Category: Southeast report

THE Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has assured that his administration will be handing over a State that is stronger and better in every respect to the next administration and that will remain at his duty post performing his functions until his last day in office.

The governor made this known while receiving in audience the South East Inspection Monitoring Team from the National Economic Council who paid him a scheduled visit at the Government House Lodge in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state.

Governor Ikpeazu stated that every available sociopolitical and socio economic indices make it clear that the requisite foundations have been laid for the next administration to build on.

He used the opportunity to inform the people of Abia State that he will do everything possible to complete the multi Specialist Hospital inside the premises of the old Aba General Hospital, assuring you all the medical equipment for the hospital are already on ground while the massive hospital building is 95% completed.

Speaking earlier, the Team Lead and Deputy Director, Special Duties of the National Economic Council, Mrs Dorothy Uwaoma told the governor that the team was in the State pursuant to the resolution of the National Economic Council to move round the states in the country and get firsthand information on the projects and policies put in place across the states and to institute a peer review mechanism where states can learn from each other.

The Police in Abia Command have alleged that an attack on their men by some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) resulted in the death of five members of the terrorist group.

The claim is contained in a statement by the Command’s PRO, Geoffrey Ogbonna on behalf of the Police Commissioner, Mr Mustapha Bala.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five members of the group were shot dead in Osusu Aba on Friday as they were on a procession across Aba.

Some of the residents, armed with video evidence, said the group was protesting peacefully without disturbance.

Mr Chinomso Aka, a witness, said the group was protesting continued detention of the terrorists group leader Nnamdi Kanu on Friday when the incident happened.

Bala said that “On 31/03/2023 at about 1145hours, Policemen on confidence building patrol/show of force within Aba metropolis came under attack by proscribed IPOB/ESN members.

“They were armed with petrol bombs, machetes, battle axes and other dangerous weapons.

“The attack was repelled by the Police operatives with minimal casualties while majority of the hoodlums scampered for safety. However, normalcy has returned in the area.”

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo; former Governor Sullivan Chime; the state’s Governor-elect, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah; the Deputy Governor-elect, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; the Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Afojulu Raymond Ozoemena; the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Augustine Nnamani; Senator Ben Collins Ndu; members of the National and State Assemblies; the Senator-elect for Enugu West Senatorial District, Engr. Osita Ngwu (RG); the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya and other members of the State Executive Council (EXCO); and Council Chairmen, were among the dignitaries who graced the funeral rites of Chief (Ozo) Thomas Uzor (Chinenye Eze 1 of Iwollo), the father of the immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House, Enugu, Rt. Hon. Dr. Festus Uzor, held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Iwollo Oghe, Ezeagu Local Government Area, on Saturday.

Late Ozo Chief Uzor, a devout Christian, disciplinarian and formator died at a ripe old age of 96.

Customers in most commercial banks in Onitsha and its environs in Anambra State, yesterday smiled home for the first time since the cash scarcity, occasioned by the new naira redesign by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), began in January.

Most banks in the commercial city paid as high as N100,000, N200,000 and N300,000 to customers that asked for such amounts.

However, the majority of the banks dispensed cash through the counter and not through the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

A customer at one of the banks on Port Harcourt Road, Fegge, Onitsha, who identified herself as Mrs. Mary Ann, said she had planned collecting N20,00, but ended up withdrawing N100, 000.

She said: “I left my home at 5:30am to get to this bank early to collect tag number. At about 8:30am, the bank officials started calling us by our number.

“They told us that those who wanted to be paid up to N100, 000 could indicate. I had it in mind to withdraw N20,000, but on announcing N100,000, I rewrote in the teller, N100,000.

“I am happy that with this sum collected, I will not come to the bank again for now. With the huge payment, it will reduce the large turn out of customers on a daily basis.”

Jeremiah Ukoha, a trader, said he was paid N150,000 by his bank, contrary to his expectations. He said he had been withdrawing N5,000 each time he went to the bank.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in Enugu State has told the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state,  Chijioke Edeoga that he has no mandate to reclaim as far as the March 18 Enugu governorship election is concerned.

It said Edeoga should rather account for what it described as “massive electoral fraud and ruthless militarisation of the March 18 governorship election” by the Labour Party.

PDP was reacting to a statement by Edeoga during a victory party by the member-elect for Udenu State Constituency, Obinna Ijere, at Obollo-Afor on Wednesday.

The LP governorship candidate was quoted in the media as saying he would do everything possible to reclaim his mandate, adding: “No retreat, no surrender. No negotiation. Forward ever, backward never until victory is assured.”

But reacting, the Director of Communications/Spokesperson for Enugu State PDP Campaign Council, Nana Ogbodo, said: “Edeoga and his LP should wake up to the reality that the Enugu 2023 governorship election has been won and lost. 

“They should get used to the fact that we now have a governor-elect in the person of Dr. Peter Mbah, in whom the people of the state vested their popular mandate on March 18 and nothing can change it.” 

Continuing, the PDP said Edeoga and Labour Party should be held responsible for inciting and perpetrating electoral violence in parts of Enugu State during the governorship election.

“Nigerians heard the senator-elect and LP chieftain, Okey Ezea, loud and clear when he announced in a viral video that they would make the governorship election a ‘do-or-die affair’. 

 “Indeed the LP lived up to that declaration when Edeoga, the party’s chieftains as well as the serving and retired generals they assembled used men of the armed forces and thugs to carry out reckless shooting, arrest, intimidation, manhandling of PDP supporters, and to perpetrate the worst electoral fraud in the history of Nsukka and Isi-Uzo local governments in particular and Enugu North Senatorial Zone in general.”

•Targets N4b monthly

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has expressed worry about the declining Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

He said Anambra, expected to generate N4billion per month, is running deficit revenue, which is one of the key projections.

Inaugurating the Board of Internal Revenue at the Government Lodge, Amawbia, Prof. Soludo urged members to increase revenue within the first three months or face dissolution.

He described Internal Revenue Service as the life-blood of government operations, stressing that he expected to have the body doubled its initial revenue, just as he pledged to interface and evaluate performance every three months.

He said: “The state government should be making more than N3 billion per month, which is yet to happen. The 2023 budget is expected to generate N4billion per month.

“The state government is running a deficit on IGR, which is one of the key projections. FAAC allocations are unpredictable, but we have an economy with an estimated value of up to N5 trillion.

“It is critical to highlight the potential that exist, as well as the appropriate benchmarks and targets.

“If we have a five trillion naira estimate and collect one per cent, that is 60 billion naira per year. If we collect two per cent, that’s 120 billion naira per year, or a minimum of ten billion naira per month on average. If we receive five percent of income, we will have 300 billion naira per year.

“As at Monday, we were dangling around one billion naira per month, which is extremely low. You can see how far we are doing in relation to the potential that exists.”

“The internal revenue service requires 180 per cent turnaround. The current path we are taking will not get us very far because we have been trying it for a year.

“Members of this board must get to work right away because there is a lot of work ahead of them.

“We will interface and evaluate performance every three months. It will have a high mortality rate and a three-month life span. If this board fails, we will disband it and create a new one.”

The board has Mr. Richard Madiebo as its Chairman, while Executive Directors include Dr. Greg Ugochukwu Ezeilo (Anambra South), Dr. Christian Madubuko (Anambra North) and Mr. Benjamin Anierobi Okafor (Anambra Central).

 Other members are Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ifeatu Onejeme, Commissioner for Lands, Prof. Ofornze Amucheazi and Commissioner for Transport, Mrs. Pat Igwebuike.

Others are Mr. Don Adizuo, Secretary/Head of Legal Dept., Mr. Chika Oformma, Head of Assessment and Mrs. Juliet Nwakpudolu, Head of High Net Individual Assessment Dept.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has assured with the support of the people, the incoming administration of the Governor-elect, Sir Siminialaye Fubara, will outperform his government.

Wike spoke when he inspected the ongoing construction of the ultra-modern abattoir project in Mgbuosimini community, Rumueme, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area on Thursday.

He said: “The incoming governor will not disappoint you people. He will even do better than me with your support. You can go home and sleep with your two eyes close.”

Wike announced the expansion of the abattoir saying the new design would include an open market and a motor park.

He said the abattoir was being constructed with the capacity to slaughter 400 cattle, 1500 goats and sheep daily.

The Governor, who spoke to some residents appealed to them to continue to give the contractor the needed support for the project to be completed on schedule.

Host communities to oil mining lease (OML) 42, in Warri Southwest council area of Delta State, have issued a seven-day ultimatum to shutdown operations of Neconde Energy Limited should it fail to begin payment  of its three per cent operating cost to the communities as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

They also accused the company of awarding community-based contracts to top management officials through cronies, against the Local Content Act.

Speaking during a peaceful protest to the company’s premises in Forcados, on Tuesday, the communities which include Kantu and Odidi Federated Communities, said the payment will enable them resume execution of developmental projects in the communities.

A joint statement by both chairmen, Windfree Atemubaghan and Prince Okrikpa said: “in line with the Nigeria Local Content Act, all Community-based marine and other service contracts should be awarded to indigenous contractors to develop their capacity and expertise so that they can contribute meaningfully to the operations of the oil industry particularly in OML 42 in Delta State.”

They lamented that all community-based contracts were being awarded to top management staff of NNPCL/Neconde using their cronies as community vendors, thereby depriving indigenous contractors of patronage.

The communities appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene by directing the Group Managing Director of NNPCL, Mele Kyari to compel the firm’s management to urgently do the needful to avoid operational disruptions.

They  alleged that there were activities at the OML 42, particularly Odidi field which create frequent pipeline leaks leading to the continuous degradation of the environment and their means of livelihood.

According to them, several complaints and presentations under the leadership of OML 42 Communities Forum to the company so as to address the issues, proved futile.

Receiving the protesters, the site superintendent of NECONDE JPMT,  Ayodeji Ayinde, an engineer,  assured their demands will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

“We have heard your demand and we promise to take them to the appropriate quarters,” he stated.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and foremost Occupational Therapist, Mrs. Victoria Amu, has described the call by the President-elect,  Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his 71st birthday to be marked by national prayers as a display of his sensitivity, patriotism, and readiness to serve.

 Mrs Amu, who contested  a seat to represent  Owan West in the Edo State House of Assembly said in a statement that Tinubu, with the move, has yet again shown his ability to deprioritise self and instead shine the spotlight on matters of national importance.

 She also regarded the request as a confirmation of the President-elect’s collaborative approach to leadership and governance, as well as a foreshadow of what is to come, which is an inclusive administration where all Nigerians, regardless of faith and ethnicity, will be actively courted for their contributions and the attainment of set goals.

 “For the second year running, our next president and leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has remarkably requested that the spotlight be taken off him and instead placed on issues of national importance with humble requests for prayers for the progress of the nation,” Amu said.

 “This is a mark of a leader who understands that leadership is not always about self-glorification. Setting a positive example, he has proven that he has no problem deprioritising his own concerns and needs in the interest of larger national goals, particularly nation’s unity and economic well-being.”

 “His call for prayer is a welcome and exemplary gesture and in honor of that, I pray that the Almighty God continues to show him his favor and bestow upon him the wisdom, patience, and tact to pilot the affairs of our nation at this particular time.”

 Amu also encouraged other Nigerians to heed the President-elect’s request, noting that the time for campaigns, which may be divisive, is now over. In place of that, all hands must now be on deck for the pursuit of common interests under the leadership of Tinubu.