The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anambra

  • May 29: Bello dissolves Niger cabinet

    Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger on Tuesday dissolved the State Executive Council and directed all commissioners to handover the affairs of their ministries to their Permanent Secretaries.

    He also directed other political appointees to handover to the most senior civil servant in their departments or agencies.

    The directives are in a statement by Malam Jibrin Ndace, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor in Minna.

    Ndace stated that the governor gave the directives during valedictory session of the council on Monday night.

    He noted that the governor commended members of the Executive Council and Special Advisers and directed that all handover should be done on or before 12 midnight on Tuesday.

    He expressed his appreciation to the council members for offering themselves to serve the state.

    The governor said “I want to express my profound gratitude to all of you. I appreciate your commitment to the service of our dear state.

    “You all have contributed immensely to the social contract we had with our people four years ago.

    Read Also:  Tension in Anambra as IPOB dares security agencies

    “The modest actualisation of the `Restoration Agenda’ was a product of our collective efforts.

    “I want to wish every one of you success in your future endeavors while I implore you all to remain committed to the development of our dear state.

    “Your valuable contributions are highly appreciated and I make bold to say that you all have done well.”

    The valedictory session had in attendance, members of the state Executive Council, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Local Government Directors of Personnel Management, Departments, Ministries and other stakeholders.

  • Road traffic crashes claim 36 lives in Edo, Delta, Anambra

    No fewer than 36 persons were reported dead in road traffic crashes in Edo, Delta and Anambra between January and March this year, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

    Mr Kehinde Adeleye, FRSC Commanding Officer for the Zone 5 comprising the three states, said yesterday  Benin that the figure was against the 34 deaths recorded within the same period in 2018.

    Adeleye spoke at the second quarter zonal retreat for commanding officers, zonal heads of departments and units.

    Read Also: Insecurity: No sacred cows in Anambra – Obiano

    He said that within the same period, 57 road crashes were recorded against 47 in 2018, while 170 persons were involved against the 173 recorded in 2018 in the same period.

    He stressed that the retreat was a capacity building programme targeted at commanding officers in the zone in view of the increase in road crashes and fatalities in the first quarter.

    He said it was, therefore, necessary to put heads together and come up with new initiatives to ensure that the major goal and objective of the “Decade of Action on Road Safety” was achieved.

    He explained that the FRSC had less than one year to achieve the basic objectives of the Decade of Action on Road Safety, adding, “there was the need for personnel in the zone to work hard and smart to achieve the goals.”

    Mr Ben Anafa, FRSC Corps Commandant, Monitoring and Evaluation, delivered a paper titled “An Overview of Assessment Criteria for 2019 as Aligned with 2019 FRSC corporate strategy Goals”.

  • Students with disabilities make bicycles, beads in Anambra

    While most physically challenged persons depend on charity to survive, the case is different with  challenged students of Jesus Abandoned International Technical and Vocation School, Umuezeopi, Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    These students have proven that physically challenged persons can be productive.

    They not only produce Rosary beads and necklaces, but also construct bicycles and many other handiworks.

    Speaking with The Nation, founder of the school, Rev. Fr. Anthony Chidi Ananwa, said the institution was established in 2015, to help physically challenged persons achieve their dreams and be self-dependent upon graduation from the school.

    He said: “In this school, our students who are physically challenged construct bicycles, make beads, necklaces and many other handiworks.

    “They are able to mould some components of the bicycle using local technology.

    “We want to demonstrate that nobody is disabled. Somebody may be physically challenged, but as long as his brain is intact, there is no limit to what such person can do.

    “This school challenges persons with disabilities to think beyond their disabilities, so that, besides fending for themselves and becoming bread winners, they will also be employers of labour.”

    Father Ananwa underscored the importance of practical-driven education for all categories of learners.

    “The whole idea is to deliberately change the scope of our education system from theory-driven to practical or technology-driven.

    “There is dire need for the Nigerian child to acquire holistic education by learning both the theoretical and practical aspects of any field of endeavour.

    “This will enable school leavers have skills to fall back on after graduation; instead of looking for white collar jobs that hardly exist.

    “It is our desire that once a student leaves this institution, he will become self employed by fixing himself in a responsible venture that will put food on his table,” he said.

    Leader of the students, Edward Ezinna explained how his team was able to produce a bicycle in two days.

    He said: “We construct bicycles using broken parts of wheelchairs used by some of us. Instead of leaving them to rust away, we gather such irons and pipes.

    “We also mould some other component parts ourselves and weld them together into complete bicycle.

    “The only component of the bicycle we don’t fabricate ourselves is the special tyre which does not have tube, valve or air.

    “We import that component from Australia. This tyre brand is a new technology that is highly durable, and cannot be pierced by nail,” he said.

    The 15–year-old JSS1 student however regretted that finance was a major challenge limiting them from large scale production.

    He called on government at all levels to come to their aid.

    “The students are divided into groups of three; and it takes each group two days to produce one bicycle.

    “We are able to fabricate 25 bicycles. It took us only one week to do this.

    “There is a machine they call ‘start and weld’. We don’t have it, but it costs a lot of money to procure.

    “If we have people that will sponsor us financially to procure this machine, it will help us improve in the new innovation,” he added.

  • Over 20,000 benefit from TraderMoni in Anambra – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday, said over 20,000 traders have so far benefited from the TraderMoni and MarketMoni scheme in Anambra State. Osinbajo made the disclosure at the palace of the traditional ruler of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, during his visit to the state to promote the TraderMoni and MarketMoni at EkeAwka Market in Awka and Ochanja Market in Onitsha. He noted that the scheme had practically gone round the country, with some receiving the MarketMoni. He explained that it was a Federal Government project where micro credits were provided to the lowest in the rank of the trading value chain.

    He said, “Many of them are not given such facility or loan because nobody is sure that they will pay back or not. “Only the government can guarantee that kind of facility and it is the Bank of Industry (BOI) that actually administers the loan.” The VP also expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Federal Government’s HomeGrown-School-Feeding programme in the state. “As a matter of fact, we visited a lady in Awka, one of the cooks, who happened to be best cook of the programme in the community,” he added.

    He commended Achebe for his leadership style not just as the chairman of the South-East Traditional Rulers Council, but also an individual, whose statements were conciliatory rather than divide the country. He reaffirmed Federal Government commitment to ensure that the country remains united and that all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation regard themselves as one. While inspecting the Second Niger Bridge, The Vice President again reassured the Federal Government’s commitment to completing the project and the access roads. He said the government insisted on completing the project in view of its economic benefit to the zone and the entire country.

  • Why Anambra, Enugu, Kogi can’t be declared oil bearing states, by DPR

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday said that Anambra, Enugu and Kogi states can only join the list of oil producing states after meeting necessary conditions.

    In a letter to the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), the DPR said that the three states could only be declared oil bearing states if the oil firm in the area, Orient Oil, scales up its operations from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.

    The Department insisted that the states cannot be categorised as oil producing states for now because they have not met the necessary requirements.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, said the issue at stake has to do with a referral to the committee on the contentious boundary between the three states.

    He noted that a report that said “the Federal Government confirms Anambra oil producing ‎status” threw up the matter to the front burner.

    Alasoadura said his committee lacked the power to declare an oil-producing status on a state.

    He said that the committee believed that the agency is in the best position to settle the matter with the National Boundary Commission (NBC).

    The Ondo Central senator said the committee wrote to the DPR “but their response was not quite satisfactory.”

    That is why we want to hear from your commission.

    He noted that the committee decided to hear from the National Boundary Commission because “when we had a similar issue in Ondo State in the past, it was your commission that resolved it.”

    Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) noted that the issue of OPL 915 and 916 dated back to antiquity.

    Utazi said: “I didn’t know that this motion would come up, because we had already resolved the issue when Senator Isaac Mohammed Alfa was away.

    “Kogi and Enugu states do not have problem; the two are in agreement. But Enugu and Anambra are not in agreement.

    “We in Enugu want to be declared as oil producing state too. Let that be done pending when the boundary commission finishes its work.”

    He added that Orient Oil, within seven years, moved from 3,000 to 10,000 barrels a day.

    According to him, “an oil company that had been able to move from 3,000 to 10,000 barrels per day should have graduated from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.”

    He said that they would go to the DPR to find out why Orient Oil refused to move from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.”

    Senator Alfa said there was no contention on the desire to recognise the affected communities as oil producing communities.

    Acting Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Adamu Adaji said that the issue is a tripartite one involving the three states.

    He said: “We carried out preliminary field work on Kogi-Anambra boundary, but the challenge we have is the document we are using, which was produced before independence.

    “We had to use a provincial boundary map produced by the colonial masters. We discovered that the descriptions on the map are not too clear.

    “We scaled out seven points, and about five of them were discovered, but the remaining two resisted.

    “Some youths from Ibaji community accosted our staff at some point that they will not agree with the legal document we were using. We are relying on Legal Instrument of 1954.

    “The work was stalled because the people of Ibaji were of the view that we must identify the points between Anambra, Kogi and Enugu before we could do anything.

    “When we made an attempt in 2015, our effort was aborted. We met with the then governor of Kogi State and he promised to talk to the community to cooperate with us.

    Read also: DPR deploys satellite to halt $2.8billion loss to oil smuggling

    “What we want now is to get the states to cooperate so that we can work. The three states were not quite forthcoming for us to do the job. That is what we have been trying to do now.

    “If we cannot rely on the map, we plead that the states should cooperate for us to come to a boundary that is acceptable to all.”

    Senator Magnus Abe noted that from what the commission said, “it’s already doing something, but the problem is except the commission does what some people want, the work can’t be done. Except there is the right atmosphere for them to work, nothing can be done.”

    Abe suggested that the only way the issue could be resolved is for the committee to invite the states to come and “we set up a joint team with the boundary commission so that we can have adequate security ‎before they can go and do their job.

    “Now that there is oil there, the next thing you may have is that the people will start acquiring guns and start shooting themselves.”

    Senator Gershom Bassey said that the National Boundary Commission cannot completely be exonerated from the blame. He noted that in his state, Cross River, “there have been communal clashes because the commission has not done its job.

    Philip Gyunka said that it appeared the commission does not want to hurt some communities.

    “I want to advise here that whatever you think can solve the problem, please try and do it.”

    Alasoadura, however, explained that the Boundary Commission cannot do anything without the cooperation of the states.

    States, he said, should also establish their own boundary commissions so that they can work directly with the NBC.

     

  • Anambra partners NGO on breast, cervical cancer education in schools

    Anambra State Government has concluded plans to provide breast and cervical cancer education in secondary schools across the state.

    Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, who disclosed this in Awka, the state capital, said the arrangement was in partnership with the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.

    She said the plan to include breast and cervical cancer education in the curriculum for secondary schools in the state had been concluded.

    Omenugha, who is also the official sponsor of the campaign, said the cancer campaign tagged “Arm Our Youths”, would start in September/October.

    She commended the Foundation for initiating the programme, urging them to come up with guidelines for its seamless implementation.

    Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Akabuike, said the government would provide the necessary support for the project to succeed.

    Akabuike said about 16 per cent of women aged 20-60 had pre-cancerous lesions.

    He said the prevalence could come down to cancer in the next 20 years if not properly taken care of.

    “One of the greatest challenges we have in the developing world is that we neglect preventive medicine and go for cure when we lack money and facilities to cure ourselves. Our women are dying because the society does not see their lives as worth saving.  These diseases can be treated at zero level but usually nothing is done until it gets worse,” he said.

    Legal Adviser of the Foundation, Mr Onyechi Ononye, who led the group, said the group visited to raise awareness ahead of the implementation of the campaign.

    He disclosed that the campaign was endorsed by the Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

    Expressing concern over the increasing rate of the diseases, Ononye said the Foundation had developed an evidence-based initiative that would ensure that the teachings were delivered in a sustainable and cost-effective ways to students in the country.

    He said: “We assure you and everyone else that the OCI Foundation will keep her part of this initiative, just as we have always done.

    “Our focus is to do all we can for the ultimate winners of this programme who are not just our women, but men that will marry them and the boys and girls they will give birth to.”

  • INEC gets pass mark over conduct of 2019 polls

    A coalition of civil society groups said on Monday that desperation by politicians and massive deployment of security operatives contributed to the lapses witnessed during the 2019 election.

    It also declared there was institutional conspiracy to sabotage the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) preparation for the election.

    In its report made public on Monday, the coalition faulted attempts by politicians to put the blame of the hitches witnessed during the elections solely at the doorsteps of the electoral body.

    The report, which is a summary of the various reports on the 2019 election by the coalition of CSOs, led by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), claimed there was institutional conspiracy by the political class and actors to sabotage INEC’s preparations and processes.

    The report identified vote buying, violent attacks on perceived opponents, intimidation and abduction of INEC officials, snatching and destruction of ballot boxes and papers, to burning up of INEC offices and electoral materials as some of the ways the political class ruined the election.

    The report stated in part: “The politicians, their agents, and thugs constituted the greatest menace in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    “From brazen acts of vote buying, violent attacks on perceived opponents, intimidation and abduction of INEC officials, snatching and destruction of ballot boxes and papers to burning up of INEC offices and electoral materials in Plateau, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Benue and Abia states, the political parties and politicians showed their desperation for power.

    “The resultant losses of lives and properties in such places as Lagos, Rivers, Kogi, Plateau and so on, and the widespread violence that attended these were recorded by our observers as perpetrated by politicians and their political thugs.

    “The recruitment of thugs by the political class from one part of the country to another before the elections evidenced by the arrest of young men travelling en masse at Uyo was as never seen in the history of our elections.

    “The violence that followed the elections was as a result of the hate speeches by the political class at campaign rallies and the conduct of some of the party primaries that ended in violence.

    “Most political party agents seen on the field did not have proper identification tags from INEC the parties printed their own tags for their agents.

    “It has become a recurrent problem of the political parties not following the guidelines for party agent’s accreditation.”

    The report said under such aforementioned circumstances, there was little the INEC could do since it doesn’t control the security apparatus and other relevant institutions such as Nigeria Air Force and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which are key stakeholders in the electoral process.

    Read Also: Nigeria not ripe for electronic voting, says INEC

    “What happens when politicians suborn state institutions to sabotage INEC and its carefully laid out plans and preparations at the last minute, which was exactly what happened leading to the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly election that was supposed to be held on Saturday, February 16, 2019?

    “Some ad-hoc staff became suborned by politicians, considering that they are not permanent staff of the Commission and with a lot of them susceptible to the temptation of immediate gratification for a day’s work without consideration for the consequences,” a segment of the report stated.

    On the role of security agencies during elections, the report stated that in many places, the security personnel deployed for the election turned a blind eye to breaches by overzealous party agents and their thugs.

    It states in both elections, the number of security agents deployed per polling unit was inadequate and in terms of their response to incidences that occurred in their Polling Units, they were grossly inefficient.

    Speaking while presenting the report Acting Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi commended some INEC staff for their courage and refusal to be bought over by politicians.

    She said: “Of course, we did not expect that the political class would accept INEC’s exercise of its independence without a fight, but what shocked Nigerians was the extent they could go to undermine INEC.

    “The brazen manner the security services were used to intimidate INEC officials in their offices and on the field were terrible.

    “Yet, INEC officials nationwide refused to be intimidated by threats and violence unleashed on its officials and ad-hoc staff.

    ‘’Indeed, INEC’s brave conduct may have saved our nation from conflagration because it was obvious that elements of the political class, including elements of the ruling class, were bent on mayhem if they didn’t get their way.”

    The highpoint of the event was the presentation of award of excellence to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Enugu state, Emeka Ononamadu, for distinguishing himself during the 2019 General Elections.

    The event also witnessed the presentation of certificates of service to CTA observers.

  • Anambra tackles illiteracy rate, sets up 283 adult education centers

    Anambra State government has restated its commitment to becoming one of the three top states with low illiteracy rate. The Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, dropped the hint in Awka during a 5day training of over 200 teachers on contemporary teaching skills development for facilitators of adults and non formal schools in collaboration with State Education Program Investment Project (ANSEPIP).

    She said over 283 adult and non-formal education centers have been established in the state as part of efforts to ensuring that illiteracy level of the citizenry was reduced to the bearest minimum. She said the centers scattered across the state were set up mostly for adults who were not privileged to attend formal educa tion. She said, “What Governor Obiano has done is to have a center for non-formal and adults education for any market being built now in the state. “Some of them are located in the town halls, schools and markets. So even if you are trading in the market, you can attend classes in the evening before going home.”

    She called on those who could not afford formal education to take advantage of the informal education initiative to improve on their literacy level. According to the Omenugha, the training was aimed at equipping the facilitators with basic communication skills as well as how lesson notes were developed, planned and delivered. “Our efforts are geared towards ensuring that illiteracy level of the people of the state is reduced to the bearest minimum.

    “We also want to teach them on how to interact with adult teachers, develop more confidence in themselves, especially as facilitators,” she added. Describing the participants as change agents, the commissioner expressed confidence in the ability of the facilitator, mostly retirees to deliver on their mandate within the time frame.

    On his part, the Consult ant for the training and Managing Director, Fagna Training and Consultant, Ajadi Blade, assured the readiness of his team to equip the participants with modern practices needed in teaching adults. “We are aware of the huge investment government has made on education in the state. So we can’t afford to fail on our part towards providing the requisite capacity training,” he assured.

  • Ex-lawmaker assassinated in Anambra

    A former lawmaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Anthony Igboka, was on Tuesday night shot dead by unknown gunmen.

    Igboka was reportedly assassinated at his Oye Nimo village market square in the Njikoka local government area of Anambra State while returning from a meeting.

    The Nation gathered that the incident might not be unconnected to lingering
    chieftaincy tussle in the community following the demise of the last occupant of the seat some years back.

    Confirming the incident, Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said the deceased was shot in his car near Nimo Market.

    He said the state Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura had ordered a full-scale investigation on the matter.

    He said, “At about 8:18pm of April 16, there were sporadic gunshots around Nimo Market in Njikoka Local Government Area.

    “Police patrol team attached to Nimo Division rushed to the scene and discovered one Chief Frank Anthony Igboka on the driver’s seat of his Chevrolet SUV vehicle lying unconscious in the pool of his blood.

    “His body was riddled with bullets. The victim was rushed to Beke Hospital, Nimo, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor and the corpse was later deposited at the hospital morgue.”

    Mohammed added that preliminary investigation showed the victim was shot at a close range by four armed men who escaped in a pickup van towards Abacha-Eziowelle road.

    He revealed that 25 expended 7.62 mm ammunition was recovered at the scene.

    “The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mustapha Dandaura, has visited the scene and ordered a full-scale investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident and bring perpetrators to justice,” Mohammed added.

    The spokesperson appealed to the public to avail the command with information that could help in arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

    Meanwhile, the state Governor, Willie Obiano has announced a N5m reward to any person who can provide useful information on the identity of the killers.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said the governor has also directed the state Commissioner of Police to personally lead a team to apprehend the killers immediately.

    The statement partly read, “He has, in addition, directed the Department of State Security, intelligence officers in the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy as well as the Nigerian Security and Defence Corps to join the Nigeria Police Force in the task to bring the culprits quickly.

    “Chief Obiano asked the intelligence and security officers to reenact the same level of enthusiasm and competence they exhibited in the arrest two weeks ago of Ikechukwu Udensi, the most wanted murder suspect in Anambra State, immediately he entered the state to collect illegal revenues.

    “You have to display the same commitment and competence this time in tracing the killers of Chief Igboka, who was also a former chairman of Njikoka Local Government Area.”

    Describing the killing as utterly heartless, Obiano added, “It is a shame that the killing of Chief Igboka should take place in the week leading to Easter when men and women of goodwill throughout the world are reconciling themselves with God and fellow human beings.”

    Obiano emphasized that no stone would be left unturned in the effort to ensure the state remained the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria.

    “Anyone who thinks that he can spill the blood of an innocent Anambra person and go scot-free is living in a fool’s paradise.

    “All the persons who have in the last five years attempted to spill blood in the state have been caught up by the long arms of the law. Chief Igboka’s killers cannot be different,” he insisted.

    The deceased, until his death, was the President-General of Nimo Town Union.

  • Achebe flays Anambra health workers’ abscondment to duty

    The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe has expressed displeasure over alleged abscondment to duty by health workers in some health centres in Anambra state.

    Achebe, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues when health workers paid them courtesy visit in Awka, said the rate at which health workers abandon their duty posts was regrettable.

    He said, “Whenever I stopped to ascertain how the health workers were faring in some of the centres, I often met nobody at their duty posts.”

    While commending them for the visit, Achebe who doubles as Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, urged the workers to always do the needful for the good of the people.

    He also enjoined them to intimate the council on their activities at various health centres for improved healthcare delivery.

    Acting Chairman, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHDA), Dr Emmanuel Okafor, said the agency would soon commence checks on all the health centres.

    READ ALSO: 1,700 indigent students get Achebe’s scholarship

    He warned that anybody found wanting at their duty posts would be sanctioned.

    He said, “The state health workers have no reason to absent themselves from work going by government’s commitment toward them.”

    Okafor who said the visit was to intimate the monarchs on the activities of the health centers, described as cordial the relationship between the state government and health workers.

    Appreciating government for salary increase and promise of payment of the new minimum wage, ASPHDA boss appealed for employment of more health workers to replace the retiring ones.