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Tag: Ogbuagu Anikwe

  • We never abandoned Chukwu, says Enugu govt

    Irked by the spate of negative publicity the illness of Former Rangers and National team captain has attracted to the state, the Enugu state government has come out with a strong worded statement insisting that it has not abandoned the football legend to his fate.

    In a statement by the state commissioner for information, Ogbuagu Anikwe, it squarely put the blame on Chukwu’s friend who posted on Facebook with the impression that Chukwu was being neglected by the state government.

    Ogbuagu in the statement outlined the efforts the Enugu state government had put to ensure that the football icon got the best of treatment and care regarding his illness.

    The statement posited:

    “The Enugu State Government has so far been restrained in its reaction to the spate of misinformation and outright lies promoted by a friend of the iconic Enugu Rangers player, Mr. Christian Chukwu who is ill and has been hospitalised. This restraint is out of respect to the wishes of both the Chukwu family and the request of his doctors who wanted a space to quietly deal with the emergency situation that brought Chukwu to hospital on a stretcher.

    Today, however, Chairman Chukwu is walking with a stick and has granted interviews to the BBC and a couple of local media. It is on the strength of this that the Enugu State Government is now putting out the following information and clarifications to explain what is happening to Christian Chukwu and how it is being taken care of:

    “Christian Chukwu, popularly called “Chairman” in his playing days, is NOT a destitute old man abandoned to his fate in the face of an emergency health situation. He is currently the Director of Sports in the Rangers Management Corporation, a public service job that enables him to meet his basic health needs.

    Read Also: Chukwu was not abandoned, says Rangers

    “In the circumstance, Christian Chukwu is an employee of the Enugu State Government. This was one of the strategies that Rt. Hon. Dr. Ugwuanyi, the Governor of Chukwu’s home state of Enugu, designed to take care of sportsmen who had served the State or the nation in their youth.

    “When Chukwu’s health situation was brought to the attention of his employer – Rangers Management Corporation – he was rushed to one of the best medical facilities in Enugu where a team of five (5) specialists have been attending to him.

    “The management of Rangers Management Corporation immediately deposited N200,000 with this health facility to begin his treatment.

    “On hearing about his health condition, Gov. Ugwuanyi gave an additional N1.5million to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports to give to the family — in order to ensure that the football legend did not lack anything that the team of specialists may require to manage his condition.

    “The Governor has also given an additional N1million to the family when the doctors

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  • Enugu increases NYSC members’ allowance

    Enugu increases NYSC members’ allowance

    Enugu State Government has announced increase in the allowance for National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) members serving in primary healthcare facilities in rural areas in the state.

    The Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe, announced this in Enugu on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.

    Anikwe said that medical doctors serving in hospitals in rural areas would henceforth receive N30, 000 monthly from the state government as against N3, 800 being given to them currently.

    Similarly, he said, pharmacists, nurses, radiographers, laboratory scientists and statisticians would receive a monthly stipend of N20, 000.

    He announced that the government also planned to review the service condition and welfare of other set of corps members in the state.

    The commissioner explained that the increase in allowances of the corps members serving in health facilities was to further ensure that health services were taken close to rural dwellers.

    “The government has approved that each corps member selected to work as a medical doctor in government hospital in the rural areas will get a monthly stipend of N30, 000.

    “All of these will cost the government extra N31.2 million per annum but it is an expense that is worth it. It is to ensure that health facilities are available at the door steps of our people,” he said.

    Anikwe said that the government noted the challenges of getting medical personnel to work health facilities in rural communities and decided on the incentive.

    According to him, the council decided that one sure way to solve the problem is to get health personnel from the NYSC who will be encouraged with an increased stipend.

    The commissioner said that the state government had invested much in rural communities and would want such facilities to have direct impact on the inhabitants.

    “Before now, Enugu had a peculiar problem because the state was paying a certain amount as allowance and it led to an influx of youth corps members from all over the country, wanting to serve here.

    “It then became impossible for the state government to continue to sustain that stipend because we are not out of the woods yet.

    “So, we are not unmindful of what to do for corps members but everything we are doing, we check our purse.

    “I am sure that as the finances of the state government improves, we will come to a point where everybody is given an allowance that enables them cope with the condition of life in the country,” he said.

    Anikwe said that the government was first looking at very critical sectors, adding that others would follow soon.

    He said that the governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was passionate about making residents of the state competitive and healthy “and that is why his economic blueprint traversed the entire state”.

    Also, Commissioner for Works, Mr Greg Nnaji, said that the state government had approved the renovation and upgrade of eight district hospitals across the state.

    Nnaji said that the gesture was to reduce the pressure on secondary health facilities in the state and to ensure that residents did not have to travel to the state capital for medical attention.

    He said that such hospitals and clinics would now wear new looks while modern health equipment would be installed in them.

    All youth corps members posted to rural communities of the state are paid monthly stipend of N3, 800 each.

    NAN

  • Enugu to install 24-hour solar power in 45 police divisions

    Enugu to install 24-hour solar power in 45 police divisions

    The Enugu State Executive Council has approved the installation of 24-hour solar technology to power the 45 Divisional Police Stations in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the council’s meeting that held on Tuesday night.

    Anikwe said the gesture was meant to assist the police to overcome the perennial difficulties their officers faced especially at night when power supply from the public source was interrupted.

    He said government observed the difficulties being faced by those who reported cases at night, especially when there was power outage.

    “The Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Ministerial Affairs, Mrs Mabel Agbo, reported the difficulties the police and citizens who come to report cases in the night were facing.

    “They do not usually find it easy writing their statements in the dark with poor illumination. They usually resort to the use of telephone torches whenever there is power failure.

    Read also: Police personnel to participate in fitness exercise in Enugu

    “Most police officers on night duty find it difficult to recharge their phones and other essential working gadgets due to poor supply of electricity,” he said.

    Anikwe said two types of power lighting systems were approved for each of the 45 police stations in the state.

    He said simple but steady solar power supply units would be installed in reception and charge rooms which would be used for illumination, charging of phones, and for powering other essential working tools.

    He also said solar-powered street lamps would also be installed within the premises and precincts of each of the divisional offices to help to monitor movement into and out of such precincts.

    The commissioner said the installation of the internal lighting system in the offices would cost a little below N3.6 million, while the outside one was still being worked out.

    He said the project would start in the first quarter of 2018.

    NAN

  • Public servants on surveillance over corruption – Enugu govt

    Public servants on surveillance over corruption – Enugu govt

    Enugu State Government said on Saturday public servants in the state are under surveillance due to high level corruption in the service.

    Therefore, the State Executive Council had vowed to dismiss and prosecute corrupt workers in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, stated this in Enugu while briefing journalists on the outcome of the council meeting held on Friday evening.

    Anikwe said the council took the decision frauds were unearthed among workers in the Post Primary School Education Management Board (PPSMB).

    “Government through its anti- corruption measures has discovered another set of fraud relating to issues of ghost workers in PPSMB.

    “The Chairman of the board, Mr. Nestor Ezeme, had three months ago obtained the leave of the council to pay salaries directly to workers after which he had a leftover of N7 million in the first month.

    “He thought it was an oversight and that those not paid would come to claim the sum but it continued for three months,” the commissioner said.

    He said the unclaimed N21 million saved in the last three months had been returned to the state treasury.

    NAN

     

  • Ugwuanyi sacks three commissioners

    Ugwuanyi sacks three commissioners

    Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has dropped three commissioners in a minor cabinet reshuffle announced on Thursday.

    Those affected were commissioners for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, Youth and Sport, Mr Charles Ndukwe and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr Smart Ogbe.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Uwakwe Abugu confirmed the development to Government House Correspondents in Enugu.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two commissioner nominees earlier screened by the state House of Assembly were sworn-in during the State Executive Council meeting.

    Those sworn-in are Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe, a veteran journalist who takes charge of the Information Ministry while Joseph Udedi was posted to Ministry of Youth and Sport.

    Until his appointment, Anikwe was the Chairman, Editorial Board of Business Day Newspapers and had worked at various times with the Guardian and Daily Times newspapers.

    NAN reports also that the third commissioner nominee also cleared by the assembly, Mr Donatus Ani, was absent during the event.

    According to Abugu, the change is the first step by the governor to reshape his cabinet for effective delivery of good governance to the people.