The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ebonyi

  • Three die in Ebonyi auto crash

    Three die in Ebonyi auto crash

    Three persons have died in a ghastly motor accident which occurred at the  Enugu-Abakaliki express road.

    The accident, according to an eyewitness, involved two commercial buses, travelling in opposite direction on the ever-busy express road.

    The source said that one of the buses attempted to overtake a smaller vehicle going to Abakaliki.

    He said: “The bus driver didn’t see an oncoming bus from the opposite direction and this resulted in a fatal head-on collision.

    “Cars traveling stopped to rescue the victims as a rescue effort saw the injured and the dead evacuated to a nearby hospital.”

    Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Ebonyi state, Mr. Charlse Aborchi, confirmed the accident.

    He said that only three passengers who were males died from the crash.

    “Our officers responded instantly on receiving the news of the crash and led the evacuation of the dead and injured.

    He noted that the dead and injured were taken to the Annunciation hospital in Emene, Enugu state.

    “I advise motorists to shun reckless driving as it has resulted to the wasteful loss of lives on the roads.

    According to him, over speeding makes drivers struggle to apply sudden brake and this results to deaths when the brake application fails.

  • Chacha Eke, Patoranking, others storm Ebonyi today

    Chacha Eke, Patoranking, others storm Ebonyi today

    Preparations are in top gear by the Ebonyi state government to host over 50 indigenous stars from the state who are making waves in the entertainment industries.

    The event which holds today is to showcase to the world, the hidden potentials of the state, using entertainment industry as the driving force and indigenes that have made the state proud in the industry.

    Briefing reporters in Abakaliki, the chairman, Organising Committee, Dr Jerry Uhuo noted that prominent among the artistes are top Nollywood actress, Cha Cha Eke, and dancehall star, Patorankin, among others.

    He noted that Ebonyi has great and hidden potentials which if harnessed could boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state and end over dependence on the crude oil, the major source of revenue in Nigeria.

    Uhuo said: “if we can harness the kind of potentials we have, we wouldn’t have ordinarily been talking about crude oil. What we have is enough to give Ebonyi what it needed to develop”.

    “We took time as committee members to tour over 40 tourist centers in Ebonyi and we found out that we have enough potential to develop the state.

    “We specifically visited Amancho Cave; it is about six kilometers under the ground and right inside the cave, it has a place where you can host over 4000 persons for an occasion and we need to develop and showcase such places to the world.

    “The committee felt that the only way we can get the world to know what we have is to involve those in the entertainment industry.  We felt that it is important for us to bring home so many of these stars from Ebonyi so that they can see the potentials we have”.

    “A lot of those big names in music industry are from Ebonyi state. In fact,in the marketing sector of music industry, Ebonyi state has the highest and 90 percent of the marketers are from Ebonyi. But they do not identify with the state because they felt the state did not identify with them and that is why we felt we could do something”.

    Uhuo disclosed that they have formed a union called ‘United Ebonyi Artistes, of which all artistes from the state would be registered.

    He said that the platform would afford the upcoming artistes the opportunity to develop their talents.

    He noted that entertainment industry was capable of generating five hundred million Naira quarterly to the state coffers, thereby cushioning the effect of over dependence on Federal Government allocation.

  • Man rapes widow to death in Ebonyi

    A 34-year-old widow and mother of four, Mrs. Ogodo Egede, has been raped to death by a 40-year-old, Alex Nwabu, in Egwudunagu, Amachi community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    Nwabu, who had been having carnal knowledge of the widow before now, was said to have threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

    Mrs. Egede’s body was covered with bruises.

    A family source said when the suspect continued the act, Mrs. Egede’s daughter, a 13-year-old, was forced to leave the house for threatening to expose Nwabu.

    “The girl ran to her grand-parents in the night because Nwabu threatened to kill her. She came to greet her mother in the morning but met her dead body. She consequently informed her grand-father.”

    The youth declared a search party for Nwabu and found him in his father’s compound. He admitted to committing the crime.

    Nwabu said: “Mrs. Egodo owed me N1, 500 which she refused to pay. I actually asked her for sex and she refused. I later forced her but I didn’t know she will die because I didn’t intend to kill her.

    “She struggled with me and I got angry and beat her up. I had sex with her for several hours.”

    Egede’s father, Chief Ogbonna Ogayi, said his grand-daughter ran to him in the night and reported that Nwabu came to their house to harass their mother with a cutlass.

    “I had told my daughter to come to my house so that she can be properly cared for but she refused. She said she wouldn’t want her late husband’s lineage to go into extinction because he had no immediate brother and relations,” Ogayi said.

    The body has been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) mortuary. Nwabu has been detained at the Central Police Station in Abakaliki.

    Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu could not be reached for comments.

  • Ebonyi steps up anti-malaria crusade

    Ebonyi steps up anti-malaria crusade

    The battle to kick out malaria from the country is alive and well in Ebonyi State, whose Malaria Action Programme for States or MAPS office is helping to drive the campaign against perhaps the continent’s deadliest scourge.

    But how best to drive that campaign but enlist the media. That is exactly what the state, in conjunction with USAID and other donor agencies, has done.

    The programme, according to Mr Lawrence Nwankwo, state MAPS Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Officer, is aimed at enlisting the help of journalists to sensitise residents on the habitual use of long-lasting treated nets.

    Nwankwo who stood in for the Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezuruike said the state government will continue to do its part in the war against malaria.

    In a lecture at the event, a consultant to the MAPS programme, Garba Umar said the programme seeks to provide insight to journalists on the LLINs distribution campaign in the state; reorientate journalists on malaria prevention and control with special emphasis on LLINS and motivate journalist to develop interest in coverage and reporting on the campaign.

    Mr Garba regretted that malaria is under reported in the media despite the fact that it is a leading health problem in the country.

    “And when it is reported, the format of presentation is not often information helpful to the beneficiaries”, he noted.

    The support of the media, he said, is crucial because the media offers great services and provide opportunity to save lives and help people to live better.

    He said: “The media is best suited to support the essence of the campaign which is the sustenance of the net use culture”.

    “The media can deploy facilities such as human angle stories, dramas, etc, to reach beneficiaries with messages they will understand and appreciate”.

    “As an advocate of the voiceless, the media can credibly define and articulate their concerns around malaria especially prevention issues such as LLINs.”

    “The media is most positioned to help place pressure on or encourage public officials to do better job of sustaining the essence of the campaign-getting people to sleep inside the LLINs properly and constantly”

    Mr Garba said the nets are the most available tool for prevention of malaria and also the most easy to use component of the IVM strategy.

    “It has been proven to reduce malaria related morbidity and mortality among the most vulnerable target groups and if every community sleeps inside the nets constantly it leads to the reduction in overall population of mosquitoes”.

    “Usage of the net has also been proven to cause a drastic reduction in health facilities visits, reduction in maternal and placental malaria and low birth weight”.

    According to him, 57 million nets have been distributed so far in the 36 states of the federation and FCT Abuja in between 2009 to 2013.

    He, however, noted the nets would be effective for three years if used properly after which the insecticide wears off and it no longer would be able to kill targeted vectors.

    “As a result, the NMEP and the roll back malaria partnership proposed LLINs replacement campaigns in the country”.

    “The replacement programme aims to distribute 1 free LLINs to every 2 persons in Nigeria, to achieve household usage of LLINs by at least 80 percent and to contribute to the reduction of malaria mortality and morbidity by 50 percent,” said.

    Describing malaria as a dangerous ailment which can be contracted through the bite of a female mosquito, Mr Garba said proper use of the LLINs can reduce the rate of contracting malaria.

    “Malaria is usually more severe and life threatening among children under five years, pregnant women and unborn baby and can be prevented by not allowing mosquitoes to bite us. one assured way (and most cost effective) is to sleep every night inside a properly hung long lasting insecticide treated net”.

    “LLIN protects by preventing mosquitoes from reaching the person sleeping inside the net and by killing or repelling mosquitoes that spread malaria on contact with the net”.

    “The LLINs lasts for three to four years if used appropriately and you can wash it 16 times and it will still be effective”.

    “However, if we have malaria, it is advised to treat using appropriate and effective anti-malaria drugs (ACTs) within 24 hours of observation/notice of symptom”.

  • Ebonyi Assembly approves Umahi’s N8.4bn CBN loans request

    Ebonyi State House of Assembly yesterday gave the state government the nod to take three loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria for various purposes.

    This followed the letters written to the House by the governor, Dave Umahi, urging the House to approve the request.

    The letters were read during plenary.

    The loans include a N4.4 billion salary arrears bailout from the apex bank. Others included a N2bn loan for micro and medium scale enterprises development fund and a N2bn loan for rice production.

    The letters were read by the Leader of the House, Joseph Nwaobasi, and accepted as a working document, after which the House dissolved into committees of the whole House to deliberate on the requests.

    The Minority Leader of the House, Mrs Maria Ude Nwachi (PPA), representing Afikpo North West, in her contribution, urged the state government to ensure that the loans are utilized for the purposes they are given and not end up in private pockets of a few individuals.

    She said: “My mind skips when I hear about these loans for agriculture, my mind skips. The reason is that most times, the money will end up in private pockets and the people that need the money will not be able to access it”

    “The people will still be poor and the people who have access to it will plunder it. I am hoping that this present government will deviate from the norm by making sure the real farmers benefit from the loan.”

     

    The chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Mrs Augusta Ude, promised that the committee will monitor the funds when procured to ensure they are not diverted.

     

    Speaker of the House, Hon Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, put the requests of the governor to vote after the members spoke in favor and it was unanimously affirmed.

     

  • Abia, Ebonyi agree to end boundary dispute

    The governments of Abia and Ebonyi states have resolved to find a permanent solution to the border disputes between the two neighbouring states.

    The deputy governors of the two states committed their respective governments to end the dispute with a final demarcation of the 70km-long interstate boundary, involving four and two local governments in Abia and Ebonyi states respectively.

    The council areas in Abia State involved in the dispute are Umunneochi; Isuikwuato; Bende and Ohafia, while Ivo and Afikpo South local government areas are in Ebonyi State.

    More than six violent clashes have taken place at different points along the boundary since 1987, a situation which necessitated the peace meeting between leaders of the two states.

    Speaking at a joint meeting of Abia/Ebonyi Interstate Boundary convened at Umuahia by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Abia State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Ude Oko-Chukwu, noted that the state has boundary disputes of varying degrees with all neighbouring states.

    Oko-Chukwu said that Abia State was ready and willing to ensure that the boundary dispute with its neighbours is resolved completely, adding, “We want our people to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours in Ebonyi State”.

    He said that while some of the boundary disputes had received attention, some remain unresolved, adding that the Abia/Ebonyi boundary “is among those that have not been attended to along the entire stretch of the boundary”.

    Speaking further, the Abia deputy governor said, “The disputes are actually land disputes which were converted to interstate boundary disputes because they now exist across the border of the two states. The primary causes of the disputes are the unguarded desire to acquire more land for farming and to own quarry sites.”

    Ebonyi Deputy Governor, Chief Kelechi Igwe, agreed with his Abia counterpart on the need for peace to reign in the border communities, saying that Ebonyi had already declared its readiness for peace and proper delineation of the disputed boundary.

    Igwe identified eight points along the Abia/Ebonyi boundary where disagreements still exist. He said he expected the spokesmen for the communities involved in the dispute to provide the information that will assist in arriving at strategies that will help in the demarcation of the boundary.

    Also speaking, the Director-General of NBC, Dr Muhammad B. Ahmad, said that the commission had over the years taken different actions on interstate boundaries involving Abia State.

    He, however, noted with regret that progress on each of the interstate boundaries is not commensurate with the efforts and inputs made by the commission.

    Dr Ahmad said that the Abia/Ebonyi interstate boundary could be described as a boundary between brothers who co-existed as people of the old Abia State before the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996.

  • Battle to end genital mutilation in Ebonyi

    Battle to end genital mutilation in Ebonyi

    Residents of Ishielu Local Government Area have declared the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) a taboo, saying that it has created enormous problems in the lives of their young girls and women.

    Therefore, any person who engages in it in the area will be severely punished, they pledged.

    The agreement was reached during the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) statewide awareness campaign on “Abandonment Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting” practice in all the communities of the state held at Ntezi Town Hall in Ishielu council.

    The open community dialogue on FGM/C, a UNICEF sponsored project,was organised by National Orientation Agency, Ebonyi state, in collaboration with critical stakeholders/partners from the state.

    These include Ebonyi State Ministry of Information and state orientation, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Child Protection Network, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Local Government social welfare officers,as well as health officers of each Local Government Council.

    Disclosing the essence of the programme, the State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Ebonyi State, Dr. Emma Abah stated that it is a strategy of UNICEF towards discouraging the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the world by dialoguing with people on the adverse effects of the practice, not just on children and women but on the entire society and the need for them to completely abandon it for a better and healthier lifestyle.

    Dr Abah noted that to further promote and intensify the campaign against FGM/C in Ebonyi State, UNICEF empowered NOA and other relevant stakeholders to collaboratively and systematically engage the affected communities on societal dialogue and as well empower same to act collectively to end the bad practice.

    The NOA boss disclosed that they intend to dialogue with the people on why the FGM/C practice was still prevalent in the community, despite previous campaigns against the evil practice and implored the participants to be open and sincere during the discussion as that will enable them achieve success.

    A UNICEF resource person, Elder Ude Agwu, enlightened the people on the dangers of the practice and defined Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting as “the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons”.

    While revealing that an estimated number of over 130 million girls and women alive in Africa today have undergone FGM/C, Elder Agwu regretted that the act has been deeply entrenched as a social and cultural norm in many places and advised Ishielu people to put an end to the menace, irrespective of where it came from.

    Another resource person, Mrs. Nnenna Elekwa, a lawyer, described Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting as a dangerous and potentially life-threatening procedure that causes unspeakable pain and suffering on victims and recounted the short- and long-term effects to include chronic pain, infections, increased risk of HIV transmission, anxiety and depression, birth complications, infertility and, in worst cases, death.

    She therefore called for a collective decision by the people to abandon the practice, insisting that suchwill ensure that no single girl or family will be disadvantaged.

    The representative of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Barrister Mrs. Chidiebere Otu-odo enlightened the participants on the legal implications of the act thus, “FGM/C is a fundamental violation of women’s and girls’ rights

    It violates the rights to health and to physical integrity, to be protected from harmful traditional practices, to be free from injury, abuse and degrading treatment.

    Furthermore, girls usually undergo the practice without their informed consent, thus depriving them of the opportunity to make independent decisions about their bodies.”

    She further warned that, henceforth, no form of alteration should be made on the genitalia of any female child in Ishielu LGA, insisting that any alteration whatsoever amounts to mutilation or cutting.

    In her contribution, the Director, Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ebonyi State, Mrs Christiana Ogbu encouraged the people to ensure that they put into use every information brought to themby the UNICEF team while Mrs Azu Udu Chinenye reminded them that the concerted efforts by UNICEF to put an end to the evil practice is for their good, especially as they are the people to suffer the effects accruing from the act.

    The participants brainstormed on various issues raised during the dialogue on why the earlier messages against FGM in Ishielu LGA did not yield expected fruits, the effects of the practice on the people, factors that pose as barriers to the abandonment of the practice, way forward and possible individual/collective contributions to the stoppage of the acts.

    A communique issued at the end of the dialogue and presented by Chairman of the communique drafting committee, Mrs Anyim Veronica shows that the reason FGM/C has persisted in the area included; ignorance, non-challant attitudes of the government towards the issue, strong belief in cultural heritage, initiation into womanhood, belief that an uncircumcised females are highly promiscuous and low publicity on the issue.

    They appealed that government and NGOs should intensify health education and resolved as follows: that the practice is bad and has negative effects on the girl child and should be stopped, that traditional rulers should make pronouncements against FGM/C and that everybody in the local government must join the crusade to end the practice.

    The programme was largely attended by Traditional Rulers, Head Teachers of mapped primary schools, women groups, Religious Leaders, Community Based Organisations, Community Social Organisations, the Press and youths from the different communities in the Local Government Area.

    A monarch, Chief Walter Ebe and Pastor Ali Daniel in their separate reactions, thanked UNICEF and NOA for bringing the laudable programme to the community and promised to cascade the message to all nooks and crannies of the LGA.

     

  • Ebonyi traders protest govt’s forcible eviction

    Ebonyi traders protest govt’s forcible eviction

    Traders at the Abakpa main market, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, yesterday took to the streets to protest what they termed as forceful eviction from their business areas by the state government.

    The traders, who are mainly roadside traders in the market, barricaded government house Abakaliki and demanded to see the governor.

    They decried the alleged unfavorable policies aimed at them by different task forces working for the government.

    According to the traders, the immediate cause of the protest was Friday’s directive by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Moses Ogodo-Ali, ordering them to relocate immediately.

    They said that the Commissioner, even though he did not give them prior notice, came along with trailers, tippers and tractors to demolish the structures they use in doing their businesses.

    The traders carried placards with different inscriptions, such as; Hustling is better than stealing; give us permanent site; We are tired of embarrassment; Business is our destiny; Please allow us to hustle and We are human beings not animals, among others.

    One of the leaders of the protesters, Mr Ejiofor Azuewo, told reporters that they resorted to the protest following the unbearable treatment being meted out to them in the market by people claiming to be working for the government.

    He alleged that they were being forced to pay obnoxious levies.

    Mr Azuewo explained that the reason for the influx of traders in the market was due to the increasing number of returnee-traders from the north-east, who he said now sell in the market to earn a living.

  • Ebonyi moves to tackle ‘killer diseases’

    Ebonyi moves to tackle ‘killer diseases’

    The Ebonyi State government has vowed to tackle  childhood killer-diseases  such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.

    The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with Malaria Care and Society for Family Health, organised a ‘Training-the-Trainers’ programme on integrated community management of common childhood illnesses.

    At the opening of the worshop, the governor’s wife Mrs. Rachael Umahi, said the programme was designed to sensitise managers of healthcare delivery at the community level on effective management of childhood illnesses.

    Mrs. Umahi said patent proprietary medicine vendors were selected as participants because they were closer to the rural populace and it would equip them with current trends in medicare and management of childhood illnesses.

    She urged other stakeholders to complement the government’s efforts at promoting effective healthcare delivery.

    Mrs. Umahi hailed USAID, Federal Ministry of Health and other collaborators for choosing two local government areas, Ikwo and Onicha, as pilot areas to demonstrate that the management of common childhood illnesses could be improved upon.

    She said the government would provide the enabling environment for the dispensation of quality healthcare services to the rural dwellers, especially women and children.

     

  • Ebonyi workers to commence strike tomorrow

    Ebonyi workers to commence strike tomorrow

    Following the state government’s inability to pay worker’s salaries, the organised labour in Ebonyi State said it would begin an indefinite strike tomorrow.

    A statement by the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, Secretary Comrade Chukwuma Onwe and 34 others, lamented that their salaries were yet to be paid since the present government came into power.

    The statement reads: “You may recall that workers had on April 9 suspended their one-month strike after an agreement was reached with the government that 50 per cent of the 60 per cent recommended salary table would be implemented.

    “You may also recall that Governor Dave Umahi promised to pay 100 per cent minimum wage.

    “He has become governor today and has refused to pay the existing salary structure, not to talk of the 100 per cent he promised.

    “Comrades, as at today, the Governor has not approved the payment of workers’ salaries since he assumed office and this is unacceptable.

    “This is happening in the face of the recent Federal Government’s intervention fund to states, including Ebonyi, to clear all backlog of salaries and pension arrears.

    “In the light of the above, the organised labour has resolved to resume the suspended indefinite strike with effect from Tuesday July 21. Workers in the civil and public service are hereby directed to comply accordingly by staying at home until otherwise directed”.

    The state government has appealed to the workers to exercise patience and shelve the intended strike.