The Nation Newspaper

Tag: COMMUNITY

  • Free surgery for Ogun community

    No fewer than 27 persons in Ijebu land, Ogun State, have benefited from free general and orthopaedic surgeries carried out by experts under the aegis of Steno Memorial Foundation.

    The beneficiaries included two women who had lumps extracted from their breasts, men suffering from hernia and two others who received corrective surgeries for fractured leg and hip joint.

    Experts from Nigeria and abroad including Dr Aigbokhaewo Osagie (Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon,Nigeria), Dr Shobode Mutaleeb Ayodele (Abroad) among others, volunteered their services and facilities to the foundation to execute the month-long free surgery procedure at the St. Michael-Israel Specialist Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.

    Dr  Olufemi Sanni, an England-based Psychiatrist, who runs Steno Memorial Foundation, told Southwest Report that 27 persons  have undergone surgical operations.

    Sanni said he was also planning to build a theatre for operations as well as primary health care centre in Nigeria for free treatment of children of age five and below. He added that since inception in 2011,  over 2,500 people had benefited from its health programmes.

  • Lagos community gets kits for indigent pupils

    Ponle Golden Lions Club, Ipaja, Lagos has a vision for the indigent pupils and out-of-school children in the seedy Ipaja area of Lagos.

    Lion (Prince) Adeyemi Aderemi, revealed this after his official presentation to the public as the President of the Ponle Golden Club penultimate Saturday by the District Governor, Waheed Kadiri, at the Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    The colourful event was chaired by Senator Gbenga Kaka.

    The four-year-old Club, Aderemi said, would take improvement of the condition of school pupils in Ipaja seriously, even as he said that in the next one year, efforts would be made to complement the efforts of the state and local governments to improve education standard.

  • How fears over Abiara’s health threw Christian community into panic

    How fears over Abiara’s health threw Christian community into panic

    BARELY one week after the death of Pastor Christiana Abiara, wife of renowned evangelist, Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara, the Nigerian Christian community was thrown into panic early in the week over the health of the bereaved prophet. There were reports early in the week that he had to be rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where doctors battled to save his life.

    Seventy-year-old Mrs Abiara had passed on after about 50 eventful years of preaching the gospel with her heartthrob and leading the women wing of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Agbala Itura worldwide. Not a few people had surmised that the man of God would find the death of his wife extremely painful and almost unbearable. The speculation proved prophetic when Prophet Abiara was rushed to the hospital; a situation that was quickly linked to the death of his heartthrob.

    As would be expected, the news of the popular prophet’s break down jolted the leadership of the Christian community with notable spiritual figures making spirited efforts to reach his family or visit him on the sick bed to douse their worries. And as he lay on his sick bed at a private ward of the UCH, Ibadan, Christian leaders took turns to reach the pastors in the ministry as well as family members and close associates for information on the evangelist’s condition.

    The Nation gathered that Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church a.k.a. Winners Chapel, was among the Christian leaders that personally visited Abiara at the hospital. Many other prominent church leaders were said to have made telephone calls to Abiara’s family members and friends to confirm that all was well.

    It was learnt that the calls only stopped coming in on Thursday when he was discharged from the hospital.

    A visit to the Christ Apostolic  Church Agbala Itura, Agege, a suburb of Lagos, on Wednesday, showed some women gathered in front of the church observing the usual Wednesday prayer.  They showed no sign that they had just lost Mrs. Abiara, who was not only dear to them, but also to the prophet.

    Speaking on the two unfortunate ‘incidents’, the Media Officer (Print), CAC, Agbala Itura, Lagos, Mrs Eniola Adepeju, told The Nation that there was nothing to worry about because the cleric had prepared the minds of members against such incidents.

    Adepeju said: “Papa had prepared the minds of the people, not for Mama’s death but generally on deaths.  He spoke a lot about it in recent times.

    “In fact, there is a book Papa (Prophet Abiara) wrote, which is about to be published. It is title ‘Why death?’ And when the incident happened, it was like Papa had been preaching about heaven, preaching about the kingdom of God, preaching about death.

    “Apart from the fact that we are human beings and we don’t want anybody to die, the members felt it. They had wished that God would prolong Mama’s life. It was received in good faith.”

    It was gathered that before the September 3 incident, Abiara was on the verge of travelling abroad for his annual vacation, as it was the only time available for him to rest.

    While Adepeju would not say when Abiara would leave hospital, she said Abiara might leave the hospital when they are sure he had rested enough, adding that “Papa would not be comfortable staying in the hospital.”

    But his first son, Pastor Isaac Abiara, played down the tension generated by reports of his father’s ‘Ill-health’.

    According to him, his father was taken to the hospital when it became clear that the stress created by the deluge of condolence visits to the septuagenarian was weighing him down.

    The younger Abiara, in an interview with The Nation, said: “The reason why he went to the hospital was the stress someone goes through when they lose a loved one. And he, being an international man, visitors were coming and it was physically overwhelming.

    “We made a decision as a family to have him go there and rest, backed by doctor’s advice. There is nothing wrong with him. He is not sick. He just needed to take a bed rest. He lost his wife of over 50 years.”

    He said his father was prepared for his wife’s, having been revealed to him  earlier.

    Besides, the younger Abiara said his mother lived a life of purpose, supporting her husband in ministry activities and showing care to others. For that purpose, he said, her burial will be considered as ‘going home’ because the family is happy that her Lord has called her to Himself.

    His words: “The news of my mother’s death was bitter-sweet. It was of shock and sadness on one hand but was received with joy on the other because we know she lived a good life. She was an epitome of grace, love, kindness and care. She was very caring, God-loving and a woman of wisdom.

    “So, while we feel sad because we are still trying to deal with it, the solace we have is that she lived a good life. We know that for sure, she is in heaven. That is our joy as Christians.”

    Explaining why it did not come as a shock to his father, he said: “Dad said God already told her to prepare for her passage. We prayed and prayed while she took ill but her death was the will of God. We can’t question God.

    “We don’t consider her passage as a negative thing because we believe she has gone to be with the Lord. Her passage just teaches others that are alive to do good, show care and be godly so they can keep the hope of going to be with the Lord at the end. That is why we call the ceremony a celebration of her life.”

    Highlighting how caring her mother was to her husband, the younger Abiara said one important thing their father always tells them is how much their mother cared for him.

    “One of the common important things Daddy tells us about his wife is how much she loved him. For instance, he told us that while he was preaching in Lagos about three weeks ago, she called and asked if he had eaten.

    “Daddy said he wondered so much why she should think about such, knowing full well that there was no way she could have sent food to him in Ikorodu.

    “He always tells us how my mum cared so much for him, how she supported him in his ministry. The second thing he always tells me and my siblings is ‘love your wife. Take care of your wife.’

    “That is the message I want to send to everybody. If you are married, take that time to love and appreciate your wife. I’ve never seen my father raise a hand against my mum.

    “My father travels to several countries of the world preaching. He has no other woman or children anywhere. The bond and love between them was so strong. It was godly love.

    “One of the lessons I learnt from them is that my father and mother loved each other to the last breath, till death did them part.”

    With such a strong bond, many would think that Baba Abiara would struggle to survive. But his son said he had no fear for his father’s survival, having been in ministry work for 50 years without a scandal.

    He said: “No fear for my dad after my mum’s departure. The reason is that in the Bible, God promises to be with us when we pass through challenges.

    “My father is a man of the word and he believes in whatever the Bible says. God, who called him and has been with him for 50 years in ministry, will continue to be with him. So, there is no fear. Absolutely no fear. He is going to be fine. He is going to be preaching. Normal church programmes continues right after the home-going programme.”

    The ‘home-going’ ceremony has been slated for the last week of November and early December.

  • Community bemoans poor roads

    Community bemoans poor roads

    With vast fertile land and other resources, Obeagu-Isu, a remote community in Onicha Local Government Area is of Ebonyi State should be brimming with happy residents. Far from it. Its farmers have a handsome share in the state’s palm oil, rice, cassava and yam market. The sore point is its poor roads, which have virtually cut off Obeagu-Isu from other communities.

    Speaking with The Nation, the interim chairman of the council of chiefs of the Isu community, Chief Gabriel Ani, popularly referred to as Mallam Gab, said bad roads have been their major headache.

    “It is very unfortunate to state that the issue of development is an illusion to us,” he said. “In fact, we have nothing like development. Our roads are very bad and this is the major setback we have as a community towards development. For instance, in this rainy season even up till December, most Vehicles cannot ply our roads due to its bad state.”

    Also speaking, a resident of the community, Mr Odim Nwaguma decried the impassable roads. He noted that the road that links the community to the Nkwo-Agu Central Market, situated close to the local government secretariat was constructed in 1979 during the Mbakwe administration in the then Imo State but without repairs or any kind of maintenance, they are in deplorable condition.

    “Driving from Nkwo-Agu to Obeagu-Isu is like getting yourself immersed in dust due to the bad state of the road. In fact, my car got stuck at a point and developed faults which I had to repair. Besides, this particular road that links Nkwo-Agu to Obeagu-Isu is a federal government road constructed in 1979 during the Mbadiwe administration. Then, I was ten years old and till now it has not received any form of attention or maintenance from the government. I’m in my fifties now, so you can do the Mathematics yourself.”

    Another resident, Mrs. Cecilia Njoku stated that the villagers are used to the nature of the roads. She said sometimes, the women walk to Nkwo-Agu, which is about 100 miles from the village to sell their farm produce. Other times, they are left at the ‘mercies’ of the drivers of the ‘slow and steady’ pick-up vans who take them and their goods to the market at the cost of N300.

    Our correspondents, who visited the community, gathered that it could only boast of a small government clinic that is in a deplorable condition, few boreholes dug by the government, dilapidated primary and secondary schools built by the community. Electricity supply is poor.

    Buttressing this fact, Chief Ani decried the government’s inability to provide basic social amenities for the community, lamenting that some villagers had lost their lives on the bad roads.

    “The only infrastructure put in place so far by the government is boreholes and a small clinic housed by a community hall in Orie-Agu in the whole of Obeagu-Isu. I even call it a ‘half clinic’. My house is the first concrete building in Obeagu-Isu. Electric poles were erected from Orie-Agu down to my house even before 1998. The poles have been here and falling.

    “The ones connected to my house have no wires and have been turned to firewood for cooking. The facilities in the schools are not adequate for teaching the children. It is a pathetic situation in this community and we are terribly in the dark,” he moaned.

    It was gathered that the community fought a war over the Ojiegbekwe land with the Ezza community that ended in 2008, lasting for 97 years. So while other communities were forging ahead politically, the people were involved in a war which drastically reduced their economic and human resources, thereby, making them politically dominated in government.

    While lamenting on the inability of the people to transport their resources like palm oil, rice, cassava, yam and wood to neighbouring towns and cities for sale to generate income for community projects, Chief Ani noted that he intends organising few elites in the community to see the governor of the state to appeal for the people’s representation in political positions at the state level.

    The residents appealed to federal and state governments to come to their aid.

  • Community gets king, 12 years after

    Community gets king, 12 years after

    FOR 12 long years, the Umennekwu Agbo Oguduasa Isuikwuato community was without Eze, the personification of traditional institution. The serene Abia North community knew that something was missing in the lives of the people.

    In the absence of a major political figure, the community knew that a traditional godfather to galvanize socio-cultural activities was imperative if the community was to move forward.

    The people were also aware that to fill the yearning vacuum, they needed to be thorough, painstaking and down to earth to avoid rancour. They waited, carrying the cross of a major vacuum of a rallying point with measured breath. Calculated steps, they said, were taken to fill the vacuum.

    That wrong choice of Eze has been the undoing of many communities in Igbo land is evident everywhere you go. In most cases, causes of communal strife and prolonged discord among the people have their roots in Ezeship brawl. The Umunnekwu Agbo community did not want to make any mistakes. It did not want to take the wrong step that has the capacity to land the people into avoidable crisis of confidence.

    Thanks to a sense of maturity and the determination to do things differently, the Umennekwu Agbo community tactically avoided creating bad blood among the people. The search for Eze may have been compounded by the absence of hereditary Ezeship lineage. The people nevertheless craved to engender a seamless transition to a new and acceptable Eze. They persevered and kept the faith with the appreciation of the fact that no crown comes without a cross.

    The search for who becomes the traditional primus inter pares, an Eze who will depict the way of life of the people, the value system and the curator of the social and cultural institutions was therefore thrown open. The entire community was carried along in the long search for an acceptable Eze. A high powered search committee headed by His Grace, Most Reverend Andrew I.O. David was constituted to screen aspirants who came in their numbers.

    After a rigorous screening, Eze Okey Augustine Udeh, a retired Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Managing Director emerged. Eze Udeh was installed Nkalu Ukwu of Umunnekwu Agbo. Nkalu Ukwu title, it has to be underscored, is a radical departure from the subsisting Ikeoha title. Ezes from the community have always been known and addressed as Ikeoha. In-depth research was said to have been carried out before the title of Nkalu was arrived at.

    The massive crowd that turned out on August 27, 2016 to witness the coronation of Eze Okey Augustine Udeh, was a telling indication that the new king was widely accepted. Nobody wanted to be left out of the ceremony, the traditional institution that saw the day as theirs, the clergy that added religious dimension to the event, cultural dances that brought class and colour to the occasion, women folk who turned up in their gorgeous attires, the elderly and the youth were all represented. Even security operatives were visibly present to ward off the ubiquitous kidnappers whose fear has become the beginning of wisdom in parts of the state. It was indeed an event to behold.

    Eze Udeh, in his Umunnekwu Agbo first speech, pledged total commitment to serve the community, her people and her affairs. He believed his coronation filled a vacuum and ended years of anxious waiting.

    For him, August 2, 2016 marked a new beginning and an entry into an era of change. The Monarch quoted Socrates who said “The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new.” He pleaded with his people to think Umunnekwu Agbo first in all they do assuring that his coronation had heralded the era of justice and fairness.

    One of the personalities that graced the occasion, an Aba based hospitality industry magnet, Chief Jimmy Ikwuegbu, described the coronation as highly successful. Chief Ikwuegbu said it is a thing of joy that a vacuum of 12 years was seamlessly filled. His prayer however was that there should be collaboration between Agbo and Mgbelu Umunnekwu communities for maximum benefit. He urged town unions in the two communities to explore the relationship. Chief Ikwuegbu prayed Eze Udeh to use his exposure in administration to strengthen the relationship between Mgbelu and Agbo Umunnekwu with a view to reviving lost cultural ties especially the iri ji (new yam) festival.

    Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Jonathan Nwigwe on his part, noted that Ezeship coronation comes once in the life of an individual. Nwigwe was full of praise for the Umunnekwu Agbo community “for the mature and peaceful way the search of Eze was conducted especially when many other communities were still in court over the Ezeship.”  The position of Ezeship, he said, is an opportunity to serve the people. He pleaded with the people of the area to support the new Eze to succeed.

    Dr. B.O.C. Ikokwu who described the coronation as fantastic said the community wanted a credible Eze. He said the screening committee set out five criteria which included having a means of livelihood and being a community leader. Eze Udeh, he said, single handedly brought electricity to the community in 1992, a feat nobody thought was possible. Ikokwu said with the successful installation of Eze Udeh, the community has delicately balanced its leadership equation. “What we expect now is to march forward and unleash development in all the nooks and crannies of our community,” he said.

    The highly revered Eze Joseph Ewerem, Nkalu 1 of Mgbelu-Umunnekwe was one of the royal fathers who graced the occasion in his majesty to further cement the bond of brotherliness between Mgbelu and Agbo Umunnekwu communities.

    Multi-talented Ernest Orji, the master of ceremony, was at his best at the occasion. It was, as it were, one coronation he seized with both hands to show-case his managerial prowess to the admiration of the teaming audience.

  • Navy, corps member take medical rhapsody to Bayelsa community, IDPs

    Gwegwe community and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camping at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, were recently given a reason to smile.

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy and a corps member, Dr. IniAbasi Bassey, who discharges her primary assignment at the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), visited them at separate occasions with lots of care and love.

    While the Navy headed for Gwegwe, the corps member went to the IDP’s camp. In fact the residents of Gwegwe in Ovom, Yenagoa, were surprised at the medical mission of the navy.

    The Flag Officer Commanding CNC, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, personally led the medical mission to the community. To show the importance he attached to the health of his host, Garba brought most of the senior officers in his command including the Chief of Staff of the command, Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade to the community.

    Residents felt honoured by the presence of Garba, whose achievements within a short period he took over the command in an era of militancy, resounded in their ears. The navy brought cartons of drugs and mobilised qualified doctors to the community to identify and treat common sicknesses.

    The Paramount Ruler of Ovom, HRH Mathias Obele was excited at the gesture of the navy. He immediately sent words round Gwegwe community asking the residents to turn out en masse to benefit from military generosity. Obele also invited members of his council of Chiefs to receive Garba and his team.

    Within a short time, Garba arrived and headed straight for the humble palace of the Ijaw king. The Chiefs and their king were happy to behold Obele identifying with them. The Naval boss told them that the programme was borne out of the desire of the military to tackle health problems plaguing its host communities.

    He said the CNC has been visiting communities within its Area of Responsibility (AoR) for medical missions. He named some of the communities that had benefited from the gesture and said the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) was in support of the programme.

    He said through the programme, the navy gets closer to and establishes links with the people for effective resolution of common security problems. He said the programme was part of strategic directive to work with local communities and stakeholders to achieve government’s collective mandate.

    Garba had another message for them. He said: “Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. We are part and parcel of the society. We are all Nigerians and Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. We must make sure we protect this country.

    “This is one of the ways to reduce tension by reaching out to people. It is easy to solve problem when you reach out to people.”

    Garba later told residents who gathered to benefit from the medical outreach that the military especially the Navy cared for the people of the region. He appealed to them not to view every naval personnel as hostile and bloodthirsty describing the Navy as caring and humane.

    Indeed, the Ijaw king and his council of chiefs were elated. Obele, playing the Oliver Twist, also asked the navy to consider employing some of the indigenes of Ovom. He reminded the navy that one of their bases, NNS SOROH, is located within the community.

    For the IDPs, the intervention of the youth corps member, Dr. Bassey was a big relief. Their condition was pathetic as they suffered various ailments without money to buy required drugs. The IDPs were mostly victims of the violence that marred the last governorship election in the state.

    So, when they saw Bassey with cartons of drugs and mosquito nets, they leaped up in joy. They sang, danced and described the young lady as God-sent. Bassey said she was moved by pity after she visited the camp and saw the terrible living condition of the IDPs.

    She said: “When I was told there are IDPs here, I went to visit them. The children were malnourished and the general standard of living there was very poor. So, I was moved to help them by doing something about their health because health is wealth.”

    “It is my personal community development service. I donated some drugs and relief items to them. You can see that the people came out in their numbers and we had a health talk.

    “I donated drugs for malaria treatment because of the pandemic nature of malaria. I gave them analgesic, antibiotics and supplements. In fact, I have given them lots of drugs. I gave them over 100 mosquito-treated nets”.

    The corps member, who hails from Akwa Ibom State said she solicited funds from people to undertake the project. She said with more assistance she would do more to help in solving some problems in the state.

    Bassey said she was already working on another community development service following some pressing needs she identified in one of the community schools in Yenagoa.

    In fact, most of the IDPs thanked the corps member for her intervention describing her as a problem solver.

     

     

  • Community elects ex-police officer as king

    Community elects ex-police officer as king

    After a long spell without a leader, the people of Isingwu community in Umuahia North, Abia State, now have one, in the form of a former police officer.

    Chief Daniel Iheanyichukwu Ukaegbu has been chosen as the Ngwu IV.

    His first love was the police, in which he rose to the rank of inspector before he retired. His people have prayed for his reign to be peaceful and long.

    The community had elected Eze Charles Ezebuiro as the first Ngwu I but he died soon after and was replaced by Eze A. N. Ihuoma (Ngwu II) who also died during the reign of the former governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, and was replaced by Eze Sam Uzor Ebule (Ngwu III), who died four years ago.

    After the mourning of the death of their last traditional ruler, the people decided to elect another Eze, in the person of Chief Daniel Iheanyichukwu Ukaegbu as the Ngwu IV.

    The new Eze who hails from the Umuokoro clan in the Isingwu community, was the immediate past Palace Secretary to the last traditional ruler. He became the consensus candidate of the entire community and was presented to the Isingwu Welfare Union (IWU), which in turn presented him to the people with overwhelming acceptance.

    Presenting the new Eze-elect to the people of Isingwu, the president-general of IWU, Elder Onyeoforo Igwe thanked God for his mercies and protection for them to witness the day of the emergence of their new king and prayed God to continue to protect and guide their people both at home and in Diaspora.

    All the people who spoke at the presentation ceremony from the president of the women wing of the IWU, Mrs Nneona Ihuoma praised the people for the peaceful way they chose the new traditional ruler which has set them out as peaceful community.

    The youth wing president of the IWU, Sunny Chimaroke urged the people not to leave the new king alone as no one is an island of knowledge, stressing that he needs all the advice that would help him to lead the community.

    In his acceptance speech the new Eze-elect, HRM Eze Ukaegbu promised not to disappoint the people of Isingwu who have placed their destiny and kingdom in his hands, stressing that he will always strive to keep to the tenets of their custom, culture and tradition.

    Eze Ukaegbu also pledged to take the Isingwu community to the level where it will be the envy of other communities around, “I want to assure you the people of Isingwu community that I will not bring shame and disgrace to my people, rather I will ensure that we are at the position we deserve to be and remain there for the good of all”.

    The highlight of the presentation ceremony was the handing over the new traditional ruler to God by His Lordship. Rt Rev F. O. Ekeleme, who is also the chaplain of the Eze-in-council with prayers and asking God to keep him a life and give him a long reign for the benefit of the people of the community.

  • Oyo community relishes lawmaker’s gesture

    Residents of Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State received sufficient democracy dividends when the lawmaker representing them at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Samson Olasunkanmi Oguntade, decided to give back to them from the little he has gotten from the state government and for giving him their mandate in last year’s general elections.

    At the ceremony attended by National Leader of Accord Party and former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Accord Party National Secretary, Mr. Nureni Adisa, Oyo State chairman of Accord Party, Bashir Lawal, members of Oyo State House of Assembly, among who were the Minority Leader, Hon Gunju Ojo, Chief Whip, Hon Kehinde Ayinla Oloya, Hon Muideen Olagunju, representing Oyo East/ West, Hon Ademola Ige, Hon Adebiyi Omikunle and Hon Adebiyi Adesina.

    Oguntade, accompanied by his wife, said the empowerment was meant to appreciate his people on whose mandate he was in the Oyo State House of Assembly.

    He expressed appreciation to former governor of Oyo State, Senator Ladoja and all stakeholders in Accord Party, especially from Egbeda State Constituency and all residents of Egbeda Local Government Area.

    He urged all politicians to be honest in all their dealings. He said the gesture was in fulfilment of his campaign promises, adding that he decided to give back to his constituents for their support.

    He said he had reached out to various communities in Egbeda and decided to reach out to his constituents. He added that 10 constituents from each ward will also benefit financially from the gesture.

    Materials distributed included insecticide sprayers, grinding machines, power generating sets, sewing machines and hair dressing implements.

    National Secretary of Accord Party, Mr Adisa, expressed happiness to witness the empowerment programme and also thanked Hon Oguntade for the gesture he extended to his people, despite that the state government was hugely indebted to the lawmakers.

    Hon. Peter Oyetunji, a member of Oyo State House of Assembly, said despite not belonging to the same party, Hon Oguntade has remained steadfast in what he believed in and has never wavered in his membership of the Accord Party.

    He added that in the House, all lawmakers are one without regard to party affiliations.

    Senator Lanleyin congratulated Oguntade on his commitment to reach out to his constituents, despite the economic situation in the country, adding that voting for the Accord Party was not a misplaced action. He also said the gesture was just the beginning of greater things from Hon. Oguntade.

    Chairman of the state Accord Party, Bashir Lawal, said Governor Abiola Ajimobi, is deceiving the people with his decision to conduct local government polls.

    Senator Ladoja praised state lawmakers for their unity of purpose in the House, without regard to party affiliation and despite the economic recession.

    He berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for its failure in delivering democracy dividends to the people, not only in the state, but also nationally, adding that the state government has failed in its promise to conduct local government election.

    He said the 2011 election result in Egbeda was better than that of last year, saying the reason was anti-party actions of some members.

    He praised Hon Oguntade for his empowerment gesture, despite the economic quagmire state lawmakers have found themselves under the Ajimobi administration. He also congratulated beneficiaries of the empowerment programme.

    He praised all lawmakers elected on the platform of the Accord Party for not disappointing the party.

    He took a swipe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), praying that God showed its leadership the light to come to be part of the Accord family, noting that there is no solution in sight for the crisis bedevilling the PDP.

  • Community elects ex-police officer as king

    Community elects ex-police officer as king

    After a long spell without a leader, the people of Isingwu community in Umuahia North, Abia State, now have one, in the form of a former police officer. Chief Daniel Iheanyichukwu Ukaegbu has been chosen as the Ngwu IV.

    His first love was the police, in which he rose to the rank of inspector before he retired. His people have prayed for his reign to be peaceful and long.

    The community had elected Eze Charles Ezebuiro as the first Ngwu I but he died soon after and was replaced by Eze A. N. Ihuoma (Ngwu II) who also died during the reign of the former governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, and was replaced by Eze Sam Uzor Ebule (Ngwu III), who died four years ago.

    After the mourning of the death of their last traditional ruler, the people decided to elect another Eze, in the person of Chief Daniel Iheanyichukwu Ukaegbu as the Ngwu IV.

    The new Eze who hails from the Umuokoro clan in the Isingwu community, was the immediate past Palace Secretary to the last traditional ruler. He became the consensus candidate of the entire community and was presented to the Isingwu Welfare Union (IWU), which in turn presented him to the people with overwhelming acceptance.

    Presenting the new Eze-elect to the people of Isingwu, the president-general of IWU, Elder Onyeoforo Igwe thanked God for his mercies and protection for them to witness the day of the emergence of their new king and prayed God to continue to protect and guide their people both at home and in Diaspora.

    All the people who spoke at the presentation ceremony from the president of the women wing of the IWU, Mrs Nneona Ihuoma praised the people for the peaceful way they chose the new traditional ruler which has set them out as peaceful community.

    The youth wing president of the IWU, Sunny Chimaroke urged the people not to leave the new king alone as no one is an island of knowledge, stressing that he needs all the advice that would help him to lead the community.

    In his acceptance speech the new Eze-elect, HRM Eze Ukaegbu promised not to disappoint the people of Isingwu who have placed their destiny and kingdom in his hands, stressing that he will always strive to keep to the tenets of their custom, culture and tradition.

    Eze Ukaegbu also pledged to take the Isingwu community to the level where it will be the envy of other communities around, “I want to assure you the people of Isingwu community that I will not bring shame and disgrace to my people, rather I will ensure that we are at the position we deserve to be and remain there for the good of all”.

    The highlight of the presentation ceremony was the handing over the new traditional ruler to God by His Lordship. Rt Rev F. O. Ekeleme, who is also the chaplain of the Eze-in-council with prayers and asking God to keep him a life and give him a long reign for the benefit of the people of the community.

  • New road for Lagos community, 35 years after

    Alhaji Idowu Street, Akowonjo, Lagos suburb was not where to be. For no less than 35 years, the people were given false hope. The problem was the state of their road. And when it rained, things were worse. Shops became temporary streams. Buildings were often submerged. Residents had a lot to worry about as properties were damaged and sometimes, little school children were swept away. Life was quite unpleasant.

    But all that has ended now. Thanks to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Idowu Street now has a good road complete with street lights which make it look like a paradise at night. The people could not contain their joy the first time the lights were switched on at night.

    With the neatly-arranged interlocking blocks set on the graded road accompanied by good drainage system, residents can go to bed without fear, walk without stumbling and drive confidently. Most of all, property owners can experience value addition.

    This accounts for why they can’t keep mute about the gesture. To express their elation to the government for providing such a standard road construction and illuminating the streets with lights, they have described the gesture as “a lifetime gift from Governor Ambode.”

    The Secretary of the Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Dipo Kehinde, said: “Whenever there was rain, most houses would be flooded. Many businesses suffered because of the bad roads in the community. I’m an artist. Some art collectors came twice to check out my works.

    “When they got to our street, they went back because of the roads. It happened twice. We called this road the jinxed road because different contractors had tried to fix it without success. But the jinx is now finally broken. We’re all happy.”

    A resident, Alhaji Moshood Idowu, who the street is named after, said: “We thank Governor Ambode for giving us a lifetime gift. Some businesses have suffered here because of the bad state of the road. The road was so terrible so much so that we could not cross from some point to another.

    “We had called on all our community leaders to co-operate with the government so that Lagos State will continue to excel than others. What they have done here is a mega road in a mega city for a mega community. Luckily, we also have a Nigerian who has the interest of the people at heart as the contractor, Bashaul Construction Company. What he has done here is a world-class engineering work. In fact, he has given us additional construction which is not part of his contract.”

    Idowu urged the government to encourage competent indigenous firms by awarding contracts to them.

    He said: “We appeal to government to also select capable indigenous contractors who have the interest of the people at heart. If they give Bashaul Fourth Mainland Bridge, he will perform.

    ”The contractors are working with so much sincerity; they should be praised. They have done a first-class job. The government has also done well. The fixing of our community roads was a realised dream. These engineers are committed to the project,” he said.

    The Chairman of the Street Community Development, Chief Olaleye Ayanwale, also praised the government for bringing the long-awaited expectation to fruition. Having resided on Alhaji Idowu Street for 34 years, he said he didn’t expect to witness the rehabilitation of the road because he was already aged.

    “I relocated from FESTAC Town to this street in 1982. Since then, we have been pleading with successive administrations to fix the road without any success. Usually, we heard that the contract had been awarded several times but we don’t see the physical effect. They even diverted it to other places such as the estate near us.

    “Now that it has come to our turn, we appreciate the present governor for the gesture. I didn’t think I would be alive to see it.

    “We have made entreaties to government over construction of our roads here. There had been promises, but nothing ever happened. Each time they slated our community roads for construction, it would be diverted. Now, we see this happening; we are happy. It’s for our own benefit. We really appreciate Ambode and the construction company. We thought it wouldn’t happen in our life time.

    “The contractors are doing excellent job. The monarch promised that those whose buildings were affected during expansion and construction of the roads, would be compensated. He had already asked for a comprehensive list of those affected.

    “The construction company was supposed to fix just Idowu Street, but to ensure that proper construction work was done, the monarch deployed his wealth of knowledge, and extended the construction of Alhaji Idowu Road to Oke Street, leading to Akowonjo Roundabout and Lambe Kudaisi Street.”

    He also commended Bashaul for picking interest in compensating occupants of affected houses. The CEO, Bashaul Civil Engineering Company Limited, Munirudeen Bashorun said the road project was completed within six months with quality professional and material input. He noted that if encouraged with enabling environment, Nigerian construction firms are qualified to compete with their foreign counterparts.

    “When the contract was awarded to us, the Permanent Secretary doubted our competence in carrying out the job according to specifications, because there was a river here. But I told him not to worry. The first challenge we encountered was diverting the water to Oke Street. But the street is higher than here by two metres. We had to do the survey, wait for approval from the government and that took us four weeks before we began.

    Also in Mulero in Agege where there was flood, one day Governor Aregbesola, then a Commissioner, called me to salvage the situation. And when he saw my performance in salvaging that place, he took me to Osogbo where I did some other jobs.

    “It is only Nigerians that can serve Nigerians better. If a Nigerian does a shoddy job today, tomorrow he will do a better job. When you correct him once or twice, he will get it right,” Bashorun said.

    Bashorun’s son and Bashaul’s Executive Director, Adewale, said: “The extra materials poured into the river, were not part of the presentations made to the government. But Bashaul Construction doesn’t care about cost and money. We only want to carry out good jobs.

    ”Any other construction company would have gone on with the work, after discovering the challenge posed by the river at Alhaji Idowu Junction. The result would have been the roads getting damaged again; taking everyone back to square one.”

    Idowu added that the company acted well by dealing with the challenge posed by the river.

    He said: “Alhaji Idowu Junction is where water used to gather. This spot had always been the greatest challenge for the community. The contractors said they had to drain and dig deep into the river, in order to fill it with rocks.”

    QUOTE

    We referred this road to as ‘the jinxed road’ because different contractors had tried to fix it without success. But the jinx is now finally broken. We’re all happy…We thank Governor Ambode for giving us a lifetime gift. Some businesses have suffered here because of the bad nature of the road. The road was so terrible so much so that we could not cross from some point to another