The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

  • Group holds rally for Biafra’s fallen heroes and heroines

    A Pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has held a rally in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State. Sunny Nwankwo was at the rally

    Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State was at the weekend beseeched by members of a pro-biafra group, the Indigenous People of Biafra from the Southeast and Southsouth states of the country.

    The group who neared about 20, 000 as early as 9am on Saturday had trooped out in their numbers in front of Christ the King Catholic Cathedral Church (CKC) ahead of a march round the city in remembrance of the 1929 Aba women who fought the colonial masters to stop moves they (colonial masters) made for women to start paying taxes.

    The second reason was also to honour Biafran heroes who laid their lives in the struggle for the freedom of Biafra land.

    The crowd had who came from various states of Abia, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa, Edo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and other parts of the country had both the old and the young in attendance and by 10am traffic around CKC was brought to a halt as members of the group including Aba residents had already gathered at the venue.

    Though there was initial apprehension whether the event was going to hold in Aba or not when the news filtered into town that members of the pro-Biafra group were being arrested and detained by the Police, Imo State Command, the event however took place without any member of the group arrested or harassed by Police Officers and Detectives from Abia State Security Services who were on guard to make sure that there was no breach of peace within the Aba Command.

    Investigation has it the Aba Area Commander, Peter Wagbara who was on ground had saved what could have led to shootings and killings when some members of the group had a confrontation with the police which led to the breakage of their patrol van’s glass, though The Nation learnt that the members of the group on their own later came to replace the damaged glass and as well apologized to the police authority in the state for the damage.

    They sang various pro-Biafra songs where they praised the gallantry efforts of Late Biafra Warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Philip Effion, Okoko Ndem, Joe Ajuzie Onwu Atuegwu among others who in one way or the other participated in the struggle for freedom of the former eastern region.

    From CKC, they divided themselves into groups and marched through Ogbor Hill where they had a stopover at the Premises of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Channel 6 Aba and later marched through Aba-Owerri road, Tonimas-Umule axis, Ariaria, Port Harcourt road leading to Flyover Bus Stop, one of the populous areas in the city of Aba and among other places they went during the march.

    And for over 8hours that the march lasted, traffic was however moving in a snail manner along some of the major roads in the commercial city as commuters, motorists and residents of Aba trooped out in their numbers on the road to have a glimpse of what was happening.

    Police patrol vans were however seen at various strategic junctions where the Armoured Personnel Carrier was stationed at Ehi road by CKC to ensure that the protesters didn’t turn violent or ceases the opportunity to cause breach of peace in the city.

    Some of IPOB members who spoke to our reporter said that the movement in Aba today was to honour some of the Biafran Warlords who died during the Nigerian-Biafran Civil war, adding that it was also part of their efforts to further push for their agitation for the realization of the sovereign state of Biafra.

    According to one of them who gave his name as Kalu Francis, “It is more than 100years after Lord Lugard amalgamated the people of Southern and Northern Protectorates. According to the treaty, it was agreed that after 100years anyone that felt that they are no longer comfortable to with the way things are being done has the right to secede and that is what we are doing.

    “We are the Indigenous People of Biafra and we believe that time has come for us to let the world know how badly we have been treated as a people. Even when we lay the eggs that feeds the nation, we are still are still not benefiting from the eggs we lay.

    “What we are saying is that we want to be free and until realise the dreams and aspirations of our founding fathers we shall continue to push the struggle and push our case to its logical conclusion. People think that we are going to be troublesome, but we chose the path of peace and honour as a non-violent group to pass our message to the international community that we are no longer comfortable. What we want is a sovereign state of Biafra and nothing else”.

    However, residents of Aba have commended the police officers under Aba Area Command for exhibiting maturity in the way they handled the protesters yesterday, stating that it was a paradigm shift from what was obtainable.

    They added that if the template set out today by the police could be sustained, “they will be achieving the saying that police is your friend and not the enemy of the public”.

  • Clergy visits Abia for crusade

    Clergy visits Abia for crusade

    As part of her contribution towards meeting the spiritual needs of residents of Abia State, Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), said arrangements have been concluded  for a 5day religious visit of its General Superintendent, Pastor Williams Kumuyi in the state.

    According to the organisers of the state wide crusade, it was expected that Kumuyi would visit Arochukwu Township Stadium, Ebem Ohafia Local Government field, Uturu secondary school, Methodist High School, Ikwuano, Event Center,Umuahia, Ovuokwu Secondary School, Isiala Ngwa, Obehie Central School, Obehie Asa and Deeper Life Camp ground, near flyover, Umugo Aba; respective venues of the crusade.

    Pastor Damian Umeh, Abia State Overseer DCLM told reporters during a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters in Aba that they were spurred to hold the state wide crusade this year because of the successes recorded when a similar programme was organised last year, adding that this year’s event would be a better experience as he boasted that a lot of lost souls would saved, healings and that peoples’ lives was going to change for good.

    Umeh who gave the theme of the event as “The Great Day of His Power to Remember” disclosed that the event which was originally scheduled to hold in April this year was rescheduled for convenience sake.

    “Since the postponement, we as a church did not waiver in our commitment to the success of the programme. Pastor Kumuyi is a man God has used in many parts of the world and Nigeria in particular to bless multitudes in various aspect of life. It is the turn of Abia people to receive their own from God. Spectacular testimonies that result from the uncommon manifestation of God’s power during Pastor W. F Kumuyi’s ministrations is common knowledge and Abia State will have more”, he said

    While reiterating the three cardinal pillars (preaching, teaching and healing) upon the church had based its practice, the state overseer of DCLM said “as Christ’s ambassadors, the church is committed to reconnecting people with their Creator, losing the bands of wickedness and helping humanity to regain her lost peace, joy, health and prosperity.

    “We are also aware that the judgment of God is imminent, so we bring the love of God to estranged humanity so they can be reconciled to Him and escape the fierce judgment” and urged the sick and those that are heavy laden with challenges of life to see the crusade as their opportunity of getting healed and being free from all their adversity.

    The crusade which was going to feature prayers for inhabitants of Abia state and Nigeria in general would start from June 30 and end on July 4.

    Immediate past Abia State Health Commissioner and a pastor in the church, Dr. Sampson Okechukwu Ogah in an interview corroborated the state overseer, stating that the importance of the crusade for the state and its inhabitants at this time cannot be overemphasized.

    The medical doctor who also believes in the healing power of God however expressed his hope on God to heal incurable diseases within the period of the crusade and people coming out with a lot of testimonies.

     

  • Abia House of Assembly averts bloodshed

    The immediate past Abia State House of Assembly has directed Pioneer Sino Chino Investment Company to commence the quarrying of granite stone activities at Aguokeakpu Amaubiri site in Umunneochi council area of the state.

    The directive was contained in a resolution passed by the house during its winding down iplenary session in Umuahia and asked Asphalt Unity Construction and Allied Bond companies to stop further work there.

    This resolution has averted bloodshed that would have happened in that community at Umunneochi, as the three companies having causing tension capable of exploding in a clash between them and community.

    The resolution which was signed by the clerk/permanent secretary of the house, JohnPedro Irokansi said that any work being carried out at the quarry site by the two companies earlier mentioned will amount to illegality.

    The resolution said that Pioneer Sino Chino has the legal right to carry out quarrying of granite stone at Aguokeakpu Amaubiri, Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi of Abia state.

    The Abia House of assembly said that the legal right obtained by the authorized company which is Pioneer Sino Chino must be protected at all time and that the two other companies being barred from working there, should stop fanning the embers of confusion”.

    The legislators said that they have looked at both the oral and documentary evidences, which points to the fact that, Pioneer Sino

    Chino is the rightful owner of the lease right to the quarry site.

    The resolution then resolved as follows,”The Company called Pioneer Sino Chino has the legal right over the quarry site located at Aguokeakpu Amaubiri.

    That the Pioneer Sino Chino presented before them the Lease No. 19738 QLS from the federal Ministry of Mines and Steel development and that the documents presented to them were acknowledged by the zonal representative of the relevant ministry.

    That the representative of the federal ministry of Mines and Steel Development has delisted Allied Bond Standard Company as such, it has no operating power to be at the quarry site in Umunneochi”.

    The house then asked the two companies to desist from interfering in any way impeding the legal rights of Pioneer Sino Chino to carry out quarry activities at the quarry site at Umunneochi.

     

  • Rage in Anambra community over abattoir

    Rage in Anambra community over abattoir

    Amansea community in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State hosts one of the state’s three abattoirs. For 15 years the abattoir had existed, there had not been any squabble between members of Chisom Butchers’ Association and the community. But NWANOSIKE ONU writes that penultimate Sunday, operators of the abattoir were allegedly attacked by thugs over local government revenue issues

    Until recently, the 15-year-old abattoir at Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, has never witnessed any form of squabble. Being one of the three abattoirs in the state, it usually is a Mecca of sorts to nearby communities. According to some residents, this is so because beef from there is neat and cheap.

    Regrettably, the chairman of Awka North Local Government Area, Cosmos Okonkwo, was alleged to have stormed the abattoir with 10-bus loads of thugs who were allegedly armed with dangerous weapons such as guns, machetes and clubs, among others and beat the chairman of Chisom Butchers’ Association, Christian Nwankwo mercilessly. The event occurred penultimate Sunday,

    Nwankwo
    Nwankwo

    Explaining his ordeal, Nwankwo told our correspondent that trouble started when the council chairman demanded that the association should pay to him the revenue which accrues from the abattoir instead of paying it to the state government coffers.

    He said Governor Willie Obiano had directed that all the abattoirs in the state should pay all revenues to the state government and not to any other person, group or association.

    Before then, Nwankwo had alleged that the association has been giving the local government chief N30, 000 per week, adding that the sum of N300 was paid for each cow that was slaughtered in the abattoir. He said that was after signing some agreements with him before the Governor’s directive.

    According to counsel to the butchers’ association, Emma Okechukwu, the earlier agreement was that the council would provide water supply (boreholes and overhead tanks), re-roofing of the slaughter house and slabs, re-roofing of concrete slabs and provision of good drainage system within the premises of the abattoir.

    But after five months of payment to the council without commensurate facilities at the abattoir as agreed with the council, the butchers started asking questions. This, he said, infuriated the council chairman who began to threaten and intimidate members of the butchers’ association.

    Based on the threats, harassments and intimidation by the council chief to force his clients to pay, he was reminded of the subsisting injunction by the Federal High Court for stay of execution until the determination of the matter pending in the court since 2010.

    But in disregard to the order, Okechukwu said, the council chairman sent his internally-generated revenue (IGR) team who came with a letter from the council chief demanding the sum of N800, 000 as environmental levy. He added that the meat sellers had no other option than to join him in pursuing the case that has been pending in the Federal High Court.

    •From left; Nwagu, Ezeonu, chairman, Nwankwo and Okechukwu, the lawyer. Inset: Nwankwo
    •From left; Nwagu, Ezeonu, chairman, Nwankwo and Okechukwu, the lawyer. Inset: Nwankwo

    Speaking with our correspondent in Awka, the Vice-Chairman of the meat sellers, Emma Nwagu, said but for the intervention of the Awka Police Area Commander, Usman Yusuf, there would have been a bloodbath in Awka.

    He said the people took them unawares because they were not envisaging such a thing from the chairman of a council. He said the thugs disembarked from the buses and held Nwankwo on the jugular and forced all of them to lie down on the ground.

    He said: “When we saw some vehicles approaching the abattoir, we thought they were customers because this place is always like a market because of the kind of meat we sell here.”

    Not only that the chairman of the council allegedly invaded the slaughter house with thugs, Mr. Nwankwo and members of his executive alleged that the thugs stole N18.7 million which the members contributed in order to buy cows.

    Also, they alleged that Okonkwo and his men made away with 16 live cows the cost of which they put at N2 million.

    While reacting to the allegations by the butchers, the council chairman described them as baseless and unfounded.

    He said if anybody wanted to know the true position of what transpired on that day, such information could be provided by police men from the B–Division Department who were present.

    Furthermore, he told our correspondent that since the butchers had reported the matter to the police, they are supposed not to be carrying up such baseless allegations.

    When the police Area Commander, Usman Yusuf was contacted for comment on the matter, he confirmed the near mayhem that almost crippled the community.

    Yusuf said when the report reached the police, they had to mobilise their men to the place to avoid any break down of law and order.

    “The story is true, but we thank God that we restored peace to the warring parties. The matter has not ended because the command has gone into investigation already.

    “We are not going to say anything on the matter yet, until investigations are completed to establish what really happened,” he said.

    Already, Mr. Nwankwo has appealed to Governor Obiano to come to their aid.

    He wondered if it was a crime for people from other states to establish businesses in Anambra State, adding that the council chairman has allegedly threatened to deal with them because they are from Ebonyi State.

     

  • Imo proposes Catholic University

    Imo proposes Catholic University

    The quest for quality and affordable education in Imo State has received a significant boost with the flag off of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu University. It was all joy at a thanksgiving service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Orlu, when the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, gave the aspiration a breath of life with a cash donation of N100 million and an expansive plot of land for the university.

    At the event, which was also the thanksgiving service by the Governor in commemoration of his victory at the 2015 polls and successful inauguration, were other prominent Imo citizens such as Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Chief Felix Idiga, who donated generously to ensure that the Catholic University is completed on time.

    Governor Okorocha, who spoke before a large audience, including over 350 Catholic and Anglican Priests and other clergymen, directed that all necessary authorisation papers for the university be given to the leadership of the Diocese for the commencement of the project with immediate effect.

    He assured that the state government would continue to invest heavily in education, adding that the free education progreamme will remain a priority project of the Rescue Mission administration.

    The Governor listed the Marine University under construction in Ossemotor in Oguta Local Government Area, the European University in Ideato South Local Government Area and another under construction at Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area as some of the tertiary institutions that would be the envy of many when they finally take off.

    Okorocha noted that he has always encouraged the Church to invest in the building of universities to assist in producing graduates with sound moral training and the fear of God.

    He reiterated that his second tenure would be better than his first, adding that the rural roads projects would be completed, while the free education from primary to university levels will remain a major thrust of his administration.

    The Governor further pledged to live up to his promise of building industries and factories in his second term which will help in creating jobs in the state and end poverty among the citizens.

    He said: “When I said I will stop kidnapping in the state, including Orlu, people doubted me.  Today, it is a success story; kidnapping has been confined to the trashcan of history in the state.  Now, I have promised to establish industries. I am speaking based on my trust in God.  I will fulfill the promise.  This government will fulfill its campaign promises.  The 27 general hospitals, the 305 primary schools and other projects will be completed.”

    Continuing, he said:  “The problem I had with the elite or the big men in the state was that I didn’t carry them along.  But I will now carry them along. These coming four years will be better than the last four years.”

    Earlier in his sermon, the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Augustine Ukwuoma, observed that the Church has been in the forefront of development, noting that great continents such as Europe was developed by the Church.

    The Bishop explained that although governing people is always difficult, the government should always listen to them to eliminate their biases. He also advised the people to pray for the government, noting that people can criticise those in authority, but it must be constructive and not just for the sake of doing so or for the sake of opposition.

    Encouraging those in authority to use their positions to develop the society, the cleric recalled that “the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, was under pressure to send his children abroad for education but he refused. Instead, he preferred to improve the quality of education in his country.

    He praised the Governor for sustaining the free education programme and supporting the proposed Catholic University, which he assured will boost the education industry in the state.

    The renowned cleric advised the Governor to listen to the people and carry everyone along, adding that, “my dear Governor, political campaigns are over. I urge all to sheath their swords. We should forget about politics and unite. Whether we voted for you or not, you are the Governor. God has made you the Governor. Let political opponents not become your personal enemies. There is life after politics. Let us work together to make Imo better”.

    Reacting to the development, scholars and other stakeholders in the education sector, described the proposed Catholic University as a development that will re-define the quest for meaningful education in the state.

    Dr Nathaniel Izuzu noted that early schools that produced some of Nigeria’s best brains were owned and operated by the Church.

    “I have no doubt that the Catholic University will be an instant success. In conventional universities, the rate of moral decadence is alarming and I know that the coming of the Catholic-owned University will provide a credible alternative for our children,” he said.

    In a similar manner, Mr. Cletus Uzokwa, said the issue of incessant closure of schools as a result of industrial actions will not be the case with the proposed Catholic University.

    “I am delighted about the planned university, because when it becomes operational, people can get admitted and graduate at target time without the usual frustrations suffered in public universities,” he said.

  • Group donates chairs to school

    Group donates chairs to school

    •The pupils of Oriendu Community Primary School
    •The pupils of Oriendu Community Primary School

    It was singing and dancing time for pupils, teachers and members of Oriendu community of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State as the members of National Association of Seadogs (NAS) visited to donate school chairs.

    The members of NAS had visited the school late November last year to conduct their yearly de-worming of the pupils in various schools in the state and while going round the school, they noticed that the pupils were sitting on bare floor of the classrooms while receiving lessons.

    While handing over 40 sets of the school chairs to the school authorities, the state chairman of NAS, Kingsley Emeruwa, said when they saw the pupils sitting on the floor to study, they felt that it was a sorry sight.

    Emeruwa said the association then decided to provide 100 school chairs for the school; which the headmistress of the school Mrs. Nancy Eluwa never believed.

    He said the era when pupils sit on the floor or under trees to receive lessons are over, except when the teacher wants the pupils to have a feel of nature or as punishment.

    The Abia NAS boss said their organisation is a charitable one without any help from anybody or organisation, stressing that they fund the organisation from their personal pockets.

    Emeruwa said after de-worming the pupils, they had asked the Headmistress what their immediate needs. Replying, she said the school lacks chairs to enable them to study on a good atmosphere.

    He said: “She told us that they needed at least 20 sets of chairs for the pupils, but we are going to provide 100 chairs. For now, we are giving the school 40 chairs, while the 60 remaining ones will come later.”

    Mr. Emeruwa urged the teachers and pupils to make good use of the chairs, saying that it will help them to learn better to be good citizens of the state and country. He stressed that they are coming to complement the efforts of the state government, “As government cannot do it alone”.

    Responding, the traditional ruler of the area, Eze Philip Ajomiwe said the people are overwhelmed by NAS’ gesture, stressing that it will serve as leverage to the school and its pupils.

    Eze Ajomiwe said with the chairs from NAS, the pupils, who had been sitting on the floor to learn will no longer sit on the floor to learn. He prayed God to bless the association for their gesture.

    Receiving the chairs, the immediate past Headmistress of the school, who had just retired, Mrs Eluwa said when NAS made the promise, she never believed them, even as she said that she was surprised to hear them call her to receive the chairs.

    Eluwa said she quickly told them that she had retired.

    “But they insisted that since I was the Headmistress in charge of the school when the pledge was made, it will be an honour for her to receive the chairs”.

    Also speaking, the current Headmistress of the school, Mrs Ngozi Samuel said she

    was grateful to be the Headmistress that will receive the school chairs donated by NAS barely a month after she assumed duty.

    At Isieke Motherless Babies’ Home, NAS donated various items that included four cartons of indomie noodles, a carton of sugar, a carton of biscuits and a carton of toilet rolls, among other items.

    Presenting the materials, Emeruwa said: “We decided to visit the Home with the belief that the gesture will go a long way in ensuring that the wonderful works the handlers are doing at the Home will be enhanced.”

    Emeruwa further said the aim was to uplift the lives of the babies. He urged the handlers to accept the little they have brought for the upkeep of the babies in the Home.

    Receiving the items, an aspirant to sisterhood, Chidera Ndubisi thanked them and prayed God to bless and replenish their pockets.

     

  • Tension mounts over clan land, economic trees in Anambra

    Tension continues to mount between the Okoronwiro and Nwankwo –Eje clans in Umuhu, Umunebo village in Ufuma community in Orumba north local government area of Anambra state over false claims of land and economic trees in the area.

    Before now, the Okoronwiro family had put up and advertorial in one of the newspapers in 2003 where they claimed joint ownership of the said items including property.

    But in a counter claim, the Nwankwo-Eje family, led by Geoffrey E Nwankwo, had debunked ownership by the former, adding that such claim should be retracted.

    He warned that any member of the public who had anything to do with such land, economic trees and other property in Umuhu, Umunebo village without consulting the Nwankwo-Eje Family would have him or herself to blame.

    He maintained that any of such transactions shall be deemed null and void and of no consequence.

    Nwankwo noted that the family historically, were the occupants and direct descendants of Umuhuagorom clan or dynasty, adding that no  other in Umunebo village of Uvumegbenadiji Ufuma.

    Furthermore, he claimed that the Okoronwiro descendants were incorporated in Umuhu dynasty by the Nwankwo-Eje, adding that the terms reached in the years had been abandoned.

    He said that the said article was void in associating Nwankwo-Eje family with any pre-occupation and indiscriminate land deal or sale of economic trees that were jointly owned by both families.

  • Shippers seek media pact

    Shippers seek media pact

    The Management of Nigerian Shippers Council Southeast zone has expressed their desire to collaborate with the media in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State and other states in the southeast in its efforts to promote the activities of the Council and educating business owners especially, importers in Aba and Southeast in general.

    The zonal coordinator of the council, Mr. Christian Chimezie made their intention to partner with the media known when he led a delegation of management staff of the Shippers’ Council on a courtesy visit to the General Manager Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Channel 6 Aba Chief Lola Helen Ebueku and other management team.

    Chimezie in an address presented at the event lamented that many importers, industrialists, exporters and manufacturers in the southeast had been incurring losses and being charged exorbitantly while importing and exporting their goods at the ports.

    He said that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) as a body charged with the responsibility of regulating economic activities in the country’s ports, that they were going to guide the importers and exporters with the right information and knowledge on international trade and other related businesses including ancillary services in a way that will be more profitable to them.

    The leader of the delegation acknowledging the effectiveness and impact of the media messages expressed optimism that their partnership with the media in Aba, Abia and southeast would help them to disseminate the right information about government decisions and policies as it pertains economic activities within Nigerian ports, adding that the need for them to synergize with the media cannot be over emphasized.

    He used the opportunity to disclose that arrangements towards the establishment of an Inland Containers Depot at Isiala Ngwa ICD has been completed, adding that they were waiting response from the Abia State Government to enable the center to take off and expressed hope that the if the bottlenecks were sorted out, the Isiala Ngwa ICD would be completed and start functioning within 18months.

    Responding on behalf of the management of NTA Channel 6, the Aba General Manager promised that her station would assist the NSC in order to ensure that the Aba and indeed, the southeast business community were properly educated and enlightened about the Shippers’ Council activities and programmes.

    High point of the visit was the presentation and handing over of souvenirs of the council to the management for more information about the activities of the NSC.

  • Aba residents protest poor power supply

    Indigenes and other residents of Umule, one of the Communities in Aba North Local Government Area were on Monday joined by shop owners located within Azikiwe, Tenant road and other adjourning streets in the commercial hub of Abia State using power supply from the public source to march round the city in protect against epileptic power supply by the service providers.

    The protesters in a peaceful protest that lasted for more than three hours marched through major streets in Aba with different placards with inscriptions; No light, no pay, Give us light, we want pre-paid meters, we are ready to pay. We can no longer refrigerate our soup, EEDC, why are you maltreating Umule residents? Please be fair to us, among others said that it has become necessary that they let the world know what they have been suffering in the hands of the southeast electricity managers since the month of January when they had power supply this year.

    Some of them who spoke to our Aba correspondent lamented that though that they have not had power supply in the last five months, officials of EEDC have continued to print and distribute fabricated and overestimated electricity bills on monthly basis and would proceed to disconnect and made away with their electricity cables after rebuffing entreaties to explain the peculiarity of their case in the last 5months.

    Mr. Kingsley Ofoegbu, a resident of Umule speaking in an interview disclosed that over 40 transformers within the Umule community were affected by the situation.

    Ofoegbu accused EEDC staff of billing them inaccurately as he alleged “some of their staff in charge of reading meters doesn’t do it. We have our meters and they are in good conditions till date. But what they do is that they (marketers) will sit in their office and send to us estimated electricity bills. Some of us pay as much as N15, 000 a month and yet we don’t see light.

    “The day that they will try to bring it, it will not stay up to 5hours, they will take it. We don’t have light up to 4times in a month and yet we pay such a heavy amount of money on electricity that we didn’t see nor use and because of the situation that we find ourselves, we spend more that N3, 000 every month fueling our generators which is not unfair and an act of wickedness. We are tired of EEDC deceit and that is why we want them to know that we are no longer going to be fools anymore. In this condition that we are now, anybody that will come to Umule to come and cut light will sign his or her death warrant before coming”, he warned.

    Some shop owners at Azikiwe and its surrounding including Mr. Chidiebere described the services of EEDC in Aba as very poor, wondering why the independent power project of Prof. Barth Nnaji was yet to commence operation “even when we learnt that the place have been completed since 2013”.

    Chidiebere who blamed management of EEDC of sabotaging the distribution of pre-paid meters in Aba expressed optimism that problem of electricity supply and overbilling electricity consumers would be solved once and for all in Aba if the Osisioma Geometric Power project was allowed to serve as a credible and alternative means of power supply and distribution to save businesses from further collapsing in the commercial city.

    The shop owners threatened to hold “a more serious protest in Aba if the power situation in Aba did not improve in the next 28 days”.

    An EEDC official who spoke anonymously attributed the shortage of electricity supply to the drop in the mega watts from the national grid, promising that their services would improve as soon as the situation at national improves.

    On crazy billing of customers, the staff said that they were also working to ensure that the situation was addressed and called on Aba residents and its environs to exercise patients with them even as the management of the Electricity Distribution Company thank them for their support and patronage.

  • Ex Champion MD Ogbuagu clocks 90

    Ex Champion MD Ogbuagu clocks 90

    The doyen of journalism and one of the pioneer broadcasters of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Television (ENTV) which is now Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Aba, Sir Bob Ogbuagu clocked 90 years on Monday, May 25 this year. Friends and family members rolled out the drums to celebrate the icon of journalism.

    The public relations guru who started the celebration with an interaction with members of his immediate constituency, the press, said he had asked God for healthy years which he has received and that he is not in a hurry to leave this planet earth.

    Dee Bob, as he is popularly known, was the scribe of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation which was instrumental to the development of the former Eastern Region which comprises Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu, Abia; Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Ebonyi states.

    The former Managing Director of Champion Newspapers Lagos said he has always told his wife that his happiest day was not the day he got married to her, but the day the Union Jack was lowered at Race Course Lagos and the Nigerian Flag hoisted on October 1, 1960, saying that it was a day he will never forget as he still remembers the day clearly.

    On his longevity, he said he could not comprehend. “All I can say is that I eat moderately as I have a wife who is a wonderful cook. I stopped drinking beer at an early stage when I noticed that I was growing tall the wrong way which was through the stomach instead of in height.

    “Early in life when I stopped drinking beer, we were drinking a mixture of Guinness and Champagne which we call ‘Blue Velvet’, which I advised young people not to try as it is very potent, and can knock down a horse.”

    He said he is going to write his own biography. “As I am the only one that can write about me, as there are things I can say and those I cannot say to anyone”.

    In a tribute to the doyen of journalism, the former Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji described Ogbuagu as a humble and approachable man in his entire life.

    Orji said: “For many of us, you remain a shining star and a beacon of hope worthy of emulation, and my prayer is that the Almighty God continues to preserve you.”

    Contributing, the former Deputy Governor of the state, Sir Emeka Ananaba said: “Dee Bob, as we fondly call him, is a man blessed by God with natural wisdom, academic excellence, selfless service to mankind and true Igbo son of Nigeria who believes so much that he should be concerned more with making positive impact and touching the lives of those around him,” he said.