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Tag: abia

  • Candidates to debate again in Abia

    Candidates to debate again in Abia

    After the success of the maiden edition, candidates vying for office in Abia State will take on one another and seek to convince the electorate to vote for them.

    The event, according to its organisers, Modern Communication Limited (MCL), is billed to hold in Umuahia, the capital, and Aba, the commercial nerve, in February.

    It will feature candidates of various parties contesting for various elective positions in the state.

    The General Manager (MCL), Mr. Ogwo Agu at a press briefing, disclosed that the essence of the media chat which would be transmitted live on their terrestrial network stations in Umuahia and Aba.

    He said the effort was part of the company’s social responsibility in providing a platform for the candidates seeking various elective positions in the state to present publicly their programmes.

    He said the programme would also provide the opportunity for the electorate to ask the candidates  questions.

    He also said a team of seasoned media professionals, captains of industry, civil rights activists would be on hand to seek answers from those who lead the state.

    Questions, it was said, will be asked in virtually every sector of the economy.

    Agu added that invitations had been sent to the expected candidates.

    Agu disclosed that the media chat featuring candidates for National Assembly positions from the Umuahia zone would hold on February 6 while that of the Aba zone would hold on February 7.

    He said that the debate sessions for governorship candidates would hold on February 20 and 21 in Umuahia and Aba, expressing the hope that the event would not only serve as any eye opener for the electorate in choosing whom to cast their votes for, but also add value to the building of a healthy democratic process in the state.

    The MCL General Manager who described the maiden edition of the programme as a successful one stated that participation in the exercise which they hope to sustain was free for all the candidates and added that they were acting according to NBC (Nigeria Broadcasting Commission) and INEC election guidelines.

    “Abians want the best in 2015 and we will never look back in giving them the best; that is why we are soliciting the assistance of you journalists, our colleagues from other media to help us make this year’s event worthwhile,” he said.

     

  • ‘APGA ‘ll bounce back in Abia’

    ‘APGA ‘ll bounce back in Abia’

    Chief Reagan Ufomba is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State. In this interview with Sunny Nwankwo, he speaks about his ambition, the APGA  crisis and its preparations for next year’s polls. 

    Why are you in the governorship race?

    I have often said that I am in this race for my people. I was also in the race in 2011; I was the APGA governorship candidate in 2011 election. My motivation has not changed. I was and I am still motivated by the sufferings of my people, the mere extinct of what used to be the pride of Abia and Igbo people and that is Aba.

    I am motivated by the loss of vision and focus by successive governments. Abia should be one of the fastest growing economies in the world because we have what it takes to be the number one state. We have the human and material resources. The basic motivation is the infrastructural decay, which we intend to improve on. Aba is a disaster and we need to maximize the gains accruable to agriculture through mechanized farming, processing of products and export of such products, these are not there yet.

    Youth unemployment. We need to set up small scale agriculture, small scale industries to enable farmers maximize their profits and of course their sufferings. These are the major motivations propelling me to run for the governorship of Abia State.

    Why is Aba a disaster area?

    The jargon or slogan is not new to me which every other person has turned himself into a copycat. In 2011, I did declare a 12 point agenda for Aba alone. Aba is the commercial hub of not just Abia State, maybe not just for Igbo land, but for Nigeria and it is in such a deplorable situation. People cannot move freely, flooding all over the place, we have gullies in all our roads in Aba and life has become so difficult for the inhabitants. If you have God, if you have vision and conscience it means that you save the people of Aba and the commercial town from going extinct and collapsing. And when you talk about the town, you are talking about one of the most industrious and resilient people in the world. There is no group that would be put under the kind of condition of Aba people; both the traders and civil servants and all that they have gone through that will survive it.

    On the other part, Aba should be a revenue earner for the state going by its network of commercial activities and that is not being harnessed. Aba has a chain multi value effect when properly developed. It will help the government to earn more revenue and have more money to run the state and because Aba is a cosmopolitan town, you will be widely acclaimed and acknowledged as a governor that has performed.

    Aba is the center of economic activities, not only in Abia, but the country at large and I tell people that as soon as Aba is fixed, Abia is fixed as well.

    Apart from Aba, are there other programmes you have for the state?

    I am happy you mentioned about my comment at the Aba Recreation Club during my flag off. I did talk about free education at secondary and tertiary education levels. We intentionally excluded the nursery and primary schools because we expect parents to bring up their children at that level. We are going to offer free education. We are going to mechanize agriculture and I did say that Abia is standing on a tripod of Agriculture, commerce and artisanship.

    In agriculture, for instance, we intend to mechanise and process. We will generate employment for our people and in addition to that, we will earn more revenue through the exportation of what we produced.I also did say that we are going to reintroduce Marketing Boards that will buy up whatever the farmers in the rural areas produced because we are going to process it and when we process, we market.

    We are going to support traders in the state with bonds and guarantees because for you to make profit in business, you need to borrow at single interest digit rate. You need to have collateral that can give you money to engage competitively with people in Lagos, Onitsha, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country. But because of the state of Aba, an edifice of this nature (his house) if valued at N1billion in Lagos, it will be valued at N10million in Aba and government need to come in and breach that gap so that people who are trading in Lagos would compete favourably with those who are in Aba because the more money you have, the more business you do, the more business you do, the more people you engage, the more tax you pay. So the value chain we get when government get involve is enormous and I have also said that I do not believe in this school of thought that government in a whole state like Abia has no business being in business. We are going to drive the economy.

    Abia is a poor state. Where would you get money to fund these projects?

    One of the things that I have against this government is that they keep misapplying funds. It is a serious issue in Abia State and may be in most other states. You need to prioritize; government needs to do things that are extremely necessary, that we are going to do. We are going to prioritize and by so doing we save funds. We are going to harness the potentiality of the people. Aba on its own is a revenue earner, but you must organize it

    What is your unique selling point?

    My selling point lies in my vision. My uprightness, commitment to excellence, commitment to service and commitment to whatever he believes in.People say that Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba is a fighter. I fight for whatever I believe in. Some say he is intelligent, I articulate my position all the time. Others say that the man is resilient; for whatever I believe in, I stick to it, I fight for it and if need be, I even die for it. These are the USP (Unique Selling Point) of Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba.

    What is your reaction to the crisis rocking the APGA, which resulted into the emergence of two governorship candidates?

    Let me start from our national office. I must continue to stand on the path of truth and justice. Umeh’s tenure has elapsed and he must go. He is the architect of the entire problem that we have in APGA, including the exit of a gentleman, Peter Obi from the party. We can no longer allow him to destroy the party.

    Is the APGA a credible opposition party?

    If a party won the 2011 election but was stopped by the ills of the society, which we are fighting today, it means that is a credible opposition. Even if we didn’t win and we came second, it means that APGA is a credible opposition party. But I can also tell you that in 2015, there is no party in Abia that will defeat APGA and when you talk of APGA, people are talking of Ikemba Nnewi and Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba in Abia and no more, no less.

    What is the level of confidence you have in the INEC?

    Well, I think we have a clear departure from where we were in 2011. We now talk about card readers, permanent voter’s card that is 21century compliant. We have also listened to Jega talk about linking ones card to the ballot papers and to your vote. That makes it a little difficult for people to snatch ballot boxes to go to somewhere and thumbprint them and, as such, over stuffing the ballot box and in return, get bloated votes.

    What is your reaction to zoning?

    That is absolute nonsense. When people say things to favour them, I simply pray that God should touch their heart. I have been a player in Abia politics effectively from 1999 till date and I know that the zoning formular has been between Old Aba and Old Bende divides and by so saying, Ukwa Ngwa and Old Bende. When people come and say it is in the interest of fairness that this thing goes to Abia South. What are they talking about? Am I an Umuahia person? I am an Ukwa Ngwa man and that is the struggle that has been on since 1999. Right from the old Imo State, people have laboured and fought that an Ukwa Ngwa man becomes the governor of the state.

    If we say that we are going to get the governor based on senatorial divides, are now saying that an Umuahia man, who lives in Aba or a Bende man who is living in Ukwa or Ohanku Street, should become the governor. It is a question for the proponent of this illegality to answer. Can an Umuahia man living in Abia South become the governor? They will say no that is an ngwa man. I am an ngwa man and I am eligible to contest and that has been the position. You also cannot talk about ngwa without the head of the clan.

  • Abia residents defy cash squeeze

    Abia residents defy cash squeeze

    Sunny Nwankwo, Rejoice Iwuala and Cynthia Ndulue scoured Aba and other parts of Abia State and report that the people kept their spirits up despite the economic crunch

    THE cold, dry winds of harmattan swept through Abia State on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. But it could not temper the zest of traders to make some Yuletide cash. Nor could it halt the outward flow of the state’s residents from the cities and towns.

    Prices of foodstuff shot up, as did transport fares. Still, the business community kept ticking and village-bound travellers hit the road.

    Traders complained of increased petrol pump price, selling for between N112 and N115, a situation which, they said, affected patronage. Yet, there they were, displaying, on trays and in baskets, their fresh, red tomatoes and peppers and waiting for buyers. A basket of tomatoes sold for N7000, pepper for N5,000. They knew it was their season, a time for more stews and soups. They knew it was the Yuletide, a time to make more money.

    They were not the only ones. Though Christmas Day and Boxing Day were  declared public holidays and big markets in Aba closed for business, traders still maximised the opportunity to display their wares such as live chickens, clothing, gift items and other consumables on the main road to woo customers.

    The only concern was that the volume of buyers was uncharacteristically low but it was for obvious reasons. Apart from the increased petrol cost, the naira devaluation also played a crucial part, affecting not just local goods but also imported articles.

    There was better news, though. The police and other security agencies said they stepped up surveillance to ensure that Abia residents and visitors would not worry about their safety.

    In an exclusive chat with The Nation, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) Ibrahim Adamu promised a crime-free festivity, adding that the police had strengthened their crime-fighting operations through the establishment various units.

    Adamu said, “We are fully back to fight crime. For now, we are advising Abians to keep in touch with the police or other security agencies in whatever they are suspecting or not sure of. But for the criminals, we are warning them to leave the command, otherwise, we flush them out; any criminal who is thinking of coming into Abia should rethink.

    “You are aware that we made so many arrests last week and some rifles were recovered. We are all out to ensure that we rid Abia State and Aba of criminals.

    “We warn hoodlums to stay out of Abia State otherwise we will flush them out or cause them to face the wrath of the law.

    “We have a lot of programmes that we would not want to go to the press for security reasons because we don’t want them to plan ahead of us. But we have programmes that we are adopting and the reigning peace in the state is a clear indication that police and other security agencies are working to make sure that Abians and Aba residents sleep with their two eyes closed.

    “Last week, the Rapid Response Squad made some progress, recovering nine rifles which we displayed during the press conference. We are working hard to make sure the people of the state and visitors alike enjoy their stay in the state during this festive period.”

    Most churches visited in the Enyimba City, recorded a sharp drop in the number of parishioners as they were said to have travelled.  Drinking bars were agog as early as noon.

    At the Recreation Park and Children’s Amusement Park parents and their kids had fun while other couples were seen relaxing  over their favourite drinks.

    Until the 26th night many ladies were seen at some of the available hairstylists waiting patiently to be braided or manicured by their beauticians. Some of shop owners, though, lamented low patronage compared to what obtained in 2013.

    One of them, simply called Ogechi said, “I will not say that business is that bad. It depends on luck and how God wants to favour someone. For the past five days, I was like, are we really sure that people are going to braid their hair this year? But I thank God that today I have been the busiest of all and my friends have to come to my assistance. I am sure that my response today would not have been my response if you were here in the past five or three days. But in all, this year is very dull.”

    At Aba Central Motor Park, many people were seen boarding vehicles out of the city. Mr. Okoronkwo  who said he was at the park to see off his family travelling to Okigwe, thanked the federal government for making petroleum products despite the sharp increase of petrol from N97 to N110 and above.

    A government worker who would not want his name in print, said he was sending his people to Ohafia ahead of the Igboto mma (retirement from community service ceremony) of his mother. He regretted that the inability of the state government to pay their arrears of salaries affected his budget.

    He said, “I had to borrow money to make this trip. You journalists and any other concerned citizen should be aware that the state government is owing workers arrears of salaries and you can imagine what life is for the families of government workers. If not for the event in my compound, I wouldn’t have contemplated travelling at all. We have house rent and school fees to pay by January. One of my daughters is at Federal Girls, Umuahia. They will be resuming in the first week of January and I have to stay to see how I can raise money from friends to pay her school fees and gradually offset that of her siblings. We thank God for the life but when there is no money one can hardly find a place to say that he or she is having fun during this time when in the real sense we should be joyful that Christ, the Saviour of the world, is born”.

    Checks within the Aba Central Park revealed that transport fare from Aba to Port Harcourt remained at N500, though it was not the same for people travelling from Aba to Ohafia or Onitsha as fares on those routes shot up to between N1300 and N1000, far above what used to be.

    The highly patronised Ochendo Youth Empowerment Transport Scheme bus from Aba to Umuahia maintained the N200 fee, while other commercial buses covering the same distance charged N300.

    A dealer on onions, Mustapha, said that a bag of the articles sold for N45,000, rather than its old price of N35,000.

    Canned malt drinks sold for between N2,300 and N2,400. Canned beer sold for N3000 or  N3,600.

    A trader at New Market urged buyers to use “this opportunity when prices of goods and services are still affordable to come and buy from us because very soon some companies will start taking stock and supply of goods to dealers and distributors will stop which will in turn cause scarcity and high cost in price.”

    There was a note of optimism. Things will be better next year, some residents said.

  • Abia varsity students hail fee cut

    In what could be likened to a Christmas gift, the Abia State government has announced reduction in the fee of Abia State University (ABSU) by 20 per cent. In a statement by the Secretary to the state government, Governor Theodore Orji said the cut was necessary because of the challenges facing the nation’s economy.

    The school fee was hiked by 100 per cent in 2011 by the government, which hinged its reason the need to improve the institution’s infrastructure.

    The news of the reduction spread like wild fire after it was confirmed by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Israel Ahaemfula. For students, it was good news.

    The Chairman of ABSU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr David Chikezie, said the government was yet to notify the management on the reduction. “It is true that the state government has reduced the school fee by 20 per cent but they are yet to write to inform us of the development,” he said.

    A fresh student in the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Goodness Ihemelandu, described the fee reduction as a good development. He said: “The high fee almost botched my dream to study medicine. I am happy that the government has reduced it and this will enable the indigent student to remain in school.”

    Kelechi Okorie, a 400-Level Law student, said: “This is a Christmas gift from the governor. For this commendable act, Gov. Orji has proven to be a lover of education.”

    Some graduating students described the reduction as political, wondering why the governor waited till election time to reduce the fee. A final year student, who did not want his name in print, said: “Why did the government slash the fee now when it has less than five months to leave office? For me, this is a political gimmick and I can’t fall for it.”

    Another student, who pleaded anonymity, said it was obvious that the governor reduced the school fee for political reasons, saying: “This is political because 20 per cent reduction is not much. But, we will manage it.”

    With the new development, students in Faculty of Health Sciences will now pay N112,000 per session against N140,000 they paid last session. Student in the faculties of Agriculture and Humanities will pay N96,000 as against N120,000 they paid last year.

     

  • 2015: Police sensitise Abia communities as Enugu boosts health

    2015: Police sensitise Abia communities as Enugu boosts health

    2015 is inspiring a flurry of activities. In Abia, SUNNY NWANKWO reports that the police have started a state-wide community tour with a message of credible polls. In Enugu, CHRIS OJI reports that the Chime administration is winding down with focus on primary health

    The word is already out from the Abia State police command. The election year is at hand. Take no chances. Meet the people from one community to another and keep talking with them. Every effort must be made to ensure a smooth election.

    That was what the state Commissioner of Police Mr Adamu Ibrahim told his divisional officers and other personnel at a seminar in the capital Umuahia.

    Soon after the state police chief’s directive, it fell to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Titus Anayo Ugwoke, Ohuru Isimiri divisional head, to kick off the campaign with a meeting with residents of Obingwa Local Government Area.

    Other divisions in the state command will take a cue and replicate what the DSP has done in fulfilment of the directive.

    In Enugu State, Governor Sullivan Chime flagged off the second Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week. Women turned up with their newborns, getting medications and inoculations as well as a good dose of health orientation. But one thing that stood out at the health week was Chime’s pledge to stock all the health facilities in the 17 local governments of the state for effective primary health delivery before handing over in 2015.

    At Obinwa in Abia , the seminar whose theme was “Ensuring a Hitch-Free 2015 General Election” attracted youths from the council area, the local government Transition Committee (TC) Chairman Prince Obinna Nwabiaraije, members of the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ), Aba Chapel, National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) personnel among others.

    The forum provided the opportunity for NOA’s Chief Organisation and Mobilisation Officer, Mrs. Kalu Ojingwa, INEC Electoral Officer for Obingwa Local Government Area, Mr. Peter Okorie and the police to interact with the participants. They shared ideas on how to achieve a violence-free and fair election in the Ohuru Isimiri Police Division.

    Nwabiaraije, in his speech, said, “Any election that is not free and fair cannot be adjudged as a credible one”.

    He challenged all the security agencies to live up to their statutory responsibility of ensuring that elections were conducted in 2015 under a peaceful atmosphere.

    The Transition Chairman said, “To ensure a peaceful and successful election in 2015 in the country security agencies, the electoral umpire, INEC, including other relevant agencies, should avoid indulging in any form of sharp practices that could lead to the breach of the conduct of the elections in 2015. Youths should not  be used for electoral violence that would hinder the smooth conduct of the election.”

    He thanked the police for bringing experts to educate the people and to enlighten the people on the essence of a free and credible election.

    Mrs. Kalu Ojingwa, Chief Organization and Mobilization Officer National Orientation Agency (NOA), and Electoral Officer, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obingwa Local Government Area, Mr. Peter Okorie in their separate lectures stated that the two agencies were already prepared to ensure that the coming election in the local government would be peaceful.

    They urged individuals who were yet to get their voters card to do so to enable them participate actively in choosing who their leaders become in 2015.

    His Royal Highness, Eze Nwabeke and the President National Youth Council Obingwa chapter, Ihuoma Gideon promised that the people and youths of the area were peaceful and would do everything possible to ensure that they sensitize those absent from the programme, promising that election in the area in 2015 without recording any form of violence.

    Earlier Ugwoke in his address at the event said that the problem Nigeria witnessed in the past is that the electorates made bad choices during elections because they were influenced or been induced with money which translates to the quality of leaders that were produced at the end of every election.

    “However, the quality of government in a country is to a great extent determined by the quality of elections through which the legislative and executive organs of government that are constituted. If citizens elect or allow corrupt and violent persons to get into power and exercise legislative and executive powers, they cannot expect to reap peace, freedom, security, development and prosperity”.

    The convener said that the essence of the seminar was to discuss major factors that engender violence during elections and to proffer recommendations that could lead to a credible 2015 elections in Obingwa Local Government Area.

    He suggested among many other factors that political parties should establish and maintain a fair and effective system for redressing grievances and solving conflicts among their members, eschew political violence, fraud and corruption as way of ensuring a free, fair and credible poll in 2015 and beyond.

    At Uwani Health Centre in Enugu South Local Government Area, where the programme was launched in collaboration with United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners, Governor Chime said his administration would continue to partner with stakeholders in the sector to ensure an improved health system in the state’s rural communities.

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health George Eze, commended UNICEF for its support and collaboration with the state Ministry of Health in making sure that health issues are effectively tackled in the state.

    On the theme of the MNCH Week which is (Effective Hnad-washing), the governor said it was in line with the programme of combating the scourge of the Ebola virus and also thanked UNICEF for their intensive effort in using effective hand washing against the virus.

    He further stated that his administration has released 12 brand new vehicles to the ministry of health for monitoring and supervision of activities and will keep supporting the ministry of Health in the provision of funds and other interventions to ensure that health programmes are implemented everywhere in the state.

    In his remarks the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Moses Otiji who represented the ministry thanked the labour leaders in the state who despite their strike granted his one-week request for the programme for the benefit of children and mothers.

    He also expressed joy at the large turnout of the mothers and advice them to tell others to go to health centres close to them to access the vaccines and drugs free of charge.

    Speaking on behalf of the National Health Center development agency Dorothy Nwodo said that the agency supported Enugu state with the distribution of Mama Kits which is a kit given to every woman that gave birth in the health center having attended ante-natal care.

    She said that the agency is also supporting with the refurbishing of the modern health center and the Sure-P centers including monitoring of the programme.

    The UNICEF programme consultant Joy Oji who demonstrated the way hands should be washed, advised the mothers to spread the message to other mothers.

    She also said that UNICEF has trained health workers and provided adequate vaccines and vitamine A for all the children including financial support for the MNCH week.

    Some other activities were distribution of treated nets as well as soaps to the women for prevention of mosquito bites and general sanitary practices.

     

  • Fanfare as Abia varsity graduates 5,760

    No fewer than 5,760 students graduated during the 23rd Convocation of the Abia State University (ABSU). UCHECHUKWU AMANZE (100-Level Medicine and Surgery) and FAVOUR NNADI (300-Level Medical Laboratory Science) report.

    All roads led to the Abia State University (ABSU) in Uturu, last week. It was the institution’s 23rd Convocation and for five days, the campus throbbed with activities.

    The ceremony started on Monday with a press conference at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chibuzo Ogbuagu, told reporters that the university had produced graduates of repute in the last four years. The VC also reeled out his achievements including provision of infrastructure and facilities to aid learning.

    On Tuesday, the arts and books exhibition and cultural carnival were held. The exhibition took place at the Administrative Block’s gallery, where lecturers and students showcased their works.

    Members of the university community embarked on environmental sanitation on the third day to clean up the university.

    A pre-convocation lecture and a novelty football match were held on the fourth day. During the lecture held in Uche Ogah Family Auditorium, the guest lecturer, Emeritus Professor Austine Okwu, who spoke on: Sapere Aude Oganihu Ndigbo, decried what he called marginalisation of the Igbo.

    Prof Okwu said: “The Igbo are being marginalised on daily basis in this country. We occupy few top positions, and we have been sidelined from national politics.” He blamed Igbo leaders for the fate of the tribe, saying: “Igbo is being marginalised because there is no love among its leaders. It is only when we love ourselves and united that we can fight for our rights together.”

    On how the ethnic group could be relevant again, guest lecturer said the Igbo should be guided by the values espoused by its foremost thinkers, such as the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the late Dr Alvan Ikoku.

    The novelty match was between female students and the staff. While the students’ team dominated the game, the staff team won with a lone goal. The goal was scored in the second half by Dr David Chikezie, chairman of ABSU chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    Steve Amaranuro, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, said the objective of the match was to improve relationship between student and management. The VC rewarded the players with N20,000 after the match.

    On Friday, graduates got their degrees. The best among them  won awards. The graduates, were clad in blue academic gowns, could not hide their joy as they filed into the pavilion,

    A total of 893 graduates had Second Class (Upper Division), 3,584 Second Class (Lower Division), 583, Third Class, while Nine had a pass.

    The Pro-chancellor, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, represented by the President, Vision Africa, Dr Sunday Onuoha, congratulated the graduands on the completion of their programmes. Nwachukwu said: “You all deserve the joy of this occasion, because your labour has been adequately rewarded. I, therefore, charge you to be worthy ambassadors of Abia State University wherever you may find yourselves hereafter.”

    A graduating student of the Department of Soil Science, Miss Precious Onuma,  the best graduating student. She had a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.7. Six others also made a First Class.

    Precious dedicated the feat to her parents, describing her mother as her anchor. She said: “I applied to study Nursing Science, but I was offered Soil Science. Initially, I did not want to accept the course, however, my mother pleaded with me to accept the course. Today, the decision has turned out to be good.”

    For her outstanding performance, Precious was offered automatic employment by the university.

    The ceremony ended on Saturday, award of post-graduate and honorary degrees. Sixty-six students bagged Ph.D; 296, Master’s and 126, post-graduate Diplomas.

    Prof Ogbuagu praised the  government for  funding made the institution’s  capital projects. The VC,  pleaded with the government to help the university in solving the its electricity and water challenges.

    Individuals conferred with honorary degrees include a media mentor, Chief Ewuolonu Ogbuagu (Doctor of Public Administration), Pro-chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Prof Anya Anya (Doctor of Letters) and Igwe Eze Nwachukwu Okere of Oheiyi-ukwu Community, who bagged Doctorate degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa).

     

  • Abia repairs roads

    Repair work has started on failed portions of Aba roads, much to the relief of residents of Abia State’s commercial city. The roads have been a sore point but the state government has mobilised Grand Star Limited, a construction firm, to fix them.

    Our reporter, who went round the city, observed that work had already begun.

    At Ngwa Road opposite Eze Emejiaka’s palace, the construction firm and its staff were seen working on the failed portions of the road. The Nation gathered that the roads would be asphalted on completion.

    Some road users and commercial motorcycle operators, who spoke to our reporter, expressed happiness over the repair, but said they were also concerned about the quality.

    A tricycle operator who gave his name as Chuks Okekeke and another resident simply identified as Clinton, said that the failed portions were always fixed over the years but collapsed between three and six months after.

    They attributed the frequent collapse of the same portion to the use of substandard materials. They  also urged the supervisory and monitoring authorities to ensure that contractors work strictly according to specifications.

    They equally called on the state government to ensure that contractors build to specification or revoke their contract if they are in breach of contractual terms.

    “The governor might award this contract relying on the promise made by the contractors that they were going to build to specification but when they come to the field, they will do another thing. The appropriate ministry should make sure that they supervise these contractors frequently to ensure that they do the work as it is on paper and not just sitting in their offices. The governor cannot award a contract and come to supervise it. That is why the ministries were created to check the excesses of contractors.

    “I want to tell you that why some of the roads built don’t last is because the contractors do not use quality materials to do the job. They should also know that it is their image that is at stake and therefore should avoid anything that will tarnish their image or the image of their companies,” Clinton said.

    Mr Okezie Uche of Grand Star Limited who is in charge of Ngwa Road rehabilitation, in an interview, said, “We have been waiting for the rain to stop and now that the rain has stopped, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Theodore Ahamefule Orji asked us to come and remedy the failed portions on Ngwa Road; that is why we are here.

    “Before now, you will find out that the road was impassable. We had waited for the rain to subside; now the rain has gone and we’ve moved in. Give and take, here will be asphalted in the next two weeks. Apart from Ngwa Road, we are working currently on Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road from Opobo Junction and there a few other places.

    ”The governor has equally asked us to move into Port Harcourt Road as soon as we are through with the job here. Before now, you found out that this road was impassable. The people are happy that we are on site. They should expect a good job from us, so that the road will last and they will enjoy the dividends of work. The job is top quality. My advice for them is that they should avoid throwing refuse into the drainage. The way and manner people dump refuse in the gutters doesn’t help the road. If they can form the habit of dumping their refuse appropriately, the road will last. What spoils the road is the inability of water to flow freely from the drainage. When refuse is used to fill the gutter and water comes to the road, the road will damage no matter the quality of materials you used to do it. Once there is water on the road, it won’t last.”

     

  • ‘Why I want to govern Abia’

    ‘Why I want to govern Abia’

    The struggle to succeed Governor Theodore Orji in Abia State is gathering pace, with Dr. Alex Otti, the immediate past Managing Director of Diamond Bank, giving reasons why he is in the race.

    Otti, running on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), said he has the requisite experience and qualification to be the next governor of the southeast state, come 2015.

    At an interactive session with reporters at a book launch authored by the former American Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Rabin Renee Sanders, titled “The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria,” at the Civic Centre, Ozumba, in Lagos, he said he would use his expertise as a banker to provide infrastructural facilities, power and total development from the urban communities to the grassroots in the state.

    “There would be revolving funds at the various 17 local government areas of the state to develop the grassroots,”  he said, adding,  “When the citizens of Abia vote in a leader with good track records, who would get Aba right, then Abia economy would be right. Aba was in the past the Japan of Africa. We would re-develop Aba into a modern commercial hub, which will, in general terms, involve urban renewal and city upgrading, provision of functional infrastructure, stable power supply, reliable and decent public transportation system, standard and planned industrial layout and cluster of parks.

    “We shall enhance marketing opportunities for ‘Made-in-Aba’ goods and services, particularly in leather products, by ensuring quality control  and show casing of the made-in-Aba brands in the economic capitals of the world.”

    The establishment of functional Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) would be given top priority.

    On health, he said some of the state hospitals would be developed and equipped to compete favourably with Indian ones.

    He said, “The education sector would also be revolutionalised. I believe the right man who can perform should have it.”

  • Crowded governorship race in Abia

    Crowded governorship race in Abia

    GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has denied the existence of an anointed candidate. But, political developments in the state in the last couple of months suggest that one of the aspirants enjoys his backing. His name is Okezie Ikpeazu. The Chairman of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, Aba Zone, has been enjoying a tremendous support and goodwill from various stakeholders.

    He has been endorsed by several groups and notable individuals in the state. A particular group organized a one million-man match for the aspirant. At the climax of the exercise, within the precincts of the Government House, Ikpeazu was handed over to the governor; symbolizing that he should accept him as his successor.

    Stakeholders were able to read Governor Orji’s body language and this has had a bandwagon effect. As a result, most of the aspirants have lost hope of receiving fair treatment during the primary, because they say the list of delegates was compiled at Government House.

    At the outset, there are about 15 aspirants spanning across the three senatorial districts. But, only eight of them were screened by the party for the race. Beside Ikpeazu, the others are: former two-time Deputy Governor, Acho Nwakanma; business mogul and legal practitioner, Friday Nwosu; Okey Emuchay; oil magnate Sampson Uche Ogah; former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Nwogu; former managing director of Hallmark Bank, Mark Wagbara.

    Other aspirants who were not cleared for today’s primary include: former Deputy Governor and now Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe; and the Senator representing Abia Central, Nkechi Nwaogu. Abaribe, who had been very hopeful of getting the governorship ticket, has been asked to return to the Senate. He has however not pulled out of the race formally.

    The same thing goes for Nwaogu. Indeed, she is very bitter about the process leading to the primaries, saying there was no delegates’ congress on November 10 because the entire process was manipulated. Nwaogu, who may be dumping the platform for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), has been lamenting that in spite of being loyal, committed and dedicated to the party, she is not being fairly treated. She is particularly not happy that Governor Orji was cleared to contest for the party’s ticket for Abia Central senatorial race; after she was asked to forget about the governorship and buy the nomination form for the senatorial contest.

    Indeed, many disappointed aspirants have complained about the way the party is being run in the state; they say the party has been hijacked by a family and that their chance of realising their political ambition within the current set-up is slim.

    From all indications, there are no obstacles standing between Ikpeazu and the PDP ticket. The zoning arrangement favours him; he is from Abia South. One thing that could go for Ikpeazu also is that he has the backings of the first family and some of the state party executives. The zoning arrangement also favours him because he is from Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia South.

    But, the irony is that the former lecturer at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has never really been involved in politics as such. His opponents in the race have chided him several times, saying that the state doesn’t need a political greenhorn like him.

    There are fears that it may not augur well for the state, if Orji succeeds in installing Ikpeazu as the next governor. Observers are apprehensive that Orji who is popularly known as Ochendo may cage Ikpeazu like his predecessor (Orji Uzor Kalu) did. Such fears are justified, particularly with the governor’s son, Chinedu Orji and his associates being positioned to represent their various constituencies in the state house of assembly. They insist that Ikpeazu will remain a stooge in the hands of Ochendo. It is said that Chinedu is being positioned to become the Speaker of the state house of assembly, with the aim of checkmating Ikpeazu.

  • Party holds delegates’ congress in Abia

    The Abia State ward delegates’ congress panel of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has said it has completed its ward delegates’ congress in 184 wards.

    Speaking with reporters in Umuahia, Chairman of the panel Ifeatu Obi Okoye said the delegates’ congress was held to the satisfaction of members.

    He hailed the leaders, members and stakeholders of the party for their cooperation and the orderly manner they comported themselves at the exercise.

    Okoye said the exercise began on November 25 and was concluded the next day, adding that they were waiting for the primaries.

    He said: “Congresses were conducted in the 184 wards and 552 delegates emerged. There were no complaints.”

    Okoye noted that in some places, delegates emerged through consensus.

    The delegates’ congress panel chairman said the panel ensured that a level-playing field was provided for contestants.