Category: Southeast report

By Chris Njoku, Owerri

HOST communities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, yesterday renewed their agitation for compensation over 4,000 hectares of land acquired by the federal government for the institution 38 years ago.

Speaking at the weekend in Owerri, on behalf of the 11 host communities in Owerri West Local Government Area, the attorney to the communities, an Estate Surveyor/ Valuer, Chief Sam Anokam, said the communities were reacting to the comment made by the Governor Hope Uzodimma, some days ago when he visited the institution, and declared that the state government was committed towards recovering the institution’s land, warning land grabbers to stay away.

Anokam disclosed that the communities were unequivocally committed to the decision of the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, to excise over 1,000 hectares of land back to the communities, appealing that they also required dialogue and adequate compensation.

He also held that the institution had no need for such large expanse of land, maintaining that in the last 38 years, only insignificant portion was used by the institution, others lying fallow, while the expanding communities were left without land to build non development reaching them through the school.

He also opined that the proposed medical institution for FUTO should be built outside the Port Harcourt Road, to yet to be developed areas of Ogbeke, Obibiezena and outskirts, to decongest the area and not within the institution’s vicinity.

Uzodimma, who interfaced with the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nnenna Oti, and other principal officers of the university, had pledged to ensure that the expanse of land the federal government acquired through the state government and handed to the institution was kept, maintaining that the proposed medical institution there was constructed unhindered.

However, Anokam said that the governor has no power under section 512 of Land Use Act to recover but that his only action is based on Town Planning which is within his province.

“By destroying illegal structures is the governor’s right, but in terms of Title to Land, it is vested in the Federal Government. What the governor should do is to facilitate the excision by informing FUTO not to disobey Federal Government’s directive to return part of the acquired land to the host communities.”

By Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba and Elo Edremoda, Warri

OPERATIVES of the Delta State Police Command have arrested two suspected killers of a 50-year old woman, Miss Patience Komone, in Umeh community, Isoko South council area of Delta state.

The victim had gone to a food crop market in the community, on Tuesday, July 27.

The suspects are an Okada rider, 25-year old Onoriode Simon and 20-year old Akpoghene Idogo Shoemaker.

Delta Police Command’s Acting Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright, said the police acting on a tip off swooped on the suspect.

Edafe said the suspect, Akpoghene Idogo Shoemaker, was arrested at his hideout somewhere at Kwale area of the State.

The Police had earlier arrested Akpoghene’s accomplice, one Onos Simon over the murder of the pepper trader, Mrs. Patience Komore during a business trip to purchase pepper.

Edafe said efforts were on to arrest the ringleader who paid the two alleged murderers the sum of N100,000 to kill the woman for ritual purposes.

On getting wind of the incident, community youths embarked on a thorough investigation and discovered that one of the suspects, Simon, was the last person seen with the deceased.

They reportedly apprehended the suspect and on interrogation, he confessed to have taken the woman to a bush in the community, under the guise of wanting to sell fresh pepper to her.

Simon, was afterwards, handed over to the Police in Oleh for further investigation, when a manhunt for other accomplices continued.

The Police disclosed that the late Komone was raped by the suspects and her “eyes and private parts” were removed.

By Elo Edremoda, Warri

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has explained that the ravaging COVID-19 Delta variant is not in any way synonymous with Nigeria’s Delta State, which he governs.

The governor made the clarification Friday, during the commissioning of projects executed in Sapele and Ethiope West council areas of the state.

He also tasked Deltans to continue to practice all protocols against the pandemic.

Governor Okowa especially urged the people of Delta State to keep adhering to all the stipulated precautionary measures by wearing their face masks and using the sanitary sanitizers at all times.

Addressing the people in the course of the projects commissioning, Okowa noted with concern that many Nigerians believe that the COVID-19 pandemic no longer exists in the country.

“The numbers are now on the rise and prevalent, especially in Lagos State. Even though the variant Delta is not synonymous with Delta State, I am seriously appealing to all the good people of Delta State to use the face mask and the sanitizers, as prescribed.

“We must all do the needful to ward off the pandemic in the State,” he stated.

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano has disclosed his administration’s readiness to make the state a medical tourist centre, where residents would treat challenging health issues such as cancer and surgeries.

He said the era of accessing medical needs abroad would soon be over with the establishment of the medical tourism centre.

Obiano spoke through the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala during the Annual General Meeting/Scientific Conference of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) with the theme, ‘Tissues and Organ Donation: Scope, Prospect and Ethical Challenges.’

He said the idea was to ensure people of the state accessed medical care within the state rather than abroad.

He said, “The issue of state tourism is not just establishing, but a process. There won’t be a time you will say it has been established.”

Earlier, State chapter and Southeast Chairman, NMA, Dr. Jide Onyekwelu described the meeting would offer stakeholders opportunity to brainstorm on new developments in healthcare delivery and bring discussions to bear on the health of the people.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Emma Emelumadu said Nigeria seriously lagged behind in issues of Tissues and Organ Donation, which he said formed important part of success in medicine to the extension of human life.

Decrying the fate of medical practitioners in the COVID-19 plagued world, Emelumadu said the event was a wakeup call for improved medical endeavour and situation that called for critical review for the safety of practitioners.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, has suggested commercial fishing as one of the ways of getting ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) out of the N65,000 stipend regime.

Emmanuel, who offered the state’s Ebughu Fishery Terminal to PAP, urged the Interim Administrator, PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) to take advantage of the platform and engage ex-agitators into large-scale fish production.

A statement signed on Friday by Dikio’s Special Adviser, Media, Neotaobase Egbe, said the governor spoke when the Amnesty boss paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Uyo.

He said engaging ex-agitators into commercial fishing would create wealth and end restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

He said: “I am one of those who believe that the stipends is not the solution to the whole programme. We have Ebughu Fisheries Terminal that has been dormant over the years, these are assets if reactivated and put into use would have helped in this amnesty programmes, stipends will not go anywhere.

“How can we sit back and design something that is homegrown that will take these people off the stipends? This is because the day you leave without paying them the stipends again, they will be at the government house gate to tell me you have not paid, but the issue is can we take these guys off the street? The answer is yes there are various ways.

“If Amnesty can invest some money into this Ebughu Fisheries only God knows how much we can make, what stops amnesty from putting a trawler in our deep sea, only God knows how many people it can engage in that deep sea.”

He particularly appreciated an aspect of the plan designed to enable ex-agitators explore other economic potential of the region instead of depending mainly on the N65,000 monthly stipend.

He called on ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the programme to grab the opportunity offered them by Dikio and develop other economic potential in the region.

Earlier in his speech, Dikio applauded the governor’s strides especially in floating the Ibom Air, which he described as a trailblazer.

He further congratulated the governor for the crowning of Akwa Ibom United as the Nigeria’s Premier league champion.

“Akwa Ibom is known for its human capital development. Others are agriculture and financing, particularly microfinance banks. The industrial strength of Akwa Ibom is well known so we have come to key into all these for the ex-agitators,” he said.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused some immigration officials stationed at the airports of collecting N5000 from defaulting visitors to issue them yellow cards.

Wike, who described the act as the height of corruption, called for holistic attitudinal change in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to effectively tackle the scourge of corruption.

He insisted that the fight against corruption required collective effort of all immigration personnel and Nigerians because of its complexity and endemic nature.

Wike, who was represented by the Secretary to Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo, spoke at the 2021 sensitisation and enlightenment workshop for officers of the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Port Harcourt on Friday.

He said since the attitude of immigration personnel at the airports often influenced the perception of foreigners visiting Nigeria, all strategy and mechanism must be deployed to tackle corruption at the immigration service.

Wike described the workshop’s theme, ‘Zero tolerance approach to corruption- A pathway to quality service delivery and attitudinal change,’ as apt in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri.

He recalled that a foreigner who recently visited the state narrated how immigration personnel at the airport demanded N5000 to issue yellow card to each traveller, who didn’t have the travel document.

He said: “The person was complaining bitterly to me that when they arrived, a desk was created to check whether they had a yellow card. And if you don’t have yellow card, you are expected to pay N5000.

“If you go to Rwanda, they will check your yellow card. But when they check, if you don’t have it, they move you to one corner and they have the doctor that will give you the immunisation before you enter the country.

“But, here, there are no doctors. So if there are no doctors and you won’t quarantine them (visitors), then you let them go. Paying N5000 to collect yellow card is the height of corruption.”

Wike commended the Nigeria Immigration Service for organising the workshop intended to equip its personnel with the requisite knowledge and skill to deliver their mandate, devoid of corruption.

On his part, the Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Rivers State Command, Dayo Idowu, noted that poor service delivery and corruption had grave consequences for the development of any society.

He said Nigeria was headed for the precipice before the government in 2000 established the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) and then the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), in 2003 to tackle corruption in the country.

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

A group, Connected Development (CODE) has lamented lack of basic requirements in many primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Anambra state as set by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Team Lead, CODE – Anambra State, Mrs Ujunwa Ananwude stated this on Friday during a town hall meeting in Okpuno PHC in Awka South local government area of the State.

She said the body’s evaluation of the PHCs was informed by its ‘Follow the Money’ project assessment tour of different centers in the state to ascertain if they met the minimum standard.

She called for increased intervention, community support and participation in governance process and running of healthcare centres in the state.

She said, “Many of the PHCs are understaffed with dilapidated infrastructure, they don’t have electricity, access to clean water and capacity to host, store and administer vaccines.

“This meeting is to bring these problems to the notice of government and community leaders so as to ensure that PHCs maintain minimum standard as stipulated by the agency.”

Director, Community Health Services, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr Frank Umeh, while calling for community ownership of the PHCs, urged community leaders to be government’s eyes by monitoring happenings in the centres and report same if things were going wrong.

Contributing, Health Educator,  ASPHCDA, Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina described community involvement in the maintenance of PHCs as critical, underscoring need for discussions on how to support government to maintain PHCs in their communities.

Responding on behalf of the community leaders, Chief Goddy Nzekwu said some communities had been responsible for payment of salaries of cleaners and security guards in their PHCs.

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Police Command has declared war on cult members and criminals in the state.

The command in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Asinim Butswat, noted with dismay the resurgence of cult-related activities and clashes in the state, most especially in Yenagoa, the state capital, and its environs.

Butswat said as a proactive measure to forestall future cult clashes and violent crimes and to ensure law and order is maintained, the command has since set up a special squad to confront cultists and violent criminals in Bayelsa.

Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, said the squad had since commenced aggressive crackdown on cultists and violent criminals.

He said so far, 32 cultists had been arrested and upon conclusion of investigation, the suspects would be charged under the Bayelsa State Anti-Cultism law.

Butswat said: “Consequently, all cult leaders, patrons and members, including minors, who have been influenced into joining the various cult groups are hereby warned to desist forthwith from any gathering, initiations and campaigns as well as any activity to promote the interest of their groups irrespective of it being violent or non-violent.

“The state police command is not unaware of the open and hidden involvement of prominent individuals supporting the activities of the cult groups.

“The command wishes to state clearly and unequivocally that henceforth their perceived positions of elevation will not protect them if found violating the law.

“The public is hereby advised to take particular note of sections 1,2,3,4 and 6 of the Bayelsa State Secret Cults/Societies and similar activities (Prohibition) Law, 2012, which provides for the prohibition of cults and sundry offences with punishment ranging from five to 10 years imprisonment without the option of fine. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

The police hard stance on cultists is coming just as The Nation yesterday did an exposé on how cultists, robbers and hoodlums have taken over Yenagoa metropolis in the state capital.

The Nation had reported that residents of Punch Road, OMPADEC, Apex Road in Amarata as well as Ekeki, Obele, Swali and other suburbs of the state capital were no longer sleeping with their two eyes closed because of the nefarious activities of the criminals.

It also reported that the development, which appears to have worsened in recent times, was not unconnected with the ongoing cults war which escalated last week after a leader of one the cult groups was killed.

Over five persons have been feared killed in the last one week as the war between the cult groups, who some persons identified as ‘Bobos’ and ‘Aiyes’, continue unabated.

By Damian Duruiheoma, Enugu

Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday organised election for its youth wing, with Damian Okafor from Ebonyi State emerging as the national youth leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group.

Also elected is the former spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Onwuasoanya Jones, with Ezechukwu Okpala emerging as the secretary among others.

The new executives will pilot the affairs of the youth in the main group for the next four years.

Speaking during the ceremony held at the national headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu, Okafor vowed to unite Igbo youths to enable them speak with one voice.

He advised them to avoid drug addiction, robbery and other crimes.

Okafor expressed happiness about the manner Igbo leaders and governors are handling the current security situation in the Southeast and hoped that the region would witness peace and development.

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

The Amadaowei of Adagbabiri community in Sagbama Local Government of Bayelsa State, King Alaowei Okee, Adagba Pru Pru III, has given a seven-day ultimatum to those involved in the stealing and vandalism of the community’s generator to appear before his palace or attract the wrath of the gods.

In a statement to the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman, the monarch said others invited to appear before him over the community’s generator included those with any knowledge of the persons behind the theft.

Also included in the king’s summon was the owner of the vehicle used to move the stolen parts of the generator and those with information about the persons involved.

According to him, failure to be in the palace within the stipulated date will attract grave consequences.

He said: “I will not hesitate to use the full wrath of the gods against persons that refuse to honour this invitation.”

The traditional ruler urged the indigenes to unite to curb crimes.

It was gathered that vital parts of the  generator were stolen in October 2019.

According to community sources, the generator was donated by an illustrious son of the community, Capt. Matthew Karimo, during former governor Diepreye Alamieseigha’s administration.

The Amadaowei said those who heard, saw or knew anything about the theft and vandalism should also report within the seven-day ultimatum or face the full wrath of the gods.