The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

  • Abia lawmaker flags off road project

    The member representing Umunneochi constituency at the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Ikedi Ezekwesiri has flagged off a 15km road project that will run from Nneoato in his constituency down to Ihube, Okigwe in Imo State.

    The state lawmaker fought for approval of the project, while the ministry of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will foot the bill.

    The road is expected to be completed in nine months.

    Speaking at the flag-off at Nneato, Ezekwesiri said that the project is a milestone in the history of his people who have suffered in the area of road infrastructural decay for several years.

    Ezekwesiri explained that he is at the house of assembly mainly to make laws that will benefit the people in particular and the state at large, explaining that his line of duty includes attracting projects that will uplift his people and their area.

    He said that when such projects are attracted, “The lawmaker who attracted such projects also has the right to ensure that the projects are delivered and completed on time and avoid such projects being abandoned”.

    The Abia lawmaker said that the road project has several bridges and culverts, stressing that when he assumed office as a house of assembly member that he met a tree trunk bridge and vowed to construct a concrete bridge that will stand the test of time.

    Ezekwesiri noted that since he assumed office that he has never relented in his effort to ensure that he attracts the presence of the ministry of Niger Delta Development, “When I met with the minister, Uguru Usani Uguru, he did not waste time in approving the contract to be done for my people which we are flagging off today”.

    He explained that the job of a lawmaker goes beyond law making, stressing that it includes other things, “As I have gone ahead to provide scholarship to over seven Nnneato students and other students at the federal government college at Okigwe”.

    Ezekwesiri continued, “I have gone ahead to ensure that those whose businesses were down because of one problem or the other, have been given funds ranging from N300,000-N500,000 which has gone a long way to see their businesses grow”.

    The lawmaker noted that the road project is very dear and important to the people of Nneato in particular and Umunneochi in general, “This made me to work hard to ensure that the road project comes to this place so that the suffering of the people will stop”.

    He recalled that one of the sons of Nneato, Bar Fabian Okonkwo had asked me if there is a problem with his place (Nneato) which made it difficult for projects not to be sited there, “I took him to see the Niger Delta minister, he was there when the project was awarded”.

    Ezekwesiri said that the road which is 15km road and will cost the sum of N372M, stressing that the project will be completely tarred, “Let me tell you that the project is being executed by a son of the soil, so if he fails the people will know where to get him to ask him questions”.

    Earlier the traditional ruler of Umuobi community at Nneato, Eze Ukaobasi Ezema described the road project as one of the good things to happen to his people, stressing that the people are happy for the road which is being done in their life time.

    Eze Ezuma who prayed that the road project will be completed on time for the good of the people, stressing that the road when completed will go a long way to ensure that his people will no longer suffer in the area of evacuating their farm produce.

    In his reaction, the contractor handling the project, Chidiebere Udeh said that the road will take about nine months to complete, adding that he has not been mobilized financially, “But as an indigenous contactor who is from here I decided to mobilise to site.”

    Udeh said that he is sure to get about 75% of the funds, stressing that once he gets that in the next three months that greater percentage of the work would have been done, adding that the youths have been very cooperative since he moved to site.

  • Anger in Anambra’s forgotten community

    Residents of Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu, a community in Anambra State, are angry about a number of things, one them lack of basic amenities. They even recruit and pay teachers in their community primary school, but the most annoying development, they say, is the sale of their land by the state government. NWANOSIKE ONU reports

    The Ozzu, Ndiukwuenu community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State needs attention. The community is neglected, and without necessary amenities from the state government, even the road awarded by the state government over five years had been abandoned

    Not only that; the people recruit and pay salaries of teachers in the community secondary school Ndiukwuenu from their meagre resources.

    Some people in the state believe that Ndiukwuenu is the most educationally disadvantaged community in the entire state.

    This time around, some people believed to be government agents, have ventured into Mamu forest reserve and started selling the community’s land with impunity.

    As a result, the community is protesting what they refer to as impunity, when they blocked the government house gate on Monday with placards.

    The young and old in the community, women, widows numbering over 200 are saying with one voice that ‘enough is enough’.

    A woman leader in the community, Ezinne Dorothy Onyebara, while speaking with The Nation, said they are like people without hope. She said the state government has decided to make Ndiukwuenu an outcast and sheep without a shepherd.

    The leader of the protesters and a community leader, Mr Ezechukwu Nwankwo, told The Nation that they would not allow anyone to take possession of Mamu forest reserve.

    In her reaction to the recruitment of teachers by the community, the state Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, told The Nation that it was nothing new or earthshaking in it

    She said education should not be left for government alone, adding it was the reason why the church, parent teacher associations and others are involved.

    Chief Peter Nwafor, another community leader in Ndiukwuenu, said, “We are protesting the grave injustice done to us, our ancestors and unborn generations by agents of this  government who have forcefully taken over our land and bestowed the rights to same in the hands of known criminals from within and outside our community.

    “This single action of empowering and rewarding criminality has led to the deterioration of the security situation in Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu such that the community has become inaccessible beyond 8.00pm.

    “Your Excellency, may I call your attention to the fact that while our neighbouring communities sold their land to the colonial government for the purpose of Forestry.

    “Ozzu-Ndiukwuenu community donated theirs after reaching some terms of agreement with the colonial government. It is unacceptable to us that your government has given approval to the de-reservation of some portions of this land, and shared it among some powerful agents of your government and known troublemakers in Anambra State in total disregard of these terms of agreement reached by your predecessor government.

    “The leadership of the community was neither consulted nor informed of this grave decision that will affect the life of the community in many ways.

    “Attached herewith are the copies of forged and fraudulent documents they used in selling the Mamu River Forest Reserve lands. We hereby plead for their investigation and immediate prosecution.

    “We remind Your Excellency that the ownership of Mamu River Forest Reserve is still in dispute between Anambra and Enugu states, a matter in consideration at the National Boundary Commission. The present action of your government has opened us to attack from agents of Enugu State Government.

    “In the light or the above, we plead with Your Excellency to REVOKE the approval given for the de-reservation of any portion of Mamu River forest Reserve pending the resolution of the substantive case before the National Boundary Commission.

    “We also seize the opportunity to beckon on His Excellency to remobilize to site the Contractors working on the abandoned Ndiukwuenu Road.

    “His Excellency should also send teachers to Community Secondary School, Ndiukwuenu. It is an irony that while government pays teachers in Secondary Schools in rich communities across the State, poor Ndiukwuenu is made to recruit and pay teachers from its meager resources if its children must go to school.

    “This is despite the fact that Ndiukwuenu is the most educationally disadvantaged community in Anambra State. These are the things that matter to us,” Nwafor said.

  • At the mercy of erosion

    Residents of Ifakala community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State feel trapped as their soil gives way to unrelenting erosion. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    For the people of Ifeakala in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, it is an endless tale of agony and despair. More depressing is the fact that respite is not in sight as the people battle rampaging erosion that has defied all palliatives.

    Schools and health centres have been swallowed by ever deepening gullies. Farmlands and roads cave in as peasant farmers watch helplessly.

    Apart from building wooden bridges across the sinkholes by the natives to aid movement from one part of the village to the other, nothing tangible has been done to check the menace.

    A source disclosed that over four people, including two schoolchildren have been washed away by the erosion.

    One of the villagers, Paul Njoku, told The Nation that the agrarian village was once bubbly where farming and petty trading thrived before it was cut off from other neighbouring villages by the erosion.

    He said, “The erosion has dug a deep gully around the village and is steadily eating into the centre of the community; it is just a matter of time before the entire community caves in.

    “We have lost our farmlands and property to the ravaging gully and there is nothing we can do to stop it. We have appealed to the state government to no avail, now we have just resigned to fate. We lives are under serious threat but we just can’t abandon our ancestral community to run away as suggested by neighbouring villages.

    “We want public-spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to come to our aid. The rains are coming and we don’t think the village will survive another rainy season. Already the roads have been cut off and we can’t drive in or out of the village to take our farm produce to the market, it is that bad.”

    Soliciting support for the community, Mr. Emeka Ahaneku, a politician and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the State House of Assembly election, who took journalists on a tour of the community, noted that the scale of erosion menace in the community is severe and requires collaborative efforts between the state and Federal Government to tackle.

    According to him, years of neglect of the early signs of the landslide, was responsible for the massive gully that has completely cut off the community from other parts of the state.

    He said, “What is happening in Ifakala is enough to be declared an emergency, lives and property of the villagers are under severe danger and nothing is being done to check the ravaging erosion. I am seizing this opportunity to appeal to the State and Federal Government to despatch a delegation to Ifakala on an assessment tour without further delay”.

    Last year the Federal Government commissioned the Obowo/Ihitte Uboma Gully Erosion Control Works in Isiala Mbano Council Area of the State by to cushion the challenges of erosion in Imo communities.

    The Project was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari, but this intervention has not brought any relief to the people of Ifakala.

    The President, who was represented by the Minister of Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, expressed optimism that the project would recover gullied arable land as well as check flooding and the menace of gully and soil erosion in the state.

    He lamented the lingering problem of gully erosion in the Southeast part of the country, adding that the intervention of the Federal Government will provide a huge relief to the communities which have been grappling with ecological challenges

    According to him, the approval of the project would further consolidate on the gains of giant stride of his administration and demonstrates the sincerity of the APC led administration in the country.

    He expressed optimism that the successful completion of the project would in no small measure improve the living standard of the people of the communities and its environs, adding that it will reduce the dangers posed to lives and properties as a result of the erosion menace.

    The senator representing Imo North, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, described the completion of the project as a dream come true. He expressed satisfaction that one of his campaign promises made to the people of the area have been fulfilled

    Meanwhile, efforts to get the State Commissioner for Works, Josephine Udorji, were abortive, but an engineer in the Ministry, who didn’t want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said that the level of devastation in Ifakala has gone beyond what the Ministry can handle.

    He said, “Last two years we visited erosion sites in Ifakala after series of SOS from the villagers and after the assessment, we did a report but it is now two years after and nothing has been done”.

  • ‘Enough of herdsmen attacks’

    Residents of Mmiata-Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State have raised the alarm over impending scarcity of food following incessant herdsmen attacks on the community.

    The community had earlier been devastated by flood.

    The people alleged that apart from destroying farm produce, the cattle herders also rape women, maim and kill locals in the area.

    They called on the state government to come to their rescue in order to avert the impending hunger and starvation in the community.

    A community leader, Chief Matthias Ameke said the ugly experience had been on for years, expressing fears of further loss of lives and property if the trend was not checked.

    He said the latest casualty was one Alex Nwokoye, who was butchered to death while waiting for a vehicle to convey him and his fishing gear.

    He said, “We used to hear of herdsmen terrorising some parts of this country until when they surfaced on our land and destroyed food products, including yams, cassava, flora and fauna which they trample upon.

    “As we speak now, our farms are at the verge of extermination as virtually everything has been removed. The worst of all is that last year flood ravaged our yams, cassavas, everything wasted. These people you see borrowed from banks this year to go back to farm with the seedlings purchased, land tilled, plantations done.

    “These herdsmen have come and invaded every bit of the length and breadth and removed everything to the point that cassava plants were being uprooted.

    “As if that was not enough, they went about raping women in their shanties. We’ve said it before and will continue to say that we are not violent people; this is one Nigeria. We need peace.

    “But we say that those who are here must obey the rule of the land. We have sacred places they have soiled. Our men have been chased away and finally they have gone as far as beginning to kill our people.

    Ameke continued, “Just last Friday, a man was killed with a machete in a heinous way, leaving behind nine little children. With this, our men said there is a limit to which you can run away from war particularly when it has come to your town.

    “This is our hometown. We have no other place and we are going nowhere. We shall stand here if it means fighting and dying here. But we don’t want to fight.”

    Meanwhile, some group of women in their hundreds barricaded the entry points to the community to prevent what they termed unlawful encroachment.

    One of them, Mrs Uduaku Felicia who spoke to The Nation, said the problem started last January when they noticed the produce in their farmlands was being destroyed by the herdsmen.

    “We’ve been patient with them because we don’t want any case. We give them chance to eat grass but they don’t want to. Instead, they want to be eating cassava, yam, all those things and continue killing others. So we are so very unhappy,” she said

    According to Uduaku, the decision to barricade the entrance to the community was to disallow non-indigenes without check.

    “We saw soldiers who came to our town on Friday. We don’t want war, we want peace. That is why we are here.

    “Anybody who wants to come into Mmiata Anam we would see the person from this point. We don’t want soldiers.”

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mohammed Haruna promised to get back to the reporter, but was unable till the time of filing this report.

    “I will find out and feed you back please,” he said.

  • Experts score security outfit high in Anambra

    In Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano has made security of life and property his number one priority. This explains the the low crime rate in the state.

    He makes sure he is in constant touch with the military, police, civil defence, navy and other para-military outfits in the state, and funds them adequately.

    Not only that, all the vigilance groups in the 179 communities in the state are being taken care of by the state government. Also, the state supports private security outfits.

    The birth of another private security outfit in the state,  Graylincs Security Services (GSS)  has provided additional challenge to the already established ones.

    The group has been adjudged the best security outfit in the Southeast zone by the experts in a recent survey.

    GSS was founded by Mr Chukwudi Ezenwa, an architect, to compliment main security outfits like the police, the Army, Department of State Service DSS and other paramilitary outfits.

    The private security outfit has seriously made inroads in Anambra, Port-harcourt, Abuja among other major cities in the country.

    Speaking with The Nation in Awka, the state capital, a security expert, Dr Hayden Smith, said there were other private security outfits in the zone, but he rated GSS the best.

    He said the group has all it takes to compete with the established ones, because according to him, the outfit was ready before coming out and a makeshift one.

    For Okafor Calistus, another security guru, GSS group had proven to be Professionals in event security and security consultancy.

    He said they offer a range of security services and consulting to Multinational and Nigerian companies, government agencies and individuals.

    The experts agreed it had been listed as the fastest growing private Security company in Nigeria with a majority number of bits in  two months of commencing operations in Anambra State.

    They said it had operational strategy which was based on international standards and best practices, provides relevant and pragmatic security and business solutions in Anambra nay Nigeria.

    Not only that according to the experts, also, they had proven over time to providing  the best services in Cctv installations and Supply which they said were  second to none.

    The state police public relation’s officer, Mr Haruna Mohammed, told The Nation that the command would give support to every private security outfit that measure to standard.

  • Two die in Aba building collapse

    On Tuesday, February 26 a building situated at plot 98 Old Express off Sameck Junction by Faulks, Aba, Abia State, caved in, killing two while other occupants of the structure were rendered homeless.

    Aba, a throbbing commercial city, attracts lots of people, making it easily one of the most densely populated cities in the country.

    Like the beautiful bride, Aba on a daily basis witnesses an influx of families from the hinterlands and  cities across the country relocating to settle in the city.

    One of the problems Aba has at the moment apart from bad roads is inadequate housing. This is orchestrated by the continued swelling of the city’s population.

    The three-storey building that went down in the city, it was gathered, was built years ago, and has been waterlogged for several years. This affected its foundation. It caved in, killing two while two others have their stars to thank as they were rescued 24 hours after the building collapsed.

    An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Chima said that the deceased, a father of three had escaped from the building, but couldn’t make it after part of the fence of the building collapsed on him allowing other blocks to hit him in the process.

    “The owner of the building died many years ago. The people living in the house are his two wives and other tenants.

    “We learnt that one of the landlord’s wives noticed that the house was cracking. She raised alarm, asking their tenants to leave the building that she feared that the building was going to collapse. The man that died, from what we learnt was held back by his wife, but he eventually found his way into the building after he said that there was money that he wanted to use for something urgent. He made it, but while he was running out of the building, part of the fence fell on him, but before help could come his way, other blocks had already collapsed on him and he died.

    “The other person trapped inside is an okada man. I learnt that he was resting in the house before the unfortunate incident. We started this rescue operation when he called one of his relatives informing them that he was still trapped in the structure. So, what you see going on is an effort to see if he can be rescued alive.

    “You need to see waterlog here whenever it rains and this has been happening over the years. We were happy when the Governor of Abia State, Dr.  Okezie Ikpeazu started construction work on this Old Express. But our joy went down when we discovered that the work stopped just by Sameck. We are appealing to the governor to come to our rescue. We fear that many houses may go this way.

    Some of the occupants including Mr. Patrick Uzoma, Jonathan Charles and Benjamin Uzoma who despite their loss participated in the rescue of trapped tenants told our reporter that their properties at the time of filing this report is still trapped in the rubble, adding that they were still making efforts to see if they can salvage any of their belongings.

    According to some of the tenants, apart from their properties in the rubble, huge amounts of cash which they had wanted to use for other various purposes before the building collapse is still yet to be sighted.

    They said that the only thing that they could salvage from their flats were the clothes that they wore to their various shops and offices before the unfortunate incident. For them, the incident has left them to wonder if they still have hope in life again as what they have labored for in so many years collapsed into the ground in just a twinkling.

    According to them NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) and the lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Ossy Prestige had visited the site but they are yet to send relief materials their way.

    The residents who thanked the Abia revered traditional ruler, His Imperial Majesty Eze Isaac Ikonne to ensure that an excavator was on site which facilitated the rescue operation told our reporter that they got to know that some persons were still trapped in the building when a co-tenant called to inform his relatives that he was in the rubble.

    They disclosed that two other tenants were taken to yet to be known private clinics where they were being attended to. This is even as they appealed to the governor of the state, Abia lawmakers, NEMA and concerned individuals to come to their aids.

    While the residents of Old Express were still counting their losses, another three-storey building at Park road by East was said to have collapsed after a torrential rainfall in Aba which many attributed to the use of inferior or substandard materials in its construction, though no life was lost in the incident.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and the Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) have called on the Abia State government to set up a panel of investigation to look into the causes of constant collapse of building which has become a trend in the state.

    The Abia State Chapter of the two organizations (NIA and ARCON) made the call in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State during their fact finding mission in the sites of recent building collapse within the commercial city.

    The NIA said the frantic call became necessary following the recent collapses happening in the city that have taken lives without any serious action and punishment for those responsible for the mess.

    The fact finding mission which took the members of NIA and ARCON team to the offices of the Town Planning Authorities of Aba South, Aba North and Osisioma Local Government Areas was aimed at ascertaining the authenticity of the architects involved in the collapsed building and how they got their approvals.

    Speaking to newsmen after undertaking a tour of the incident scene, Architect Ikechi Ochiulo, Abia State Chairman of NIA urged the Abia State Government to look into the issue of constant collapsing of buildings and map out a strategy that will help punish those who cut corners during construction works.

    Ochiulo decried the presence of quacks in the state and how they go about claiming to be architects, getting their drawings approved by Town Planning Authorities without any license and seal of approval as stipulated by the law governing the profession.

    He said, “We have a situation that when collapses happen in this state, no panel, no investigation takes place. On the part of the Government, no panel of investigation is set up for culprits to be brought to book so that others will learn.

    “That’s why we plead with the Government that as these recwnt incidents have just occurred, they should not be swept under the carpet like the previous scenarios. Things must be done properly to help everyone.

    “We have procedures for checkmating this evil. ARCON has made provisions that before Town Planners are to approve any drawing, they must see the seal of a registered and licensed architect. There’s a security stamp we put on the drawing of every true professional architect.

    “Here in Abia, we have also improved on that by even having what we call authentication form for which every practicing architect must attach his license so that those in Town Planning Authority will see all those things before approving any building drawing.

    “But sadly the drawing of the collapsed building we saw at the Town Planning Office has none of all these things I just mentioned which tell you where the problems are coming from. These are part of the things we are seeing that makes us call for serious synergy between us and the Town Planning.”

    Speaking further, Ochiulo said: “The presence of these quacks is a great misnomer to our professional and the society and when there is a misnomer like this and we continue to perpetuate it, we stand a greater lose. Those quacks to set records straight are not architects and are never part of us.

    “Our society stand a greater lose because of them for example, when you have a problem of building collapse, you spend three times of the money you should have spent to do things properly.

    “The money you spent on the poor job, the money you spend to demolish and clear and cart away the rubbles and the money you will spend to build again in the right way. So, wisdom demands that you do the right thing from on set.”

    The Abia State NIA boss went further warned estate investors and other persons who wants to build in the state to desist from patronizing quarks as it will do them more harm than good.

    “We want to warn the people that are patronizing these fake people that they are doing that at their own risk. A sick person submits himself to a quark surgeon to carry out operation on him, what else does he wish himself if not untimely death? Ochiulo asked.

    He assured that the necessary provisions of the law that will soon catch up with the fake people hovering around all in the name of architects in the state.

    Adding his voice to the pathetic situation of building collapses in Aba, a renowned architect, Chief Dan Nwankwo said, “Obviously from what we can see, it’s important that we get the records straight, the problem in our state and country at large is that people don’t use professionals for building.

    “They just go to quacks, anybody, but professionals. For instance, the drawings of the collapsed building at East Street by Park Road which we saw at the Town Planning Office were not prepared by a professional architect.

    “So, we are urging the people of this state to form the habit of using professional architects and engineers in their projects. If they do that, there will be no collapse. Over and above that, they should also accept the advice of these professionals during construction so that the building will stand the test of time.

    “They think it is expensive using professionals, but at the end of the day, it is not true because a professional saves you trouble and double expenses. Imagine the collapsed building; do you know how much he will spend in clearing it?

  • EEDC invests in Anambra, Imo

    Electricity consumers in Awka, the Anambra State capital, and Owerri, the seat of Imo State government, will soon begin to enjoy improved power supply going by the level of investments the Enugu Electricity Distribution Plc (EEDC) has made towards improving its electricity infrastructure in the two states.

    These investments include the construction of a 1 x 7.5MVA Injection Substation at ABS, Awka, and upgrading of the 7.5MVA Injection Substation at Agu Awka to a 15MVA; while in Imo State, approval has been obtained for the construction of a new Oguta 33KV line valued at over N140 million, which will radiate from Egbu Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) station.

    The Head, Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, who made this known to newsmen in a release, said that the projects were necessitated by the challenges of poor electricity supply within the areas due to over loaded feeders.

    The 1 x 7.5MVA Injection Substation at ABS, Awka, which will be ready for commissioning within the first quarter of the year, is expected to improve electricity supply to Okpuno, Isuaniocha, Mgbakwu, Urum and Amanuke communities and the university community.

    The upgrade of Agu Awka Injection Substation is expected to address the electricity supply challenges and boost supply to Awka Industrial Layout, Ifite, Agu-Awka GRA, parts of Nkwere Awka, UNIZIK, Amansea, Ebenebe, Ugbenu and Ugbene communities.

    Also in Owerri, work will soon commence on the new Oguta 33KV line which will take care of customers in New Owerri, World Bank, Concord Hotel area, Iret e Community and industrialists within the area.  Effort has equally been made to radiate a dedicated feeder to improve availability to Alex Aluminium and other industrialists within the cluster.

    EEDC delivered major network enhancement projects ranging from de-loading of feeders, deployment of relief transformers and replacement of failed transformers. In Enugu State, EEDC completed and commissioned the 1 x 7.5 MVA Nike Lake Injection Substation at Nike, which greatly improved electricity supply to the entire Nike area and parts of Abakpa.

    In a related development, EEDC constructed three feeders to improve supply to her customers in Nsukka, they are the UNN 33KV, Nru 33KV and Wilson 11KV feeders. This has significantly improved power supply to the area and resulted to the deloading of Eha Amufu 33KV line.

    According to Ezeh, the company x-rayed its network, identifying areas that need critical attention with a view to strategically address them. It is not possible to attend to all the challenges at the same time, but there is a conscious effort by the business to deal with them and that has informed the investments in the network.

    These investments underscore our organisation’s commitment to strategically addressing the power supply needs of our customers, we are therefore hoping that they will reciprocate this gesture by ensuring they pay their electricity bills as and when due.

    It is also hoped that they join hands with the EEDC in safeguarding the power installations serving them from being vandalised, and desist from acts such as meter bypass and energy theft.

  • UNICEF: we’re committed to clean environment in Anambra

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment towards a sustainable clean and healthy environment in Anambra State.

    The Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) specialist, UNICEF Enugu, Ferdinand Njue, stated this during a two-day workshop on Institutional Triggering and Sensitisation meeting for stakeholders in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

    Njue, represented by the Zonal WASH consultant, Mr Toyin Adisa, said the agency had continued to collaborate with the government in ensuring that all the communities in the state attained wide Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the shortest possible time.

    He said, “The major role of UNICEF in the implementation of WASH programmes in the State is to ensure that investment made is sustained.

    “This the agency does through the building of the capacity of WASH institutions.”

    According to Njue, the workshop was aimed at identifying the successes and failures of the various communities in the council area in attaining ODF.

    He applauded the State Government for its support and commitment towards UNICEF WASH programmes in the state.

    Also speaking, the Transition Committee Chairman of Aguata, Honourable Eche Ezeibe, attributed causes of regular outbreaks of Cholera and Diarrhea to poor access to safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation.

    Ezeibe, who was represented by the Head, Local Government Administration Officer, Sir Jaja Nwankwo, called for strengthening of health institutions in the state to checkmating the ugly trend.

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    On his part, the WASH Coordinator, Aguata Local Government Area, Mr Akwobi Peter, disclosed the Council’s plans to engage Toilet Business Owners towards the construction of affordable toilet facilities.

    “We’ve been sensitizing the entire council area through jingles and public announcements on the need for clean and healthy environment,” he added.

    One of the participants, Mrs Okonkwo Ebere, Women Leader, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, attested to impacts of UNICEF WASH in their communities, pledging to contribute towards ODF in the area.

    The workshop, organised by EU/UNICEF in collaboration with the State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), attracted traditional rulers, clergy, teachers, representatives of various WASH communities, amongst others.

  • Anambra, SMEDAN to train entrepreneurs on sanitary wares

    Anambra State Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) has said it would engage Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) in the training of entrepreneurs on the construction and sale of affordable toilet facilities in various communities of the state.

    The state Water and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) consultant, Mr. Clement Chigbo made the disclosure in a chat with The Nation, during a two-day workshop on institutional triggering and sensitisation meeting for stakeholders in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

    He said the training which is in conjunction with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) would involve Toilet Business Owners, those into building slabs, production and sale of sanitary wares.

    Chigbo explained that the decision to engage specialists in sanitary wares was to ease the difficulties people encounter in the construction of toilet facilities, especially in water-prone terrains.

    He regretted that some houses, particularly in the rural areas lack toilet facilities, which he said, had been a major setback to the attainment of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in those areas.

    “It’s obvious that everyone excretes and as such has need for toilet, either in the home, school, worship center, market, or business areas.

    “We’re promoting this concept of toilet business to get people interested in investing in latrine business because research has proven it to be a lucrative business,” he said.

    According to the consultant, the training session, which would also involve artisans like masons would afford participants opportunity to learn how to construct latrines especially in peculiar terrains.

    He said, “We’re trying to groom people to develop the interest to invest in the business. There are different types of toilets which people can chose to construct depending on their pockets.

    “Some communities have terrains that are waterlogged which make it difficult to construct toilets there. Some of the toilets constructed these were washed away by flood.

    “With the training, they would be exposed to the kinds of materials that can withstand the harsh weather conditions which is a major factor that discourages people from erecting toilets in those areas.”

  • Shelter for Anambra workers underway

    The Federal Government has continued to demonstrate its commitment to the provision of comfortable and affordable housing for the teeming populace across the country.

    Among such commitments is the National Housing Scheme currently going on at Isiagu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    The project, designed in four-storey buildings condominium to contain 216 units (flats), is expected to accommodate over 433 civil servants and other categories of workers in the state when completed.

    Speaking with The Nation at the project site, Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Power and Housing, field headquarters, Awka, Okafor Iwuchukwu Umeano, an architect, said the project which started on March 25, 2017, would be completed in no distant time.

    He said the categories of persons targeted for the houses were the high, middle and low classes in society.

    He said, “The houses will have one bedroom, two and three bedroom housing units, purely for civil servants at subsidised rates whose monies would be deducted from their monthly salary for the purpose.”

    Although Umeano could not give the tentative amount of money the project would gulp, it is expected that the Federal Government would invest huge sums of money to execute the project.

    “The Federal Government is desirous to alleviate the problem of housing accommodation to Nigerians to meet the annual requirement of 70,000 housing units for urban areas in Nigeria as suggested by United Nations Habitat Survey between 1991 and 2001,” he added.

    According to Umeano, it was imperative for the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari through the Minister of Housing and Power, Raji Fashiola to address the housing accommodation issue as the budget could withstand.

    He named Messers Vic Phranc Nigeria Limited, Dochob Nigeria Limited and Cosco Investment Limited as the three contractors engaged for the building project.

    Umeano further revealed that the estate had already been provided with the necessary infrastructure, including access roads and electricity soon to be connected to the national grid.

    He added, “The only setback the project encountered was when a soil test was later conducted, it was discovered that the type of foundation to be used was different from the one the buildings were originally designed for which affected the earlier cost by upward review.”

    He however pledged the commitment of the Federal Government towards ensuring completion of the project at recorded time.

    One of the contractors handling the project, Chief Daniel Orji, said he was yet to receive payment for the money he invested.

    Orji, whose buildings were at the first decking stage, appealed to federal government to offset the debt to ensure the project did not suffer unnecessary delay.