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Tag: Ebonyi State

  • Buhari storms South East again on Wednesday

    President Muhammadu Buhari is returning to the South East on Wednesday, January 30 in furtherance of his presidential campaign in the zone.

    Buhari is billed to storm Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital in what the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu said would be the most comprehensive of all the campaigns so far.

    Buhari’s Wednesday visit to Ebonyi state would be the third since he became the Nigeria’s president.

    Onu made the disclosures at the weekend when key officials of a pro-Buhari group, “True Nigerians For Buhari (TNFB)” paid him a solidarity visit in his country home at Uburu, Ohaozara Local council.

    The minister enjoined all Ebonyi people, and indeed, the party supporters in the southeast zone to come out en mass and welcome President Muhammadu Buhari,  the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate as he flags off his campaign in Ebonyi State.

    “Mr. President will be visiting Ebonyi State on Wednesday, January 30. I call on all Ebonyi to come out in very large number to receive Mr. President, and also come out en mass to vote for all APC candidates at all levels.

    “We are happy that President Buhari is in love with our state. Mr. President insisted that the rail-line that links Port Harcourt to Maiduguri will not be complete without passing through Ebonyi State.“I call on the people of Ebonyi State, the southeast zone, and Nigerians to support President Buhari’s re-election,” Onu admonished.

    Onu told the visiting members of the pro-Buhari grouo that although the problems which the Buhari-led administration inherited were enormous and would take a long time to solve, he expressed delight that within three years of being in office, the government had made tremendous progress in the areas of diversifying the economy from oil-dependent one to agro-based economy, creating jobs and consistent fight against corruption in the country.

    Read Also: SEC takes e-Dividend campaign to South East

    He recalled that Buhari took over office “when all the indices of our national economy collapsed; when our economy depended mainly on crude oil; when the price of crude oil was very low and when the production of crude oil was very low in the country, not even up to half a million barrel per day; when what the country had was half of what she needed to have”

    He expressed the hope that if given another four years, President Buhari would be able to consolidate on the gains made by the administration   so far. “We need to grow the economy and create enough jobs for our people,” Onu remarked.

    He expressed happiness upon realizing that a group such as the TNFB members were currently working hard alongside other numerous organizations in the country for the re-election of Mr. President for him to continue with his good works.

    He assured members of the group of all the necessary support they would require to actualize their aims and objectives, adding that their efforts would be rewarded by the consolidation and sustainability of government’s achievements.

    The leader of TNFB, Chief Ajayi Nicholas Adekunle said their visit was part of the campaign for the re-election of President Buhari.

    Adekunle said: “We are here because we felt it’s important to come to you and say thank you for the way you are mobilizing the entire southeast for the re-election of Mr. President.”

    He advised all Ebonyi people to troop out and vote for all APC candidates during the forthcoming elections.

  • Ebonyi records two deaths from Lassa Fever

    Ebonyi state government has confirmed the death of two persons in recent Lassa fever outbreak in the state this year.

    Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezuruike Gabe the confirmation in Abakaliki on Saturday.

    According to him 10 other cases have been recorded in the state five of which have been treated and discharged.

    The other five are still receiving treatment at the Virology Centre built by the State government at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.

    They are said to be in stable condition.

    The Commissioner said the two deaths were as a result of late presentation.

    Read Also: Ebonyi probes sack of 63 varsity workers

    “One (of the dead) came from Enugu State. The deaths were due to late presentation, in fact, by the time the child came, he was already very bad, bleeding from different orifices which is the terminal stage. But the medical workers tried all they could but could not salvage the patient. The second one actually died before presentation”, he said.

    “The confirmed cases are 12. Five have been treated and discharged while five are on admission now doing very well.”

    Mr Umezuruike said the Virology Centre, which is the only such centre in the entire Southeast, has all the facilities to treat such diseases.

    “The truth is that our management in the virology centre is almost like 100 percent success because we have the dialysis machines; we have all the facilities to test immediately and confirm whether the person has Lassa fever or not”

    He, however, admonished residents and people of the region to always bring the suspected infected patients to the hospital on time so as to be able to save their lives

    “And once you confirm and commence treatment, the prognosis is always very good. Lassa fever is preventable and curable”, he said.

     

     

  • CAN endorses Umahi for second term

    The Ebonyi state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Thursday endorsed Governor David Umahi for re-election in the forthcoming general election.

    The Association gave the endorsement at Ezzilo, headquarters of Ishielu local government Area during the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, rally in the council.

    All the blocks of can were represented at the event which had over 30 Bishops in attendance who prayer for the governor.

    The Chairman of CAN in the State, Rev Fr Abraham Nwali said the association endorsed the governor because of his disposition to peace which led to the lasting peace he has brought to the crisis ridden Ezza-Ezillo axis in the council.

    He said the governor has achieved more than was expected not him and this deserves a second term to continue with his people oriented projects across the state.

    “All his predecessors had two terms so he deserves a second tenure too”, said the clergyman.

    The governor also had the blessings and endorsement of traditional rulers in the council who blessed him and pledged their support for his re-election.

    Responding, Governor Umahi, jokingly said he will donate N5m to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Sunny Ogbuorji to enable him change his posters and billboards.

    He said he was constrained to make the donation because the posters of the APC guber candidate and his running mate, Justin Ogodo, was not good for the image of the state.

    The governor directed his Chief of Staff, Dr. Offor Okorie, to release the money immediately to Ogbuorji and his running mate.

    The gesture was however, opposed by PDP supporters in the rally who immediately chanted “no! no! no! no! .

    “Tell my brother, the one who said he is contesting governor with the so-called deputy to change their pictures (referring to their posters). People will think that is how Ebonyi people look like.

    Read Also: CAN: we’ve not endorsed any presidential candidate

    “I want to donate N5m naira to assist them change their pictures. For the sake of image of Ebonyi state, let them change those posters and billboards. I want the Chief of staff to release the money immediately to them,” Umahi said, though with pidgin English.

    He also warned PDP supporters against attacking members of opposition or tearing their posters or billboards, saying, they are so insignificant and should not be given unnecessary attention.

    Umahi also said he was impressed by the massive turnout of people in the rally and commended the stakeholders of the area for the feat.

    He recalled that in 2015 when he came to Ishielu to seek for their votes “there was alot of blood shade caused by the Ezillo and Ezza Ezillo communal war but today it has become a history as absolute peace has returned to the area.

    He said the peace was made possible through prayers from the clergies.

    The governor said there was no alternative to peace because without the return of peace in Ishielu LGA his administration would not have achieved what he has achieved in the area.

    He told the cheering crowd to votes for all PDP candidates including the party’s presidential candidate and his running mate.

    “Ebonyi state is PDP. Vote for our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; vote for Peter Obi (okwute ndi Igbo), our vice Presidential candidate; vote all the PDP candidates.There is no division in PDP South East. Southeast is totally PDP, Umahi urged the crowd.

    He said he was confident that Ishielu people would deliver all PDP candidates in upcoming general election.

  • Police arrest car-snatching syndicate

    The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday announced that its personnel attached to Umuopara Police Station in Umuahia North Local Government Area of the state on an intensive stop and search operation has arrested an armed robbery and car snatching gang.

    This was disclosed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna in a statement released to journalists on behalf of the state commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike.

    Ogbonna in the release gave names of the four-man gang members as Alegu Anaeto ‘m’ of Ezea, Ebonyi State, 22yrs, Daniel Omeh ‘m’ of Mgbo, Ohaukwu LGA Ebonyi State, 25yrs, Peter Onuameme ‘m’ of Obowo Imo State, 38yrs and iv. Emeka Ibeh ‘m’ of Obokwu Obizi Ezinihitte Mbaise Imo State, 48yrs.

    The police personnel was also said to have recovered a Toyota Sienna SUV with Registration number HM 67 EKY, which they allegedly snatched on gunpoint from its owner, one Iwuchukwu Prince Chimuanya of No. 24 Amaigbo Road, Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

    The suspects were said to have also made away with cash sum of hisN25,000.00, Permanent Voters’ Card, original Driver’s License and other valuables of the victim.

    According to Ogbonna the Umuopara officers intercepted Alegu Anaeto with the vehicle and when he was questioned, he could not give proper account of the vehicle.

    Anaeto was later transferred to the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit where he made confessional statements that led to the arrest of his cohorts and revelations of more of their escapades.

    Read Also: Court restrains EFCC, Police from arresting Fani-Kayode, Odumakin

    It was learnt that the Commissioner of Police has directed the immediate transfer of the suspects to Rivers Command, where the matter was originally reported.

    Ogbonna said that arrest of the suspects and recovery of the SUV was because of the determination of the Police Commissioner to purge Abia of crime and criminality which was why he (Ezike) created tactical operational units which include Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Monitoring Unit and Anti-Cultism, stressing that the units since their creation have made significant and remarkable marks in investigations and crime fighting in the State.

  • No division in Southeast PDP – Umahi

    Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi on Saturday reiterated that there is no division in his party, People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) in the South East.

    The governor, who is the Chairman of the Southeast Governor’s Forum, stated this at Iboko, headquarters of Izzi Local government area during the flag off of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in the council.

    He charged the people to vote for all the candidates of the party during the forthcoming general elections.

    “There is no division in PDP in Southeast, Southeast is PDP and PDP is Southeast. Vote for all PDP candidates”, he said

    Governor Umahi promised that the Abakaliki ring road will commence by Match.

    He said efforts to begin the construction years earlier were twarted by some members of the All Progressive Congress who deployed all means to frustrate the efforts of government to take loan from the African Development Bank to donstruct the road.

    The Abakaliki ring road is the longest road in the state and cuts across 8 out of the 13 local governments in the state.

    “The same people who caused the delay are today coming to ask you to vote for them. We will commence the road by Match and will do more projects for you”.

    The governor also announced the appointment of Dr Sunday Nwangele as a Commissioner to make it two commissioners from the local government.

    He urged the people to vote for Dr Sam Egwu for Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, Sylvester Ogbaga for Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency and Chukwuma Nwazunku for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu federal constituency in the election.

    Read Also: Umahi effects cabinet reshuffle

    The governor also flagged off the the N1.4 bn community development project for the 140 communities in the state.

    According to him each Community will get N10m to carry out a project of their choice.

    Umahi said the money for the community projects has already been set aside and that leaders of all the 140 communities have submitted projects their communities like for execution.

    Umahi noted that he will continue to develop the state and called on the people to continue to support his administration.

    “We are starting N10million project in each of the 140 communities. The money is already available, it is by action not by mouth. We said that every community should give us project of their choice and they have done that. So, we will need to flag it off”, he said.

  • Couple nabbed for killing woman, selling children

    Ebonyi state Police Command on Tuesday said it has arrested a couple that specializes in killing women and selling their babies.

    The Command said it successfully recovered three children stolen and sold by the couple, Lucky Godwin and Onyinyechi Godwin including their biological son, Emmanuel Godwin.

    The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital.

    Godwin, according to the CP, usually changes his real name to lure unsuspecting mothers, kill them and make away with their children for selling.

    He is said to be responsible for the murder of a lady at Crown Garden Hotel along Afikpo road Abakaliki.

    The lady, whose names were yet to be ascertained, lodged in the hotel with the suspect and was stabbed to death with a knife which the gateman gave him.

    Godwin, reportedly gave the gateman N30, 000 to enable him carry out the murder of the lady.

    He thereafter stole a two year old girl of the deceased and escaped.

    The lady’s decomposing body was however found days after the murder.

    The Police Commissioner said Godwin also attempted to murder a heavily pregnant woman, Chisom Ugwu by stabbing her in a bush behind Girls’ High School Azuiyikowu in Abakaliki and also stole her two year old baby.

    Read Also: Couple sells day-old baby to pay debt

    CP Mustapha said: “On 2/12/2018 the manager of Crown Garden Hotel one Mr. Emmanuel Eze reported that an already decomposing body of an unknown lady was discovered in room 403 of the hotel. Police operatives visited the scene, evacuated the deceased body to the mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Professional crime busters of the SCIID were tasked to swing into action and come out with a positive result within 48hrs.

    “Before this incident, there was a similar incident that occurred on the 06/11/2018 were one Chisom Ugwu, a pregnant woman was found in coma, in a bush behind Azuiyiokwu girl’s high school close to the same hotel. The said woman was stabbed on her neck, abdomen and back. She was bleeding profusely and was rescued by police operatives and taken to Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, for medical treatment.

    “The Victim Mrs. Chisom Ugwu narrated to the police that she was attacked by one papa Emma who was her co-trader at Mayor Market Enugu state. She further stated that the said papa Emma lured her to Abakaliki, took her to the above mentioned bush attacked, stole her 2 years old baby and abandoned her.

    “While the victim was still receiving treatment in the hospital, intelligence led investigation took the investigators to Enugu state and Mr. and Mrs. Lucky Godwin the principal suspects were arrested.

    “Lucky narrated how he gruesomely stabbed the pregnant woman Mrs. Chisom Ugwu, stole her 2 years old baby girl and sold out to a motherless/orphanage home at Akwukabi Etche in Rivers state.

    “Mr. Lucky also admitted that he was responsible for the murder of the lady found at Crown garden hotel Abakaliki on 06/11/2018. That he brought the said lady and her 2 years old child from Enugu state on 30/11/2018, they both lodged at Crown garden hotel, where he gave his name as Uchenna in the guest register.

    “He alleged that he was assisted by the hotel gateman one Monday Onwe who gave him a knife, which he used to murder the said lady that the same Monday Onwe also kept watching while he escaped with the deceased child. He further alleged that, he paid the said hotel gateman the sum of N30,000  as a reward for his assistance.

    “The suspects further confessed he and his wife Onyinyechi Godwin have also sold their first son Emmanuel Godwin to one Dr. Arthur Ugo the owner of AVON hospital Iguruata Rivers state, at the cost of N200,000. Efforts are on top gear to arrest the said Arthur Ugo”

    CP Mohammed the three children stolen by Mr. and Mrs. lucky Godwin which include their biological child, Emmanuel Godwin have been recovered.

     

     

  • Police jobs: Application hits 294,851 as portal closes Friday

    The Police Service Commission (PSC) said it has received 294,851 applications from interested Nigerians for the 10,000 constable jobs into the Nigeria Police Force.

    The portal for the recruitment of exercise, which was opened on the 30th of November, 2018 will be officially closed on Friday, January 11th, 2019 by 12 midnight.

    Giving a breakdown of the applications received so far, the spokesman of the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani said: “As at 12.30 pm today, Wednesday, January 10th, 2019, 294,851 applications have been received.

    Read Also: Police disperse crowd at PDP’s rally

    “Niger State maintained the lead in the number of applications received from each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory with 17,790 applicants. Bayelsa State kept its last position with 1,797 applications.

    “Niger State is followed by Kano with 16,800 and Katsina, 16,666. Lagos State is second from the rear with 1,720 applications followed by Ebonyi State with, 2,218.

    “Male applicants continued to dominate the exercise with 255,189 applications with females trailing with only 39,662 applicants.”

    Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, said the commission will commence online shortlisting of qualified applicants after the closure of the portal.

    Smith also said the short listed applicants will thereafter be invited for screening and other stages of the recruitment exercise.

  • 2019: Avoid extreme politics – Umahi

    The Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi has called on Nigerians to be more positive about Nigeria and avoid extreme politics as the country gets ready for the 2019 general elections.

    Governor Umahi in his New Year message, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor acknowledged that the country went through turbulent times in the year 2018 resulting in almost a near doubt about Nigeria and called for a newed belief in the country.

    Read Also: Umahi presents N188.4b budget

    Umahi maintained that even as Nigerians approach the polls to elect their leaders in the new year, one thing should be paramount to approach every election with every sense of brotherliness as elections are not wars and called for abolition of extreme politics among every political parties participating in the election.

    The Governor further charged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security agencies to renew their image by not only being independent and neutral but be seen to be independent and neutral in the coming general election.

    He noted that the peace and unity of Nigeria in 2019 will be determined by the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

     

  • Ebonyi sacks 48 state security outfit members, suspends 27

    The Ebonyi State Government on Friday announced the sack of 48 members of the state’s security outfit, Neigbourhood Security Watch and suspended 27 members of the outfit.

    Dr Keneth Ugbala, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Internal Security made the announcement, noting that their offences included non-performance and absenteeism from duty.

    Ugbala said that the affected persons consisted mainly of the newly recruited “Batch B’ members of the outfit who were expected to justify the huge remuneration on them by the government.

    “They failed to meet the seven days out of one month compliance on attendance and for the fact that we don’t condone laziness in the state’s workforce, they had to be sacked.

    “We gave them several warnings to change their attitude to work but they failed and we have commenced the process of replacing them,” he said.

    The governor’s aide noted that those suspended did not measure up to two weeks of attendance compliance required of them.

    Read Also: Body of slain lady found in Ebonyi hotel

    “We hope that they will learn their lessons and live up to expectations or they will join those already sacked.

    “No job opportunity is too small to be abused as they prayed to get it and should therefore be serious with it.

    “`Seven out of the 48 sacked members of the outfit were from the Batch A set, while the rest are from the Batch B,” he said.

    He directed all the sacked personnel to immediately return all the outfits’ properties in their possession, while those on suspension should face the disciplinary committee of the outfit.

    NAN

  • 2019: 215,000 PVCs uncollected in Ebonyi, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ebonyi State says over 215, 000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be claimed in the state.

    Professor Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi State said this at a news conference in Abakaliki on Friday.

    “The figure is composite addition to the uncollected PVCs from the 2015, 2017 as well as first and second quarters of 2018 registrations in the state,’’ he said.

    He also said that the commission, on December, received additional 97,228 non fresh PVCs representing those PVCs from transfers, mutilations and losses.

    Obioma said that out of the 47, 117 uncollected PVCs from the 2015 registration, 15, 204 PVCs had been claimed by their owners, leaving the commission with 31,913 unclaimed PVCs as at Dec. 13.

    He also said that out of over 77,397 PVCs from 2017 registrations, about 29,973PVCs were yet to be claimed while 47,424 PVCs had been collected.

    The REC also said that 153,125 PVCs were yet to be collected from first and second quarters of 2018 registrations.

    He said: “In first quarter of 2018, uncollected PVCs as at Dec. 13 stands at 27,491 PVCs while in the second quarter which ended Aug. 31, out of 138,456 registration only 12, 822 PVCs have been collected.

    “We have taken proactive steps in ensuring that all uncollected PVCs in our custody are claimed by their owners before the 2019 general elections.

    “Collection is going on very aggressively.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC reads riot act to staff

    “Collection started first at the ward and local government levels, but due to the yearnings of the people we are almost short of going from one polling unit to the other for the exercise.

    “Two weeks ago, we redesigned our strategy and aggressively set up collection points in the remote areas near the polling units.

    According to the REC, in a typical ward where there are about 10 to 15 polling units, the commission set up a minimum of three collection points.

    He said a collection point would serve about four or five polling units according to how proximate the polling units are to the collection points.

    “We may end up taking the exercise to polling units if we have more resources from our national headquarters to provide logistics.“

    According to Rec, the commission will ensure that the process of collection is simplified with minimum inconvenience to the citizens of the state.

    He, however, reminded the electorate of the commission’s policy which stipulates that “no PVC will be collected by proxy.”

    Obioma said that INEC had developed a number of strategies, including security, transport; media strategy plans and training for the INEC staff to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

    “Recently, political parties and their candidates for both national and state elections signed a peace accord to abide by the electoral laws and make elections in Ebonyi violence free to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of 2019 general elections.

    “We hope and pray to God that the exercise will not only be symbolic but that parties will abide by the provisions of the peace accord.

    “INEC under our watch in Ebonyi will ensure that all votes must count in the elections and candidates and their political parties will be provided with equal level playing field in the elections.’’

    NAN