The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Solo Chukwulobelu

  • Anambra drivers protest unfair treatment

    Over 100 aggrieved vehicle owners in the fleet of Transport Company of Anambra State (TRACAS) on Wednesday protested alleged unfair treatment by management of the company.

    The protesters accused some top management of the company of displacing them from loading with a fleet of vehicles they introduced.

    Leader of the protesters, Kingsley Uche, alleged that they were compelled to pay N29, 000 for installation of speed limiting devices which, he said, was not installed in any vehicle since two years.

    “Recently, the managing director said she was bringing about 70 vehicles and we told her that already, we are finding it difficult to make two trips in a month and that adding more vehicles will put us out of job.

    “Eventually, she brought some vehicles and gave them preference that they load every day and those of us who have been sustaining the company no longer have the chance to carry passengers.

    According to Uche, some of the drivers could no longer provide for their families, yet they were expected to meet the terms of agreement.

    They carried placards with varying inscriptions including, “We tired of poor management in TRACAS”, “Gov. Willie Obiano help, “TRACAS was formed to alleviate poverty and not to increase poverty” among others.

    Reacting, the company’s General Manager, Dr. Ifeoma Madukasi said the protest was unjustifiable and unnecessary.

    Read Also: Anambra Poly unveils e-white boards

    She described the aggrieved drivers as ingrates and cog in the wheel to the development of the company.

    Madukasi further regretted that all the innovations, including the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement she introduced since last year she came on board had been resisted by the drivers,

    “If the truth be told, the recalcitrant LV drivers/owners have to leave TRACAS if the company must move forward, hence the PPP arrangement that will enable the company own its vehicles after about 18months,” she added.

    Earlier, the Secretary to Anambra Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, while receiving the protest letter from the group, described the transport sector as critical to the state’s economy, assuring that their grievances would be addressed.

     

  • Respite for NYSC as Obiano relocates Anambra office

    The Anambra State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Aremu Kehinde has expressed appreciation to the state governor, Willie Obiano for donating a new office complex to the organization.

    The Coordinator made the disclosure on Saturday during the swearing in ceremony of the 2018 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) Orientation course in Umunya, Oyi local council area of the state.

    He said the need for relocation of the office became expedient following the space congestion challenge, occasioned by steady expansion of the scheme since 27 years of its existence in the state.

    “The community town hall which had housed the scheme since 1991 the state was created was no longer accommodating us in view of the steady expansion of the administrative structure.

    “We made the complaint to the governor and after seeing reason for a more befitting structure, graciously donated a building complex to us,” he added.

    Read Also: ‘Obiano should resolve Nkwo market crisis’

    Kehinde who also lauded Obiano for being among the state governors that had been faithful in the payment of allowances of corps members, said the magnanimity was a demonstration of his passion for the youths in the state.

    He urged the corps members to reciprocate the gesture through their commitment and selfless service both to their host communities and to the state in general.

    Declaring the orientation course open, Governor Obiano challenged the corps members to take the service year seriously, saying the success of the programme depended on the foundation laid during the orientation camp.

    Obiano, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, urged them to take advantage of the training to equip themselves to become job creators and not seekers, pledging provision of enabling environment for maximum productivity.

    A total of 1261 and 746 corps members deployed to Anambra and Enugu states respectively, participated in the ceremony.

  • Obiano appoints SSG, media aide

    Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, who was sworn in Saturday for his second tenure, has re-appointed Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, as the Secretary to the State Government.

    A statement by Dr Daniel Ezeanwu, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government on Monday in Akwa, said Mr Primus Odili was also appointed as Chief of Staff to the Governor.

    Read Also: Obiano, sworn-in for second term in office

    According to the statement, other appointees are Mr Willie Nwokoye, who returned as Principal Secretary to the Governor, while Mr James Eze, who was Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, assumes the position of the Chief Press Secretary.

    It said the newly appointed officers would be inaugurated later in the day.

    NAN

     

  • Anambra executive council not sacked— commissioner

    Anambra executive council not sacked— commissioner

    Chief Tony Nnacheta, the Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy in Anambra, has dismissed the report that  Gov. Willie Obiano has sacked all his political appointees.

    Nnacheta made the clarification at a news conference in Awka on Thursday.

    He said the internal memo directing all commissioners and political appointees to prepare their handover notes and properties for submission to permanent secretaries and secretary to the state government was misinterpreted.
    The memo was signed by Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, the Secretary to the State Government and dated March 2.

    “His Excellency, Dr Willie Obiano, has directed that all political appointees and non-civil servants, heads of MDAs in the state submit their handover notes and reports on or before Friday, March 16, 2018, to the permanent secretaries of their respective MDAs.

    “All appointees, non-civil servants, heads of MDAs and SSAs/SAs under reference are to hand over any government projects/ utility vehicles in their custody to the permanent secretaries, secretary to the state government or to the office of the governor on or before 16th March 2018,”  Chukwulobelu wrote.

    Nnacheta said Obiano merely asked the political appointees that their handover notes be completed on or before March 16 when the tenure of the administration would end.

    He said the memo was in line with best practices and not a sack letter as purported in some reports.

    He urged those who published the erroneous and misleading report to re-cast their headlines and apologise to the state government.

    “The memo was done on March 2, that is; two weeks to the end of this administration, on that day the governor’s tenure ends and every political appointee’s tenure end as well.

    “From March 16, the government will be in the hands of senior civil servants until the governor is sworn in on March 17.

    Read Also: Anambra inaugurates monthly road walk for workers, residents

    “The memo says; hand over your notes and the project vehicles in your possession, so all political appointees in the state have two weeks to prepare and hand over these things.
    “So, Anambra State Executive Council has not been sacked, not been dissolved and has not been removed, you do not issue a man letter and tell him you are sacked in two weeks.

    “Some media houses which did not deem it fit to confirm ran that story to the embarrassment of Anambra Government and the good people of the state.

    “Next week another EXCO meeting would be convened and that will be the valedictory session and EXCO will eventually stand dissolved on March 16,” he said

    The commissioner said the handover ceremony which would hold on March 17 would be low-key and urged Anambra people to come out en masse at Alex Ekwueme Square and celebrate the success of the Obiano administration.

    NAN

  • Ozubulu church re-opens a week after gunmen attack

    Ozubulu church re-opens a week after gunmen attack

    Normal church services were held at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra, a week after gunmen killed  worshipers during early morning service.

    The church was sealed after Aug. 6 massacre which claimed 11 people and 18 others sustaining various degrees of injury.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who attended the church service, reports that there was an initial low turn-out of parishioners but the attendance later picked up.

    NAN reports that the service was attended  by officials of the state government led by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu.

    Also, present at the Mass was Aloysius Ikegwuonu, popularly called ‘Bishop” and one of the chieftains of the village, who was alleged to have been the target of the Aug 6 attack.

    IIkegwuonu, who lost his father in the attack, refused to talk to newsmen, but one of his aides said his principal would talk at appropriate time.

    Security operatives were seen in and around the church wielding arms.

    In his homily, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, the Parish Priest, encouraged parishioners not to be deterred by Aug 6 attack, adding that “God is still on the throne”.

    Ownuaso said that the slain parishioners were at the right hand of the Almighty.

    Some Parishioners told NAN that many of them were yet to overcome the shock of the invasion.

    Mr Jude Okoye, a parishioner, said he forced himself to attend church service because of his deep religious understanding that a Christian believer must experience persecution to make to heaven.

    NAN recalled that a delegation of the federal government led by Minister Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, visited the place on Saturday Aug.12 to condole with the state.