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Tag: Anambra

  • Mother, daughter fight dirty over boyfriend in Anambra

    Mother, daughter fight dirty over boyfriend in Anambra

    Nemesis has reportedly caught up with a woman and her daughter who tried to outsmart each other in their illicit relationship with the same man as they went into fisticuffs on Wednesday in the lover-boy’s apartment at Nkutaku Layout in Okpoko, a suburb of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    Information has it that the man, who is in his early 30s, is a boyfriend to the woman and usually patronises her restaurant at Ochanja market, near Onitsha, where her daughter also assists her mother to sell.

    According to a neighbour who had been following the dramatic battle for the lover boy, trouble started when the young lady in her early twenties began to succumb to love advances from the friendly customer simply identified as Oga Dubai.

    “She did not know that her mother and Oga Dubai were already dating secretly before he decided to switch to her,” the source who did not want his name mentioned in the print said.

    He continued: “The mother kept her calm initially thinking that it was mere friendly play.

    “But trouble started when on one of the man’s visits to the restaurant, the daughter rushed to him and embraced and kissed him.

    “Angered by her daughter’s provocative action, the mother warned her to behave herself in a good manner, but the daughter fired back that she was old enough to choose whom to love and that she loves Oga Dubai and would like to marry him if he eventually proposes to her.

    “After a brief exchange of words, the duo kept their cool and went home as if nothing happened.

    “Not ready to surrender her lover to her daughter, the woman decided to play the spoiler game on them.

    “Days later when the man invited her daughter to his house at Nkutaku layout Okpoko, her mother was already tipped off and she trailed her to the rendezvous for a showdown.

    “The daughter did not know that her mother was a regular visitor to the house and as such very familiar with co-tenants to the man.

    “So after about three hours after her daughter went to the man’s house, she decided to pay an unscheduled visit to the man.

    “On arrival, she made straight to the man’s apartment without greeting the co-tenants as usual whenever she came calling, ostensibly to get them in action.

    “After knocking, she pushed the door open and saw both unclad, with the daughter’s handbag hung on the wall.

    “The woman kept her calm and managed to hold herself until the man told her: ‘You are supposed to wait for someone to come and open the door for you before you come in.’”

    According to the witness, this infuriated the woman who raised her voice, accusing the man of sleeping with mother and daughter, swearing that she has cut their relationship and that the girl will not return to her house again, but will remain there in the man’s house.

    The source added: “As the heated argument ensued between the man and the mother, the daughter tried to sneak away, but unfortunately for her, the mother rushed outside and held her, dragging her back to the man’s house.

    “As the girl was trying to resist her mother, the mother started beating her up and calling her lover-boy snatcher.

    “As the beating became unbearable, the girl fought back and tore her mother’s clothes into shred, exposing her nakedness.”

    The timely intervention of on-lookers who rushed and separated them saved the situation and both headed home from different directions. while abusing each other, calling themselves ashewo (prostitute).

    A man who claimed to be one of the co-tenants of the lover boy also disclosed that the mother of the girl visits the man regularly and that the day of the fight was the first they saw the young girl.

    “The woman comes to our compound steady, we even think she is the wife to the man. Sometimes she will cook and fetch water and wash the man’s clothes,” he said.

  • Ndi-Anambra: Now is the time to Unleash Uche Onyeigbo

    Ndi-Anambra: Now is the time to Unleash Uche Onyeigbo

    By Chuks Nwune

    Uche Onyeigbo is that rare and special intelligence with which every Igbo predicts, discerns and decides. Uche Onyeigbo is the natural capacity of every Igbo to get it right and it has served them so well in business, relationship, academics, innovation and so on. This November, Uche Onyeigbo must serve Ndi Anambra in politics; it is time to put on Awụrụ Onyeigbo (our thinking cap).
    In the upcoming election, we have four candidates to watch – Emmanuel Andy Ubah (APC), Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP), Charles Chukwuma Soludo (APGA) and Valentine Ozigbo (PDP). Given all we have been through as Nigerians in general and Ndịigbo in particular, this is no time for business as usual. We need to get down to this matter as business, knowing our stuff and investing correctly. It is only when we understand Anambra as business that we may get it right. In this business, we have five crucial considerations to make our investment worth the while, Age, Competence, Compassion, Capacity, Religion and Party. We also need only one disposition in making the consideration SINCERITY.
    Age: Our candidates’ ages are as follows: Emmanuel Andy Ubah – 62, Patrick IfeanyiUbah – 49, Charles Chukwuma Soludo – 60 and Valentine Chineto Ozigbo – 50. It is not rocket science to know that productive age for humans is between 40 and 60 years, that’s why people retire at 60 (Nigeria’s 65, 70, 75 is the same lie and corruption for which things are not working). This means that two candidates (Emmanuel Andy Ubah and Charles Chukwuma Soludo) are, by their age, plunging into productive decline already, while two (Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah and Valentine Ozigbo) will still be in the productive age bracket in the next ten years. Therefore, Emmanuel Andy Ubah and Charles Chukwuma Soludo in sincerity should retire. Anambra needs a PRODUCTIVE governor. The incumbent is a case in point. In his early 60’s the task of governing the state already weighs him down and overwhelms his aging mind.
    Competence: This can be measured with career path and achievements considering that we are choosing a GOVERNOR, in other words the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the state. In this criterion you can rate our candidates in this sequence: 1st – Valentine Ozigbo, 2nd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 3rd – Charles Chukwuma Soludo and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah. Why? Valentine Ozigbo has been in the private sector and corporate sector all his life; a world class business man who knows the buttons to push and open the flood gates of thriving businesses for Ndi-Anambra. He rose in the ranks in his line of business, having only his records to speak for him; a smart and digital business mogul who easily connects with the younger generation rating his presence and followership on social media. He had no family member speaking for him or recommending him. His achievements and records endeared him to those who employed him for his resourcefulness. He has done this all his life with evidential success; he never scored less than excellent.

    Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has been in the private sector and corporate business; recently he became a senator of the Federal Republic. He has done well for himself and boasts of investment worth billions of Naira. He is an oil magnate and has connected to that very factor which has kept Nigeria impoverished – oil. He belongs to the Buhari school of thought that overrates oil and will find it difficult to understand and connect to emerging economic drivers.

    Charles Chukwuma Soludo is a first class academic and a world class researcher. He has made an enviable mark in the academia which earned him several appointments especially becoming the Chief Economic Adviser to the Federal Government and the Governor of CBN. We all know how appointments happen. Check out his family connections and you will find the finest Anambra daughter Prof. Dora Akunyili, she was already a federal bigwig by the time of that appointment. Our erudite Professor will be his best as adviser and appointee. Emmanuel Andy Ubah is the typical Abuja boy whose youthful days were spent in Aso Villa serving at the corridors of power; whose political influence has been overrated. He lost his senatorial seat to Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah who challenged him from an unpopular political party. That alone tells his popularity among his own people. There is no evidence of him doing any business or administrative work before venturing into politics. In this criterion, he is overtly and covertly wanting.
    Compassion: This is ones capacity and ability to genuinely and sincerely connect to the situations and conditions of others with the internal and compelling will to make it better. Again you can rate our candidates in this sequence: 1st – Valentine Ozigbo, 2nd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 3rd – Charles Chukwuma Soludo and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah. Why? In this criterion, it is important to differentiate compassion from philanthropy.

    The philanthropy of all our candidates is not in question, though it can also be graded. Valentine Ozigbo is the typical Nwa Onyenkuzi for whom excellence is a starting point. Yet he grew up trained to connect to others; his followers are connected to him personally and he follows up on them like friends. At 50 he still plays with his childhood friends and connects with them like years have not passed and achievements are not on the table. He has commensurate emotional intelligence for which he has been a consummate leader and captain in the business world. His humility is palpable even in pictorial appearances. The person you see is the person he really, sincerely and genuinely is, has always been and will continue to be.

    Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is classic philanthropist who has invested resources in improving the lives of the poor and needy. He is the typical boss for whom abundance is the reason for reaching out to others. He is the proverbial Nwoke afọ ukwu who yields sustenance for his followers; they always await his ‘Doings’. He is trained in the Igbo competitive ethos and he understands the world as a challenge to be subdued, human beings that constitute that world are means not ends.

    Charles Chukwuma Soludo is a good man whose very close contacts may not easily describe as compassionate. He is intelligent nevertheless not with the emotional reach required of a leader. Many among his followers are not connected to him as a person; most are party loyalists who are ready to gamble the next eight years to maintain party domination. These days he dances, smiles and dresses funny; a typical political gambit. The real man we had known is the same we will likely see in Agu-Awka, this man on the campaign trail is acting a script.
    Emmanuel Andy Ubah is a typical cold manipulator who believes in the success of antics. His antecedents in politics show his disconnection with the people which he does not deem necessary. His followers look up to the APC federal magic and at worst the replication of the Imo state horrible polimathics that is ruining the state. Ndi-Anambra are smarter than that level of manipulation.
    Capacity: Capacity has to do with qualification, energy and vision. Again you can rate our candidates in this sequence: 1st – Valentine Ozigbo, 2nd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 3rd – Charles Chukwuma Soludo and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah.

    Valentine Ozigbo has an overwhelming qualification both in paper and field work, he has proven energy and potential to remain so by age considerations. He has a super vision for the state; realistic and achievable goals. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has the basic qualification, proven energy and potential to remain so by age considerations. He has his vision for Anambra State but lacks the ‘how’ of achieving them.
    Charles Chukwuma Soludo has an overwhelming qualification both in paper and field work, he lacks energy and potential to recoup energy going by age considerations. He has super vision for the state typical of a theorist which is better on paper. Emmanuel Andy Ubah has basic qualification both on paper and field work, he lacks energy and potential to recoup energy going by age considerations. He both lacks capacity for vision and does not present one for the state.
    Religion: Here we are considering the capacity to cross the obvious denominational lines in the state and build healthy allies with others. Denominational politics for the right reasons is undeniable in the state. Therefore, it is an issue also to consider. Again you can rate our candidates in this sequence: 1st – Valentine Ozigbo, 2nd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 3rd – Charles Chukwuma Soludo and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah.
    Valentine Ozigbo is a Catholic who in practical ways lives out a robust Christianity that fosters fraternity of all Christians. His childhood friends have become pastors and even bishops in the Anglican denomination and they remain very close friends. In organizing Unusual Praise – the largest African Christian Worship event – he demonstrates capacity to bring together all Christians in one worship space; he can also do same in a work space. People from other denominations are going to vote for him massively. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church has eye on him but are not expressing it enough.

    Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is a Catholic and has numerous friends from other denominations. He has also extended his philanthropy to other denominations. It is important to note that these friendships are not faith-based; they are benefit-based. Given the Catholic domination of the state in the last sixteen years those friends are not likely to wade the storm with him.
    Charles Chukwuma Soludo is a Catholic and his party gives him more advantage in the Catholic circle. Yet the Willy Obiano denominational politics places him in a disadvantage. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church may be canvassing for a sympathy vote for him, but Ndi-Anambra know more than investing wrongly this time around. He is incapacitated to build the bridge needed in the state at this time.
    Emmanuel Andy Ubah is an Anglican and a faithful one at that. He is totally unpopular among Catholics and has earned himself some dint of suspicion among Anglicans because of his party and meddling with the Buhari administration. As would be expected, he has an ill-disposition towards Catholics and is poised to bring further divisions in the state. Some ruthless Anglicans are fronting him to deal with Catholics “in a language they will understand.”
    Party: Here we are considering how the political party appeal to Nd-Anambra. In this Criterion, 1st – Charles Chukwuma Soludo, 2nd – Valentine Ozigbo, 3rd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah. It is important to note that there are no political parties in Nigeria, we only have political platforms. Candidates do not represent ideologies of a party; they foster personally crafted political solutions and look for a political platform through which they may likely express it.

    Charles Chukwuma Soludo belongs to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It is the ruling party in Anambra State and has dominated the state for sixteen years. It is a party which has offered Ndi-Anambra a unique voice in the Nigerian political sphere and which had the promise of fulfilling the aspiration of Ndịigbo. It was Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who animated APGA and found in Peter Obi the embodiment of the aspirations of Ndịigbo which he hoped one day to make a national reality. When Peter Obi left APGA, the party breathed its last. Today it suffers the decomposition of the proverbial fish from its head. Governor Willy Obiano saw to it that the requiem of APGA was well orchestrated and Charles Chukwuma Soludo saw no problem with that. In 2017, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, fostered the political jingle in reply to PDP’s Oseloka Obaze’s “It’s broken; let’s fix it”, Soludo contended “It’s not broken, why fix it”. If Charles Chukwuma Soludo says it’s broken now, then he either had lacked the vision to see that it really was broken by 2017 or he deliberately lied and deceived Ndi-Anambra by that mantra. If he says it’s not broken, then he is outrighly blind but more dangerously he is not coming with a fix. No Anambra person would vote for a continuation of the status quo.

    Valentine Ozigbo belongs to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) which is the major opposition party in Nigeria. Therefore, it suffers the jab of the federal might. At the same time one could say that Ndi-Anambra prefers PDP to any other party and in the event that APGA has reneged on the confidence they had transferred to them from their former PDP affiliation, they are likely to revert to PDP. The party had produced two former governors (Chinwoke Mbadinuju and Chris Ngige), Peter Obi (a former governor and the best of all governors Anambra has ever had) is one of the foremost figures in PDP and has risen to be a Vice Presidential candidate of the party. The party has two seating senators from the state and three House of Rep members. Invariably, Anambra is a PDP state which had experimented the possible shift to APGA. The current administration has finally laid that experiment to rest.
    Most importantly, Valentine Ozigbo is the fruit of Ojukwu’s political ideology and Most Rev. Albert Kanenechukwu Obiefuna’s political son. He embodies the worthy dreams of these two fallen heroes in very succinct ways. When he chose the jingle “Aka Chukwu di ya”, he may not know that his battle has been fought and won in the spirit land because of his connection to the aspirations of these great heroes. The spirit of Ndi-Anambra will always identify where their Akara aka lies.
    Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah belongs to the Young Progressive Party (YPP). He gave the party its initial and ever entry into Anambra political lexicon. As a member of the party, he is a seating senator representing Anambra South Senatorial Zone. By these antecedents, YPP is a force in the Anambra politics. It is rated third by that right. Most importantly, neither the party nor its candidate is worth the political investment of Ndi-Anambra.
    Emmanuel Andy Ubah belongs to All Progressives Congress. He had reneged from PDP some years ago and flags the wand of federal might; APC is the ruling political party at the centre. APC is horror for the Igbo sensibility and is regarded as the political face of terrorist Boko Haram among the locals. In as much as the Federal Government treats the political relegation of Ndi-Igbo with levity and gerrymander, APC cannot win any election in the Southeast except at the Supreme Court.
    The choice before Ndi-Amabra is clear. No right-thinking business-inclined Anambra person would want to invest in waste or what we refer to as “Ahịa kụrụ akụ”. In the criteria we discussed above, the candidates will be preferred in this order 1st – Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, 2nd – Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, 3rd – Charles Chukwuma Soludo and 4th – Emmanuel Andy Ubah. If our disposition is SINCERITY, then let our polls reflect Uche Onyeigbo by which we naturally invest rightly and profitably. Now is the time for serious business, let us keep sentiments aside and do the needful for the future of Ndi-Anambra in particular and Ndịigbo in general.

    Chuks Nwune, a legal practitioner and social media influencer based in Onitsha.

  • Anambra 2021: 86 polling units don’t have voters – INEC

    Anambra 2021: 86 polling units don’t have voters – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, on Friday said 86 out of the 5,720 Polling Units in the state have no voters.

    Mr Mahmood pointed out that INEC would not deploy personnel and materials to the polling units without voters.

    Speaking at a special consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja, the INEC Chairman said, 894 representing 15.6 per cent of the polling units have between 1 and 49 voters.

    “Understandably, the voters have also been more circumspect in asking for a transfer to polling units.

    “At the same time, the commission did not use its powers under Section 42 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to allot voters to the new polling units to minimise the disruptions that may occur from such a decision given the forthcoming governorship election.

    “Consequently, out of the 5,720 polling units in Anambra State, 86; 1.5 per cent have no voters. For that reason, the commission will not be deploying personnel and materials to these polling units. Furthermore, 894 representing 15.6 per cent of the polling units have between 1 and 49 voters. The election will hold in these polling units.”

    The INEC boss pointed out that all non-sensitive materials had been moved to the 21 Local Government Areas of the State.

    He said the Central Bank of Nigeria was handling the delivery of sensitive materials to the state on schedule.

    “Our State office in Awka is arranging for stakeholders to inspect the materials at the premises of the CBN in Awka.

    “As is the case in all elections, the sensitive materials are moved under security escort to each Local Government Area from where they are distributed to the Registration Areas or Wards and finally to Polling Units on Election Day”, he added.

    The INEC chairman urged political parties to present their agents to be on the ground for the inspection of the materials at the CBN.

  • Anambra Guber: ‘Stop feigning ignorance about Anambra’s huge debts,’ Uba tells Soludo

    Anambra Guber: ‘Stop feigning ignorance about Anambra’s huge debts,’ Uba tells Soludo

    The Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation, SAUGCO has asked former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Soludo to stop feigning ignorance about the total debt liability of the state he so desperately seeks to govern.

    Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in next week’s Anambra governorship election, had while speaking on Channels TV programme, Politics Today, yesterday, shocked the show’s host, Seun Okinbaloye, and viewers when he could not put a figure to the state’s debt profile.

    The usually verbose Professor of Economics had been pointedly asked if he knew what the state’s debt overhang was, and how he intended to deal with it.

    Instead of offering a definitive answer, the APGA candidate embarked on a rigmarole, before stating that he would find out when he becomes governor.

    Undeterred, Okinbaloye pressed further, pointing out that statistics from the country’s Debt Management Office, DMO, indicated that Anambra owed N60 billion in domestic debt, and $116 million in external loans.

    However, the real shock emerged when the eminent Professor, renown for his oratorical skills than sound macro economic solutions, said: ‘We are going to verify that. Borrowed from who, who are the creditors?’

    “We see Soludo’s demurred stance on a very sensitive issue that affects the lives of the people as cheap politics and an attempt to cover up the sins of his pay masters to the detriment of the State.

    “We are however happy that APGA’s antics are already known to the people who are waiting to finally send them packing on November 6.

    “Ironically, data released by the DMO on December 31, 2020 indicated that Anambra’s domestic debt stood at N59,013 billion as at September 30, 2020, while the state’s external debt profile was $115,886 million as at June, 2020.

    “In deed, it is shocking that a Professor Soludo who should have such information at the tip of his fingers, would elect to play politics with such information crucial to the lifeblood of the state, or was simply being mischievous,” Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, Director, Media and Publicity of the Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation, SAUGCO said in a statement today.

    “Whichever is the case, Professor Soludo owes ndi Anambra the patriotic duty of researching into what really is the debt liability of our dear state, Anambra.

    “In fact, for a man who was two years ago, in November 2019, given the task of fashioning out the grandiose 50-year Anambra 2070 Vision Agenda not to be seized of important data such as the profit and loss account of the state, speaks eloquently about his capacity for accomplishing small, practical assignments.

    “Perhaps, it is this obvious flaw that caused former Minister of Finance and current Director General of the World Trade Organization, WTO to author a damning confidential report on Soludo in January, 2015.”

    Okonjo-Iweala: “There is definitely an issue of character with Professor Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria. Nigerians should therefore beware of so-called intellectuals without character and wisdom because this combination is fatal.”

    Could this character flaw have been at play when Soludo decided to cover up Governor Willy Obiano’s obsessive borrowing binge, in exchange for his role in seeking to puppeteer him into political office?

    “As an irreducible minimum, the Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation, SAUGCO, requests Professor Soludo to undertake the urgent task of finding out the exact and total debt liability of Anambra state – for, in accomplishing this task, Professor Soludo would have rendered an invaluable service to a people he so eagerly crave to govern,” the statement added.

  • Anambra Poll: Massive security deployment can affect turnout, but necessary – IGP

    Anambra Poll: Massive security deployment can affect turnout, but necessary – IGP

    AHEAD of the November 6 Anambra State Governorship poll, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba, yesterday, said that the massive deployment of security personnel to the state might discourage voters turnout but the measure was necessary to stop criminals from disrupting the process and causing mayhem.

    The police will deploy 34, 587 personnel including two DIGs, five AIGs, 92 other top officers and three helicopters to Anambra for the election.

    The Police boss’s stance came as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, said it had neither made any official statement on the poll nor called for its boycott, contrary to several blackmailing statements against the group.

    Meanwhile, the Voters Rights International, VRI, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to court seeking to postpone the governorship election to February 15, 2022, over insecurity.

    IGP Baba, featuring at the ministerial media briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said to ensure that the electorate come out to exercise their franchise the police had been releasing jingles and talking to stakeholders to assure them of safety.

    He explained that most of the officers that would be assigned to polling booths would be unarmed as they would be involved in checking vote rigging and illegal campaign at venues.

    Asked if the mass deployment would not be counterproductive, he said: “As for the massive deployment, yes, it has its advantages, and disadvantages.

    “Knowing the fact that it has the disadvantage of maybe militarising the electoral process we try to engage in public enlightenment and enlightenment of stakeholders that our presence is to police the situation in two ways.

    “That is while we are asking people to come out and vote, another group or other subversive elements are saying ‘don’t come.

    “If you come, we will do this, we will do that.’ So, there must be some level of assurance that we would give to these people to come out.

    “That requires massive deployment of officers and men who would also ensure that the subversive elements do not take over the process.”

    According to the police boss, personnel would be deployed to polling stations ”to ensure orderliness and checking of electoral malpractices, like vote buying, campaigning in the place and so forth, this does not even require carrying of arms”

    Also, ”there is need to put officers on standby, on patrol that would check the would-be persons that can carry arms against the state.

    “We are trying to educate and enlighten people that our presence is for the benefit of everybody, ensure that electorate come out and exercise their franchise of voting who they want.

    “That is the essence of the jingles we are doing, the essence of going to do community engagements, stakeholders meetings, talking to their religious leaders and so forth.

    “It is for the advantage of everybody that the massive deployment should take place.”

  • We’re good to go, ready for Anambra election – INEC

    We’re good to go, ready for Anambra election – INEC

    Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that the commission is ready for the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra.

    He said this on Wednesday, at a meeting with the Joint National Assembly Committee INEC and Electoral Matters to engage with the commission over the forthcoming election.

    Yakubu said, “We have recovered from the series of attacks on our facilities and I am happy to say that we have deployed all the non-sensitive materials to all the local government areas.

    “As far as INEC is concerned, we are good to go on Nov. 6. We have trained the requisite number of ad-hoc staff for the election and mobilised members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for efficient distribution of materials on election day,” he said.

    On the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards in Anambra, he said, “We have a little over 81,000 valid registrants.

    “With the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Anambra that includes a little over 5,000 that applied for replacement of cards and intra-state and inter-state transfers.

    “We are batching the cards. They will leave first thing tomorrow (Thursday) morning for Awka and all the new registrants will get their cards before the elections.

    “This time around, with the help of technology, we were able to harvest the telephone numbers and email addresses of the registrants.

    “So we will contact every one of them and tell them where to pick their cards. But the cards will be delivered to Awka on Thursday,” he said.

    In his remarks, Chairman of the Joint Committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, while noting the effort of security agencies said their effort and commitment to the protection of the lives and property of Nigerians was priceless and highly appreciated.

    “The situation in Anambra is quite unfortunate especially at a time when we are approaching the gubernatorial election in the state.

    “Elections as you are aware is a recruitment process of leadership as well as the foundation that carries the builders of change and development.

    “Recently, INEC increased the polling units in Anambra from 4, 608 to 5, 720, this effort is to allow a situation where polling units will be accessible to the electorate this can only be achieved when and where the safety of people is assured.”

    NAN

  • Election: IGP deploys 2 DIGs, 5 AIGs, 14 CPs, others to Anambra

    Election: IGP deploys 2 DIGs, 5 AIGs, 14 CPs, others to Anambra

    The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered a major overhauling of the security landscape in Anambra State ahead of the November 6 governorship election in the state.

    Two Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) and other strategic commanders have been deployed to the state for effective supervision of security personnel and operations in the governorship election.

    Other Strategic Commanders deployed to Anambra State include five Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs), 14 Commissioners of Police (CPs), 31 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) and 48 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs).

    Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mr. Joseph Egbunike, has been deployed to Anambra State as the coordinator of the security component for the election.

    Egbunike will be assisted by the DIG in-charge of Operations, Acting DIG Zaki Ahmed.

    DIG Egbunike is saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Operation Order evolved from the Election Security Threat Assessment; to ensure a peaceful environment devoid of violence and conducive enough to guarantee that law abiding citizens freely perform their civic responsibilities without molestation or intimidation.

    CP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the Senior Officers are to coordinate human and other operational deployments in the three Senatorial Districts, 21 Local Government Areas and the 5,720 polling units in Anambra State.
    The IGP, in a statement issued by Mba, reassures the nation that the Force is adequately prepared for the gubernatorial election in Anambra State come November 6, 2021.

    He reiterated that the Force will do everything within its powers to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all stakeholders to protect democratic values, provide level playing field for all political actors, ensure adequate protection of voters, INEC personnel and equipment, accredited observers and other key players in Anambra State.

    The IGP called on citizens in Anambra State to come out en masse and exercise their franchise as adequate security has been emplaced to protect them before, during and after the elections.

  • Fear of IPOB: INEC speaks on alleged mass resignations of adhoc workers ahead Anambra election

    Fear of IPOB: INEC speaks on alleged mass resignations of adhoc workers ahead Anambra election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has adequate manpower for the conduct of November 6 governorship election in Anambra.

    Dr. Nwachukwu Orji, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, disclosed this in an interview with the newsmen on Tuesday in Awka.

    Orji who was reacting to viral media report that hundreds of adhoc workers recruited for the Anambra election resigned en masse, said there was no truth in the publication.

    “INEC is still in the process of recruiting the adhoc workers. In fact, we just finished the last training before this false report.

    “As the head of the commission in Anambra, I am telling you authoritatively that we have more than enough manpower for the conduct of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra,” he said.

    The INEC official explained that none of the adhoc workers being recruited had been given engagement letter.

    “If we have not issued letters to them, how then can any of them resign?” he wondered.

    Orji said it was unfair for the mass media to be aiding publications capable of causing more tension in the polity.

    He said that a lot of people in the country were looking for work to do so as to improve their lives, adding that it was bad to publish stories capable of frightening the poor masses.

    “Taking INEC jobs during elections has been one means for people who do not have permanent jobs to earn little money.

    “Publishing negative report that will scare them is so bad,” Orji said.

  • Fear of IPOB: INEC ad hoc staff, drivers, others for Nov 6 guber poll in Anambra resign

    Fear of IPOB: INEC ad hoc staff, drivers, others for Nov 6 guber poll in Anambra resign

    There seems to be palpable fears not just amongst the residents of Anambra State but the ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saddled with the responsibility of conducting the Saturday, November 6 governorship election in the South Eastern state.

    The panic, TheNewsGuru.com, TNG gathered may not be unconnected with a possible attack on voters and INEC workers by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    According to reports, some ad hoc staff and drivers have already tendered their resignations for safety reasons.

    INEC had, between May and early June, announced the increment of polling units in Anambra State, which used to be 4,608, to 5,720.

    Besides, the commission announced that it would require about 10,000 ad hoc workers for the election.

    TNG reports that few days ago, IPOB issued a statement through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, that if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who is presently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), is not released on November 4, it would declare another sit-at-home in Igbo land between November 5 and 10. Meanwhile, the election was scheduled for November 6.

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, declared that nothing would stop the conduct of Anambra State governorship election.

    Also, Governor Willie Obiano had promised that nothing would stop the November 6 poll. Both leaders insisted that the security agents were equal to the task of securing the INEC staff and voters.

    Obiano spoke in Awka, the state capital, through his Information and Public Enlightenment Commissioner C. Don Adinuba.

    However, the assurances of safety from the president, governor and security forces does not seem enough as a senior INEC staff in the state who pleaded anonymity regretted that the commission was facing a serious challenge ahead of the election.

    The source said: “That is our situation now. Nothing seems to be working for us in this election because no one wants to lose his or her life because of IPOB.

    “It is a big challenge facing us. Many of the ad hoc workers already recruited are throwing in the towel because of the IPOB threats; even the drivers, who we always use to distribute the materials.

    “All of them contacted, told us they are not interested. So, our hands are tied. These people called IPOB have really dealt with the people of the Southeast.

    “If nothing is done urgently, the election we’ve been preparing for, for so long a time may not hold; even if it holds, who is prepared to risk his or her life to come out?,” the source said in an interview with The Nation.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, did not respond to inquiries as at press time on the resignations and INEC’s preparedness for the gubernatorial exercise.

  • Sit-at-home: Anambra approves Saturdays as school days

    Sit-at-home: Anambra approves Saturdays as school days

    The Anambra State Government has approved Saturdays as school days in place of Monday following the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafara.

    This was confirmed in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba.

    In the statement on Sunday, Adinuba confirmed that all school heads had been directed to notify teachers, pupils as well as parents about the new development.

    He said: “Quality Assurance supervision and every other supervision, henceforth, will hold on Saturdays.

    “Every permission for absence from classes on Saturdays must be addressed to the executive chairman, ASUBBEB through the E S following due process.

    “Saturday classes will commence on October 30.”

    Adinuba said the state government approved Saturday classes because it wanted the children to learn well and not miss anything.