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Tag: Abia State

  • Abia APGA chieftain defects to APC

    Abia APGA chieftain defects to APC

    Mr Ifeanyi Ogbonna, a chieftain of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ogbonna stated this in a statement by his Media Director, Mr Chisom Ogbonna in Umuahia on Friday.

    He said that his decision was borne out of a deep conviction that the APC aligned more closely with his principles and aspirations.

    “Throughout our political journey, our commitment has always been to serve the best interests of our constituents.

    “We see this transition as a means to enhance our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of the people we represent.

    “The APC’s commitment to good governance, inclusivity, and sustainable development resonates strongly with our own principles.

    “As we embark on this new chapter, we extend our gratitude to our supporters who have been unwavering in their faith and dedication, we assure you that our commitment to your welfare and the development of our beloved state remains steadfast,” he said.

  • Police rescue 4 missing children, arrest abductors in Abia

    Police rescue 4 missing children, arrest abductors in Abia

    The Abia Police Command on Sunday says it has rescued all the four missing children allegedly stolen in Umuahia.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement to newsmen on Sunday.

    One of the mothers had earlier reported the alleged abduction by an unidentified tenant to the police on December 16.

    The children belonging to three different parents were identified as Joy Udoma (Female – three years), Ogbonna Udoma(Male – six years), Chioma Kingsley (Female – five years) and Miracle Ikechukwu (Female – five years).

    However, Chinaka stated that two of the children were rescued on  December 22, while another two were rescued on Sunday.

    She said that the police successfully apprehended one Ifeoma Abonyi, a 35-year-old female in Asaba, Delta State, who had been  identified as the hitherto unknown tenant responsible for the abduction of the four children.

    The PPRO revealed that a total of eight suspects, including five females and three males were currently helping with the investigation into the crime.

    According to her, three other persons suspected to be complicit in the crime are still at large.

    “We are intensifying efforts to ensure their arrest soonest.

    “Meanwhile, investigation is ongoing to determine the real status of six other children that were found in the custody of the arrested suspects.

    “This might entail the conduct of DNA tests, as some of the suspects are claiming that the children are their biological offspring,” she stated.

    Chinaka assured that the outcome of the investigation would be made open as soon as possible.

  • 197 ‘substandard’ private schools shut down in Abia

    197 ‘substandard’ private schools shut down in Abia

    The Abia Government has shut down 197 ‘substandard’ private schools  as part of its efforts to reform the education sector in the state.

    The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr Okey Kanu, said this when he addressed newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia on the outcome of Monday’s state Executive Council meeting.

    Kanu said that about 900 private schools in the state had so far been inspected in the ongoing inspection of private schools.

    He said that the exercise followed government’s resolve to improve the standard of education in the state.

    He also spoke on government’s plan to fix internal roads in the major cities of the state, saying that the Ministry of Works had been directed to undertake the task.

    Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that over 8,000 people had received free medicare under the ongoing free medical services offered by the State Government.

    She said that government had begun to retrofit the Cottage Hospital in Aba, in a bid to enhance its capacity, adding that it would soon be reopened to the public.

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Uzo Nwachukwu, said that the government had appointed Transition Committee Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen and Councillors for the 17 Local Government Councils.

    Nwachukwu said that individuals with the capacity to deliver the rebuilding agenda of the present administration were selected to do the job.

    He said that the TC members were entitled to a statutory six months tenure and that by reviewing the law, their tenure could be extended.

  • Death of toddler in Abia angers Senate

    Death of toddler in Abia angers Senate

    The Senate has urged the police to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of a toddler, Master David Udo, in a creche at a nursery school in Aba, Abia.

    This followed  the adoption of a motion on “Urgent need to mandate schools to locate their creche and nursery classes to ground floors of their high-rise buildings and implement safety protocols, by Sen. Adebule Oluranti (APC-Lagos) on Monday in Abuja.

    Presenting the motion, Oluranti said that Udo died on Oct. 24 after failing from a building at the Emerald International School Aba, Abia.

    She said that the incident brought to the fore the issue of safety in schools particularly for babies and toddlers in creche and nursery schools in Nigeria.

    “The ultimate is for investigations to cause state policy direction that will permanently prevent recurrence of these heinous accidents,” she said.

    She expressed concern that state policies or school operators and managers were expected to display duty of care and ensure that babies and toddlers under their care were properly monitored and prevented from falling off high-rise buildings in their premises.

    She said that the case of Udo was pathetic and heart-breaking that required the Senate to critically look into the safety issues and protocols in schools across the country, including school building and facilities design and arrangement.

    Sen.Victor Umeh (LP-Anambra) said the death of the toddler had exposed negligence in the systems by relevant authorities.

    ”What we are suffering in this country is lack of control and design approval.

    “We cannot build a house that will not pass building approval,building of schools must pass through the approval.”

    Umeh commended the sponsor of the motion, describing her as a nationalist, though from Lagos state, but sponsored a motion of  human interest that occurred in Abia.

    Sen Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) also called for proper design of school structures.

    Senate thereafter, observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased.

    Senate also urged the Federal and State Ministries of Education to enforce safety protocols in schools as enshrined in the National Policy on Safety, Security and violence-free Schools and lasting its implementation guidelines.

  • Why I run Abia state from home – Governor Otti

    Why I run Abia state from home – Governor Otti

    Abia state governor, Alex Otti, has given detailed information on reasons why he operates from home instead of the state government house.

    Otti said he’s working from home at the moment to cut cost of governance in the state.

    Otti stated this during the weekend when he received the global leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, led by Pastor Ted Wilson, who visited him in commemoration of the church’s centenary anniversary.

    The governor said  “Good governance starts with managing the cost of governance. If you’re not careful, the limited resources could be deployed to managing government rather than managing the governed.

    “At the time we came in, in May, we found out that we were going to spend a whole lot of money fixing the Governor’s Office. Luckily, we have facilities here (at home) and are able to run from here.

    “We will continue to do this until we have been able to deal with a lot of the hygiene problems, problems of health, problems of education and infrastructure, infrastructural decay, particularly in Aba, and a lot of the other hygiene problems we’re dealing with in the state.

    “By the time we are finished with that and we have some elbow room, then we can now face the Governor’s Office. It’s not a priority.”

    While reiterating that his administration is committed to positively touching the lives of the people of Abia State, Otti said the government had embarked on numerous infrastructural projects in every stratum of the state, aimed at enhancing the welfare of the populaces and engendering even development in all Abia areas.

  • Appeal Court verdict excites Abia LP Rep

    Appeal Court verdict excites Abia LP Rep

    Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia), has commended the judgement of the Appeal Court, siting in Lagos, for reversing the decision of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, which nullified his election as the elected representative for Isikwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State.

    The Tribunal had originally nullified Ogah’s election in September, citing alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, as the winner of the election.

    Onyejiocha is the incumbent Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

    Ogah’s reaction is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.

    Ogah commended the court for its forthrightness, adding that it would have amounted to a miscarriage of justice if the appellate court had upheld the decision of the tribunal.

    Ogah said the decision by the court of Appeal marks a significant turn of events in the political landscape of Abia State.

    Ogah, who reclaimed his seat as the elected representative for the constituency, commended his party and supporters for their unwavering commitment and loyalty, adding that he can now focus of providing the dividends of democracy to his people.

  • Labour Party alleges plan to frustrate Rep. Ogah’s appeal

    Labour Party alleges plan to frustrate Rep. Ogah’s appeal

    The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Obiora Ifog, has alleged plan to frustrate its candidate, Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia) case at the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos.

    Ifog, said in an open letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu by the leadership of the party on Friday in Abuja.

    He said Ogah of the Labour Party contested and won with a large margin, the Federal House of Representatives seat for Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, of Abia.

    He said his victory was annulled at the election Tribunal, hence the resolve to approach the Appellate Court.

    He said, “what played out on Oct. 19th was unbelievable, hence we call on you to nip the development in the bud to avoid a messy situation.

    “INEC had engaged a Senior Counsel, J.O. Asoluka (SAN), as its lawyers with a letter of authorisation to represent the commission.

    “But at the commencement of the hearing at the Appeal Court, another lawyer surfaced with another letter of authority to take over the case of the self same INEC.”

    This, according to him, is without prior notice to J.O Asoluka (SAN), that the new counsel had been engaged.

    He said the commssion also did not see any need to inform the plaintiff of the development as required by law.

    “When the matter came up, a squabble ensued between the two counsels as to who had the authority of INEC to represent it in the case.

    He said it had dawned on LP that the change of legal guard without properly notifying the interested parties was carefully orchestrated.

    According to him, we are raising this alarm because time is of essence, even though, the collaborators achieved their intentions as the appeal could not be heard and was adjourned.

    This, he said, was to enable INEC put its house in order and determine who of the two counsels, had her authority to represent her in the appeal.

    He said, we are therefore, using this platform to urge you to investigate the inglorious roles which the legal department of the commission was playing and sanction erring officials.

    He said the role of INEC in the matter was to defend the outcome of the election which it conducted and on which it declared Ogah as the duly-elected candidate

    He urged the commission to reject any semblance of compromise, adding that a few members should not be allowed to taint the integrity of the commission.

  • Abia Govt denies exiting Northerners in cattle market

    Abia Govt denies exiting Northerners in cattle market

    Abia Government on Monday said that it has not issued any quit notice order asking Hausa Community in the Lokpanta Cattle Market to leave the state.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Cmdr Macdonald Ubah Rtd, made this known during a press briefing  at the Government House, Umuahia.

    Ubah said that the information making the rounds that the government had asked the Hausa Community in the market to leave Abia could be best described as “spurious and untrue”.

    According to him, the government resolved to make the market a daily market for security reasons and therefore issued a seven days notice for people residing within the market to move out.

    Ubah said that the government’s decision was informed by  findings which showed that the market served as a rendezvous for the perpetrators of kidnappings in the area.

    He said that it had been observed that quite a number of kidnap incidents which had happened for over a year, took place around the Lokpanta-Umunneochi and Uturu axis of the state.

    Ubah said that the spate of kidnappings in Abia  became worrisome and the government began taking measures to either curtail or entirely stop its occurrence.

    He said that it was unfortunate that the cattle market leaders and traders had not carried themselves well as they had allowed criminals to infiltrate them and take over the market.

    “Every intel we have gotten concerning the kidnap incidents in the state points to the cattle market as it has been noticed that ransom is paid around the Lokpanta Cattle Market.

    “About two months ago, we went to the market and delivered a stern warning that government will not tolerate the market being a safe haven for  criminals and criminality.

    “They extended the market to the median of the road which they use to carry out their criminal activities.

    “So the first thing we did was to dismantle the market in the median and then three weeks ago we carried out a deliberate action of demolishing brothels numbering over 160 rooms and shanties in the market.

    “Arrests were made and monies in the neighbourhood of millions were recovered and investigations are ongoing,” he said.

    According to him, plans were underway to fence the market and make it a daily market for the main purpose for setting up the market to be actualised.

    He urged the citizenry to disregard the rumours about the sacking of the Hausa Community from the state, adding that it was the handiwork of mischief makers.

    Ubah said that the government had in a meeting with the cattle market leaders informed them of its decision to make the market a daily market adding that they said that notice was too short and  pleaded for more time.

    “It is surprising and very embarrassing to the government that they have turned around to say that we have driven them out.

    “This is spurious information and should be disregarded.

    “The position of the government is that the market will no longer be residential, because key performance indicators have shown that there have been no kidnap around that axis in the past six weeks, since we took all the measures we did.

    “So, it is untrue that we told them to leave, but it is the responsibility of the governor, who is also the chief security officer of  the state to ensure that the state is safe,” he said.

  • Abia: Governor’s aide denies plot to influence tribunal judgment

    Abia: Governor’s aide denies plot to influence tribunal judgment

    Abia Government has described the allegation that it is plotting to influence the judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in favour of Gov. Alex Otti as unfounded.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, made the denial at a news briefing at the Government House, Umuahia on Tuesday.

    A body, known as the National Coalition against Terrorism, alleged that the State Government had concluded plans to intimidate the Governorship Election Tribunal judges and influence the judgment, in favour of Otti.

    The tribunal had fixed Friday, October 6, for judgment in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the declaration of Otti as governor.

    In a similar vein, another organisation, called the Abia Youth Interest Group, alleged that Otti was using the state fund to sponsor the petition by the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s election.

    Reacting to the allegations, Ekeoma said they were weighty and capable of causing disaffection, insecurity as well as breakdown of law and order in the state.

    He, therefore, called on the relevant authorities and security agencies to use their good offices to thoroughly investigate the allegation levelled against the governor and government and bring the mischief makers to book.

    “The young men who organised these press conferences should be invited by security agencies to come and throw more light on their allegations to enable law enforcement agencies to carry out thorough investigation that could lead to the arrest of the culprits.

    “Otti’s position as Governor of Abia is a product of a nationally celebrated governorship election victory.

    “We consider it demeaning and a provocative blackmail for a group of hatchet men with zero stake in the Abia Project to spew gibberish that lowered the office of the governor and insult the sensibilities of our people,” Ekeoma said.

    He further said that it was unfortunate that these individuals resorted to “a strategy of deceit and destabilisation” to hinder the progress of Abia.

    “They should be exposed and punished for choosing the perfidious path that seeks to advance their selfish interest against the genuine interest of millions of innocent Abia citizens,” Ekeoma said.

  • SAD: Hoodlums kill Labour Party chieftain in Abia

    SAD: Hoodlums kill Labour Party chieftain in Abia

    The police command in Abia has confirmed the killing of a Labour Party (LP) chieftain in Uturu by suspected hoodlums.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, said this in a statement on Thursday in Aba.

    Chinaka said that the 70-year-old chieftain, Zachary Nmaduka also known as Power Zack M, hailed from Ezieke Akpukpa Uturu in Isiukwuato Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    He said that the deceased was violently attacked, shot, and beheaded by unidentified assailants at a drinking joint in Amelechi Akpukpa Community.

    “Upon receiving this distressing information, a joint team comprising police and army personnel was swiftly dispatched to the scene.

    “Tragically, they recovered Nmaduka’s lifeless body. Photographic evidence was captured at the scene, and the deceased’s remains were promptly evacuated and deposited at Marist Mortuary Uturu,” Chinaka said.

    The PPRO said investigation to unravel the killers of the LP chieftain was ongoing.