The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ebonyi State

  • How I escaped nude from my abductors – Nollywood Actor, Macdonald Oti

    A Nollywood actor and Special Assistant to the Chairman of Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, UBEB, Mr. McDonald Oti yesterday narrated the ugly episodes he went through in the hands of kidnappers who made him to undress in front of a forest in Ezza North local government area of the state around 11 pm before he eventually escaped.

    Narrating his ordeal, Oti who stated that he was kidnapped at his Abakaliki residence (names withheld) by three stern-looking young men and taken to Ohatekwe forest in Ezza North local government area of the State blamed the smooth operation of his assailants on the absence of police checkpoints along the routes the kidnappers drove through on the fateful day.

    According to him, they put me inside the booth of my car and drove through Abakaliki metropolis without any policeman stopping them while a gun was pointed to my head as a Sienna car also followed us from behind.

    He explained that what made him quickly run into the forest was when a strong argument ensued among his assailants as to whether he should be shot or not adding that while running through the forest, he sustained lots of injuries as the assailants couldn’t pursue him through the dark forest.

    “After they waited for over 30 minutes, they quickly drove off heading towards Ezza North. I came out from the forest completely nude and traumatized. I approached a woman for assistance but she immediately took to her heels. I met another man and he took off. While I looked for safety and covering, I saw a burial flex banner and tied it round my waist.

    “I crossed the expressway and got to PDP secretariat; after explaining myself and giving out my identify, I was given a boxer to wear and I really don’t know when that boxer was worn last. It was when I got to the police station that succour came to me”

    “What actually helped the situation was that my wife was not kidnapped alongside myself. So she was able to raise alarm, inform the police and my associates. The police was instrumental to the recovery of my Jeep and they have been working round the clock to see to the capture of the suspects.

    The Nation learnt that the incident happened a fortnight ago during the Ebonyi State local government election in the State.

    Meanwhile, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jude Madu stated that his office was yet to be communicated on the incident. Ends

     

     

  • FG pledges to revive Nkalagu Cement Company

    FG pledges to revive Nkalagu Cement Company

    The federal government Tuesday pledged total commitment and support to the efforts of Governor David Umahi and Ibeto Group to revitalized the Nigeria Cement Company (NIGERCEM), Nkalagu in Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi state.

    NIGERCEM has been in comatose since 2003 when it stopped production with over 200 workers of the company said to have died as result of non -payment of their salaries.

    The state government last year signed a deed of understanding with the Ibeto group of companies to revive the ailing industry.

    Addressing the host communities and stakeholders at the cement factory, Minister of Solid Mineral Development Dr. Fayemi Kayode who was on two-day working visit to the state noted that the cement company was once a pride of the eastern region.

    “I have been hearing of NIGERCEM Nkalagu when I was a little boy. There were two companies known all over Nigeria for cement production; Ewekoro and Nkalagu. Nkalagu is where we are today and that is why we have to revive it and we thank Ibeto and the Governor for coming together with the community and other stakeholders to support this effort to bring NIGERCEM back to life.

    “On our part as the federal government, we are determined to see this company come back to production and we will provide all the necessary support for this to happen.  We are happy that this is going to start very soon. We will make sure that this company is back and bigger than what it was before.

    “It can recruit many of your children and I know that we have elderly pensioners who worked all their lives here in the NIGERCEM. We need to get our young men and women back to work and this is one of the vehicles to achieving job creation in this state and I know with God on our side, it shall be possible very soon. I know how passionate the Governor is about the development of his people.  All he always want to hear any time we meet in Abuja is what is the need of my people. He is committed to leave a foot print on the sands of time”, he said.

    In his remarks, Governor Umahi expressed confidence that the company will return to its glorious day and commended the federal government for its support to revitalize the industry.

    He disclosed that everything has been put in place by his administration including the construction of the road and bridges to ensure smooth revival of the cement factor.

    “Some masqueraders have been coming that they want to invest in NIGERCEM. You don’t invest in what that does not belong to you and you people are not greedy people, you are nice people. We are together with Ibeto and we are not looking backwards and very soon,  you will see construction work here,” he told the host communities.

     

  • Ebonyi APC Crisis: Court summons Oyegun, Buni

    Ebonyi APC Crisis: Court summons Oyegun, Buni

    The crisis rocking the Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another dimension, as the National Chairman of the party and National Secretary, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Hon. Mai Mala Buni respectively have been summoned before Justice A. A Nwaigwe’s High Court sitting in Abakaliki.

    The two leaders of the party are to appear in person to answer questions why they should not be committed to prison for disobeying an order of interlocutory injunction restraining them, their agents and privies from conducting any new congress aimed at electing new executives of the party in Ebonyi state.

    The Nation gathered that the crisis exacerbated when the national chairman was said to have transmitted a letter to the state deputy chairman, Eze Nwachukwu as the state Acting chairman of the party.

    While Nwachukwu claimed that Nwobasi was suspended, the state chairman of the party on his part insisted that he still remained the authentic chairman of the party, describing his deputy as an “impostor”.

    Justice Nwaigwe had on November 6, 2014 restrained the respondent from appointing caretaker committee in place of the executives elected during the ward, Local government and state congresses conducted in the state on November 11, 16 and 29 respectively pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The counsel to the applicants, Godwin Onwusi noted that the APC National chairman and National Secretary had earlier been served Form 48 which is the notice of consequence of disobedience to court order that may commit the duo to prison if found guilty.

    Onwusi while briefing journalists in Abakaliki noted that he applied to the Court for Order of committal to prison (Form 49) for the respondents to appear before the court and explain why they should not be committed for prison for contempt.

    In the Form 49, he said “Take Notice that pursuant to section 72; order 1X, Rule 13(1) and (2) of the Sheriffs and Civil Processes ACT, CAP S6 LFN updated to 2010 and Order 42 Rule 9 (3)(C) of the Rules of this Honourable Court, the Counsel, on behalf of the applicants, will on the 4th day of May 2017 at the hour of 9 O’clock in the forenoon or soon thereafter, as the business of the court will permit, apply to this Court for an Order of committal to prison of the 1st Respondent/contemnor and the party sought to be committed as agent/privy of the 2nd respondent/contemnor for having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 6th day of November, 2014”.

    “That while the substantive suit was and is still pending in Court, the party sought to be committed as agents/privy signed and issued a letter dated 23rd February, 2017 to one Pastor Nwachukwu Eze appointing him the Acting Chairman of the APC, Ebonyi state, notwithstanding that the order restrained both the respondents and their agents/privies from doing so,” Onwusi maintained.

     

  • Umahi promises more dividend of democracy for Afikpo South

    Umahi promises more dividend of democracy for Afikpo South

    Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has promised the people of Edda in Afikpo South Local Government of more dividends of democracy even as he said the people will not be left behind in his developmental strides.

    Umahi who stated this on Easter Sunday at the country home of a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Julius Amah Orji at Nguzu Edda said the people of Edda were dear to his heart.

    He said it was the special love he has for the Chieftain and the people of Edda in general that made him to pay the visit on the special day of Easter Sunday, stressing that his love for the people would not diminish.

    “My administration has executed some notable projects in your area including the streetlights and I assure you that many more are coming in the days ahead”.

    He urged the people of the area to continue to support his administration which he said was for the overall development of the state.

    The host, Amah Orji commended the governor for the visit which he said was remarkable as his people including traditional rulers would use the opportunity to let the governor know some of the teething problems facing them.

    He promised his peoples’ total support for the governor in his bid to fast track the development of the state.

    In his vote of thanks, Stanley Okoro Emegha, the Transition Committee Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government expressed joy over what he said was the developmental strides of the governor in the area

    “Gov Umahi is a wonder working governor, he has done well for the people and at the same time, there are a lot of things the governor need to do for us. We need street lights from Ohafia/Nkporo junction to Nguzu Edda and I believe strongly he will do that.

    “Again, the Federal Government has been very slow in handling the Ohafia/Nguzu/Amaigbo/Owutu/Oso Road; they’ve been on that road for the past four years. Since there are a lot of roads in the state which belongs to the federal government that the governor is doing and he is faster than them, I appeal to him to take over the reconstruction of the road so that our people will have access to their communities”.

    He commended Umahi for appointing him the TC chairman of Afikpo South council and promised not to disappoint his people.

    In an interview later, Okoro Emegha said his priority as TC chairman will be to key into the agricultural policies of the governor, in addition to putting up empowerment programme for the youth in order to curb youth restiveness in the area.

    “Experience is the best teacher, what I gained staying close to the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, if I can put it down here; I believe very strongly we will compete very favourably with any local government in the country”.

    He assured Gov Umahi that the recent defection of his predecessor in office, Chief Martins Elechi to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not in any way affect his changes of being returned to the Government House for a second tenure come 2019 as the people of Ebonyi were solidly behind him.

     

  • Tragedy as SS1 student drowns in Ebonyi lake

    Tragedy as SS1 student drowns in Ebonyi lake

    A pall of grief descended on Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, after a Senior Secondary (SS) 1 student of Abakaliki High School, Chinonso Nwokporo drowned in an artificial lake located at the International Market, Abakaliki.

    The body of Nwopkoro, a native of Oriuzor in Ezza North local Government Area of the state, was found floating in the lake on Thursday with blood gushing out of his mouth, ears and nose when it was recovered.

    An eyewitness, Master Okechukwu Eze, said he and the deceased had gone to the pond to swim when he got drowned.

    “We went to the pond to swim and nobody among us knows how to swim. So we were just at the shallow part of the pond where people normally stay and fetch water for their various uses. We stayed there and fetch water and came out and bathed.

    “As were going back to our houses that evening, my friend Chinonso went back and I thought he went to bring a cloth he forgot. Before I could notice what was happening, he had entered the pond and started shouting for help and I went to rescue him.

    “When I jumped into the pond, I started drowning also but I was able to come out and I didn’t know when and how I came out because I was shouting Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! I shouted on top of my voice for rescue of my friend but no one came around until one of the security men stationed to take care of the market came to fetch water from the pond.

    ‘’The security man told me that he doesn’t know how to swim; hence, he cannot do anything about my friend’s case. I then ran to the house of my friend and informed his mother”, he added.

    The father of the victim, Mr. Edwin Nwokporo expressed surprise at the incident as his late son was not known with swimming.

    A resident, who did not want his name in print, said the lake was created by contractors handling the market as a source of water for their construction work.

    They however lamented that the lake had killed many of their sons over the years and called for its closure.

    “This is the third person to die in the lake. The lake has some evil spirit residing there and every year one person must die in that lake. There was a year that a big cow drowned in the lake,” said one of the residents.

    Speaking to reporters at the scene, Chairman of the state’s Emergency Management Agency, Evangelist Ephraim Ononye urged government to close down the pond to stop the continuous drowning of children.

     

  • Fire scare at Ebonyi govt house

    Fire scare at Ebonyi govt house

    There was palpable fear in Ebonyi state government house, Abakaliki Wednesday afternoon as a tanker caught slight fire after it encountered electricity wires close to the Protocol Unit.

    The incident sent lots of panic among both workers and visitors who were in the government house environment during the period.

    The tanker was halted close to the premises of the Governor’s office when passersby and security personnel posted to the government house raised alarm of slight fire at the top of the tanker.

    The fire was immediately put out by the conductor attached to the tanker.

    Normalcy however returned to the government house environment as those who had scampered for safety were seen returning to their duty posts.

    A staff of the government house who did not want his name in print advised the present administration to ensure that all electricity cables are not within the reach of commuters and passersby to avoid future occurrences.

     

  • Three arrested for kidnap, murder of 59 years-old woman

    Three arrested for kidnap, murder of 59 years-old woman

    Ebonyi State Police Command have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly kidnapped, killed and buried a 59 years Old Mrs. Catherine Okorie of Mrs. Catherine Okorie in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    Late Mrs .Okorie was said to had been kidnapped in her country home in Ivo on January 18, 2017 and whisked to an unknown destination by the hoodlums.

    The Nation gathered that the hoodlums had contacted the family few days after her kidnap and demanded a ransom of two hundred million naira from the family for her release.

    A family source said that the family were still negotiating with the hoodlums for her possible release without knowing that they had killed her and buried her corpse in a shallow grave in the forest.

    The suspects were arrested in different locations in the state by the Anti-kidnap Squared of the state police command while trying to pick the ransom from the family.

    A source in the police said the three suspects who confessed to the crime had led the police to the scene where they had buried the victim.

    The exhumed remains of the woman had been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.

    The Commissioner of police, Ebonyi state Comand, Titus Larmode confirmed the incident to our reporter adding that investigations were still ongoing.

  • Ebonyi NLC splits over pension scheme

    Ebonyi NLC splits over pension scheme

    The controversy over the new contributory law recently signed into law by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state worsened Tuesday as a new group known as Junior Workers Association split from the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)

    This followed the rejection of the law for not following due process by NLC and the alleged deduction from workers’ salaries by the state government for the contributory pension.

    The faction at a briefing in Abakaliki, the state capital, denounced the NLC leadership in the state headed by Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor.

    The Chairman of the new group, Uguru Uchenna while reading a communiqué issued at the end of their emergency meeting accused the NLC leadership of pursuing personal interest as against the overall interests of the union.

    Uguru noted that Ebonyi workers have been properly taken care of under Governor David Umahi, adding that the contributory pension law which the state government recently put in place was for the welfare of the workers.

    “We are in full support of the agricultural programme of the state government and are happy to participate in the programme taking advantage of soft loan provided by the state governor to embark on rice cultivation and other agricultural programmes.

    “We are delighted and grateful to the governor for the increment of 5 percent in workers’ salary and pledge our unalloyed support to the
    effort of the state governor to strengthen the pensions of workers of Ebonyi state”

    Uguru further accused the leadership of NLC of playing politics with the welfare of workers in the state.

    “We completely dissociate ourselves from the desperation of some so called Labour leaders in the state parading their own personal agenda, a development that can cause breach of peace in the state”

    He said it was grossly uncharitable to claim that workers of Ebonyi state are enslaved whereas, they are among the few that get their monthly salaries on or before 18th of each month and without arrears.

    “That we invite workers to ignore the desperate moves by some misinformed Labour leaders in the state to create an atmosphere of chaos and bad image to the dignity of labour unionism in the state and ‘affirm our total support to Governor Umahi and call on all workers in the state to remain calm because the state government meant well”

    The state Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ikechukwu Nwafor could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was switched off.

  • Boy clubs father to death in Ebonyi

    A 16 year old boy and SS2 student, Ifeanyichukwu Ejeh, from Ndiogodo Idoko village,  Ishieke community  of Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi state have been arranged before a Magistrate Court, Abakaliki Division for allegedly clubbing his father, Michael Ejeh to death.

    Ifeanyichukwu who is an SS2 student of Community Secondary School, Mbeke in the area was accused hitting the father severally with a mortar-pestle when the father was asleep.

    The incident, it was gathered, happened shortly after a misunderstanding between them over N1, 000 money given to the boy to buy things and cook for the family which he allegedly used and settled financial requirements in his school.

    The act according to court records in No MAB/105/2017 is an offence punishable under section 319(1) cap 33 vol. 1 laws of Ebonyi state of Nigeria.

    The suspect who pleaded guilty to the crime while in the dock begged the court for leniency even as he blamed his act on evil spirit.

    He said he was reading his book in their compound when something suddenly came over him and asked him to kill his father.

    The suspect said he regained his senses after committing the crime and saw his father laying in his poll of blood.

    But wife of the deceased, Mrs Mary Ejeh a Cross River based business woman who said she was not around when the incident occurred, said the
    deceased gave the sum of N1, 000 to the suspect for cooking but he used it for his school expenses which annoyed the father, leading to a heated argument between the deceased and the boy.

    She disclosed that her husband had gone to bed to sleep after the misunderstanding and was sleeping when Ifeanyichukwu descended on him with mortar-pestle, hitting him severally until he died.

  • Leave Atiku out of your woes, PDM Chief warns ex-Chair

    Leave Atiku out of your woes, PDM Chief warns ex-Chair

    Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Movement, (DPM) in Ebonyi State, Chief Ajah Agha Arua Saturday called on the former national Chairman of the Party, Bashir Yussuf to stop what he described as a vociferous campaign of calumny against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the party chieftain further stressed that the former Vice President had no hand in the predicament of the former national President of the party.

    Bashir was last month sacked by the Executive Committee of PDM for incompetence and corruption.

    According to the party Chieftain, the attacks on former vice President Atiku Abubakar were unwarranted as it is a calculated attempt to dent the image and personality of the former Vice President of Nigeria.

    Arua urged former President Atiku to remain undaunted in his commitment towards the development of the country.

    “Atiku’s wealth of experience as an accomplished public officer, renowned politician, distinguished statesmen and formidable leader in Nigeria public domain would continue to be a source of strength to him and his numerous admirers all over Nigeria and beyond”.