The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enugu

  • Man escapes lynching over theft of female pants

    A middle-aged man was nearly lynched by angry mob for allegedly selling ladies’ pants in Mgbakwu, Awka North local council area of Anambra State.

    The suspect, simply identified as Ifeanyi, a native of Enugu state, was reportedly caught in a students’ residential quarters while attempting to steal the undies.

    The Nation gathered that the suspect had confessed stealing over 58 female pants before he was caught by a lady in the early hours of the fateful day.

    A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity said the suspect gained entrance to the apartment around 2am.

    He said, “He headed to the rope where the pants were hung and was collecting them when a woman who came out to ease herself raised alarm.

    Read Also: Masked policemen whisk away Senator Dino Melaye

    “The neighbours quickly rushed to the scene and pounced on him, stripping him of his clothes.”

    The Nation further learnt that the suspect who was later abandoned by the angry mob after pleading for mercy confessed to have been into the act for years.

    “I usually sell them to one Emeka Ofor in Enugu at the rate of N500 per piece,” he said.

    The suspect who claimed to have dropped out of school as a result of mental illness blamed his traival on the devil.

    The State Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.

  • 2019: Vote according to your conscience, Cleric tells Nigerians

    Very Rev. Joel Okorie, the Synod Secretary of  Methodist Diocese of Enugu, has urged Nigerians to vote according to their conscience and not mortgage the country’s future through inducement by politicians.

    “Our people should shun self-centred politicians who do have their development at heart but seek power for their personal gains,’’ Okorie told our reporters in Enugu on Tuesday.

    The cleric was reacting to previous wrong choices made by the electorate due to lack of information and outright monetary and material inducement.

    Okorie, who is also the Presbyter of City Central Circuit, Enugu, said he had been in the forefront of admonishing members of his congregation on voting wisely and with a clear conscience.

    “We cry after elections, forgetting that we might have mortgaged our future.

    `So, I think this is the right time for us to make the right decision.

    “I have even told my church members and the people that everybody should go and get voters card.

    “With your cards, you cast your vote according to your conscience for people who will actually perform.

    “So, my expectation is that let everybody go out to vote and vote rightly.

    Read Also: Nigerians will not regret voting for APC, says Masari

    “And I believe that the issue of thwarting the votes we have cast will not recur; we will be watching it until the results are announced.

    “I believe that God is going to surprise Nigerians in the year 2019 general elections because some people might think that with what they did before, they can also go on and do that again.

    “But it will not work for them this time around,’’ he said.

    The cleric also noted that the church had been praying that God should cause selfless and committed leaders to emerge in the forthcoming general elections.

    “I have also been praying that God will raise leaders that will make judicious use of the wealth and funds of the country,’’ he added.

    NAN

  • We will restore confidence in Enugu, says Eze

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu Eze, has promised to restore hope and confidence in the people, by embarking on people-oriented programmes and projects, if elected.

    In his New Year message, titled: “It is well with Enugu State”, where he asked the people of Enugu to embrace love and peace in 2019, Eze said Enugu State will experience a new lease of life and development as from May 2019.

    The flag bearer implored the people to be prayerful to ensure that negative forces do not thwart their collective will to install a government that will work for them.

    Promising to create jobs through innovative re-engineering of the agricultural and housing sectors, the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works urged the people to cast their votes for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. He said the party will wipe their tears by putting in place best governance practices in the state.

    He promised to pay Enugu workers a living wage that will be commensurate with their contributions and sacrifices. He assured pensioners that their agony is over as they would be paid their entitlements promptly. The ex-lawmaker vowed to restore within his first six months in office community lands that have been stolen from them.

    He said: “Security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government” and said it was “therefore criminal and unconscionable to dispossess the people of their land”.

    Eze said the time “when governments acted with impunity ended with emperors of the medieval age and may be with the end of military rule in Nigeria”, adding that in a democracy power belongs to the people.

    He added: “We have long dispensed with imperial governors. They have no place in modern democracy. Those who forcibly take community lands and property will face the music when they no longer have immunity,” Eze remarked, urging the people to be patient as his government will “restore their rights and privileges that have been stolen by the outgoing government”.

    He also promised to restructure the education sector by making education compulsory up to the secondary school level, adding: “vocational education will receive a pride of place as a means of empowering the people and restoring our artisanal advantage that has been eroded by neglect over the years.”

    Eze also promised to rebuild “the totally comatose health sector of the State”, adding that he would make healthcare free for women and children.

    He said: “Healthcare is fundamental to the wellbeing of any society. To prosper, the citizens of any society must be healthy and clear-headed. We shall focus on rebuilding our broken down health institutions and introducing innovations that will make Enugu a compulsory stop for health tourism in Africa.”

    The flagbearer described 2019 as a year when true peace will return to Enugu State, lamenting the current state of affairs was an era of peace of the graveyard, where people have been forced into silence by an adept deployment of propaganda and subtle coercion.

    Thanking the people for their support for the APC, he urged them to conduct themselves properly and refuse to be used for violence and rigging during the elections.

    He said the APC government in Enugu State will change the fortunes of the state within its first year in office, adding that Enugu will soon become one of the reference states in Nigeria, in the area of development and good governance.

     

  • Enugu and changing face of Ninth Mile road

    I remember vividly the ugly experiences I had in the early 80s at Ninth mile corner as a growing child travelling and returning from Enugu where I usually spent my holiday. I usually encounter heavy traffic snarl within the Ninth Mile axis of the Ninth Mile- Oturkpo road that linked Enugu and Benue states. For this reason, my parents always warned me not to travel or return from Enugu late in the evening, if I don’t want to sleep at Ninth mile. So, whenever I want to travel to Enugu from my town, Aku in Igbo-Etiti, it is either I leave early or shift the trip to the next day. But one thing is that I must leave very early. This is a journey that is less than an hour, taking away the perennial traffic gridlock at the Ninth Mile axis. The situation remained the same for years. It is usually worse during festive period such as Christmas, Easter, New Year and others. This is simply because of poor erection of shops and heavy traffic congestion in the axis, considering that all vehicles coming from the north, especially north-central states heading to southeast and south-south states normally ply the road.

    For decades, the traffic menace defied solution, knowledge and expertise of the FRSC personnel in the area of traffic management. At times, the situation will be hopeless and frustrating. Another ugly incident that remained evergreen in my memory was the terrible experience my in-laws from Oba, Idemili South of Anambra State had at Ninth Mile on December 27, 2011, while returning from my place after visiting for the traditional pre-nuptial event. After the event, my in-laws who came in their numbers left my place around 4pm, hoping to get home by 6.30pm. On getting to Nigerian Brewery Amah junction, they got stuck in traffic gridlock. They thought it would soon ease off. But to their shock, minutes moved to hour and hour moved to hours and the traffic became static. Alas, they were there till 2am in the morning!

    Since then, whenever I visit my in-laws, they would always taunt me with their ugly experience at Ninth mile, asking me, does it mean there is nothing your state government can do about the problem? Most times, I would be speechless because I don’t have answer to it. Just like every other traveler that cannot avoid plying the road, my worry continued unresolved and I kept asking myself why can’t successive governments put on thinking cap and find permanent solution to the congestion, either by constructing link and alternative roads in the axis or demolishing properties and dualise the main road? Was it that successive governments lacked ideas, or they just decided to avoid the responsibility, considering that they might need to pay property owners compensation before dualising the main road?

    No answer was provided by any government on these germane questions for years. That was how I and others resigned to fate on the menace. Other commuters simply avoided it, despite that it is closer to the state capital. But succour and relief came to the users of the road, when Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on assumption of office in 2015 made the immediate decongestion of the Ninth Mile road his top priority project.

    His government did not only make it a top priority project by mouth, it moved into action by awarding contract for the construction a new Ninth Mile Onitsha Express Bye-pass road that terminates at toll gate along Enugu/ Onitsha road. The road was completed within one year. The government also reconstructed the Amankwo-Ameke-Amah junction bypass road that commenced at Nigerian Brewery Amah junction and stretched to Ngwo and terminates at close Ozongwu Comprehensive School along Enugu/ Onitsha Expressway. These two important link roads that have helped to eradicate the perennial traffic gridlock at the Ninth Mile axis were completed and commissioned in 2016. Though it is a federal road, the Enugu State government rehabilitated some failed portions of the Ninth Mile to ease traffic flow in that axis at the peak period. With the completion of these link roads, anybody driving from Enugu, heading to Amah Brewery, Nsukka, Benue and others need not to get to Ninth mile town again. The best bet is to make a detour by the right immediately after the Ozongwu Comprehensive School and ply Amankwo-Ameke-Amah Junction Bypass road and join the Enugu/ Makurdi at the Amah junction. Travellers heading to Onitsha, Ebonyi, Delta, Anambra and others, avoid the traffic congestion by making a detour by the right and ply the byepass to take them to the toll gate, from where they will continue their trips unhindered. Today, there is no more traffic congestion at Ninth Mile again no matter the period. The persistent Ninth Mile traffic snarl, especially during festive period, which held travellers down for years, also brought about great loss of manpower hours and economic resources. But it took a thinking and performing government of Governor Ugwuanyi just one year to tackle.  That is what governance and leadership entail. It is not about the number of projects initiated and abandoned, it is about the number of the people-oriented and strategic projects embarked on and completed for the use of mankind. We have witnessed successive governments in this country littering all nooks and cronies with white elephant, humongous and abandoned projects that have no direct impact on the lives of the people. That is what the present government in Enugu has avoided like a plague. Across the state, the government has completed or is bringing to near completion all the projects it has initiated. It has also continued to initiate new ones.

    • Ezea writes from Independence Layout Enugu.

  • Boy, 8, roasted to death in Enugu

    The Enugu State Police Command has commenced investigation into the death of an 8-year-old boy from suspected kerosene ignited fire in Umundu Community, Udenu Local Government Area.

    The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, said the incident occurred on Sunday night.

    Amaraizu said the boy and his family were in their house when the fire broke out and engulfed the whole apartment on that fateful day.

    “It was gathered that the incident occurred when the victim, little Chikamso Nnamani, about 8 years old, had tried to refill their lamp with kerosene.

    “But unfortunately, the light went wild and quickly engulfed the whole house.

    “It was further gathered that as occupants were scampering for safety, the said Chikamso ran towards another direction where he was allegedly consumed by the fire,’’ he said.

    According to Amaraizu, a full scale investigation has commenced into the incident.

    The police spokesman also said the serene community had been thrown into mourning this festive season following the unfortunate incident.

  • Arik Air notifies passengers of flight disruptions

    The management of Arik Air says there will be slight disruption of flights during the Yuletide, due to  operational issues and adverse weather conditions.

    In a statement signed by the airline’s media consultant, Mr Simon Tumba on Thursday in Lagos, the airline said the adverse weather would affect coastal areas, especially Benin, Enugu, Asaba and Warri.

    “Therefore some flights may either be rescheduled or cancelled, subject to aircraft and airport closure time constraints.

    “We regret the inconveniences this disruption will cause our customers and want to assure them of our sincere efforts to reducing the impact to the barest minimum.

    “Our staff shall contact customers affected by this disruption, making alternative arrangements for them or refunds as the case may be,” Tumba said.

    He assured passengers that the airline considered their safety and that of its crew as paramount, adding that the airline would only operate safe and secure flights.

    Tumba said all hands are also on deck to make all flight experiences pleasurable.

    Read Also: Arik Air resumes Warri flights

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had on Nov. 25 issued an Advisory Circular to all pilots and airline operators to take certain precautions, due to the adverse weather conditions.

    The circular, signed by the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, urged them to adhere to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) during flight operations in adverse weather conditions.

  • Foundation inaugurate N382.6M projects in Delta State

    The Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) has inaugurated projects, worth N382.6 million.

    Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of EGCDF, Jude Ukori, said the projects would alleviate the suffering of their people in terms of basic needs, such as transportation, access roads, health, shelter, water hygiene and sanitation, tourism potential to enhance the welfare of the people through conducive environment for educational activities in riverine communities.

    He said 19 agripreneur trainees would start their own businesses through kick-off grants from the EGCDF, while 110 persons have been selected to undergo vocational skill training in line with Delta State Youth Empowerment Scheme in February 2019.

    General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Deji Haastrup, said the infrastructural projects include 500-metre Access Walkway and another 150-metre Access Walkway at Opuama, 10-Room Guest Houses at Ogbinbiri and Akekeromo Zion.

    There are also concrete Landing Jetty at Oporoza Community, Rigid Pavement & Drains Extension at Benikrukru, Six-Room Public Toilet Project at Kunukunuma, 30-Room Hostel Block at Okerenkoko and EGCDF Secretariat Annex in Effurun.

    He lauded the leadership of EGCDF for its unyielding resolve in fulfilling objectives of the Global Memorandum of Understanding initiated in 2005.

  • Police nab suspected burglar in Enugu

    The Police Command in Enugu state says it has arrested a man alleged to be “notorious”, for the burgling homes and big stores in Oji River and 9th Mile areas in the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command in the state, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said this on Tuesday in Enugu.

    He said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that the suspect (names withheld) was arrested on Dec. 17 by police in Oji River Division at “Gariki” in Ugwuoba area.

    Amaraizu said that the command had been on the trail of the suspect who hails from Oba Ofemili in Anambra.

    Read Also: ‘Police, FRSC, others abet rice smuggling’

    The police image maker also said that the arrest was achieved through intelligence gathering, adding that the suspect was nabbed with some items suspected to have been stolen.

    Amaraizu said that the suspect confessed to have burgled a provision store located at Ibute Ameke area of 9th Mile and stole some household items.

    He said the suspect was helping the police in their investigation.

  • 12 soldiers to face court martial in southeast

    Twelve soldiers serving under the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army (NA), Enugu, Enugu State would soon be arraigned before General Court Martial (GCM) that was setup by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Division, Major General Emmanuel Kabuk.

    A release by the 82 Division Army spokesman (Deputy Director Public Relations), Col. Musa Sagir, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division Nigerian Army, (NA) Major General Emmanuel Kabul has on Monday the 10th of December, 2018 inaugurated a General Court Martial (GCM) to try erring personnel of the Division. This is in line with the importance of discipline to the success or failure of any organization, particularly the military, – in peace or in war.

    In his inaugural speech at the 82 Division Officers’ Mess, Abakpa Cantonment Enugu, Kabuk enjoined members of the GCM to adhere strictly to the rules of law and strict obedience to the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) 1999 as amended.

    He described discipline as the bed rock of Military profession. According to him “the operational efficiency of any military force is a mix of sound administration and rigid disciplinary measures.

    “Thus, disciplinary measures in the military to which court martial belong, are aimed at guaranteeing a highly disciplined and battle ready army, which is in line with the Chief of Army Staff vision – “To have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its Constitutional roles”. In this vein, trials in the NA must be organized and administered in accordance with provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) as amended”, he added.

    “The essence of the GCM, in addition to the dispensation of justice, is to send the right signal to the NA personnel that may fall into the temptation of violating extant rules and regulations, – that acts of indiscipline will be met with appropriate disciplinary action.”

    He charged all the parties in the cases to avoid unnecessary techanicalities that would delay the trials and in the process wastes alot of resources.

    “Let me recall both Section 36 of the 1999 CFRN (as amended) and Section 122 of the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 which emphasize that expeditious and speedy trials form the basis of which fair trial must rest” – the GOC stated.

    Kabuk further reiterated the popular beliefs that justice delayed is justice denied, justice delayed is not justice denied and justice delayed – is not justice at all, he added.

    Colonel Edwàrd Abore is the President of the GCM. He promised to administer justice in line with Armed Forces Act Cap A20 law of Federal and CFRN 1999 as amended. He made it clear that all the accused are entitled to legal representation of their choices.

    Twelve Soldiers will be appearing before the GCM on various charges.

    Recall that in the military, offences that cannot be summarily tried are the ones that are referred for court martial as contained in Section 124, Sub Section 6 of the Armed Forces Act.

  • CP cautions against unprofessional conduct, vows to discipline offenders

    The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mohammed Danmallam says the command will not condone any form of unprofessional conduct especially extortion from citizens of the state.

    Danmallam spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Enugu, against the backdrop of complaints over alleged unlawful activities of his men in the state.

    The police boss, however, described the allegations as “baseless’’.

    “I as a person, from the days of being a lower senior officer to date, I do not condone unprofessional conducts especially extortion. These can be seen in my records in the Nigeria Police Force so far.’’

    He noted that the command’s enviable record had been achieved by very dedicated, professional and God-fearing officers and men in various divisions, formations and units within the command.

    “The command today is having an enviable record of achieving a very low crime rate among other states in the country.

    “This does not come with only fighting crime and criminality but a high display of professionalism, dedication and courtesy among its officers and men.

    “I have also dealt decisively with issues of unprofessional conducts in any shade; just within two weeks I have to remove two Divisional Police Officers in Enugu metropolis as well as transferred some personnel under them.

    “On this action, I received commendation letter from a pastor on Dec. 3, which I have not seen till today, for removing the DPO in one of our divisions.

    Read Also: Police arraign bus conductor for stealing cellphone

    “I challenge any one with evidence of unprofessional conduct of any police personnel under my command to report to my office and I assure prompt investigation and dealing with the personnel appropriately if found culpable,’’ he said.

    Danmallam said that the command had continued to train its personnel on professionalism and being humane as well as constantly reminding them on the dangers and consequences of unprofessional conduct.

    “Just recently, I have directed the officer in charge of IGP X-Squad, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr John Babangida, to go round the state and fish out officers and men in the habit of extortion of residents.

    “The team is meant to watch out for policemen who extort motorcyclists, motorists and others.

    “Babangida have also given out his telephone number publicly; which is 08033140979 for residents to contact him immediately and report any erring police personnel,’’ he added.

    Meanwhile, an NGO, Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organization (CAPIO)  had said that it was working with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to ensure that innocent persons do not end up in detention unduly in Enugu State.

    CAPIO’s executive director, Rev. Fr. Ambrose Ekereoku who also spoke to NAN, urged the police to check its unwholesome activities.

    Ekeroku said that the organisation had received cases of human rights abuse where the Anti-Cult Unit in Enugu Command allegedly arrested people indiscriminately and extorting money from them.

    The cleric cited a case of a man who was arrested inside his house alongside his brother and neighbour and were detained for days before they were eventually bailed with a huge sum of money.

    According to him, such activities usually get innocent citizens unduly detained for no just cause.

    “The police must as a matter of conformity to modern policing stop mass indiscriminate arrest and arrest by proxy.

    “Modern policing deals with intelligence backed up with smart technologies that aid crime detection and prevention,’’ he said.

    He noted that some police personnel had been involved in unprofessional activities, inimical of destroying the reputation of the police.

    “The Anti-Cult Unit in Enugu have been arresting people indiscriminately without any proper investigation.

    “Those indiscriminately arrested alleged that if one is arrested and does not have money for bail, such a person ends up in prison or police cell.

    “We received information concerning the anti-cult unit officers going from house-to-house doing indiscriminate arrest on people sleeping in their houses at about 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., which most times affects the innocent.

    “At the end of the mass arrest, these people are all dumped in the police cell or prison, if they cannot bail themselves,’’ Ekereoku added.

    NAN