The Anambra State Government, led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has transmitted four bills to the State House of Assembly for onward consideration and passage into law as appropriate. The Bills include the Anambra State Electricity Bill, 2024, and the Anambra State Traditional Rulers (Amendment No.2) Bill, 2024. The Anambra State Development And Innovation Corporation, ADIC, Bill, 2024; and the Anambra State Correctional Service Bill, 2024. Speaking on the Anambra State Correctional Service Bill, 2024, among other bills, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, said it would help operationalize the 2023 amendment of the 1999 Nigerian…
Author: Kenechukwu Ofomah
Over the weekend, over ten Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in Southeast Nigeria raised concerns over the recent cases of Chinonso Uba (Nonso Nkwa) and Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, who they said have become the latest victims of the oppressive regime under Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State. Dr Ihekweme, a former Commissioner in Imo State, was arrested last week by Police operatives in the presence of his wife and children from his Abuja residence and transported back to Owerri for allegedly being a vocal critic of the Imo State Governor. Mr. Uba, for his part, was arrested in 2023 for…
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, over the weekend, called on Nigerians not to be caught in the web of complaints but to always propagate the nation’s success stories, especially before the international community. The call was made during a one-day workshop organized in Awka by a team from the NOA national headquarters, Abuja, for management and staff of the Agency in Anambra State, held at Engr. Ebele Ofunneamaka Okeke Federal Secretariat Complex. The workshop has presentations on various topics, including the National Identity Project, the National Values Charter, the New National Anthem, the Nigerian Promise, the Citizens Codes, Institutionalization Policies,…
Over 600 residents of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State have benefitted from free medical services from the Onitsha Naval Outpost as part of efforts to foster civil-military relationships with host communities. The 2-day outreach, organised in collaboration with ACCU-Answer Limited and Chris Care Medical Services Limited included high blood pressure, high body temperature, high blood sugar, malaria, HIV, hepatitis B and C, uric acid levels, lipid profiles, prostate-specific antigen screening, free consultations and medications. Declaring the event open at Primary Healthcare Center, Odekpe, Commanding Officer of Naval Outpost Onitsha, Navy Captain Musa Jarma, said the outreach was part…
Members of the Okposieke family in Onitsha Ancient Kingdom on Friday, protested the alleged refusal of the Onitsha Sports Club to abide by a federal government’s order to release the land on which the facility is situated to the family. The legal tussle over the parcels of land located at G.R.A Onitsha, had lasted in court for over 12 years, with the Okposieke family going ahead to reclaim the lands, after the expiration of a 99-year lease. Earlier this year, members of the sports club had accused an indigene of Onitsha, Barr Harold Ekwerekwu of trying to forcefully eject them…
Labour Party senatorial aspirant for Anambra South Senatorial District Paul Orajiaka has vowed to address the insecurity challenges in his constituency if elected to the National Assembly. Anambra South Senatorial zone is one of the local government areas still under the sway of gunmen riding on the wings of freedom fighting to unleash mayhem on the residents. Despite the numerous efforts of the state government, there are usually no movements every Monday due to the sit-at-home forcefully declared in the area by the non-state actors. Orajiaka is also promising to revisit some of the bills initiated by the late Senator…
The youth wing of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide on Thursday expressed its support for rotating the Office of the President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, as provided in its constitution. Following the demise of the late President General of the group, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who hailed from Imo State, there have been internal wranglings among some of the ranks, hence the need for the youth group to voice their stand. The acting National Youth Leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, addressed journalists after the 57th National Executive Committee of the group, which was held in Enugu.…
The Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, has revealed that it recorded 366 incidents disrupting network services in Anambra alone between January and October 2024. The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, gave the statistics in a presentation titled ‘Catalyzing Innovation: Transforming Nigeria’s Technology Landscape’ During Day Three of the Anambra Innovation Week (AIW) at the International Conference Centre in Awka, Anambra State Capital. According to the NCC statistics, 130 of the 366 incidents were due to theft and vandalism, while 236 involved operators being denied access to tower sites. Dr Maida, who was represented…
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court finally ended the long-standing leadership dispute in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) by affirming Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa as the party’s authentic national chairman. The party’s leadership has been a subject of controversy for a very long time now, worsened by the recent recognition of Edozie Njoku as the party’s national Chairman by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. However, the Ezeokenwa faction, backed by Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo, proceeded to court to challenge the recognition. In a unanimous judgment, a five-member apex court panel held that Edozie Njoku was wrongly claiming the APGA chairmanship.…
Anambra State reaffirmed its position as a leader in digital innovation on Tuesday by hosting the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill Stakeholders Engagement. The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy organized the event at the International Conference Centre in Awka, Anambra State Capital. It brought together key government, industry, tech ecosystem, and civil society stakeholders to deliberate on the transformative National Digital Economy Bill. The National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill introduces groundbreaking provisions, such as the legal recognition of digital communications and electronic signatures, which promises to streamline governance and everyday transactions. The legislation aims to propel Nigeria…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, launched its Whistleblowing policy and procedure on Tuesday and unveiled the Corps’ Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) logo. NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi, while inaugurating and inducting officers of the ACTU during a two-day Training Program at the Ade Abolurin Auditorium, National Headquarters, Abuja, expressed his commitment to justifying the Corps’ existence. He said he aims to achieve this by bringing credibility and integrity into place to foster national development. Delivering a keynote address at the event, Dr Audi explained that this move would yield a transformative system that would encourage…
The need for proper profiling of members of the local vigilante outfits operating in Anambra State for effective community policing has been stressed. The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, made the call following the recent arrest of an armed man who claimed to be a member of the vigilante operatives. The suspect, who hails from the Ikono Area of Akwa Ibom State, was nabbed with a pump action rifle around the Nkwelle-Ezunaka area of Anambra State. He was reportedly arrested by police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Divisional Headquarters. Disclosing this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday,…
The need for proper profiling of members of the local vigilante outfits operating in Anambra State for effective community policing has been stressed. The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, made the call following the recent arrest of an armed man who claimed to be a member of the vigilante operatives. The suspect, who hails from the Ikono Area of Akwa Ibom State, was nabbed with a pump action rifle around the Nkwelle-Ezunaka area of Anambra State. He was reportedly arrested by police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Divisional Headquarters. Disclosing this in a statement issued to…
As the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women today, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stine Industries Ltd, producers of Anambra Rice, Chief Akai Egwuonwu, has called on victims of violence against women always to speak up and not to die in silence. November 25 annually is designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. According to the United Nations states, violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. The year’s theme for the celebration…
The Anambra State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), over the weekend, visited strategic places across the state as part of its activities to inaugurate its nationwide sensitization programme on the National Value Charter and New National Anthem. The Directorate visited strategic places in Awka, the state capital, including the popular Aroma junction, Nkwo Amaenyi, and Jerome Udoji Secretariat. During the visit, officials of the directorate took time to enlighten the people on the essence of the Value Charter and the National Anthem and the benefits of the new national development agenda. Addressing the mammoth crowd that assembled at…
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC has urged Nigerians to disregard the recent call by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for them to stop reporting human rights infractions and violations by police operatives on social media. The Executive Director of the RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma made the call during a town hall meeting on the Human Rights, the Police Act 2020 and other regulations, held in Enugu on Thursday. Recall that IGP Egbetokun had during the opening ceremony of the PPROs/Police Communication Experts’ Conference in Asaba tagged ‘Strengthening Nigeria Police Force Oversight and Accountability Mechanism’,…
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has urged German and other foreign investors to take opportunities of the investment-friendly climate and opportunities in Enugu State. Mbah made the call when he appeared as a guest of honour and speaker at a dinner hosted in Lagos by the Consul General of Germany, Weert Bomer, to mark the 34 years of the reunification of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1990. At the event, Mbah noted that what a unified Germany had achieved economically, politically, and socially stood as a bold indicator of the power…
As part of strategic steps to deepen knowledge of and achieve full implementation of the Police Act 2020, a non-governmental organization, the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria, PWAN on Thursday, organized a one-day Media Townhall Awareness on Human Rights, the Police Act and Regulations in Enugu. The town hall meeting, which attracted journalists from each of the five Southeast States, was organized with support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office. The Police Act 2020 was signed into law by former President Buhari in 2020, replacing the Colonial Police Act of 1943, and…
The National Population Commission (NPC) has the identified Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) study as an important health initiative that ultimately improves the lives of children and women. The Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State, Chidi Ezeoke, stated this on Thursday during the launch of the 2024 VASA Study in Awka. The study was designed to have a lasting impact on the well-being of mothers and children across the state. The VASA study is a method for determining the causes of death and social determinants of under-five mortality in children. It entails interviews with the next of kin or caregivers of…
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has hailed President Bola Tinubu for intervening timeously in the leadership crisis rocking the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. President Tinubu had on Wednesday ordered the Minister of Education to dissolve the institution’s governing council and remove its recently installed Vice Chancellor, Prof Benard Odoh, and the registrar. This is coming three days into a warning strike declared by the national body of the association to protest the exclusion of their members from contesting the position of Vice-Chancellor. The chairman of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital branch of the association,…
Two persons are feared killed at Izuchukwu junction, Nnobi/Nnewi road, following a shoot-out between security operatives in the area and a team of police operatives on another mission in the area. The heavy shooting rocked Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the State at about 7 pm last night, ahead of the proposed burial date of late Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented the Anambra South Senatorial Zone. The shooting also resulted in the setting ablaze of a vehicle, thereby creating panic in the area. It also generated insinuations among the residents, who attribute the gunfire to unknown…
In a bid to resolve the ongoing crisis rocking the University, President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, announced the immediate removal of Prof. Bernard Odoh as the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. The president also announced the immediate dissolution of the University led by Greg Mbadiwe, citing irregularities in the VC selection process. The removal was announced in a press release by the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday. According to the press release, signed by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the decision follows grave breaches of the university laws and disregard…
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, on Tuesday, at the floor of the State House of Assembly, presented an Appropriation Bill of six hundred and six billion, nine hundred and ninety-one million, eight hundred and forty-six thousand, one hundred and eighteen naira (N606,991,846,118) for Anambra State’s 2025 fiscal year. The budget estimate, ‘changing gears 2.0,’ represents a 48% increase on the 2024 budget of N410 billion. A further breakdown shows that Recurrent expenditure was put at N140 billion, accounting for 77% of the budget, while capital expenditure was N467 billion, accounting for 23%. The budget deficit is estimated at N148.3…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, says it neutralized over fifty Boko Haram terrorists, who on Monday laid an ambush against its monitoring team on inspection of the National Grid Installation located in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. A statement Wednesday by CSC Babawale Afolabi, the NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, made the disclosure. However, the statement said about seven NSCDC operatives are currently missing in action, while a few others sustained injuries. The incident was said to have occurred at about 15.40 hours when the convoy of the special monitoring squad comprising 9 Officers and…
A rights activist based in Anambra State, Comrade Osita Obi, says the present leadership of the State Police Command appears incompetent and incapable of handling the growing insecurity across the state. He is asking the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately redeploy the State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, from the state, alleging that he has proven to lack ideas to tackle the state’s security challenges. Obi’s comments come against the background of the spate of killings across parts of the state in recent times. Last month, over 16 persons were shot and killed at…
Anambra State Government, through the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, ANSPHCDA, has commenced the second phase of the integrated measles immunization campaign, which is targeted at covering four Local Government Areas affected by the flood. The second phase, which started on November 16, 2024, and will end on November 26, covers Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, and Ayamelum LGAs. The campaign is a bi-annual event implemented by 24 states of the federation. Its goal is to immunize children nine to fifty-nine months with a potent measles vaccine. Speaking with our correspondent in Awka, Mrs Edith Onwuka, the State Immunization Officer, SIO,…
Yet-to-be-identified gunmen allegedly enforcing the Monday sit-at-home, on Monday, opened fire on some residents and security operatives in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area, and Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The heavily armed gunmen were said to have arrived at the Abatete community at about 8:30 am. They opened fire on some residents before proceeding to the Ukpo Roundabout, where they also opened fire on many people, including some members of the Anambra State Vigilante Operatives. It was gathered that the ferocious men also set ablaze some vehicles of the vigilante operatives, and killed at least two of the vigilante men, among…
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy, and Development (FENRAD), a prominent advocacy group in Abia State, has condemned the killing of two Nigerian soldiers along the Owerri-Umuahia expressway by suspected members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the alleged armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). In a viral video, the gunmen were seen removing the roadblocks mounted by the soldiers after killing the two persons. They also warned the State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to refrain from mounting the roadblocks anywhere in the state. In a statement released over the weekend by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson…
Twelve secondary schools in Anambra State over the weekend participated in the 2024 Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Nnamdi Azikiwe University Coding and Robotics competition. The competition, held at the NEEDS Assessment building, Faculty of Engineering, UNIZIK, witnessed a display of exceptional skills, ingenuity and creativity by the schools, with two students representing each school. Bubendorff Memorial Grammer School, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state at the end of the exercise emerged top, while UNIZIK High School, Awka beat Lorreto Special Science School, Adazi-Nnukwu to secure second position. Speaking during the event, the Chairman, Post Primary School Service Commission…
The Enugu State Police Command, over the weekend, paraded two members of a daredevil robbery gang behind the killing of the Chairman of the Ogbete Main Market Traders Association, OMMATA, Enugu, Chief Stephen Aniagu on 14th September 2024. The suspects, Chukwudi Aboshi, a 28-year-old native of Anike in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and Ani Innocent Ebuka (a.k.a. Excellent), a driver and native of Isigwe-Ugbawka in Nkanu East Local Government Area, who also confessed to the crime in their interaction with journalists, were paraded at a press briefing by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Daniel Ndukwe.…