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Tag: Uche Anichukwu

  • Ekweremadu condoles with Sen. Nnaji on wife’s death

    Ekweremadu condoles with Sen. Nnaji on wife’s death

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed sadness over the death of Mrs Ann Nnaji, the wife of Sen. Gilbert Nnaji.

    Ekweremadu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu, described the late Mrs Nnaji as “a gentlewoman, who led a pious life of service to God and humanity’’.

    “I received with deep sense of grief the passing on of this Amazon.

    “She was a virtuous woman, an organiser and a dependable wife, who stood by her husband in thick and thin.
    “She was kindness personified and served God and humanity till her last breath. She will be sorely missed.

    “I, therefore, send my heartfelt condolences to my brother and friend, Sen. Gilbert Nnaji, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications.

    “My condolences also go to the good people of Enugu East Senatorial District in particular, and Enugu State in general on this sad loss,’’ Ekweremadu said.

    He prayed God to grant the deceased a peaceful repose and her family and the people of Enugu State the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

  • Ekweremadu seeks removal of age limit for political offices

    Ekweremadu seeks removal of age limit for political offices

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Thursday canvassed the total removal of age as a criterion for holding political offices in the country.

    He instead called for a situation where the electorate are allowed to make their choices based on their assessment of the competence of those who present themselves for elections.

    A statement by the Special Adviser, (Media) to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu made the call when he received in audience the “Not Too Young to Run (#NotTooYoungToRun) Campaign championed by the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) in his office at the National Assembly, Abuja.

    Ekweremadu said, “We have just acknowledged the young man, Emmanuel Macron, who is now the President of France. We believe it can also happen here in our country; and we believe that with education and exposure, people can achieve a lot at a very young age.

    “Therefore, while many Nigerians are calling for a reduction in the age barrier, it is actually my strong and personal opinion that there should be no age barrier in terms of running for political offices or holding executive positions. I know, and I believe too, that sovereignty belongs to the people, and they exercise this sovereignty through the ballot box. If they desire to vote in a very young person, so be it. That is their choice, and that is what sovereignty is all about.

    “For many years now, we have said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. If we continue to sideline them with age barrier, then that tomorrow may never come. But as far as I am concerned, that tomorrow has come and people should be judged by their competence, integrity, and capacity, not their biological age. That is the global trend and we cannot be an exception.”

    Ekweremadu, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review said that the nation’s greatest resource remained the youth.

    He commended YIAGA, noting that the nation’s democracy was nevertheless making progress as more youth are now participating actively in the political process.

    He said that although the Senate Committee on Constitution Review had submitted its final report to the Senate, constitution amendment was a continuous process and issues not covered could always be accommodated in subsequent amendments even in the same Assembly.

    Leader of the delegation and Programme Director of YIAGA, Miss Cynthia Mbamalu, solicited the Senate’s support for the constitution amendment bill sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Abdul Aziz Nyako, seeking to align the voting age of 18 years with eligibility to contest for political offices in Nigeria.

    Citing the recent election of 39-year old Emmanuel Macron as the President of France, she called for more political space for the Nigerian youth.

     

  • Ekweremadu lauds Nigerians for sustaining democracy

    Ekweremadu lauds Nigerians for sustaining democracy

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday lauded Nigerians for investing in and sustaining democracy.

    According to Ekweremadu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, in Abuja, the support from Nigerians has helped to sustain the democratic process in the country.

    The statement said that he gave the commendation at a reception organised in his honour by Agbada Nenwe community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    He said: “Nigerians have left no one in doubt that they want democracy to succeed; even in extreme hardship, they have continued to endure and make sacrifices.

    “Leaders must therefore reciprocate the people’s unalloyed faith and resilience in protecting the nation’s democracy by delivering good governance and development.

    “I enjoin Nigerians to continue to support government at all levels because I am sure that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

    “As leaders, we must eschew discrimination and divisiveness, and deploy the best hands to move the nation forward.”

    Ekweremadu commended Agbada Nenwe community for ensuring that peace reigned in the area and urged them to sustain it by emulating the humble disposition of the state governor.

    “I want to specially commend Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for enthroning peace and harmony in the state.

    “There is no doubt that Enugu is the most peaceful state in the country,” he stated.

    Earlier, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Imoh, had said that the honour accorded Ekweremadu was in appreciation of the numerous projects and services he provided to the community.

    He said some of the projects were Nenwe-Oduma-Uburu road, rural electrification, water, scholarships through the Ikeoha Foundation, construction of Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres and employment.

    Imoh said that Nigeria would develop faster if every political leader toed Ekweremadu’s path.

     

  • EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador

    EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disowned the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as the anti-corruption ambassador of the agency.

    The EFCC, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the report stating otherwise.

    The spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari, went beyond his brief by decorating Ekweremadu as such without recourse to the EFCC.

    He said as an anti-corruption agency that could arrest any individual found wanting, the EFCC could never name anyone as its ambassador.

    The statement read in part, “The attention of the EFCC has been drawn to some reports in the print and online media, on April 20, 2016 claiming that the anti-graft agency has decorated the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as “Anti-Corruption Ambassador”.

    “According to a statement issued to the Press by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, the purported decoration, was carried out by the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari who was quoted to have said: ‘On behalf of my acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the entire management and staff of the EFCC, decorate you as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador and formally present this frame, as a token of our appreciation to your person and office, and as a symbol of the institutional partnership between the EFCC and the National Assembly’.

    “The EFCC totally dissociates itself from the purported action of Sulaiman Bakari as he acted entirely on his own. He clearly acted outside his brief as a liaison officer as the management of the Commission at no time mandated him to decorate Ekweremadu or any officer of the National Assembly as Anti-Corruption Ambassador.

    “The statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include the decoration of individuals as anti- corruption ambassadors. The Commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals. And those enamoured of titles, knows the quarters to approach for such honours, not the EFCC.

    “Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to disregard the so-called report.

  • Ekweremadu seeks special courts for corruption cases

    Ekweremadu seeks special courts for corruption cases

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Tuesday called for the establishment of Special Anti-Corruption Courts to reduce the burden on regular courts.

    He also said the establishment of Special Anti-Corruption Courts would assist to fast-track trial of corruption cases in the country.

    A statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media to Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, said Ekweremadu made the call in his office, while playing host to a team from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), led by its National Assembly Liason Officer, Suleiman Bakari.

    It quoted Ekweremadu who was also decorated by the EFCC on the occasion, as Anti-Corruption Ambassador, as saying that “setting up special courts, was one of the surest ways to help the fight against corruption, as it would ensure speedy adjudication of corruption cases.”

    “I have been an advocate of special courts for the trial of corruption cases and I believe that other countries, who have enacted laws establishing such, are not fools because there are benefits to be derived there from.  The idea is to expedite trial to make sure that those who are involved in corruption matters will have their day in court.

    “When we have special courts, just as we have the National Industrial Court, such courts will do better than they are doing now.

    “The establishment of special courts is not just something that will be done by an Act of the National Assembly. We have to amend the constitution to bring it about under section 6, for the purpose of trying corruption cases.”

     

  • Ekweremadu inaugurates e-Passport Mobile Enrollment Service in Japan

    Ekweremadu inaugurates e-Passport Mobile Enrollment Service in Japan

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has inaugurated an e-Passport Mobile Enrollment Service for the Embassy of Nigeria in Tokyo.

    Ekweremadu yesterday handed over an e-Passport Mobile Enrollment Machine to the Mission on behalf of the Federal Government.

    A statement by his Special Adviser (Media) , Uche Anichukwu, said Ekweremadu expressed surprise at the inability of the Mission to attain the status of a passport-issuing centre for too long.

    He said: “I was here about ten years ago as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing to understudy the housing policy of Japan with my colleagues. I met Ambassador Adamu Aliyu who made this challenge known to me. I reported this to the appropriate authorities at the time, but only to be told about two weeks ago by the current Ambassador that the Mission was still facing the same challenge.

    “I had, therefore, taken it upon myself to bring the machine here since I was visiting, but the Honourable Minister assured me that the machine would be in Tokoyo before my arrival. I am therefore grateful to the Honourable Minister of Internal Affairs for keeping his promise.”

    Ekweremadu explained that although the attainment of an E-Passport Enrollment Service status alone was not enough, it was a necessary progress.

    He said: “He promised to personally ensure that the Mission acquired all the requisite capacity to be able to produce and issue international passports in earnest.”

     

  • Why Land Use Act should go, by Ekweremadu

    Why Land Use Act should go, by Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has advocated for removal of the Land Use Act from the 1999 Constitution to make changes in the land administration system easier.

    Ekweremadu, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu in Abuja, spoke in Enugu at the weekend during the presentation of the book “ABC of Contemporary Land Law in Nigeria.”

    Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, is author of the book.

    He insisted that effective land administration is central to national development.

    Even though the Act was due for review, he lamented that it had been difficult to do so since it would require going through complex processes and hurdles of constitutional amendment.

    The Senator, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, regretted that efforts by the Committee to remove the Act from the 1999 Constitution and subject it to ordinary processes of amending Acts of parliament could not scale through the Third Reading.

    Ekweremadu said:

    “I believe that the Act is overdue for review but you cannot do that the way it is now because you will have to go through all the processes of a constitutional amendment.

    “So, what we need to do at this moment is to take it out of the constitution so that it can be re-examined in tune with the times.”

     

    He described Hon. Justice Emezulike as a complete lawyer and commended him for coming out with a unique book that would expand the frontiers of Land Law and legal education in the Nigeria.

  • Ekweremadu trains 700 youths on ICT

    Ekweremadu trains 700 youths on ICT

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has commenced the training of 700 youths in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills through the Ikeoha Foundation.

    Ikeoha Foundation is the non-profit and non-governmental development platform founded by him.

    Ekweremadu spoke during the flag-off of the project at the Ikeoha Foundation ICT Training Centre in Enugu over the weekend.

    He noted that the training is part of his vision to harness the potentials of the young people to make them self-reliant and drivers of the economy.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu in Abuja, Ekweremadu noted that no nation ever developed without building adequate human capital and supporting the youths to be catalysts for transformation.

    He said: “The best way for us to build a better society is to create a pool of young men and women who are self-reliant; and since the government cannot provide jobs for everybody, what we are doing is to compliment the efforts of government to ensure that there is meaningful life for everyone in the society, from the young men to the elderly.

    “The philosophy behind the training is that since God has given us the opportunity and privilege to support and help others, we will neither be doing any good to ourselves nor fulfilling the ends of that opportunity if we don’t avail our teeming youths the opportunity to excel and be better than what we are today.”

    Ekweremadu assured that the five National Youth Development Centres, which he attracted to the five local governments of the Enugu West Senatorial District, would soon take off.

    The Deputy Senate President also assured that the Foundation would continue to provide free eye test and glasses for all the students of the centres to improve their vision.

    The Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, described Ekweremadu as “a true representative of his people who never talks, but rather works.”

  • Ekweremadu congratulates Super Eagles

    The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday in Abuja congratulated the Super Eagles over their 3-1 victory over hosts South Africa in Cape Town.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the win helped the Nigerian side to book a quarter-final ticket at the ongoing 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

    A statement signed by Ekweremadu’s Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, said the Deputy Senate President hailed the team as showcasing the “typical Nigerian spirit’’. The statement also quoted Ekweremadu as saying the team showed “great improvement’’ and deserved the victory.

    “I am indeed proud of the Super Eagles which we saw today (Sunday), for showing resurgence, character, a high sense of patriotism and indeed that entertaining football that stands the nation’s football out,” it quoted him as saying.

    The statement said the Deputy Senate President then urged for prayers and support for the team, and also enjoined the Eagles to “build on their current form and go all out to clinch the trophy’’.

  • Ekweremadu seeks prayers, patriotism

    Ekweremadu seeks prayers, patriotism

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday urged Nigerians to pray for the nation and demonstrate a deep sense of patriotism in the New Year.

    In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, the Deputy Senate President said the nation’s future was bright, despite the present challenges.

    Ekweremadu noted that prayers and patriotism were essential ingredients in the nation’s efforts to strengthen democracy and entrench peace and development.

    He said: “2014 is going to be an important year as the nation prepares for the 2015 general elections, which is one significant event in the nation’s life, especially the efforts to consolidate our democracy.

    “It, therefore, behoves the nation to pray for smooth preparations and also show patriotism in every step of the journey.

    “While democracy does not necessarily translate to homogeneity of ideology, opinion and interest, the political players, in particular, need to disagree and play politics responsibly with decorum.

    “Nigerian leaders should place the common good and national interest above every personal, ethno-religious and sectional interest to avoid overheating the polity.”