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Tag: Anambra State

  • NUJ to revisit salary structure for members

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Tuesday said it would revisit the Media Salary Structure (MSS) for journalists and other media practitioners across the country.

    National President of the body, Mr Chris Isiguzo disclosed this in Awka, Anambra State during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C Don Adinuba.

    The MSS was muted under the administration of former Minister of Information and National Orientation, late Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    He noted that the salary received by journalists was nothing to write home about when compared to workers in other professions.

    He said, “It is clear that the salary the journalists receive is their entitlement. You don’t do them favour by paying them their salary because they work for it.

    “We will confront the issue once more, because a labourer deserves his wage, so a saying goes.

    “Why can’t we have our own structure. Our take home, do not even take us home.”

    Read Also: NUJ to FG: Give assent to PIGB

    Isiguzo who regretted that other professions including teachers and lecturers have their own special salary structures, expressed confidence of soon upgrade in view of the number of journalists currently elected into the National Assembly.

    “When in 2015, some governors were unable to pay the workers’; they ran to the federal government for bailout funds.

    “The media industry is in crisis and needs stabilisation funding to shore of media industry funding.”

  • NJC, Obiano hail Umeadi on retirement

    The National Judicial Council (NJC) and Anambra State Governor Willie Maduabuchi Obiano have congratulated immediate past Chief Judge of Anambra State, Peter Nnanna C. Umeadi, on his voluntary retirement.

    The NJC, in an October 5, 2018 letter signed by Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, said:  “With reference to your letter No. S.307/Vol.1/349 dated 18th July, 2018 in which you notified the NJC of your voluntary retirement from the Judicial Service of Anambra State with effect from 28th February, 2019, the NJC had at its recent meeting, which was held on 2nd and 3rd October, 2018 deliberated on the subject matter and noted your retirement from Service with effect from the afore-stated date.

    “Further, Council wishes you happy retirement, after putting in years of dedicated and meritorious service to, particularly, Anambra State Judiciary.”

    Governor Obiano said he received Justice Umeadi’s retirement with mixed feelings.

    “It is with mixed feelings and a very deep sense of nostalgia that I acknowledge receipt of your above referenced letter, considering the very warm and cordial relationship I have shared with you since my assumption of office as the Governor of Anambra State in March 2014, and you as the Chief Judge.

    “Your Lordship was sworn in as a Judge of High Court of Anambra State on 17th of January, 1997 and later elevated as the Acting Chief Judge of Anambra State.

    “My Lord, it is with great pride that I wish to note that in all these years of your service to the State, you distinguished yourself as a man of great honour and integrity.

    “You were blunt, fearless and dispensed Justice without fear or favour, affection or ill-will to all manner of persons.

    “Your Lordship never shied to express his vies and opinions, and as strongly as you desired in any matter.

    “As the man at the helm of affairs in the judiciary, Your Lordship held the judiciary so dear to his heart that the judiciary in Anambra State maintained a good image and commanded the respect of not only the other arms of government but the entire public.”

    The governor said there was no doubt that an independent, fearless and impartial judiciary is the greatest pillar of any democratic government.

    “It is also beyond dispute that respect for the rule of law is one of the principles which has come to be regarded as essential to the effective and just operation of a populist government as ours in Anambra State.

    “The Judiciary remains the epicenter of conflict resolution and decision making that enhances group survival and social solidarity.

    “In accepted common usage, the judiciary is that organ of government which is concerned with the administration and dispensation of justice. I make bold to state that Your Lordship did your very best to ensure that the Judiciary in Anambra State under your watch attained an enviable height in the discharge of these roles.

    “You are indeed a quintessential jurist, and your judiciary career will always remain a reference point for exemplary, dedicated and selfless service in the dispensation of justice.

    “I most sincerely wish you a very happy retirement after putting in well over two decades of unblemished and meritorious service in the Anambra State Government, the country and indeed humanity.

    “May the Good Lord continue to endow you with good health and blessings now and in all your future endeavours,” Obiano wrote.

    Justice Umeadi, a Life Bencher, retained his position on the Global Council of World Jurists Association (WJA) as President for another term of  two  years (2019-2021).

    He was re-elected at the XXVI Biennial Congress in Spain from February 19-21 2019.

    Dr. Javier Germades, formerly Vice President for WJA Europe, was named the President Worldwide of WJA.

    The prestigious “world, peace and liberty award” was bestowed on him by King Felipe VI of Spain.

    The President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela in exile, Justice Miguel Angel Martin Tortabu, is Vice President of WJA and would join Justice Umeadi as Trustees to register the group for the WJA at Abuja.

    Justice Umeadi further retained his position as the representative of the WJA to the United Nations (UN) at Geneva.

  • PDP chides Obiano over suspension of taxes

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state has described as deceptive the suspension of taxes by the State government few days to the State House of Assembly election.

    The party said it was worrisome that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-controlled government would at any election time suspend taxes the people have paid at the beginning of the year.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the party in the state, Nnamdi Nwangwu in a statement Monday in Nnewi, said the State Governor, Willie Obiano could no longer deceive the people of the state.

    Nwangwu urged the people of the state to use the March 9 Assembly election to prove to the governor they were not fools by voting the PDP candidates so they could check the governor’s excesses.

    Read Also: 2000 PDP members defect to APC in Kwara

    He said, “As far as we are concerned in PDP, the circle is complete for the Governor. He cannot take the good people of the state for a ride again. Enough is enough.

    “The House of Assembly needs quality individuals who can come up with laws that will push Anambra State to her pride of place in the comity of states and at the same time carry out their oversight functions accordingly.

    “A situation where the Assembly has been reduced to a rubber stamp institution that takes instructions from the governor is neither good for the state nor democracy.”

    Nwangwu reminded those blaming the people for voting for PDP in the presidential election, that it was the people’s inalienable rights to vote for whoever they wished.

  • Robbers kill man, stab girlfriend in Anambra

    A generator repairer, Chinedu Igboanugo was at the weekend, killed by two armed robbers at Nkwelle-Ogidi community, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State.

    The suspects were also said to have stabbed the girlfriend to death.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased was asleep with the girlfriend while his generator was still on.

    The power supply was said to have suddenly went off at about 12.30am which prompted the girlfriend to rush outside to know what was amiss.

    According to a neighbor who prefered anonymity, “As she came out, she met two armed robbers who stopped the generator from supplying the power to enable them strike.

    “They immediately
    stabbed her on her arm and she raised alarm which attracted Igboanugo.

    “As soon as she came out, the robbers pounced on him and inflicted several stabbings on him.”

    The Nation further gathered that the suspects took to their heels, leaving him unconscious in the pool of his blood.

    Confirming the incident when contacted, the Ogidi Divisional Police Officer, Mr Mark Ijarafu, said, “one of the armed robbers is with us.

    “We are looking for the other fleeing armed robber.”

  • ‘Disregard Okada ban rumour’

    The Anambra State government has debunked rumours that it plans to restrict operations of commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada in Nnewi, Anambra State.

    The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba, described the rumour as politically-motivated.

    According to him, the government would never contemplate such.

    He said: “There is no iota of truth in the rumours that the government plans to ban okada in Nnewi. The government has always made it clear that Nnewi would not be affected when the restriction order on the use of commercial motorcycles in Onitsha and Awka was made mid last year.”

    According to the commissioner, the rumour ban was started by politically-exposed persons participating in the elections. He advised politicians to insist on the truth while passing information to their followers so as not to mislead them.

     

  • 14 nabbed for electoral offences in Anambra

    Anambra State Police Commissioner of Police Rabiu Ladodo on Tuesday said fourteen persons were arrested over various forms of electoral offenses during the just- concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

    Ladodo, who disclosed this in a chat with reporters, listed ballot box snatching, disruption of elections, malicious damage and thuggery as among the offences committed by the suspects.

    He said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

    According to him: “Exhibit recovered includes 2 vehicles, 2 Motorcycles, 3 Ballot Boxes (snatched from Okpoko), electoral materials such as ballot papers destroyed at Obosi and Ojoto Collation Centres.

    “Other exhibits include 2 knives and dry leaves suspected to be Cannabis Sativa

    “I want to commend all “Ndi Anambra” for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner and for coming out to exercise their civic responsibilities on the 23/02/2019.

    Read Also: Atiku wins Anambra with 524,738 votes

    “Despite some isolated cases recorded in some parts of the State where the Command responded promptly and prevented breakdown of law and order, the election was generally peaceful without recording any loss of lives or property.

    “This goes to confirm that Anambra State is not only a peaceful in the whole federation, but also the most secured in terms of safety and security.”

    While advising aggrieved parties that lost in the election not to take laws into their hands and foment trouble, the Commissioner urged them to explore legal avenues to seek for redress.

    “The Command will not fold its arms and watch any individual or group no matter how highly placed to disrupt the relative peace in the State which the law enforcement agencies in the State are working assiduously to maintain,” he warned.

  • Umeh blasts INEC for alleged manipulations

    The Senator representing Anambra central and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Victor Umeh has lashed out at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for leaving its flanks open for manipulations during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Anambra State.

    He called for cancellation of the exercise in all the troubled areas identified during the polls.

    Umeh, while briefing reporters on Tuesday at his Aguluzigbo country home, said INEC lost control of the exercise in the area.

    The Senator argued tis was why the outcome of the election could not be declared three days after it ended.

    Umeh contested the Anambra Central senatorial election with Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Chief Sylvester Okonkwo of the All Progressive Congress APC as his main opponents.

    The commission has not declared the result for the contest despite releasing the presidential results owing to alleged anomalies observed in some polling units at Obosi and Abatete, both in Idemili North local government area in the zone.

    He  said the fact that election results for Anambra Central had not been declared was an indication that all was  not well, adding that all of them should hold their celebrations at least for now.

    Read Also: Card Reader: INEC cancels 54,668 votes in Ebonyi

    According to him: “INEC said that accreditation must be done with card readers but in majority of the places, card reader did not work and the electoral umpire resorted to the use of manual voting, which made it to lose control of the exercise.

    “The results being turned out by INEC in the zone showed that card reader did not work. In my place where it worked, the proper thing was done.

    “In Obosi and Abatete, for instance, where violence marred the exercise, INEC was still trying to generate results several days after the election.

    “The election was highly manipulated in Anambra Central and that is why INEC is finding it difficult to release the result.

    “In many places where the card reader was not used, hoodlums were brought in buses and they voted without proper accreditation.”

    He went on: “Because it lost control, INEC resorted to asking agents of political parties to bring their duplicate copies to enable it compute the results, which is not proper.

    “If the commission does not have original result, then there is nothing to compute.

    “INEC left some flanks open for manipulation, which was why even unregistered people were allowed to vote in some polling units.

    “The INEC guideline specifically said that in the event of card reader not working, the election should be shifted.

    “Since INEC cannot arrive at anything after three days of the election, the only way to remove the impasse is for the election to be cancelled in the affected places so that the card reader can be used.”

  • Obiano orders clampdown on illegal revenue collectors

    Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has ordered clampdown on all forms of extortions in the state.

    He directed security operatives to immediately stop all illegal tax collectors currently going on in the state, especially in Onitsha and its environs.

    Obiano, who gave the directive on Tuesday through his Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C Don Adinuba, asked the security agencies to step up efforts in protecting lives and property.

    He said: “My attention has been drawn to the activities of the new wave of robbers, who are dispossessing people of hard-earned money and other valuables.

    “Some criminal-minded elements, fake and illegal revenue collectors are making life unbearable for Ndi Anambra through fake and illegal revenue collections.

    Read Also: ‘Obiano in a hurry to develop Anambra’

    “Innocent citizens are daily robbed in the city and the adjoining towns. You must do something to re-assure Ndi Anambra of their safety.

    “This is not tolerable. You must maintain all-day and night surveillance to nip robberies in the bud.”

    Obiano, who distanced his government from those persons he described as robbers, vowed not to give them second chance in the state.

    He added: “Those armed with sticks and cudgels are not appointed by Government to collect Internally Generated Revenue for Government (IGR).

    “These illegal collectors operate during the evenings, weeping people and acting in a manner that portrays them as self-serving mindless robbers.

    “We cannot afford to have the marauders back in our midst again.”

  • Anambra to shut down uncertified morgues

    Anambra State government has disclosed its plans to close down all mortuaries that were not certified in the state.

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Joe Akabuike stated this in Awka at the weekend during a press briefing.

    He attributed the causes of certain deaths to diseases from corpses, adding that those contaminated with infectious virus and bacteria could infect morticians if not properly taken care of.

    “One of the roots through which diseases can spread is through corpses as any persons that died was killed by some diseases,” he said.

    He revealed that government had undertaken training of  morticians on best practices, ethical conducts and legal issues affecting their jobs.

    Read Also: Massive turn out of voters in Anambra

    Akabuike advised morticians to maintain standard operation procedures, including wearing of protective aprons  while discharging their duties.

    He further condemned the practice of establishing mortuaries in authorized places in the state by persons believed to be foreigners.

    The commissioner also inaugurated the Association of Morticians, the first of its kind in Nigeria, urging every mortician in the state to register with the association.

  • No student was stoned to death, says Onitsha school

    Authorities of Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha, Anambra State, has described as unfortunate but accidental the death of Master Chukwuebuka Nnanna, a JSS 1 student of the school.

    The death of Chukwuebuka, rumoured to had been stoned to death by his classmate over alleged jealousy which went viral on social media was greeted with wide condemnation.

    Principal of the school, Rev. Can. Anieto Chigozie, in a statement, at the weekend, however, said the deceased would not have been killed out of envy as alleged, as he was just newly admitted to the school.

    He explained that the incident was purely an accident and not intentional, insisting that the deceased was neither stabbed, flogged to death nor fell from any height.

    He said: “How can a fellow student be envious of a JSS1 student who has stayed just a term? Is it really possible?”

    According to the principal, the information the school authority got from students showed that the boy slumped after being hit by a stone and was taken to the Sick Bay.

    He however said the deceased was rushed to the General Hospital where he was confirmed dead following inability of the staff nurse at the sick bay to handle the case.

    He added: “We called the father’s number severally but was switched off until we had to send a staff who knows his shop.

    “She succeeded in getting another number from them there and was contacted. But before he came, we had already taken the child to Iyienu Hospital where he was also certified dead.”

    Read Also: Flood claims 23-year-old sales lady in Onitsha

    The Principal further revealed that the school had sent its report to the appropriate authorities in charge of education both in the state government and the Church.

    While praying for the repose of the deceased soul and for the consolation of the family, the cleric assured that the matter was being investigated.

    “We are in touch with the family. No student has owned up to the crime but we are still seriously investigating the matter with the view of finding out who threw the stone,” he added.

    Efforts to reach the father of the deceased were unsuccessful as his telephone line was unavailable several times it was called.