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Tag: Umuahia

  • NGO commences free medical care for Abia pensioners

    A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that is known as Center For Public Health Initiative (CPHI) based in Umuahia has commenced a free diabetic medical care for all pensioners in Abia state which they will access until they die.
    The free diabetic treatment to all retired pensioners in the state was flagged off at the Pink Rose clinic in Umuahia which is owned by Dr C’Fine Okorochukwu who is also the Executive Director of the NGO and the senior citizens are expected to come there every Friday for treatment.
    Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia during the flag of ceremony, Okorochukwu said that he was touched by the plight of the pensioners in the state who have been suffering since they retired from active service.
    Okorochukwu said that he has lost many diabetic patients who were mainly retirees due to their inability to take care of their medical bills as they do not have money to eat not to talk of medical bills.
    He noted that diabetic patients require constant check-ups, “I have noticed that when I treat any of them and tell them to come back in two weeks time, you will not see them again for another two-three weeks time and by then their situation would have been worse”.
    “When I ask them why I did not see them at our last appointment time, they will tell me, my son there was no money to come for treatment since we have not been paid our pension and there are many things seeking for financial attention”.
    The executive director of CPHI said that he was moved by their situation and decided to offer the free medical to them as a form of giving back to society instead of allowing them to die for an ailment he could easily handle.
    He said that they (NGO) will identify those with diabetes and other ailments associated with people in their category and provide treatment in terms of drugs and information on adoption of healthy lifestyle to elongate their lives.

    Read Also: 500 get free medical care in Abia

    Okorochukwu said that if there are medical cases they cannot handle that they will refer them to the best hospitals around and ensure that those who are supposed to help will be alerted.
    He made it clear that the program will last so long as the pensioners are alive, “We as an NGO intends to continue with it for the beneficiaries for as long as they live and are wiling to come for treatment”.
    The CPHI boss explained that they are being funded by their foreign and local partners, good spirited individuals, pharmaceutical companies, among others, adding that the program might still be expanded to accommodate other members of the society if they get adequate support.
    In a lecture a diabetic expert and indigene of the state, Dr. Ugochukwu Nwosu, said the people need education on diabetes to learn how to control their sugar level to avoid those complications that usually lead to death of persons with the disease.
    He explained that they need to listen to their body as it will always give them signals when they sugar level is high, “All you need to do is to the back of your house and get bitter leaves, squeeze and drink the water, your sugar level will come down”.
    In a vote of thanks, the state chairman of pensioners, Dr Emmanuel Okparanta thanked the NGO for remembering them and prayed God to being with them as they go about taking care of pensioners in the state.

  • Alex Otti, Udensi emerge as guber candidates of APGA

    The 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA ), Dr. Alex Otti and Chief Chikwe Udensi have respectively emerged as 2019 governorship candidates of APGA in separate gubernatorial primaries held at two different venues on Friday October 5 in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

    At a primary held at the APGA party secretariat located along Ikot Ekpene road under the leadership of Rev Augustine Ehiemere, Otti emerged winner with a total vote of 574 while 36 were invalid out of the 610 votes castes by accredited delegates.

    In another primary held by the Nnanna Ukaegbu led faction at Kolpin Society Locust Housing Estate, Umuahia, Udensi garnered 532 votes, while Otti scored 57 with 27 votes being void.

    Speaking at the end of the exercise, the returning officer, Barr. Carol Dike-Okoroafor, the National Welfare Officer of APGA who supervised the guber primary at Ikot Ekpene road described the election which held at Kolpin Society which produced Udensi as void.

    According to Okoroafor, they were at the secretariat to affirm the adoption of Otti whose name and picture appeared on the ballot paper.

    She said that the only election recognized by the leadership of the party was the one that she supervised with personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission led by Madam Bridget Izuka.

    Read Also: ‘APC risks not fielding governorship candidate in Zamfara’

    Addressing his supporters after being declared winner by the returning officer, Otti promised that he was going to take the state from its present state of backwardness and darkness to progress and economic boom, adding that he is confident that the party will be taking over the seat of power in the state come 2019.

    Otti who promised not to dip his hands into the purse of the state as being experienced at the moment also said that unlike the incumbent that has been under the caps and whims of his godfathers, he would run his administration without being manipulated by any godfather.

    Otti promised to end the sufferings of the people have been subjected to in the past eight years as a result of bad governance orchestrated by PDP led government.

  • 2019 general elections will be violence-free – Kalu

    Chief Orji Kalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Abia has predicted that the 2019 general elections would be violence-free across the country.

    Kalu made the prediction on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Umuahia, the Abia Capital.

    He said: “There was no violence in 2015 in spite the general fear and predictions before the polls, so there will be no violence in 2019.

    “The elections will be peaceful here in Abia and across the whole Federation.”

    He said that the ruling-APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari would stop at nothing to ensure hitch-free election.

    “The elections will not be marred by violence. APC-led government will leave no stone unturned to protect the nation democracy.’’

    He said that the pressure of electioneering usually heated up the polity and described the development as natural and often precedent to general elections anywhere in the world.

    According to the ex-governor, such heat being experienced should not be mistaken as a sign of imminent violence.

    “Even in the U.S., the polity is presently heating up ahead of the midterm elections coming up on Nov. 6,’’ he said.

    Kalu, who is a senatorial aspirant for Abia North, took exception to the recent destruction of billboards and posters belonging to political office seekers in the area.

    He blamed the act on desperate politicians and their thugs, saying that people should not make politics a do-or-die affair.

    Read Also: Osun 2018: APC has laid good foundation – Tinubu

    “People should see politics as a game, if you win, you rejoice but if you lose you take it in the spirit of sportsmanship. It should not be a do-or-die affair.’’

    On the recent defections across different party lines by some prominent politicians in the country, Kalu said that the actions were intended to satisfy personal interest and “not in the interest of the people.’’

    “Those politicians that are defecting are doing so for their selfish interest because they felt that they would not get the ticket from their former parties.’’

    He attributed the trend to the lack of ideology among the nation’s political class, saying that politicians should learn to play politics of ideology.

    “You saw that when I left the Peoples Democratic Party I did not return rather, I joined APC because it meets my expectations and that is where all Nigerians of note are sitting.’’

    Kalu said that he was determined to bring the Southeast geo-political zone into the mainstream of the nation’s politics.

    “I am currently working hard day and night to ensure that APC wins the governorship and National Assembly positions in all the states in the zone.

    “My ambition is to make sure that I bring the South-east to sit where other Nigerians are sitting and we must achieve it in 2019.’’

    Kalu reiterated his earlier position that APC would have a landslide victory in the zone in 2019.

    He said APC would score at least, 75 per cent votes in Abia and 51 per cent in the other states in the zone.

  • It will be tragic for PDP to rule Abia for another 4 years – Apugo

    A member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Prince Benjamin Apugo has said it will be tragic if the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rules Abia State for another four years.

    Speaking with select journalists at his Nkata Ibeku, Umuahia country home on Tuesday, Apugo said for the nearly 20 years the affairs of the state has been in the hands  of the PDP, Abia has suffered tremendously as there were practically nothing to show for all the years they have been in power.

    “If the PDP rules the state for the next four years, there will be nothing like Abia State again, people will die of malnutrition and hunger because in the past 20 years PDP has been in power, there are no good markets, infrastructure and the general things that can create wealth in the state.”

    The BoT member said the only way forward was for the people of the state to vote for APC in 2019 so that the needed change will come to the  state as in other APC controlled states across the country

    He opined that the success recorded by President the Muhammadu Buhari- led administration in the fight against corruption and the amount so far recovered from looters has endeared him to the Igbo.

    He noted that aside from the landmark achievements in the anti-corruption war, President Buhari will ensure that power is shifted to the Igbo in 2023 as there are assurances from the party.

    Read Also: nPDP halts talks with Presidency

    According to him, “we the Igbo especially in Abia, are beginning to appreciate the achievements of the Federal government, we have nothing to fear under Buhari , APC will give us nomination in 2023.

    When PDP was in power under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Boko Haram came to Abuja, bombed everywhere but now the President has fixed Nigeria by not only tackling the insurgents, stopping more corruption, he has just started it and he needs another four years.”

    Speaking further on the decision of the nPDP to suspend further discussion with the Presidency, Apugo who is also a member, assured that the nPDP will not pull out of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “We can’t leave the house we built, we helped the president to win election in 2015 through mass mobilisation, and he contested three times before and lost. The truth is that nobody should bring his personal problems to and put it on the nPDP as a bloc, we have talked with the party and the Federal government and we have agreed, the only mistake Buhari has made so far is neglecting us and not putting members of the nPDP in positions of trust. The bloc is a force because the nPDP ensured that Jonathan failed the 2015 presidential election.”

    Apugo maintained there is no crack in the All Progressives Congress but called on the members of the nPDP to coordinate themselves and meet the president over marginalization faced by members of the nPDP in the non APC states while appealing to the President to create presidential liason offices in non APC-controlled States.

  • Motorist kill University student in Umuahia

    It was a black weekend for students and Umudike in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State as a 400 level student of the department of Agricultural Economics in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Abia State as commercial motorist reportedly killed one of their students identified as Obinna Chiaha.

    It was gathered the student was killed by the driver of a commercial bus with the inscription; “Uwak Mfon Awka Ibom Motors NIG. LTD” heading to Umuahia, the state capital.

    Sources who claimed to have witnessed the incident alleged that the driver of the commercial SUV said to be on a high speed was said to have hit Chiaha while he was trying to overtake a trailer.

    It was learnt that the incident happened close to the University gate on the Umuahia/ Ikot Ekpene road caused pandemonium in the area as students took to the road which serves as a major exit and entrance into Akwa Ibom from Umuahia to protest the killing of their colleague

    The student was said to have arrested the driver of the car and handed him over to the security officials of the university.

    Unconfirmed reports have it that the students became violent when they were told that their colleague was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Center Umuahia (FMC) where he was rushed to for medical treatment.

    Read Also: INEC releases timetable for Osun Guber polls

     The body of the student was said to have been taken to a morgue in Umuahia, along Aba road where it was deposited.

    “Many students on hearing the sad news of the demise of their colleague took to the street to protest his death.

    “The Vice Chancellor Professor Francis Otunta later addressed the students through a telephone conversation through the President of Students Union Government Mr. Ononiwu Precious.

    “He told the students to remain calm as the University will ensure that deceased student gets justice.

    “The VC also declared Saturday April 28, 2018 as BLACK SATURDAY in honor of the deceased,” a source from the school stated.

  • Motorist ‘kills’ student in Umuahia

    A 400-level Economics student of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Obinna Chiaha, was, at the weekend, killed by a commercial motorist.

    Eyewitness said the driver tried to overtake a trailer when he hit Chiaha.

    The incident, which occurred close to the university gate on the Umuahia/Ikot Ekpene road, caused pandemonium as students protested Chiaha’s death.

    They caught the driver and handed him over to the university’s security men. Unconfirmed reports said the students became violent when Chiaha was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia.

    Chiaha’s body was taken to a morgue.

    A school source said: “Many students, on hearing the sad news, took to the streets to protest his death.

    “The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Otunta, who addressed the students on the phone, urged them to remain calm as the university will ensure that the deceased student gets justice.”

  • Abia: Police parades cultists, armed robbers

    Abia State Police Command on Monday in Umuahia, Abia State capital paraded suspected cultists, armed robbers and others accused to be involved in snatching cars of their victims at gun points.

    The State Police Commissioner, Anthony Ogbizi told journalists that the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state through intelligence report, while others were arrested at the scene of the crime.

    Leader (Capo) of the Black Axe confraternity, Princewill Okechukwu, a final year student of Political Science in ABSU was also among the people that were paraded by the Police Commissioner.

    The Police Commissioner added that the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as investigation was concluded.

    A female cultist and final year student of Political Science at Abia State University, ABSU, Uturu, 22 year old Chika Ogwalachi reportedly confessed that she was arrested in the vicinity of an initiation exercise in one of the student lodges off the campus by a cult group.

    Ogwalachi who was paraded with two other male members of the same fraternity said her boyfriend who also is a cult member had asked her to wait for him at the scene of the initiation before her arrest.

    She further explained that while waiting for her boyfriend, one of the boys gave her a parcel which the boyfriend reportedly asked her to collect and keep for him.

    According to her, she didn’t know that the parcel contained Indian hemp. This is even as she denied having knowledge that the boyfriend was a cult member.

    “We just met recently and he promised that because of me he will leave the cult. It was while I was waiting that the police came out and asked what I was doing there.

    “I told them that I was waiting for my boyfriend. They seized my bag, searched it and found the parcel. They unwrapped it and saw it was hemp. That was how they arrested me,” she said.

    Also paraded was 23 year old final year student of History and International Relations, Salvation Chialu. He confessed that he was arrested during initiation. He said that while the other older cult members escaped he was caught by the police.

    Chialu, a native of Awkuzu, Anambra State said he was tricked into cult by people who came to him as friends. “I was buying something for them to keep them at bay but three days after my exam as I was packing my clothes, they came into my room and ordered me to follow them.

    “When I saw the fierce look on the face of one of them I hesitated then he used a machete and cut my hand.” He however failed to connect the attack with the initiation angle.

    Okechukwu told newsmen that he was arrested in the exam hall while writing his final examination.

    He admitted that he was the leader for only two weeks but that those opposed to his emergence as the new leader planned his arrest.

    He said he was aware that the items recovered from his room were dangerous weapons which they use for cult activities.

    Okechukwu, from Isuikwuato council area of Abia state, admitted that seven live cartridges, a dagger, a machete and Black Axe black and red uniform were recovered from him.

    Also paraded was Uchenna Okorocha. Okorocha who said that he was arrested when the police searched his house in Aba following the report of his master’s brother.

    Okorocha  said he spent his masters money on MMM and other gambling engagements but when he could not give proper account of pay back after stock taking his masters brother invited the police to arrest him with the aim of recovering the money.

     

  • 5,000 get medical care in Umuahia outreach

    5,000 get medical care in Umuahia outreach

    About 3,000 financially-challenged persons have been examined and treated in a medical outreach organised by HannahMay Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

    Speaking during the flag-off of the outreach at Umuobasi Ugba Ibeku town hall in Umuahia North Local Government Area, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the NGO, Mr Augusto Kanu said the outreach was planned for three days.

    The outreach provided free tests on HIV/AIDS, hypertension, diabetes, and eye-related ailments, treatment of malaria, typhoid, and provision of free eyeglasses free of any charge, among other things.

    Kanu commended the founder of HannahMay Foundation and wife of immediate past governor of the state, Mrs Mercy Orji for sustaining the NGO even after her husband’s tenure ended.

    He said, “Any patient who is diagnosed with any ailment which could not be handled at the outreach, such as surgery, such patient would be referred to a reputable hospital for surgical operation which the foundation would sponsor”.

    Earlier in her speech the founder of the NGO, Mrs Orji said that the medical outreach has become an annual ritual to assist indigent persons who cannot afford to pay for medical services.

    Mrs Orji who disclosed that one of the challenges facing the foundation is funding and used the forum to commend her husband, Senator Theodore Orji for his assistance which she noted had gone a long way to sustain the free medical outreach.

    She also gave kudos to other philanthropists and other donor agencies abroad who send drugs, eyeglasses and other medical equipment that have helped to sustain the programme and called on others to lend a helping hand to enable the foundation to continue taking care of the needy people in the society.

    Mrs Orji pledged to continue to fund the foundation in its effort to ensure that the indigent people in the society are always taken care of medically, stressing that one of the best things that could happen to people is to give them medical attention when they need it most.

    Mrs Orji also called on the well to do in the state, other donor agencies and corporate bodies to venture into the area of helping the indigent people in the society as one of the ways to give back to the society.

    In their separate reactions some recipients which include Chief Nduka Anya, Mrs Regina Nwagboso and Mr Charles Ezebuiro thanked the founder of the foundation for saving the lives of Abians through her medical outreach.

    They prayed God to be with HannahMay foundation founder and her family, “For taking care of people like us may God always take care of your needs including those of your entire family, your good deeds will never go unrewarded by God all the days of your life”.

    In his own reaction the national President of Abia State youth Development organization, Prince Obinna Ehumadu extolled the philanthropic gesture of the wife of the former governor for her continued sustenance of the programme.

  • Security beefed up as Abia sets to hosts Buhari, others

    Security beefed up as Abia sets to hosts Buhari, others

    Security have reportedly been beefed up in Umuahia, Abia state capital and its environs as the state gets set to host President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, John Odigie Oyegun and other stakeholders of the party on Tuesday January 9.

    President Buhari who would be in the state for the first time after being elected President of the country for a mega rally organized by the party at the Umuahia Township stadium would also used the opportunity to present to the people of the state, some political bigwigs in the state who had joined the party from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties.

    Though information about the president’s visit was still sketchy until the time of filing the report, it was gathered that Presidential advance team were already in the state while security have been beefed up at flashpoints and other sensitive areas in the state especially in Umuahia as steps to ensure a peaceful visit of the president.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state in a chat with our reporter described the coming of the President as landmark, stressing that Buhari’s visit would further boost the preparation of the party towards unseating the PDP led administration in the state in 2019.

    Godson disclosed that the coming of President Buhari would attract leaders of the party from the southeast including the chairman of Governors’ forum and Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, former senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, former Governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, ministers from the southeast, immediate past governor of Enugu State, Barr. Sullivan Chime, immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi among other APC stalwarts in the country in general.

    He also added that members of other political parties that defected into the party like former Executive Governor of the state from 1999-2007, Dr.  Orji Uzor Kalu, PDP 2015 Governorship aspirant, Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah, former Managing Director of defunct Hallmark Bank, Chief Sir. Marc Wabara, Barr. Emeka Wogu; former labour minister, senator Bob Nwanunu, General Ogbonnaya Okoro rtd, DIG Udah rtd, Hon. Chinenye Ike, former House of Rep member, former Speaker Abia State House of Assembly who was few months ago impeached by his colleagues, Rt. Hon. Martin Azubuike and others would be formally presented to the public during the president’s visit.

     On zoning of guber candidates, he said “we don’t have candidates and we can’t have an anointed candidate; our guber candidate can emerge from any part of the state. We believe that there are some persons with guber ambitions and they have not made it open to us.

     “We are not zoning the governorship slot. It is open. We want a credible person to emerge. We need change in the state. We need a credible and reliable person who can change the life of Abians and develop Abia, it doesn’t matter the part of Abia the person is coming from. APC is desirous of change and ensuring that Abia is developed. We want Abians to feel governance”.

     He used the opportunity to reaffirm the support of the party members to Hon. Donatus Nwankpa’s led Executive in the state Ben Godson, the APC Publicity Secretary Abia State chapter and thanked President Buhari for including the names of the party members from the state in the list of recent appointment into boards and agencies by the federal government.

  • Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    The Compliance Team of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) said it has seized contraband with Duty Paid Value ( DPV ) of N93.7 million in the course of its operations.

    The Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Ahmed Azarema, made this known while displaying the seized contraband to news men in Owerri on Tuesday at the Imo/Abia Command of the service.

    Azarema said the compliance team, attached to the office of the Comptroller-General of Customs, confiscated 1,028bags of 20 kg foreign rice with a DPV of N8.22 million concealed with motor spare parts.

    He said 1,258 bags of 50kg of foreign rice with a DPV of N74.8 million and 111 bales of second hand clothing with a DPV of N10.65 million was also seized by the team.

    Read also: Customs destroys smuggled goods

    He said all the items were seized along Aba/Umuahia/Port Harcourt axis adding that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seized goods.

    Azarema observed that because of the Yuletide season, smugglers are more desperate and always want to skim their way through but would always fail because of the dedication and ingenuity of the customs personnel.

    He, therefore, charged Nigerians against ferrying contraband in and across the country, but to engage in legitimate businesses to avoid their goods being confiscated.

    According to the compliance team coordinator, locally produced rice is more nutritious, better and cheaper than foreign rice which are preserved with chemicals.

    He said that patronising locally made goods would help boost the country’s foreign exchange and provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

    Azarema also urged Nigerians to desist from buying foreign rice to encourage the local producers.

    NAN