The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

Why I want to governor Imo, by ex-Air Force chief

In ex-Air Force officer, Air Commodore Peter Gbu-jie (rtd) has shed some light on why he joined the Imo governorship race ahead of the 2019 general elections.

He said he is obliged to use his vast experience and contacts to create wealth for the state and usher in a new lease of life for the man on the street who he said now lives below the poverty line.

“I am in politics,” he said, “to improve the lives of our people and I see politics as a necessary end in the society. In as much as I see politics as being disorderly, I believe that we can restore order in a disorderly society and there are lots of core values in the system. Some operators of our political system tend not to have respect for our political system and things are the way they are today because good people stay away from politics”

Gbujie, a one-time Staff Officer I, (SOI), Safety Presidential Air fleets as well as Flight Safety Officer, Presidential Air Fleet, formerly announced his governorship ambition while receiving thousands of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) comprising of youths, students, market women, party leaders and interest groups who stormed his Akabo Ahiara, country home in Ahiazu Mbaise Council Area of the state.

They pleaded with him to join the governorship race and consolidate on the achievements of the APC.

Addressing the youths who bore placards some of which read “POG”, Concerned Imolites demand that you declare to serve Imo State as our governor in 2019″, “come 2019, one Imolite we seek is Peter Gbujie”, “Gbujie, come out bold, we are behind you” we need a Joshua in Imo in 2019 and POG is the man” “Gbujie, Imo Students  will follow you wherever you go in 2019”, the retired Air Force Officer, said his desire to improve the lives of the people of the state informed his decision to join the race”.

He said, “Even though I am not a professional philanthropist, I have been helping my people in a lot of ways to make life meaningful but I can only do the much I can as an individual. So I decided to join the murky waters of our politics to harness the potentials in our great state and solve our problems”.

Gbujie who decried the commercialisation of politics in the country, hinted that he won’t be concerned about digging into the activities of his predecessor, promised to build on the achievements of the present administration if elected governor.

Insisting that his mission to rule Imo is divine, Gbujie the APC  to end the marginalization of the Igbo by creating an alliance to bring the Southeast into  the mainstream of the nation’s politics.

“As  a governor in 2019, I have a vision  to make Imo the most prosperous state in the South East  because a leader creates wealth  and does not only manage wealth and when you  refine the institutions, the system will work” he stated.

December 8, 2017
Tension in Abia as IPOB, soldiers clash

Umuahia, the Abia State capital, was Monday night thrown into unrest as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were reported to have engaged soldiers at the capital in a bloody battle.

The incident which was said to have occurred at the popular Isi Gate spilled to other parts of the state capital, causing tension amongst residents and visitors alike.

Sources in Umuahia, who spoke to The Nation said that the situation forced many business owners and traders within the city center to abruptly close their shops over fear of arrest or being caught up in the crisis which has literally shut the city down.

While information about the report remains sketchy, a version of the incident has it that some soldiers stationed at Isi Gate were collecting money from commercial tricycle operators and when one of the operators refused giving them money , one of the soldiers slapped the commercial tricyclist.

The situation degenerated into a fight when members of the union in solidarity with their member engaged the soldiers in a brawl.

Another version of the incident claimed that the soldiers at a checkpoint around Isi Gate stopped a commercial tricycle operator and demanded that the driver should hand over to him the Biafra and IPOB insigma in his tricycle, but the driver refused.

The situation, it was learnt degenerated into a heated argument which attracted crowd and the soldiers on seeing that the area was already charged, shot into the air to scare people, but the crowd overpowered them and injured some of them in the process.

At the time of filing this report, it was gathered security agencies have flooded the state capital with their men on the alert to prevent total breakdown of law in the city.

A source at the Aba Area Command told our reporter that their men have been properly briefed to be on alert at some of the flash points in the commercial city and be vigilant of movement of persons who may wish to stir up the peace of the town.

The Coordinator of IPOB in the State, Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuoha said that he was yet to be properly briefed about the incident.

But a member of IPOB who would not want his name in print told our reporter that the soldiers shot at and injured some of the people who had remained peaceful and were appealing to the soldiers to release the tricyclist to go about his business since they couldn’t find anything incriminating on him.

The 14Brigade Ohafia Public Relations Officer, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi disclosed that some of soldiers were injured and were in an undisclosed hospital where they were receiving medical attention.

He denied that the soldiers fueled the crisis, alleging that their operational vehicle was damaged by the crowd.

Gbadamosi who said he was yet to get the full information to the incident, promised to get back to the reporter as soon as he is briefed on the matter and gets clearance from his boss (Brigade Commander).

In a text message sent to our reporter, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adeleye Oyebade said “We are on top of the situation. We will contain the situation. There is no cause for alarm. All hands are on deck to co continually sustain the peaceful atmosphere we have labouredly tirelessly to achieve so far in the state.”

September 4, 2017
Abia community bars electricity workers from entering premises

The people of Umuobasiukwu Alayi Autonomous Community in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State on Wednesday barred staff of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Alaoji Power Station from entering into their company.

The Nation gathered that the community members who had arrived the premises of the power plant at about 2am used palm front and erected a canopy in front of the main gate leading into the establishment.

Sources at the plant said that all efforts by the staff of the establishment to persuade the women and other members of the community to rescind their actions proved abortive as they insisted that their needs must be met.

No official of the NDPHC could speak to our reporter as a combined team of Police and Soldiers at the security checkpoint in front of the power plant gate couldn’t allow our reporter speak to the women or disclose the whereabouts of the officials of the plant.

An anonymous source at the facility told our reporter that because of the inability of their colleagues on morning duty to gain entrance into the facility, those of them on night duty were asked to stay back to continue working.

Another source in the community who pleaded to speak anonymous because of his safety told The Nation that they decided to protest what he described as marginalization from the community.

“How can a company sited in our community be generating electricity and yet, the immediate community doesn’t have power? Look at our roads. The road that you rode into the community has been like that after President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the project towards the end of his regime, if you can remember.

“They took our lands, built this project but I can tell you that they are short-changing us, in terms of employment. As we speak, members of the local vigilante are also protesting inside the premises because the contractor that hired their services is owing them for about six months.

“In the past, if we protest, they will use the police and army to scare us away from the facility. The women have been there since morning. I am sure that you saw the pot of corn which they cooked and ate as their breakfast. Let them point to one thing that they have done in this community since the establishment of that power plant which is among the 10 NIPP (Nigerian National Integrated Power Project). We are not going to back out.

“Go to Rivers State, AFAM VI, they supply electricity to their host community free of charge. It is the same thing in Sapele, Calabar and elsewhere. Why is our own case different?

“The Chief Operating Officer of the plant came and addressed the protesters, but his explanations weren’t satisfactory to us. We will keep mounting pressure and the picketing on them will continue until the management of the plant fulfills their bargain of performing their corporate social responsibilities and meet other of our demands,” the source stated.

Nigerian National Integrated Power Project was established in 2004 to address the issue of insufficient power generation and excessive gas flaring from oil exploration in the Niger delta region.

May 31, 2017
A memorable gift in Imo

Workers’ Day is largely boring. It is an annual ritual of marches, rallies and speeches, and then workers return to their beats to bemoan their fate afresh. In Imo State, this year’s edition was a break from the norm. There was something to cheer about. The state governor Rochas Okorocha lifted a six-year embargo on promotion in the state.
The workers, who defied the heavy downpour to attend the ceremony at the Heroes Square, broke into wild jubilation on hearing the announcement. Majority of them were overdue for promotion but were restricted by the embargo that was placed on promotion since 2011.
Okorocha who lauded the mutual relationship between the leadership of workers’ union and his administration, described the gesture as an appreciation of the contribution of the workers and a way of stimulating the state workforce.
Speaking to the ecstatic crowd, Governor Okorocha assured that his administration will lift the ban on promotion as soon as the sanitisation exercise going on in the system was completed, adding that the government would like to know the status of those to benefit from the promotion exercise. He urged the workers to always show appreciation for what his administration has done for them since 2011 when he came on board.
He reminded the workers that they are the greatest beneficiaries of the free education programme in the state because there is no more pressure on them or on their salaries for the payment of school fees of their children and wards especially when the free education policy is from primary to tertiary institutions.
He also told the workers that he was the first to pay them N20,000 minimum wage against the approved N18,000 minimum wage and also paid them wardrobe allowance, which has seen them today appearing in a special dress code, and is also building ICT centres at the state secretariat and local government headquarters to enable them become computer literate.
The governor informed the workers that the government has concluded arrangement to recruit more than 3000 fresh graduates who are Computer literate into the Civil Service to make the System vibrant, adding that more than ninety percent of the workers are not Computer literate.
He assured that he would continue to dialogue with the leaders of the Labour Union in the State to ensure that the harmonious relationship his government enjoys with workers continues, adding that he would remain committed to the welfare of the workers in the State.
Meanwhile the Deputy Governor of the State, Eze Madumere in his felicitation message, hailed the workers for their commitment and resilience towards tackling the daunting challenges facing the country.
Madumere emphasized the importance of the roles of the workers in nation building, describing them as the real heroes.
He particularly commended Imo Workers for their cooperation and strategic partnership with the present rescue Mission Government led by Owelle Rochas Okorocha to building an Imo of State of collective dream.
The Deputy Governor commended the leadership of Labour for their understanding and for embracing best practices while negotiating for welfare of its members by putting the survival of the State and the country first. He also commended the State Governor over “his untiring effort to ensure that issues concerning the welfare of the workers are always on the priority list and his readiness to always listen to their heat beats whenever they come knocking.
He reminded the workers of importance of making the best out of the present Back to Farm Policy of the Government, which he said will not only “launch them into financial stability but will make them great contributors in the effort to re-launch Nigeria to its supposed position in the comity of nations.”
In his speech at the event, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Austin Chilakpa, commended the governor for lifting the embargo, stating that it will reawaken the spirit of hard work, which he noted can only be guaranteed through a vibrant reward system.
He called for 100 per cent review of the agreement the Labour leaders had with the state government some time ago over the payment of salaries, stating that the Labour leaders would continue to demand that, until it is done.”

May 5, 2017
One-time lawmaker passes on

A former member of old Anambra State House of Assembly Hon Petrus Agballah has passed on. A statement signed by the son of the deceased and former Commissioner for Works and governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah, a lawyer, noted that Pa Agballah passed on at the age of 90 after a protracted illness.

Pa Agballah was a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales and was the first chartered accountant of Igbo extraction to practice in the defunct Eastern Region.

The deceased was also a Second Republic Minority Leader of Old Anambra State House of Assembly and former Deputy State Chairman, National Party of Nigeria (NPN) Anambra State.

He was a notable member of the executive of the movement for WAWA State which lobbied relentlessly for the creation of Enugu and Ebonyi states.

He was also a founding board member of defunct Orient Bank, Palm Beach Insurance, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), among others.

The family statement noted that the remains of Pa Agballah will be interred on May 12, 2017 at his country home, Nkolo Abalagu, Amagu village, Udi, Anambra State.

May 5, 2017
Police team up with Abia against crime

‘To identified cross-border criminals and local gangs as being responsible for the new wave of armed robbery and kidnapping in the city, vowed that all criminal elements will be chased out of Aba and Abia state within a very short time’

The police in Abia State have scaled up their onslaught against crime in Aba, teaming up with the state government to relieve the besieged commercial nerve of the state. Abia State has been under siege by hoodlums for months, leaving residents in fear.

Not too long ago, a lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal constituency, Hon. Ossy Prestige called on the federal government, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and Chief of Army Staff General Tukur Buratai to send troops to Aba to contain the insecurity in the city.

Prestige said the entire security structure in Aba has collapsed leaving it at the mercy of daredevil criminals armed with sophisticated weapons. He noted that if nothing urgent was done to arrest the situation, the city which is yet to recover from the impact of armed men invasion in 2010, may witness yet another mass exodus of its residents and relocation businesses to neighbouring states.

In two weeks, two medical doctors, a lawyer, a man said to be a staff of Nigeria Breweries, Aba and another resident of the city have been kidnapped.

The Nation checks revealed that most of the security agents need more men and adequate logistics to fight the hoodlums.

A member of the family of a recent kidnap victim told our reporter that they had to negotiate with the kidnappers after reporting the matter and waiting for three days without any positive response, adding that that within two days of their interaction and subsequent payment of ransom, they got back their loved one.

To arrest the ugly situation, the Abia State Police Command has launched the Tactical Response Squad (TRS). Speaking at the launch of the TRS the state Commissioner of Police Adeleye Oyebade said that the TRS was set up by the command to further tackle crime and criminality in Aba and other parts of the state, even as he warned that his administration would not tolerate any form of extortion by men of the TRS and other teams in Aba and any other parts of the state.

The Police Chief further stated that the state government had agreed to pay some of the personnel’s allowances.

He disclosed that the state government was going to provide the command with about 20 vehicles and patrol teams with walkie-talkies for effective communication.

Oyebade thanked the Inspector-General of Police for agreeing to send more personnel and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the state.

He also appealed to Aba residents to provide police with useful information on the activities of hoodlums within the vicinity as he maintained that the police was ready to confront the hoodlums.

The state governor Okezie Ikpeazu has placed a cash reward of N1million for information on the whereabouts of kidnappers and armed robbers in their domain. Ikpeazu also announced a reward of N1 million to security agents who are able to arrest or smash any kidnap or armed robbery gang in the state as his government’s further support to ensure the sustenance of peace and tranquility in the state.

In a release issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos the governor was said to identified cross-border criminals and local gangs as being responsible for the new wave of armed robbery and kidnapping in the city, vowed that “all criminal elements will be chased out of Aba and Abia state within a very short time”.

The Governor recalled that the last Yuletide season was the most peaceful in the history of the state as a result of the vigilance and hard work of the security agencies.

May 5, 2017
‘The rich should help the poor’

The well-to-do should give the downtrodden a lift by using their wealth to positively impact them.

That was the message sent out from the Christ Holy Church (CHC), Aba, Abia State.

The head of the Women and Children’s Department of the church Deaconess C. E. Umeh made the call while visiting some orphanages in the commercial city.

Umeh, who led a delegation of women on the visit, donated several items including toiletries, rice, baby wear, noodles and cash to the homes.

Umeh lamented the lack of care and attention given to the children in the orphanage by both government and well-off individuals in the society.

Deaconess Umeh who is also wife of the Bishop of CHC, Province III Nathan Umeh, frowned at the high rate of unwanted pregnancy in the society especially among teenage girls which she said accounts for the high number of abandoned children.

She warned people who engage in premarital sex, especially youths, to desist from such act and avoid things that could prevent them from being focused in life and achieving their set goals. She said they should emulate Christ who lived a righteous life and used his days on earth to win souls for the kingdom of God.

She said that the reason the church chose to celebrate Mothers’ Day after Easter was to celebrate the role women played in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

They visited Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home, Seventh Day Adventist Motherless Home, Father Basil Motherless Babies Home, and Peace Sisters Outreach Ministry International (Abandoned Children), among others.

Rev. Joy Igweze, proprietress of Peace Sisters Outreach praised the women for their love for orphans and the less privileged.

Igweze recalled how she had saved many children from dying after they were abandoned by their mothers at various locations in Aba and environs, describing the job of nurturing, feeding and paying the schools fees of the children as very challenging.

May 5, 2017
Community agonises over infrastructure, kingship dispute

The Amanuke community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State is grappling with many headaches. Infrastructure in the area is horrible. Worse, their traditional royal stool is also hotly contested by two claimants. This has left the people divided.

Amanuke, located about 10 km north of Awka, the state capital, is in agony. The community lacks potable water, electricity, goods roads, while its primary, secondary schools and hospitals have all but collapsed.

The residents are lamenting their misery, and have called on the state government to come to their rescue.

They also complained that peace has taken flight from the area because of lack of a traditional ruler. Since the death of their traditional ruler, the late Igwe William Ezenwa many years ago, two relations have laid claim to the traditional stool.

When The Nation visited the community following the lamentations of the residents, it was discovered that pupils were learning under the trees.

The primary health centre, which used to compliment general hospital for the rural area has collapsed. From down to the top of the hospital, there was no single equipment, while domestic animals, and human excreta as well as skeletons of dead animals littered the floor.

The Nation gathered that the hospital was built between 1978 and 1983 through self-help by the people of the community and handed over to the state government during the regime of former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo.

The same story is equally told of the community’s primary health centre with about two bungalows already collapsed, while the remaining buildings are a shambles.

There was no single person or worker to speak on the condition, while the premises were like a ghost land.

At the community’s secondary school, the situation was the same with nine out of the 12 buildings already dilapidated, while the two others housing the corps members were not suitable for human habitation.

Speaking with The Nation, Mrs. Grace Okafor, a resident, described the situation as living in hell.

She said it had been over 20 years since the hospital was abandoned, adding that the residents seek for alternative at the Awka capital city.

“Our roads, hospital, primary health centre, secondary school, market and others are all dilapidated,” she said. “Amanuke community is one of the major food baskets of Anambra State, but we have never received any form of support from the government, we only hear that government supports agriculture.”

Mrs. Uju Onwunili told The Nation that some of them go to a community about eight communities from Amanuke for ante-natal care.

One of the community leaders, Hon. Ebenezer Okafor told The Nation that Amanuke had become an abandoned community in the state.

Mr. Angus Dike decried the level of decay in the community, which he blamed on the tussle over traditional stool.

He said the N20 million “choose your project” initiative by the Governor Willie Obiano administration, has been hijacked by certain people.

May 5, 2017
Enugu police sensitise tricycle operator on security

‘He advised the group to close ranks with the police for a safe and secure environment and state by cooperating with them and reporting promptly any threat to security of their environment as well as their smooth operations to the police and other relevant
security agencies’

The Enugu State Police command has interacted with commercial tricycle operators, sensitising them on the need to be law abiding, and safety and security conscious as well as partnering with the police in fighting crime.

The one-day sensitisation on security for the operators was held at the IMT Campus II Park. Attending were no fewer than 600 tricycle operators.

The police spokesman in Enugu, Ebere Amaraizu, a Superintendent who represented the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Dan-Mallam Mohammed told them that there was need for them to be law abiding in order to run away from issues that will put them in conflict with the law.

He advised the group to close ranks with the police for a safe and secure environment and state by cooperating with them and reporting promptly any threat to security of their environment as well as their smooth operations to the police and other relevant security agencies.

He also informed participants that the state command under the close watch of CP Dan-Mallam Mohammed has intensified action against any form of extortion of cyclists by police personnel at stop and search as the command has promptly mobilised its x-squad and monitoring unit to that effect and with a view to fishing out any erring personnel for necessary disciplinary action

He released the commands distress call numbers and social media contacts for easy partnership with the group and advised operators to report through the appropriate authority about any perceived case of extortion.

The state chairman of the Association Comrade Benjamin Ikah had thanked Amaraizu for the sensitisation which he described was a right step from a right direction and also thanked Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his support for the cyclists in the state.

He advised his members to be law abiding and not to engage or encourage criminal activities and above all not to take laws into their hands.

There was also road traffic sensitisation by the officials of Federal Road safety Corp Enugu state command where relevant traffic guide were released to operators.

May 5, 2017
Kalu champions Buhari’s agric policy

President Muhammadu Buhari has found a worthy ally and voice in former governor of Abia State Orji Uzor Kalu. On his 57th birthday, Chief Kalu stepped away from his Abuja mansion, even shunned his comfortable country home, choosing his two hectares farm to eat his birthday cake. At the farm, his aides and well-heeled friends were nowhere in sight, only his farm workers.

It was just the way the former governor liked it. It was probably also the way Mr President liked it.

Taking office as president two years ago, the commander-in-chief stressed the need for Nigerians to return to the farm, arguing that for the country to overcome its dependence on crude oil the clear path to follow is agriculture.

While many Nigerians were still dragging their feet, the former governor and successful businessmen and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has heeded the President’s call.

Kalu did not only drive the farm tractor to till the land, he equally joined his farm workers to cut and plant cassava stems in the ridges. He inspected other activities on the farm.

Spending the day on the farm with their boss was not enough for the farm workers, who also pleaded with him to join them in cutting a beautiful cake they made for him.

Kalu, who for over 20 years have refused to celebrate his birthday in any form, was filled with emotion seeing the love shown to him by people on his payroll. He obliged them to cut the birthday cake.

The former governor was later joined on the farm by some of his associates who had gone to his Camp Neya house and on learning that he was at the farm, came over to identify with him.

Speaking to newsmen after inspecting ongoing work at the farm, Kalu said that he decided to mark his birthday in the farm with his workers as a way of heeding the call by President Buhari for Nigerians to go back to the farm not to only produce enough food for the people, but also to boost the nation’s economy.

According to Kalu, over the years he had never celebrated his birthday openly but decided to do that this year in the farm to encourage Nigerians to go back to the land.

He said that time had passed when farming was left only in the hands of peasant farmers who he said lacked both the financial capability and the technical knowhow to produce enough to feed the nation, not to talk of exporting.

“Time has passed when farming was left in the hands of those with little or no knowledge about farming. I live in Abuja and also have so many businesses across the globe. But because of the seriousness I attach to farming, I decided to come home to farm. The rich and those that have the professional training should join in the campaign in ensuring that there is abundance of food in the country.”

He disclosed that he would be planting cassava only at his over two hectares farmland at Okafia Igbere while another two hectares of land at Ugwueke would be used to plant palm seedlings.

Kalu, who has keen interest in taking the youths off the streets through gainful employment, said that he was optimistic that the two farms would also create jobs for many youths in Bende Local Government Area and the state.

He urged the well-to-do and those with the technical knowhow in the country to heed the call of the President.

May 5, 2017