Commissioner for Information

Enugu faults NRC’s claim on efforts to ensure safe reopening of Akanu Ibiam airport

The Enugu State Government has expressed dismay over malicious and falsehood against it and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), by the Enugu zone of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). The statement was contained in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh and copies made available to journalists in Enugu on Saturday. He said “the calculated attempt to bring the state to disrepute is as a result of the state government’s determination to fully implement the request of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the resolution of the South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) by removing all obstructions to the reconstruction and critical infrastructure works at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, aimed at improving the sa...

Group faults community’s plan to disown former Ebonyi commissioner

Edda Professionals’ League (EPL), a body of eminent experts and professionals of Edda extraction, has vowed to resist any plan aimed at humiliating Chief Abia Onyike, former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi. EPL announced its plan to scuttle such humiliation in a statement signed by its National Secretary, Mr Ikenna Emewu, on Monday in Abakaliki. The group described the former commissioner as one the community’ most illustrious sons, that had contributed immensely to the development of Edda land, describing those behind the plot as “busy bodies.” The statement noted that some government functionaries, leaders of interest groups and traditional rulers from Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state, were forced to sign a document, where they were plo...

Akwa Ibom governor appoints commissioner as chief of staff

Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has appointed Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the state’s Commissioner of Works, as his Chief of Staff (CoF). Emmanuel had not appointed a chief of staff since he assumed office as governor in 2015. The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, announced the appointment in a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo on Friday. According to the commissioner, the appointment takes immediate effect. Udoh added that Inyang-eyen would continue to supervise the ministry of works until a new substantive commissioner was appointed. “We congratulate the commissioner for works on his new appointment and wish him success in the discharge of duties in his new office,” Udoh said. Newsmen report that Inyang-eyen, had been the commissioner for works since 2015 when Gov Emman...

Kogi: We bought 5,000 coronavirus test kits

Kogi State government has dismissed the notion that it’s not testing enough to justify the claim that the state is free of Covid-19. It claimed that it has bought 5,000 test kits to show its committment to the fight against Covid-19. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, in it’s situation report on Covid-19 response across states published on Tuesday said Kogi had submitted only one sample, since the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria. The sample returned negative. The NCDC’s report comes few days after the state government said it tested 111 persons without the supervision of the health agency. Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, had claimed that the testing kits procured by the state were used to conduct the tests and that those tested were picked randomly. In a statement...

Journalist suspended for requesting salary on social media

A journalist with the Imo State government has been suspended indefinitely from her job for taking to Facebook to request her three months unpaid salary and the wages of her co-workers. Officials said the Facebook post was an “embarrassment” to the Imo State government. The suspended journalist, Vivian Ottih, is a lawyer and a senior editor with the government-owned IBC Orient FM radio station. She is the chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), in Imo State. Mrs Ottih, on May 4, posted a message on Facebook, appealing to Governor Hope Uzodinma’s media aide, Modestus Nwamkpa, to make a case to the governor on behalf of the workers in the government-owned radio and television stations who were yet to get their February, March, and April salaries. Ottih described ...

Enugu NUJ reject government’s palliative

File Photo The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Enugu State Council on Saturday rejected the palliative from Enugu State Government over alleged interference in the union activities. Newsmen report that problem started when the government representatives led by the state Commissioner for Information, Chidi Aroh, announced that the palliative was for the alleged two factions in the union. Mr Aroh said he heard that there were two factions in the union and the items should be shared between them. But the Acting Vice President of NUJ, South East, Zone C, Ken Ofoma, expressed dismay over the Commissioner’s statement saying that there were no factions in the union. “Enugu NUJ remains one family under the leadership of the state chairman, Rex Arum and under the national body led by Chief Chris...

Ondo Assembly probes N4.3 billion in ‘secret account’

The Ondo State House of Assembly says it has commenced an investigation into the N4.3 billion claimed to have been recovered from an alleged secret account in a commercial bank. The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Edamisan Ademola, told newsmen after plenary on Friday that the assembly had directed the committee to investigate the source of the secret account. Ademola said the committee had invited some government officials, including the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Wake Akinterinwa, as well as the Accountant-General and the state Auditor-General on the discovery. He said the committee was acting on the report of the Auditor-General which stated that over N4.3 billion deposited in a secret account for 10 years had been discovered. Ademola (APC-Irele) said, “The stat...

Taraba discharge six coronavirus patients

The six are among the 17 COVID-19 cases so far recorded in the state. The state commissioner for Information and member of the state’s technical Committee on COVID-19, Danjuma Adamu, disclosed this at a briefing in Jalingo, the state capital. He explained that the six patients who recovered from the CoronaVirus were discharged Tuesday to reunite with their family. He further explained that those still in isolation are receiving the appropriate care needed. He further urged members of the public to observe all precautionary measures as the government is doing all it takes to contain the spread of the virus. Newsmen reports that Taraba still has 11 active COVID-19 cases. Get more stories like this on Twitter

Ekiti discharges five patients, expands isolation centre

Ekiti State Government on Monday disclosed that five patients of the deadly coronavirus pandemic have been discharged from the Isolation Centre in Ekiti on Monday. This is just as the government revealed it’s a plan to expand the Isolation Centre to 100-bed space capacity for more preparation on the Pandemic. Governor Kayode Fayemi had on Saturday evening broke the news on his Twitter handle that the state recorded new three cases. According to the tweet from the Governor, “We got information from NCDC tonight that three more persons tested positive to COVID-19 virus. Two are contacts of the medical doctor still in our care and another person who sneaked into the state before he was quarantined. This underscores the need for extra vigilance. ” With the development so far, Ekiti has 15 conf...

Coronavirus diagnosed naval rating escapes from treatment centre to smoke hemp

Sundiata Post A Naval Rating who tested positive of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic in Delta State, Saturday escaped from the State treatment centre at the State University Teaching Hospital Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State after threatening those working at the centre with a knife. The Naval Rating, newsmen gathered, has been pleading with those in charge of the centre to allow him go out to smoke Indian hemp since Wednesday last week but the officials denied him. A source at the Hospital told newsmen that the Naval Rating became violent on Saturday afternoon after he was denied again, decrying that he pulled a knife with a threat to stab anyone who stands his way. The source who pleaded anonymity, said they have not seen him since he left yesterday. Confirming the...