NIGERIAN NOTCH

Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team  of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau FIB-IRT have arrested four suspected members of a kidnap syndicate that abducted wife of a popular  Rivers-based businessman, eight months ago. The woman, Mrs Hussana Adamu, was on her way to drop her children at school when the armed  kidnappers intercepted her near Casablanca Club , Government Reserved Area , Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They dragged her out of her car and ordered  her into their operational vehicle before  zooming  off, with haze of dust billowing . She was released a week later, after payment of N20 million ransom. Arrests Acting on credible information, DCP Tunji Disu- led team arrested four of the suspects: Isiaka Hamidu, 30, who hails  from Adamawa State;  Nwasaneo Goodluck , 34 ; Victor Nwidee,  29 and ThankGod Bariledun , 36 , all from  Khana Local Government  Area .of Rivers State. The prime suspect, Isiaka Hamidu...

Revelations have emerged as to how candidates from the South South and South East geopolitical zones of the country who sat for the computer-based test for the 9th regular course of the Nigeria Police Academy in Wudil local government area of Kano State , were schemed out of the admission list. It was however gathered that contrary to claims that the Nigeria Police College concealed their admission lists to deprive the South-south region of its quota, the candidates were schemed out by their state governments and lawmakers who substituted them with candidates of their choice. A source at the Police Academy confirmed that the frustrated candidates actually got text messages and emails notifying them of their entrance exam into the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano. The source, a senior official in the ITC unit of the academy who did not want his name on  print, told our source that the dreams of the candidates were however cut short by their state governors and lawmakers who substitute...

The Commissioner for Budget & Economic Planning, Ms Chiamaka Nnake has urged ndi Anambra to watch out for the 2023 budget which shall focus on key deliverable projects. In company with her was the Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu and Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Aburime. The 2023 proposed budget is at a sum of N258,984,875,905 approximately at N259 billion. This is compared to the revised 2022 budget of N169.6 billion. The capital expenditure increased by 51.1% from N108.2 billion in the 2022 revised budget to N163.5 billion. While the recurrent expenditure increased by 55.6% from N61.4 billion to N95.5 billion in the 2023 proposed estimate. Every budget has its capital and recurrent. The capital expenditure accounts for 63.1% of the budget size while the recurrent accounts for 36.9% of the budget size. Key infrastructural projects account for 55.4% of the capital expenditure and 35% of the entire budget size. The composition of recurrent budget include...

The release of one Timothy Alua, a 24 year-old artisan from the Aguata Correctional Facility, on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, elicited wild jubilation as the young inmate went uncontrollably wide, when the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, struct out his case, and discharged him. Alua, from Owerri in Imo State, was released after awaiting trial for 5 years and 8 months, but the state Chief Judge, who was in the Correctional Facility to perform the 2022 jail delivery exercise. When he was discharged, Alua ran out from the court, removed his shirt, and flung it in the air; a development that elicited jubilation and celebration among other inmates. The drama lasted for about ten minutes, before it was brought under control. The young man, held since 2017,  for allegedly stealing a handset, was discharged by the CJ for lack of diligent prosecution. The CJ directed the Controller of Corrections to release him to his people, and subsequently charged the young art...

The Equatorial Guinea authorities have handed over the vessel MT Heroic Idun and it’s 26 foreign crew members which was involved in oil theft to Nigerian Navy for further investigations. The Nigerian Navy factsheet released by the Director Information Naval Headquarters Commodore Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan on Thursday said the ship had paid sizable fine to Equatorial Guinea authorities for sailing without hoisting it’s official flag. The vessel which evaded arrest on 8 August 2022 and raised false alarm of piracy attack in Nigeria waters will be brought back to Nigeria to clear any misconceptions about its involvement in oil theft. According to the document, the vessel entered Nigerian waters, specifically the Akpo Oilfield, deep offshore Bonny, a joint venture operated by Total Energies EP, to load crude oil at about midnight on 7th August 2022. However, the vessel was accosted by a Nigerian Navy (NN) ship on patrol on 8th August 2022 (shortly after midnight) for not having due NN...

There are strong indications that former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (rtd) may wade into the crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP). It was gathered that the former Nigerian leader will be holding a closed-door meeting with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and aggrieved five governors of the party otherwise known as G-5 in Minna, the Niger State capital on Friday. The meeting is coming barely three days after IBB also received the presidential candidate of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his team at his hilltop residence in Minna. Sources hinted that the recent move at reconciliation leveraging on the outreach of IBB may have been powered by a former senior military intelligence officer and some interest groups from the North supporting the Atiku Presidency. Meanwhile, in a related development, the PDP presidential candidate has reacted to the statement credited to...

....RECEIVES RELIEF MATERIALS DONATED BY SIR EMEKA OFFOR FOUNDATION FOR ANAMBRA FLOOD VICTIMS. By Christian ABURIME Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has called on the federal government to engage more proactive measures against the perennial flooding in the Country. Governor Soludo made the call while recieving relief materials donated in favour of flood displaced persons in the state by Sir Emeka Offor Foundation. The materials were recieved at the State Emergency Management Agency Office in Awka. In addition to the donation of N2.5 Million which has already been distributed to the displaced persons, the foundation also donated 600 Bags of 50Kg rice, 60 Bags of 50Kg Beans, 60 Bags of 50Kg Garri, 500 pieces of 3feet, 6inches mattresses, 500 cartons of Ndomie Noodles, 600 Tubers of Yam, 50 cartons of Tomatoes, 30 cartons of Bathing Soap, 30 cartons of washing soap, 30 Jerrycans of palmoil, 30 cartons of Milo Beverage, 30 cartons of milk, 50 Jerrycans of Veget...

  Governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has said alleged investment of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in Anambra state government is worth next to nothing presently.   Soludo made this assertion in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday. When asked his perspective on government investing outside the public sector with reference to Obi as former governor in Anambra, Soludo simply said, “I don’t know about the investment.” “Our interview is about the 2023 budget. I’m not talking about investments of any of my predecessors. By the way the one that you talked about I don’t know about that. I think there was something I read  about, on somebody speculating about whatever investment. With what I’ve seen today, the value of those investments is worth next to nothing. So, let’s leave that aside,” he added. Meanwhile, Soludo said more than 5,000 in the state will get their employment letter in few days.  He s...

Please find below the full text of address and Budget presentation by Governor Soludo to the Anambra State House of Assembly, Thursday, November 10, 2022 AN ADDRESS TO THE ANAMBRA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT 2023 STATE BUDGET By Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR Governor of Anambra State  PROTOCOL Umu nne m Ndi Anambra! On May 19, 2022, I was here to present the draft revised 2022 budget entitled “Taking Off from the Blocks”, which this honourable House of Assembly scrutinized and ¹graciously passed into law. Barely seven months since Ndi Anambra employed me as the chief servant, I am honoured to be here again to present another budget--- the draft 2023 budget estimates.   Let us pause at this moment to remember our fallen colleagues and great sons of Anambra. Over the past six months, this House has lost two of its members and illustrious sons of Anambra state namely: Hon Okechukwu Okoye (and his assistant, Mr. Cyril Chie...

Eight Nigerian-Americans in Georgia State in the United States (US) have won seats in the country’s midterm elections. The winners are Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, and Phil Olaleye who won their legislative seats as state representatives in their districts. Similarly, Carol Kazeem won the Pennsylvania State Representative in District 159, Esther Agbaje was re-elected as Minnesota State Representative in District 59B, while Dr. Oye Owolewa was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (Shadow Representative) in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winners in the polls. The president wished successful tenure in office  In a statement issued by his media aide, Femi Adesina, the president thanked them for their invaluable support and partnerships, over the years, with groups affiliated with the ideals and objectives of Nigerians in Diaspora associations in the United States. Also, the chairman of the Nigerians i...

The YPP flag-bearer for Aguata II state constituency Comrade Afamefuna Ezeife Ezeonyenwe has called on government to empower the youths towards being self reliant through science and technology as the United Nations celebrate international Week of Science and Peace. He made the call in an address released by his media office yesterday.  He said, " for peace to reign government should key into empowering the youths through science and technology, because that is the surest way to ensure peace in the country"  "Over the years, my interactions with our youths has shown that none of them wants to engage in crime, or it's related activities, but the problem over the years has been that our youths have not embraced science and technology in solving most of our common problems" He called on the government of Anambra state to look inwards and ensure that priority is giving to the learning of science and technology in Anambra schools.  The International Week of Science a...

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has admitted that he is very much connected to the G5 governors of the PDP. He made this statement when the governor's paid him a scheduled visit in Bauchi.  “As for the G5 Governors, I always joke with them that I’m a G1, but I’m inexorably connected with them. We have always been together and you know, Governors Wike, Ortom, Okezie, and Ifeanyi – they have been here several times and I have been going to them. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has however admitted that he wrote a letter to the PDP when he found out that members working against him as a leader and first term governor looking for a second term in office. Mohammed explained that he wrote the letter with all honesty, sincerity and deep sense of fidelity which, according to him, made the party invite him to discuss with the party’s presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, to clear some grey areas. Bala Mohammed explained that he did not personally write the said letter to the part...

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said the ‘integrity governors’ of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), popularly known as the G-5, are still open for reconciliation. He said the stance was because of the conviction that every critical stakeholder in the party needed to be on board to ensure electoral victory for the party in 2023. Wike spoke yesterday in Bauchi when he led the five PDP governors on a solidarity visit to the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. Wike said the doors of reconciliation in the ongoing leadership crisis within the rank and file of the PDP were still open to negotiations. “I have said it several times that we are ready for reconciliation; we have never closed the door for reconciliation. All we are asking for is equity, fairness and justice, and that is the hallmark PDP stands for.” Wike, who was fielding reporters’ questions in Bauchi yesterday shortly after a closed-door meeting between the G5 governors and Governor Bala Mohammed, reiterated, “Al...

Indications have emerged that former president Goodluck Jonathan may be called upon to intervene in the face-off between the five opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. It was learnt yesterday that some party leaders were mulling a high-powered meeting with Jonathan following the intractable crisis. It was gathered that the plan to meet with Jonathan followed the recent outburst by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, who accused Atiku of unfair treatment. The move to seek Jonathan’s intervention on the matter, it was learnt, was against the backdrop that the key aggrieved governors were his political scions who worked under him as federal ministers. While the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, worked as minister of Education under Jonathan’s presidency, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom were minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and minister of state Trade and Inves...

Hon (Engr.) Chris Obiora has been inaugurated as the new caretaker chairman of Nnewi North LGA of Anambra State.  Hon. Obiora was appointed by Governor Charles Soludo in August, 2022, and his appointment was ratified by the Anambra State House of Assembly last Thursday, before his inauguration at the Nnewi North Council Secretariat, in Nnewi yesterday. While handing over the council documents to the new chairman, the Head of Local Government Administration, Mr. Anthony Chidokwe, congratulated him, and encouraged him to do his best to protray the goodwill bestowed upon him and not to betray Governor Charles Soludo's trust in appointing him. He however advised him to carry everyone along in the administration of the council - saying that two good heads are better than one. In his acceptance speech, the  new TC chairman assured that by the end of his tenure, the council area will be positively transformed far better than the way he met it. Hon Obiora, who stressed that Nnewi as t...

A midday explosion rocked Ogbogwu International Market Bridge Head Onitsha, which has claimed many lives while destroying goods worth millions of naira.  Over 5 people were reportedly killed by the explosion, while many others sustained various degrees of injury during the inferno. Many have been rushed to the nearby White Chapel Hospital, Uzodinma Street, Fegge Onitsha South LGA, while others where refered to Nnamdi Azikiwe Hospital Nnewi (NAUTH) Anambra state. The inferno, which started at about 12noon on Tuesday, November 8, destroyed goods and buildings worth over N10 billion; according to a trader in the market, Mr Amobi Okanume. Okanume, who said that the cause of the fire was unknown, said it was the first time the market was suffering fire disaster. The cause of the inferno, which affected a section of the market, is yet to be ascertained although many of the traders suspect that it was a bomb explosion while others said it was as a result of chemical reactions.  Direc...

In what appeared to be a formal flag-off of the campaign against their party’s candidate, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, and other G5 governors yesterday launched a political offensive against the presidential flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Wike, his Abia, Oyo, Enugu and Benue counterparts, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Samuel Ortom, declared that the efforts to break their ranks were failing because they are bonded to save Nigeria. They spoke on Sunday night during a dinner organised in honour of the G-5 by Governor Ortom at the new banquet hall of Government House, Makurdi. High point of the dinner, which many consider as a kick-off of the campaign against their own party and candidate, was the bestowing of Honorary Citizen’s Status on his colleagues by the host, Ortom. Speaking at the event, Wike said nobody can break the ranks of the five PDP governors (G5) who have continued to insist on the resignation of the party’s national c...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refused to publicise the audited reports of political parties’ campaign funds, which clearly shows that the commission is shielding parties in the country. Three years since the last general elections and exactly 110 days to the 2023 general election, the Commission is yet to publish the expenditures of political parties. This is clearly in defiance of the new Electoral Act. INEC had earlier established that the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) and the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spent at least three times more than what the law permitted them in the last general election. INEC, through tracking and monitoring, established that the APC spent N4.6 billion (N4,620,144,784) while the PDP spent N3.3 billion (N3,282,206,642) on the last presidential election on billboards, print media advertisements, electronic media advertisements, and coverage (musical performances) during the polls. However, they did ...

THE Presidential candidates of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi; New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Chief Kola Abiola; and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who was represented by his Running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, outlined measures they would take to tackle insecurity and reshape the economy, if elected. They spoke at a town hall series with presidential candidates in Abuja organised the Arise Television/Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD in partnership with  Vanguard Newspapers,  Premium Times, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE and Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ. Yesterday’s meeting was on security and economy. Before the series began supporters of Atiku-Okowa and those of the LP and the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu locked in a hot exchange over representation.  Obi’s supporters protested against Okowa standing ...

As Nnewi Community In Abuja Bestows Him With Award Of Excellence Appreciates The Senator For Making Nnewi People Proud With His Giant Strides In Anambra South Senatorial District Yesterday being 5th of November 2022, marked a beehive of activities as Nnewi People from all walks of life assembled at the NAF conference centre ,Kado ,Abuja , to give awards to some.of their illustrious sons as well as unveil the proposed building of a befitting edifice to be called Nnewi House in Abuja. The event tagged the 750 Million Naira Nnewi House Fundraising Dinner And Award Night , was organised by the Nnewi community meeting in Abuja and chaired by Professor Kingsley Moghalu with Professor ABC Nwosu as the Guest Speaker.  In his welcome speech at the Occasion, the Chairman of the Nnewi Community meeting in Abuja ,Architect Ede Ikeotuonye said that Nnewi as a town is long over due to have a befitting building in the Nation's capital ,Abuja.  The Guest Speaker, Professor ABC Nwosu during hi...