NIGERIAN NOTCH

The Omenma 1 of Ohaji Oil Kingdom, His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma has stated his intentions to continue to bring development to the people of Ohaji and its environs. Governor Uzodimma disclosed this at the Iri Ji Ohaji Festival, where he was decorated by the Traditional Rulers in Ohaji with a Chieftaincy title of Omenma 1 in recognition of his friendly ties with the people of Ohaji. Speaking after his decoration, the Governor assured Ndi Ohaji of good tidings that his good doings will bring towards the development of Ohaji. “I have come to make electricity, roads, hospitals and other infrastructures work in Ohaji. The Governor further called for the continued support of Ndi Ohaji to his administration for the State Government to actualize all it has mapped out to achieve for the interest of the State and shun violence. Speaking earlier, one of the illustrious sons of Ohaji, the CEO, Imo State Oil Producing Development Commission, (ISOPADEC), Chief Charles Orie, comm...

Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Anambra State in collaboration with Anambra State Traditional Medicine Board members and ex-officials of the Board have raised alarm over alleged extortion of about two hundred million Naira from its  licensed members by a fake medical practitioner, Daniel Ejie. They alleged that Ejie is neither a Medical Doctor nor a Traditional Medicine Practitioner which he claims to be, but operates from the office of former SA on indigenous medicine and Herbal Practice to the immediate past Governor.  Addressing journalists in a press conference in Awka, yesterday, Chairman Peace and Conflict Resolution, Anambra state Traditional Medicine practitioners, Abada Benson and  Secretary of the association, Chief Patrick Ihionu, alleged that Ejie has collected about two hundred million naira (N200,000,000) from the practitioners without given account to the government or even to the Traditional Medicine Board. They also alleged that Ejie inaugurated a f...

  The 2022 flood tells a sad story it is a tragedy with a complex plot with themes of displacement, hunger, and scarcity. In it are sub-themes of death, negligence, and fecklessness every victim with his own story, and every community their tales and narratives detailing their plight. Citizens in affected areas live in uncertainty, despair, and fear, while a few struggle to hope and display love and compassion amid adversity.  According to reports, about 603 people have died, and more than 1.3 million have been displaced, while over 108,393 hectares of farmlands have been destroyed across the country. Some flood-affected states include Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Jigawa, Benue, and Borno. This year’s flood is believed to be the worst that Nigeria has experienced in decades, as it has created humanitarian crises and compounded economic challenges in the affected areas. Some communities are  inaccessible and cut off from goods and services.  In f...

The Department of State Services (DSS) has said there was no joint sting operation with the United States Army in Trademore Estate, Abuja as was been reported in some sections of the media, stressing that there was no collaboration with any foreign military for that matter. Spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said yesterday that the clarification became important following the continued peddling of the wrong information for some days now. Speaking on the reported bomb discovery in Abuja, the DSS spokesman also said there was no threat of bomb attack in Abuja as being reported within last one week and no bomb was discovered with the operations in the last one week. Following the security alert by the U.S. Embassy to its citizens in Abuja on a planned terrorist attack, the DSS had called on citizens to be at alert and remain calm. The U.S. Embassy had issued security alert to its citizens on October 23, noting that there were impending terrorist attacks on public places in Abuja. Pa...

The Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA) has unanimously expressed gratitude to His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as they held their plenary in the newly reconstructed state-of-the-art Assembly Complex. According to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Barr. Anthony Emeka Nduka, the overhauling of the entire edifice came with unusual classic and digitalized  artistic Hallow Chamber offering efficiency, effectiveness and seamless legislative activities. Describing the Governor, the Speaker disclosed that it takes a legislator to understand a legislator which explains the commitment of huge resources in rebuilding the once dilapidated and scary House of Assembly Complex. In his remark, Member Representing Oguta State constituency who doubles as the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. (Barr.) Frank Ugbuoma recounted his ordeal in the dilapidated complex prior to evacuation: "Sincerely as a legislature, I remember the last time we sat here and the speed with which we were evacuated from thi...

 By Nwamkpa Modestus  Imo West (Orlu Zone) will on February 25, next year elect somebody  that will stand in for them by way of representation at the senate. Actually, anybody can be elected to represent a people but it is a different kattle of fish when a people want a representative that is classical and top notch. And this is where Sen Osita Izunaso comes in. Orlu zone, is the highest zone in Imo, South East  and among the biggest in the country. What USA is to the world, is what Orlu zone is to Imo state and South East. That is the zone with the highest number of LGAs in the entire South East geo political zone. The zone cannot afford to have anyhow person to represent her at the senate  because all eyes are the zone. Other zones are looking up to Orlu zone for direction and to show a good example. So this is where a man in the personage and gab of Sen. Osita Izunaso come in. This time is critical and the zone needs a notable voice and a  visible face n...

  In his resolve to ensure equal opportunity and  transparency in revenue streams, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo earlier today hosted a second public bid auction for revenue agents The event which took place at Government House, Awka was described as flying revenue streams by government. The revenue streams that were up for public bid include; Statewide Gaming and Lotto Fee Collection, Statewide Public Toilet and Convenient Tolls, Statewide Abbatoir Fees and Statewide Car Wash. Commenting on the essence of the bid, Governor Soludo said; "In a situation whereby the winner of the bid can't meet up with payment, the next in line will be called upon. "After the first public bid, people called on phone saying they are ready to pay two months in advance of what the winner was meant to pay. "But we are transparent and following the rules. For these revenue streams, 1st of November will be the effective commencement date.  "Winners have fro...

The federal government has expressed strong disapproval of the unverified security alert recently issued on Nigeria by certain embassies in the country. The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, condemned the act yesterday in Abuja at a ministerial panel of the ongoing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week. The minister also admonished Nigerian media outlets and social media personalities against spreading security alerts without verifying its authenticity and considering the consequences. The UK High Commission and US Embassy had issued a security alert on Sunday, warning that terrorists were targeting public spaces in Abuja, causing panic in the capital city. Mohammed was a panelist at the UNESCO session with the topic, “National Media and Information Literacy Frameworks, Sustaining Beyond Disinformation’’ moderated by Dr Tawfik Jelassi, assistant director-general, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO. Other discussants on the panel, according to the News Ag...

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, November 11, 2023, for the conduct of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States’ governorship elections. In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by INEC national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, he said the tenure of the incumbent governor of Imo State ends on 14th January, 2024 while those of Kogi and Bayelsa States end on 26th January, 2024 and 13th February, 2024 respectively. Okoye said at its weekly meeting held Tuesday, the commission approved the timetable and schedule of activities for the governorship elections. He said the decision was in fulfillment of the requirement of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which mandates INEC to publish the notice of election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the election proper. “Similarly, Sections 178(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 mandates the commission to conduct such e...

There seems to be no respite in the power sector as the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo, Osun state, responsible for all Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) grid operations monitoring and control within the transmission network, yesterday, instructed some power generation companies to reduce their generation to the national grid from 12 midnight till now. Findings reveal that the directive became necessary following load rejection by Distribution Companies (DisCos). Presently, many parts of Lagos have suffered power outage since yesterday. Confirming this development, the managing director/CEO of Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji, told our correspondent that the NCC had directed some generation companies to reduce their generation because of too much frequency. According to her, high frequency means that the electricity generated by the GenCos is much more than what can be taken by the distribution companies. So while generation is high , the distr...

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and the leader of the Obidient Movement, Peter Obi has given the reason why it appears his supporters and members of the movement are angry and combative. “My followers and supporters known as Obidient Movement are made up of Nigerians who are very angry and furious over the pitiable state of their country and want an immediate change.” The LP flag-bearer in the 2023 Presidential election  said while fielding questions from Arise Television anchor team yesterday on the aggressive attitude of his supporters, that some dubious social media persons are hired by opponents to distort and discredit the mission of the movement, but noted however, that some are genuinely reacting to the deplorable state of affairs in the country. “We are aware of infiltration by opponents just to discredit but some are genuinely angry and distressed at the situation of things in the country. All I do is to appeal to them.” The former Anambra State governor who pa...

President Muhammadu Buhari and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have decried the role of fake news and misinformation, saying they have been used to aggravate conflicts and crises, exacerbate insecurity, distort government efforts, fuel apprehension among the citizens and create distrust between the governments and their people. Buhari said it was evident in Nigerian societies that getting reliable information is a constant battle, adding that media practitioners and stakeholders within the sector face the clear and present danger of misinformation. He stated this at the high-level opening session of the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2022 with the theme: “Nurturing Trust, a Media and Information Literacy Imperative”. The president, however, stressed the need to confront the challenges of rising misinformation and hate speech. He said Nigerians must come together to defend freedom of speech while upholding other values that ...

Whatever hope that would have been left that Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, would have a rethink and file behind his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2023 polls was finally dashed yesterday. Wike declared yesterday that he will not campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer because he did not consult him before picking members of his campaign council from the state. He explained that Atiku’s photos and those of PDP national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, are missing in the party’s campaign materials in the state because they don’t want him to campaign for the party at the national level. Wike who spoke yesterday during the inauguration of the PDP state campaign council in Port Harcourt said the party’s presidential candidate selected those he described as “enemies of Rivers State” into his campaign council for the 2023 general election. The governor said, “Some people have asked me why they don’t see the presidential candidate’s ...

 …Demands Upward Review of Salaries   An Abuja-based legal practitioner Barrister Chima Anthony- Odiuko has called for an upward review of the salaries of civil servants at all levels in nigeria. Chief Anthony Odiuko who is the All progressives grand alliance,APGA Senatorial Candidate for Owerri zone in the 2023 election, made the call in an interview with newsmen in owerri. The Owerri zone APGA Senatorial Candidate, recalled that the last salary review for Nigerian civil servants was done in 2009. They lawyer who explained that salary review is different from minimum wage, regretted that there has not been any salary increase in the last thirteen years outside the implementation of the national minimum wage. He lamented that economic challenges had eroded the purchasing power of the workers that the ‘thirty thousand naira minimum wage’ is no longer enough for them to take care of their basic needs A bag of rice which was once sold at seven thousand naira is now sold at thirty...

  The Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs Mr. Collins Nwabunwanne has flagged off the 30 days skill acquisition training  and empowerment programme organized for 150 women of Idemmili South in the local government headquarters Ojoto. In his speech, he congratulated the transitional chairman of Idemmili South local government area Mrs. Amaka Obi for imbibing governor Soludo's fearless and courageous attitude to work by starting this skill acquisition training. He enjoined the students not to relent in adding up natural spices like character, good manner of approach to customers, smiles, taking of calls with utmost respect, good inter personal communication to customers in their businesses to help it grow rapidly. "The money you are given at the end of the training exercise to start up your businesses will grow well in the business when you add humility, honesty and zeal to your business attitude." Mr. Nwabunwanne said. He admonished the students not t...

  …suggests weapons enter nation through over 1, 000 illegal routes   •Speaks on the B/Haram mistake: Some people thought it was a northern problem   •Blames train attack, Kuje Prisons’ raid on poor response to emergencies   •‘ The problem with Amotekun , other regional outfits bearing arms’   •Says combating insurgents no easy task   …with 200, 000 soldiers     Lt Gen Abdulrahman B. Dambazau  ( rtd ) had a robust service in the Nigerian armed forces culminating in his appointment as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in August 2008. Dambazau disengaged from the military in September 2010.   After his disengagement, he joined the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011 and became its Director, Security for the presidential election same year. In 2014, he joined then mega opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and was subsequently appointed the APC Director, Security, APC Presidential ...