The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enugu

  • No exclusive monopoly in power distribution – Fashola

    No exclusive monopoly in power distribution – Fashola

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has allayed fears of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over government’s investments in solar energy plants.

    Fasola allayed their fears at the 20th Monthly Power Sector Stakeholders’ Meeting hosted by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company ( EEDC ) in Owerri.

    The minister said that the Discos expressed their fears in a letter to his office about some government’s initiatives on power generation and distribution.

    Fashola said some government’s initiatives which included provision of meters to consumers by meter suppliers, provision of more power to consumers through licensing of eligible customers and promotion of more solar power through mini-grids had prompted the fears of the Discos.

    He said Discos had nothing to fear about solar, stressing that all government’s initiatives were targeted at improving services to the people.

    “It is my understanding that you fear that you will lose some income or some customers if government proceeds and on the question of meters, you seek to have technical compatibility with what the licencee will operate.

    “In respect of possible investment in distribution equipment, you seek that government should route the investment through the Discos.

    “While your concerns about business viability, financial stability and cost recovery are well understood and indeed supported by the Electric Power Sector Perform Act of 2005 ( EPSRA ) which government will respect, I must point out that government’s focus is also strong on the issue of service to the people.

    “As far as the promotion of solar and other sources of independent power are concerned, please note that not only are they supported by the ESPRA, they are consistent with our Paris Climate Change Agreement Obligations and with emerging global practice,” he said.

    The minister said that ESPRA did not contemplate a monopoly for any licensee unless it was expressly stated in the licence.

    Fashola said the monthly meeting was to review the progress made from the last monthly meeting held in Lagos in September and to collectively engage the challenges that lied ahead in the roadmap to incremental, stable and uninterrupted power supply.

    He said that in the last month, the sector recovered 100mw from the damaged Afam IV power plant which had been inoperative since January 2015.

    The minister said that TCN had energised the Jebba-Kainji 2nd 330KV line and the 2nd Ajaokuta-Abuja 330KV line both of which were inoperative since 2015.

    According to him, the Federal Executive Council on Oct. 4 approved the verified sum of N25.9 billion Federal Government MDA debts and its payment by setting it off against debts owed by the Discos to NBET.

    The minister as saying that the sector was also making progress in recovering debts due from international customers.

    He said the sector was equally working to expand the distribution network of the Discos so that they could take additional 2,000 mw of power now available for supply

    Fashola said that debts of ministries, departments and agencies would be paid through their debts to Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company ( NBET ).

    He said that one of the challenges to overcome was how the Discos could quickly increase their capacity to take power and distribute to consumers.

    The minister commended the critical role of the judiciary and the law enforcement agents on the strict enforcement of arbitration clauses in the power sector.

    “We welcome this judicial support to stop corruption in the power sector, enforce the law and promote liquidity in the sector.

    “We also welcome the intervention in the Court of Appeal in the case involving the tariff review,” he said.

    Mr Paul Okeke, the Acting Managing Director of EEDC, commended the minister for his unrelenting efforts to improve the power sector.

    He said EEDC was also committed to the improvement of power supply in the country.

    Okeke also spoke on some progress made by the company, adding that there were ongoing schemes to improve service delivery in the sector.

    NAN

  • Monkey pox: Enugu urges residents to avoid contact with animals

    Monkey pox: Enugu urges residents to avoid contact with animals

    The Enugu State Ministry of Health has urged residents of the state to be wary of touching or coming in contact with wild animals, for self protection against Monkey-pox virus.

    The ministry’s Director of Public Health Services, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, gave the advice when he spoke on Tuesday, on measures taken by the ministry to prevent the disease in the state.

    Ossai said the ministry had begun sensitisation in local radio and television stations about the disease, its signs and symptoms.

    He said that the ministry had also gone ahead to orientate its disease surveillance officers in all the local governments and border areas on the disease.

    The orientation, he said include the physical manifestations and signs of the disease.

    “At the grassroots, we have alerted our health focal persons to monitor the environment and ensure that no one incubates any strange disease in his or her house,’’ he said.

    The director said that personal, family and environmental hygiene especially hand washing, was key and necessary for all residents of the state to observe, to avoid any form of virus or contagious disease.

    He said monkey-pox could be contacted through touching the body or body fluid of wild animals, adding that apart from monkeys, antelopes and wild rats could also harbour the virus.

    “I will also urge hunters, butchers and those that prepare bush meat from these animals for consumption to be wary.

    “However, if the meat from these animals mentioned are cooked very well beyond boiling point, the meat is safe as the virus is destroyed via proper boiling.’’

    Health experts explain that Monkey-pox, a virus found in monkeys and other wild animals is, however, rare in humans, adding that  it belongs to the same family of Chicken-pox and Small-pox.

    NAN

  • UNN to conduct 2017 post-UTME Oct. 3

    UNN to conduct 2017 post-UTME Oct. 3

    University of Nigeria, Nsukka ( UNN ), is to conduct the 2017 post-University Tertiary Matriculation Examination ( UTME ) from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Charles Igwe, has said.

    Igwe made the disclosure in an interview in Nsukka, Enugu State, on Friday.

    He said that measures had been put in place to ensure a successful 2017 screening examination.

    “Qualified candidates for the exam are those who scored 200 and above, made UNN  their choice university and have registered online for the exam.

    “Invigilators, supervisors  as well as other personnel that will be involved have been mobilised  and are ready for the exam,” he said.

    He said the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps would provide security for the exercise.

    “The army,  police, civil defence and SSS will help to ensure adequate security as they will patrol 24 hours in UNN and Nsukka town,’’ he said.

    Igwe said that the university would provide hostel accommodation at the cost of N3,000 for two nights for candidates who had no relatives to accommodate them  in Nsukka.

    “The two nights include night of the day of arrival for the exam and night of the day the candidate writes the exam,” he said.

    He appealed to Nsukka residents, especially the motorists, tricycle operators and motor-cyclists to assist candidates by directing them appropriately as some of them might be coming to Nsukka for the first time.

    “We should treat candidates who will come from different states across the country as our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.

    “We should be fair and assist them instead of exploiting them financially  by collecting N100 where we are supposed to collect N50 as transport fare.

    “Candidates for the exam should also conduct themselves orderly before, during and after the exam as anyone caught in any form of violence or crime will be arrested by law enforcement agents.

    “UNN management, staff and students wish candidates success in the screening exam,” he said

    NAN

  • Few private schools have complied with teachers’ registration – TRCN

    Few private schools have complied with teachers’ registration – TRCN

    The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria ( TRCN ), said on Wednesday that only 50 per cent of private schools in the country have complied with its directive to deploy only professional teachers to classrooms.

    Malam Adamu Bello, the Deputy Director, Professional Operation of the council made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday.

    Adamu said the council would continue to enforce the directive until all teachers get the mandatory certification to teach in schools across the country.

    He stressed that the 2017 deadline for all categories of teachers in the country to obtain the required professional qualification remain sacrosanct.

    The official disclosed that TRCN would prosecute unqualified and incompetent teachers nationwide as from 2018.

    “Very soon, those people that think it is a joke for the 17 years we have been drumming it for them to professionalize, will be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.

    “The council will go after them with the full weight of the law even as we seek state governments’ cooperation to rid the country of quack and unqualified teachers,’’ he said.

    Adamu emphasised that the certification programme of the council was necessary for all teachers, irrespective of the type of certificate they possess after their graduation.

    “It is meant to strengthen and upgrade the standard of education as all professionalized teachers will attend periodic re-certification lecture and examination to keep them abreast of modern best practices,’’ he said.

  • Police to investigate drowning of house keeper in Enugu

    Police to investigate drowning of house keeper in Enugu

    The Enugu State Police Command on Sunday launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning of one Justus Oruka in a well in Enugu.

    A statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, issued in Enugu, said that the incident occurred at 10 a.m. on Sept. 21

    Amaraizu said that the Homicide and Criminal Investigation Departments were doing everything they could to unravel the cause of the incident.

    He noted that the victim, who lived at Uli Street, Ogui in Enugu, got drowned in a well inside an uncompleted building located at Pocket Layout in Nkpokiti  in the state capital.

    “People were seen gathered in their large numbers in Nkpokiti axis of Enugu to see things for themselves, while expressing shock and sorrow as they received the ugly information about a man that allegedly got drowned in a well filled with water.

    “It was gathered that the deceased,  identified as Justus Oruka, had allegedly got drowned in a well filled with water inside an uncompleted building at Pocket Layout, Nkpokiti where the deceased is said to be working as a house keeper.

    “It was further gathered that when  he was eventually recovered from the well and rushed to Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty,’’ he said.

  • Enugu community hails Ekweremadu’s representation

    THE people of Mgbowo community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State have dissociated themselves from the allegations of marginalization leveled against the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District. A member representing Aninri/ Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Toby Okechukwu, was also lauded by the indigenes of the community. The commendation was against the backdrop of a news conference held in Abuja by the leader of Mgbowo Youth Progressive Organization in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Humphrey Onyima and few Mgbowo indigenes resident in Abuja.

    The traditional Prime Minister of Ekpulato Mgbowo Autonomous community, Prof. Joseph Akpa and the President- General of Ekpulambo Mgbowo Autonomous community, Chief Emeka Onwude, said the allegations: “did not in any way represent the opinion of the diverse people of the five villages that make up Mgbowo community, who have, like every other community in the whole of Enugu West Senatorial Zone, benefited immensely from the developmental strides by the lawmakers”. Apologizing to the lawmakers for what he described as a misadventure of Onyima and other persons whom they said was “on his own” in pursuit of selfish personal agenda, they said that the contract and mobilization for the urbanization of Aki na Ukwa junction and the entire Eke Mgbowo area mentioned by Onyima had already been awarded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), government of Enugu State of which Ekweremadu and Okechukwu are very friendly with.

  • Police organise conference on crime prevention

    Police organise conference on crime prevention

    The Nigeria Police in Enugu say the Force School of Public Relations will involve professionals in delivering lectures during the police Inter Agency Public Relations Conference on Oct. 5 in Enugu.

    Enugu State Public Relations Officer Ebere Amaraizu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in that involving professionals would curb the rate of crimes.

    He said the provost of the school, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu and other chartered public relations professionals would participate in the conference entitled: “Inter-Agency Relationship: A Panacea for Effective Crime Prevention and Control’’.

    He also said the Nigeria Police in Enugu would host the conference aimed at consolidating cordial working relationship among security agencies in the state.

    “They will through lectures and practical sessions to x-ray how public relations could be used as veritable tool for sustenance of cooperation among sister security agencies,’’ he said.

  • Police nab herbalist over murder

    Police nab herbalist over murder

    The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested two men, Onyekachi Idoko and Felix Akor, for alleged murder of three persons in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.

    The Spokesperson of the command, ASP Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Enugu.

    Amaraizu said that the two suspects were arrested following a well-coordinated operation by the police.

    He said that the murder suspect, Idoko of Ifuroka-Amalla community in Udenu council area was nabbed by police operatives of the Udenu Division on a tip-off.

    The spokesman said that the murder suspect, who fled after committing the alleged offence, was arrested on Sept. 16 at Inyi community in Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state.

    He alleged that the suspect alongside others murdered one Onyemaechi Eze on July 5 over a yet-to-be established issue or issues and escaped.

    “The suspect is now helping the operatives in their investigations as he had given insight into how he and his gang allegedly collected N200,000 from the native doctor, Felix Akor, who hired them to murder the victim.

    “The native doctor, Akor, is also alleged to be diabolically responsible for the mysterious death of two siblings, Blessing and John.

    “Akor has been arrested by the operatives as well,’’ he said.

    The police spokesman said that both suspects had been helping police operatives in their investigations.

  • Customs’ Eastern Area Command generates N4.89bn

    Customs’ Eastern Area Command generates N4.89bn

     The Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service ( NCS ) has generated N4.89 billion within eight months.

    The Area Comptroller, Mr Suleiman Mohammed, made the disclosure to newsmen on Monday at a stakeholders meeting in Enugu.

    Mohammed said that the N4.89 billion was about 45.3 per cent of the projected revenue target of the area command for the year.

    According to him, the 2017 revenue target of customs for the three states is N10.84 billion

    “The total amount realised as at August (from Jan. 1) stood at “Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Five Million, Three Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Five Naira, Seventy Seven Kobo (N4, 895,311,805.77) representing 45.3 per cent of the target for the year,’’ he said.

    The comptroller attributed the shortfall in revenue of the agency to the lack of border areas in the three states under the command.

    He said: “the three states covered by the command have no land borders and as such no frontier stations, rather it’s an excise oriented area with at least 20 excise factories under its control.

    “Besides, only 14 excise factories are functional presently whole six are temporarily closed-down.”

    Also speaking, Chief Raymond Okonkwo, the Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders ( NAGAFF ), urged stakeholders in freight industry to tackle facilities related problems at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

    Okonkwo said: “there is a need for stakeholders who have interest in the development of the airport structure to come together to ensure that things are the way they should.

    “The run-way at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is not of the standard to attract international flights.

    “When facilities at any airport runs short of international regulations, you know that there is a problem as no airline will put his aircraft at risk.’’

    Speaking, the representative of Triax Group of Companies, Chief Emeka Okeke, called on South-East governors to join hands with the Enugu State governor to see that the airport becomes truly international in its operation.

    “We should not leave this thing for one state alone. I don’t know why the governments of the South-East states should not come to support this international airport project.

    “Let us start with one international airport before talking of cargo airport and the rest of them.

    “Enugu is the main eastern-base and this problem should be addressed squarely,’’ Okeke said.

  • APC Committee: Enugu, Ebonyi opt out of regional structure

    The Southeast zone of All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on True Federalism Public Consultations yesterday in Enugu compiled submissions from the party’s state chapters with Enugu and Ebonyi states opting out of regional structure.

    The committee was to take submissions from Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra states, but Anambra APC members were absent.

    Enugu and Ebonyi were represented by Ostia Okechukwu and Egwu Chima.

    Their reason for opting out of regional structure was to “enjoy the freedom we have achieved”.

    Before the commencement of the submissions, Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi stormed the venue where he was received by the committee’s chairman, Prof. Oserhrimen Osunbor, and deputy governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba.

    But the governor did not sit as he left immediately he exchanged pleasantries with the committee members.

    Osunbor said APC’s constitution and its manifesto showed its commitment to some articulated ideas and principles.

    The chairman noted that Article 7 of the party’s constitution states the need to promote and foster unity, political stability and national consciousness among Nigerians as well as promote true federalism.

    He said restructuring under democracy cannot be a revolution, adding that it must follow the rule of law in line with the constitution.

    Submitting the resolution of Enugu State APC, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) Osita Okechukwu said the chapter adopted the creation of additional state in the Southeast, specifically Adada, to bring the number to six, like in the other zones.

    He said by doing this, the Southeast would have equal senatorial seats in the National Assembly.

    The party also supported financial autonomy to the local government and removal of state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that elections at the local government areas are free and fair.

    Okechukwu also said the state chapter supported state police and rotation of power between the South and North.

    According to him, after the eight years tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, power should go to the Southeast.

    Ebonyi State APC said it did not support regional government, adding that it was happy with the structure that gave birth to the state.

    It also supported rotation of government but opposed state police.