The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sunny Nwankwo

  • Ikpeazu’s stand on plastics

    Abia State on Tuesday, June 5 joined the rest of the world to mark Environment Day. Sunny Nwankwo writes about the position of Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who was at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike to mark the 2018 edition of the day. The report.

    Plastic are destroying the world slowly, environment-alists have been warning. They are blocking drains in cities, killing sea creatures, even birds, and endangering the entire world.

    That is what informed the growing campaign to limit the use, or check the misuse, of plastics by recycling or safely disposing of them.

    On June 5, the world marked Environment Day, and joining the global event was Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, a biochemist and former waste manager.

    Ikpeazu called for legislation against use of plastics for packaging and storage, saying it will help to check polluting the environment with plastics.

    Governor Ikpeazu spoke at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) during the 2018 World Environment Day titled: “Beat Plastic Pollution, If you can’t, re-use it, refuse it.”

    He said, “The only way forward is to opt for a refusal of the plastics option. Let us legislate against its use for packaging and storage. There are more sustainable and environmentally friendly options. Plastic is an extraneous substance to the environment. It is not naturally occurring and is largely derived from the polymerisation of ethylene.

    “Therefore the chemical structure of plastic renders them resistant to most biodegradation processes. Indicating that they can be retained in the physical as well as biological system for longer period of time. Hence it’s accumulation which constitutes pollution to the environment.”

    He identified a high level of plastics production for storage, packaging transportation and slow degradation processes as major factors that lead to increased levels of plastics in environment.

    He said. “Whereas it is possible to control the method of plastics handling in the developed world, in Africa and indeed Nigeria, more plastics are burnt and the rest are left to block drainages, leading to flooding and utter pollution of our waterways.

    “The implication of handling plastics is far-reaching. If they are allowed into the sea, it takes a long time to degrade. The marine conservancy has predicted that foam will take 50 years to decompose while plastic beverage holder will take 400 years. A disposable napkin will take 450 years while fishing line will take 600 years.

    “Unfortunately, a by-product of this degradation is byphenol which also has profound deleterious impact on aquatic life, as well as consequences for human organs that encounter it.”

    In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Francis Otunta thanked the Governor for making time out of his busy schedule to visit the University and to come and deliver the lecture on plastic pollution in the environment.

    The Governor was accompanied to the University by his Commissioner for Education, Prof Ikechi Mgbeoji, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Aham Uko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Uzo Azubuike and Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Dr Uchenna Onyeizu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment and Climate Change, among other top government functionaries.

  • Days of hardship will soon be over – Oyegun to Nigerians

    Days of hardship will soon be over – Oyegun to Nigerians

    The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), chief John-Odigie Oyegun has assured Nigerians that the days of hardship is coming to an end.

    Oyegun stated this on Tuesday at the Umuahia Township Stadium during a mega rally organized in Abia State by the leadership of the party in the state.

    Oyegun while admitting that there is hunger in the country, promised Abians and Nigerians in general that President Buhari is having sleepless nights thinking about how he can improve the economy and better the lots of Nigerians.

    The APC chairman who expressed joy that the APC led government at the federal level since it took over power from the PDP is returning the country to the path of economic growth through various economic and developmental policies that the present government has initiated.

    According to Oyegun, President Buhari has been able to remain unshaken and resolute in delivering the dividend of democracy to Nigerians despite the criticisms from the PDP that he accused of ruining the economy of the country in their 16years of governance of the country.

    Lamenting that Nigeria was among the few African countries without railway system, Oyegun stated that he was happy that the President has changed the narrative with the massive standard gauge railway system being built by the incumbent administration to connect other parts of the country.

    The APC national chairman who was overwhelmed with the support the party has been able to receive in the state and the mammoth crowd that attended the event promised to relay to the president the message from the people of Abia State urging him (Buhari) to run for a second term.

    In his remarks, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha thanked Abians for accepting to embrace the message of change being preached by the party and expressed optimism that the party come 2019 would produce governors in Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States respectively.

    Okorocha who asked Igbos to be careful not to make the mistake they (Igbos) made in 2015, urged them to shun regional politics if they must be in the mainstream and benefit from it.

    Earlier in his opening speech, the chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa recalled how difficult it was for the party to find its footing at the formative stage in the state, but stated that the population and array of political bigwigs in the party show that the members of the State Working Committee have been able to do their work perfectly.

    Nwankpa stated that they were not going to relax on their oasis, but to work harder in ensuring that the party produces the next governor of the state in 2019.

    Speaking on behalf of the people that were received into the party, a governorship aspirant of the PDP in 2015, Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah urged the southeasterners to ensure that they throw their weights behind the Buhari’s administration and reelection in 2019, stating that APC is the party to beat in 2019 in the state.

  • 12year-old gets N2m bail over role in trafficking of stepbrothers

    12year-old gets N2m bail over role in trafficking of stepbrothers

    A minor, 12year-old Miss Chiamaka Chinweolu and a native of Abala in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State has been slammed with N2million bail by the State Chief Judge Hon. Justice Theresa Uzokwe over her role in the kidnapping and trafficking of her stepbrothers.

    Uzokwe making the pronouncement at the Aba Prisons when she was at the facility to perform a statutory jail delivery activity also said that Miss Chinweolu’s surety with a verifiable address would deposit a like sum and a passport.

    The CJ who urged the Department for Public Prosecution (DPP) to ensure that nothing truncates the trial of Chinweolu and other suspects after information got to her that the family was planning out of court settlement over a matter she described as an act of wickedness by people that were supposed to be protecting their half brothers.

    She, however, directed that the minor be kept at the Port Harcourt Reformative Home until the bail condition was met since there wasn’t any facility of such in Abia State to keep her.

    The Nation learnt that Chinweolu’s brother identified as Chibuike who is also a minor got a similar bail condition at the Umuahia Prisons when the Abia CJ had gone to the facility to perform a similar function.

    The investigation by our reporter reveals that around the second quarter of 2017, Chinweolu’s elder sister identified as Queen Friday (who is in prison custody) and Chibuike purportedly kidnapped and sold their step-brothers within the age brackets of 2 and 3years respectively to unknown persons.

    Information has it that one of the children (3years) was miraculously found while wandering around Omoba in Isiala Ngwa, while the younger brother is still missing at the time of filing this report.

    Chiamaka who cried throughout the jail delivery exercise denied having knowledge that her elder sister was planning to sell their step-brothers.

    Hon. Uzokwe who at the jail delivery also granted N500, 000 bail to two other 17year-olds; Wisdom Onyekachukwu and Prince Uchenna and their sureties in like sums respectively equally granted N500, 000 bail to one Afoke Osuku, 16years old caught stealing cell phones during the burial of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s mother-in-law.

    Osuku and other members of his syndicate who escaped arrest were said to have come from Delta State to carry out their act at the burial.

  • Abia: Teenage IPOB member regains freedom

    Abia: Teenage IPOB member regains freedom

    Luck on Tuesday smiled at one Emmanuel John, a 17year old who was arrested during the army-IPOB face off as the Abia CJ ordered his immediate release from detention.

    Counsel to the accused, Barr. Charles Onuchukwu in his address before the court had informed the CJ that his client is an underage who was unlawfully arrested by the police during the face-off between the military and IPOB in the state, even as Onuchukwu insisted that his client wasn’t a member of the proscribed group.

    The CJ after listening to the address of John’s counsel and a counter-argument from the O.C Legal who objected to the positions of the defence counsel ruled that the teen is underage and that from available records, no case has been instituted against the accused in any competent court and that he was unlawfully detained.

    She, therefore, ordered the immediate release of the inmate from the Aba prisons.

    Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria has proscribed IPOB and labelled it a terrorist organization. The government of the United States of America later said it does not see the group as a terrorist organisation.

    The President of US, Donald Trump, had said although the US is strongly in support of a peaceful resolution of the internal crisis in Nigeria, however, under the United States’ laws, IPOB does not fit in as a terrorist organisation.

  • Aba Easter attack: Rescued victim dies in hospital

    One of the rescued victims of Easter Monday’s kidnap in Aba, Abia State has been reported dead in a yet-to-be disclosed private hospital in the commercial city where he was said to be receiving treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during the shootout.

    Gunmen on Monday evening abducted two men they had trailed from Azikiwe Road to a spot between Pound Road and St. Michael’s Road/Adazi and shot sporadically to scare people as they made for escape with their victims.

    However, on getting to the Good Morning Market area of the city, the hoodlums were engaged in a shootout by security men which led to the arrest of one of the criminals and recovery of vehicles and some other items including AK 47 raffle.

    A security source said that during the gunbattle, one of the kidnap victims who was still seated instead of the SUV they were abducted in, was hit by a bullet and after the operation, was rushed to a private hospital on Azikiwe Road where doctors on duty battled to save his life.

    The source said the man whose identity could not easily be known, died Tuesday evening, less than 24 hours after he was rushed to the hospital, as a result of the injuries he sustained.

    However, the other victim said to be the major target of the kidnappers, reportedly went home unhurt and is said to have reunited with the family members.

    When contacted, Abia command police public relations officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was not aware of the man’s death.

  • Aba Police arrest armed robbery suspect, recover stolen cars, arms

    Aba Police arrest armed robbery suspect, recover stolen cars, arms

    A member of the dare-devil gang that on Easter Monday terrorised the city of Aba, Abia State has been arrested by a combined team of the police and the military.

    The Nation gathered on Tuesday that the police has also arrested a man described as being notorious for receiving stolen items.

    The gang was later engaged by a combined team of the police and the military had terrorised Aba for over one hour on Monday evening, culminating in the abduction of an unidentified man.

    In a telephone chat, the Abia command police public relations officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna said the arrested gang member who had gunshot wounds was apprehended within the Good Morning Market area when the hoodlums engaged the combined team of security personnel in a gun battle as they tried to escape.

    Ogbonna further informed that other members of the gang escaped into the nearby bush with gunshot wounds, adding that the hoodlums’ victim was rescued.

    He said that items recovered from the men of the underworld include Toyota Siena Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Lexus SUV, AK 47 raffle and 10 rounds of live ammunition.

    Meanwhile, Abia police command said it has arrested a “notorious criminal receiver” of goods in Aba it gave his name as Ifeanyi Urakpa.

    According to a release by the command’s spokesperson, Ogbonna, the arrest followed a tip-off and that when detectives from Ndiegoro Division visited the suspect’s home, they recovered one Toyota Lexus RX 330 SUV with registration number Abuja BWR 566 HH and a Toyota Corolla car with registration number Enugu BLF 425 AA which it said were suspected to have been snatched from their owners.

    The release stated that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

  • Army warns personnel against civilian brutality

    Army warns personnel against civilian brutality

    The army in Aba, Abia State has warned its personnel against civilians’ brutality in the commercial city, saying that anyone caught would be meted with the full wet of the law.

    This warning, coming from the commanding officer of 144 Battalion of the Nigeria army, Asa Lt. Col. Umar Sidi was against the backdrop of the recent reported cases of alleged soldiers harassment and brutality of civilians in Aba.

    Speaking in a telephone chat, Col. Sidi said no such case of soldiers brutality of civilians in Aba had been reported to him, even as he said before soldiers could arrest anybody, the person must have committed an offence.

    The commanding officer, however, said even in the face of that, no soldier was permitted by law and the ethics of the profession to harass or brutalise any civilian.

    While warning soldiers under him to desist forthwith from any form of harassment and brutalization of civilians, he urged the civil populace in the city to always use the dedicated official numbers he made available to the public to reach when any soldier was trying to infringe on their rights.

    Col. Sidi warned that any soldier who disobeyed the order would be summarily dealt with insisting that soldiers were meant to protect the civil populace and not to antagonise them.

    There was a reported case of a soldier ordering a commercial motorcycle operator to carry his bike on his head within the Umuode axis for flouting the area operational limit order.

  • Abia community protests high electricity tariff by EEDC

    Abia community protests high electricity tariff by EEDC

    Commercial and vehicular movements were on Wednesday obstructed in some parts of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State as the people of Umuode village in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state took to the streets to protest what they described as “obnoxious and unjustifiable” electricity tariff to electricity users in the community.

    The protesters bearing different placards with inscriptions like “We are tired of estimated bills”. “Give us pay as use meter”. “Enough is enough”. “Oh God, deliver us from the hands of the EEDC”. “52,000 is it for 2years?” and amongst others marched through Umule-Faulks road to Calabar Street where the distribution office of the EEDC is located to lodge their complaints.  

    The residents who brandished several of their February to journalists questioned why the EEDC would bill them excessively even when the electricity distribution company hardly supply power to their homes making them to power their homes and workshops with generator most of the days in the week.

    The protesters while bemoaning the attitude of EEDC staff and management in Aba towards their customers also demanded the supply of the much hyped prepaid meters to their home as measures to curb excessive billing by the electricity distribution company.

    Comrade Onyebuenyi Chimaobi and Mr Ibe Ihesinaulo said “We are protesting of the crazy electricity bills that the EEDC people are giving to us. It has been like that in the past, but the February bill is very outrageous. Some of us were to pay N106, 000 for three bedroom flats, some over N200, 000. The cheapest one is N38, 000 for three rooms. We are not happy with the way things are going because the issue has been happening in the past.

    The high rate of bill is unacceptable to us. That is why we are calling on Abia State and Federal Government to see that we are given prepaid meter. Someone who is living in a room should pay for the electricity consumed, but it must not be 3,000. The cost of paying for electricity bill is now higher than the cost of rent.

    The money you will use in paying for EEDC bills will be used to pay for three bedroom flats in three years which is unacceptable to us. We have made efforts and have even paid for meters several years ago but as we speak, the meters are yet to be supplied to us. With prepaid meter, this issue of overbilling will be reduced.”

    Officials of the EEDC could not be reached for comments when reporters made attempts to speak with them over the allegations made by the Umuode community.

  • Police recover foreign currencies, stolen vehicle in Aba

    Police recover foreign currencies, stolen vehicle in Aba

    Policemen from the Abayi Division and the Police Mobile Force 55, Aba, have arrested a suspect, Obinna Echerem following the recovery of a Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number plate, Bayelsa, BYSJ-07-A and cash in assorted foreign currencies, suspected to have been stolen.

    Police sources told journalists that Echerem was arrested at Tonimas Junction on the Aba –Port Harcourt expressway when he could not explain how he came about the Toyota Corolla car and the assorted foreign currencies in his possession.

    Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, who confirmed the arrest, stated that the suspect failed to give a satisfactory account of items but offered two Thousand Thailand Baht currencies to bribe the Police team.

    Oyebade, who added the suspect would be arraigned as soon as investigations are concluded, listed the foreign currencies recovered from Echerem to include; Ghanaian Cedi, US Dollars, French Franc, Thailand Baht and United Arab Emirates Dirham.

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  • Soldiers nab two suspected robbers

    Soldiers nab two suspected robbers

    Soldiers of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State, on Wednesday arrested two suspected robbers who have been terrorising motorists along Opobo –Azumini highway.
     
    The Nation gathered that the robbery suspects; Victor John and Nsikak Johnson, were nabbed by soldiers at a checkpoint along Azumini road and handed over to the Abia State Police command.
     
    Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade confirmed the handover of the suspects to the Police.
     
    Oyebade said: “The robust synergy of the Abia State Police Command with other sister agencies paid off, when officers of the Nigerian Army, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, on checkpoint at Azumini Road in Ukwa East, arrested the suspects and handed over to the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping section of the State Criminal and Intelligence Department. They confessed to the crime and effort is being intensified to arrest other members of their gang.”
     
    The CP added that the suspects are among notorious criminals who have been robbing motorists along Azumini highway and listed items recovered from them to include a locally made single barrel pistol, two live cartridges and a small bag.