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Tag: Enugu

  • No loss of life in Enugu poll, say police

    The Enugu State Police Command has said nobody died before, during and after Saturday’s local government election.

    The State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted election into 17 local government areas and 261 political wards on Saturday.

    The command’s spokesman Ebere Amaraizu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the speculations that some persons were killed were false and unfounded.

    “There was no loss of life anywhere in the state,” he said.

    Amaraizu said the police and other security agencies were able to persuasively calm frayed nerves and return normalcy in places where violence broke out on the Election Day.

    The spokesman said the police and other security agencies professionally handled the resistance among some groups that the election would not hold.

    He said the agitators were peacefully dispersed.

    Amaraizu noted that “against the backdrop of rumours that some people were killed in Oji River Local Government Area on Saturday, the command stated that there was no loss of lives in Oji River and throughout the state.

  • PDP sweeps Enugu local govt election

    PDP sweeps Enugu local govt election

    •Election is a sham, say Okechukwu 

    •Nwoye: we’ll challenge results

    •This is best council poll in Nigeria, says Ekweremadu

    Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been declared winners of Saturday’s local government election in Enugu State.

    They won all the 17 local government chairmanship seats and all the wards’ councillorship seats.

    But the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) called the outcome of the poll a sham.

    Both parties contested for 17 chairmanship and counsellorship seats.

    The State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) Chairman, Chief Mike Ajogwu (SAN), who announced the results at the commission’s headquarters at Independence Layout in Enugu, said the PDP cleared all the 17 chairmanship seats.

    Elections were not held at Eke, the ward of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Godfrey Onyeama and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Ostia Okechukwu, and Abia, both in Udi Local Government Ardea.

    The PDP won at Awgu, Ezeagu and Udi, the local government of the former Governor Sullivan Chime.

    Ajogwu said the election was free, fair and credible.

    The ENSIEC chairman denied knowledge of any violence. He said: “I’m not aware of any bomb explosions, violence, rigging or malpractice during the election. This election is reliable and credible.”

    Also, an APC chieftain and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, described the outcome of the poll as shambolic.

    He said the results were the paradox of the quest for devolution of powers from the federal to the states.

    Okechukwu said the election was marred by late arrival of electoral materials and other irregularities.

    The APC chieftain expressed worry that since “our return to the Fourth Republic, most state governments have debased democracy by conducting shambolic local government council elections. The same shambolic election took place in Enugu on Saturday”.

    He added: “Take Enugu State as a case study. APC members, in 2016, first objected to the appointment of caretaker committees to administer the 17 local government areas in the state. Consequently, APC headed to court, citing a breach of Section 7 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Regrettably, the election came after two years and in PDP electoral phobia tradition, the ENSIEC disqualified 50 councillorship and two council chairmanship candidates of the APC. Without any legally valid option, we headed to court again and they reversed the disqualification.

    “Then came the Election Day. Impunity reared its ugly head again. Result sheets were handed over to PDP leadership and their associates. Is this democracy?”

    On the danger the “shambolic” local government election posed to democracy, Okechukwu said: “It makes popular participation at the local government level impossible, hence it debases democracy. To compound matters, all state governments run rubber-stamp Houses of Assembly. Therefore, there are no oversight functions at the state level.

    “Consequently, the devolution of powers from the federal to the state seems a paradox in the sense that democracy cannot grow or survive without free and fair elections at the local government level. Imagine what could have happened to the opposition if there was state police. We could have been chased out of the polling precincts. To be honest, we, the patriots, have to review our support for devolution of powers.”

    Reminded that APC governors had also conducted “shambolic” local government elections, Okechukwu said his concern was about the growth and survival of democracy in Nigeria.

    He said: “To me, we must join hands to save democracy for the struggle. For free and fair local elections to be effective, it must bi-partisan.”

    Also, the Enugu State APC Chairman Ben Nwoye said the election was characterised by widespread violence in almost all the local government areas.

    Nwoye said APC’s governorship candidate in 2015, Okey Ezea, who hails from Igboeze South, was attacked and injured by suspected PDP thugs.

    The party chairman recalled that “as I speak to you now, he is currently receiving treatment in the hospital”.

    He said: “Like I predicted yesterday at a media briefing, ENSIEC Chairman Mike Ajogwu has rubbished himself with this sham he put together in the name of an election, just to satisfy his pay masters, the PDP.

    “It is quite unfortunate that there was widespread of violence and bloodbath in Enugu, simply because ENSIEC wants to please the PDP. There were no result sheets in all the polling units. Yet, Dr. Ajogwu called what he did today an election.

    “If you remember, I had severally called for the resignation of the ENSIEC chairman because of his open bias against APC.

    “Ajogwu breached all the electoral provisions, including disallowing opposition parties and other stakeholders from being present while ENSIEC takes delivery of sensitive electoral materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) few days to the election, as provided by law.”

    Nwoye, who urged APC supporters to remain calm in the face of provocation, said the party does not believe in violence.

    He said APC would seek redress in court at the appropriate time.

    Also, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday described the local government poll as the best in Nigeria’s recent history.

  • Enugu LG polls : PDP wins 14 Chairmanship seats

    Enugu LG polls : PDP wins 14 Chairmanship seats

    Candidates of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) have been declared winners of the Enugu local council elections held Saturday.

    Seventeen Chairmanship and Counsellorship positions were contested.

    The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), chairman, Chief Mike Ajogwu (SAN) who announced the results at the commission’s headquarters at Independence layout said the ruling party cleared the 14 chairmanship seats so far declared.

    Ajogwu said results from three local government areas including Awgu, Ezeagu and Udi, the home council of the former governor, Sullivan Chime were still being awaited.

    Ajogwu said the exercise was free, fair and credible even as he denied knowledge of any violence.

    “I’m not aware of any bomb explosions, violence, rigging or mal-practice during the election. This election is reliable and credible,” he said.

  • Enugu council polls: APC alleges lack of result sheets

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged non availability of result sheets in the ongoing Enugu State local government elections.

    The APC in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi  drew the attention of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ESIEC) and other relevant bodies to this anomaly which it said  casts serious doubts on the credibility of the ongoing electoral process.

    The Party  advised ESIEC, the election management body for the ongoing Enugu State local government elections to urgently correct this anomaly so as not to set the stage for disputes that may render the outcome of the election unacceptable.

  • Rangers International FC to be on Nigerian Stock Exchange soon

    Rangers International FC to be on Nigerian Stock Exchange soon

    Rangers International Football Club of Enugu will soon be floated on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), an official of the Administrative Commission of Inquiry on Rangers confirmed on Tuesday.

    Based on the submissions mate by the commission, the Enugu State Government will likely divest its shares and stakes in Rangers soon.

    About two months ago the state government had set up the Administrative Commission of Inquiry, which had been looking into the club’s activities.

    The seven-time league champions who won the 2015/2016 title about 32 years after the last time had a poor outing in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

    A member of the commission, Norbert Okolie, told NAN on Tuesday that putting the club’s shares at the NSE was part of the major recommendations made by the commission.

    Okolie, who is also the Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN ), Enugu State, said the commission’s report was submitted to the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Friday.

    He said the commission, after duly considering a deluge of memoranda submitted, noted that Rangers being a big brand in the football business should enjoy and leverage on this.

    “This can only be, by lifting the burden of sponsorship from the state government.’’

    Okolie disclosed that the commission also suggested that the club’s ownership should be spread to other South-East states and other lovers of the club.

    “Thirty-five per cent of the shares will be reserved for the Enugu State Government, while 32 per cent will be for the four states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo at 8 per cent each.

    “Twenty-five per cent will be for the general public, six per cent for the Amalgamated Traders Association, one per cent for Rangers Supporters’ Club and one per cent for Ohaneze Ndigbo.

    “This is what was suggested by the commission headed by Prof. Gab Agu,’’ he said.

    Okolie also said the formation of Rangers’ female football club and basketball team were equally recommended by the commission.

    “This is for maximum benefits to be gained by the shareholders and teeming youths of the states in particular and the nation in general,’’ he said

    Ugwuanyi, while receiving the commission’s 52-page report, had promised to present the document for State Executive Committee (SEC) deliberations and quick implementation of recommendations.

    NAN

  • Monkeypox hit Abuja as FG confirms six fresh cases

    Monkeypox hit Abuja as FG confirms six fresh cases

    The Federal Government has confirmed six new cases of the MonekyPox virus in the country, with one case recorded in the Federal Capital Territory.

    Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, made this known in a statement by Mrs Boade Akinola, Director of Media and Public Relations, Ministry of Heath.

    Akinola said apart from the one recorded in Abuja, two cases were confirmed each in Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom while Enugu State had one case.

    Ehanire also said investigations were ongoing to see if any of the new cases has a link with the Bayelsa cluster, where the outbreak started.

    He further called for calm among members of the public, adding that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is working with all affected states to ensure case finding and adequate management.

    He added that as frightening as the manifestation of the ailment might seem, no fatality has been recorded to date. As of Oct. 25, a total of 94 suspected cases have been reported from 11 states, (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers and Abuja).

    He said patients of the newly confirmed cases were already being managed by public health authorities and have been receiving appropriate clinical care.

    He said Ministry, through NCDC, was in close contact with all State Epidemiology Teams, and the health facilities providing clinical care to both suspected and confirmed cases.

    He added that State Commissioners of Health have been advised to place all health care facilities and Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers on alert, to ensure early case detection, reporting and effective treatment.

    Read also: Monkey Pox victim commits suicide in Bayelsa hospital

    The minister said a National-level Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) led by the NCDC with support from our development partners, was coordinating outbreak investigation and response across affected states.

    He added the EOC included the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as experts from partner agencies.

     

  • Ugwuanyi reiterates commitment to make Enugu tourism hub

    Ugwuanyi reiterates commitment to make Enugu tourism hub

    Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has reiterated his administration’s commitment and resolve to make Enugu State a tourism hub within the West African region.

    Ugwuanyi made this known when he declared open the 2017 edition of Life in My City Art Festival ( LIMCAF ), an art exhibition, in Enugu on Thursday.

    The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Rita Mba, said that the state government was doing all it could to attract tourism investors into the state.

    He expressed gratitude to the organisers for sustaining their vision of ensuring that art was promoted in Enugu State.

    The Executive Director of LIMCAF, Kevin Ejiofor, thanked the state government for recognising the importance of art in promoting culture and tourism.

    Ejiofor, however, urged the participating artists to sustain their vision.

    The Art Director of LIMCAF, Ayo Adeyemi, said out of 200 artworks submitted by artists, 100 of them, which suited the required standard, were selected and displayed.

    Adeyemi also noted that apart from cash prizes that would be given to winners, four of the participating artists that would emerge winner in the grand finale would be sponsored to Dakar, Senegal, for exhibition.

    Some of the participating artists displayed their art works while spectators at the exhibition expressed satisfaction with the art works.

    The grand finale of the event, which is the 11th edition of the art exhibition, is expected to hold on Oct. 28 with winners going home with cash prizes.

    NAN

  • Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    The operatives of the Police Command in Enugu State say they have rescued two suspected robbers from mob and lynching in Amuri road near Enugu.

    The Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO ) for the command, Asp. Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Thursday in Enugu.

    He said that the suspects, who attempted to flee after they made effort to steal a motorcycle, were rescued on Oct. 22.

    The police image maker noted that the rescue was carried out by police operatives from Agbani Division of the command.

    The spokesman said that the two suspects, name with held, hailed from Ogbaku in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo.

    “The two suspects received beating of their lives from the mob that promptly descended heavily on them for allegedly stealing a Top Star Motorcycle from where it was parked at Amuri Road at Agbani,’’ he said.

    He said the owner of the said motorcycle had gone to purchase some items from Eke Agbani Market.

    “It was gathered that suspects, having been sighted by good citizens, were promptly given a hot chase by members of the public who eventually closed them up.’’

    “They gave them the beating of their lives which left them with various degrees of injuries before the arrival of police operatives who immediately rescued them from being lynched.’’

    Amaraizu, who said the suspects were receiving medical attention while the motorcycle has been recovered, said the command had begun full scale investigations into the matter.

    NAN

  • Enugu LGC kicks-off routine immunisation

    Enugu LGC kicks-off routine immunisation

    The Enugu State Immunisation Officer, Dr Udodirim Madu, has urged parents to avail themselves of the opportunity of immunisation provided by the State Government to safeguard the lives of their children.

    Madu made the call during the official flag-off of routine immunisation in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.
    He outlined numerous benefits of routine immunisation to include reduction in number of death and disability from number of diseases that affect children in their infant stage.

    Madu assured parents, especially women, of government’s determination to continue improving the primary health care service delivery in the state.

    A representative of the World Health Organisation ( WHO ), Mrs Onyinye Emefiena, said the essence of the exercise was to ensure that every child gets the maximum possible protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.

    Emefiena said that the WHO would continue to partner the state government to ensure that each child in the state is protected against child killer diseases and other infectious diseases as well.

    The Caretaker Chairman of the council, Chief Chika Igwesi, said that the exercise and other laudable programmes of the council area would affect the lives of the people from the area.

    Igwesi lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the support he has being giving the council as well as the free child and maternal healthcare service in the state.

    In a goodwill messages, the traditional ruler of Eziaba Community in Agbani, Igwe Sampson Nnamani, urged women to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the government to safeguard the lives of their children by bringing them out for immunisation.

    “I am using this medium to call all my subjects as well as people living in other communities in this council to co-operate for us all to have healthy children,’’ Nnamani appealed.

    Mrs Ogechi Ugwu and Mrs Blessing Nnamani, nursing mothers, expressed gratitude to the state government for the exercise.

    In separate interviews at the event, they thanked the state governor his health team for making it possible.

    More than 100 nursing mothers and children under the age of five converged from different parts of the council for the immunisation and to receive gift items from the wife of the council’s caretaker chairman, Dr Rall Igwesi

    NAN

  • Police sanction 20 personnel for corruption

    Police sanction 20 personnel for corruption

    The Nigeria Police Force, says it has sanctioned 20 personnel involved in corruption between Jan. 2016 and Jun. 2017 in four states.

    A report obtained from the Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit indicated that those sanctioned served in Enugu, Abuja, Ogun and Lagos commands.

    It indicated that 10 policemen were dismissed during the period, one given severe reprimand, one demoted, and eight given other forms of punishment.

    The report showed that 4, 342 complaints were received by the unit during the period under review, out of which 3,602 were amicably resolved and 318 pending.

    It added that 422 complaints received by the unit were discovered to be false.

    Read also: Police to conduct autopsy on Kogi’s Soje

    According to the report, the 106 distress calls received by the unit during the period under review were not part of the complaints captured in the report.

    The unit was established in November 2015 to receive and resolve cases of professional misconduct brought against police personnel.

    NAN