The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Awka

  • NiMet predicts cloudy, thundery, rainy weather for Monday

    NiMet predicts cloudy, thundery, rainy weather for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the Central States of the country on Monday.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday also predicted day and night temperatures of 25 to 36 and 16 to 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    According to NiMet there will be prospects of localised thunderstorms over Jos, Kaduna, Minna, Bida and Yola axis in the afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency predicted increase morning cloudiness over the southern states with chances of localised rain over Lagos and Calabar with day and night temperatures of 31 to 35 and 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    NiMet also predicted prospects of localised thunderstorms over Ado Ekiti, Oshogbo, Abeokuta, Owerri, Awka, Abakaliki, and Port Harcourt during the evening and night period.

    According to NiMet, northern states will experience partly cloudy conditions with day and night temperatures of 38 to 40 and 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    “ Influx of moisture laden winds observed over the entire country is expected to result in an increase in weather activities over most part of the country in the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted.

  • Offer scholarship to indigent children, Speaker urges affluent Nigerians

    Mrs Rita Maduagwu, the Speaker of  Anambra  House of Assembly, has called  on  affluent Nigerians  to offer scholarship  and other assistance to indigent  children to enhance their living condition.

    Maduagwu made the call  on Saturday in her goodwill message to mark the Children’s Day celebration  in Awka.

    She also called on the  National  and State Assemblies to enact laws that would  guarantee adequate protection and training  of children.

    The Speaker said offering  free education and basic amenities  to indigent children would make life more meaningful for them.

    Maduagwu also enjoined parents to give proper home training and education to their children in order to inculcate good morals in them.

    The speaker, who described children as the pride of the family, advised parents to show equal love to their children no matter their sex.

    She also charged children to take their studies seriously and abstain from acts capable of tarnishing the image of their families.

  • Glo treats Awka to exciting Easter show

    Glo treats Awka to exciting Easter show

    It was a fun Easter for Awka residents as telecommunications giant, Globacom, had its debut edition of its Mega Music Nationwide held in Awka, Anambra State last Saturday.

    The show which held at the Marble Arch Event Centre was compered by Nollywood actresses, Mercy Johnson Okojie and Ebube Nwagbo.

    Opening the show was Di’ja, who, during her performance, introduced  Thelma, an Igbo ethno-rapper, who also impressed the audience. Omawumi came next with the full ensemble of her band and  performed her hit tracks including kokoma, What a Bang Bang, Bonsue, Somori and As I Dey.

    Next was Runtown who took the tempo of the show higher as he performed his songs including Fijo Gbowo, Emergency, Bend Down Pause, Walahitalahi, Superwoma n and Mad Over You. He was followed by Yemi Alade, whose electrifying performances of her songs – No do me, Kom Kom, Kissing, Ferrari, Taking over me, Charlie, Tangerine and Pose caused much excitement. Timaya came on her heels immediately with his  Dem Papa signature tune  which dazzled the crowd further following  with  I concur, Overdose, Money no dey, closing with Won fe pami.

    Closing the show was Olamide, who, for over 40 minutes, dished out some of his hit songs like Jeje lomo eko, Introduction, How are you, Oh baba, Alowo majaye, Don’t stop, Skekelobose shoki, Eledami and Omo abule sowo.

    Nollywood legends such as Patience Ozokwor, aka Mama G, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), and the lead character in the TV Series, Professor Johnbull, Kanayo O. Kanayo, also made celebrity appearances. RMD who stepped on stage to tell the crowd about Glo Café application also mimed Phyno’s ttrack, Fada Fada, simulating some dancing steps which sent the crowd into a frenzy.

    The Secretary to Anambra State Government, SSG, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu; Managing Director of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade), Hon. Kenneth Okonkwo, and the MD/CEO of Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS), Nze Uche Nworah also graced the event.

    Local artistes in Awka like Emiboizy, Titilaptop, Emkizzy, Tonero, Videch and Zyryes, also got a chance to showcase their talents to the delight of their fans. Two Glo subscribers, who previously competed in the online engagement activity vide hash tagged #glosings60seconds, Endless Pella Iyke and Chief Priest, employed the platform to demonstrate their talents.

    The Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour will berth in Owerri, Imo State, at the International Conference Centre on Saturday, April 22.

    To  attend the Owerri show or any other of the remaining 26 shows, organisers say subscribers are expected to recharge up to  N2,000 within one month and text MUSIC and preferred location to short code 207, for example, “MUSIC Owerri’ to 207.

  • Publisher urges Ndi Igbo to invest in South-East

    Mrs Nneka Ezeemo, Managing Director, Orient Magazines, Newspapers and Communications Ltd, has appealed to Igbo sons and daughters to endeavour to bring their investments back home in order to boost development of the South-East.

    “We do not have to do everything in Lagos. There is this movement and notion within Ndi Igbo that we should bring our investment home.

    “If we really mean it, I do not see reasons why people from here must go to Lagos before they get quality print; that is why we have established a world-class printing press in the South-East, precisely in Awka, the Anambra capital.

    “Today, we have experts from outside the South-East, working and running the world-class printing press.

    “They are currently transferring knowledge to our people and expanding our local market,’’ Ezeemo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Monday in Enugu.

    The publisher, who also gave reasons why her firm participated in the ongoing 2017 Enugu International Trade Fair, said: “With this, we are doing what we are preaching; that is Ndi Igbo investing at home.

    “We want to focus in this region and have some national and international news to complement it.’’

    Ezeemo noted that the publishing company is aimed at capturing the South- East and South-South reading public.

    The Enugu International Trade Fair, which is being supported by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, is organised to showcase Nigeria’s non-oil products.

    The theme of the 28th edition is: “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy.”

    The fair which started on March 31 ends Monday, April 10.

  • Create legislation on intellectual property rights – Don

    Create legislation on intellectual property rights – Don

    A call has gone out to National Assembly to make a legislation to safeguard and enforce intellectual property rights in Nigeria.

    This  call was made by Prof. Emma Okoye of the Department of Accountancy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,in an interview with journalists in Awka on Monday.

    He said that the legislation would allow innovators to reap the benefit of their creative ideas and reward their risk-thinking ventures.

    “Without effective intellectual property enforcement, it will be difficult for Nigeria to benefit from global innovation networks.

    “Most overseas innovation firms will hesitate to invest or form partnerships with Nigeria if their intellectual property right will be readily stolen,’’ he said.

    The professor of accountancy also called for urgent action from all stakeholders to help steer the Nigerian economy back on the path of recovery.

    Okoye said that universities as the citadel of learning and innovation have critical roles to play.

    “In this regard, the government as proprietors of public universities needs to provide the enabling environment needed to harness the potentials of the universities.

    “For example, the Federal Ministry of Education through interventionist agencies like TETFUND should set aside substantial amount to fund both basic and applied research.

    “Empower each institution to establish technology transfer offices to provide incentives to individuals and companies for the production of new goods and services,’’ he said.

    Okoye said that sustained investment in innovation and research was also essential for national development.

    “To achieve this, government needs to invest not less than 3 per cent of her GDP to make any meaningful impact on research and development,’’ he said

  • SON impounds N10m tyres in Awka

    SON impounds N10m tyres in Awka

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Wednesday impounded two truckloads of fake tyres worth N10 million from a warehouse in Awka.

    The warehouse located at a residential building on Zik Ave., Awka, was discovered following intelligence reports, according to the organisation.

    Speaking with newsmen, the Head of the organisation in Anambra, Mr Samuel Ayuba, said the raid was part of the national campaign to rid the country of fake and substandard tyres.

    He said that substandard tyres included those that had been used or stayed for up to six years, saying they had caused a lot crashes and deaths.

    “With our surveillance, we identified where this business is thriving and now we are on a raid, the target is to remove all substandard tyres from circulation in Anambra.

    “Some of them got wind of our operation today and they took off and moved their tyres to secret places and here in this residential building. You can see a large quantity of these substandard tyres.

    “These are tyres that have been used in other countries, produced for very temperate regions and even made for short distances like agricultural purposes but these people import them, clean them and sell them to our people.

    “The seizures we made here are in the upward of N10 million. This now amounts to economic loss to the country,” he said.

    Mr John Obi, one of the dealers in the product, said that their business was genuine and wondered why they should be the ones to bear the brunt of the loss.

    “The issue of used tyres should be addressed at the ports and borders if the government wants to remove them from the markets,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, a motorists who preferred anonymity, said the clampdown on used tyres would further worsen the plight of the users, as they were economically cheaper.

  • SON impounds N10m tyres in Awka

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Wednesday impounded two truckloads of fake tyres worth N10 million from a warehouse in Awka.

    The warehouse located at a residential building on Zik Ave., Awka, was discovered following intelligence reports, according to the organisation.

    Speaking with newsmen, the Head of the organisation in Anambra, Mr Samuel Ayuba, said the raid was part of the national campaign to rid the country of fake and substandard tyres.

    He said that substandard tyres included those that had been used or stayed for up to six years, saying they had caused a lot crashes and deaths.

    “With our surveillance, we identified where this business is thriving and now we are on a raid, the target is to remove all substandard tyres from circulation in Anambra.

    “Some of them got wind of our operation today and they took off and moved their tyres to secret places and here in this residential building. You can see a large quantity of these substandard tyres.

    “These are tyres that have been used in other countries, produced for very temperate regions and even made for short distances like agricultural purposes but these people import them, clean them and sell them to our people.

    “The seizures we made here are in the upward of N10 million. This now amounts to economic loss to the country,” he said.

    Mr John Obi, one of the dealers in the product, said that their business was genuine and wondered why they should be the ones to bear the brunt of the loss.

    “The issue of used tyres should be addressed at the ports and borders if the government wants to remove them from the markets,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, motorists who preferred anonymity said the clampdown on used tyres would further worsen the plight of the users, as they were economically cheaper.

     

  • Commuters resort to trekking as petrol sells for N220

    Commuters in the Anambra capital, Awka and its environs have resorted to trekking to their destinations as the pump price of petrol hit N220 per litre in the state since Monday.

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many filling stations in the capital territory that had the product sold at N220, though some sold at N200.

     

    As at the time of filing this report on Thursday, commercial vehicles had cashed in on the situation to charge high fares, citing the cost petrol.

     

    A civil servant, Mr Joseph Nwankwo, told NAN that the development had made him to wake up as early as 6 a.m. daily to trek about four kilometres which used to cost N70 by public transport.

     

    The civil servant added that the fare for the distance had increased to N150.

     

    “Since our government is not planning to up our salaries for now, I can’t afford to pay the new fares.

     

    “My current salary cannot sustain me till the end of the month if I should be spending over N300 every day.

     

    “I have family needs to take care of not to talk of the children’s school fees which is not far from now,’’ he said.

     

    Mrs Amaka Onyejekwu, a trader in Eke Awka market, said that she had resorted to trekking from Nibo Town where she lives to Awka due to the 100 percent increase in transport fares.

     

    “I used to pay N100 to Awka but now it is N200.

     

    “This has made me and many others to try practical means of getting to the market by trekking through bush paths that connect the two neighbouring towns.

     

    “As we go, we don’t mind the hills and valleys that we go through,’’ she said.

     

    Mr Chike Anizoba, a civil servant, called on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, to keep to his promise of restoring normalcy to petrol supply.

     

    “The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, promised the nation that by today (Thursday) the petrol scarcity would have been over.

     

    “He should try to do so because we the masses are suffering.

     

    “With the current trend of events in the country, salaries don’t last over two weeks anymore.

     

    “You can imagine that I have been trekking to my office which is about three kilometres since the past two weeks and my shoes are paying the price,’’ he said.

  • Anambra records 2000 cases of tuberculosis

     

     

     

    Anambra state has been hit by over 2000 cases of tuberculosis, says the state commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike.

     

    The commissioner said this on Monday in his office in Awka, while briefing reporters that the patients were receiving treatment at various Directly Observed Therapy Centres in the State.

     

    He hinted that Anambra State and 13 other states, including Federal Capital Territory (FCT), contributed to over 75 percent of the total TB burden in Nigeria.

     

    The theme of his briefing was “Find TB, Treat TB and work Together to Eliminate TB”.

     

    The Commissioner waved aside the belief that TB could be caused by voodoo.

     

    He said the disease was caused by a germ called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, adding that it was spread through the air when people who had active TB in their lungs sneeze, cough, spit, speak or sing.

     

    Akabuike added that people living with HIV were more vulnerable to TB infection, adding that the ailment could be cured when detected early.

     

    He therefore commended the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano for the prompt payment of salaries of health workers and provision of health facilities for the TB programme as well as signing of MoU with the global funds to contribute 20 percent of the funds by the donor to control TB in the State.

     

     

    Earlier, the State Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Officer, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okolie and the Director Primary Health and Disease Control, Dr. Emmanuel Okoye  had stressed the need for people to go for diagnosis and treatment when detected, adding that diagnosis and treatment were free.

     

  • Fear grips UNIZIK students over invasion of robbers

    …Students hostels burgled

     

    Fear has gripped students of Nnamdi Azikiwe Pharmaceutical School in Agulu community, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra state, following the invasion of suspected armed robbers in the area in recent times.

     

    Students of the institution are being robbed both in their hostels and on the way in the community almost on daily basis with the authorities yet to find any solution to that.

     

    One of the victims of the robbery attack in the school simply identified as (Vicky), told The Nation on Tuesday that the students were under constant fears since the current semester in the school.

     

    She said the first attack on her was in February when her lodge was burgled when the students were away to lectures.

     

    The student said the second experience was two weeks ago as she was coming back from evening class when the hoodlums on a bike snatched her hand bag and made away with her property.

     

    Some of the items lost already in the hands of the robbers by the students included handsets, money, their handouts, while some of them had been injured on many occasions.

     

    Despite their constant reports to the school management, nothing had been done.

     

    When The Nation called on the school, a security man who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incidents, adding that the school could do nothing as most of the incidents happened outside the premises.

     

    However, he said that when the hostel projects were ready, the problem would become a thing of the past.

     

    The security maintained that the snatching of bags, handsets and way laying students on the way were new developments in the community.

     

    According to him, “the next option is for the school authorities to liaise with the Agulu community vigilante group unit to protect the students within the hostel community from these hoodlums.