The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anambra

  • Anambra: Reactions trail Obiano’s assumption of office

    Anambra: Reactions trail Obiano’s assumption of office

    More reactions have continued to trail the swearing in of Governor Willie Obiano and his deputy Dr Nkem Okeke in Anambra State.

    The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs. Chinwe Nwaebili while speaking with the Nation Tuesday in Awka said that Anambra had witnessed a huge success during former Governor Peter Obi’s administration.

    “I give God the whole glory for answering our prayers, what has happened has never occurred in the history of Anambra since its creation that a sitting governor will handover in a colorful ceremony.

    Also, Governorship candidate of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, congratulated the newly sworn Governor of Anambra Chief Willie Obiano as the 5th democratically elected governor of the state.

    He said that Anambra was a state blessed with numerous resources both human and material enough to take the state to map of   total civilization and development to an enviable level.

    “Anambra is the heart base of the Easterners by virtue of personalities from the state, nothing absolutely  nothing would be hard to achieve if all resources are pulled together with one might”.

    “I will ask the governor to put behind all that happened during electioneering and pick the egg heads in the state that would help him pilot the affairs of state creditably”.

    “He said that the time has come for us all to join hands with our leader to pull, nit and move our dear state toward a pinnacle of developmental growth,” he said

    Ezeemo said the core areas of life like improvement of power to encourage industrialization and mechanized farming should not be down played adding that the youth must be engaged meaningfully to fight crime in the state.

    Chief Nathaniel Uzoma, state chairman  Ohaneze Ndi Igbo  group in Ekiti state and president South West of the group said that the peaceful  inauguration was a sign of greater things to come in Igbo land.

    Uzoma said that Igbo had come of age and would take their political life by their hands by aligning with things that promote Igbo interest.

    He said that Anambra had shown that there was strength in unity and called for all Igbo to be united where ever they live.

    Also, Mr. Alex Ezeobi Ohaneze National Youth leader said that the ceremony called for more unity among the Igbo, knowing that if united that they could achieve more landmarks in political life of the Ndi Igbo.

    He called on Igbo youth to be responsive and sensitive to issues affecting their race and to be politically enlightened in order to face the challenges of the present day.

    Furthermore, Mr. Ikechukwu Umeh, a member of the Anambra house of assembly and chief whip collaborated the opinion of the speaker and others.

    He added that the legislature would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that development growth were recorded and sustained in the state.

    He called on the people and residents of Anambra to cherish and nurture the state for the common good of all adding that political difference should not be allowed to divide the state.

    Speaking further on behalf of Anambra in Diaspora, Mr. Allison Anadi, President of Anambra Indigenes in America (ASA-USA) said that the ceremony had shown that the state had attained a height.

    He said that the group would give every support to the government of Anambra at every point to ensure that the state grows from strength to strength.

     

  • Anambra battles to free streets of beggars

    Anambra battles to free streets of beggars

    Beggars have invaded Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Umunze, Nkpor, Ihiala and Awka, among other towns in Anambra State, turning themselves into a problem. ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU reports that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is taking steps to curb the menace.

    Like bees, beggars have swarmed cities in Anambra State, including Awka, the capital. The streets are congested with these beggars said to be numbering over 10, 000.

    They comprise corporate beggars, child beggars; graduate beggars, civil servant beggars, business beggars, lepers, cripples and paupers who beg for living on the streets. They position themselves in public places where sympathisers will see them and give them money or food.

    Some of the major cities where they are found are Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Awka, Umunze, Nkpor and Ihiala, among others. All efforts by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development have yet to yield results. They return as soon as they are taken to the rehabilitation camps. But the ministry is not resting on its oars. It has again, raided their lucrative points in its determination to end what it calls “a public nuisance.”

    The ministry says the beggars are dirty and do not know how to behave. It notes that their behaviour was not good for tourism, thereby causing a fall in government revenue. The clearing of the beggars, the ministry said, was intended to make them realise that begging lowers their dignity. A major reason for the action, it said, was to make them useful to themselves and the society by rehabilitating them.

    The presence of beggars in any society has social and economic implications as depicted in Aminata Sow Fall’s epic novel, Beggars’ Strike.

    Penultimate week, Rose Ali, a graduate of Linguistics and a civil servant with the Anambra State Ministry of Environment were among the 180 beggars taken off the streets.

    Rose, who is from Nimo in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, was dramatic while being arrested. She is visually impaired. She insisted on seeing Governor Peter Obi before she could be stopped from her begging business.

    She said: “I will not go anywhere. You arrested me last year and dumped me at Nteje without giving me anything. Let Governor Peter Obi come himself so that we can talk. I am not a regular beggar but I beg when I run short of money. My sister died and I am begging to raise money for her burial.”

    Another beggar, Loveday Okonkwo from Imo State said he was begging in order to raise N50,000 needed for registering at the Disabled Craft Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, even as he admitted that begging is illegal.

    He appealed to Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha to come to his aid as he has no person to run to hence he sneaked out from Imo to beg in Anambra where he is not known.

    But other beggars including Habiba Adamu from Kaduna State begged for forgiveness and indicated interest to go back to their homes if spared of being taken to the Nteje Rehabilitation Camp.

    On her part, Mrs Nkechinyere Okeke who works for the Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), an arm of Anambra State Ministry of Environment uses her daughter Ginika Okeke for begging. She claimed she was begging to raise N80, 000 with which to treat her child.

    Over 150 parents who use their children for begging in major cities in the state were arrested and would be prosecuted by the Family Court.  Over 50 children used by their parents for begging were also arrested while others escaped.

    The ministry pledged that the over 185 beggars and destitute taken off the major cities of the state would undergo rehabilitation and empowerment while those who are not from Anambra State would be repatriated in agreement with their state governments.

    Of late, a combined team of social workers and security agents led by the Ministry of Women Affairs arrested no fewer than 200 beggars in the state capital.

    That day, beggars who “were” blind, deaf and dumb saw, heard and spoke while running for their dear lives. At Abagana, a blind woman with her guide was arrested. But while members of the vigilance group were still making arrangements on how to take her home, the woman and her guide ran away to the chagrin of onlookers.

    At Amawbia, a 70-year-old man from Nise who allegedly built a good house and trained his children up to university level with proceeds from begging was arrested. He said he would continue the business of begging till death.

    At UNIZIK Junction and Eke Awka axes, beggars ran as far as their legs could carry them. Two well dressed young men in their mid-twenties with cell phones held a laminated picture of a called Chizoba from Nsukka who was said to be suffering from stomach cancer.

    They wondered why anybody should arrest them when they were doing a legitimate business registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    According to them, the least amount of money they make a day is N11, 000.

    But 16-year-old Useni Mohammed from Niger Republic said his father who is a driver at Onitsha gives him instruction on how much he must make from begging daily. He and his sister are known as “Emeka and Amaka.”

    Another beggar Mr Joseph Eze from Achi, Enugu State said he was a Yola-based businessman before he had an accident that forced him into begging. He appealed Anambra State government to give him N300, 000 with which to start business.

    The Director, Social Welfare Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Rose Udeagbara said the beggars were taken off the streets during an operation tagged “clear the streets of beggars and destitute.” She added that they have been sent to the vocational and rehabilitation centre at Nteje.

    Mrs Udeagbara further said: “At the vocational centre, the social workers did documentation of those arrested to enable the ministry to either rehabilitate them in any of the skill acquisition centres or repatriate and reunite them with their families.”

    She disclosed that majority of the beggars were not from Anambra State, stating that some are from Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Plateau and other northern states while others are from Cross River, Abia, Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu states. Lady Udeagbara decried rampant use of children by their parents in begging.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Azuka Agbata advised parents to desist from using their children as money-making venture.

    Agbata said: “It is not right to use a child for begging and whenever we get such case, we get at those parents through their children and charge them to state family court. I see such parents as lazy. Let us stop abusing these children by trampling on their rights. Let us strive to send them to school, so that they will be beneficial to us and the society.”

    She noted that the campaign to get beggars off the streets was informed by commitment of Obi’s administration to sanitise the state and empower some of them who took to begging out of frustration as well as to ensure free flow of traffic on our roads. She added that the sick ones among them will be given free Medicare.

    Agbata insisted that families should take care of physically-challenged members of their families to avoid the nauseating situation which beggars and begging engender.

    “You can see that these beggars constitute nuisance. We will repatriate those who are not indigenous to Anambra State and rehabilitate those from the state by empowering them with skills within six months,” she said.

    At the rehabilitation camp, Lady Udeagbara was angry with one Mrs. Nkechinyere Okeke who uses her daughter, Ginika Okeke to beg.

    She said: “This woman was taken off the street in Awka last year. We rehabilitated her and, out of the magnanimity of the state government, she was employed as a staff of Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA) in the Ministry of Environment to help her train her child. Being stubborn, she is still begging with that child.”

    Principal of the Vocational/Rehabilitation Centre, Nteje, Mrs. Chinyere Iguomu said the centre accommodates the beggars for some days before letting them go.

    “We only allow them to stay here for a day or two before discharging them. Although, it is not enough to acquire the needed skill, government is not forthcoming in terms of their upkeep. We have written many memos to that effect but there were no responses from the government,” she said.

    However, the Commissioner dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

    The raid on beggars has received commendation from residents. Mr Onyenwe Anagor said “what Governor Obi-led administration is doing with regard to clearing beggars from the streets is good because they constitute nuisance.” He, however, appealed to government to rehabilitate them.

  • Anambra APC begins registration of members soon

    Anambra APC begins registration of members soon

    The All Progressives Congress APC will begin the registration of its members in Anambra State soon .The hint was given in Awka by the party’s Interim Publicity Secretary in Anambra State, Mr. Chukwuma Agufugo.

    It would be recalled that APC conducted registration of its members before the November 16, 2013 Governorship election.

    Agufugo, while speaking with our correspondent in Awka, said though there was such exercise before the election, that there were challenges during the exercise.

    The challenges, according to him, were that the register sent to the state did not have polling numbers on them, while those who were incharge of the registration had problems of spelling names correctly because they were not from the area.

    He said that the national leadership of APC would soon send new registers to Anambra like the way they did to other states during the recently held registration exercise in the states.

    As at the time of filing this report, the interim state executive of APC was about to meet at the party’s state office along Zik Avenue to discuss the issue and perhaps pick a date for the exercise.

    According to Agufugo, we are going to meet with the party executive members to discuss on the way forward in our party especially, as it concerns the registration of members

    “And I believe within a short time, the party will come out with a new date for the exercise in Anambra, and those areas we had challenges before will be taken care of”

     

  • Anambra GDP has grown by 40 per cent, says minister

    Anambra GDP has grown by 40 per cent, says minister

    The Supervisory Minister of National Planning Commission and Minister of State for Works,Ambassador Bashir Yuguda has said that Anambra State’s Gross Domestic Product – GDP has grown from N735.80 billion in 2009 to N1.005 trillion in 2011, representing about 40 percent growth.

    Yuguda praised Anambra State for what he called the impressive rise in her Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and noted that Anambra’s GDP was growing better than those of some African and Caribbean countries.

    Speaking while presenting the pilot survey findings on the State GDP to the members of the State Executive Council at the Governor’s Lodge, Yuguda attributed the phenomenal rise to purposeful leadership of Governor Peter Obi and efficient implementation of the Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy – ANIDS.

    The Nation reports that the Pilot Survey Scheme was conducted by the National Planning Commission in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics in seven states selected from the six geo-political zones. The project is being implemented in two phases and would be completed in December.

    Ambassador Yuguda said data were generated from agriculture, industry and other services using production and income approaches, with agriculture recording 30 percent, industry four percent and service sector 66 percent.

    The minister assured that they would begin immediate updating of the State GDP to capture the numerous achievements recorded since 2010 when the last study was conducted and would be presented before the end of the governor’s tenure.

    The Statistician General of the Federation, Mr. Yemi Kale, said the state was one of the top most developed and advanced states in education in the country. Kale enjoined the state to take advantage of the huge opportunity in small and medium enterprises potential to improve internally generated revenue.

    Responding, Governor Obi said the state had moved a lot higher from the period of study in 2010 as it had achieved a lot in various sectors. He explained that a lot of direct foreign investments by multi-national cooperations had been recorded in the state since 2012 while industrial growth had witnessed a lip. The governor noted that the state has the highest number of bank branches after Lagos and Abuja which he said was an indication of viable economic growth while Anamrba remained the only state that has not borrowed in the country. He observed that the rating of the state of the state in the pilot survey was a strong statement of the status of the state in the country.

    Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Oseloka Obaze, said the state ranked very high in direct foreign investment.

    The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof. Chinyere Okunna, said the result of the pilot study would among other things, enhance future planning and deployment of resources as the state was data based. Prof. Okunna stressed the need for updating of the study to capture the remarkable comprehensive development of all sectors since 2011.

  • Girl gang raped by Church security guards in Anambra

    There was confusion and tension Saturday  in Nkpor, Idemmili North local government area, Anambra state  over gang raping of a 14 years old girl  by three security operatives attached to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in the town.
    The girl  went to fetch firewood in company of two other under aged boys at the vast land of Our Lady’s Church Nkpor premises before she was reportedly raped  at machete point.
               The Anambra Police Command confirmed the gang rape report saying a suspect has already being arrested while efforts are on to arrest other gang members of the security men that raped the innocent and harmless girl.
    Police spokesman, PPRO Emeka Chukwuemeka , a CSP said investigations are ongoing and once investigations are concluded the suspects would be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.
    The Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ogidi Division, Mr Abubakar Isa also confirmed the incident and that one of the suspects was arrested by the local vigilance group in charge of Isingwu road, where the victim’s family resides and handed over to the Ogidi police station.

    The girl amidst sobs narrated her ordeal to newsmen saying they were gathering firewood and picking cashew fruits that fell on the ground inside the church compound when three security operatives of the church emerged from nowhere and accused them of plucking the fruits. They denied the allegation insisting that that they only took the ones that fell from the tree.

  • Obi’s N10m donation divides Anambra school

    Obi’s N10m donation divides Anambra school

    There is papable tension at the Community Secondary School, Awada, Obosi, Anambra State.

    The management of the school and the Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) are divided over how the N10million donated to the school by the state Governor Peter Obi for the rehabilitation of its structures is being spent.

    PTA Chairman Chief Anthony Ezebube has accused the Principal, Mrs Felicia Ogbunude of spending the money without consultating the PTA leaders.

    Ezebube accused Ogbunude of asking new pupils to bring one white plastic chair each, saying this is illegal.

    He alleged that contrary to an agreement that general meeting of the body and the school management would be held twice a term at the instance of the principal and an emergency meeting whenever the need arose, none was held last year.

    “I was told that money was given by Governor Obi but I was not told how the money was lodged into a bank. And I also heard that she said the money did not concern the PTA. We need an account of how the money is being spent,” Chief Ezebube said at a meeting between the school management and the PTA.

    The PTA members are, however, insisting that whoever would take up the contract of repairs at the school must be approved by the PTA and the school authorities.

    One of the founding fathers of the school, Sir Osita Nzewi, argued that since Governor Obi demanded that stakeholders should oversee the projects for which money was released, the school management alone should not be accountable for the spending of the N10million.

    Nzewi, therefore, called for accountability.

    Following a petition to Governor Obi against the principal on the issue, which was also copied to a non-governmental organisation – United Action Against Corruption and Justice International, zonal coordinator of the human right group, Anyim Sunday, promised to step into the matter if the parties involved failed to handle it properly.

    But Mrs Ogbunde denied the allegations. She explained that a seven-man committee was set up, which she chairs and which also has as members her deputy (Administration), a representative of the monarch of the community and the PTA chairman.

    According to her, she and the school’s bursar are signatories to the bank account. Ogbunde said she signed an undertaking with the government staking her pension and gratuity should she be found wanting on how the money was spent.

    She said the plastic chairs were intact. She , however, apologised for her inability to call the meeting, claiming it was due to pressure of work.

    However, The Nation’s investigation shows that the donation is actually tied to Ogbunde’s pension and gratuity.

    Besides, the government mandated her to set up a committee of stakeholders on the matter.

    It was gathered that the PTA is to report to the commission any suspected shoddy deals.

     

  • Impacts of Anambra returned schools

    The Anambra State Government’s move to return mission schools was initially greeted by uproar, with many questioning the rationale behind that move. Some people opposed the policy, calling Governor Peter Obi unprintable names.

    The antagonisits claimed, among others, that returning the schools would constitute financial burden on the churches.

    This reason seemed hold some water, as churches, from Adam, has never been financially buoyant. But, the media gave the people of the state a platform to propagate their arguments on whether to return the schools or not.

    At some point, some of the churches were cut gasping to stamp out the reasons for otherwise, having feared to have been expected to pay salaries of staff. The state government on its part did not, as expected, go to sleep. It explained why such action was paramount. At first, the government declared that it has lost focus of its expected mission to the schools.

    In fact, the government, without mincing words, said that it had done more harm than the expected good to the schools. Recalling the high standard of education and rich moral principles schools enunciated when it was initially in the management of the churches, government noted that such feat could only be achieved by same people who started it. But the government promised that it would still be in charge of the teachers’ salaries.

    One would not be taken aback by such declaration by the government in whose hand the trust of the people was entrusted via the social contract. At first, it is no longer news of how some public officials loot public funds, and mismanage office for their selfish gain. If stories of the crimes and atrocities committed by government officials daily are to be totally right, the schools may not be there in the next decade.

    One does not need to say, once again, that this country has got virtually everything needed to make life worth living for its people; but the problem has remained that the its leaders are corrupt.

    So, Gov. Obi knows the problems with schools. He knew that the government had acquired the schools, perhaps, with intention to fund and improve on their facilities, but he felt the takeover was not in best interest. He returned the schools to the church so that the government won’t have to contend with school challenge out of the myriads in its list.

    The Anambra State government places much premium on the education of the young people particularly the children. Gov. Obi is known for his saying that “the society human being are exploiting today would take a revenge on their children tomorrow”, hence the great need to fix the society right for them.

    Consequently, there is no known tool for human development other than provision of qualitative education. It is the bedrock for human development; its careless handling would not leave a positive path to toe. The impact of the schools has begun to be felt.

    The state government, while returning the schools, doled out huge amount as compensations to repair the damage it had done to it. The funds run into several millions. Today, Anambra schools have begun to regain their pride.

    That move and gesture of love have induced a healthy competition among the schools owned by the churches, private individuals and the government. There is a massive reduction on the number of school children seen on the streets with school uniforms roaming the streets during school hours.

    Moral principles and good conduct of school children have improved. It is also important, therefore, for the government to take a close watch on the schools under its direct control. Some communities are at loggerheads with the principals of their schools over funds released by the government. Some principals have been accused of devising means to siphon the money. All the issues need to be looked into.

    These positive impacts seen in the church-controlled schools should be widespread. Now that the government has fewer loads in terms of primary and secondary education, it should, through the Ministry of Education, move to tackle fundamental problems bedeviling education in the state.

     

    Mmaduka just graduated from UNIZIK, Awka

  • Five die, 13 injured in accident

    Five persons were killed in Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday when a truck collided with a bus.

    Thirteen others were injured in a crash involving a bus with the inscription, “Psalm 121 Express” and a truck at Nkwelle- Ezunaka, near Onitsha on the Onitsha/Enugu Expressway.

    An witness said he saw five bodies being taken to an unknown hospital, adding that the bus was coming from the Onitsha end of the dual carriage way, while the truck was from Awka.

    The source attributed the accident to usage of one lane instead of the two carriage ways, following ongoing construction on the other lane.

    The Commandant, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Hyginus Omeje, through his Nteje Unit Commander, Mr. Sunday Joseph, confirmed the accident. He said one person (a man) died, while the injured were taken to Iyi-Enu Hospital, Ogidi.

    The FRSC boss said the crash was caused by over-speeding by the bus driver.

    He urged drivers to be careful, to curtail accidents.

  • Electoral stumbling blocks

    Electoral stumbling blocks

    •Jega’s recent complaints make us wonder if he understands his role as umpire

    Predictably, a list of challenges identified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, ahead of the country’s 2015 general elections, has triggered another round of public debate and scepticism about the organisation’s capability to conduct transparent and generally acceptable polls. Coming from the body’s helmsman, the information certainly needs to be taken seriously, and Nigerians must be anxious for reassurance that Jega will be able to surmount the obstacles.

    The venue of the communication, which gave it a keen edge, was the United States (US), suggesting an international dimension that made it even more worrying because it was like alerting the world to the precarious situation. Jega, who took the stage to deliver a keynote address at the inauguration session of the CSIS Nigeria Forum in Washington DC, gave the audience a thought-provoking glimpse into the country’s problematic march to next year’s elections.

    The stumbling blocks, according to him, include insecurity, funding, attitude of the political class, and apathetic and inactive citizenry. Other alleged impediments are delay in amendment to the legal framework, completion of the review of electoral constituencies and polling units, and prosecution of election offenders.

    Against the background of the unsatisfactory 2011 general elections, and the contentious Anambra State governorship poll in November last year, both held under his leadership, Jega has clearly suffered considerable bashing, which interestingly contradicts the initial public warmth that greeted his appointment, based on his perceived potential as a change agent.  To those who now regard him as a disappointment, his latest alarm does not redeem his image.

    However, it is only fair to examine the identified difficulties, especially insecurity and funding, which are quite critical to successful conduct of the elections, and to give Jega some credit for highlighting the possible hindrances. On security, it is hoped, particularly, that the Islamist terrorists in the country’s Northeast would have been neutralised before the elections to allow the people make their electoral choices in a peaceful atmosphere. Additionally, it is important to effectively check other similarly disruptive activities which create insecurity, such as kidnappings, political thuggery and assassination, to mention a few. On funding, it is curious that Jega raised the issue, particularly considering the fact that the commission’s role is expected to come under budgetary cover.  It, therefore, prompts the question whether the government is demonstrating sufficient responsibility by releasing the necessary funds as and when due.  It goes without saying that denying the commission legitimate funds is not only inexcusable; it also cannot be in the best interest of democracy.

    Other problems raised by Jega would seem to require increased political consciousness on the part of the people, greater political will on the part of government, and improved organisation on the part of INEC.

    There is an aspect of Jega’s address that, perhaps inadvertently, tends to make excuses for unconstructive practices in the country’s democratic system.  His apparent rationalisation of such negativities is unacceptable and, in a sense, puts a big question mark on his understanding of his own role. According to him, “We are still nurturing a democratic political culture after many years of military rule and the anti-democratic tendencies it fostered. Our electoral system is therefore work in progress.”  He added, “Democratisation, in all societies, is neither swift nor smooth-sailing. It is a long and tortuous process that takes place in incremental waves.”

    This is the kind of sophistical reasoning that blocks democratic advancement in the country, the idea or implication that it must necessarily take a considerably long period for democracy to flourish. More than any other factor, what it takes is selfless commitment to democratic ideals and practice. The world has generally embraced the concept of “government of the people, for the people and by the people”; and Nigeria must stay on track.

     

  • Shun cultism, new students told

    Shun cultism, new students told

    Hundreds of students who gained admission into the Anambra State College of Health Technology, Obosi, Anambra State were yesterday enjoined to be disciplined and work hard for a successful completion of their programmes.

    Governor Peter Obi, who gave the charge during the 10th matriculation ceremony of the college, noted that keeping to rules and regulations guiding the college should be the best thing they should do as student’s aside good behaviour and studying.

    Obi commended the school management for gaining full re-accreditation in most of the courses offered in the college from the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) while the few still awaiting full accreditation should get it soonest.

    The governor was represented by the Commissioner for Health , Dr Lawrence Ikeakor, whose address was read by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Austin Ndulue.

    In his address , the provost of the college , Dr Robinson Mgbakogu,advised the students to shun embarking on willful destruction of the college property and reminded them that their duty at graduation is to protect human health , preserve and promote life .

    Mgbakogu added, “You must always shun all forms of cultism because the college has a zero tolerance policy on cultism and anyone caught involved in cultism will be expelled and prosecuted.”

     

     

    He said the college has a well stocked functional library, well equipped laboratories for various schools of the college, an Auditorium, demonstration clinic , hostels for female students, newly constructed modern canteen, rehabilitated borehole, among others for the comfort of the students.