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  • Abia teachers, pensioners to be paid on Wed

    Abia teachers, pensioners to be paid on Wed

    The Abia State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi, has promised teachers and pensioners they would get their salaries and pension arrears on Wednesday.

    Okiyi, who didn’t mention the number of months to be paid, said the government thanked workers for their positive contributions to the success recorded by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration.

    A statement by him reads: “In the spirit of transparency, and in furtherance of the need to truthfully inform our people at all times, permit me to state as follows:

    – We battled through the bureaucracy and exigencies of banking to ensure that salaries and pensions were paid latest on December 22 to all government workers.

    -All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) got their November salary, with at least six MDAs receiving their December salary before the close of business last Friday.

    -The relevant banks received necessary documentations for the payment of December salary to the outstanding MDAs, but couldn’t complete the process before the close of business last Friday.

    -Teachers were to be paid with others, but necessary documentations were completed late last Friday.

    -We, therefore, expect teachers and pensioners to get their salaries on Wednesday, with other MDAs yet to get theirs.

    -Further payments will be made to teachers and pensioners as we begin the disbursement of the third tranche of the Paris Club refund.

    -We apologise for the inability to complete the payment processes as instructed by Governor Ikpeazu, and assure workers that everything will be done to ensure they are paid on the said dates.

    -Meanwhile, local governments received necessary funds to pay workers last Thursday, and we are monitoring the payment situation.

    -A full brief on the status of compliance with the governor’s instruction will be issued on Thursday. Thank You.”

  • FG issues provisional licences to six new private universities

    FG issues provisional licences to six new private universities

    The Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday issued provisional licences to the six newly established private universities.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, gave the provisional licences to the institutions in Abuja.

    The institutions are Admiralty University Ibusa in Delta, Spiritan University Neochi, Abia, Precious Cornerstone University in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Pamo University of Medica Sciences, Port Harcourt.

    Others are Atiba University in Oyo, Oyo State and Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences, Ijaniki, Lagos State.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono said the Federal Executive Council approved the take-off of the universities on December 6.

    He said that the approvals were given to the universities to provide quality education in Nigeria.

    He said the approval had increased the number of private universities in the country to 74.

    “The problems of access to quality education in Nigeria has poised serious challenges and therefore required serious efforts to address them.

    “The approval of the universities tends to address the issue of access to university education.

    Read also: FEC approves six private universities

    “Private universities in Nigeria have contributed and will continue to contribute to the development of education in the country.

    “The competition of private universities has contributed to healthy delivery within the system.

    He called on the institutions’ administrators to ensure highest standard of best practices to achieve academic excellence in their programmes.

    Earlier, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission ( NUC ), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said quality control must be strictly adhered to.

    “ With about two million candidates applying for admission into universities annually, the university system is only able to accommodate about 500,000 students yearly.

    “ And so, there is need to licence more universities to help deal with the challenge of access to education.’’

    Also, Former head of state, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar called on Nigerians to maintain peace in the country to ensure educational development.

    Abubakar also urged universities to maintain and ensure quality education for the betterment of all Nigerians.

    He said with a total of 160 universities in Nigeria out of which 74 are private universities, 46 states and 40 federal universities, there was need to ensure peace to achieve educational development.

    He called for the engagement of the youths educationally, adding that the universities should be adequately equipped for meaningful development.

    NAN

  • Historical places to visit this christmas

    Historical places to visit this christmas

    (more…)

  • Strange deaths cause fear in Abia community

    The death of Mrs. Emereole, a retired headteacher, and a yet-to-be-identified woman, at Umuala Nsulu village in Isiala Ngwa North Area of Abia State, is causing ripples in the community.

    The deceased are co-tenants, it was gathered.

    According to a source, Mrs. Emereole’s mutilated body was found in her room; her neighbour’s at the backyard.

    “We didn’t know what happened until members of her church (Faith Tabernacle) raised the alarm. They came to visit her since she was absent in church.

    “After knocking without getting response, they were forced to break the door. They saw her body in a pool of blood.

    “They went round to see if her neighbour was aware of what happened. They also saw her dead body in a plantain farm at the backyard,” the source said.

    He added that residents now live in fear, as more people have gone missing without trace.

    They called on the Commissioner of Police, Anthony Ogbizi, and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, to intervene.

    The matter, first reported at the Isiala Ngwa North police station, has been transferred to Umuahia, the capital, for further investigation.

    Efforts to reach police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna were unsuccessful.

  • Abia’s politics of commerce

    Abia’s politics of commerce

    The Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith (1723 and 1790), posited in his book: The Wealth of Nations that “No Society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable”. His postulations can be equated to the vision Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu whose determined effort to make a difference in governance has not waned despite the legal obstacle mounted by his foes shortly after his election.

    Through hardwork, Dr Ikpeazu is rewriting the history of Abia, and his ultimate desire is to make it second to none in the country. To make Abia great, he has revived moribund industry and he is also leading the crusade on the recognition of Aba made goods as durable and reliable. Just over two years in office, he has opened new frontiers in the emancipation, renaissance and development of the state. The renewal of Abia in over 24 months has become talk of the town. It is all of the governor’s making that the state is today a major exporter of manufactured goods.

    Since May 29, 2015, Abia has taken some positive steps and entered into a new level of socio-economic development similar to that of the Asian Tigers.Besides consolidating on the gains of the previous administration, Ikpeazu has made the provision of infrastructure his  priority by ensuring that all senatorial zones of the state are beneficiaries of infrastructural overflow. Abia is looking more beautiful by the day.  Roads have been built in the 17 local government areas of the state,  dilapidated water schemes rehabilitated, bridges constructed. For the first time, the state has a flyover bridge and it took Ikpeazu for the miracle to happen at Osisioma. The governor also remodelled Enyimba city, the South East’s commercial nerve-centre, to serve as Africa’s industrial hub.

    Health centres and clinics now dot Umuahia, the state capital, and other towns, giving the people a relief. People do not have to travel to ‘’big cities’’ in order to attend to their health. The farmers too have been receiving help from government. They got agricultural inputs to aid their work. The higher institutions are not left out in the remaking of the state. They have been given grant to aid their research works.

    The Ikpeazu administration is creating a brand anchored on service and performance. The brand is centered on delivery of dividends of democracy to the people. This is part of his campaign promise, which has formed his covenant with the people. This is propelling the government to provide more services despite limited resources.

    Through delivery of the dividends of democracy, the government has lessened the burden of the prevailing economic depression, confirming the assertion of Sithu U Thant (1909 to 1974), Burmese Secretary General of the United Nations, that “the world will not live in harmony so long as two-third of its habitants has difficulty in living at all.”

    The governor has demolished the character of self defeat and encouraged the spirit of self confidence as a formidable means of self actualisation. Today, Aba made products are seen as a brand, which is as reliable as products made in Italy, Britain, Germany, United States, China, Japan and others. The visionary government also established the Aba industrial clusters for Abia’s industrial growth.

    Undeniably, Ikpeazu’s courage in redefining Aba and its products is in line with the contention of former American President Andrew Jackson that “one man with courage makes a majority”. For now, the governor is the Chief Brand Ambassador of made in Aba goods. He has not only embarked on an aggressive promotion of the products, but has created the Aba Urban Renewal Agency as well as a regulatory board to encourage traders and entrepreneurs to produce more quality products and market them abroad with ease.

    The Rural Transformation Agenda (RTA), which he kick started was climaxed by the setting up of a five-man development team in each of the 184 wards of the state to assist in identifying the pressing needs of each village and community in the ward under the Abia State Rural Infrastructural Development Initiative, (ASRIDI).

    Equally, youths are being empowered under the structural development of the state to start businesses of their own. In addition, two youths from each of the 17 local governments of the state are to travel to China to undergo training in shoe and leather manufacturing. On Ikpeazu’s assumption of office, some youths were selected and trained on the modern techniques of farming under the    Youth for Agriculture Employment Scheme (YAES). The Ikpeazu administration also introduced a youth empowerment and development concept called Education for Employment Programme (E4E). Its aim is to develop and empower Abia youths and imbue them with the virtue of self reliant. To ensure sanity on the road, the government established the Traffic Management Agency (TMA),  which employed many,  reducing youth unemployment in the state. To observers, what the governor, who they refer to as the ‘’Moses of our time’’ deserves is another term to enable him consolidate on the gains so far made. The state, they argued, deserves the best and ‘’our governor has shown that he is the best and that he will always give his best to the state.’’

  • Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    The Compliance Team of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) said it has seized contraband with Duty Paid Value ( DPV ) of N93.7 million in the course of its operations.

    The Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Ahmed Azarema, made this known while displaying the seized contraband to news men in Owerri on Tuesday at the Imo/Abia Command of the service.

    Azarema said the compliance team, attached to the office of the Comptroller-General of Customs, confiscated 1,028bags of 20 kg foreign rice with a DPV of N8.22 million concealed with motor spare parts.

    He said 1,258 bags of 50kg of foreign rice with a DPV of N74.8 million and 111 bales of second hand clothing with a DPV of N10.65 million was also seized by the team.

    Read also: Customs destroys smuggled goods

    He said all the items were seized along Aba/Umuahia/Port Harcourt axis adding that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seized goods.

    Azarema observed that because of the Yuletide season, smugglers are more desperate and always want to skim their way through but would always fail because of the dedication and ingenuity of the customs personnel.

    He, therefore, charged Nigerians against ferrying contraband in and across the country, but to engage in legitimate businesses to avoid their goods being confiscated.

    According to the compliance team coordinator, locally produced rice is more nutritious, better and cheaper than foreign rice which are preserved with chemicals.

    He said that patronising locally made goods would help boost the country’s foreign exchange and provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

    Azarema also urged Nigerians to desist from buying foreign rice to encourage the local producers.

    NAN

  • Abia targets one million jobs

    Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has hinted of plans to create about a million jobs for Abians and non-indigenes when the proposed Export Promotion Zone, Enyimba Industrial Free Trade Zone is completed.

    Ikpeazu who gave this hint while speaking at a stakeholders meeting of Ukwa East, Ukwa West and Ugwunagbo said the benefit of the project to the state, southeast and other parts of the country cannot be overemphasised just as he maintained that the choice of location was strategic to the economic development of the states across the federation.

    He said the project which would be financed by local and international investors is located 30 minutes away from two seaports at Onne and Port Harcourt making it easy for the investors to move their goods.

    “My greatest achievement when I leave office as governor will be to ensure the completion of the Enyimba Industrial Free Zone. And we must achieve this project together. If we fail to actualise this project, all of us will regret because our generations unborn will be unhappy with us. Therefore we need to think strategically, we need to think about tomorrow, on the need to plant a seed that will germinate tomorrow,” he said.

    Asked how the state would ensure safety of investors and their goods, Ikpeazu stated “There are no security problems. Everywhere is well secured. We can’t be inviting the world to invest and not prepared. If this project creates the one million jobs required which means one million persons are busy, the reality is that the criminals will be few.”

    Speaking on the success recorded so far on the project, Dr Darl Uzu, CEO of Crown Realities, the lead partner in the project, said that international firms such as Java already bought into the project.

    He explained the project is designed and planned by Surbana Jurang Group, the same group that designed and planned Singapore trade

     

  • Abia completes 41 road projects in two years

    Abia completes 41 road projects in two years

    Abia State Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary Mr Richard Nwala, has said the present administration had completed and inaugurated 41 roads since its inception.

    Nwala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia that the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration had made long strides in road construction in the state.

    He said rehabilitation and reconstruction of 74 other roads, including some bridges, were ongoing in different parts of the state.

    “Not only do the roads have drains built with cement pavement technology on both sides, they also have street light component for aesthetic and security at night.”

    The permanent secretary said that the roads were evenly distributed across the three senatorial districts of the state and not in accordance with political patronage.

    He said the state government placed high premium on road transformation so as to enhance transportation and alleviate the plight of motorists in the state.

    According to the permanent secretary, the worst roads in the state were those owned by the Federal Government, citing the Aba-Owerri, Aba-Port Harcourt and Aba-Ikot Ekpene roads, as instances.

    Nwala further said the dilapidated Umuahia-Ohafia-Arochukwu, road another federal road on which reconstruction had stalled for over a decade, posed a serious danger to the users.

    He said that the state government intervened in rehabilitating portions of the roads in order to ameliorate the sufferings of those plying them.

    “Though these are federal roads, the state resolved to fix them because they are used by Abians, most of who could hardly differentiate between state and federal roads,” he said.

  • Abia completes 41 road projects in two years – Perm. Sec.

    Abia completes 41 road projects in two years – Perm. Sec.

    Mr Richard Nwala, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Abia, said on Sunday that the present administration in the state had completed and inaugurated  41 roads  since its inception.

    Nwala made this known in Umuahia that the Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration had made long strides in road construction in the state.

    He said that rehabilitation and reconstruction of 74 other roads, including some bridges, were ongoing in different parts of the state.

    “Not only do the roads have drains built with cement pavement technology on both sides, they also have street light component for aesthetic and security at night.”

    The permanent secretary said that the roads were evenly distributed across the three senatorial districts of the state and not in accordance with political patronage.

    He said that the state government placed high premium on road transformation so as to enhance transportation and alleviate the plight of motorists in the state.

    According to the permanent secretary, the worst roads in the state were those owned by the Federal Government, citing the Aba-Owerri, Aba-Port Harcourt and Aba-Ikot Ekpene roads, as instances.

    Nwala further said that the dilapidated Umuahia-Ohafia-Arochukwu, road another federal road on which reconstruction had stalled for over a decade, posed a serious danger to the users.

    He said that the state government intervened in rehabilitating portions of the roads in order to ameliorate the sufferings of those plying them.

    “Though these are federal roads, the state resolved to fix them because they are used by Abians, most of who could hardly differentiate between state and federal roads,” he said.

    The permanent secretary said the five kilometre tunnel now under construction in Aba, the commercial hub of the state, would permanently check flooding in the popular Ariaria International Market.

    He said that the tunnel, measuring four meters wide and five meters deep, would also help to check flooding in other parts of the commercial city.

    According to him, the tunnel will carry excess water from the Ifeobara pond which causes flooding in the area, into the Aba River.

    He said, “The problem is that the whole water in Ariaria finds its way into the Ifeobara pond, resulting in an overflow into Ukwu-Mango area.

    “The governor now wants to find a permanent solution to the problem.”

    Nwala said that government also expanded the pond in order to enhance its capacity to take more water.

    The permanent secretary further said that the state government intervened in the rehabilitation of roads at the World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia.

    He said that the intervention was necessary because the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awarded contract for the rehabilitation of only five kilometer length of roads in the estate.

    He said also that the ministry had a plan to relocate the dumpsite at the Ubakala-Umuahia end of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

    The dumpsite has over the years spilled into the road, covering one side of the dual carriageway and compelling motorists to use only one side.

    Nwala said that a new dumpsite had been acquired and that plans were underway to evacuate the refuse.

    He said that the ministry would also remove the flower pots which were constructed and placed along the three major roads in Umuahia, the state capital, by the last administration.

    The permanent secretary said that the ministry would remove the pots before the yuletide.

    Some residents of Umuahia have converted the cement-cast pots into refuse bins.

    NAN

  • Buhari not interested in automatic ticket in 2019 – Kalu

    Buhari not interested in automatic ticket in 2019 – Kalu

    Former Abia governor, Dr Orji Kalu, said on Saturday that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be interested in getting an automatic ticket to re -contest.

    Kalu told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, that the president would prefer a situation where other candidates would explore the democratic process to test their popularity.

    “Buhari himself is not even looking for automatic ticket.

    “He is a man that is very fair and free in what he does.

    “And his feeling is that if any candidate is willing to contest against him, he should come out.

    “So President Buhari is also feeling that an automatic ticket for him is not right.

    “He believes that the political space should be opened up for other people who also want to contest and he wants an open primary (elections) to take place,” he said.

    He said he would support Buhari should he indicate interest to run for a second term.

    “I have said it times without number, that the president needs to consolidate on his achievements because he is very popular.

    “He is still the only person carrying 15 million votes in his back despite his tenure being besieged by illness.

    “So the president genuinely deserves a second tenure,’’ Kalu said.

    He also ruled out the chances of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming back in 2019.

    Kalu said Buhari was under restraint not to expose the gargantuan corruption that took place at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    He said if Nigerians knew what happened at NNPC, they would not allow any of the looters to run away from the country.

    Kalu wished former Vice President Atiku Abubakar well on his future endeavours following his decision to leave APC.

    NAN