The Nation Newspaper

Tag: COMMUNITY

  • Community leader goes home

    A famous educationist, orator, politician and community leader in Delta State, Mr. Richmond Ajiemigbetse Akuyoma aka Olosho’ukobaa, has passed on. He died on March 17; he was 79.

    He hailed from the Akuyoma family in the EnerokoIyetsere lineage of Obitugbo/Abiugborodo/Koko in Warri North Local Government Area and Gegenu/Egbejule of Ogidigbi /Utonlila, Warri South West Local Government Area of the state.

    A statement by the family described him as a pillar of unity for his community, a man of integrity and forthrightness, adding that he is survived by 16 children, 47 grand-children, wives, brother and step-children.

    According to the burial arrangements announced by the family, an oratory service will be held in his honour on Friday at the Sapele Athletics Club between 12pm and 5.30pm, after the departure of his remains from Okpara Clinic, Sapele, to Ajaugbodudu, Cowan Estate, Koko Road in Warri North Local Government Area at 9am for a lying-in-state at his Ajagbadudu home at 11 am. His remains will be interred in Obitugbo Village, Koko Road, Warri. A reception will be held at Crowder Primary School, Sapele.

  • Community wants Fed Poly Nekede renamed

    Over a decade after it was founded, the Umudibia community in Imo State is urging the government to rename the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede after the community.

    They may get their wish. The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, has assured the community that it will facilitate the name change to Federal Polytechnic, Umudibia in accordance with their demands.

    The community in a letter through the Head of the Community Government Council (CGC), Chief Ngozi Oparacho, had requested that the name of the polytechnic be changed to reflect the name of the community where it is situated.

    The people had demanded that one of them be made a member of the institution’s Governing Council to represent the interest of the host community in line with the Federal Polytechnic Act of 1979, no 33, Cap F17-3(e), which states that the Council shall consist of a Chairman and other members which will include one outstanding member of the community where the polytechnic is situated.

    Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Ado Yusuf, who gave the assurance when he led other members of the 12th Council of the institution on a courtesy visit to the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Godwin Merenini, promised to channel the request for the name change to the appropriate authorities.

    He said that the demand is justifiable, given the level of cooperation the polytechnic has received from the community since its establishment,

    Yusuf commended the community for its peaceful disposition, noting that other communities where Federal institutions were located have engaged in fights with the institution, resulting in loss of lives and property, “but such has not been the case with Umudibia community hence our visit to the traditional ruler to say thank you and solicit for more cooperation and understanding”.

    In his response, the monarch, who traced the history of the polytechnic said the need to change the name of the polytechnic became imperative because Umudibia community became autonomous since 12 years ago and no more under Nekede as it was the time the institution was sited. He noted that the change of name will compensate the people who donated land on which the institution is sited.

     

     

     

  • Community gets death threat

    There is anxiety among the people of Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, following a purported letter by some unidentified hoodlums to attack the community.

    The letter, dated May 22, was pasted on a tree in one of the villages in the community, two days after the killing of two indigenes.

    The letter allegedly said 15 more people were going to die before the end of the year.

    Some of the indigenes, who spoke with our reporter, described the killing as unfortunate.

    Chijioke Amadi said: “Since the bad boys wrote the letter few days after the killing of two persons in the community, we have been living in fear as we can no longer go out at night.

    “To be frank, we are living in the community like slaves. We don’t talk anyhow. We don’t stay in front of our houses at night because anything can happen.”

  • Hausa community embraces free education

    The Hausa Community in Akwa Ibom State has embraced the state’s free and compulsory education.

    The Community Leader, Alhaji Hassan Sadauki, who described the policy as “non discriminatory” and “very encouraging,” in an interview with journalists in Uyo, said their children have benefited since 2008.

    “There are many Hausa children and wards resident in Akwa Ibom State who are enjoying the free and compulsory education declared by the state government and we cannot estimate all, but the number is great across the state,’’ Sadauki stated.

    He praised Governor Godswill Akpabio for introducing the policy.

    Sadauki, however, appealled to top government functionaries in the state to move their children from privately owned schools to the public institutions “to ensure total success of the programme”.

    “It is rather one-sided to realise that most leaders in the state send their children to highly charged private schools, to the detriment of the popular free and compulsory education scheme of the state.”

    “There is no doubt that if they send their children to the free and compulsory education in the state, others would embrace the scheme because they would ensure that the programme maintains its standa

    Sadauki, a Kano indigene, who has seven children and two wives, noted that “without western education, learning to acquire knowledge is not complete, no matter what you study”.

    He, however, explained that as Moslems, they also engaged Arabic instructors to give the children Arabic education at home at their free period.

     

  • Community leader seeks support

    THE Onoje of Ihuevbe-Ogben in Owan East Local Govt Area of Edo State, Chief Andrew Eboh Otokhua, has solicited the support of his people to take the community to greater heights.

    At a reception in his honour marking his installation as the Onoje of Ihievbe-Ogben, Chief Otokhina advised residents of the community to be wary of those bent on margilising and denying them of their rights. While calling on the indigenes to remain united and formidable as the biblical Israelites who conquered the world through a small nation, he reminded them that their resolve to make their community better economically and politically should be their guiding philosophy. He also admonished thoem them to hold on to God. Chief Otokhina was installed on February 25.

     

  • Community appeals to Amaechi over kidnap victim

    Two months after their son, Mr. Joseph Sokolo, a businessman, was kidnapped, the people of Abua in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State want the state government to ensure his release.

    Sokolo was abducted two months ago on his way to his hometown.

    President, Edouh Abuan Development Association (EADA), Dr. Ela George, who spoke on behalf of the community, said the Abua people were no longer comfortable with the continued hostage of the businessman.

    He said EADA, as the voice of Abua community, had constituted a committee to visit Governor Rotimi Amaechi over the matter.

    Ela said: “After several efforts made by the community to ensure the freedom of our brother, we in EADA have decided to meet with the governor and brief him on our predicament over the abduction of Mr. Joseph Sokolo.

    “His continued stay in the hands of his abductors is dangerous to his health; that is why we want the governor to do something fast to see if he could regain his freedom.”

  • Rivers community bemoans fraudsters’ rampage

    Amiddle-aged man, Smart Jack of Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, has said that telecom scammers defrauded him of N300, 000. While he was still brooding over the misfortune, it was discovered that other members of this coastal community also lost various sums of money to the scammers.

    Mr Jack disclosed this at the Abonnema Town Hall during the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC’s) Eighth Consumer Town Hall Meeting. The theme of the meeting was “Protection of Telecom Infrastructure.”

    Representatives of some service providers attended the meeting.

    Jack said he received a call on his MTN line, adding that the caller eventually defrauded him and many others of money totalling N1 million. He asked the NCC to do something about the ugly development so that subscribers would not lose their hard-earned money to fraudsters anymore.

    The NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Okechukwu Itanyi, noted that there are scammers everywhere who set up parallel networks and reach subscribers faster. He urged the people to be careful to avoid being victims of fraudsters.

    The NCC boss also noted that the scammers dupe individuals and corporate organisations. He urged subscribers to always verify their information.

    Itanyi, who was represented by NCC’s Assistant-Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Dr. Femi Atoyebi, lamented that telecoms installations across Nigeria were being vandalised daily by criminals. He condemned the spate of bomb attacks on telecoms infrastructure; especially in the northern part of the country.

    He said: “There have been numerous challenges, revolving around tariff and quality of service, power and vandalisation of telecoms infrastructure.

    “The vandalisation of telecoms infrastructure and equipment has become a worrisome development in Nigeria’s highly competitive telecoms market.

    “This act of vandalism could send negative signals to investors that Nigeria is not a safe place to do business. Security concern is one of the several considerations that could potentially discourage foreign and local investments.

    “The advent of GSM in Nigeria has significantly enhanced the lives of Nigerians, individually and collectively, even as it has stimulated economic growth and facilitated cross-industry linkages and improving efficiency.

    “Nigeria’s telecoms sector has witnessed phenomenal growth in the last decade and has emerged as the leading mobile telephony market in Africa, in terms of subscriber base and revenue.

    “The resultant increase in investor confidence led to an abundant inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI), which provided the financial lubricant required to sustain growth and expansion in network infrastructure and services deployment in the country.”

    Itanyi also stated that in order for telecoms services to be delivered effectively and efficiently, it required building of infrastructure, upon which voice data and video services would be delivered to telecoms subscribers.

    The NCC boss stressed that in most countries, transmission infrastructure for telecoms services, such as fibre cable links and power supply were built and provided by the government. But in Nigeria, telecoms operators build the required infrastructure for effective service delivery.

    Mr Damian Udeh who is Etisalat’s Regulatory Affairs Manager lamented the vandalisation of the company’s equipment and stealing of its generators, equipment and diesel at the base stations. He described the situation as unfortunate.

    Speaking in the same manner, MTN’s Iyasi Afam said the company’s equipment and cables had, on many occasions, been vandalised and stolen, even as he added that personnel of the company have been harassed by local government officials over payment of tenement rates and levies.

  • Troops invade Delta community

    THERE was tension in Kokori, an Urhobo community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday.

    Troops from the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Effurun invaded the area in search of one of Niger Delta’s most wanted criminals.

    The target, simply identified as Kelvin, an indigene of the community, has allegedly master-minded the killing of a dozen security operatives.

    The victims include two soldiers, who were killed in the community last weekend, and four prison warders in Warri last month.

    It was gathered that troops moved into the area yesterday morning, forcing residents to stay indoors.

    Kelvin, whose operations have drawn comparison with the infamous Lawrence Anini of the 1980s, reportedly stormed Kokori, his hometown, on Friday and opened fire on soldiers deployed in the area to curtail his onslaught.

    It was gathered that prior to the attack on the soldiers, Kelvin had also allegedly killed two chiefs for their alleged collaboration to facilitate his arrest.

    “After killing the chiefs, he warned that he would eliminate as many people as possible before his capture,” a community source told our reporter.

    Soldiers, who escaped the scene with injuries, were rushed to the Battalion’s headquarters in Effurun-Warri.

    It was gathered that the Commander of 3 Battalion, Lt-Col Ifeanyi Otu, warned that the operation would last for as long as the suspect is on the run.

    The military chief told reporters that he was prepared to end the onslaught of Kelvin and members of his gang.

     

     

  • Foundation lifts community

    When the riverside Ilaje community of Isale-Akoka, Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State got a gift of a block of modern toilets and baths, a borehole and the empowerment of 100 women, they were awestruck. Reason: such a gesture had never been extended to them in their almost four decades of settling there.

    A community, which, in the words of its leader, Mr. Ikuejamoye Asogbon, has been long forgotten suddenly found their hopes raised through a gift which assured them that they truly existed.

    The gift, which was extended to them by the Bayo Fatusin Foundation and facilitated by the New Canterbury Consult Limited, was meant to improve their lives through improved sanitary condition and the provision of potable water.

    “You would not know how happy we are today, considering what God has used the Bayo Fatusin Foundation and the New Canterbury Consult to do for us. We have had series of failed promises in the past from both politicians and the so-called philanthropists, who come in different guises and colours. They would come and take photographs and promised to return. But they never came back,” Mr Asogbon said.

    In an exhortation before the inauguration and handing over ceremonies of the block of toilets, borehole and disbursement of the interest-free loans to the women, the General Evangelist of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor John Kalejaiye, said the foundation and the projects’ facilitator were not the ones that did the projects, but God.

    “I appreciate the opportunity given to them for executing these projects. It is not the foundation, but God. I pray that God would continue to work with him,” he said.

    He mentioned two categories of people; those always running looking for blessings and those that blessings always look for.

    “There are two categories of people; those chasing blessings around and those being chased by blessings,” he said.

    The second category, he said, are the people who go around blessing others with what God has given them and they are always blessed by God.

    The cleric made a biblical allusion about a man by the pool of Bethsaida in the and how Jesus healed him after several years of neglect, even as he likened the community’s experience to it.

    “There are places in Lagos looking for this kind of opportunity, but it came to Ilaje without stress. It has nothing to do with politics,” he said.

    He added that vision without provision is like television. “You may have a good vision but lack the means to actualise it; it is meaningless; it is like a television set,” he said, urging them to come back to God, their Creator.

    The chairman of the foundation, Mr Bayo Fatusin, in his speech, said the projects were executed to the glory of God. Quoting copiously from Psalm 41, he said: “Blessed is he that considers the poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.”

    Continuing, he said: “This is why we are here today so that we can key into that covenant. The word of God is God and God is His Word, and God can never change.”

    He said the essence of the gesture was to tell members of the community that Jesus loves them. The foundation, he said, was borne out of the desire to touch the lives of the people positively and bring smiles to their faces.

    “We are determined to win more souls for Christ through charity, eradication of poverty and hunger. Our targets are the widows and the less-privileged people, among others. We intend to make realise their full potential and become self-reliant.

    “Our prayer as we dedicate, hand over these projects and give cash to the women, is that God be with you and give you the grace to know Him alone. If we rest our hopes on Jesus, we will prevail. There is nothing he cannot do just as he did for me,” he said.

    He said the foundation has other areas of intervention. Some of them, he said, would be inaugurated next month in Ondo State and the Takwa Bay project in Takwa Bay, Lagos Sate.

    “God has used us in the last 10 years to bless the lives of many Nigerians who are less-privileged. This we do through granting of scholarships, empowering them and putting foods on their tables. We always intervene in motherless babies’ homes, give aid to the needy and make our presence felt at the old people’s homes. God has helped us and we have to also bless others,” he said.

    The high point of the event was the empowerment of 100 women, who, after weeks of training by New Canterbury Consult, were carefully selected as being qualified to benefit from the interest-free revolving loans payable within a year. The loans ranged from N20, 000 to N100, 000 depending on the needs of the beneficiaries.

  • Ogidi, Achebe’s community, in grief

    Ogidi, Achebe’s community, in grief

    Ikenga, Ogidi in Anambra State, the community where Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born on November 16, 1930 was in grief at the weekend.

    Young and old wore long faces when the death of its illustrious son was broken.

    The reporter had made some inquiries that sparked some suspicion in Nonye Okoli, Achebe’s sister-in-law.

    She responded in tears.

    She guessed right: The worst had happened to the literary giant.

    It was only a matter of time before the news spread.

    Other relations and neighbours quickly gathered, many of them recalling his exploits as an author and his time as President General of the Ogidi Town Union.

    Dr. Emma Obianagha, a native of Ogidi and former presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, said : ”There are some people a community will lose and still bear the loss but our brother’s death is a big blow to us.

    “We are disturbed, we are mourning. This was a man who always advised us not to soil our hands.”

    Only one person was in the house where Achebe grew up.

    Juliet Anyacho, the caretaker of the house, described Achebe’s death as sad and painful.

    She said each time the deceased was in the village he was like a father to everyone.

    Achebe’s nephew, Aguluchukwu, said his death was a big blow to the family.

    He said: “We were not expecting his death now though he had been ill for some time. God knows why he has called him at this particular moment.

    ”Some of us in the family who are young would have loved to draw inspiration from him but our prayer is that the vacuum his death will create in the family will not give rise to any form of rancour.”

    The immediate past National President of Ikenga Ogidi Family Union (Achebe’s home), Chief Uba Onubogu, said the community was saddened by Achebe’s demise.

    “Last week, we heard he was recovering, but this morning we got news of his death; it will create a very big vacuum.

    “The current executive of our union will hold its general meeting on Easter Monday and the agenda will be to send a delegation to the U.S.A from Ikenga Ogidi because he was our leader before the accident.”