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Tag: Anambra

  • Obi and security in Anambra

    Obi and security in Anambra

    Whenever the Christmas Season is approaching, the Igbos naturally look forward to it with great enthusiasm. It is not just a moment in time to travel home to enjoy the season, but it also serves as the period when relations meet to interact, organize community programmes and end of year parties and generally be at peace with one another. But unfortunately, in the past few years, the fear of kidnappers and armed robbers and their cohorts, had so haunted the society that most Igbos did not deem it safe and wise to travel home to the East for the Yuletide.

    However, this last Christmas and New Year celebrations in Anambra State, for instance, was quite remarkable for Anambrarians. Based on newspaper reports and the testimonies of some who travelled, Anambra State was very save and conducive for the celebrations. Those who were home for the first time in many years actually found time to savour the beauty and joy of Christmas because not only that security was in place, the government of Peter Obi was equal to the task.

    With the dismantling of the kidnapping gangs and kingpins in the state, Governor Obi has shown that with the necessary political will, a good leader can set an enviable precedence for others to follow. Before now, a gang of kidnappers led by Ofeakwu, a native of Oraifife in Ekwusigo Local government area of the state had held the whole state hostage. Ofeakwu’s exploits and those of his gangs were so grave and daring, that the governor quickly mustered forces with security agencies to go after them. His action was so decisive and swift that it took all by surprise.

    At the end of the day, the governor made it clear to the people of the state and indeed the while nation that for one to fight criminals as organized and as rich as the kidnappers were the best thing to do was to first of all cripple and dislodge their economic and financial powers. This was what Peter Obi did and for the first time in the history of the state, a determined governor set bulldozers and caterpillars into remote villages and towns to pull down houses built by criminals with blood and ill-gotten money.

    Governor Obi’s political resolve as a leader has indeed led to the peaceful atmosphere that exists in the state today. If you want to catch a thief, like it is usually said in Igbo land, you have to be smatter than the thief. And if you can successfully puncture his ego and source of wealth and cage those who are behind him, the rest is history. This was what happened all over the state when the government began to go from town to town based on security reports and information to fish out the criminals and drive them into the abyss. This approach shows that no single person or group of persons can be stronger than the state.

    Obi must have taken a lesson or two from the tactics employed by former president of Brazil, Lula Da-Silva. When Da-Silva took over as the first democratically elected president in the history of Brazil in many years, the economy was in shambles. Ordinarily, Brazil had no reason to be a poor nation, given that there were abundant resources to make the society great.

    But Da-Silva went to work. He promised the people that he would cripple the economic powers of their generals who had impoverished the system for far too long. As a political hawk and a no-nonsense leader, Da-Silva truly stepped on toes, very huge toes for that matter in the process of sanitizing the system. Many people kicked, while others attacked him, threatening to unleash terror on him for daring to go where angels feared to tread. But Da-Silva remained undaunted.

    By the time he left office three years ago, Brazil had become the 6th largest economy in the world. All it takes to make a system work for the good of the populace is just the application of the necessary political will. This is what Obi has done, but he needs to do more. He needs to go after the so-called untouchables and bigwigs in the state. Those super-rich people who are really the ones sponsoring crime and gaining from the socio-political and economic turbulence that prevail in the state, need to be taught a lesson.

    No one can say exactly who these people are or where they get their money from which enables them to continue to torment the state. However, Obi can equally rely on the same tactics he has been employing so far or something more superior to hoodwink these people. He has to find them wherever they are, uproot them so as to make Anambra totally free from the grip of darkness, witches and wizards.

    It was a good thing that Chief Tobias Okemadu, a prominent community leader in the state could travel home for Christmas for the first time in three years. “I went home due to the assurances given to us by Governor Obi. I must tell you that I didn’t have any regret. I had no reason to fear for my life or those of my household” he said.

    In a place like Anambra State, a leader has to have a heart of stone to be able to rule and make the desired impact. Obi has such heart, and that is perhaps why a lot of people have chosen to call him Okwute.

    Okwute simply means the rock, a man with the heart of a lion. And Christ the Messiah had told Peter the Apostle in the scripture “you are the rock, upon you I’ll build my Church… Powers of the under world cannot prevail upon you…”

    Darkness and light do not meet. They have no reason whatever to meet either, if the people can fight conscientiously to free thousands from the hold of powers and principalities. In this fight to free the state, the people have to combine forces with the government to make it work; to make freedom and peace permeate the society.

    No leader, no matter how powerful or strong or committed he is can fight crime alone. It is the people who provide the information while the government puts in place the logistics and financial muscle to make the fight effective and purposeful. Obi needs the cooperation of the people to make the state an Eldorado, an investment haven for all and sundry so that all subsequent Yuletide celebrations in the state will be crime-free.

     

    • Udeze writes from Lagos.

     

  • SSS arrests fake Cameroonian doctors in Anambra

    Six suspects who claimed to be specialist Chinese Doctors from Cameroon have been arrested in Anambra state by men of the State Security service (SSS)

    Out of the six suspects, only their leader, Cyrille Muoafo Mekoneng speaks little English Language, while the other five use signs to communicate with their clients

    The state Director of SSS, Alexander Okeiyi, told reporters on Monday in Awka that the suspects had been going to different churches convincing people to patronize them

    Several items including three Health detectors (aka-Quantum magnetic resonance body analyzers) two digital therapy machines and two big bags containing assorted Chinese drugs not registered by (NAFDAC) were recovered from them.

    Others were two dell laptops, one Toshiba laptop, two stethoscopes and one 5ml Hypojent-IV syringe and a forged certificate in general medicine from Shenyang University China.

     

  • Senate to probe dumping of corpses on Ezu River

    Senate to probe dumping of corpses on Ezu River

    The Senate on Thursday asked its joint committee on Police Affairs, Security and Intelligence to conduct in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dumping of dead bodies on the Ezu River in Anambra State.

    This followed the adoption of a motion entitled: “strange dead bodies found in Ezu River of Anambra State,” sponsored by Senator Andy Uba, (Anambra South)

    Senators expressed indignation over the incident and insisted that the identities of the victims must be established.

    Uba in his lead debate noted that in the early hours of Saturday, January 19, 2013, some villagers of Amansea community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State witnessed one of the most horrifying sights in the history of the community when they found 30 dead bodies, mostly males floating on the Ezu River.

    He said that he was worried that between Wednesday, 23 January and Thursday, 24 January, four more dead bodies were discovered floating on the same Ezu River.

    Uba noted that he is concerned that “even as we speak, no explanation has been proffered as to the possible origin of the dead bodies.”

    The senator said that he is worried that the autopsy ordered by the government of Anambra and Enugu States has yielded no report.

    He said that he is also worried that the Ezu River being the only source of water for domestic and other uses for the people of the five communities of Anambra State, namely- Amansea, Ebenebe, Ugbenu, Ugbene and Oba-Ofemili as well as other communities in Enugu State has been polluted and has caused a lot of discomfort and hardship to the people.

    He urged the Senate to mandate its relevant committees to investigate the incident.

     

  • Anambra North should produce governor, says Okadigbo

    Anambra North should produce governor, says Okadigbo

    If  Anambra North Senatorial District is really desirous of producing the next governor, then all politicians from the zone must make unity their watchword. Senator Margery Okadigbo, who represents the zone, stated this in an interview with The Nation. She said it was not enough to clamour for the position, but the district should be united in their quest for the number one seat.The zone is yet to produce the governor from its inception and there has been agitations by some people for the zone be given the opportunity to produce the next governor. The tenure of the incumbent, Governor Peter Obi, ends in March 2014.

    Senator Okadigbo stressed that the agitation for the position by Anambra North could be fruitful, if there is unity.

    “I think it can work, if the politicians in the zone put their acts together. The zone has to understand one thing; it is not time to sing personal or selfish tunes. We must shun things like this is Ogbaru, this is Onitsha and this is Omambala. This is the time to sing the song of unity, it is time to act as one. It is important because you have never had it. Within Anambra North, you often hear things like it should be Omambala, or it must be Onitsha, and no, it is the turn of Ogbaru. The question is, which of you have been there before, none! People are already saying Senator Okadigbo is already taking the slot of Omambala, and so the governorship should go to Onitsha or Ogbaru. The important thing is for us to put our house in order”, she said.

    Okadigbo said that already, there are 12 people aspiring to govern the state from the zone. According to her, it is an indication of seriousness. However, she said the aspirants should know that only one person will get the slot.

    “The other day, I read in the newspapers that about 12 people have indicated interest to run for the governorship in 2014. I see people from Ogbaru, Onitsha and Omambala, that is a very good development given the spread. it is fantastic. But we must come together and decide which person will best represent the interest of all of us.

    “We must put aside selfish interest because it is when you do away with selfish interests that we can make it as a zone. Otherwise, we will keep clamouring that it should be Anambra North without getting it. We must remember that no one person is out there who is ready to give you power on a platter. You must make a case for it and go for it, nobody will bring power to your house. You’ve got to go out and look for it and to get it, you need the support and unity of your base, first and foremost,” she added.

    The legislatoralso spoke on other issues shaping her legislative intervention. On of them is the welfare of women. “A lot of women or female issues are health related. Growing up as a child, going into puberty, getting married and the associated process of raising a family, they go through health issues. If you have a child you have health issues, if you don’t have a child, you have health issues. So, as long as the woman and the child go it is all health issues”, she stressed.

    Senator Okadigbo, who is the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, lamented the non-inclusion of health matters in the constitution. She described the situation as “absurd’ and canvassed a change in the status quo. She referred to United States where President Barrack Obama made the health policy of the country a national issue. In her words: “it goes without saying that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. So, I expect that our leaders here will be more concerned about health issues the way President Obama has been in the United State. We need to do a similar thing in Nigeria.”

    She expressed dissatisfaction with the number of women in either elective or appointive positions in the nation’s political system. She blamed what she described as “politics of the wallet” for it.

    “The number is not encouraging. If you go to most polling booths during elections, who do you see more, women. And during campaign rallies, they are more in number. But at the end if the day they get the short end of the stick. So, if we talk of 35 or 40 percent affirmative, in the Senate we are 109 but we are just eight women that is less than 10 percent. It is not that the women are not trying but when you make politics a thing of the wallet; you begin to chase the women out. So, it not that the women don’t have what it takes to be in politics, they do; especially in areas of governance or leadership. So I would recommend that political parties be compelled to give meaning to the 35 percent affirmative action in all the parties.

    She described as “good” the opportunity to seat on the same seat her husband, the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, sat on in the senate. “It feels good, more so when you know that you are sitting on the same seat – Anambra North, because he represented the zone and here I am again representing the same zone. Not necessarily because I married Dr Okadigbo but because I am representing my own people. I am from Anambra North myself by birth, so I am representing my people by birth and I am representing my people by marriage. So, it feels good”.

     

     

     

  • Anambra is well governed – Anyaoku

    Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyanwu, has described Anambra state as one of the best governed going by indices of good governance.

    He spoke at the weekend during the gathering of parliamentarians, diplomats and captains of industry to honour him as he turned 80 at the Marlborough House, London, the Headquarters of the Commonwealth.

    Anyaoku worked for 34 years at the Commonwealth, rising to become the Secretary General from 1990-2000.

    He said: “Peter Obi is the governor of my state, Anambra, which is one among the 36 federating states.

    “In the most recent rating, Obi is acclaimed as one of the best performing governors in Nigeria. This is not hearsay.

    “Even recently, Bunmi and I were in the state to celebrate the Christmas and can attest to the transformational activities taking place in the state under Peter Obi. At 80, this gives me special joy.”

    Obi thanked everyone that paid reverence to Anyaoku, saying he was proud to be the CEO of a global and wonderful brand.

    He said that the real celebration would be in Anambra where he will take the opportunity to present Anyaoku as a role model.

  • Teachers’ reshuffling sparks row in Anambra

    Teachers’ reshuffling sparks row in Anambra

    •Nut supports move, as teachers grumble

    An attempt to reshuffle teachers to address the imbalance that has favoured urban schools has placed affected teachers at loggerheads with the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB). NWANOSIKE ONU reports on the dispute.

    The New Year has brought unsavoury news for some teachers in the Anambra public primary schools as the rationalization exercise of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) means many now have to relocate to rural areas.

    The board embarked on the reshuffling exercise to correct the lopsided supply of teachers to urban schools while those in the rural areas suffer great need.

    Some of these disadvantaged schools are in Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru and Orumba North Local Government Areas. They are seen as the remotest areas out of the 21 local government areas in the state.

    On the other hand, ASUBEB has discovered that the bulk of teachers in the state are clustered in towns in Onitsha South, Idemili North, Nnewi North, Awka South and other council areas close to these towns.

    Furthermore, it was discovered that most of such schools in the remote areas had the head teacher as the only teacher or one or two others to teach primaries one to six, while uncountable number of teachers are redundant in township schools.

    The National Policy on Education (NPC) recommends that the teacher-pupil ratio should be 35 pupils for primaries 1-6, while 25 pupils should be for 1-3 in what they called Early Child Care Development Education (ECCDE) classes.

    There are 10, 600 primary school teachers on the pay roll of the Anambra State government. As the policy recommends that each school should have at least eight teachers, The Nation gathered that the Peter Obi-led administration recruited about 1,000 more teachers in 2011 to beef up the number.

    However, it did not pay off as some of the schools in urban cities had surplus of about 13 teachers, while the rural ones were in pains of teachers to fill the vacancies.

    From the statistics available to The Nation, Central Schools 1,2,3 and 4 Nkpor Agu in Idemili North had surplus teachers of 42, while United Schools 1,2 and 3 also in Nkpor Agu had surplus of 16 teachers before ASUBEB stepped in.

    Other schools in Idemili North alone that had between 10 to 16 surplus teachers who were redundant included, Community Primary School Iyi-Enu Ogidi (10), All Saints Primary School, Nkpor Agu (16), Premier Primary School Obosi (16), Ubuota Primary School Obosi (10), Awada Primary Schools 1,2 and 3 Obosi (16) and Akpakaogwe Primary School, Ogidi (12).

    On the other hand, the deficits in rural schools raise the teacher-pupil ratio to as high as 1:100 and above. During the flooding of last November, The Nation noted the dearth of teachers and teaching facilities in Awka North schools. For instance before the re-posting of teachers, Union Primary School Amanuke had 369 pupils taught by two teachers, while Central Primary School Amanuke had 327 pupils and seven teachers, some of whom were allegedly transferred without replacement.

    Coping with a huge population of pupils without enough teachers is not an easy task, many heads of the poorly-staffed school complained. At the Central School, Enugwu-Otu Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, the only teacher in the school of 300 pupils is the headmistress.

    For that reason, most of the parents in those rural areas, now engage what they call PTA teachers to help their children.

    The headmaster of Central School Enugu-otu in Aguleri, Anambra East Council Area, Mr Ezeudu Joseph who was the sole worker in the school told The Nation that it was a difficult situation for him.

    He said the heavy burden of managing 200 pupils was only ligtened by a Reverend Father in the Saint Paul’s Catholic Church, Enugu-Otu that hosts the school.

    He said: “It was a big burden for me and because of that, I had to combine the classes to be easier for me to handle, but I thank the Reverend Father who came to assist me in that direction. Everybody was surprised how I was coping with the situation. Before the flood disaster that ravaged our area, I had a population of 200 pupils but when it receded, not more than 50 pupils have been coming to school which in a way became a relief for me.

    “As we speak now, three teachers have been sent to the school to beef it up, while two have reported, the other person has not, but I believe, she will report very soon.”

    So far, The Nation gathered that ASUBEB has already redeployed about 250 teachers from urban communities to the rural areas.

    However, following this exercise, the board has been inundated with telephone calls from the rich men in the state to reverse their relations’ transfers.

    But the executive Chairman of ASUBEB, Nzemeka Olisah, said the reversal will not happen.

    He said: “We can not reverse transfers, we have over 10,600 primary school teachers on the pay-roll. Putting into consideration on the investment of the state government in the education sector that runs into billions of Naira, the teachers therefore, must reciprocate to the government’s gesture by giving their best.

    “The teachers are being promoted regularly, their salaries had been enhanced which is motivational, so we cannot continue to waste resources on people who are idle. In Civil Service, wherever one is posted is where one reports. We should not be sentimental about it. Well-to-do people have been calling the office to intercede on their relations but it cannot work.”

    He urged the teachers to comply with the directive and resume in their new schools.

    “My candid appeal to the affected staff is that they should please accept the postings in the interest of our children in these ‘educationally disadvantaged’ areas who have right to quality education. They should realize that they have idled about for many years while earning salaries at the detriment of these abandoned pupils. They should remember that teaching is a job of good conscience and that when they were employed, they accepted to serve in any part of the state.”

    Commenting on the issue, the Anambra state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ifeanyi Ofodile, praised the redeployment.

    However, he faulted its timing, saying it should have come towards the end of the academic session.

    He also urged the teachers to be ready to relocate.

    “Let us accept these things with open heart. There is nothing wrong about the postings, as a teacher and administrator, I have always advocated for the employment of teachers. Personally, before now, I had been moved to seven different schools. Some of these teachers begin and end in one school, that trend has to be reversed,” he said.

    On their parts, some of the transferred teachers are claiming the move is unfair.

    One of them, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Nation that the exercise was selective, adding that she had already paid for her accommodation in Onitsha before been was taken to Lilu in Nnewi South Council area.

    “How are my going to retrieve my money back from landlord in Onitsha after paying over 200, 000 Naira house rent, this is pure wickedness on some of us’’ she said

    Another female teacher sent to Anambra west said, she had never been to that area in her life, adding that somebody must have done it because of her out spoken nature.

    She said “I know that the God I worship will see me through, no condition is permanent.’’

  • Anambra community protests illegal acquisition of lands

    A massive protest yesterday grounded Awka community.

    Over 500 youths decried alleged attempts by those they described as cabals to illegally acquire lands in the area.

    They gave Governor Peter Obi two weeks to stop such elements or risk facing another problem in the state.

    The youths stormed the popular Aroma Junction in the heart of Awka where they addressed a waiting crowd before heading to Ngozika Estate along Onitsha-Enugu Expressway.

    The youth leader in the community, Obi Ochije, stated the Ezinano lands being sold by some individuals amounted to over 70 hectares.

    Each of the plots was being sold for N6.1 million by a group he identified as Rockland.

    The protesters carried placards bearing: “Ministry of Lands, keep off Ezinano lands”; “Gilbert Nwanna, you are a traitor”; “Ignatius Nwanna keep off from those lands”, among others

    Ochije said: “This is a peaceful protest. I have held the youths for too long not to cause any violence.

    “But if within the two weeks, nothing is done, what happened during the 2004 mayhem will be a child’s play.”

    Another youth leader in the community, Chief Kanayo Obidigbo, said Ezinano comprises 20 villages, alleging that some black legs had delved into the lands without any form of consultation.

    He said that any person that buys any plot of land belonging to Ezinano people does so at his or her own risk.

  • Obi: we’ll leave worthy legacy for Anambra

    •Community residents hail governor 

    Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has said his administration would not relent in rebuilding the state for future generations to be proud of.

    The governor spoke in Awka, the state capital, when people of Orumba, a community in the state, visited him at the Governor’s Lodge.

    He said this was the time to lay a strong foundation that would reposition the state for sustainable and comprehensive development.

    Obi explained that the massive infrastructural development of rural areas is to open up the grassroots for wealth creation.

    The governor called for collective efforts to keep the state on track so that it would not slide back to its difficult past.

    The leader of the delegation Chief Okey Ezeibe said the visit was to thank the governor for giving the people of Orumba North a sense of belonging.

    Ezeibe recalled that the Obi administration initiated and completed many projects in the local government.

    He noted that the projects, including the Odor Bridge, have direct impact on the lives of the residents.

    The community leader promised that the area would reciprocate the governor’s gesture by supporting his efforts to correct the mistakes of the past and maintain the present tempo of development.

    Also, a former deputy governor, Dr. Okey Udeh, noted that the Obi administration has stabilised the state financially, economically, socially and politically.

    He stressed the need for collective efforts to elect a worthy successor for him to consolidate on his administration’s achievements for continuity.

    At Obeledu, Obi assured the residents that he would fulfill his campaign promises to them to restore confidence in governance and entrench new consciousness among the people.

    Obi said the government was taking steps to secure the life and property of the people.

     

     

  • Anambra set for Harmattan carnival

    Residents of Adazi-Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government of Anambra State are set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual Harmattan Carnival.

    The carnival is one of Anambra’s biggest social events. It will hold from December 30 to January1, 2013.

    The three-day celebrations comprises music, dance and performances by musical acts.

    It also has massive fireworks, traditional bonfire dancing, among others.

    One of the organisers, Dynamic Minds League (DML) Derek Ofojekwu said preparations are in top gear to host what he called a spectacular edition of the event.

    Ofojekwu said: “Popular Nigerian artiste and king of Igbo rap music, Mr Raw (formerly Nigga Raw), Sortitude, Desperate Diva, Parrot Mouth, DJ Vegas, among others, are among the stars who will thrill over 10,000 spectators expected to attend the event.”

    “The Harmattan Carnival’s 20th anniversary celebration will hold more than just dancing, singing or having fun. It will also celebrate pioneer organisers who, through passion, instituted the carnival in 1992.

    “It promises to be a unique blend of the modern and old skool tunes. It creates a platform for returnees (as we say, Nataad persons) to the Southeast during the Yuletide. Such returnees are from all over the world. They will unwind and have fun while interacting within the setup of a typical African carnival. It showcases fabstic fireworks.”

     

  • ACN’s day of joy in Anambra

    ACN’s day of joy in Anambra

    • Ngige renders account to constituents

    Members of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Anambra State were in Jubilation mood yesterday, when the former Governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, doled out cash worth over N20 million and eight vehicles to them at an impressive ceremony in Akwa, the state capital.

    Besides, a new ACN office was commissioned at Amawbia to serve as the Awka South Local Government Area secretariat by the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi.

    Ngige, represents Anambra Senatorial Central Zone in the senate. Obi is a former vice presidential candidate of the party.

    Distributing the vehicles to the party members, Ngige said that it was the first batch of such donation, adding that in the second phase slated for March next year, eight vehicles would be given to members.

    The six Toyota Camry cars went to Chief Charles Amilo, Chris Udenze, ECJ Nwosu, Kingsley Ezenwenyi and vice chairman of ACN in the South Senatorial Zone.

    However, there was another beneficiary who was not mentioned by Ngige. He told party members that the person refused to rig election against him during the last senatorial election involving him and former Minister of Information, Prof Dora Akunyili.

    The ACN senator also gave out N10 million to the state secretariat of the party and N1.050 million to all the 21 local government chapters.

    He also gave N5 million to groups and churches, including the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Holy Family Catholic Church Awka- Etiti, Pontifical Church in Benin, Edo State, Christ Anglican Church, Abakpa, Nike Enugu State, and Saint Mary’s Anglican Church, Ogbunike.

    The former governor also gave money and other items to the orphanage homes, widows and youths.

    Ngige commissioned six classroom blocks, which he built for the Federal Government College, Nise.

    The Special Adviser on Inter-Party Relations, Senator Obi told the party faithful that he is still a chieftain of ACN, despite serving under President Goodluck Jonathan. He thanked Ngige for his kind gestures.

    He said: “ The truth is that since democracy began in 1999, the best governor that gave dividends of democracy to the people was Ngige. He changed the face of democracy in Nigeria and that is why I always supporting him.

    “Ngige is the true representative of the people. His contributions in the senate are awesome. We should look at the pedigree of people before we vote for them. We have a true leader in Dr. Chris Ngige”.