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Tag: Imo State

  • Imo guber: we’ve made alarming discoveries – Nwosu

    The Imo State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the just concluded election,  Uche Nwosu on Thursday described the level of irregularities uncovered in some Local Government Areas during the governorship election as alarming.

    He noted particularly that what transpired in the four Council Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, Ezinihitte and Ngor-Okpala was unhealthy for the nation’s democracy.

    Nwosu who recently got the nod of the Tribunal to inspect election materials, stated that he is confident that he will reclaim his “stolen mandate”.

    According to him, “My mandate will be reclaimed,  Emeka Ihedioha never won the election,  we have gotten the leave of the Tribunal to inspect the sensitive materials used for the election and what we saw is alarming and a lot has been revealed, the illegitimate declaration will soon be reversed.

    Read Also: I’m leaving behind a viable, secured Imo – Okorocha

    “If you subtract the bogus votes the PDP candidate allocated to himself in the three Mbaise LGAs and Ngor-Okpala you will notice that I actually won the election but Ii have faith that the Tribunal will do the right thing and annul that election”.

    Nwosu also blamed the irregularities on the ad-hoc Staff, especially the University Professors and lecturers who he said compromised the governorship election.

    He called for a review of the use of these academia in subsequent elections, describing their alleged complicity on electoral fraud as a huge threat to the nation’s democracy.

    According to him, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha never won the election, as according to him, he never met the constitutional requirements to be declared governor-elect.

     

     

  • ‘Ihedioha should deliver on campaign promises’

    A support group for good governance in Imo State has called on the Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, to deliver on his campaign promises.

    The group staged a peaceful protest in Owerri, yesterday, to thank the people for voting for a new government.

    Edet Ekwe, Bolton Igboanugo, Jerome Nnadozie and Basil Okeoma, who spoke for the group, admonished Ihedioha to prioritise efforts that would address the people’s yearnings.

    The group noted that Ihedioha’s victory was one for the entire Imo people and would chart the way forward for the state.

    Read also: Tribunal orders substituted service on Ihedioha, PDP

    They were satisfied with the outcome of the general elections, stressing that under the incoming government, standard social infrastructures, quality health care, effective security, people-oriented policies, among others would be achieved.

    Igboanugo said: “It is our expectations that Ihedioha will deliver on his campaign promises. We trust him based on his antecedents and pray that he will do well to address the immediate needs and yearnings of the people.

    Ekwe added: “We decided to come out today having seen the massive support given to Ihedioha in the last election, to say thank you to the people.

    “Equally, we want to assure them that Ihedioha we know will not disappoint.”

  • Flights resume at Imo Airport after fire

    Flight operations have resumed at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State, after a fire outbreak that razed part of the arrival terminal.

    When The Nation visited the airport yesterday, passengers were queuing to get their boarding pass, though the number of passengers was minimal compared to what it used to be before the fire.

    It was also gathered that the executive lounge of the airport was completely razed and has been cordoned off.

    The Airport Manager, Mrs. Rejoice Ndudinachi, said the cause of the inferno was yet to be ascertained as investigation was still on.

    Read Also: Robbers raid Imo Airport, cart away cash

    According to her, flight operations have fully resumed and the fire didn’t affect any critical infrastructure or equipment.

    She said: “We are following Airport contingency plans to make sure that flight operations resume, and it has resumed. We are sorry for what happened; there was no casualty; the fire department was able to contain the inferno.”

    Governor Rochas Okorocha and Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, during separate visits to the airport, praised the management for the proactive measures taken to avert what a major disaster.

  • Fire guts arrival terminal of Imo airport

    Passengers and workers at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Imo State, were thrown into panic yesterday afternoon after fire broke out at the arrival section.

    The cause of the fire was still unknown as at last night. Sources said the arrival hall, which was being renovated, was completely razed.

    It was gathered that the fire started about 2pm and raged for about one hour. It took men of the Fire service and airport workers to quell the fire.

    The source said: “It was a mysterious fire. It happened at the arrival department of the airport where renovation work was being done.

    “It would have caused a bigger havoc but for the arrival of men of the fire service. It started about 2:10pm and raged for 50 minutes. The fire damaged equipment and infrastructure but the rescue workers helped to salvage the situation.”

    Read also: Osinbajo: govt to partner investors on IPP, airports concessioning  

    Police spokesperson Orlando Ikeokwu said he has not being officially briefed.

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which confirmed the fire, said some parts of the terminal building were affected.

    According to the spokesperson, , the incident happened about 1400hours.

    She said the fire was however curtailed by officers of the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services Department of FAAN. There were no casualty and normal operations has since resumed at the airport.

    Mrs. Yakubu added that preliminary investigations into the cause of the incident has begun.

     

  • Imo governor-elect bans issuance of land titles, CofO

    Imo State Governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha has directed civil servants, especially those serving at the Ministry of Lands, to stop the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) and other land titles forthwith.

    A statement by his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, reads: “After a study of the report submitted to him on land matters, the Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, has issued the following directives

    -all further processing, issuance, execution and collection of Certificates of Occupancy, in respect of land within the Owerri Capital Territory, are hereby suspended and put on hold forthwith.

    Read also: Fire guts arrival terminal of Imo airport

    -civil servants, public servants, special aides and government officials whose duties concerns land matters, including, but not limited to the Registry of Deeds, allocation of State Land, processing, issuance, execution and delivery or release of Certificates of Occupancy, are to be guided and strictly comply with the above directive.

    “Any person found wanting in these directives, would have himself or herself to blame.”

  • I’m leaving behind a viable, secured Imo – Okorocha

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha of says he is leaving behind a viable and secured state.

    Okorocha said this when he received the New Commander, 34 Field Artillery Brigade of Nigerian Army, Obinze, Brig.-Gen. Yusuf Tukura who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House Owerri, on Monday.

    According to Okorocha, his administration in the state from 2011 to 2019 saw to the disappearance of vices such as kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killings, baby factories and militancy.

    He added he would not be happy to hear that these crimes are back in the state after leaving office.

    The governor also explained that he would be going to the senate to pursue the policy of free education so that children of the poorest in the society would have hope of survival in Nigeria.

    He also promised to rebuild what he described as the political bridge that would link the South-East with the rest of Nigeria.

    “We have enjoyed a very good working relationship with all the past army commanders and we are hopeful it will continue.

    “I will use the opportunity in the senate to rebuild the political bridge that has linked the South East with the rest of Nigeria.

    Read also: Why I want to go to Senate, by Okorocha

    “The political bridge is somehow faulty and it is dutifully incumbent on me to rebuild it so that Igbo people will play a recognised role in the politics of Nigeria. I will also promote the course of ordinary Nigerians,’’ he said.

    Tukura said the visit is to inform the governor that he has assumed the command of the brigade, and to familiarise himself with him.

    He added that he was in the state in 2011 and he is back in 2019, while commending the governor for the transformation that has taken place in the state between 2011 and 2019.(NAN)

     

  • Why I want to go to Senate, by Okorocha

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, Monday gave hint why he wants to go to National Assembly as Senator representing Imo West Senatorial zone.

    He said he wants to build a strong political bridge between the Southeast and other geopolitical zones of the country.

    The governor also hinted that he would pursue the policy of Free Education at the National Assembly “so that the children of the poorest in the society would have hope of survival in Nigeria”.

    According to him, “I also want to use the opportunity in the Senate to rebuild the Political Bridge that has linked the South East with the rest of Nigerians. The Political Bridge is somehow faulty and it is dutifully incumbent on me to rebuild this bridge so that Igbos will play a recognized role in the Politics of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

    He continued that “I am going to the Senate top promote the course of ordinary Nigerians. These are some of the things I am going to the Senate to do. Otherwise, I have no business there”.

    Okorocha who spoke when he received the new Commander, 34 Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) Obinze Brigadier-General Yusuf Tukura when he came on Courtesy Call at the Government House Owerri, also disclosed that he is leaving behind a viable and secured State.

    He said  that his administration in the State from 2011 to 2019 saw the disappearance of kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killings, baby factories, militancy and other organized crimes in the State, adding that he would not be happy to hear that these crimes are back to the State when he has left.

    Read Also: Buhari, Okorocha meet in Aso Rock

    He said “We have enjoyed a very good working relationship with all the past Army Commanders and we are hopeful it will continue. Imo is a peaceful State. It was made peaceful through the efforts of the rescue mission government, in partnership with other Security Agencies in the State.

    “The transformation you have seen in Imo State eight years down the line is as a result of Sacrifice. A leader who does not make sacrifices has no business with leadership. What you are seeing in Imo is a product of sacrifice. Sacrifice of self, Sacrifice of Comfort and personality, denial of yourself who you are, that you might serve your people well”.

    He continued, “I will advise you Brigadier general to set a target for yourself on what you want to achieve in Imo State as the Commander in the State. You have brought us message of peace and so we want you to maintain peace and tranquility. You should serve Imo people as your own home. Today you are in Igbo land as a Brigade Commander so you are automatically an Igbo man now; it is the attitude that will guarantee peace in Nigeria”.

    Earlier in his speech, the Army Commander, said he had come on the courtesy call to inform the governor that he has assumed the Command of the Brigade, and to familiarize himself with the governor.

    He informed that he was here in 2011 and is back to the State in 2019 and commended the governor for the transformation that has taken place in the State between 2011 and 2019.

  • Parting gift for Imo pupils

    The Rochas Okorocha administration in Imo State, now serving out its last tenure, has given pupils in the state something to remember it for, reports OKODILI NDIDI

    There has never been a time like this for pupils in Imo State, with brand new school bags and a stipend of N500.

    Some hung the bag on their shoulders; others carried them on their heads out of sheer ecstasy. The effect was spontaneous as it was merry.

    The speed with which they discarded their weather beaten schoolbags showed how much they have been longing for something dignifying. The moment can only be described as a dream come true for the pupils, thanks to the Imo State government, which identified one of the needs of the pupils.

    Before the programme, which saw the wife of the governor, Nneoma Rochas Okorocha, distributing over 30,000 schoolbags across public schools in the state, some of the indigent pupils carried their books and other stationery to school in polythene bags.

    But not anymore, the pupils are not only owners of brand new school bags but are also five hundred naira richer.

    The sparkle in the big white eyes and the unpretentious grin spoke volumes of the deep seated gratitude in their hearts. This, the governor’s wife said, is her way of putting a smile on the faces of the indigent pupils.

    From one public school to another, the governor’s wife’s train went with the load of gifts and the reaction of the pupils were the same: they were overwhelmed with joy.

    Speaking on what influenced her decision to embark of the project, Mrs. Okorocha stated that the love and concern for the indigent pupils motivated the state government to get the bags for the pupils whose parents cannot readily afford the schoolbags.

    The gesture did not end at the school bag and pocket money, the state government has also released a whooping N7.5 billion for the renovation of all public schools in the state.

    Speaking at the flag-off ceremony earlier, the governor stated that the gift was to inspire the pupils and to prove his administration’s love for education.

    He said, “I have just come to dramatise our love for education. Education is our number one industry and the best gift you can give to a child is education. And today we can see that the free education has done well in Imo State. The programme can be adjudged successful from all indications. I am grateful to all the teachers for keeping the flag of free education flying.

    “You may recall that seven years ago when I was elected your governor, my first pronouncement was that education should be free so that the children of the less privileged can go to school.  I started with that by giving free education, and also giving stipends, uniforms, sandals, desks, chairs”.

    He continued “Today as I exit in a very short time as your governor I want to conclude with education. All those who have played a very vital role in keeping this light on, I salute you and I commend all of you. As I speak now, I want to announce to you that my parting gift to the people of Imo State in the Education Sector is the immediate release of N7.5billion for the renovation of all the secondary and primary schools in Imo State.

    ”In addition, I will release immediately the sum of N1million for the children in each of the primary and secondary schools in the State for their pocket money. Every child in Primary and Secondary Schools must also get the new bag already being distributed”.

    The governor also added that “for those of you who have done well in their schools, the best overall student in every School will have a letter from the governor plus N10,000. And the best in Primary School in all the Schools will also get the sum of N10,000. Your teachers who have been teaching you, making sacrifices and making sure you are educated, I hereby approve N10,000 for each of the teachers in both Secondary and Primary Schools of Imo State.”

    Read also: The Rochas Okorocha I know

    He stated further that “for those students that have the power of communication and oratory, they will have automatic tickets to the United States of America on holidays. I do this in Rochas Foundation Colleges every year where the best students go to America for holidays. I want to introduce it to Imo State before I leave. So the first set of best students will have to travel before I leave office”.

    Meanwhile, reacting to the gift, a head teacher in one of the primary schools, Mrs Adeline Okoroafor, lauded the initiative, adding that it will motivate the pupils to work hard.

    According to her, “it is not just about the school bag but the mere fact that it was coming from the state government will give the pupils a great sense of belonging. It goes a long way to prove that they have not been forgotten and this will motivate them to be serious with the books as a way of showing appreciation to the government”.

    Another teacher, Mrs. Beatrice Ukandu, stated that, “it is not just about the bag because many parents can afford to buy for their children and wards but it is about the motivation, I can tell you that the pupils have been feeling very important and this will affect their sense of perception positively. If you see the way they are displaying it, you can then imagine the amount of joy in their hearts”.

    One of the pupils, Master Nwachukwu Emmanuel, of Central School Owerri, thanked the state government for the gesture, stating that, “we are happy for the gift and money and I want to thank the governor. The bag is beautiful and better than my former bag and I will study harder to show my appreciation”.

  • Child needs N12m for heart surgery

    The arrival of their twin daughters brought joy to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Nwaugha. Now, that joy is threatened as one of the babies has been diagnosed with a heart disease.

    Nwaugha hails from Ngor Okpuala in Imo State but lives with his family in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

    While the Nwaughas were basking in the euphoria of the babies’ arrival, the sad news came. One of the twins was diagnosed with a life-threatening ailment.

    According to a medical report, made available to our reporter by Mr. Nwaugha, the baby is diagnosed with a hole in the heart that needs urgent operation if the child would be alive to celebrate her first birthday.

    Nwaugha who is a federal civil servant has exhausted his money and needs the help of well-meaning Abians and Nigerians to come to the rescue of their family.

    Speaking to our reporter, Mr. Nwaugha who spoke amidst intermittent cries, said, “I am from Ngo Okpuala in Imo State.

    I live at No. 16, Road K, World Bank Housing Estate in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. I am a civil servant with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Calabar, Cross River State and I work in the accounts department.

    “One of my twin babies became sick after their delivery on October 26, 2018. They were delivered through CS (Caesarean Section). When we were still at the hospital after their delivery, the doctor who came to check on them noticed that one of the twins was breathing fast and hard.

    “In the two months that we spent at the hospital for close monitoring of the children, we were sent for scan from Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia to University Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. It was found out that the baby has a very big hole in the heart.

    “They said that the operation will not be carried out in Nigeria. They said it can be operated in India, USA and another country that I cannot remember.

    “They don’t have the machine in Umuahia to scan a baby of two months. But in UNTH, they have the machine which enables one to see the heart of the baby and the hole on the screen. We saw everything through the scan. It was through the scan that I started imagining what my baby was going through.

    “Before the arrival of the twins, I already had three children; a boy and two girls. The last of them is about five years.

    “At the moment, it takes a lot of things including money to ensure that this baby stays alive daily. It hasn’t been easy, from sleeping at the hospital to taking care of other kids at home and combining them with my work. We stayed in hospital for about two months while they were monitoring the babies.

    “We were later discharged after it was established that one of the babies has a hole in the heart. We were however asked to be coming to the hospital every Tuesday in the week to check the baby and to get drugs. The baby is eating well, but the major challenge is her breathing; her breathing is so bad that you can’t even sleep with her.

    “Taking care of the two kids and their siblings has not been an easy thing. Immediately I receive my salary, it goes into taking care of the medical bills and meeting some of the needs of their siblings.

    “My sister and boss in the office have been assisting me financially whenever I run to them. I sometimes go to get loan from my bank (Access). When the month ends, they go to remittal to collect it. Sometimes, I take salary advance to buy their milk and pampers and when they pay salaries, the bank, like I said, will take whatever that I borrowed and leave the balance for me. That has been the way we have been managing all these while.

    “We got to know about the treatment in India through the doctor that has been taking care of the baby. What is holding us back is the money that we will use to pay the baby’s hospital bills and cover other logistics.

    Read also: Day Corona tackled child’s mental health, depression

    “The doctors in Enugu and Umuahia said that it may cost us about N10m-N12m to cover our medical and flight expenses. We have already made contacts with about two or three hospitals in India, but we can no longer go further since we don’t have the capital to push further the matter.

    “That is why we are making this appeal to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and wife including other governors of the Southeast and philanthropists to please come to our help. This is a crucial time for our family. We need their help and cannot just sit and watch our child; Victory Chinwendu die helplessly. She deserves to live and we will go to any extent legally possibly to ensure that we get this matter solved.

    “I have equally been trying to reach the likes Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation, but all efforts seem to be futile.”

    The account number to make the donations is Fidelity Bank 5332205142 Nwugha Christopher O.

  • Squeezing APC out of Imo State

    AFTER the change of baton on May 29, 2019, Imo State is unlikely to remember with any amount of fondness that the All Progressives Congress (APC) once dominated the state’s political space for eight years. The outgoing governor, the self-willed and immodest Rochas Okorocha, contributed substantially to this sorry situation. It is not just because his preferred candidate, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA), lost the governorship election, or because the APC at the state and national levels resisted his attempt to foist dynastic rule upon a people so ardently republican, or yet because he and the rump APC he so casually abandoned to its fate in the heat of the primaries split the so-called progressives vote. Yes, all these factors played some role in handing victory to the Peoples Democratic Party’s Emeka Ihedioha. But more significantly, the APC may be forgotten because it was unable to grab a toehold in the State House of Assembly, a small patch that might have afforded the party the opportunity to rebuild.

    Now, thanks to Mr Okorocha’s imprudent politics and imperious carriage, the entire Southeast can no longer boast of the substantial presence of the APC, not to talk of the party occupying any of the zone’s five Government Houses. Mr Okorocha may continue to claim victory in the senatorial election he fought very recklessly to win, but there is nothing to suggest that even if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gets round to issuing him a certificate of return, which they have so far withheld, he could retain that seat for much longer on account of the irregularities both INEC officials and his opponent in that race are determined to bring before the courts. Mr Okorocha is glib; he will hope to talk himself out of the sticky jam his poll win has brought him.

    Out of the 27 seats in the Imo House of Assembly, the PDP, who are winners of the governorship poll, took a sizeable 13. The AA, which ferried Mr Nwosu piggyback into defeat, corralled some eight seats; and the sentimental darling of the Southeast, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), snatched six seats. The APC’s governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma, could not help his party to win any seat, indicating how perilously the APC had fallen out of favour. Whether this disfavour was caused by Mr Okorocha’s reproachable style, or sometimes uncouthness, or his disloyalty to the party on whose pedestal he fought for his senate seat and claimed to have won, is not entirely clear at the moment.

    Mr Okorocha of course refuses to claim responsibility for the APC’s obliteration. Instead, he blames the APC’s national executives, particularly the party’s chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, whom he accused of being tyrannical and meddlesome. The APC chairman naturally denies responsibility, alleging that the governor’s style and methods are chiefly to blame for the catastrophe. What is, however, clear is that Mr Okorocha unwisely burnt his bridges, practiced scorched-earth politics, and exposed his party to the electoral inclemency and trouncing it justifiably received at the hands of its enemies in the state, many of whom disdained, and still disdain, the party as a pariah in the region. However, no one should absolve the party at the national level of a share in the blame. Their inability to deftly manage the obstreperousness of the Imo governor, and their quarrelsome and incautious approach to conflict resolution, not to talk of the intransigence of Mr Oshiomhole himself, virtually doomed all reconciliation efforts and doomed the party itself.

    Can the APC rebuild in that hostile political environment? It is doubtful. The party is not really loved, and has never pretended, especially under the suzerainty of President Muhammadu Buhari, to play inclusive politics. For the next four years, the president will probably merely gesture at the region, and will not feel under any obligation to embark on any rapprochement. Mr Okorocha himself has exhausted all the goodwill he got when he first practiced his sorcery on the state and mesmerised the booboisie with his inimitable bombast. In short, the APC in Imo State, and perhaps in the entire Southeast, will be an orphan. Except the party at the national level can once again summon its ruthless streak to cajole one of the zone’s governors to defect to the APC through the hostile and oppressive deployment of state security resources, including using the secret service, there may be no hope of life for the party in the zone in the foreseeable future.