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Tag: Abia State

  • Abia police parade suspected robbers, cultists

    Abia police parade suspected robbers, cultists

    The efforts of the police and other security agencies in Abia State have led to the arrest of suspected criminals, the rescue of kidnap victims as well as the recovery of stolen items in the state.

    Abia State Commissioner of Police Adeleye Oyebade paraded some suspects at the state command headquarters in Umuahia, the state capital, saying that the suspects were those nabbed in June and July. Oyebade attributed the arrests to intelligence gathering and prompt information to the police by members of the public about the activities of hoodlums in their neighbourhoods.

    Oyebade hailed his officers for being alive to their duties, saying that they were not going to rest on their oars but remain more committed and resolute in combating crime in the state.

    He urged his men to be professional and do their work with the fear of God.

    Oyebade explained that the stop and search operation in Aba and other parts of the state is not to extort money from road users, but to checkmate activities of hoodlums. He added that any policeman found wanting will face the music.

    Giving a breakdown of the command’s activity in June and July, Oyebade said “On 01/07/2017 at about 1200hrs, sequel to information received on the missing of one Peter Alaebuonu Eseonu, a tricycle operator, 67 years ‘m’ of Ekenaobizi Umuopara Umuahia on 27/06/2017, detectives attached to Central Police Station, Umuahia swooped on one Chinonso David Ibekwe, 25 years ‘m’ of Ndiotu Ntalakwu, Bende LGA. The suspect, a 200 level Computer Science student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Abia State gave a lead towards the recovery of the decomposing body of the said Peter Alaebuonu Eseonu in a ditch at Amuzukwu Umuahia. He has however, confessed to the crime while the decomposing body of the deceased has been deposited in the morgue for preservation and autopsy. The suspect has been charged to court and remanded in prison custody.

    “On 09/07/2017 at about 1100hrs, information was received that someone was shot dead along Obohia road Aba. Sequel to this, a patrol team attached to Ndiegoro Division on routine patrol rushed to the scene at No. 22 Obohia road Aba where the deceased was met in a pool of her own blood. The Divisional Police Officer, Ndiegoro mobilized other patrol teams and proceeded to the scene where one Ogbonnaya Igwe ‘m’ of 22 Obohia road was arrested in his hide-out at the ceiling of the house. One Pump-Action rifle and double barrel gun with 15 live cartridges and four expended cartridges were recovered from the suspect and at the scene respectively. Corpse of the deceased later identified as Ijeoma Chibuzo was deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.

    The police released more information on the arrest of several other suspected hoodlums and the recovery of stolen items.

  • Going global with made-in-Aba products

    Going global with made-in-Aba products

    If you do not say I am here, nobody will say there you are. When a church wishes to expand its membership it embarks on evangelism outside its base. The essence is to find, and minister to the unconverted and convert them.

    Since he became Governor of Abia State on the 29th of May 2015, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has stridently campaigned for and promoted made in Aba brands with unparalleled vigor and focus.

    It all started with his decision that all through his tenure, as Governor, he will only wear made in Aba clothes, shoes and accessories.

    To date, he has kept that promise to the admiration and acknowledgement of all, by always wearing openly branded made in Aba clothes and shoes, even outside the shores of Nigeria.

    In addition, he has added serving of only Abia or Ebonyi rice at Government House, and has even gone ahead to support the large scale production of local rice in Abia.

    He also prioritizes the use of local construction companies to execute his much talked about “caterpillar revolution” that has delivered more than 40 roads, mostly with the innovative Rigid Pavement Technology, also known as cement road construction, at Aba.

    Nationally, the focused promotion of Made In Aba brands by the Governor has attracted the attention of the Federal Government with the current Acting President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, being one of the strongest supporters of the Governor’s MSME growth initiatives. Nigerian military has long ordered for and received more than 50,000 Aba Made shoes while the National Youth Service Corps is currently considering a proposal to make all their uniforms from Aba at a much reduced cost.

    Little wonder Abia State recently won the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria products and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award of 2017.

    While delivering his 2017 budget address to the National Assembly in December 2016, President Muhammad Buhari noted that his administration will focus on local procurement of goods and services to support growing industrial and innovation hubs like Aba.

    According to president Buhari,    “…We will buy Made in Nigeria goods. We will encourage garment manufacturing and Nigerian designers, tailors and fashion retailers. We will patronise local entrepreneurs. We will promote the manufacturing powerhouses in Aba…”

    Many viewed that policy statement as a direct result of the strident promotion of made in Aba brands championed by Governor Ikpeazu.

    Only recently too, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said that tailors and designers in Aba make the best clothes in the world.

    Ngige who equally praised shoes produced at Aba made the assertion while speaking to newsmen in his office at Abuja during the recently celebrated 60th anniversary of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) also urged the group to synergize with Aba SMEs to deliver much better results.

    He said that NECA in its existence has not done well, urging them to do more by bringing other employers across Nigeria  into their folds.

    “Imagine there is no presence of NECA in Aba, the tailors there make the best clothes in the world. The shoe making outlets there are the best shoes producers in African continent and are owned by private owner.”

    After receiving the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria brands and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award 2017, Governor Ikpeazu followed up the following day by launching the made in Aba fashion show that attracted the creme de la creme of the Abuja society, including diplomats, Nollywood practitioners, government officials, entrepreneurs, professionals and the fashion conscious residents of the Federal capital city.

    Since the highly successful event at Abuja, many have come to understand better the evangelistic disposition of the Governor Ikpeazu with his campaign for made in Aba products. In this wise, he considers Aba and Abia the base of the “already converted” and decided to launch out to the deep of Nigeria and the globe to further spread his message of Aba’s technological and innovative ingenuity to others.

    Such is the passion of the Governor to promote products made in his state that even international organizations like Ford Foundation are willing to stake a claim to the positively changing narrative of Made In Aba brands. The organization is sponsoring international media campaigns using CNN and other global media platforms to sensitize consumers of the quality brands being produced at the SME capital of Nigeria.

    Speaking at the Made-in-Aba fashion show, the Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, emphasized the need for Nigerians to patronize Aba products.

    He also decried the neglect of Aba by government and commended Governor Ikpeazu for his unflinching desire to reposition Aba and products from the commercial city.

    Testimony from producers of Made in Aba brands confirms the benefits of the focused promotion of the brands by the Ikpeazu led administration. One of the participants at the recent Made In Aba fashion show at Abuja, Mr Andrew Anya Etim of Shoeplanet, captured the gratitude of the participants when he stated during a TV program that his sales of Aba made shoes have grown in leaps over the past one and half years.

    According to Mr Anya, “my company started buying and making Aba Made brands in 2015 and we are now making much more in volumes and profits than we made when we were importing foreign shoes and clothes. My customers are happy to buy our products which are clearly marked as “Made In Nigeria” and I must admit that we owe a lot of that to the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.”

    A foreign visitor to the Made in Aba Fashion show at Abuja was so visibly impressed by the quality of the products he saw on display and modeled by some of the best models drawn from the Aba environment that he asked his Nigerian escort to swear that “these beautiful products were actually produced in Nigeria”.

    In an interview with newsmen after receiving the Business Day Award, Governor Ikpeazu captured the thinking behind his administration’s efforts to promote Made in Aba brands. According to him, “we want to help our local producers grow and make more profits, contribute to reduction in unemployment and add to the GDP of the nation in such a way that the country will wean itself from over-dependence on oil revenue.”

    If the success recorded so far is anything to go by, it is expected that over the tenure of Governor Ikpeazu, Aba will move from the production and export of more than one million pairs of shoes weekly to become the African fashion products manufacturing hub. This notion is supported by the fact that Aba producers are supported by one of the best equipment fabrication industry in Africa that produces high quality machines and equipment to aid mechanized manufacturing.

    Made in Aba is already leading at the national front, while making very strong competitive impact globally. Even those who dericively focus on the geographical location of Aba are now taking note.

    When you buy and use made in Aba brands you are contributing to NIGERIA’s socio-economic development.

     

    • Appolos is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

     

  • Threat to Life: Ikpeazu petitions IGP over Nwosu’s allegations

    Threat to Life: Ikpeazu petitions IGP over Nwosu’s allegations

    Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to thoroughly investigate the allegations of one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the December 14 primaries, Chief Friday Nwosu bothering on threats to his life.

    In a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Enyinnaya Appolos, Governor Ikpeazu was not happy at what he described the “penchant for unnecessary and frivolous assertions without proof by politicians to curry attention” and demanded full scale investigation into Nwosu’s allegations.

    Nwosu had in a petition to the Inspector General of Police accused Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Theodore Orji, Hon Chinedum Orji and one Ekpe Ekpe of planning to assassinate him.

    Governor Ikpeazu, in a petition to the IGP through the the Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Umeh Kalu SAN, stated in part: ” the said petition (by Nwosu) contains Weighty criminal allegations that are capable of truncating the enduring peace in Abia State and should be investigated to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

    “The truthfulness or falsity of Nwosu’s grave allegations has its consequences in our criminal legal system, for those who plot to kill another as well as those who offer false information to the police are culpable of known offences”, the petition further stated.

     

  • Police arrests Pastor for operating fake maternity in Abia

    Police arrests Pastor for operating fake maternity in Abia

    The Abia state police command has arrested and paraded a pastor who operates a church and a medical centre which has been converted in to a baby factory at number 252 Faulks road Aba.

    Speaking in Umuahia while parading the pastor who gave his name as Christopher Adebanya Tochukwu and other suspected criminals, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Leye Oyebade said that the pastor has been raping the pregnant girls at his medical centre.

    Oyebade said that when one of the girls was interrogated she claimed that the pastor has been raping them and in one of his attempt to rape one of the girls, he was stabbed on the neck by the victim with a glass object she laid her hands on.

    He said that one of the girls who gave her name as Imeobong Udoh under interrogation alleged that her two months old baby she delivered there was forcefully taken away from her by the wife of the pastor and sold to an unknown person.

    The Abia CP said that his men from Ariaria police station who went for the operation was able to rescue a two weeks old baby girl who has been taken to a motherless baby’s home for care and custody.

    In an interaction with Blessing Ariet, she said that the pastor tried to rape her and when she refused that he started beating her with belt leaving several marks on her body.

    She said that there was a time when he attempted to sleep with her forcefully but had to stop, “When his wife came suddenly into the room she was kept and he pretended that he was examining her stomach”.

    The other girl who gave her name as Ikechukwu Jane said that the wife of the pastor who is now as large is aware of her husband’s raping of the girls in the medical centre, “The wife said that when he sleeps with the girls that the babies in our womb are being fed naturally”.

    Oyebade said that the operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command stationed at Obehie division arrested Godspower Emeka aged 28 years of Orji street Obehie for allegedly stealing Mercy Emeka aged 3 years of the same address.

    He said that Mercy was sold to Kelvin Ogbunigwu aged 35 years of Omuma in Rivers state for the sum of N150,000, “The baby who has been recovered and the suspect who sold her is her uncle”.

    When The Nation spoke with the Emeka, he said that the load of feeding eleven children in their family was becoming too much, “So when one of my friends Ogbunigwu came and told me that there is someone who would buy the baby I sold her to him”.

    When asked why did he not sell one of his children since he said that he is married with children, he said, “It is the devil and I regret my actions and plead that my sister should forgive me for my devilish action”.

    Oyebade said that the strategy the command has out in place in fighting heinous crimes has started yielding fruits as has his men under Ndiegoro division intercepted and engaged a five man armed robbery gang in a gun duel very close to a first generation bank in Aba.

    He said that after the gun battle, “Two of the hoodlums were gunned down, while three of the suspects escaped their operational car a Nissan Laurel with registration number AE 221 ARG and other items were recovered”.

    The CP also paraded several other suspected criminals including burglars who specializes in breaking of shops, including recovery of fire arms from suspected armed robbers.

     

  • Court dissolves 8-year-old marriage over incompatibility

    The Aba-la-Ohazu Customary Court in Abia state on Wednesday dissolved an eight-year-old marriage between Benjamin and Anulika Onyemechi over incompatibility.

    Ruling, Senior Magistrate Diamond Olewengwa said Benjamin had no sufficient evidence to prove his claims of adultery against his wife, Anulika.
    Olewengwa noted that due to lack of love between the man and his wife, visible through the failed effort of relations to reconcile the parties, the marriage had broken down irretrievably.
    He further noted that following Anulika’s submission that their marriage was contracted based on religious manipulation of one Pastor Emmanuel Apata, the union could not be allowed to continue.
    “It is clear that the centre can no longer hold.

    ‘’This court will do a great service by severing this union and allowing them to be alive rather not doing so and one party would become history.

    “This court must not condone irrationality. ‘’The marriage has broken down irretrievably and hereby stands dissolved,” he said.

    He ordered Anulika to return the N10, 000 dowry paid through the court and revert to her maiden or any other name she wished.

    The senior magistrate also granted Anulika the custody of the two children until they clock 18 years and gave Benjamin the freedom to visit them.
    He ordered the man to pay N50, 000 to Anulika for severing their union, N30, 000 for her property and N60, 000 monthly for the children’s upkeep.

    Olewengwa enjoined them not to constitute threat to each other, adding that they were free to remarry.

    Earlier, the respondent said that her husband threw her out of their matrimonial home to enable him continue committing sodomy with his homosexual friend.

    Anulika said that her husband’s adultery, practice of sodomy with one Samuel Ndube and his wickedness, led him to seek for divorce.
    She said she met Benjamin for the first time in April 2009 at Divine Faith Ministry, Enugu and through the false prophesy of one Pastor Emmanuel Apata, the marriage between them was contracted.
    She, however, opposed Benjamin’s petition asking the court to dissolve their marriage, adding that their marriage had not broken down irretrievably as her husband claimed.

    “Our marriage has not broken down irretrievably because I have never at anytime had any boy or man friend and has not committed any adultery but has maintained a high level of morality, integrity and holiness.
    “I still love him despite his wickedness toward me and have never meted wickedness nor reciprocated his cruelty.
    “It was my husband who has committed adultery, since our marriage, with his former concubine, Miss Stella.
    “He is also reasonably suspected of engaging in sodomy by sleeping on our matrimonial bed with his man friend, one Mr Samuel Ndube regularly,” she told the court.

    According to Anulika, on February 27, 2014 her husband push her away from their matrimonial home and forced her to relocate to her village after collecting her belongings.

    Benjamin had asked the court to dissolve their marriage, alleging that Anulika’s adultery, cruelty and penchant for falsehood had broken the marriage irretrievably; hence she could no longer be his wife.
    He further asked court to grant him custody of their two children.

    Both parties were present in court with their lawyers.

     

  • Emefiele hands over 2011 intervention project to MOUAU

    Emefiele hands over 2011 intervention project to MOUAU

    The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has officially handed over the bank’s 2011 intervention project (Center for Entrepreneurship Development building) to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, a project purely designed for the Southeast zone.

    Speaking during the event, Mr. Emefiele appealed to Abians and the entire people of the South East to endeavor to leverage on the project by taking advantage of the centre to enable them develop their various skills.

    Emefiele who was represented by a Deputy Director in CBN, Mr. Oluwole Owoeye, described the project as part of corporate and social responsibility of CBN towards the people of the zone through which they could harness their skills.

    He said that the Entrepreneur Development Centre (EDC) is designed to develop skills (Small and Medium Scale Enterprise), “In Nigeria we realized that for now, there are dearth of skills and people don’t have relevant skills”.

    “So the essence of this thing is for people to develop skills in various areas, so that they can be independent on their own as well as help to develop the skills of their after they must have sharpened their own skills”.

    The CBN boss said, “This one is the project the bank has developed for the southeast zone and I want to appeal is Abians and the entire Southeast to leverage and take advantage of this centre to develop their skills”.

    “We know that Aba is well known for a lot of SMEs, so I want to use this medium to appeal to the people in Aba, its environs and entire Abia to come and patronize this center, so that we will build up their skills”.

    “We have shoe, slippers, bag and sandals making unit, bread, cake, chin-chin and custard marking unit, clothing and textile unit, auto machanic and generator repairs, insecticide, Air refresher and perfume unit among others in this center”.

    “So people from the South East zone should come in and build their skills so that Nigeria will be a better place for all of us and also help in increasing the internally generated revenue of their area”.

    He appealed to the Center Director to be objective enough in giving MOUAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Otunta information on critical things lacking in the center so that it will keep on meeting the expectations of the people.

    Emefiele also called on the Abia State Government to assist MOUAU in supplying facilities which may be lacking in the center, in order to sustain it, adding that it is one of the ways to improve the centre.

    In his address, the MOUAU VC, Prof. Otunta appreciated his predecessors like Prof. Ikenna Oyido and Prof. Hilary Odo Edeoga and the CBN for conceiving the idea that gave birth to the edifice from the start to the completion of it.

    The VC represented by Prof. Ofo Iwe, the DVC, said the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) was established in October 2011 in compliance with the directive of the Federal government of Nigeria and National Universities Commission.

    He said that the vision of CED was to make MOUAU a foremost institution, especially, University of Agriculture in Nigeria that provides comprehensive and highly accessible quality entrepreneurship education and training.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship MOUAU, Prof. Oji Onu Ekumankama commended the CBN boss for reaffirming his interest in CED and in promoting entrepreneurial education and training in the university.

    He described the project as a big morale booster for CED whose mission was to provide facilities and expertise (for students of MOUAU and catchment community people) that will propel the growth and development of SMEs through sustainable quality, effective and dynamic entrepreneurial coaching and assistance.

     

  • Police parades suspected criminals, busts 419 syndicate in Abia

    Police parades suspected criminals, busts 419 syndicate in Abia

    The Abia State Police Command has paraded suspected criminals including two young men who have been terrorizing residents of Federal Low Cost Housing Estate Umuahia, the state capital.

    Speaking while parading the suspects in Umuahia, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Leye Oyebade, said that the suspects had ransacked the shop of one Emeka Aharaumunna at the same estate and carted away six generating plants valued at N450,000.

    Oyebade said that luck ran out on them as they on Tuesday 21/03/2017 at about 0130hrs, the hoodlums stormed the house of one Pastor Gabriel Nwankwo of the same estate and fired some shots in an attempt to break into his house for robbery.

    He said that the two men, Obinna Anyanwu and Chinedu Awa on March 16 and 17 2017 raided the house of one Mrs Beatrice Okpi at the Low Cost Housing Estate Umuahia.

    The CO said, “For two consecutive days they parked every item of clothing and kitchen utensils belonging to the woman who was staying alone at the time of the raid”.

    “But luck ran out of them when on a serial attack raided the house of one Uche Jonathan of the same estate and robbed him of two wielding machines valued at N46, 000.00 when vigilant neighbors alerted my men”.

    Oyebade said that the duo were arrested following the intervention of the neighbourhood watch who apprehended and handed them to the police where they confessed that they had moved the items of the earlier robbery at Mrs Okpi’s house to Ohafia where their ringleader resides.

    He said that items recovered include, glass table, one Tiger generating plant, two bed mattresses, one television set Two DVD, among other household properties.

    In an interview with The Nation, Obinna, from Mpam, Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, confessed to committing the crime saying that he was introduced by a friend by name Flex.

    He said he has been involved in robbery operation five times, however Chinedu Awa alias Pastor, from Ndi Uduma Awoke, Ohafia LGA Abia State, said he was not part of the robbery but bought some of the stolen items.

    The Abia CP also paraded a two man gang of a notorious “419” syndicate popularly known as “One Chance” which specialises in picking unsuspecting passengers to an unknown destination where they are defrauded of  their possessions.

    Oyebade said that they were intercepted by vigilant members of the public while attempting to pick some unsuspecting victims at Owerri by Kaduna Street Umuahia.

    Oyebade gave their names as Lucky Nwokocha from Ntigha in Isialangwa North council of Abia State; and Mrs. Rekiyat Sunday who said she hails from Ibila in Ankpa, Kogi State.

    The CP said that one Volkswagen Vento Saloon car marked Rivers PBT 422 DT used by the syndicate as operational vehicle was recovered in the process and that efforts is in progress to arrest other members of the gang and their sponsors.

    In an interview, one of the suspects, Nwokocha, 23, confessed to the crime but said he was introduced to the act by those who defrauded him of N300,000 he wanted to use and sponsor the burial of his late father who died last year.

    Nwokocha narrated that he had innocently boarded a taxi operated by the syndicate who defrauded him of the burial money he wanted to use to bury his late father, after which they later encouraged him to join them.

    Similarly, the other suspect, Mrs. Sunday said she joined the syndicate in January after the death of her late husband, a solder, adding that she has no one to help her and her children.

    The mother of eight said it was Nwokocha who she identified as her class mate in one of the schools in the state capital that “converted” her to the group, stressing that because of her financial predicament she had no choice than to join them.

    On how they operate Mrs Sunday said that she would pose as a passenger  escaping with a bag load of money belonging to her master and looking for a native doctor that would neutralise the effects of charms allegedly placed on the money by her master.

    She said greedy and gullible persons usually fall for the pranks even though they also cast spell on them, adding that once the person falls victim they the rest becomes history.

     

  • Kalu to Buhari: listen to your doctors, take your medication

    Kalu to Buhari: listen to your doctors, take your medication

    • Counsels President to work less, focus on economic team

    Former Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to his doctors and take his medication if any was prescribed by his doctors.
    He said as much as he is excited over the return of Buhari to Nigeria, the president should work less and direct efforts to the economic team to fix the country.

    Kalu spoke to reporters at the weekend at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on his way to Washington.

    He said  Nigerians were happy that the president was back to continue his good works.

    He said: “Now that the president is back, I am very happy. We have been praying. Both Christians and Muslims have been praying because the country have been so polarised that the fabrics of our nation have been eaten by  tribalism and religion.

    “So I  am very happy that the president is back and the president should listen to his doctors and continue to take his medication if any.

    “He should work less and put more effort on the economic team so that the economic team will be able to address the issue of the Nigerian economy. This is very important to the Nigerian people and I guess; if Nigeria economy is good, the president himself will also be happy.

    “Well, I think we Nigerians should be very happy that the president is back. It is only in Nigeria where you find people wishing their leaders to die no matter what any leader has done to anybody.

    “I know that the president has done so well in the area of defence and pursuing Boko Haram. I congratulate him as Commander in Chief;  I also praise the service chiefs, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police as well as the Director of the DSS for their back up operation on Boko Haram. It is a collective effort.

    “Now that the president is back, I am very happy. We have been praying. Both Christians and Muslims have been praying because the country has been so polarised that the fabrics of our nation have been eaten with tribalism and religion.

    “When he took over when there was a lot of doubts on the economy, he took over when the oil prices went down very sharply and whenever your expenditure is more than your income, then there is already a recession. So I am not sure that recession is just going to end so soon. They need to put up a very strong strategy that will bring back Nigeria to where we are supposed to be.”

    He urged the Buhari-led administration to focus more on the economy in order to turn the fortunes of the country around.

    “I believe now that the president is back, he should be able to fine-tune the economic team and put some recovery policies in place.

    “The team should be very serious. The team should also be very out looking. They should not take anything for granted.

    “The most important thing government should look into is the issue of electricity and internal security because internal security is very important.

    “Internal security and electricity are the engine room that drives development, that drives the future of any country and I believe these things can be done,” Kalu said.

    The All Progressives Party (APC) chieftain said the government had made a lot of progress in the war against the Boko Haram sect.

    He said: “I know that the president has done so well in the area of defence and pursuing Boko Haram. I congratulate him as Commander in Chief

    “I also praise the service chiefs, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police as well as the Director of the DSS for their backup operation on Boko Haram. It is a collective effort.”

    He also commiserated with the families of Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo,  former governor of the Old Western Region and Brig.- Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia, former governor of the defunct Bendel State, who passed on recently.

    Kalu said: “Well, both men were great statesmen. Like Gen. Adebayo, he is my colleague’s father, Niyi Adebayo and may his soul rest in peace.

    “I am sure that the polity of them maintaining what they stood for and what they believed in; God will rest their soul in peace.  Gen. Ogbemudia was not only a good general but I don’t know why these two generals should be buried at the same time because Nigeria needed them more now for their experience and what we are going through.

    “I believe it is God’s time and God’s own time, nobody can stop it. So I send my condolences to the families, especially to Niyi Adebayo.

    “I made effort to call him but unfortunately his phone is not going through but I will surely visit. I thank God for the soul of the departed. God will bless their souls and they will rest in peace.”

  • Gunmen kill four members of Abia vigilante

    Gunmen kill four members of Abia vigilante

    A four man gunmen suspected to be members of a notorious armed robbery gang terrorizing visitors and residents of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State has reportedly killed personnel of the Abia State Vigilante Service (AVS), otherwise known as Bakassi boys.

    It was gathered that while three of the AVS personnel died on the spot, another member of the security outfit died on the way to the hospital.

    Unconfirmed reports have it that other personnel of the State Vigilante service and some passersby that sustained gunshot are receiving medical attention in undisclosed private hospital.

    Another report has it that the vigilante group had foiled a kidnap attempt of an Aba based business woman at Popular Tonimas junction by the gunmen, not knowing that the gunmen later trailed them.

    It was gathered that the gunmen on sighting the AVS team near the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) office along Aba-Owerri expressway road while they were on a routine patrol, opened gunshot on them, killing three on the spot.

    It was gathered that the incident which happened on Monday evening caused pandemonium around the area, forcing many shop owners to hurriedly close their shops while motorists and other road users abandoned the ever busy expressway which serves as a major entrance
    and exit route from the commercial city for alternative ones to avoid police arrest and gridlock that was already building on the road.

    A source from one of the security agencies in the state who pleaded anonymity confirmed that four members of the AVS died as a result of the shootout, but couldn’t confirm if there were others admitted in any hospital in Aba.

    The source who said that the hoodlums used a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) to carry out the act, added that police and other sister agencies shortly after the incident, blocked possible exit routes of the hoodlums.

    According to the source, “We (security agencies) are on their trail and will soon get to them. We are closing up on them. We want to use this opportunity to appeal to Aba residents to report to the police and other security agencies in the state about any suspicious movement
    of persons in their areas.”

    Recall that the state government had at the weekend imposed a 6am to 7pm ban on the operational hours of commercial motor and tricycle operators in the state as part of measures to curb the activities of hoodlums and gunmen in the city of Aba and other parts of the state.

  • Abia, Total meet over unremitted revenue, oil community dispute

    The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has met with the management of Total E&P Nigeria Ltd over the lingering issues of none-remittances of revenue to the state by the multinational oil firm, and neglect of the oil-bearing communities in Ukwa West LGA of the state.

    The meeting followed complaints by the state and the oil rich communities of Owaza and Asa in Ukwa West LGA of the state which prompted a recent tour of oil facilities in the area by Governor Ikpeazu, with a promise to resolve the lingering issues with Total E&P Nigeria Ltd.

    At the meeting between the government and management of the oil firm yesterday, the Total delegation led by the Deputy Managing Director, Total E&P, Nig Ltd, Mr. Francois Le-Cocq commended the Governor for initiating the meeting, stressing the need for dialogue between the company, the government and the oil-bearing communities.

    “We commend the Governor for visiting our stations in Owaza, and also for calling us to this meeting for Community engagement. I appeal to the community not to prevent or stop us from working in the community,” Le-Cocq said.

    Stressing the need for peaceful coexistence of the state, community and the oil company, Governor Ikpeazu thanked the traditional rulers and people of Ukwa West LGA, especially the youths for the mature way they have conducted themselves in a peaceful dialogue instead of engaging in destruction of oil facilities in their communities despite the obvious neglect by the oil firms.

    He said: “I must commend the oil communities in Abia for choosing the path of peace and dialogue instead of engaging in militancy and destruction of oil installations in the area to show their displeasure over the neglect and destruction of their communities and environment by the oil companies operating in their communities.

    “The misunderstanding between Total and Oil-bearing communities was due to lack of clear-cut communication between the oil company and the communities that have been shortchanged by the oil companies since there is nothing to show in terms of human capital development, infrastructure and job opportunities.

    “The Oil-bearing communities are worried that they do not know what their rights are as they are not aware of what the environmental impact assessment specifies, even as they are not carried along in the company’s policies.

    “As a state, we are not happy that you’re operating in our state and yet you don’t tax to us. You don’t employ our people. It’s now time for the Total and other companies operating in the state should establish a community Relations officer in communities and state to make for greater symbiosis between the company, the locals and the state,” the Governor said.

    Speaking on behalf of the Oil-bearing community, the former Abia Commissioner in the board of NDDC and ASOPADEC chairman, Chief  Sam Nwogu, thanked the Governor for his initiative and expressed the readiness of the Oil community to provide Total with the enabling environment to continue to carry out its operations.