The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ebonyi

  • Ebonyi, Cross River sign agreement to end boundary clashes

    Ebonyi and Cross River States have agreed to end hostilities arising from various border disputes between the two states.
    They also agreed to  embark on construction of  bridges and roads to further cement the bond of brotherhood.
    The border communities of the two states have regularly engaged each other in violent clashes which has led to loss of hundreds of lives and destruction of properties worth millions.
    But the two states met on Tuesday in Port Harcourt to discuss ways of ending the crisis.
    At the meeting Ebonyi state government agreed to construct a 600 metres  bridge across Oferekpe River in Ikwo axis and 500 metres  bridge at Ndibe
    Beach in Afikpo.
    Cross River state on it’s part said it will construct a  7.2km road to link up with the Federal high way from Ogada in Cross River State to Oferekpe in Ebonyi state as well as a 19km road linking Ndibe beach to Ugep or a 17km road linking Ndibe beach to Adim.
    This was part of a ten point communiqué jointly issued by the two states at the end of the Bilateral meeting on the interstate boundary challenges.
    The meeting which was convened and co-chaired by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Cross River state counterpart, Prof Ben Ayade also resolved to end hostilities in their boundary areas.
    To achieve this, both Governors directed the representatives of the disputed communities in attendance to return to their various communities and sensitize them on the way forward with a view to proffering solutions to the challenges at the disputed sectors.
    They also resolved that both states should submit a position paper on their boundary claims, annexing relevant legal documents, maps and communique of previous meetings within 30 days while arbitrators including National Boundary Commission, as third arbitrator would be appointed.
    As part of the communiqué, both states would carry out disarmament of the combatants and thereafter grant amnesty to those who shall willingly handover the dangerous weapons in their possessions within a period of 90 days from 7th of August 2018.
    The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State Dr. Kelechi Igwe, traditional rulers and stakeholders from both sides.

  • INEC decries low rate of PVCs’ collection in Ebonyi

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says no fewer than 71,462 registered voters in Ebonyi are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in spite of the sustained enlightenment campaigns in the state.

    Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abakaliki at the INEC’s 2018 second quarterly meeting with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Civil Society Organisations.

    He noted that of the 77,487 PVCs released by the commission’s national headquarters of the 2017 voter registration, only 6,025 of the registered voters had collected their PVCs.

    Obioma, however, added that only 400 registered voters had collected their PVCs, out of the total 47,117 unclaimed PVCs from the pre-2017 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    The commissioner, who described the development as worrisome, hoped that the meeting would come up with strategies to speed up distribution and collection of PVCs before the 2019 general elections.

    He urged all registered voters in the state yet to collect their PVCs to quickly do so and pledged the commission’s readiness to partner IPAC and CSOs to ensure that all unclaimed PVCs were collected.

    He said: “The rate of PVCs collection in the state from 2011, 2014 and 2016 registration has been very low.

    “Out of the 47,117 unclaimed voter cards before 2017, only 400 PVCs have been collected.

    “INEC national headquarters recently released a total of 77,487 from the 2017 and 2018 registrations, and out of this figure, only 6,025 PVCs have been so far collected,” he said.

    Obioma said the commission had registered no fewer than 315,175 voters between 2017 and first phase of the second quarter of 2018.

    Obioma explained that the ongoing CVR would be temporarily suspended in the state on Aug.17, in line with the directive from the national headquarters.

    He said that the rotation of the registration machines in wards ended on July, 31.

    He, however, added that voter registration would continue in all INEC local government area offices across the 13 local government areas and six centres earlier approved by INEC.

    The commissioner said that collection of PVCs would continue until one week to the general elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 26 registered political parties attended the stakeholders second quarterly meeting.(NAN).

  • Man goes berserk, kills father, sister in Ebonyi

    Ifelemenu community, Ekpaomaka in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State was on Sunday thrown into pandemonium following the murder of one Nwode Nwignoaka and his 7 years old daughter by his 25 years old son, Julius Nwode.

    According to eye witness, Julius went berserk killing his father and sister also proceed to attack six other residents of the community who came to intervene in the matter.

    He inflicted serious machete cuts on the six other residents of the area before he was later gunned down by a husband of one of the victims of his attack.

    While the reason for his actions could not be ascertertained, a source who didn’t want to be named said the suspect had taken hard drugs when he came into the house.

    An altercation ensure between him and his father killed who asked him where he has been since the day.

    “When he was attacking his father with machete, Julius sister came out and asked him while he was attacking their father and he descended on her and macheted her to death after killing the father.

    “Some neighbours who saw what happened came to the scene. Julius attacked about six of them with the machete. As he was leaving the area wielding the machete, a man called Peter whose wife was among those macheted, went inside his house, brought his gun and shot him and he died instantly”, Ekoyo narrated.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill moneychanger after snatching $80,000 from him

    The corpses of the victims have been deposited at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki(FETHA) while the injured are currently receiving treatment at undisclosed hospital in the state.

    Spokesman of the Police in Ebonyi, Loveth Odah confirmed the incident to our Reporter.

    She however said Julius from available information killed himself after killing his father and sister.

    “The boy is about 25 years and he burns candle ND reads some religious books. So he came home and attacked his father and seven years old sister with Axe and machete. There after he killed himself”, she said

    She said the police were still investigating what happened and she has not been properly briefed on the number of casualties.

  • Man kills father, sister in Ebonyi

    Pandemonium broke out yesterday at Ifelemenu, Ekpaomaka in Ikwo Local Government of Ebonyi State, following the killing of Nwode Nwignoaka and his seven-year-old daughter by his 25-year-old son, Julius.

    An eyewitness said Julius went berserk, killing his father and sister. He also attacked six residents who intervened.

    The source said the suspect inflicted machete cut injuries on the six residents before he was shot by a husband of one of the victims.

    The reason for his action could not be ascertained last night.

    A source, who preferred anonymity, alleged that the suspect took hard drugs when he came into the house.

    He said later an argument ensued between him and his father, who asked him where he had been since morning.

    “When Julius attacked his father with a machete, his sister intervened, but he also attacked her with the machete and killed her after killing the father.

    “Neighbours rushed to the scene, but Julius attacked about six of them with the machete. As he was leaving the scene, wielding the machete, a man, whose wife was among those he attacked with the machete, went inside his house, brought out a gun and shot him dead.”

    The Nation learnt that the bodies have been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), while the injured are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

    Police spokesperson Loveth Odah confirmed the incident.

    She, however, said according to the information available to the police, Julius killed himself after killing his father and sister. Odah said the police were investigating the incident.

     

     

  • Succour for the needy in Ebonyi 

    Succour has come the way of over 1,000 street beggars, physically challenged and other downtrodden in Ebonyi State. Their benefactor is an interdenominational worship centre, Power House.

    One of the beneficiaries, Ifeoma Eleagada, a blind mother of three from Ngbo community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, has been begging for over seven years in the popular Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki, the state capital.

    She was married as a second wife by her husband and became blind after the marriage. She had to quit the marriage and took to street begging to survive. While begging last week, someone from Power House approached her and announced to her that there was occasion designed for the physically challenged. After about one hour, another person from the same organisation said the same thing to her. She agreed and followed the person to the place.

    At the end, she was fed well alongside her children and over 1,000 physically challenged and downtrodden who attended the programme. She was given fat envelope that contained money. Others were also treated same.

     

    Her joy knew no bounds.

    Ifeoma said “We are regarded as nothing, we are rejected by the society because of our conditions but today, we have been treated specially by this church.

    “I am very glad; I have never seen this type of gesture since I was born. I am a beggar with my three children and I am not married. I pray God to bless this church and the founder. I am begging at Abakakpa main market Abakaliki. I have been begging for the past seven years.

    “I married a married man and I repented and separated from him because it is against the word of God. I resolved that I will not continue to be married to a married man, instead I will stay on my own and be begging and I have been begging and feeding my three children.

    “I was not born blind. I got blind when I got married to that married man. Now I have repented, I have vowed that I will not marry the man again and nothing will make me to marry him again”.

    Another street bagger, Francis Nwankwo also said that he has not been treated the way he was treated by the interdenominational worship centre.

    Nwankwo who is from Awkuzu, Anambra state said “It is only today that I have seen this type of thing in my life. I pray God to bless this centre. We are regarded as less privileged in the society; we are suffering because no one cares for us. Some of us have died of hunger and sickness. We have suffered a lot in this world but today, we have been given a sense of belonging, we have been treated very well”.

    Earlier, founder and President of the Power House Assembly, Ephraim Ononye said the gesture was inspired by a desire to help the needy.

    He regretted that well-to-do individuals in the society have neglected the less privileged and called on them to use their resources to better the loss of the down trodden instead of wasting them on earthly things.

    He told the less privileged during the event at the Assembly’s branch in Abakaliki not to lose hope as according to them God was still remembering them.

    “It is not every help that we render that we publicise. Last Sunday, so many people into this church empty and left with N10,000 each and we didn’t take it to the news. But we take this one to the news to move the hand of the well to do people in the society to begin to think about how to help the down trodden, people who are living with disabilities.

    “I also want to move the hand of churches and pastors. We collect tithes and offerings from our congregations, we get richer by the day, we get mansions. What about the less privileged in the society who are the people God expected us to take care of as churches and ministers, pastors and prophets.

    “Let those people that calls themselves rich men also think of how to assist the less privileged, those who are living with disabilities and the  downtrodden in the society not  just building mansions, ridding expensive cars and spending money extravagantly. This is where we should spend our money,” he said.

     

  • Ibeto group, Chinese coy to establish two cement plants in Ebonyi

    The Ibeto Groups and Sinomas Chinese Group of Companies are to construct two high-capacity cement factories in Nkalagu and Effium communities of Ebonyi.

    Chief Cletus Ibeto, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ibeto group of companies disclosed this on Friday in Abakaliki when he led a delegation of both groups on a courtesy call on Gov. David Umahi.

    Ibeto who is the lead partner of the projects, remarked that the first factory will be situated beside the moribund Nigerian Cement Company (NIGERCEM) Nkalagu will produce 9, 000 metric tones of cement per day.

    “We are not going to remove anything from the old plant but set up the new one beside the moribund factory.

    “Nothing is going to be removed in the old plant and we would ensure that it would be completed on record-time.

    “We would also commence another plant in Effium community but due to less availability of limestone deposit in the area, the factory would produce 3, 000 metric tone cement per day,” he said.

    The business mogul remarked that the team would be steady at the project sites as preliminary works such designing would commence immediately.

    “We would ensure that all agreement reached during the contact signing in 2015 are met as the factories would ensure rapid economic development of the areas and the state.

    “I congratulate the state governor for his infrastructural strides and pray that he assumes higher positions of authority in the country on completing his second tenure in 2023,” he said.

    Mr Chen Gong, Vice President of Sinoma Construction company sought the collaboration of the people to achieve the objective which he described as ‘Herculean’.

    “We pledge to respect the laws and cultures of the areas the factories would be sited and ensure that the projects becomes monumental blessing to the people,” he said.

    Gov. Umahi in his response, thanked the team for the visit, noting that the state government would provide adequate security for them to actualise the objectives.

    “We would remain grateful to you for assisting us take-off as a government as you constantly advised me to embark on massive infrastructural development and empower the people.

    “Some people who felt that you are not coming back to the state, turned your house into a Mecca, urging you to support a change of government but you stood for the truth.

    “I am happy that the same people are hearing us presently as you also challenged the preceding government in the state for dethroning the traditional rulers of Nkalagu,” he said.

    He congratulated Ibeto for the listing of his companies at the American stock exchange noting that he is man that God had endowed with abundant blessing.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NIGERCEM cement company Nkalagu became moribund in 2002 after the governments of the five south east states handed it over to the Eastern Bulkcem company.

    The company failed to revitalise it with the factory’s equipment vandalised and depreciating greatly with the workers most of whom had died, owed entitlements since then.

  • Ebonyi community gets new bridge

    A MORE solid bridge has replaced the old one that has since outlived its uses on Umubo-Onicha Road in Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo  area of Ebonyi State.

    The old Bailey Bridge had claimed lives and caused many injuries because its decades-old structures had dilapidated and were not really designed to be permanent.

    A member of the House of Representatives representing the area Linus Okorie built the project.

    Okorie while conducting reporters around the site said he fell into the river in 1978, and that many others have suffered similar or worst fate as a result of the poor state of the bridge.

    He said the situation forced him to build a new bridge for the people.

    He said, “As a young boy in 1978 I fell into the river there.  It has remained a Bailey bridge till recently when I intervened constructing a new bridge.”

    A resident of the area, Mr Rowland Ogbonna corroborated Okorie’s statement.

    According to him, he and his sister nearly lost their lives in 2011 on the bridge when an iron on the old bridge caused his brake to fail, plunging them into the ditch beneath.

    ”On 10 November, 2011, this bridge in question nearly claimed my life and that of my cousin, Ezeh Chinenye. I took her to the local govt headquarters to collect her local govt identification certificate after she gained admission into the university”.

    ”As we approached the bridge, I applied my brake, little did I know that my brake pedal will come in contact with the iron on the floor of the bridge and my pedal cut off immediately”.

    ”We fell through the rough and sharp iron blades into the ditch. People that came to our rescue thought that we were dead but thanks to Almighty God who through His infinite mercy preserved our lives to witness today (the construction of this bridge). Though the scar of the broken clavicle I sustained during the accident still remains but I am happy because the construction of this bridge will always give me succour to the wound”.

    Meanwhile, over 2000 persons in Okposi have received free medical treatment in the ongoing free medical health outreach by the lawmaker’s CaringHeart Foundation.

    The programme which began in Januray has treated over 10,000 persons free of cost in 6 town in the constituency courtesy of Mr Linus Okorie the sponsor of the programme.

    Speaking at the occasion, Mr Okorie said the programme is to augment the good works of Governor David Umahi in the health sector.

    ”What we met here is a record setting situation. One is concerned that so many people need health intervention.  Everybody is ill and we are very pleased that this call for intervention is yielding the kind results and the kind of response from our constituents. We will find a situation where the enlightenment will also linger and build a habit of getting closer to health facilities to attend to their needs”.

    “There is a general hospital in this Okposi area and it is one of those being renovated by the state government. If you go there now, you will find out that it is almost like teaching hospital. The government has also rightly put in place a manpower improvement scheme where they are going to not just build modern facilities, equip them but they are bringing also the necessary medical staff that will take care of it”.

    “What we are doing here is just a peg to support what the state Governor is doing to improve the lifestyle and living standard of our people”.

    Dr. Agu Martins, the Medical Doctor heading the Medical Team at the function said the Medical Team made two referrals to the General Hospital whose condition were very serious.

    ”So far, we have done two referrals in this Okposi outreach. One is a woman that we discovered in the scan that the baby is dead and she is bleeding. The other one is another woman that needs urgent attention”.

    “We discovered that she has a low line placenta and her blood pressure is also high. So, what we decided to do is to refer them to nearest hospital where they can get the right care, the general hospital here and we gave some money so that they can take care of the treatment”.

    “Our target is to make sure that we identify those with emergency care and treat the ones we can here. Then those that are not emergency that needs urgency, we plan their treatments at a better referral centre”.

    Meanwhile, a kidney failure patient from the community, Mr Ogonnaya Okoro who was at the health outreach has appealed for help from Mr Okorie to save his live.

    According to him, he was a business man in Edo state but the sickness has led to the folding of his business as all his money have gone into treatment and still it still persists.

    He said he needs money to continue his dialysis treatments which he has been unable to do which has worsened his health condition.

    Mr Okoro, whose body was swollen up called on the lawmaker and Ebonyi state government to come to his aid.

    ”I have a problem since five years ago. I have treated it before in a hospital in Abakaliki. I went there and they told me I have kidney problem. After treating me that time, I got myself. But it has been coming back every year. I went to hospital  in Oshodi, Lagos last year and did dialysis but I don’t have money to go back there for treatment”.

    “I don’t have money again to treat myself. I don’t have mother, I don’t have father, I am the only son. My mother has died, my father has died. I am begging government at all levels to come to my aid. I am also calling on Hon. Linus Okorie and public spirited individual to come to my aid”.

    “I am a trader. I am doing business in Benin Edo state. Since this sickness started five years ago, I am no longer doing the business; I no longer have strength to do something. I am 34 years, I am not married”.

    Okoro’s Elder sister, Ntasiobi Samuel appealed for support as the family has spent all they have in trying to get him cured to no avail.

    “He is my younger brother. Since five years when this sickness started, we have been moving from one hospital to another. It has cost us lots of money and we have borrowed a lot to ensure he gets better. My younger sister later took him to hospital last three years and he was given treatment”.

    “Last year, the sickness started again and we went back to Lagos. This year, it worsened and we started moving from hospital to hospital again and we don’t have money again to continue moving him to the hospitals”.

    MORE solid bridge has replaced the old one that has since outlived its uses on Umubo-Onicha Road in Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo  area of Ebonyi State.

    The old Bailey Bridge had claimed lives and caused many injuries because its decades-old structures had dilapidated and were not really designed to be permanent.

    A member of the House of Representatives representing the area Linus Okorie built the project.

    Okorie while conducting reporters around the site said he fell into the river in 1978, and that many others have suffered similar or worst fate as a result of the poor state of the bridge.

    He said the situation forced him to build a new bridge for the people.

    He said, “As a young boy in 1978 I fell into the river there.  It has remained a Bailey bridge till recently when I intervened constructing a new bridge.”

    A resident of the area, Mr Rowland Ogbonna corroborated Okorie’s statement.

    According to him, he and his sister nearly lost their lives in 2011 on the bridge when an iron on the old bridge caused his brake to fail, plunging them into the ditch beneath.

    ”On 10 November, 2011, this bridge in question nearly claimed my life and that of my cousin, Ezeh Chinenye. I took her to the local govt headquarters to collect her local govt identification certificate after she gained admission into the university”.

    ”As we approached the bridge, I applied my brake, little did I know that my brake pedal will come in contact with the iron on the floor of the bridge and my pedal cut off immediately”.

    ”We fell through the rough and sharp iron blades into the ditch. People that came to our rescue thought that we were dead but thanks to Almighty God who through His infinite mercy preserved our lives to witness today (the construction of this bridge). Though the scar of the broken clavicle I sustained during the accident still remains but I am happy because the construction of this bridge will always give me succour to the wound”.

    Meanwhile, over 2000 persons in Okposi have received free medical treatment in the ongoing free medical health outreach by the lawmaker’s CaringHeart Foundation.

    The programme which began in Januray has treated over 10,000 persons free of cost in 6 town in the constituency courtesy of Mr Linus Okorie the sponsor of the programme.

    Speaking at the occasion, Mr Okorie said the programme is to augment the good works of Governor David Umahi in the health sector.

    ”What we met here is a record setting situation. One is concerned that so many people need health intervention.  Everybody is ill and we are very pleased that this call for intervention is yielding the kind results and the kind of response from our constituents. We will find a situation where the enlightenment will also linger and build a habit of getting closer to health facilities to attend to their needs”.

    “There is a general hospital in this Okposi area and it is one of those being renovated by the state government. If you go there now, you will find out that it is almost like teaching hospital. The government has also rightly put in place a manpower improvement scheme where they are going to not just build modern facilities, equip them but they are bringing also the necessary medical staff that will take care of it”.

    “What we are doing here is just a peg to support what the state Governor is doing to improve the lifestyle and living standard of our people”.

    Dr. Agu Martins, the Medical Doctor heading the Medical Team at the function said the Medical Team made two referrals to the General Hospital whose condition were very serious.

    ”So far, we have done two referrals in this Okposi outreach. One is a woman that we discovered in the scan that the baby is dead and she is bleeding. The other one is another woman that needs urgent attention”.

    “We discovered that she has a low line placenta and her blood pressure is also high. So, what we decided to do is to refer them to nearest hospital where they can get the right care, the general hospital here and we gave some money so that they can take care of the treatment”.

    “Our target is to make sure that we identify those with emergency care and treat the ones we can here. Then those that are not emergency that needs urgency, we plan their treatments at a better referral centre”.

    Meanwhile, a kidney failure patient from the community, Mr Ogonnaya Okoro who was at the health outreach has appealed for help from Mr Okorie to save his live.

    According to him, he was a business man in Edo state but the sickness has led to the folding of his business as all his money have gone into treatment and still it still persists.

    He said he needs money to continue his dialysis treatments which he has been unable to do which has worsened his health condition.

    Mr Okoro, whose body was swollen up called on the lawmaker and Ebonyi state government to come to his aid.

    ”I have a problem since five years ago. I have treated it before in a hospital in Abakaliki. I went there and they told me I have kidney problem. After treating me that time, I got myself. But it has been coming back every year. I went to hospital  in Oshodi, Lagos last year and did dialysis but I don’t have money to go back there for treatment”.

    “I don’t have money again to treat myself. I don’t have mother, I don’t have father, I am the only son. My mother has died, my father has died. I am begging government at all levels to come to my aid. I am also calling on Hon. Linus Okorie and public spirited individual to come to my aid”.

    “I am a trader. I am doing business in Benin Edo state. Since this sickness started five years ago, I am no longer doing the business; I no longer have strength to do something. I am 34 years, I am not married”.

    Okoro’s Elder sister, Ntasiobi Samuel appealed for support as the family has spent all they have in trying to get him cured to no avail.

    “He is my younger brother. Since five years when this sickness started, we have been moving from one hospital to another. It has cost us lots of money and we have borrowed a lot to ensure he gets better. My younger sister later took him to hospital last three years and he was given treatment”.

    “Last year, the sickness started again and we went back to Lagos. This year, it worsened and we started moving from hospital to hospital again and we don’t have money again to continue moving him to the hospitals”.

  • Ebonyi community gets new bridge

    A MORE solid bridge has replaced the old one that has since outlived its uses on Umubo-Onicha Road in Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo  area of Ebonyi State.

    The old Bailey Bridge had claimed lives and caused many injuries because its decades-old structures had dilapidated and were not really designed to be permanent.

    A member of the House of Representatives representing the area Linus Okorie built the project.

    Okorie while conducting reporters around the site said he fell into the river in 1978, and that many others have suffered similar or worst fate as a result of the poor state of the bridge.

    He said the situation forced him to build a new bridge for the people.

    He said, “As a young boy in 1978 I fell into the river there.  It has remained a Bailey bridge till recently when I intervened constructing a new bridge.”

    A resident of the area, Mr Rowland Ogbonna corroborated Okorie’s statement.

    According to him, he and his sister nearly lost their lives in 2011 on the bridge when an iron on the old bridge caused his brake to fail, plunging them into the ditch beneath.

    ”On 10 November, 2011, this bridge in question nearly claimed my life and that of my cousin, Ezeh Chinenye. I took her to the local govt headquarters to collect her local govt identification certificate after she gained admission into the university”.

    ”As we approached the bridge, I applied my brake, little did I know that my brake pedal will come in contact with the iron on the floor of the bridge and my pedal cut off immediately”.

    ”We fell through the rough and sharp iron blades into the ditch. People that came to our rescue thought that we were dead but thanks to Almighty God who through His infinite mercy preserved our lives to witness today (the construction of this bridge). Though the scar of the broken clavicle I sustained during the accident still remains but I am happy because the construction of this bridge will always give me succour to the wound”.

    Meanwhile, over 2000 persons in Okposi have received free medical treatment in the ongoing free medical health outreach by the lawmaker’s CaringHeart Foundation.

    The programme which began in Januray has treated over 10,000 persons free of cost in 6 town in the constituency courtesy of Mr Linus Okorie the sponsor of the programme.

    Speaking at the occasion, Mr Okorie said the programme is to augment the good works of Governor David Umahi in the health sector.

    ”What we met here is a record setting situation. One is concerned that so many people need health intervention.  Everybody is ill and we are very pleased that this call for intervention is yielding the kind results and the kind of response from our constituents. We will find a situation where the enlightenment will also linger and build a habit of getting closer to health facilities to attend to their needs”.

    “There is a general hospital in this Okposi area and it is one of those being renovated by the state government. If you go there now, you will find out that it is almost like teaching hospital. The government has also rightly put in place a manpower improvement scheme where they are going to not just build modern facilities, equip them but they are bringing also the necessary medical staff that will take care of it”.

    “What we are doing here is just a peg to support what the state Governor is doing to improve the lifestyle and living standard of our people”.

    Dr. Agu Martins, the Medical Doctor heading the Medical Team at the function said the Medical Team made two referrals to the General Hospital whose condition were very serious.

    ”So far, we have done two referrals in this Okposi outreach. One is a woman that we discovered in the scan that the baby is dead and she is bleeding. The other one is another woman that needs urgent attention”.

    “We discovered that she has a low line placenta and her blood pressure is also high. So, what we decided to do is to refer them to nearest hospital where they can get the right care, the general hospital here and we gave some money so that they can take care of the treatment”.

    “Our target is to make sure that we identify those with emergency care and treat the ones we can here. Then those that are not emergency that needs urgency, we plan their treatments at a better referral centre”.

    Meanwhile, a kidney failure patient from the community, Mr Ogonnaya Okoro who was at the health outreach has appealed for help from Mr Okorie to save his live.

    According to him, he was a business man in Edo state but the sickness has led to the folding of his business as all his money have gone into treatment and still it still persists.

    He said he needs money to continue his dialysis treatments which he has been unable to do which has worsened his health condition.

    Mr Okoro, whose body was swollen up called on the lawmaker and Ebonyi state government to come to his aid.

    ”I have a problem since five years ago. I have treated it before in a hospital in Abakaliki. I went there and they told me I have kidney problem. After treating me that time, I got myself. But it has been coming back every year. I went to hospital  in Oshodi, Lagos last year and did dialysis but I don’t have money to go back there for treatment”.

    “I don’t have money again to treat myself. I don’t have mother, I don’t have father, I am the only son. My mother has died, my father has died. I am begging government at all levels to come to my aid. I am also calling on Hon. Linus Okorie and public spirited individual to come to my aid”.

    “I am a trader. I am doing business in Benin Edo state. Since this sickness started five years ago, I am no longer doing the business; I no longer have strength to do something. I am 34 years, I am not married”.

    Okoro’s Elder sister, Ntasiobi Samuel appealed for support as the family has spent all they have in trying to get him cured to no avail.

    “He is my younger brother. Since five years when this sickness started, we have been moving from one hospital to another. It has cost us lots of money and we have borrowed a lot to ensure he gets better. My younger sister later took him to hospital last three years and he was given treatment”.

    “Last year, the sickness started again and we went back to Lagos. This year, it worsened and we started moving from hospital to hospital again and we don’t have money again to continue moving him to the hospitals”.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Two abducted Ebonyi children freed by kidnappers

    Abductors of two children who were kidnapped in Ebonyi have been freed by their abductors.

    The two children were kidnapped last two weeks while sleeping in their Uncle’s home in Afikpo South Local Government Area.

    The release followed the arrest of the leader of the kidnapping gang and his collaborator by the Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

    The abducted children Chinwe and Ibiam Igwe aged nine and five years were freed on Sunday afternoon.

    An Eyewitness, Mr Lawrence Mbachime said the children were loitering on Amasiri Amangwu Road when a commercial motorcyclist spotted them.

    He explained that the development was coming after some community members acting on a tip off had laid ambush and conducted a search in a thick forest between Amasiri and Amangwu communities.

    Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah confirmed the development.

    She noted that the children were freed after men of Anti Kidnapping squad put one of the kidnappers holding the two children in the forest under pressure.

    Mrs Odah said efforts were on to arrest a fleeing member of the gang.

    The spokesman said the the two children were looking sick and traumatised printing the Policeto rush them to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki on the orders of the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Titus Lamorde

    It was gathered that the grandfather of the children aged one hundred and four years who suffered serious machete cuts when the kidnappers came to abduct their victims had died.

  • 7000 displaced in Ebonyi/Cross River boundary crisis’ – Official

    Over 7000 Igbeagu Izzi indigenes of Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State have so far been displaced following clashes between Izzi people and their Ukele, Cross River State neighbours .

    Also 1500 houses had been allegedlly destroyed in the area by millitia groups from the area.

    Chairman of Izzi LGA, Hon. Paul Nwogha stated this on Monday while briefing the Ebonyi State Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe on the crisis.

    Meanwhile so many displaced Izzi peesons were seen on Abakaliki-Ogoja highway trekking with their belongings to Abakaliki capital to seek refuge.

    The crisis between the two border communities had reignited last week leading to loss of lives and counter accusations by the two states governments over which side that started the attack.

    The Deputy Governor was on an assessment visit to the troubled area and also addeessed the displaced persons at Ndi- Akparata Nwenyi village in Igbeagu community in Izzi LGA where some of them had taken refuge.

    Mr Igwe directed the Cantonment Commander, Lt. Sa’aad Sadiq to immediately deploy more troops to the troubled zone to ensure the safety of both Ebonyians in Izzi and foreigners travelling along the Abakaliki-Ogoja trans Sahara highway.

    While appealing to Izzi people to maintain peace and order, Mr Igwe assured them that the State government would not fold its arm and watch Ebonyi people slaughtered.

    He further condemned the killing of human beings in the crisia which according to him remains sacred and should be held in high esteem by all and sundry irrespective of the issues at stake.

    The Deputy Governor’s convoy along with other security personnel including the Army, police and DSS took a ride along the Abakaliki-Ogoja trans Sahara highway to access the level of carnages meted out on Izzi people by the Cross River militia group.

    Chairman of Izzi LGA, Hon. Paul Nwogha who lamented over the level destruction in all the affected villages in Izzi community noted that most of the villages had been deserted as some of the displaced persons were still in dire need of refuge and relief materials.

    He appreciated the State government for coming to the aid of Izzi people adding that what is needed now is a holistic and sincere approach to the matter by both sides of the divide.

    According to him, no human beings or goat or chicken is seen within the affected community as everybody had ran away for safety.

    The Commander, Nwakgu Military Cantonment, Lt. Col. Sa’aad Sadiq stated that more troops had been deployed from Cross River and Abakaliki to quell the crisis.

    He called on the people of Izzi to cooperate with the peace process by attending security meetings intended to bring an end to the crisis.

    The Cantonment Commander assured the Izzi people of their safety as the military was working round the clock to bring lasting peace in both affected LGAs of Ebonyi and Cross River States.

    At time of filing this report, the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Kelechi Igwe entered a security meeting with stakeholders of Izzi LGA and security personnel on how to peacefully resolve the inter communal clash between Ebonyi and Cross river States. Ends