TheNewsGuru

Tag: Anambra

  • TRENDING VIDEO: Govt opens Niger bridge, thousands pour in and out of Onitsha

    River Niger Bridge, the border between Delta and Anambra States was on Monday opened to thousands of people pouring in and out of Onitsha, following the ease of restriction of movement.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the River Niger Bridge in Onitsha, also known as the Onitsha Bridge, connects southeastern Nigeria with western Nigeria over the River Niger. It is linked to Asaba, the capital of Delta.

    Following the restriction of movement to contain the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, the bridge was closed, locking out traffic of any kind in and out of the two States.

    However, on Monday, following the easing of movement order, the bridge was opened to a mammoth crowd crossing the bridge into and out of Onitsha.

    See video below:

  • COVID-19: Anambra Shows the Light Again

    1. The Anambra State administration has become exemplary in formulating a policy to fight the coronavirus by combining the best elements from the major two schools of thought which have emerged in the global campaign against COVID-19. The state has integrated the best elements from what may be termed the public health school which is in favour of a total lockdown comparable to 24-hour curfew everywhere until the disease is defeated completely and the second which may be called the economics/business school that believes a total lockdown will result in economic depression and, of course, the death of an unimaginable number of persons.

    2. The option before any thoughtful public officer is not to take sides with any of the schools but to critically look at the situation before him or her and decide on a policy in the light of reason and experience. Ideological extremists or puritans have to be avoided. Dr Pius Okigbo, Africa’s most decorated economist, warned economists in General Ibrahim Babangida’s military government who were taking an extremist position on economic efficiency in the implementation of the structural adjustment programme (SAP): “Any government which pursues any policy under the guise of economic efficiency without regard to the social and political implications”, remarked Okigbo in Essays in the Public Philosophy of Development,“will only have itself to blame”.

    3. Like every other government, the Anambra State administration is bound to protect its people from the ravages of COVID-19, but it cannot afford to do so by unwittingly allowing millions of its people to die of hunger and starvation or by causing their businesses to collapse through an unmitigated lockdown. The 28 days of lockdown, when all markets were shut down, vehicular and human movements restricted, schools closed, traditional religious services suspended, funerals, wedding and title taking ceremonies practically stopped, have already taken enormous toll on the people’s well being.

    4. Social unrest must be avoided. If people in developed nations could not accept more than three weeks of lockdown, despite the immense social safety nets for the poor and the huge amounts paid by governments directly to the citizens who lost their jobs in the wake of COVID-19, we can imagine what the most vulnerable in our society and elsewhere in Africa have been going through.

    5. Governor Willie Obiano did the right thing by announcing on Saturday, April 25, some policy fine tuning. He announced, for instance, the lifting of the restriction on intrastate vehicular movement, but not interstate movement because COVID-19 could be brought into Anambra State again from another part of the country. He directed that the foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals markets could now open daily, instead of only twice a week. Churches, he added, could resume normal services, but as directed by their leaders who have displayed a great appreciation of the severe COVID-19 dangers. The nonessential markets, he announced, would be reopened once a meeting is held on Monday, April 27, with their leaders and they agree to such protocols as observing social distancing, compulsory wearing of face masks by sellers, buyers and suppliers, and the availability of a big container of water with soaps in every line in each of the open markets which people will use regularly to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds on each occasion.

    6. The easing of the restrictions came on the heels of the spectacular treatment of the state’s sole confirmed COVID-19 case. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the index case on Good Friday, April 10, and the state government began managing the case within hours. After four days of solid treatment, the NCDC declared that the status of the index case had been reversed from positive to negative. This was a brilliant performance. What is more, all the tests conducted on 68 other persons in the state read negative.

    7. There was, therefore, no justification for the lockdown to remain without any adjustment, just as it will be defensible for a state like Wyoming in the United States, which has no COVID-19 case, to be locked down like New York, the American coronavirus epicentre. In any case, relaxation of restrictions is the trend worldwide. The United States, now the world’s epicenter of the coronavirus, has seen the lifting of restrictions in places like Georgia. Even Spain, the country worst by COVID-19 in Europe after Italy, will no longer observe strict lockdown from this week. And next week Italy, of all places, will start to ease restrictions. From Ghana to South Africa to India, the story is the same. No wonder, in Nigeria states like Oyo and Edo are following in the Anambra footsteps.

    8. Still, sight should not be lost on the fact that appropriate restrictions remain in the state. Schools are not yet open. Most civil servants still work from home. Burials, funerals, title taking and award ceremonies and marriages are still not taking place because they are likely to attract more than 30 persons in each instance, thereby enhancing the risk of violating the social distance rule. Needless to repeat, vehicles are not yet allowed from other states for fear of bringing COVID-19 into Anambra State; the index case came from Lagos on March 28. Anambra State’s boundaries are now policed with greater vigour.

    9. Public policy is not cast in marble unless by a government run by ideologues, hawks, hardliners, puritans and extremists who, by their very nature, are allergic to facts, evidence and rational thinking. By formulating its COVID-19 policy with the best elements from the two main opposing schools of thought in the campaign to contain the coronavirus and allowing the implementation of the policy to be guided by facts and the interests of the majority of the people, Anambra State has, once again, demonstrated that it is truly the Light of the Nation. As the Great Zik of Africa used to state in the masthead of his eminently influential West African Pilot newspaper, “show the light and the people will find the way”. Anambra State is on the right trajectory.

     

    C. Don Adinuba

    Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment.

  • Man hacks 70-year-old father to death in Anambra

    Man hacks 70-year-old father to death in Anambra

    The Anambra State Police Command says it has begun investigation into the alleged killing of Mr Godwin Ezeofor, 70, by his 37-year-old son, Chigorom Ezeofor, with an axe.
    The state Police Spokesman, Mr Haruna Mohammed, said in a statement in Awka on Saturday that the police would soon unravel the circumstances that led to the killing.
    Mohammed said that the incident occurred at about 8:00a.m. at Umuezegoro Kindred, Unuchiana village, Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area on Saturday.
    According to him, the matter was reported at the Aguata Police Station by one Mr Timothy Ezeofor, the elder brother of the deceased.
    “Today, April 25 at about 9:45a.m., one Mr Timothy Ezeofor of Umuezegoro Kindred Unuchiana Village reported at Aguata Police Station that at about 8:am of same day, his elder brother namely Godwin Ezeofor, 70 years of the same address was allegedly murdered by his son, one Chigorom Ezeofor aged 37 years of the same address using axe.
    “The complainant added that the suspect has been mentally ill for the past eight years,” the statement noted.
    Mohammed said following the report, Police operatives attached to Aguata Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Ayeni Oluwadare, mobilised to the scene where they took photograph of the victim.
    The police spokesperson said the deceased was later certified dead by a medical doctor in an undisclosed hospital while the corpse was deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.
    Mohammed noted that the axe was recovered as exhibit while the suspect, who “looked insane” was arrested and taken to the station for discreet investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.

  • Tragedy: Police kill two in Anambra for protesting against lockdown order

    The Police in Anambra have confirmed killing of two boys at Nkpor near Onitsha during a protest by irate youth over arrest of some of their members for flouting the lockdown.

    The incident that recorded two casualties including a 20 year-old man occurred at New Tyre Market, Nkpor near Onitsha on Wednesday.

    The killing of the yet to be identified boys by the police resulted in a protest by some irate youths, who burnt tyres on the road.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, attributed the killings to an unprovoked attack on police patrol team by some miscreants.

    “It was caused by an unprovoked attack on police patrol team with substance suspected to be acid by some miscreants.

    “Yes, they snatched the rifle of the police man after pouring acid on him, which prompted the other policemen to use force and retrieve the AK 47 rifle.

    “Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to restore sanity in the area,” he said.

    Mohammed added that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr John Abang had ordered a discreet investigation into the incident.

    An eyewitness however, told NAN that the incident occurred at Ezego Str., Nkpor near Onitsha around 1:00p.m on Wednesday.

    The source said some officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who were relaxing at a shop near the scene of incident, accosted the boys for flouting the lockdown.

    “The boys were actually playing ball across the road and decided to buy sachet water when the police officers saw them and wanted to arrest them.

    “But they firmly resisted the arrest, which provoked the shooting by the police officers,” the source said.

    NAN gathered that the shooting got youths around the area angry and they mobilised against the police officers, burning vehicle tyres in protest.

    “One of the boys, who was shot at the stomach did not die immediately but was rushed to the hospital. He did not survive,” another source hinted.

  • Anambra Mourns Chief Victor Ikwuemesi, Sosoliso Airlines Founder

    Anambra Mourns Chief Victor Ikwuemesi, Sosoliso Airlines Founder

    Anambra State has expressed sadness of the demise of Chief Ikwuemesi, the founder of Sosoliso Arilines.

    The Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba in a statement obtained by TheNewsGuru noted that Ikwuemesi was not just a great son of Anambra, but also a worthy Nigerian.

    Read the full statement below:

    1. ” The government and people of Anambra State have received the news of the painful exit yesterday in London of Chief Victor Ikwuemesi, a foremost chartered accountant and entrepreneur who came into national limelight in 2000 when he set up the Sosoliso Airlines Ltd to run scheduled domestic passenger services. Chief Ikwuemesi, an indigene of Nkwelle Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has become the latest prominent victim of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. This highly infectious disease is real. Our people must continue to take precautionary steps to save our place from the contagion.

    2. Chief Ikwuemesi was not just a great son of Anambra State but also a worthy Nigerian in the truest son of the expression. His sole purpose for establishing the carrier was to change the sociopolitical landscape of a key component of the Nigerian federation which was unfortunately being schemed out of national affairs.

    3. The two airports in the Southeast by 1999 when democratic rule was restored were no longer in use. People travelling from the Southeast to any other part of the country had to go by road, with all the incalculable costs and risks. Rather than thrown up his hands in the air in despair and lament about marginalization, as many of his people are wont to do, Chief Ikwuemesi decided to take the bull by the horn by establishing an airline to reopen the Enugu and Owerri airports. It is instructive enough that Enugu became the headquarters. It is to his credit and foresight that the two airports have remained open ever since.

    4. Sosoliso Airlines was flying into Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, apart from Enugu and Owerri. Owing to its acute professionalism, it commanded tremendous customer loyalty. However, on December 10, 2005, its 1145 flight which took off from Abuja with mostly students of Loyola Jesuit College who were going home on holidays crashed at Port Harcourt International Airport. Only one person survived.

    5. In its authoritative publication captioned “How blunders and neglect stoked an African tragedy”, The Wall Street Journal, after reviewing reports based on investigations by the Boeing Corporation, the Accident Investigation Bureau of Nigeria and its American counterpart, showed on October 1, 2007, that the crash owed to wind shear, that is, a sudden and dramatic change in the speed and direction of the wind. In other words, it was due to natural forces.

    6. Yet, the deaths would have been averted if the drain at the airport had been close; the machine ran into the open drain with force after the pilot had successfully landed the aircraft. Consequently, its dual purpose kerosene (DPK) caught fire. To exacerbate matters, the fire service could not respond robustly, as its officers were to complain of a lack of critical items like hydrant. The result was the avoidable deaths of the passengers and crew.

    7. The airline did not recover from the crash. It is regrettable that the authorities at the time did not address themselves to the core issues raised by the Sosoliso accident. They rather engaged in shadowboxing.

    8. Chief Ikwuemesi’s place in the history of our people is assured. He devoted the last 20 years to his own spiritual growth and to the development of his Ogidi community which honoured him with the chieftaincy titles of Ezelue and Ebube Ogidi, making him a High Chief and a member of the Royal Cabinet.

    9. There are five major things for which Chief Ikwuemesi will be remembered for long: humility even in spite of huge entrepreneurial success; a high savings rate which accelerates business growth; integrity, loyalty and trust in business; commitment to the common good; and the practice of the Aku Lue Uno, or Think Home, philosophy, which this administration has been espousing with evangelical fevour.

    10. The people and government of Anambra State commiserate with the Ikwuemesi family and the Royal Cabinet of Ogidi over the death of this noble, selfless and quiet Nigerian. They are in our prayers and thoughts. May God receive Chief Ikwueme’s soul”

  • Unsolicited media inquisitions into Anambra’s COVID-19 index case worrisome, unethical

    The Anambra State Government has said unsolicited inquisitions by the public and media in particular into the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] index case of Anambra State is both worrisome and unethical.

    The Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba who stated this in a special release signed by him on Tuesday said the materials released on social media by some unscrupulous elements is slanderous and violate all known medical ethics.

    The commissioner therefore called for caution as the country and indeed the world is going through a turbulent time occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Read full release below:

    The Public, Media Need to Leave Anambra’s COVID-19 Index Case Alone

    1. The Anambra State Government has noted with dismay the sudden appearance of propaganda materials against the person purported to be the state’s coronavirus index case. The materials, including social media broadcasts, began to emerge within 24 hours after the state recorded its index case on Friday, April 10.
    2. The materials are slanderous and violate all known medical ethics. They were obviously made by persons who want to raise a false alarm and create panic everywhere. The state government has not revealed the name of the index case, nor have the hospital authorities where he is receiving treatment now or has been treated in recent times. Therefore, the identity revealed on the social media broadcasts is merely speculative.
    3. No COVID-19 patient anywhere has received the kind of attention given to Anambra’s index case. Yet, there are about 300 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Nigeria alone. The social media does not publish their identities until when they have been treated successfully and the persons affected decide to speak in public forums about their experience. It is difficult to understand the hoopla over Anambra’s index case.
    4. COVID-19 is no death sentence. Its mortality rate is far less than that of, say, Lassa fever, another viral disease which reared its head in the state some two months ago. It was treated with the same clinical efficiency with which the COVID-19 index case is being treated. It is, indeed, reassuring that the index case is in stable condition.
    5. The despicable behavior of the people making and promoting the propaganda materials against our index case does not define the character of ndi Anambra. We are known for superabundance of humanism. We are famous for our acute sense of solidarity. We are reputed for tremendous support especially to those in distress, hence the popular aphorism, onye aghana nwanne ya, is at the centre of our world. We have always been our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.
    6. We would also like to caution a section of the media keenly interested in causing a press war between the index case and the government. No controversy is needed. This is no time for any form of sensationalism. It is in no person’s interest. The country, like the rest of the world, is at a critical moment.
    7. To repeat the obvious, Anambra’s COVID-19 index case does not deserve the kind of publicity he is receiving, nor is he deserving of the opprobrium which his detractors want him to go through. His privacy must be respected. He is a law-abiding citizen, a philanthropist and a major investor in key sectors of the state. He needs peace, cooperation, emotional stability and prayers from all and sundry, apart from sound medical attention.
    8. Of course, he is getting excellent attention in one of the finest protection centres in the state. We are proud we built the first protection centre, otherwise known as isolation centre, which meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. We have also trained the personnel, including cleaners, to manage COVID-19 cases professionally.
    9. We are in the Easter week like the rest of the world. Peace, unity, reconciliation, solidarity and the wellbeing and future of all our people should guide our thoughts, utterances and behavior.

    God bless Anambra State, the Light of the Nation.

    C. Don Adinuba
    Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment.

  • JUST IN: Obiano orders total lockdown of Anambra hours after COVID-19 index case surfaces

    Anambra Governor Willie Obiano has ordered total lockdown of the state, which recorded its index case of COVID-19 on Friday.

    He directed security operatives to arrest violators of the new order where necessary

    The Governor gave the directives on Saturday during a broadcast to the state on the new development

    According to him: “Ndi Anambra, I regret to announce that despite our proactive measures to insulate our dear state from this pandemic, we recorded the first case of Coronavirus in the state Friday.

    ” The index case came in from Lagos. He has been placed in one of our Protective Care Centres.

    “At the same time, we have commenced aggressive Contact Tracing to ensure that everyone he came in contact with is brought into the net for a professional handling that will save lives.”

    He added: “Ndi Anambra, I urge you not to panic over this. It did not take us by surprise. We are adequately prepared to handle the situation”

    “We have trained enough manpower on how to handle Covid-19 cases and our Protective Care Centers are among the best in the country at the moment”

    Obiano, further announced new measures to be taken to contain the spread of the virus.

    Such measures, he said, included restriction on movement which had been extended by two weeks.

    He said: “This time, we are placing a comprehensive lock down on Anambra State. We shall not tolerate any movement across the state by individuals and groups”

    “Only people on essential services are permitted to move around in the delivery of those services to the people”

    “Ndi Anambra are advised to stay indoors to avoid getting contaminated by this virus.

    “The security agencies will enforce the restriction on movement this time and they have my authorization to make arrests where necessary to keep our dear state safe”

    “All boundaries with neighbouring states remain closed. There will be no vehicular or human traffic across all the boundaries of Anambra State.”

  • Coronavirus: Church to begin service on WhatsApp

    Coronavirus: Church to begin service on WhatsApp

    While most churches in Anambra State on Sunday held normal Sunday services and masses, despite warnings against the convergence of a large gathering by the federal government, as a way of beating the coronavirus disease, Rmema Deliverance Mission has said that service may onwards be held on the social media platform, WhatsApp, DailyPost reports.

    According to reports from the church in Awka, Anambra State, that even though the church was full to capacity as a result of a three-day crusade, which held in the church, the pastor, Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu said if the virus continues, the church may have to resort to holding worship on WhatsApp.

    Dr Amaechi said, “We may need to open a WhatsApp group for this church because if what is happening in the world persists, we may need to stop holding church services. With the WhatsApp, we can be holding services and communicating with each other without meeting physically.

    “We urge you to drop your home addresses too, so that if we have to cut down on large gatherings, then I as the pastor can be visiting members at home to pray for them and also share the gospel.”

  • Strange! Anambra new-born found hanging on barbed wire fence

    Strange! Anambra new-born found hanging on barbed wire fence

    Residents of Oko in the Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State were shocked when a new born baby girl was found on a barbed wire fence. The discovery was made on Wednesday.

    According to reports, the baby was said to have been thrown from the first floor of a female hostel of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.

    The mother of the baby receiving treatment at a specialist hospital in the area could not be identified as of the time of filing this report. However, there are speculations that the mother was delivered of the baby with the help of a boyfriend.

    A medical officer at the hospital, Chinonso Nwosu, where the baby was rushed to by neighbours confirmed the incident saying the baby sustained a wound to her leg, adding that she was responding to treatment.

    Nwosu said, “The mother ran away after the incident, but was later arrested. She is currently breastfeeding the baby after she was brought to the hospital in handcuffs.”

    The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Mr Obini Onuchukwu, said it was not clear if the suspect and her accomplices were students of the school.

    He said, “The authorities heard about the incident like every other person. Besides, the incident happened in a private hostel, outside the school where the authorities are not in control of students’ actions.”

    Spokesman for the police in the state, Haruna Mohammed, said, “We are aware of the incident and we’re investigating.”

    Fire razes Anambra market

     

  • Fire razes Anambra market

    Fire razes Anambra market

    An early morning inferno on Wednesday razed the building material market in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    The fire which started around 4am, purportedly stemmed from a standby articulated vehicle parked inside the market.

    TheNewsGuru gathered that men of the fire service, who were immediately contacted, were still battling with the fire as at the time of filing this report.

    The State Fire fighter chief, Engr Martin Agbili confirmed the incident.

     

     

    He said: “There is Fire outbreak this early morning at Building material market Ogidi at about 0400hrs.

    “Our firefighters and fire trucks at Onitsha and Awka were deployed to the fire scene.

    “The fire outbreak emanated from a standby loaded lorry packed inside the market. The content or the goods loaded at the packed lorry is not yet known.

    “We are still at the fire scene. Although the fire is under control. No life lost during the incident.”