Category: Southeast report

A total of 150 senior officers of the National Population Commission (NPC) and selected academia in the Southeast are currently undergoing training in Anambra ahead of the Trial Census in preparation for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

The officers, including facilitators, trainees, Secretariat, Data Quality Managers, are expected to train no fewer than 1156 enumerators and other field functionaries in readiness for the exercise.

Declaring the training open on Friday in Awka, Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke said the exercise would access quality and usefulness of the created Enumeration Area maps, determine possible demographic and geographical changes and enumerators’ requisite educational qualification, among other factors.

Ezeoke who was represented by his Enugu State counterpart, Ejike Eze restated Commission’s determination to successfully conduct a Trial Census targeted at delivering a credible, reliable, acceptable and verifiable census.

“For the next few days, participants will re-evaluate the skills and practical demonstrations of operations in the field with the overall efforts to deliver a truly scientific trial census that can prepare the ground for a credible and acceptable census next year,” he added.

Expressing confidence that knowledge and skills acquired at the workshop would place officers in key positions to function more effectively, the Commissioner assured their security throughout the period of the exercise.

Deputy Director and Southeast Zonal Coordinator for the training, Charity Elibe, explained that the involvement of the academia was to enable the professionals bring their expertise in their various fields to bear in the exercise, a decision she said was in tandem with international best practices.

Earlier, State Director, Tpl Joachim Ulasi disclosed that Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State was chosen as pilot for the enumeration in the Southeast.

He said the training would involve 1156 enumerators for the 576 enumeration and 121 supervisory areas in the 36 classes of the selected local government area of the state.

The Group Managing Director of UK-Dion Group, Mr. Michael Diongoli, has advised young entrepreneurs and operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to deliberately task their minds and be creative to succeed in the world of business.

Diongoli, a trained and certified financial adviser who has consulted for the Royal Bank of Scotland; Barclay’s Bank, NatWest Bank and many others around the world, believed that developing oneself and consciously getting exposed to 21st century relevant economic knowledge is key to business success.

The business magnate, who reportedly rose from starting a business with just N3,000 from a small part of his apartment and increased his fortune to a multi-billion naira venture, spoke with a crop of young African entrepreneurs in Lagos recently.

Diongoli informed the young entrepreneurs that the collective sufferings in the land of Africa was the untamed strength the people needed to pioneer and engineer their economic revolution.

He said it was against that backdrop that he chose to operate his business from Nigeria, despite having the options of doing business from almost anywhere in the world.

He said in order to make it in business, the entrepreneur must be resourceful, creative, skillful, discipline and resilient.

Attributing his success in business to deliberately challenging his mind, Diongoli stated: “I constantly strive to feed my mind with positivity and commission it to learn at every given opportunity. I am here today because my mind is continuously programmed to seek new truths and disrupt the old ones.

“May I use this opportunity to advise the aspiring entrepreneurs and SME operators not to joke with tasking their minds to get their desired results.

“The mind is the most powerful part of human existence, it is the brooding ground for success. All thoughts and aspirations are conceived and processed here before execution.

“Wining the mind game implies winning life’s game, and thriving in any sphere of life.”

The group is operational in key states of Nigeria, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and Abuja with multiple offices in some of these states.

The UK-Dion Founder said the vision of the group is to be West Africa’s leading, most distinctive servicing and solutions hub that adds value to all stakeholders.

“As an African, I have invested heavily in zero tolerance for racism and nepotism. My business orientation considers the same level of involvement for people across different races, colours and tribes,” Diongoli added.

Imo State has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Contemporary Architecture Ltd, an indigenous firm, to build 5,000 housing units.

Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Statistics Christopher Osuala said the first phase will begin with 1,000 units.

Osuala, who addressed reporters in his office yesterday, added that the government will provide land for the project and also broker a cordial relationship that will facilitate the acquisition around the Otammirri River in Owerri.

He praised Contemporary Architecture for keying into the government’s mantra of Rehabilitation Reconstruction and Recovery (3Rs), even as he hoped that the project, when completed, will provide affordable houses for the people. He added that the government is also working to attract other ventures to the state.

Managing Director of Contemporary Architecture Ltd Fitzgerald Umah said the company is in collaboration with a United States-based Energy Power Company and Manufacturers of Hydro Energy Equipment Ocean Renewable Power Company to ensure steady power supply in the proposed housing project.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said his administration will build 20 technical colleges to sustain investments in technical and vocational education to drive the state’s industrial growth.

Obaseki gave the assurance yesterday when members of the Benin College Old Students’ Association worldwide, led by the President, Rev. Friday Emuze, visited him at the Government House in Benin.

The governor said each of the 18 local government area will have one college to cater for the manpower to drive Edo’s industrial growth, ensure the creation of employment opportunities and attainment of self-sufficiency.

Obaseki, who also heeded the group’s request to revert the Government Science and Technical College, Benin, to its original name of the Benin Technical College, said: “There is really no need to change the name. I will have conversations with the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Osa-Oviawe, and make a strong adjustment.

“I am convinced that we should restore Government Science and Technical College, Benin, to its original name (Benin Technical College). I am also glad about how you will mark your anniversary by giving awards to the students and support them in sporting activities. By the way, we have plans to build mini stadia in that location to encourage sports.

“We are working with the Federal Government in ensuring that the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Ekiadolor starts earnestly so that we can train a pool of teachers to help us begin to spread our new gospel of revamping technical education.

“One of the reasons we must go back to the Benin Technical College is that we are going to have more technical colleges in city centres. So, let everybody bear their names. We want to have 20 technical colleges, one in each local government area. So, you can imagine the requirements in terms of teachers, technical know-how, and equipment. Even if we have all the money, there are still some gaps to be filled.”

Rev. Emuze thanked Obaseki for reviving technical education in the state and ensuring the repositioning of the Benin Technical College.

Erstwhile governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu State, Rev. Donatus Obi-Ozoemena, has defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

He also obtained the ADC’s governorship form in the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

Obi-Ozoemena noted that with his new platform, he and his supporters are battle-ready to ‘go for gold’. He described ADC as ‘a peaceful platform’.

“Our eyes are firmly on the crown and I thank the National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, and the entire ADC family, for this opportunity. For us, this is a peaceful, prosperous home and only God can stop us.

“We have put behind us the stage-managed and sell-out acts of APGA officials in Enugu State, leaving them to God almighty for judgment. We have impeccable information, facts and figures to expose gullible players of the party in the state. However, we have chosen not to be distracted, deterred or discouraged in our august mission to exterminate inept, ‘vision-less and motion-without-movement governance’ in Enugu. The people are tired.

“We are on a rescue mission to create employment for our people, especially the youths. When elected, we will establish cottage industries to transform our health sector, security and stable electricity; to provide potable water for our people and offer transparent and participatory governance in line with global best practices.”

Obi-Ozoemena insisted that his entrance into the governorship race is an answer to divine call ‘to rescue my people, the long suffering people of Enugu State’.

“I am also reiterating my resolve to push through my ambition beyond all calculated tides,” he added.

Obi-Ozoemena contested for governor in 2019 in the United Democratic Party (UDP) but lost to incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. He was also the first candidate to openly declare that he would not subject Ugwuanyi’s victory to litigation and subsequently paid the governor a courtesy call.

Port Harcourt-based entrepreneur Tekena Iyagba is Rivers State governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Iyagba’s emergence followed a consensus affirmation vote by party members at a special congress yesterday in Port Harcourt.

The party also adopted and announced Kingsley Dimkpa and Giadom Roy as candidates for Tai and Gokana Constituencies for the House of Assembly election.

The primary was supervised by representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Iyagba, a riverine Ijaw indigene, earlier indicated interest to contest in the All Progressives Congress (APC), but withdraw from the race when party elders adopted Tonye Cole as consensus candidate.

He said his decision to join the AAC was because of perceived irregularities in the APC primaries.

“I was with the APC but I decided to change my mind when the consensus matter came, I waited to see if everything will be sorted out but with everything I noticed, it does not seem like there will be a free and fair election, so I decided to go elsewhere where there will be a free and fair election.

“Big party or no big party, it is the people that makes party big, we are underrated but I believe we have all it takes to win next as the people are already tired of APC and PDP and they want a fresh face,” he added.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday directed the resumption of academic activities in the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, after Tuesday’s protest.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Osarodion Ogie also announced the suspension of all unions in all state-owned institutions. The unions are Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Non-Academic Staff of Union (NASU); Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP); Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP); and all allied unions operating across all state-owned tertiary institutions.

He said: “By this notice, academic activities are to resume in all state-owned institutions. All cadre of staff are directed to report to their duty posts immediately.

“Students in all state-owned tertiary institutions are expected to resume for lectures as necessary measures have been taken to ensure resumption of academic and non-academic activities.

“Management of the affected institutions have been mandated to pay all outstanding salaries immediately. The management of AAU, Ekpoma, is hereby directed to implement a no-work-no-pay policy.”

Ogie added that AAU management should declare vacant and advertise the positions of members of staff who refuse to resume work.

Students of AAU, on Tuesday, stormed the Government House in Benin to protest the lingering strike by ASUU, calling for a reopening of the school in one week or they will embark on mass action.

The protesting students were led by the Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (Special Duties) Odiahi Ikhine.

But ASUU Chairman, Cyril Onogbosele, said Obaseki has no power to ban the union’s activities in the school since it did not register with the state government.

He said: “We have seen the press statement by the SSG banning the activities of unions, including ASUU, in the state’s tertiary institutions. ASUU is a legal trade union; the lecturers have the right of association in the eye of the law. So, on what basis is Governor Obaseki banning ASUU’s activities at AAU?

“The students, on Tuesday, protested the ongoing nationwide ASUU strike and, surprisingly yesterday, the unions were banned by the government.

“ASUU in AAU is on strike. The management of AAU was duly notified about the strike over the 17 months salary owed union members.

“So, is Governor Obaseki saying we do not have the right to say pay us or we go on strike? What is illegal in the activity that we have carried out? Is strike not recognised by law, using it to mount pressure on the employer to address the fundamental issues?”

Onogbosele also described ASUU of AAU as a chapter of the national body, duly registered with a licence, thereby making it impossible for Obaseki to ban the union, while declaring that the governor’s action was condemnable.

Cross River State has begun sensitising residents in border communities on the symptoms and prevention of Monkey Pox.

Director-General of the Cross River Primary Healthcare Agency Dr Janet Ekpeyong, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said the advocacy was to ensure that all suspected cases are identified and reported for prompt action.

She said the agency had also deployed health officers in the border areas to ensure a seamless awareness and detection process.

“Cross River has always been a state with proactive approaches to outbreak responses. From the onset, we try to activate immediate search and border control measures as it can be traced, such as in the poliomyelitis control, COVID-19 and Lassa fever.

” Our health officers are in various border points carrying out sensitisation against Monkey Pox because we don’t want to record any case. As of today, there is no active case of Monkey Pox in Cross River. We have tried every avenue to ensure the state manages every symptom,” she added.

Ekpenyong noted that the agency had intensified surveillance by actively searching for people who visited health facilities with similar symptoms and those reported by their relatives. She added that the agency was working with relevant partners such as WHO and UNICEF.

She urged the people to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. “I also encourage all residents to report any suspected case to the health facility closest to them for rapid response, investigation and possible management,” she added.

The Enugu State government has also stepped up surveillance against the spread of the disease in its 14 local government areas.

Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA) Dr George Ugwu, in an interview with (NAN), said disease surveillance officers in council areas had been sensitised and placed on alert to detect Monkey Pox.

He said: “Enugu is bordered by three states in the Southeast and two in the North Central. We have retrained our local disease surveillance officers on symptoms and signs to watch out for emerging and re-emerging diseases.

“Monkey Pox has not been detected in Enugu, but we are not resting on our onus since we are a multi-bordered state. We have stepped up all perimeter of local disease surveillance against Monkey Pox, as well as other emerging and re-emerging diseases in order to safeguard the health of all.

“However, we urge our people to raise their personal and environmental hygiene and cleanliness levels. They should also be careful on how they handle or touch home pets and animals since the disease is first transmitted from animal to human as well as infected human to another normal human.”

A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, yesterday nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rerun held June 4 and 5 conducted by the Tochukwu Okorie-led faction of the party.

Justice Fatun Riman instead upheld the May 28 and 29 primary which was cancelled by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Senator Obinna Ogba won the rerun which the court declared null, void, and illegal.

The court also restrained the party from refusing to receive and transmit the name of Ifeanyi Odii, who won the cancelled primaries, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as its candidate for the 2023 governorship election.

The May primary was conducted by the Silas Onu-led faction.

Justice Riman, in his ruling, agreed with the plaintiff and grabbed all the reliefs sought.

He noted that the rerun was held in flagrant disregard to the party’s guidelines and constitution. He also averred that the rerun flouted the Electoral Law, as amended, as INEC did not monitor it.

The Anambra Central Peoples Forum has condemned alleged conspiracy against former chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh, during the Anambra Central Senatorial primary which he lost and forced his defection to the Labour Party (LP).

Chairman of the Forum Chris Achebe, yesterday in Onitsha, described the election as flawed, alleging that victory was given to the highest bidder in collaboration with the party’s hierarchy.

Achebe said despite the conspiracy, the former lawmaker remained unstoppable to clinch the Senatorial seat, stressing that he should be allowed to continue to provide quality representation to the people.

Achebe said: “We endorse Umeh’s defection to the Labour Party from where he will achieve his ambition of clinching the Senatorial seat. Within few years of being in the Red Chamber, he was able to make positive impact by providing dividends of democracy to the people.”

Umeh had accused the APGA leadership of conspiracy during the primary, resulting to his defeat. Dozie Nwankwo won the primary with 162 of the 320 total votes cast, as against Umeh’s 151.

“APGA leaders worked against me and when they saw that their intimidating antics were not working, they resorted to sharing $1,000, $800 and $600 to delegates.”

Expressing satisfaction with his new party, (LP), Umeh described the party as soul-lifting, saying it has reunited him with the presidential candidate, Peter Obi, both who were formerly in APGA.

“What has happened now is that the door that was temporary closed has been opened. The decision on who will represent Anambra Central will be made by the people and not a handful of persons who will be sharing money,” he added.