Awka – The Federal Government on Monday, strongly condemned the recent gruesome murder of two policemen, warning that those who carried out the killings, videotaped their heinous act and circulated such will be apprehended and brought to justice. A video that went viral over the weekend showed where two policemen were killed and their heads cut off and kept on the road. The individuals in the video then began to comically price the body parts before eventually setting the body ablaze. The location of the incident was however not disclosed by the persons involved in the video. In a statement issued…
Author: Kenechukwu Ofomah
Asaba – The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday inaugurated the Professor Chike Edozien State Secretariat, Asaba, built by Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. The secretariat complex was named after the Asagba of Asaba and Nigeria’s oldest professor, Obi Prof. Chike Edozien. According to the Vice President, the new state-of-the-art Central Secretariat Complex built by Governor Okowa, was one of the governor’s legacies of inspirational and visionary leadership in Delta State. He said governments across the country must recognize the critical role of the civil service in boosting Internally-generated revenue and greater tax efficiency and as such, show commitment…
Awka – Mrs Charity Maduka, wife of Nigerian billionaire businessman, President and Chairman of the Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka is dead. According to close family sources, Mrs Maduka died on Sunday afternoon after suffering a stroke. Late Mrs Maduka was the Vice-president of the Coscharis Group since its inception as the co-owner of the company. Meanwhile Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano has commiserated with the Maduka family over the incident, describing her death as a huge loss. According to a statement on Monday by the governor, signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C-Don Adinuba, the…
Awka – A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Ilochi Okafor has advocated the abolition of security votes from Nigeria’s governance system, insisting that no political office holder enjoying the perquisites, truly means to fight corruption. Okafor, who is a Professor of Law gave the view in Awka, at a ceremony to mark the commencement of the 2021/2022 Legal Year in Anambra State. Security vote is a monthly allowance, secretly allocated to office holders for the sole purpose of funding security services, which runs into billions of naira and vary based on the level of security required by the individual…
Awka – The All Progressives Congress, APC in Anambra State over the weekend accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of being the brain behind the crisis which the state chapter of the party has been facing. Last week, some members of the party announced the suspension of the State Chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike. According to them, the announcement was after the state executive committee of the party met and passed a vote of no confidence on the state chairman. However in an exclusive chat with newsmen in Awka, Anambra State Capital, after a meeting…
A coalition of youth groups in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed their support for Mr Valentine Ozigbo, the party’s flag-bearer in the last governorship election. The coalition was reacting to a statement by a group led by one Chief P. U. Offorkansi, which attacked Ozigbo and other leaders of the PDP. According to the coalition’s conveners, Dr Justin Kingland and Engr. Kissinger Okoye, in a statement on Sunday, the culture of politicians using unknown persons to cast unjustifiable and unfounded aspersions at some of the Party’s nationally celebrated party leaders, is highly commendable. “We, a coalition of youth…
Azia Community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba over the alleged murder of a 20-year old girl, Miss Chidimma Ezeanochie by men of a Police Special Unit deployed from Awka to Orsumoghu on Thursday, 25th November, 2021. The deceased was said to have been shot at close range at Ogwumabiri, located along Orsumoghu – Azia road. The Azia-Mbosi-Orsumoghu area has been a major flashpoint in terms of killings by unknown gunmen, despite heavy deployment of security personnel to the areas at intervals. In the letter which was routed…
Anambra State Government has accused the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), of allegedly being behind the recent move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the state governor, Willie Obiano. The EFCC, had, in a letter, dated November 15 and addressed to the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), said it should be informed whenever Obiano is seen attempting to travel out of the country. Anambra State Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba, who spoke in an interview with TNC correspondent on Friday in Awka, described the EFCC’s action…
Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday announced the suspension of its state caretaker chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike. The party cited insubordination and disrespect to the office of President Muhammadu Buhari, as reasons for the suspension. Spokesperson of the committee and former Chief Whip of Anambra State House of Assembly, Barr Uchenna Okonkwo Okom in a briefing in Awka, said the decision was part of the resolution of state congress of all leaders and stakeholders to reposition the party. He said details of the reasons for their actions were contained in a concise petition submitted to…
No less than 8 persons on Thursday sustained varying degrees of injury while seventeen others came out unhurt in a multiple motor accident in Nteje, along Onitsha-Awka expressway, Anambra State. An eye witness said the crash which occurred at Abba junction around 8.35 am, involved three vehicles- a green colour tanker with Enugu registration number ENU 518 YS, a white bus with Anambra registration number BUU 72 Z and another red and white bus belonging to Star Sunny motors, with Registration number, AGU 289 ZL. The source said the truck driver while overtaking wrongfully, rammed into the oncoming vehicles on…
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank, has approved a new Water Strategy for 2021-2025, with the theme “Towards a Water-Secure Africa.” The five-year strategy, aims to increase water security in Africa, and to foster its sustainable, green and inclusive socio-economic growth and development. The strategy is expected to guide the Bank’s implementation of its Policy on Water, which it approved earlier this year. The Water Strategy’s four pillars underscore the importance of water and sanitation for socio-economic development namely- sustainability, resilience and inclusivity; food production and nutrition; and hydropower. Speaking on the development on Thursday, Dr. Beth…
Enugu – The leaders of the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), the Southeast Zone of the Civil Liberties Organization (Southeast CLO) and the Southeast Based Coalition of Democracy and Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs) are strongly calling for comprehensive investigations into the just conducted Anambra Governorship Election held on 6th and concluded on 9th November 2021. The Rights Groups are asking that such investigations must be hybrid or have national and international dimensions and centered on failures associated with BVAS machines, their handlers and despicable roles played by other stakeholders. The calls were made in a statement…
Awka – A human rights activist, Ayo Yinka has called on the members of the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry on ENDSARS to defend their reports amidst the recent comments by the federal government. On Tuesday, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed had said the recent report by Lagos panel is totally false and misleading, and not based on any fact or evidence but on fictitious information mostly from social media platforms. The Minister believes there is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to that can make the Federal Government change its stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on…
Awka – The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday, it is designing and running a Police Reform programme for the Nigeria Police Force, with support from the German government, through its Global Security Sector Reform Foundation (GS-F) Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba in a statement, said this was the reason for the visit by a high-level delegation of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, yesterday. At the meeting, the IGP was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Finance and Administration, DIG Sanusi Lemu, while…
Awka – The African Child Social Empowerment Center, ACSEC on Tuesday called on stakeholders in the society to work concertedly towards intensifying sensitization on rape and sexual abuse, to arrest the ugly trend and its menace to the society. The group made the call during a one- day campaign against rape and other sexual abuses in Awka, Anambra State Capital. The event which had as its theme, “Stop Rape Now”, climaxed with lectures at the auditorium of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. It had kickstarted with a sensitization walk within the school premises and environs, as participants bore placards with different inscriptions…
Awka – The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has described Monday’s killing of a soldier at Awommamma in Oru East local government area of the state, as regrettable, saying the soldier who was on a legitimate duty did not deserve to die such a gruesome death. Unconfirmed reports have it that about two soldiers were killed in the community, by unidentified individuals in a gruesome manner. The incident had allegedly angered soldiers who embarked on wanton destruction and indiscriminate burning of residential and business premises in the community. A viral video on Tuesday, showed many buildings on fire around…
Despite Anambra State Government’s warning that Mondays are not work free days in the state, government offices, banks and business premises were on Monday shut down across the state. It was gathered that a video of the heavily-armed pro-Biafra group, had surfaced late Sunday, warning Southeast residents to disregard the directive by government and stay indoors every Monday, until the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released from the custody of the DSS. The group had also threatened to deal with market leaders, government officials and community leaders who flout the sit-at-home order. TNC…
Awka – The All Progressives Congress, APC in Anambra State has described the reasons given by the Minority leader in the State House of Assembly, and member representing Ekwusigo State Constituency, Hon Onyebuchi Offor, for returning to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as untenable. Hon. Offor who had decamped to the APC in the build-up to the 2021 Anambra Governorship election, had last week, announced his return back to PDP, tagging the APC as hot and unaccomodating. But in a reaction to the development, the spokesperson of the Anambra APC, Okelo Madukaife accused the lawmaker of constantly being in the business…
Awka – Anambra State Government on Sunday, reminded all individuals and organizations in the state that Monday, November 22, 2021, is not a work-free day in the state. Mondays have been involuntarily observed as sit-at-home over the past four months in the state, following an order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to press home their demand for the release of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial for some charges in Abuja, brought by the federal administration. This involuntary action has continued despite the decision of the IPOB to call off the order, thereby crippling socio-economic activities…
Awka – The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), says the association is at a loss on the data or statistics used by the United States government in delisting Nigeria from the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) on religious freedom. CAN made this known in a press statement released Saturday and signed by its President, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle. Recall that the U.S government last week, removed Nigeria from its list of countries that violate religious freedom. The development was contained in a release conveyed by U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken. According to the CAN statement, the US…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he will consider releasing the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Buhari disclosed this when he received a group under the aegis of Highly Respected Igbo Greats, led by First Republic parliamentarian and Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, at State House, Abuja. According to Buhari, an unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, currently standing trial, runs contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers between the Executive and Judiciary, Addressing the 93-year-old statesman, Amaechi who led the delegation, the President said: “You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on…
The Member representing Ekwusigo Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Onyebuchi Offor on Thursday, announced his return to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Offor had in the build-up to the just-concluded Governorship election in Anambra State, defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. However, during the plenary yesterday at the statehouse of Assembly, the lawmaker who apologized for his earlier defection, said he is coming back to the PDP, less than two months after leaving the party. “You will recall that I had on the floor of this house, I decamped to APC. “There is an Igbo adage…
An unidentified female adult has been crushed to death in a fatal road traffic accident at Amansea junction by Hausa Market along the Awka-Enugu expressway. The incident which happened Thursday night involved a Toyota Hiace commercial bus with Anambra registration number FGG88YG and a Mercedes Truck with no registration number. According to an eyewitness report, the truck driver was carrying a container heading to Enugu when it fell on top of the driver headed towards Awka. Out of the seven persons involved in the crash, a female adult died, while 5 others were injured and one came out unhurt. Confirming…
The Enugu State Government says it is targeting 20 per cent of its entire population, representing 1,014,953 children under five years, for vaccination against wild poliovirus. Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this in Enugu during a sensitisation meeting with key stakeholders and partners on the forthcoming statewide mass polio vaccination. The exercise would kick-off on Thursday, November 18 and end on November 21. Ugwu noted that Enugu State does not have any case of wild polio but the exercise was to ensure no resurgence or suspected case According to him, the exercise…
The Disability Community in Anambra State is optimistic that State Governor, Willie Obiano will establish the Disability Rights Commission before the end of his tenure, to ensure the full implementation of the provisions of the Disability Rights Law in the state. The Special Adviser to Anambra Governor on Disability Matters, Barr Chuks Ezewuzie gave the optimism in Awka, in a briefing with newsmen on Wednesday. Recall that the Anambra Disability Rights Bill was passed into law and the state governor accented to it on the 18th of December, 2018. However, almost three years after, the Commission that will give life…
A frontline governorship hopeful in Delta state, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi has said the best of interest that played out for the Governor-elect of Anambra state, Prof. Charles Soludo, will be his lot during the governorship race of the state in 2023. Gbaji gave hope when he visited the State Working Committee (SWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Asaba, Delta State Capital. According to him, despite the vote-buying and the ‘might is right’ of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the will of the Anambra people prevailed. He said the will of the people who smiled on Soludo during the…
Senate on Tuesday had a disagreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), over spending of revenues made by SEC, largely on salaries and emoluments of staff of the Commission. The Senate Committee on Capital Market feels it is wrong for SEC to have expended close to 90% of revenues made in the 2021 fiscal year on staff salaries and emoluments. However, SEC on the other hand, denies being frivolous on spending. The disagreement followed presentations made by Director General of SEC, Yuguda Lamido, when he appeared before the Senate Committee to defend the 2021 budget performance and projections for…
Awka – Nigerian business mogul Valentine Ozigbo, the flag-bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the November governorship election in Anambra State, has extolled the leadership qualities of the first indigenous Governor-General and President of Nigeria, the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Ozigbo was speaking to TNC correspondent after the combined 9th and 10th Zik Lecture Series hosted by Senator Ben Ndi Obi on Tuesday, at the auditorium of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Ozigbo was a special guest at the event, which had in attendance, the widow of the late icon, Professor Uche Azikiwe and his son, Mr Uwakwe Azikiwe.…
Awka – Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Tuesday, said government at all levels must commit to reducing unemployment to be able to check rising insecurity in Nigeria. Okowa made the call when he received participants of Course 44 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, at Government House, Asaba. The theme of the Course 44 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, is “Enhancing National Security Through Socio-economic Development.” According to Okowa, the theme of the year’s study, was very apt considering the harm done to the economy by insecurity and poverty across the country. He…
Awka – Public offices were on Tuesday shut down across all parts of Anambra in compliance with the State Government’s declaration of Tuesday, November 16, 2021, as work-free day in honour of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president who was born on November 16, 1904. TNC Correspondent who went round parts of the state, reports that although no formal ceremonies were held to mark the celebration, government places and schools were closed. However, markets and private businesses were open to business. Anambra State Government has also called on the Federal Government to recognize the birthday of the Great Zik of Africa,…
