The Nation Newspaper

Tag: abia

  • Abia clears drains

    Abia clears drains

    Abia State has started clearing the clogged drains of Aba, its commercial hub. The city is blighted by a network of bad roads and is perennial flooded, sometimes leading to the loss of lives and properties.

    Silted drainage is often blamed for the flooding, which is most disturbing in the rainy season.

    The perennial flooding according to environmental experts can be attributed to the blocked drainages and canals with domestic and industrial waste which prevents water from flowing freely through the channels into the Aba River.

    However, Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu during his inaugural speech and other events had promised that he was going to tackle the case of flooding menace in Aba, warning all landlords and owners of various illegal structures on water ways to evacuate them or have them pulled down when the government would move in its bulldozers to action.

    And in fulfillment of his promises to ameliorate the incidence of flooding in Aba as the rain sets in, the state government has since last week Friday began de-silting of drainages within the commercial heartbeat of Abia State.

    The streets and areas so far covered by the exercise include Park road, St. Michael’s Road, hospital road, Umule, Ukaegbu, Umuojima among other places where the exercise is going on simultaneously.

    While many residents and shop owners have lauded the state government’s step in addressing the case of flooding, others have equally expressed their reservations over the exercise.

    According to some residents that spoke to our reporter who went round to monitor the scooping of gutters, it was a good step by the governor towards restoring the original master plan of Aba.

    “It is a positive step by the Abia State government. The evacuation of the debris from the gutters will help to cushion the effect of flooding in this town especially, now that we are in the rainy season and I hope that they will be able to finish the exercise before the rain sets in properly”, a resident who simply gave his name as Uchenna said.

    But Christian Ogor disagrees with Uchenna as he recalled, “In 2013 or thereabout, Governor Theodore Orji (immediate past governor) embarked on such process. If you will remember, they concentrated much on Azikiwe road where they scooped out a lot of debris from the gutters along that road and before you know it, majority of them went back to the gutters.

    “Look at how what they have scooped out is littering the road and making our roads look dirtier. It is not that I am against what the government is doing. Since Friday or Saturday that they scooped out all these things from the gutters, they were yet to come and use their truck to remove them. You know how many times that it has rained in Aba and majority of what they were able to scoop out are still going back into the drainages. It is also obstructing movements along the road and causing unnecessary traffic jam.

    “I don’t think that rainy season is a time to do this and do it better. So, while I am against people dumping their industrial and domestic wastes into the gutters, I equally want to advice the government to ensure that something urgent is done to ensure that whatever that is removed from the gutters will be promptly evacuated if they know that they won’t end up wasting their monies and efforts as well”, he advised.

    However, an official of the Abia State Government appealed to Aba residents to be patient with the state government and promised that they were on top of the matter, stressing that they would soon evacuate the debris littering the roads.

  • Abia oil communities’ youths list demands

    Abia oil communities’ youths list demands

    They are richly blessed with crude oil, but what do residents of Ukwa East and Ukwa West Local Government Areas in Abia State get for their endowments? Pretty little, say their angry youths.

    No different from abundantly endowed Niger Delta communities, infrastructure in Ukwa West and Ukwa East is woeful. The roads are impassable, there is no potable water, and where any facility exists, it is in a very bad state.

    Irked by this abysmal profile, youths from the two oil-rich councils under their umbrella body, Joint Youth Council of Ukwa, a pressure group, at the end of a mid-year review, listed their demands.

    The resolutions were taken after a special congress held in Umuebulungwu-Asa, Ukwa West LGA. The youths want both the state and federal government to address in their areas.

    In a communiqué signed by several of its leaders, the group called on the Abia State government to revive all moribund industrial, tourist and agricultural sites, in addition to resuscitation Ogwe Golden Chicken Farm, Abia Palm (Nig) Ltd, Akwete Weaving Industry and the Azumini Blue River in Ukwa.

    They also appealed to the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to extend the ongoing road reconstruction exercise in Aba to Ukwa and to pay attention to Obohia-Ohuru-Aba Road, Ohanku-Aba and Ogwe-Obokwe-Uratta Junction roads.

    The group which noted that their communities have been in darkness for a year, pleaded with the Okezie-led government to change the Ukwa power phase to the nearby Afam Power Station since, according to them, the Ala-Oji Power Station was already overloaded.

    The youths also condemned the relocation of “prestigious Asa High School to a mere primary school block and the premises turned to a military barracks”.

    They called for the immediate vacation of the military or the relocation of Asa High School to a more befitting site, even as they hope that the famous and premier Ndoki Grammar School, Obohia should be upgraded to a campus of any of the state-owned tertiary institutions.

    Among other things that the youths clamoured for was the appointment of qualified indigenous Ukwa people into principal offices in both the executive and legislative arms of government. They stressed that they would no longer tolerate the recycling of people with no proven records of community service into government positions in the state.

    The Ukwa youth council equally expressed the hope that the new state government will, in its first 100 days in office, start work on the proposed Obeaku-Ndoki Sea Port. They also called for the relocation of the Abia State Oil Producing Area development Commission’s (ASOPADEC) office to Ukwa for effective and efficient service delivery and the increase in the commission’s annual budget.

    Part of their communiqué read, “The council pleads with the dynamic governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to give utmost priority to youth empowerment for Ukwa especially in the political appointments, entrepreneurship and business patronage.

    “The council heartily congratulates Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, the Governor of Abia State on his recent flag-off of mass road reconstruction in Aba.

    ”The council frowns at the recent political appointments so far made in the state as no Ukwa son or daughter was considered for the principal offices in the Executive or Legislative arms of the government. Such appointments should be given to qualified Ukwa sons and daughters with proven records of community service and as community appeal, as we will not tolerate the recycling of people who have no such track records”.

  • Police, army clash in Abia

    Police, army clash in Abia

    A policeman attached to Police Mobile Force (PMF 55), Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State is currently battling for his life in an undisclosed hospital.
    The policeman whose name could not be immediately ascertained as at the time this report was said to have been hospitalized after he was allegedly hit in the chest during a crossfire between the army and police patrol team that stormed Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base (FOB).
    The incident which was said to have lasted more than 30minutes caused pandemonium in the area as students, teachers inside the army base, shop owners and passersby within the area scampered for safety.
    An unconfirmed report has it that the police personnel died on the spot but a military source denied, saying that the policeman was rushed to a hospital where he is receiving medical attention.
    According to an eyewitness account, “the policeman was shot on his left chest causing him to use his back to land on the main road. About two mobile policemen where also taken into the army base after the army officers disarmed and collected their rifles from them.
    ” The military personnel after disarming them (policemen) started shooting into the air in attempt to empty the policemen’s magazine”.
    Abia State Commissioner of Police, Joshiak Habila couldn’t pick his call, but Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke confirmed the incident.
    Habila however couldn’t give much details about the incident as he told our correspondent that he was yet to be properly briefed.
    But a military source who narrated the incident said “the policeman was wearing army camouflage and was passing in front of the base.”
    ” One of the soldiers at the gate accosted him and asked him why he was wearing the camouflage. He said he was a policeman and when he was asked to bring his ID card, he blatantly refused and in the heat of the argument, the policeman sprayed the hand teargas into the soldier’s eye which led to a physical combat.
    “Some minutes after the issue was resolved, police patrol hilux loaded with mobile policemen from PMF55 was parked in front of the base and before you know what is happening, they started firing at the soldiers and the soldiers responded.
    “The policeman only sustained injury and is receiving treatment in a hospital and the situation as we speak has been brought under control”.
    The source who said both soldiers and policemen took it to the extreme said that they wouldn’t hesitate to institute investigation into the matter and would punish them accordingly.
    The source also used the opportunity to reinstate their commitment to continue to work harmoniously with the police and other security agencies in Aba and the state at large.

  • Reckless driver knocks down FRSC staff

    Reckless driver knocks down FRSC staff

    A staff of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Aba Unit, identified as Mr. Victor Mbakaogu has reportedly been hospitalized and left in a critical condition after he was allegedly knocked down by a reckless motorist.

    The incident, The Nation gathered happened in front of the Aba Command of FRSC along Aba-Umuahia axis of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Wednesday morning while the victim was on duty.

    Sources who witnessed the incident said that the FRSC official after being hit by the driver hit his head on the ground and broke his jaw in the process which left him with bruises and bleeding mouth.

    Mbakaogu was said to have been rushed to a private hospital immediately where he is currently receiving medical attention.

    The Aba FRSC Unit Commander, Okora Awassam in an interview confirmed the incident, adding that the staff has been responding to treatment as process of stitching the broken jaw had already begun.

    She also confirmed that the said driver have equally been arrested and in detention.

    “The officer didn’t even stop the driver. He was just standing beside the road in front of our office when the driver suddenly veered off the road and hit him. Immediately he did that, he sped off.

    “My personnel landed on the road with his head and in the process broke his jaws. He is currently receiving medical attention and we thank God that he is responding to treatment.

    “I don’t know why the man did that because like I said the officer didn’t stop the driver. He was just standing by the roadside when he was hit by the driver. So, I don’t know why the driver should veer off the road to hit him.

    “The driver was arrested in a nearby village, not too far from the scene of the incidence by a good Samaritan and other drivers that saw how the incident happened. If not that the drivers were so kind to have gone after the man, he would have escaped just like that,” Awassam narrated

     

  • 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.

     

  • Ikpeazu seeks more varsities in Abia

    Ikpeazu seeks more varsities in Abia

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has said his administration is disposed to the establishment of more universities in the state to boost the education sector.

    He spoke while receiving the management of Gregory University, Uturu in Government House, Umuahia.

    Ikpeazu had appealed to those interested in investing in education  to think of Abia first, adding that the government was willing to support them.

    He regretted that private institutions are sited more outside Abia and the Southeast.

    The governor said tertiary education is one area of need for the state, noting that the government would not hesitate to encourage more private institutions, such as Gregory University.

    Ikpeazu described Gregory University as a flagship among the citadel of learning in Nigeria, saying he is thrilled by their concept of entrepreneurial education.

    The university’s Registrar Dr Austin Orisakwe said the school has secured approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run a medical college in addition to 37 other programmes across seven colleges.

    He said Ikpeazu’s predecessor approved Amachara Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre for the university to use, a gesture that engendered, he added, facilitated NUC’s approval of the medical college.

    Orisakwe assured the governor of the support and partnership of the university and conveyed a letter of intent to the governor to receive the title of Visitor of the institution.

    He said Gregory University is partnering lots of foreign institutions and agencies in the development of education and skills that would facilitate students exchange programmes.

    Orisakwe said the university has  received a proposal by an American Aeronautic Engineering company to produce aircraft and other automotives projects.

  • Ikpeazu greets Abia Speaker, others

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the sixth House of Assembly on their victories.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, Ikpeazu wished the Speaker a successful tenure as they work to ensure a vibrant and dynamic legislature for Abia State.

    The governor felicitated with the members and urged them to perform their duties in the interest of the electorates.

     

  • Abia community benefits from WAAPP’s technologies

    Abia community benefits from WAAPP’s technologies

    The West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP)-Nigeria has adopted Oriendu Village, a rural Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State for the establishment of Biogas Digester.

    This step, in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, is meant to demonstrate to the adopted community alternative cheap source of energy for cooking and lighting in the rural areas; creation of employment opportunities by training some persons in this respect; and discouraging deforestation, among others.

    At the training, the NRCRI Director of Extension Services/  WAAPP, Dr. Godwin Asumugha, said the technology is an alternative and cheap source of energy in rural areas, adding that already more than 10 youths were undergoing training on how to establish, or set up the technology.

    According to NRCRI Executive Director, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, the organisation has since 2011 been collaborating with WAAPP to facilitate the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies, stating that  the Adopted Village Concept which was first introduced to the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in 1996 under the World Bank- assisted programs of the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) was re-activated and consolidated by the WAAPP.

    According to him, the concept was introduced for developing, disseminating and evaluating technologies emanating from Research Institutes. The institures are to conduct their demonstrations in the identified and adopted villages for adoption and impact, and impres on intending farmers and end users on the viability of technologies being promoted.

    Other objectives,he listed, are to encourage large-scale adoption of improved technologies, economically empower resource poor farmers, and create job opportunities for youths and enhance  food security.

    On the main features of the adopted villages, he said they include empowerment of the communities through initial provision of some facilities, capacity building of the communities, empowerment of farmers to identify their problems and search for solutions, facilitate community activities, operate an agricultural research outreach center including information flow.

    On the other activities, Okonkwo said that apart from establishing adopted villages, the Institute established secondary schools outreach programs around them for the purpose of establishing Agricultural Research Outreach Centres (AROCs).

    The main purpose, he explained, “is to ensure that the impact of agricultural research and training is felt in these schools and increase students interest in agriculture and home economics, adding that NRCRI has 13 Outreach Schools in seven states out of which five are in Abia.

    Describing the training and the Biogas Digester project as first of its kind in his community, the community’s traditional ruler, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, a farmer, commended WAAPP and NRCRI for considering to adopt Oriendu for the project.              Meanwhile, the management team from the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), Nigeria, has lauded FUNAAB during its visit to the university, to assess the progress made so far by Institute for Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR) in the  collaboration between both bodies. While welcoming the team, the Director, IFSERAR, who is also the WAAPP Co-ordinator in the university, Prof Akin Omotayo, thanked management as well as WAAPP for their support in ensuring that IFSERAR was at the fore-front in research and increasing food productivity so as to end hunger in the land. He said a lot of progress had been made since the collaboration started about a year ago.

    Omotayo said IFSERAR was into projects such as cassava seed multiplication and fingerlings multiplication, distribution, technology dissemination and adopted school project, noting that recently, the institute empowered some farmers by giving them farm inputs such as fingerlings and cassava stem, free of charge.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, who is also the President of Association of African Universities (AAU), appreciated the contributions of WAAPP-Nigeria through IFSERAR, in strengthening the University’s extension village farmers. He added that the FUNAAB recently bought a Toyota Hilux Van to support the programme, adding that a lot of things needed to be done in providing food security. He stressed the need to embark on sensitisa-tion and enlightenment activities that would enable the youth take up farming as a means of livelihood, to create more employment opportunities. He gave the assurance that the University would continue to ensure that its research efforts waxed stronger and that WAAPP team members should feel free to visit various ongoing farm projects on campus.

    The National Co-ordinator of WAAPP-Nigeria, Dr. Sheu Salawu, said he was impressed with the serenity of FUNAAB, noting that the objective of the visit was to review the activities of the project in the University in line with the determination of the World Bank to eliminate poverty globally.

    He acknowledged the enormous effort being made by FUNAAB in supporting the WAAPP programmes, adding that he had a strong belief that the communities around the university were feeling the positive impact of WAAPP.

    Salawu urged the Vice-Chancellor to continue to support, and include entrepreneurship courses for graduating students to facilitate their accessing of finance. The team members were shown various research findings in the University as they visited ongoing agricultural projects on campus.

  • NHIS to partner Abia

    The Executive Secretary National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Femi Akingbade has promised that the health agency would be partnering with the Abia State Government in health service delivery in the state.

    Akingbade who spoke in Aba during a flag-off of the Osisioma Ngwa Better Life Mutual Health Association at the Umuehilegbu Industrial Market in Aba noted that a partnership between the agency and the state government was going to consolidate health insurance projects in Abia state.

    Akingbade promising that NHIS was going to partner and support the Osisioma Ngwa Better life Mutual Health Association to ensure it succeeds and flourishes added that NHIS would subsidize the programme through payment of premium contributions for all registered pregnant women and children under 5years to run for a period of three years.

    NHIS Executive Secretary represented by Dr Eke Jonathan, the Acting General Manager, NHIS, Abuja office disclosed that the purpose of the scheme was to provide health insurance cover and financial risk protection to Nigerians also a step towards the attainment of the NHIS mandate of achieving 40 percent coverage and easy access to healthcare for all Nigerian citizenry by end of 2015.

    .Mr. Olayiwola Lasisi, the Head, Underwriting and Client Services, United HealthCare International ltd, expressed optimism that the programme would be sustained in order to achieve the purpose of its establishment.

    Lasisi who said that the people will be registered with as low as N600 per month in the scheme also stated that they have a mechanism to ensure the Health Association, adding that as part of measures to ensure that the health scheme succeeds the Board of Trustees signatories to the account would not have direct access to the funds.