NIGERIAN NOTCH

Prominent leaders of Okigwe in Imo North senatorial zone in Imo State have disown the results of the February 23, 2019 senatorial election as well as the March 9, 2019 senatorial re-run election in the zone, saying that only total cancellation of the results would assuage the people of the zone. They said that there was under-hand arrangement allegedly perpetrated by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its cohorts during the elections. The spokesman of the Okigwe leaders, Chief Athan Anyanwu yesterday said that INEC had made itself a laughing stock in the elections with three conflicting results emanating from one election. They alleged that one of the results showed Senator Ben Uwajumogu of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, while another result in the INEC official website shows Attorney Charles Onyirimba of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the winner with yet a third result indicating Mr. Ndubuisi Emenike of Action Allianc...

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advised mothers to embrace six months exclusive breastfeeding of newborns for optimal child growth and development. Dr Zakari Adam, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, gave the advice on Wednesday in Akwanga at the opening of a six-day capacity building for 32 participants on Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling package. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six-days training was sponsored by UNICEF in collaboration with Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency in which participants were selected from the agency. Adam said that the training was aimed at equipping nutritional health personnel with skills for effective healthcare service delivery. He said that exclusive breast feeding was key to the development of the child, adding that it establishes early relationship between the mother, the family and the nation at large. Adam explained that exclusive breastfeeding was good for...

An advocacy group, Igbo Youth Assembly Worldwide (IYAW) yesterday urged   President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and   All Progressives Congress (APC) not to allow exclusion of the South-east from the top positions in the country, in the build up to the new government. They specifically advocated for the APC to zone Deputy Senate Presidency and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to the South-east zone as part of the administrations drive to ensure that all zones are carried along. They maintained that the South-east remains a major stakeholder in the Nigerian project and as such should be given a prime positions in this administration. They added that the zone gave the President and APC much more votes than in 2015, stressing that it shows that the people from the South-east, despite the seeming stranglehold the opposition party has over region, is ready to work with the President and his party. The President general of the IYAW, Ifeanyi Nwau...

The European Council and the Parliament have announced that after Brexit, UK citizens coming to the Schengen area for a short stay of 90 days in any 180 days should be granted visa free travel. The agreement, which was already confirmed by EU ambassadors on behalf of the Council on Tuesday, was approved by the European Parliament Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee on Wednesday. The text now needs to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.

Urges Nigerians to voluntarily declare foreign assets •FIRS targets N750 b from 55,000 millionaire tax defaulters •Tax Amnesty: We’ll make our position known— PDP  The Federal Government, yesterday, said it has approved tax amnesty and permanent waiver of criminal prosecution for owners of offshore assets who are willing to voluntarily declare them. The  Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who made the disclosure, said the immunity package would shield the owners from tax offences, penalties and interests concerning such declared offshore assets. Malami spoke at the unveiling ceremony of the Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme, VOARS, in Abuja. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked for time to study the rationale behind the Federal Government’s plan to grant tax amnesty to offshore asset owners, to respond appropriately.    This came as the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, said...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University chapter, on Wednesday resumed indefinite strike to press home its demands. ASUU strike The union had embarked on a strike in 2018 but suspended it when the Taraba government promised to meet its demands which included the payment of earned academic allowances from 2014 till date, and the provision of required infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning.  Dr Samuel Shikaa, the branch Chairman, and Dr Atando Agbu, the Secretary, in a statement shortly after the Executive Council Meeting with national officials in Jalingo, said that the teachers would remain at home until the demands were met. Shell, UBA sign $200m contractor support fund The union said that the law establishing the university, which specified adequate funding for the institution, had been abandoned by the state government. “Law no 4 of 2008 specified that five per cent of the state allocation, five per cent of the Local Government allocat...

A well known traditional doctor and community leader Chief Dr. Pius Okechukwu Eziadigiaku popularly called “Ezemuo” has called upon Ndi Igbo not to allow their rich culture and tradition to die because of Christianity and western civilization. He made the call at Alor while speaking with pressmen. Chief Eziadigiaku further stated that white men taught them strange culture and tradition which branded the age long Igbo cultural heritage as paganism and evil adding that during the era of our fore-fathers, they have rules and regulation otherwise known as (Nso-ala) which regulate the way and manner Igbo’s live their lifes during that period. He said "Let me make it very clear, it is since Igbo’s began to copy the white people in their way of life they started having pre matured deaths, madness and other kinds of evils in the land, it wasn’t so during the era of our fore fathers, he stressed. Chief Eziadigiaku disclosed, it is time for Igbo’s to go back to their root and bega...

PROTOCOLS. Mr Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me first give the glory of today to our Lord Jesus Christ as I welcome you to the inauguration of this very important committee. On 9th March this year, the people of Imo State voted overwhelmingly for us because they believe that we can give them good leadership. And with the elections over, the business of governance has to commence. Our people are eager, expectant and seem assured that we will be true to our words. I find this enthusiasm humbling and at the same time challenging. Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in the course of the campaign, we promised good governance while stimulating development in all sectors and across all the zones of our dear state. Having recognised that we cannot deliver on that promise without leveraging on the experiences, and expertise of the broadest possible diversity of Imo people, we are here today to inaugurate the transition committee that will help us...

The embattled governor of Imo state Owelle Rochas Okorocha , today President Buhari an official visit to felicitate with him on his re election for a second term in office . Nigerian Notch source at the presidency however  gathered that the governor's visit was not unconnected with the ongoing issues with his electoral mandate and speculations that EFCC will swoop on him soon. Some high ranking leaders of the party are angling for him to be finally expelled from the All Progressives Congress for his alleged anti -party activities in lmo state, by his support for AA, which they said put the party at a disadvantaged position during the last guber election in the state. Last weekend , Owelle Rochas Okorocha gwas seen in Lagos at the 67th colloquium celebration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu; National leader of the party who is believed to have the wand in resolving many of the challenges governor Okorocha is currently facing. Meanwhile , the issue of his certificate of return which is ...

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha CON, Governor- Elect, Imo State , has constituted a Transition Technical Committee. The Committee Members are as follows  Membership 1.      Dr. Ernest Ebi                                                Chairman 2.      Dr. Kema Chikwe                                          Vice Chairman 3.      Chinedu Okpaleke                                       Secretary Sectoral Sub-Committee Membership Projects Review Sub-Committee 1.      Dr. Chris Asoluka          -               Sub-Committee Chai...