state in Nigeria and it is like a microcosm of the whole country if you talk about unemployment trap . Now you see tens of thousands of young people working the streets daily, with no future, no hope, no means of sustenance and at the end of the day, you are telling them that they are the leaders of tomorrow and they begin to wonder what kind of slogan that is and some of them have formal education, degrees, diplomas and they are all roaming all over the place.

So, my mission is simple, we think things can be done differently, we think the time has come for a thorough breed professional who has record of personal achievements, professional pedigree, who has antecedence you can quantify to lay claims to the reign of government. If you look around the world , young people are in charge. We don’t have to go far; if you look at all the states that have made progress in Nigeria under the current dispensation, they are led by young people with professional pedigree. These are people who are conversant with global best practices in governance.

Governor Rochas Okorocha is known to be spending his first term in the office. He has not declared that he will seek second term but there are possibilities he would. What are the things he is doing now that you will do differently?

Let me start by saying that the issue should not even be whether Rochas Okorocha should be talking about a second term. And why do I say this? It is because it is high time we started taking people by their words in Nigeria. Politics shouldn’t just be about experience. All over the world in countries that are serious, leaders should be accountable for what they say and do. When Rochas came into government or before he came into office, one of the first things he said was that he was stooping to become the governor of Imo State. As a matter of fact, he said he ought to be the president of Nigeria, that he came second to the late Yar’Adua during the primaries and that he already thought he was above that level. He said he was on a rescue mission. We all know what a rescue mission is, we know the most famous rescue mission in the world. We know where it was done and it wasn’t in Europe after the World War II. Rescue missions are supposed to be short-lived. In Uganda, it lasted 90 minutes. In Imo, it is three years and counting. So, he shouldn’t be talking about a rescue mission and be talking about a second term. Moreover, we have not seen the Marshal Plan that he has. We just hear about the rescue mission like a slogan. So, the question shouldn’t be if Rochas should run for second term. He has a bond with the people, he wasn’t under any inducement to make that commitment but he looked the people in the face and said ‘I don’t want to be your governor but if things are in such a sorry situation I can just come in and rescue’. So, four years for a rescue is good enough; so, anything longer than that is no longer a rescue but an occupation mission.

So, what is your Marshal Plan for Imo?

If you look at the demography of Imo, you would find that it’s an agrarian state. Nigeria is an agrarian country. Anybody that says he has the magic wand for development and does not include agriculture is just dreaming. If we were to get power in Imo State by the grace of God come May 29, we would go back to our agrarian roots. We have lots of young people who are looking for jobs; we are going to bring back the farm settlements in Imo State like in the east during the Michael Okpara days. Agro-based industrialisation, that is our plan for Imo State. Imo has a young ,vibrant and educated workforce. All we need to do is to harness this workforce and polish it and channel them to that sector. We will provide opportunities for young people. The thing that most people neglect is that it is not rocket science to come about development. Even if you do have some revolutionary ideas, you can actually get you results by doing the basic things. I can tell that if you have accountable people, people who have conscience , such people if you give them governance, we can actually make progress. They may not be rocket scientists, because vast majority of our resources are not used to serve the people. They are used for white elephant projects. Let’s cut out the politics, let’ go down to the art of business like empowering people and also having the resources work for the people using the best talents to re-engineer things. If we start with those basics, we would have gotten to 50 per cent of our destination.

Don’t you think you are talking like this because you are not there?

As a matter of fact, you cannot plant an apple and harvest lemon. The problem with people not delivering on promises is that we have not gotten to the level where we hold our political actors to a very high standard. Remember I talked about credibility when we started; if somebody makes a pronouncement, that person should be held accountable. If people are electing leaders, or considering some people in sensitive offices, we must look at their pedigree, where they have been. How have they fared with their private life, for instance? That is why we are looking for self-made men, people who have succeeded in their private lives as well as other spheres, who have had some level of accomplishment. They are not political jobbers. They are not people who are propelled by political godfathers; they are men of conviction with principles. If imo people understand that there is a young man who fits into this field and he is coming to ask them to give him the opportunity to serve them, to reposition the state, I am sure they will be in a good position to say that scenario is not going to happen.

Have you taken time to know what the state needs?

It is a systematic thin. For instance, if you go to the Ministry of Finance in Owerri tomorrow and say to them that you would like see the allocation, I think there is a Public Information Act but I think that is more or less on the pages of newspapers. We run an opaque system. Most people who mean to do well, who are aspiring to be effective, will just tell themselves that they have to reinvent the state from an economic view point. This is the assumption that we are making, and we are assuming Imo is broke. And we need to build up the revenue base from the scratch, which is why we are saying if we come in, these are the areas we will look into. We are not just looking at allocations. We are looking at how can we bake the cake, not share it?

What’s your view on the government taking funds from the capital market?

Government taking funds from the capital market is not a bad thing because we know that all those capital market instruments are used for long-term development. But long term development, the implementation is always the problem. How viable are these projects? For instance, in Imo, somebody has decided that we are going to have 27 general hospitals, one general hospital in each local government, but then you look around and say before this time how many general hospitals existed and what is the state of these hospitals? Are they centers of excellence? If you make them referral centers or there are certain centres of excellence, then you decide that given the growth in population that we are projecting in another 10 years, the population will have grown to a certain figure and we will need to have feeder outlets to cater for more people; then you can say this is for Phase 2, this can support this, but you have hospitals that are mere consulting clinics, nothing to speak of apart from the designation that they are hospitals and now you are beginning to expend scarce resources on constructing 27 hospitals.

June 5, 2014
Ebonyi community tense over mining

•Minister, DSS, CP petitioned

Mining lead has brought more than joy to the community. Blood and tears have also come with it.

There is appreciable tension in Umuobii Ekka community in Ebonyi State following the stoppage of work at a lead mining site in the village by some angry youths protesting discrimination, neglect and violation of their rights.

Some stakeholders allegedly sent thugs to disperse the youths to enable the miners resume their business but the community would rather the youths’ demands were addressed.

The community petitioned the Minister for Mining and Steel Development through the mining officer in Abakaliki, and the traditional ruler of Ekka community calling for a review of agreement entered into before the mining started.

Umuobii Ekka Development Union in a petition to the Minister, the police and the State Security Service (SSS) signed by the chairman of the community, Nwaka Felix and the youth president, Nworie Sunday, said only their intervention could save the situation.

They appealed to the minister in a petition entitled “Report of violation and discrimination of our rights,” lamenting that they have been assaulted, humiliated and dehumanised even in their own land since mining of lead for commercial use started there.

The petition reads: ‘We, the people of Umuobii wish to express our grief and neglect based on how we are being treated since the issue of mining project came up. We have been humiliated, assaulted and dehumanised. The kind of discrimination bestowed on us has intoxication and difficulties which is the arrangement and plans of the stake holder and our traditional rule in particular.

“Therefore, the initial arrangement before commencement of the work was violated and abandoned which brought about this information. There was no proper negotiation between the host village and the community at large, we have never being given official consultation or called for dialogue. Besides, the strategic way they put the project made it to have the tendency of individual interest, which the village disagreed with, for its incompatibility, inducement, and of undue influence which might lead to oppositions.

“And the people of Umuobii have such perception and decided to disagree with such inhuman arrangement as it lacked mutual co-existence, no compromise, no consensus and iota of relationship of trust between the host village and stake-holders.

Umuobii people lamented that they were not carried along and were disengaged by the stakeholders during the negotiation of agreement between the mining team and the community when they supposed to be carried along.

“However, the people of Umuobii were disengaged during the preparation of agreement that will drive the mining project. God is not foolish when he planted such mineral there, we need strategies that are essential to positive approach, and we need to be carried along. We need opportunities for transformation and development. We believe that these means are to develop procedure for identifying conflict that are yet to come and put a stop to it.

Meanwhile, it is the duty of the host village to choose somebody that has no questionable character and as well allowed to hear their view in the new agreement that are yet to come because the last one lacked good representation of the host village.

“So the village Umuobii has suffered neglect: since creation of the earth by the community leaders, there has never being any dividend we have ever receive our share ,we have never received any portion of the community communal land, no allocation of government appointment that has ever reached our us. And we always agitate for it, and we have being struggling to be part of, and our agitation is to be allowed to be part of the decision and as to receive our percentage.

“In addition, the only preventive approach to combat this potential conflict is divine intervention, resolution and proper mediation at this pre-conflict stage as planned by the stake holders and not by deploying thugs in the arena of the mining. And right now we the Umuobii do not believe in crisis which shows that we are peacemakers. We are crying because our rights have been breached, we have been embarrassed, during the bargaining process, and we have being consciously oppressed. And this is the fact that sufficient ground for us to put our bargaining power was not given to us…

“We believe the principle of equality before the law. We believe in the principle of social value, substantive and distributive justice which states that one should be allowed to earn his due.

The community appealed to Senator Paulinus Igwe, Senate Committee Chairman on Police representing their senatorial zone and Hon Ede representing Isienu-Ezza federal constituency to call the people trying to undermine the villagers to order. They said only Senator Igwe built a hospital in Ndiagu which is the only government presence there.

The community in another letter to the traditional ruler of Ekka community, Igwe Fidelis Ekechi Chukwu further said that the people of Umuobii have agreed and stated that this sharing formula should be observed and the host village of the mining land has to be treated as required if this mining project should succeed.

The community said it is unthinkable for anyone to deny them the benefits of a mining field in their backyard. They insist that Umuobii village must be given 50 per cent as hosts of the mining field.

The Umuobii village also demanded that their residents should get 60 per cent of any scholarship coming to the area.

June 5, 2014