The Nation Newspaper

Tag: abia

  • Abia CJ grants four inmates pardon

    THE acting Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Shedrack Nwanosike, has granted pardon to four inmates of Aba Federal Prison in Aba, Abia State.

    The inmates are Uduma Eke, a native of Ohafia Local Government Area, Chukwuemeka Young from Aba South Council, Ugochukwu Friday (Osisioma) and Chinweoke Ahuchaogu both from Isiala Ngwa North Council.

    Nwanosike, who announced the gesture while on a visit to the prison, lamented the fact that the accused persons held in captivity would have served out their jail terms if they had been tried and convicted on the offences since 2010.

    He stressed that the accused committed minor offences of assault and malicious damage.

    He expressed displeasure with the attitude of keeping accused persons in detention for a long time without being tried.

    He called on the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the legal department of the Abia state Police Command to be effective in their duties and ensure that detailed information of the accused persons with their charges were filed inthe courts for quicker dispensation of justice.

    Others that benefited from the prerogative of mercy of Justice Nwanosike were Sampson Nnaluem, Nkire Chigozie and Jacob Okereke who were granted bail in the sum of between N50, 000 to N100, 000 and sureties with three years tax paper clearance.

    The acting Chief Judge charged the discharged persons to be of good behaviour and avoid any act that would bring them into disrepute.

    He stressed that the full weight of the law shall be applied on them if found guilty of any crime in the future.

     

  • Orji: PDP has come to stay in Abia

    Orji: PDP has come to stay in Abia

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has said with the rate of work going on in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the party to beat.

    Orji said the PDP has come to stay in the state because of the things he has put on ground.

    Orji cautioned party members to steer clear of those who are trying to sneak into the party to destroy it.

    He said he has laid a solid foundation for the state.

    “So that another PDP governor coming after me will have less work to do . “

     

  • Time to revive Abia’s moribund industries

    SIR: Before the creation of Abia State in 1991, outfits like Modern Ceramics Industry Umuahia, Golden Guinea Breweries Umuahia, Aba Textile Mill, Aba Metallurgical Complex, Aba Glass Industry and many others were waxing strong with thousands of workers in their employ. The progressive pace continued even many years after the creation, but unfortunately, this fleet of industries that were the pride of the state and the envy of the neighbouring states started fizzling out in turn as the years progressed

    However, with the exception of Modern Ceramics that received the blessings of the state governor, Theodore Ahamefula Orji with the collaboration of the Roman Catholic Mission, others are still dormant and any hope of their being resuscitated in the near future appears bleak

    The urgent need to revive these outfits cannot be over emphasized as doing so would augment the state source of revenue and at the same time provide employment to the teeming youths as well as reinstating their former workers that are now left to their fate.

    More importantly, it may not go down well in history for the present dispensation if the successive government happens to achieve the feat and possibly take the attendant glory. I therefore appeal to the chief executive of the state to do all within his strides to resuscitate these industries to serve as a lasting legacy to the future generation

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt.

  • Seven robbery suspects paraded in Abia

    The police in Abia State have paraded seven suspects for alleged robbery and drug peddling.

    Solomon Ezenwa, Emmanuel Patrick and Chukwudi Uwaeke were arrested at the crime scene in Amaiyi Ahaba .

    Speaking with reporters at the weekend, the Commissioner of Police, Usman Tilli Abubakar, said following a distress call the police received in Umuahia, Obinna Nkili, Ogbonna Ahiwe and Eke Emmanuel were arrested.

    Abubakar said the suspects were being interrogated. They will be arraigned, if found culpable.

    The police chief said an assualt case was reported by Ogbonna Agbai.

    Agbai reported that two men tried to strangle him.

    Also paraded was Chris Chukwujekwu (42), who was caught with substances, suspected to be cannabis.

    Chukwujekwu was allegedly carrying the weeds in his car, AV 09 GWA, at Umuikaa.

    The commissioner said there were seven (50kg) bags of the substance found in the car of the suspect, who hails from Nneokwa in Idemili South of Anambra State.

  • Abia council workers protest delayed salary

    •Call for transfer of officials

    Workers in Obingwa Local Government of Abia State yesterday protested the alleged delay of their February and part of January salaries as well as arrears of promotion and leave allowances.

    The workers, who converged on the premises of the Nigerian Television Authority, Ogbor Hill, Aba, called for the transfer of their Head of Administration, Ben Nwogu and the Acting Treasurer, Nwaogute Joy.

    They accused them of withholding their salaries, which they said have been released by the government.

    The workers said the situation has made life difficult for them.

    But Nwogu said he was unaware of the protest. He described the protesters as “miscreants”, who have decided to embarrass the council and the state.

    He added that the council has been unable to pay February salaries because of a court order obtained by a lawyer, who worked for the council.

    “We owe our legal adviser and he went to court and obtained a judgment against us. The order has affected the payment of salaries.

    “The problem is not a management matter, it is in court.

    “The Ministry of Justice has appointed a lawyer, who is defending the council; it is a court issue.

    “We are talking with the lawyer and the ministry, until it is settled, we can’t do anything,” he said.

    He accused union officials of causing disaffection in the council and called on the workers to be patient as there are other councils such as Ikwuano, Osisoma Ngwa, Arochukwu, Ukwa West, which were also affected by the problem.

    On the issue of promotion arrears and leave allowances, Nwogu assured that the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs would soon settle the issue as agreed with the workers’ union.

     

  • Abia CP calls for harmonious relationship in fighting crime

    THE commissioner of Police in Abia State, Usman Tilli Abubakar, has called for a harmonious relationship with the general public in order to achieve a better result in the fight against insecurity.

    Abubakar, during his familiarisation visit to the Aba Area Command, maintained that the Inspector-General of Police’s commitment in maintaining a harmonious relationship with the public must be pursued vigorously, stressing that “it is only being professional and being civil while carrying out our official duties that will help us achieve such feat.

    “Being civil with the public does not mean you should not do your work as a police officer when you notice that the person has contravened the law,” Abubakar posited

    He advised them to acquaint themselves with the Police Code of Conduct handbook in order to be guided while discharging their professional duties as police officers.

    CP Abubakar further cautioned men and officers of his command who indulge in all kinds of illegal duties to desist from it, warning that anyone caught in the act would be showed the exit door as the police force have a zero tolerance to any act capable of tarnishing their image as well as jeopardising their relationship with the public.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Aba Area Commander, Dayi, described logistics as a major challenge facing the command, calling for the repair of the barracks that is over 50years old with some of the structures already dilapidated.

     

  • Police in Abia arrest 7 child-trafficking suspects

    Police in Abia arrest 7 child-trafficking suspects

    The police in Abia arrested no fewer than seven child-trafficking suspects in the last one month, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Tilli, said in Umuahia on Monday.

    Tilli said that the suspects were apprehended between March 4 and April 2 and expressed displeasure over the circumstances under which the suspects committed the crime.

    He said that a 26-year-old man in Aba allegedly sold his six months old son for N350,000 to enable him to get a travelling document to Greece.

    The commissioner said on March 16 a man from Amaoji in Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia reported that his wife connived with a doctor to sell their baby.

    He said that the new born baby boy was sold for N300,000 by the doctor who allegedly delivered it.

    Tilli said that the doctor had been charged to court while three other pregnant women he haboured in his baby factory were used as prosecution witnesses.

    He said that a couple were also arrested for selling their new born baby for N200,000 to someone, who was still at large.

    Tilli said the command would stop at nothing to ensure that the state was rid of child- traffickers

  • Abia gospel artists sweep awards

    ABIA armature gospel artists, Izuchukwu (Umuahia), Sarah Micha (Igbere, Bende) and IGN group (Aba) emerged 1st, 2nd and 3rd best armature gospel artists and won a N300, 000 worth of music recording deal each with Grand Mix Studio in a keenly contested musical concert organised for the South East and South South upcoming gospel artists.

    The artists also went home with plaques, certificate of participation and a Vision Africa customised radio.

    The music concert organised by Vision Africa Radio (VOA), Love 104.1 Fm Umuahia, Abia State had in attendance 27 registered upcoming gospel artists from Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Abia, Rivers, among other states in the South East and South South geo-political zones which saw the auditorium of Binez Hotels Aba (venue of the event) filled to capacity.

    According to Mr. Nduaka Ekpe, the Marketing Manager VOA, the aim of the gospel concert was to harness and bring to limelight young talented gospel artists who did not or may not have the opportunity to showcase their talent to for the society to see or hear.

    “We want to use this opportunity to harness them and to bring them into limelight and at the same time entertain the audience who have come to witness or be part of the event.”

    Ekpe said that, outside the record deal for the best three, “plans are on the way to help them (all the contestants) to develop the more after the event.”

    He further added, “we shall use one of our radio programmes (top 10 new songs) to play and promote their music to make them popular.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ABSU rape case: Abia threatens legal action against rumour mongers

    ABSU rape case: Abia threatens legal action against rumour mongers

    Following the alleged false rumours that have been peddled against Abia State Government in recent times, it has warned that it would henceforth take legal actions against any person or group that tries to rubbish its hard- earned reputation.

    Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, the Chief of Staff (COS) to the Governor, Mr Cosmos Ndukwe, said that media practitioners and media owners who allow their media to be used as a tool of blackmail against the government would no longer be allowed to escape the long arm of the law.

    Ndukwe who was speaking against the backdrop of the vindication of the state government and authorities of Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), by the Police, to the effect that the alleged gang rape of August 2011 did not take place in ABSU, said that government will no longer fold its arms while some people take it to the cleaners.

    The rape was recorded and posted in one of the social media and internet by the rapists after their exploits with a young woman and it was alleged to have been perpetrated by students of ABSU and that the incident also took place at ABSU.

    hen rape case came up both Abia State Government and ABSU authorities, after painstaking investigations, put up a strong denial that the incident never took place in any part of the state neither were the perpetrators students of ABSU, they were accused of shielding the hoodlums.

    But recently, the Police have confirmed that the ugly incident took place at Obite in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State and that the gang rapists were nabbed and are currently facing trail at a magistrate court 9 in Port Harcourt.

    Ndukwe said the unmasking of the rapists has vindicated the claims by Abia State Government that those spreading the rumours then were political foes, who never found anything good that the present administration had been doing since inception.

     

  • NDLEA decries drugs use in Abia

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has decried the increasing rate of cocaine and heroin consumption in Abia State.

    The Agency’s State Commander, Mrs. Florence Ezeonye, said the agency made a seizure of 1,112 kilogrammes of cocaine, heroin and cannabis last year.

    She said cocaine was 683.9grammes, cannabis 1110.3kilogrammes and heroin 1.46kilogrammes.

    The State Commander said 230 persons were arrested, comprising 211 men and 19 women.

    “We are moving forward at least you can see the increase in the quantity of cocaine and heroin seized in 2012.

    “I can say that people are leaving the trade of cannabis to that of harder drugs.”