The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enugu

  • Balarabe calls for restructuring of Nigeria

    Balarabe calls for restructuring of Nigeria

    • bemoans marginalisation of the Igbo
    Former Kaduna state governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa has thrown his weight in support of the clamour for the restructuring of Nigeria with the six geo-political zones serving as the federating units.

    The former governor in a message he sent to the 18th Annual Convention of the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM) held in Enugu, Musa warned that the nation would remain in arrested development unless it is restructured to achieve true federalism.

    ‎The theme of the convention was titled “How To‎ Resolve the Crisis of Nigeria as a Nation”,
    The former governor ‘s message which was read by the president of IYM, Evang. Elliot Uko argued:“As presently constituted, the states are virtually all unviable entities which are incapable of continuing to exist as viable constituent ‎units of a true federal structure. Secondly, reverting to say, a six regional structure would reduce the competitive pressure for power at the centre and redirect more attention to regional political competencies.”
    Musa sympathised with the Igbo ethnic nationality for accumulated marginalisation and unfair treatment in Nigeria federation especially since after the civil war.

    “There can be little doubt that the Igbo ethnic nationality – like many other ethnic nationalities which today constitute the Nigerian State – have had a raw deal in the Nigerian project This has been particularly so since the conclusion of the unfortunate Nigerian Civil War and the failure of the State to continue to be faithful to the policy of ‘no victor, no vanquished’.
    “At best, the policy of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation have not been diligently pursued by successive federal ‎administrations. This raw deal for the Igbos has manifested in many facets of national life, and has been particularly obvious in their representation on the security apparatus and political structures of the State, where Igbo participation has, at best, been merely marginal and tokenish.”

    Also other speakers at the event including; Professor (Senator) Banji Akintoye, former Anambra state Governor, Peter Obi, Prof. Felix ‎Oragwu, and Prof Obasi Igwe of Political Science Department of
    University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, all spoke in support of restructuring of the country and empowering the youths to take greater responsibility in the nation’s governance.

    Akintoye said that over-centralisation of power at the centre was the root of all evil in Nigeria. He said that since youths constitute 55 percent of the nation’s population, they should rise up and take over power through democratic means, advising that the youths of various ethnic groups should stop
    attacking each other as they all face a common problem in Nigeria.

    Former Governor Peter Obi said that he was appalled by the culture of waste of resources and misplacement of priority by some governors, saying that it was unbelievable that when people don’t have food to eat and light in their houses, some governors spend humongous amount of money decorating streets and providing street lights during Christmas celebrations.
  • A bash for 250 widows in Enugu

    A bash for 250 widows in Enugu

    In order to give some widows a sense of belonging during the Yuletide, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Lady Nwanneka, invited over 250 widows to their Ezeagu headquarters to celebrate Christmas with them. CHRIS OJI writes that each of the widows drawn from his Enugu West Senatorial Zone received gifts ranging from a bag of rice, N10, 000 and wrappers from the couple. 

    For widows from the five local government areas that make up Enugu West Senatorial Zone, the Yuletide season would not be forgotten in a hurry. The day clearly marked a turning point in their lives.

    Ordinarily, most of them who had lost their supporters and bread-winners may have given up on life, but mother luck smiled on them as they made the list of those who benefited from the Deputy Senate President who represents Enugu West Senatorial Zone in the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s generosity.

    He and his wife, Lady Nwanneka decided to make the widows, numbering about 250, happy by providing them with bags of rice, cash and wrappers to enable them to celebrate the Christmas with their children.

    It was as a result of that that the widows literally relocated to the Ezeagu headquarters of the Ekweremadus to be part of yet another history.

    It was natural for some of the beneficiaries to think that the yearly gesture by the Deputy Senate President would not take place this year when, by December 23, they have not received any rewarding piece of information with regard to gifts from their representative at the Senate.

    But contrary to their near-lost hope, Senator Ekweremadu, on Christmas Eve, showered his usual affection on the needy.

    Speaking at the event, he urged affluent Nigerians to show love to their neighbours at Christmas, as that remains the fundamental message of Christmas.

    That was his Christmas message in Enugu when his wife, Lady Nwanneka Ekweremadu, donated Christmas presents of N10, 000 cash, a bag of rice and wrapper to each of 250 widows drawn from the five local government areas of Enugu West Senatorial District.

    The Senator, who said Christmas would be meaningless without acts of love as shown by Christ, also observed that love was also engrained in African cultures.

    He stressed that “the spirit of sharing is an African tradition that generates happiness and ensures social stability in the absence of a formal social security mechanism that caters for the less-privileged in our society”.

    He said: “I grew up in a system that had an inbuilt social security mechanism, where we were our brother’s keeper and cared for one another. If you didn’t have a tuber of yam, you shared from your neighbour’s; and you could go to your neighbour’s house to get fire and light your house; and when somebody got admission to study at the university, people contributed money to ensure the person received education. One person’s problem was everybody’s problem in those days. That is exactly the tradition we are trying to keep alive.”

    He, however, regretted that the nation had lost much of her traditional social security values and urged that they be reflected on and revived at Christmas.

    “Some of those attributes of our community began to dwindle as society advanced. But we have to keep them alive, especially when government has not come up with a defined social security programme to ensure that everybody counts, and that everybody enjoys the good things of life. This way, we can generate happiness and help secure our system,” he said.

    In her remarks, Lady Ekweremadu said the act of celebrating Christmas with widows had become the family’s tradition since 1997 as a way of giving back to the society and help ameliorate the widows’ losses and hardship.

    She said: “While on earth, Christ ministered to, not only the spiritual needs of the people , but also to their physical needs. He fed the multitude.

    “So, every Christmas, we try to make them (widows) celebrate with us. We select about 250 of them from the five local government areas and each year we try to take different people so that whatever we are giving will go round.

    “We have been doing this since 1997 when the Ikeoha Foundation was founded. We began by giving scholarships to indigent students. At a point, we extended it to Igboeze North and Enugu North.

    Ikeoha Foundation is the pet project of the lawmaker founded in 1997 but registered in 2004 with a specific mission to provide for the basic educational and health needs of families living in poverty and below the radar of government-sponsored interventions.

    The foundation achieves its mission through enhancing their access to quality education and health care and by building their capacity to participate in mainstream social, political and economic activities of their communities.

    “After that, we thought about adult literacy whereby we give education to thousands who had no opportunity to have formal education through adult literacy centres which we set up in all the five local government areas.

    “By God’s grace, we hope to keep faith with the tradition, as part of our own way of giving back to the community that made us.”

     

     

  • A bash for 250 widows in Enugu

    A bash for 250 widows in Enugu

    In order to give some widows a sense of belonging during the Yuletide, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Lady Nwanneka, invited over 250 widows to their Ezeagu headquarters to celebrate Christmas with them. CHRIS OJI writes that each of the widows drawn from his Enugu West Senatorial Zone received gifts ranging from a bag of rice, N10, 000 and wrappers from the couple. 

    For widows from the five local government areas that make up Enugu West Senatorial Zone, the Yuletide season would not be forgotten in a hurry. The day clearly marked a turning point in their lives.

    Ordinarily, most of them who had lost their supporters and bread-winners may have given up on life, but mother luck smiled on them as they made the list of those who benefited from the Deputy Senate President who represents Enugu West Senatorial Zone in the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s generosity.

    He and his wife, Lady Nwanneka decided to make the widows, numbering about 250, happy by providing them with bags of rice, cash and wrappers to enable them to celebrate the Christmas with their children.

    It was as a result of that that the widows literally relocated to the Ezeagu headquarters of the Ekweremadus to be part of yet another history.

    It was natural for some of the beneficiaries to think that the yearly gesture by the Deputy Senate President would not take place this year when, by December 23, they have not received any rewarding piece of information with regard to gifts from their representative at the Senate.

    But contrary to their near-lost hope, Senator Ekweremadu, on Christmas Eve, showered his usual affection on the needy.

    Speaking at the event, he urged affluent Nigerians to show love to their neighbours at Christmas, as that remains the fundamental message of Christmas.

    That was his Christmas message in Enugu when his wife, Lady Nwanneka Ekweremadu, donated Christmas presents of N10, 000 cash, a bag of rice and wrapper to each of 250 widows drawn from the five local government areas of Enugu West Senatorial District.

    The Senator, who said Christmas would be meaningless without acts of love as shown by Christ, also observed that love was also engrained in African cultures.

    He stressed that “the spirit of sharing is an African tradition that generates happiness and ensures social stability in the absence of a formal social security mechanism that caters for the less-privileged in our society”.

    He said: “I grew up in a system that had an inbuilt social security mechanism, where we were our brother’s keeper and cared for one another. If you didn’t have a tuber of yam, you shared from your neighbour’s; and you could go to your neighbour’s house to get fire and light your house; and when somebody got admission to study at the university, people contributed money to ensure the person received education. One person’s problem was everybody’s problem in those days. That is exactly the tradition we are trying to keep alive.”

    He, however, regretted that the nation had lost much of her traditional social security values and urged that they be reflected on and revived at Christmas.

    “Some of those attributes of our community began to dwindle as society advanced. But we have to keep them alive, especially when government has not come up with a defined social security programme to ensure that everybody counts, and that everybody enjoys the good things of life. This way, we can generate happiness and help secure our system,” he said.

    In her remarks, Lady Ekweremadu said the act of celebrating Christmas with widows had become the family’s tradition since 1997 as a way of giving back to the society and help ameliorate the widows’ losses and hardship.

    She said: “While on earth, Christ ministered to, not only the spiritual needs of the people , but also to their physical needs. He fed the multitude.

    “So, every Christmas, we try to make them (widows) celebrate with us. We select about 250 of them from the five local government areas and each year we try to take different people so that whatever we are giving will go round.

    “We have been doing this since 1997 when the Ikeoha Foundation was founded. We began by giving scholarships to indigent students. At a point, we extended it to Igboeze North and Enugu North.

    Ikeoha Foundation is the pet project of the lawmaker founded in 1997 but registered in 2004 with a specific mission to provide for the basic educational and health needs of families living in poverty and below the radar of government-sponsored interventions.

    The foundation achieves its mission through enhancing their access to quality education and health care and by building their capacity to participate in mainstream social, political and economic activities of their communities.

    “After that, we thought about adult literacy whereby we give education to thousands who had no opportunity to have formal education through adult literacy centres which we set up in all the five local government areas.

    “By God’s grace, we hope to keep faith with the tradition, as part of our own way of giving back to the community that made us.”

     

     

     

  • Imo, Enugu govs present 2017 budgets

    IMO State governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Ifeayin Ugwuayin, yesterday presented budget proposals of N131,143,144,277 (one hundred and thirty-one billion, one hundred and forty-three million, one hundred and forty-four thousand, two hundred and seventy seven Naira) and N105,719,471,000 (one hundred and five billion, seven hundred and nineteen million, four hundred and seventy one thousand Naira) respectfully to the various state Houses of Assemblies for the 2017 fiscal year. A breakdown of the Imo State’s budget tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation and Continuity II’ showed that N77.413 billion representing 59.03% was for capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure got N53. 730 billion representing 40.97% of the total budget estimate.

    The governor explained that the budget was informed by the “compelling need to accomplish more for the people and accelerate the pace of work in ongoing projects and programmes in all sectors of the economy. He said: “The 2017 budget is expected to give a thrust to my vision to address the infrastructural challenge of the State, improve the tourism potentials as well as the living standard of our people.” Okorocha explained further that to finance the 2017 budget, “the state government will endeavour to enforce all existing revenue laws through revenue courts to reduce incidences of tax evasion to the barest minimum”.

    He also pointed out that “the state government has already introduced short and medium term measures to reduce our recurrent expenditure”, adding that “these measures focus on cutting non-essential and non-developmental expenditure elements from the budget”. According to the governor, the 2017 proposed budget will focus on the existing free education programme, infrastructural development, urban renewal, rapid industrialization and employment generation, agricultural development, efficient healthcare delivery and women and youth development.

    Earlier in his speech, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim ,expressed hope that the 2017 budget will address the issues of sustaining infrastructure development in the state. He also expressed satisfaction at the performance of the 2016 budget. The Enugu appropriation bill which was themed: “Budget of Economic Recovery and Inclusive Development”, when approved, according to Governor Ugwuayin would address the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the state in spite of the present economic challenges in the country.

    The governor noted that the budget represents a 24 percent increase compared to the previous year’s figure of N85,179,449,000 (eighty five billion, one hundred and seventy nine million, four hundred and forty nine thousand Naira). From the budget size presented, N55,197,939,000 representing 52 percent is for recurrent expenditure while the sum of N50, 521,532,000 representing 48 percent is for capital expenditure. According to the governor, the increase is a result of his administration’s commitment to boost the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) and explore other funding windows to complement allocation from the federation account. Gov. Ugwuanyi pledged that attention will be given to completion of ongoing 2016 priority projects and execute new ones that will touch the lives of the people positively.

    The governor promised better days ahead and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, adding that the diversification of the state economy through private sector participation and Public Private Partnership to fast-track sustainable and inclusive development is also a top priority. He disclosed that his administration has made modest efforts in its reform programmes, adding that it has mapped out strategies for the implementation of the 2017 budget. Responding, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, commended the governor for his administration’s fiscal discipline which contributed to an impressive implementation of the 2016 budget. While promising a speedy passage of the budget, without compromising its oversight functions, the Speaker applauded the cordial relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government in the state.

  • NYSC DG enlivens Enugu camp

    NYSC DG enlivens Enugu camp

    The orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Awgu, Enugu State was agog when the Director General, Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure visited to inspect facilities and interact with corps members on orientation.

    Kazaure who was accompanied by a retinue of NYSC officials said he was impressed by the assertion by the Enugu state coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Ukagha Nwano that the current batch was the best since she took office five years ago.

    The hilly nature of the orientation camp and the meandering pathways not only made it the best for military training but also drew the nod of approval from the Director General who was all smiles as he walked round inspecting facilities in the camp.

    Everywhere he went, the corps members cheer him with applause while he rewarded their efforts a  military salute or broad smile. The corps members later thrilled him with a spectacular orchestra of combination of various ethnic groups of Nigeria, depicting unity in diversity.

    The Director General could not hide his feelings as he shook his head and moved his legs in appreciation while the beating was on and the performers dancing to the tune of the music.

    While interacting with the corps members, Kazaure was told that he was the first Director General to visit the Awgu Enugu Orientation Camp since the inception of the scheme in 1973. The cordinator of the NYSC in Enugu, Mrs. Ukagha expressed happiness in the development while thanking the DG for his valuable decision to see things for himself.

    She told the corps members that the DG’s visit was like a homecoming as he had served in the 82 Division Nigerian Army, Enugu. She described the corps members as the best set since her assumption of office.

    Impressed with what he saw and heard, the DG in fatherly manner stood and addressed the corps members with the message that  NYSC was all about national integration and urged them to integrate well and see themselves as one family.

    Kazazure said, “We should make Nigeria great in any condition we find ourselves, this is the best corps members in Enugu state and I want you to sustain the tempo. 28 years ago, I was a corps member in former Gongola state and so there is no short cut to life. The reason why you are here is to have a good service year and there are a lot of activities to make the year enjoyable and productive. I urge you to take the skill acquisition programme seriously as you know there are no jobs now. There is also a single digit loan facility which you can tap into.

    “Try to learn the culture of the people in your primary assignment, be security conscious and also move in groups, avoid sharp practices and our prayer is that all of you will be greater than us but you must be up and doing.”

    Kazaure urged the corps members to initiate and execute projects of value in the host communities of primary assignment, while also asking them to help the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration fight against corruption.

    “The future of the country is in your hands, wherever you find yourself, please try to be a vanguard for the fight against corruption because corruption is causing us lack of development and breed other vices in the society. We don’t have any other country than Nigeria; try to be good ambassadors of your alma mater, the NYSC and your family,” he urged the corps members.

  • Police stops lynching of Bank MD by customers

    The timely intervention of the police in Enugu prevented the lynching of Mr Kingsley Ubenyi, the Managing Director of Kesley Mega Micro-Finance Bank, by the bank’s aggrieved customers on Friday.

    The spokesman of the Police Command in Enugu, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the rescue of the bank boss came as a result of prompt intervention of a police patrol team after a security tip-off by some members of the public.

    Amaraizu said the incident happened at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the De-Dome Event Centre in New Haven, Enugu.

    He said reports reaching the police indicated that hundreds of aggrieved customers of the bank were seen striking the managing director, who was forced to sit in his vehicle, which was later damaged by the irate crowd.

    “The aggrieved customers maintained that they are customers of the micro-finance bank and that despite repeated efforts to withdraw their money in their savings accounts with the bank, no light was seen at the end of the tunnel.

    “Not long after, a meeting between the customers and the managing director was convened at De Dome event centre, New Haven, Enugu, where the bank boss tried to explain the difficulties faced by his bank over the payment of customers’ money.

    “This (the explanation) did not go down well with the aggrieved customers, who got violent and descended heavily on him before the intervention of the police operatives,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu, however, said the aggrieved customers were advised to be law-abiding and to seek redress by taking the lawful step to access their monies.

    “The managing director is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital,’’ he said at the time of writing this report. (NAN)

  • Monarch dies in accident

    Igwe Ezeugwu Ugwuoke of Agbamere clan in Eha-Alumona in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, died in auto crash on Tuesday.

    Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in Enugu State, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed this in a statement released in Enugu on Tuesday.

    He said the fatal accident happened on Tuesday at about 2.55 p.m., it involved a water tanker with registration number XA 405 ENU and one official traditional rulers’ car which claimed the life of an Enugu monarch.

    “There was a head on collision between his Hyundai Elantral car with registration number HRH 183 ENU and the said water tanker.

    “The royal father was coming from Odenigbo road to Total Round-about in Nsukka where he allegedly veered off his lane and reportedly collided with an on-coming water tanker.

    “He (the royal father) was rushed to Bishop Shanaham Hospital, Nsukka where he was confirmed dead by a doctor on duty’’, Amaraizu said.

    The statement said that the body of the royal father had been deposited in the same hospital’s mortuary.

    “The police have already started investigation into the accident,’’ it said. (NAN)

  • “Pay salaries before Christmas’’ – Gov. Ugwuanyi directs council chairmen

    “Pay salaries before Christmas’’ – Gov. Ugwuanyi directs council chairmen

    Governor. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed the chairmen of the 17 local government areas in the state to pay full salaries of their workers before Christmas.

    He gave the directive at the inauguration of the United Enugu Women for Gburugburu on Saturday in Enugu.

    The governor said the directive was in line with the premium his administration placed on the welfare of public servants.

    Ugwuanyi said that the achievements his administration had recorded so far were by providence and prudent management of the state’s lean resources.

    The governor thanked the women of the state for their support and continuous prayers for the success of the administration, describing them as “pathfinders’’ in the quest for good governance in the state.

    “In Enugu State, God is in charge of its affairs.

    “I am just a mere instrument in the hands of God for the progress of the state,’’ Ugwuanyi said.

    He, however, declared that “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state is one indivisible family’’.

    The governor also thanked all the members of PDP for what he called their “unprecedented support” to his administration.

    Earlier, the state co-coordinator of the organisation, Mrs Josephine Nwokedike, had disclosed that the body was established to “create political consciousness among the women of the state.

    The establishment, she added, was to ensure their active involvement in the scheme of things’’.

    In an address, the state Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, lauded Ugwuanyi for his immense respect and commitment toward the progress of Enugu women.

    Ezeilo described the governor as a “God-sent, visionary, humble and women-friendly governor’’.

    She commended the women for their contributions to the development of the state and called on them to show more commitment to the organisation’s noble objectives. (NAN)

  • Police confirm 1 dead, 11 unconscious in Enugu accident

    The Police in Enugu on Thursday said one person died and 11 others lost unconsciousness in an accident that occurred along the Ezeagu community axis of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the accident happened at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday.

    Amaraizu said that the police had yet to identify and contact the relations or friends of the victims.

    He appealed to members of the public to report to the police any missing person or someone that undertook a journey through the Onitsha-Enugu road that had not returned home.

    “The accident involved an empty luxurious bus and a mass transit company mini-bus loaded with passengers coming from Enugu.

    “It was gathered that both vehicles collided while plying one way which left one person in the mini-bus dead while eleven others are in critical condition.

    “Police intervention saw the conveyance of the injured persons to Ekochin Hospital 9th Mile Corner, Ngwo, near Enugu,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at Our Saviour Hospital Mortuary, 9th Mile Corner, Ngwo, near Enugu. (NAN)

  • Enugu, NLC mark 67 anniversary of Iva Valley massacre

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, asked Nigerians to stop being obsessed with Lamentations and despondency, but to rededicate themselves with commitment to mobilize, defend and protect the rights of Nigerians in order to attain Justice in the country.

    Speaking during the commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the Iva Valley massacre in Enugu, President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said it was unfortunate that the same issues workers fought for 67 years have remained unaddressed till date. He accused the political class in the country of working against the interest of the Nigerian workers who toiled hard to bring to reality the nation’s independence from colonial rule.

    Wabba said workers in the country had never received anything positive from the political class without fighting for it, adding that the contradiction between the political class and the working people has never been so acute in the country than it is presently. He said: “It is exactly sixty-seven years ago, on this very day, within this very hour, on this very soil, and in this country that workers were brutalized, maimed and massacred by the colonial police under the British Empire.

    “At the end of this unprecedented mayhem and bloodbath visited on the working class, 21 workers of the Enugu Coal Mines lay dead in a pool of their own blood and 51 others injured. They were callously mowed down for demanding better conditions of service in their workplace.

    “The Iva Valley massacre is symbolic given that the issues that led to agitation by the coal miners 67years ago are still very much with us today. The events that led to the massacre of workers in Iva Valley and the response of the ruling class to workers agitation for better working conditions have not changed from what they were in the colonial period.” Meanwhile, the NLC paid glowing tributes on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for prioritizing the welfare of workers in the state and ensuring that their wages are paid regularly.

    The workers spoke during a solidarity rally organized to commemorate the anniversary of the colonial government’s slaying of 21 workers who were agitating for better working conditions on November 18, 1949, at the Iva Valley Coal Mine, in Enugu. NLC’s head of Industrial Relations and Organizing department, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboajah, who represented the body’s national president, noted that it’s on account of this history that Enugu holds a special place in the annals of trade unionism in Nigeria.

    “It’s instructive that on the eve of our coming here to commemorate that shedding of blood for workers to be emancipated and have decent lives, Enugu State received solid accolades as one of three states that is regular in taking care of basic responsibilities like payment of salaries and sundry workers issues.

    “So it was refreshingly heartwarming for us that the labours of our heroes past are not in vain particularly in Enugu State,” he said, adding that it’s ironic that states that were better endowed are defaulting with regard to this obligation. He noted that having found the “magic wand” in the prudent management of resources and ensuring workers receive their due, the governor should endeavour to share same with colleagues at the national level because “injury to one is injury to all.” Governor Ugwuanyi, represented by the commissioner of labour and productivity Barrister Emeka Okeke, enjoined the workers to use the commemoration of the coal miners’ sacrifice made 67 years ago to work diligently to preserve and promote the ideals they fought for across the country