Anambra State
Anambra guber: Zoning favours APC, not APGA, PDP – aspirant
An All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Dr Amobi Nwaokafor, has argued that if zoning is to be a consideration in the Anambra State governorship election, the APC should be favoured since it has not ruled the state. Speaking after submitting his declaration of interest and nomination form at the party secretariat he insisted that having governed Anambra State previously, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should allow APC to test the seat. He also argued that since Awka indigenes never occupy the position too, he stands a better chance to benefit from zoning. The former President General of Awka Progressives Union also described himself as the best candidate for the race to occupy the states’ number one seat. He argued that with his wealt...
SAN faults Southern governors’ call for constitutional conference
A human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has faulted the call by 17 Southern governors for a constitutional conference. The governors had said such a conference would straighten knotty problems confronting the country. But Ozekhome who spoke in Anambra State on Thursday, as a keynote speaker at the 25th Law week of the Awka branch of Nigerian Bar Association, described the governors’ suggestion as unnecessary. Speaking on the topic ‘Legal profession in a lawless society,’ Ozekhome said the call for a new conference was not necessary, especially considering that the recommendations of the one held in 2014 had not been implemented. He said, “I was at the 2014 national conference headed by late Justice Idris Kutigi. The over 200 recommendation we made at that conference was yet to be touche...
Nigeria’s president under fire over surging violence
With his country ensnared in mounting jihadist violence, bandit attacks and kidnappings, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is under fire from allies and enemies alike for appearing incapable of tackling the security crisis. April saw an almost daily toll of bloody assaults and abductions in Africa’s most populous nation. In the past week alone, at least 240 people have been killed and more than four dozen kidnapped, according to tallies by local media. The fatalities included 19 Fulani herders gunned down in southeastern Anambra state; five students in the northwest who were shot to death days after gunmen snatched them from their campus; 31 troops, slain in a jihadist ambush in the Lake Chad region; and nine police killed by cattle thieves in northwestern Kebbi state. Senators, local go...
EFCC hands over recovered N67.5 million to victim in Enugu
YouTube The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has restituted the sum of N67,523,000 to one Mr. Emmanuel Onyekachukwu Onah, a trader based in Onitsha, Anambra State. EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Onah’s ordeal started sometime in 2019 when he transferred the sum of N75,760,540.00 to the duo of Tega Esinone and Obiajulu Umeagukwu for onward transmission to his business partner, Crecedor Industrial Co. Ltd in Hong Kong. The suspects converted the money to their own use. After efforts to recover his money from the suspects failed, Onah petitioned the EFCC. The commission in the course of investigating the scam, initiated a non-conviction based forfeiture process which culminated in a December 1, 2020 ruling by Justice I.N Buba of the Federal High Court, Enugu, orderin...
Anambra governor: I will not abandon families of slain policemen
Governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, has assured the families of the policemen killed during an attack on Prof Charles Soludo that government would not abandon them. Obiano gave the assurance on Easter Sunday at a statewide broadcast to address the violent attacks in the state. “To the families of the slain Police officers, my heart once again, goes out to you. I share in your grief and mourn with you. While I pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased, please be assured that the State Government will not abandon you” he said . He prayed that the spirit of the season would permeate their hearts and engender love, peace and tranquility in their daily lives, now and in the future. The yet to be identified gunmen had on 31st of March 2021 invaded a town hall meeting at Isuofia with...
PDP condemns attack on ex-CBn governor, urges security beef up in Anambra
File Photo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the recent attack on the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Chief Chukwuma Charles Soludo, describing it as callous, intimidation and unnecessary. The party said the killing of the three policemen attached to the former CBN governor was criminal and uncalled for, saying the police officers were doing their legitimate duty at the time of the incident. Honourable Ikechukwu Emenike, the Anambra South PDP Youth leader, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Isuofoa, yesterday, said the gunmen disrupted Soludo’s interactive session with youths of Isuofia, who were gathered at the Isuofia Civic Center, shot dead three policemen and abducted Engineer Emeka Ezenwanne, the commissioner for Public Utility in the state who jumped ...
Anambra governor resolves airport land matter
The social media was agog recently that some purported women from Umueri in Anambra-East local government area protested half naked at the construction site of the International Cargo Airport over what they termed forceful land-grabbing by government to build the airport. Reports also had it that the said protesting women from Umueri had accused the state government of encroaching into areas the community didn’t release to them. But the traditional ruler of Umueri His Royal Majesty Igwe Sir Ben Izuchukwu Emeka stated unequivocally that such reports were malicious and economical with the truth because nobody protested naked and that his subjects were not known for such amoral behaviour. Igwe Emeka stated that Umueri was grateful to the government and people of Anambra state that the Interna...
Anambra poll: PDP fixes date for governorship primary election
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that its governorship candidate for the November 6, Anambra State governorship poll will emerge on June 26. The governorship primary to produce the PDP candidate will be preceded by ward congresses to elect 3-man Ad-hoc delegates on June 10 and 11. The PDP stated this, on Sunday night, in a statement by its National Organising Secretary, Austin Akonbundu. According to the statement, collection of nomination and expression of interest forms expected to begin on March 10 and end on March 31. Aspirants for the PDP governorship ticket are to pay N1 million for Expression of Interest Form and N20million for Nomination Form. However, female aspirants are to pay only N1million for the Expression of Interest Form, while they will get the nomin...
Anambra introduces coronavirus mobile testing
The Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Vincent Okpala, said on Thursday that the government, through its Ministry of Health, has introduced more aggressive measures, including mobile testing, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Mr Okpala, a medical doctor, told newsmen in Awka that the ministry has introduced a drive-through COVID-19 testing where samples would be collected while the residents go about their normal businesses. The commissioner said a mobile truck with medical officers would drive through the streets to collect samples from the people voluntarily. He appealed to the public to avail themselves of this opportunity and go out for free and voluntary testing. The mobile team would also visit churches in the state to counsel the people on the need to go f...
Senator Uba denies hijacking APC registration exercise in Anambra
File Photo Former presidential aide and Senator representing Anambra South senatorial zone, Andy Uba, has denied reports that he has hijacked the membership revalidation and registration exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State. Uba said report of him attempting to highjack the registration of party members in the ongoing registration programme in the state was false, and should be discarded as untrue. In a statement issued by his media office yesterday, the former lawmaker said: “As you can see, the APC in Anambra State has been having a seamless registration exercise where citizens of the state, owing to the numerous successes of the federal government in the state, are daily registering in their hundreds with the party. “Part of this success can be attributed to ...
Anambra election: We shall move our members to the polling booth – PFN chair
File Photo Ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in the state, Bishop Moses Ezedebego, has declared that as part of efforts being made by PFN to make meaningful contributions to the development, peace and progress of the state, all eligible voters that worship in pentecostal churches across the 326 wards in the State would be at the polling booth to participate in electing the next governor of the State. Bishop Ezedebego made the declaration while addressing a press conference in respect of a 3-day camp meeting involving Christians leaders from across Nigeria and beyond organized by Maximum Impact Leadership Development Centre with a view to addressing the challenges facing Nigeria particularly poor leade...
Understanding the strength of small businesses
The number of small businesses keeps growing in the formal and informal sectors of the Nigerian economy, due to the role of small businesses as the live-wire of any economy and the backbone of major developed economies the world over. Though Nigeria rely majorly on oil and revenues derived from it, from context observation the economy is largely supported by small businesses covering almost all spheres of activities within the country, ranging from Nano, kiosk, and Micro businesses most importantly. A visible reference usually includes the vulcanizers, corner shop owners, single retail marketers, repairers, painters, business center operators, restaurants, market women, and men in the various open markets, among others. and the formal operations such as the law firms, accounting firms, con...