As part of efforts aimed at reducing the poverty headcount index in the state through empowerment programmes, the Enugu State Government has flagged off the first batch of the Enugu State Sustainable Economic Empowerment Programme, E-SEEP. The first batch of the E-SEEP initiative, with over 200 participants, was flagged off at the Enugu South Local Government secretariat in Uwani, Enugu. The programme duration for the batch is between six weeks and two months, depending on the vocational skill of choice of the participants. Declaring the programme open, the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, charged…
Author: Kenechukwu Ofomah
The traditional ruler of Nanka in Orumba North Council Area of Anambra State, Igwe Godwin Ezeilo, and the president general of the community, Reverend Canon Ifeanyichukwu Ezike have been exonerated from allegations of sand mining within the community. People of Amakor Nanka, who refuted alleged sand mining in their community, warned peddlers of such allegations to desist forthwith. Some groups of individuals in the community had accused both the Traditional Ruler and President General of the community of being behind the sand mining in the area. But speaking to newsmen on Thursday, the Nanka President General, described the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated, urging Governor Chukwuma…
In line with efforts to garner the support of critical stakeholders to commit to fostering sustainable development and climate resilience across Africa, Impact Driven Entrepreneurship Advancement, IDEA Africa is partnering with Climate Action Africa and Silicon-Valley-based Founder Institute, to organize the Climate Action Africa Forum 2024 (CAAF24). The 2-day event scheduled to take place from the 19th to the 20th of June, 2024 at Landmark Event Center, Lagos, is expected to bring together climate action experts, activists, advocates, scientists, academia, entrepreneurs, CSOs, government, and community leaders from across the continent, to co-create solutions, share knowledge, experiences, build capacity and network for…
An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha on Wednesday convicted and sentenced three former police officers to life imprisonment for killing a family man, Chukwunonso Uchenwoke. The deceased, Uchenwoke, aged 42, who hailed from Mbosi in Ihiala LGA of the state, was allegedly killed while the ex-policemen were trying to arrest him over alleged assault and malicious damage. The offenses were said to have been committed on 14th May 2016 at No 13 Ibe Street, East Niger Layout, Okpoko, Ogbaru Council Area, in the Onitsha Judicial Division. The Police Force had after the incident, dismissed the three personnel- Juliet Ekwueme, Ugochukwu Obiakor,…
The Disability Rights Protection Initiative (DRP) has commended the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudline Nwifuru for providing education, healthcare, and empowerment opportunities to marginalized communities, including persons with disabilities, women, and children. Executive Director, Chikwado Chukwu gave the commendation in Edda local government area during a program organized by the First Lady’s pet project, Better Health for Women, Children, and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO). Addressing the underprivileged individuals, including persons with disabilities, Chikwado described education as critical to breaking a series of societal barriers. He said, “BERWO is doing a great job in educating the women, children,…
An Anambra State High Court sitting at Nnewi, has adjourned till the 21st of this month, the trial of an activist, Boniface Okonkwo, accused by renowned billionaire, Sir Emeka Offor, of defaming his person. The presiding judge, Justice Vincent Agbata also denied the bail application of the activist, who was arrested on January 3 and has been in detention since then. Okonkwo had pleaded with the Chief Judge of Anambra State, to reassign the defamation case against him to a new judge, but the request was turned down. His arrest and detention followed a complaint by businessman Sir Emeka Offor, who…
In response to the increasing cases of Gender-Based Violence, GBV, and other related issues across the state, the Civil Society For The Eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network) has solicited support from Anambra communities towards the fight against the anomaly. Ify Unachukwu, who is the Anambra State Coordinator, TB Network, appealed at the April monthly review meeting of ATM CBOs implementing the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) in the state. The meeting was to introduce the commencement of the extension of the Global Fund Civil Society and community-level components of the GC-7 C19RM/RSSH project in the State. Unachukwu said, “Access to health is a fundamental human…
A civil rights coalition, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) has written President Bola Tinubu seeking his intervention to halt the demolitions of properties of lessees and occupiers of Railway land in Ogui, Enugu, Enugu State. The group is saying that the Railway Corporation lacks the power to alienate or transfer railway land to the Enugu State Government. In a letter to President Tinubu signed on Tuesday by the CRRAN President, Olu Omotayo Esq., the group said it is the position of the law that the Corporation cannot legally and validly alienate or transfer to Enugu State government land for purposes other than railway…
Two Reverend Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church were on Monday, remanded in police custody by the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court of Anambra State, sitting in Awka, the state capital. The Reverend Sisters- Reverend Sister Angela Onyenachi Ibe, aged, 42, and Mother-General, Reverend Sister Chiemelie Jacinta Yvonne, aged, 41, were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining by pretense, punishable under sections 495(a) and 386 of the Criminal Code, Cap 36, Volume II, the Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991. They also face charges of illegal dealings on Children, as well as, fraudulent adoption, punishable under section 30(2)(b) of…
CP Nnaghe Obono Itam has assumed office as the new Commissioner of Police for the Anambra State Police Command. CP Itam assumed duty as the 34th Commissioner of Police in the State on Monday, May 13, 2024, after receiving a salute at the State Police Headquarters, where he was also welcomed by some senior officers of the Command. Itam replaces retired CP Aderemi Adeoye, who bowed out of service on May 1, after having committed 35 years to the service. According to a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, by SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, CP…
The Executive Chairman of Chrome Group of Companies, Sir Emeka Offor, over the weekend, donated a N100m endowment fund for the development of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). Offor donated shortly after he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) during the 52nd Convocation of UNN in Nsukka. Offor, who was represented by Chief Steve Ahaneku, said the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Charles Igwe, would be called later to discuss the mode of disbursement of the money and the area of development the money would used in the university. He said his foundation -Sir Emeka Offor…
Anambra State Police Command says its operatives have repelled and dispersed armed criminal elements, reported to have shot sporadically at the Uli community, within the precinct of the Uli Campus of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. On Thursday, a video surfaced, of a gun duel within the school premises, allegedly between police forces and non-state actors. An eye witness had said the gunmen had robbed a Point Of Sales POS operator in the area, the sum of N800,000.00, and started shooting indiscriminately which led to a stampede in the area. The source said during the clash, no fewer than five persons…
Anambra State Government must begin to hold its officials to account for their actions if the frequent cases of inhumane actions against the people by government workers will stop. The Convener, of the Recover Nigeria Project, Comrade Osita Obi, stated this in a chat with a TNC correspondent in Awka, Anambra State Capital. Recently, Mr. Wilfred Ezike, popularly known as Mgbilimgba, who was recently brutalized by the officers of the Special Anti-Touting Squad Anambra (SASA), had slammed a five hundred million naira lawsuit against the state government for the actions meted out to him. The tragic incident of March 9,…
Documentation commenced on Thursday for women in Anambra State, who were defrauded by a supposed Non-Government Organization, NGO, Host Communities of Nigeria Anambra State Chapter, using the name of the government to extort the sum of twenty thousand naira and above from unsuspecting individuals, mostly women in Awka. The documentation which is held at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka, is coordinated by the State Ministry of Women and Social Affairs. Recall that the State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, had on Wednesday, arrested eight suspects for allegedly extorting more than eight hundred thousand naira from…
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC has commended the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma for urgently intervening in a case of alleged assault and extortion by some operatives of the command. The operatives were alleged to have assaulted the victim, one Mr Tochukwu Ukazu, who is based in New York, USA, for videoing an incident involving the driver of the vehicle conveying him to his village and the policemen. Narrating his experience, the victim, Ukazu, recalled how he returned to Nigeria on April 5th, 2024 to visit his mother and other family members, and…
Following the shocking revelation made by Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti concerning a missing airport, the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group, has written the incumbent governor. Otti had at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the US, where he delivered a lecture on 19 April on the topic, “State of Governance and Economic Transition: Meeting the challenges,” accused his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, of allocating N10 billion to a non-existent airport project in the state. He also raised awareness of certain contract scams, to the tune of ₦107.2 billion, perpetrated by the past…
The Federal Government and the Southeast State Governments have been called upon to intervene in the heinous crimes of extortion and humiliation unleashed on road users across the various roads in the Southeast, by the Joint Security Taskforce, JTF and the military at the various checkpoints. Across many roads in the region, motorists and travelers are forced to part with huge amounts of money, after suffering long queues at the checkpoints, while refusal to pay such monies usually results in assault or manhandling of such individuals. For example, at the various checkpoints along the Enugu-Awka expressway, the military operatives engage…
Registered nurses practicing in Anambra State on Tuesday, embarked on a rally across major streets in Awka, to raise awareness on the importance of the nursing profession in the nation’s healthcare system, as well as the teething challenges militating against smooth nursing practice in Nigeria. The nurses bore banners and placards with inscriptions such as ‘Say no to quackery,’ ‘Nurses are poorly paid,’ ‘We deserve better,’ ‘Review our salaries,’ ‘Nurses against oppression,’ ‘Happy Nursing Week,’ among others, are also complaining about the new verification guidelines introduced for them by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, for travels outside…
In response to the increasing incidences of domestic servitude and spousal slavery in Abia State, a rights group, the Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society, CEHRAWS, has called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to intensify advocacy efforts by partnering with civil society organizations and other stakeholders. There have been reports of abuse of maids and subjection of spouses to inhumane treatment, some of which have led to the loss of lives in the state. A trending report online is a clip where a groom was telling the bride during their wedding that he is…
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, a Federal Government program aimed at empowering Nigerian youths with tech skills, over the weekend, hosted a Networking Meetup at the IDK Learning Centre in Awka Anambra State Capital. The event was graced by distinguished guests, including the 3MTT Community Manager for Anambra State, Somto Akujuruobi, who expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his Renewed Hope Agenda and to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for his efforts in making Anambra a digital tribe. Akujuruobi also lauded the Hon. Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, for…
Following the recent confirmation of Lassa Fever outbreak in neighboring Delta State, the Anambra State Government on Sunday said there is no cause for alarm for residents of the state, as there is an effective disease management system on the ground to handle such emergencies when they occur. Last week, the Delta State Ministry of Health raised alarm over Lassa Fever outbreak in Oshimili North Local Government, a development that created fear among the Anambra populace, due to the proximity of communities of both states and the free movement to and from both states. TNC correspondent however took the matter…
The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo has demanded an immediate apology to the Ukachukwu brothers and their subsequent compensation by the Federal Government, over what it called, the unprovoked illegal demolition of the Real Estate Investment at Asokoro extension on the orders of the Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike. Recall that officials of the Federal Capital Development Agency, acting on the orders of the FCT Minister, had on the 27th March 2024, invaded the project site with a detachment of over 300 security personnel including the Army, the Navy, the Police, and many others, and destroyed the properties.…
The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo has demanded an immediate apology to the Ukachukwu brothers and their subsequent compensation by the Federal Government, over what it called, the unprovoked illegal demolition of the Real Estate Investment at Asokoro extension on the orders of the Minister of FCT, Barr Nyesom Wike. Recall that officials of the Federal Capital Development Agency, acting on the orders of the FCT Minister, had on the 27th March 2024, invaded the project site with a detachment of over 300 security personnel including the Army, the Navy, the Police, and many others, and destroyed the…
Seven persons suspected to be cultists and armed robbers have been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command. A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu made the disclosure on Sunday. According to him, the gang members were arrested at about 10pm on Friday when the officers swooped on them. He said a cut-size double barrel gun, one tricycle without a registration number, and some hard drugs were recovered from the gang. Ikenga gave the names of suspects as follow: Chukwuemka Ozoekwe (aged 18), Chidozie Anagor (aged 18) Chukwuemeka Oyeoka (aged 18), Ebuka Okoye (aged 17), Olisa Obi (aged 19), Chidubem Nwakwu…
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of ABU Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation, a non-profit organization in Nigeria, Chief Abuchi Attah, has called on both private and public organizations, and well-to-do individuals to enhance the social life of people around them, to make life less difficult for them. The young business tycoon cum philanthropist, who hailed from Umuzuocha Awka, made the call when he secured the release of inmates totaling 10, from both Amawbia and Onitsha Custodial Centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service, in celebration of his birthday, on Thursday. Beginning the visitation with some members of the foundation, Chief Attah sought the…
What appeared impossible was on Thursday accomplished, when senior staff members of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, undertook their first-ever Computer-Based Test, CBT Promotion Examinations. The candidates who partook in the CBT examinations were elderly tutorial and non-tutorial ASUBEB staff members from Levels 13 to 14, 14 to 15, and 15 to 16, due for the 2023 promotions. Speaking during the exercise held at the Kachikwu ICT Centre, Awka, the Executive Chairman of ASUBEB, Dr Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi said the decision to start the CBT promotion examination is in line with the manifesto of the state Governor,…
The 13th Zonal Command of the Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday, debunked claims in an online report alleging the establishment of a camp or community for Fulani Herdsmen by Prince Engr. Arthur Eze, in Enugwu-Agidi, Ukpo and Zone 13 areas. Earlier this week, the Indigenous People of Biafra, kenIPOB, had in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, alleged that Prince Eze, working in collaboration with Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had created a community for Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen at Enugwu-Agidi opposite Dunukofia LGA headquarters near zone 13 Police Station at Ukpo. They alleged that the…
Anambra State Government has handed over a Refrigerated Meat Van donated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to the leadership of the National Union of Butchers, Anambra Chapter. Presenting the Van to the President of the Association, Chief Afam Okeke, Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor said the van was provided to solve challenges posed by unhygienic means of transporting meat from abattoirs to markets. He described as worrisome and serious health challenges, the use of wheelbarrows to transport meat, saying the government considered it worthy to introduce better means of conveying meat to forestall such…
The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, COOUTH, Amaku-Awka is to commence the disposal of abandoned corpses at its mortuary since 2014, from July 2024. The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Henrietta Agbai disclosed this in a statement she issued on Wednesday, on behalf of the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, Dr Josephat Akabuike, and the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, Dr Emmanuel Mba. COOUTH Amaku-Awka, located at the center of Awka, the State Capital City, is usually the first port of call for health emergencies in and around the state capital, especially in cases of road…
Residents of Housing Estate Fegge-Onitsha have cried out to the Anambra State Government to take over the Ugborimiri Primary Schools and make the field accessible to the public for peace to reign. The Fegge Housing Estate residents made the call during a peaceful protest on Tuesday, which saw them move round major streets within the community. The protesters bore placards with various inscriptions that captured their grievances like ‘Ugborimiri Primary School is a Public School, not a mission school,’ ‘Prof. Charles C. Soludo Please Don’t Allow This Error to Continue in this your tenure,’ ‘Ugborimiri Primary School Field remains the only field for sports and exercise for housing communities and its environs,’ among others.…
