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Tag: Ebonyi State

  • COVID-19: 700 suspected persons in isolation in Ebonyi

    COVID-19: 700 suspected persons in isolation in Ebonyi

    Over 700 suspected persons are in Ebonyi State at the State’s isolation centre at the state’s holding area.

    They were rounded up across the state especially at the borders as they made to enter Ebonyi state from states with high risk areas.

    Governor of the state, David Umahi stated this after a joint Security/Covid-19 Committee meeting.

    The governor spoke in Abakaliki, the State Capital in a live briefing to the people of the state on the state’s broadcast stations.

    He said the 700 persons under isolation are being kept at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium Abakaliki.

    On the five confirmed cases in the state, the Governor said they are responding to treatment at the State’s isolation centre at Unity Square Abakaliki.

    Mr Umahi said that another 300 bed isolation centre built by the state government at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki is ready and will be handed over to the hospital in the next 10 days.

    He however said the state government has decided to decentralise the isolation procedure to the 64 Development Centres and the 13 local government areas.

    “From henceforth anybody entering the state should be taken to the nearest development centre and quarantined there”

    “While there they will attended to and monitored by the medical teams 24 hours of the day. Anyone who manifests symptoms of Covid-19 will then be brought to Abakaliki holding centre for tests”, he said.

    The Governor said the new method will place the responsibility of detecting returnees on every community.

    He charged community leaders and indeed every resident of the state to take the task serious.

    “You are not doing yourself family or community a favour if you allow any returnee stay at home without coming to the isolation centre. If the persons has it then he will likely spread it to more people in your area. So it is better you help bring such persons to any of the development centres for isolation”, he advised.

  • Umahi confirms 2 new COVID-19 cases in Ebonyi

    Umahi confirms 2 new COVID-19 cases in Ebonyi

    Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has confirmed the fourth and fifth positive cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the state.

    Umahi disclosed this while giving update on the COVID-19 situation on Sunday in Abakaliki.

    He said: “Fourth case is a twenty-two year old man, he lives in Ojo in Lagos state.

    “Just as it is with the third case, he left Lagos on April 26, and entered Ebonyi through Nkalagu border and from there, he entered a bus to Ezzamgbo junction.

    “Thereafter, he entered another car from Ezzamgbo junction in Ohaukwu local government area to Effium from where he entered a bike to Edeh in Ishieke, Ebonyi LGA, where he was intercepted by security men and brought to the stadium on April 27.

    “And by the directive of government, a sample was taken from him and he tested positive.

    “The fifth case is a 24-year-old lady, a hairdresser from Ogwu in Umuobuna ward of Ohaozara LGA of the state. She resides at Number 30, Queens Close, Okpara Avenue, Enugu.

    “She returned to Ebonyi with her family members on April 27 to Ogbu in Uburu.

    “She was picked from Uburu to the stadium. While at the stadium, she had a contact with the third case, and this evening, her result came out and it tested positive.”

    Umahi further explained that the two positive cases had been taken from the stadium to the isolation/treatment Centre at the Unity Square, Abakaliki, where they are currently receiving medical attention.

    The governor also noted that the girl’s family members who came back with her from Enugu were equally tested, but they came out negative.

    He, however stated that they would still be retained at the quarantine centre in the stadium for the next 14 days for further confirmation.

    Umahi also directed the medical team to proceed to Uburu for contact tracing in relation to the positive cases.

  • COVID-19: Gov. Umahi dissolves committee over border leakages

    COVID-19: Gov. Umahi dissolves committee over border leakages

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, has directed the suspension of some Development Centre Coordinators and immediate dissolution of Sub-Committee on Religious Worshipers.

    Umahi gave the directive in a statement by Mr Uchenna Orji, Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Abakaliki on Sunday.

    He said that the action was with exception of its Chairman, Rev. Fr Abraham Nwali, who was in church at the time of the Sunday service.

    The governor said that the suspension and dissolution followed failure of the groups to effectively guard the borders and entry points in their domains.

    He added that the step was also due to the inability of the State Anti-Coronavirus Sub-Committee on Religious Worshipers to ensure the enforcement of the COVID-19 precautionary measures among churches services on April 12, 2020.

    Umahi said that the Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner, Dr Kenneth Ugbala, was compiling the details of the borders reported as having enforcement leakages.

    “Members of the public are enjoined to call the anti-coronavirus situation room and any member of the anti-coronavirus central committee.

    “To give genuine information on border, service centre and institution where the regulations and the precautionary measures are not being complied with,” he said.

  • Gov. Umahi sacks 2 aides over murder case, orders arrest

    Gov. Umahi sacks 2 aides over murder case, orders arrest

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has sacked two of his aides allegedly involved in a murder during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship primaries on February 21.

    The Governor also directed the police command in the state to arrest the two aides for possible prosecution.

    The directive was contained in a statement signed and issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr Kenneth Ugbala, in Abakaliki on Sunday.

    Ugbala said the affected aides were Uche Ibiam, the Coordinator of Ubeyi Development Centre of Afikpo North Local Government Area and Mr Ibiam Ogbonnaya, a Technical Assistant (TA) on security.

    “The governor further directs security agencies to carry out investigations and prosecute all those found guilty in the crime in accordance with extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The governor assures Ebonyi people of their safety and his readiness to sustain the peace and tranquility reigning in the state,” he said.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Loveth Odah, who confirmed the incident, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the matter had been reported to the command.

    She said that the command had already commenced investigation into the incident.

    “We can confirm the death of Mr Enyinnaya Ibiam during the primaries at Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state and the recovery of a vehicle belonging to the coordinator of Ubeyi Development Centre, abandoned at the area.

    “Information reaching us indicates that the coordinator allegedly hired and stormed the scene of the primaries with thugs who shot sporadically, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to several people.

    “When the vehicle was searched, we recovered a bag containing a locally made pistol and six live ammunition,” she said.

    She said that the coordinator had not been arrested and promised that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to book.

  • Ebonyi: 2 women, 31 others battle Umahi for governorship seat

    Two women, Perpetual Ogbuekwu and Grace Uduma-Eze, and thirty-one other gubernatorial candidates will slug it out with incumbent Governor David Umahi in the 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi state.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports this according to notices published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) at its Head office in Abakaliki, capital of the State.

    While Grace Uduma-Eze, from Afikpo North, represents the Independent Democratic Party (IDP), Perpetual Ogbuekwu, 31 years with Bachelor degree in education, from Ezza South, 2013 BEd EBSU, represents Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) party.

    However, popular among the contestants, is Engr. Umahi, who is seeking for second tenure in office on the Peoples’Democratic Party (PDP) platform, and Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including a former commissioner of education. Chief Chibueze Ndubuisi Onwe.

    The credentials of Gov. Umahi which were pasted yesterday at INEC, proved that he scored 5 Credits (C) which were in English Language, Statistics, Physics, Economics and Biology and 3 Alpha in Maths, Add Maths and Chemistry at Government College, Afikpo in 1982.

    According to the record, the PDP guber candidate was born on 25th, July, 1963, obtained second class honours, bachelor degree in Engineering in 1987 from Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Enugu and did his NYSC from 6th December, 1987 to 5th December,1988.

    On the other side, Sen. Ogbuoji of the APC proved that he was born on 29th Sept. 1954 and had made credits and Alpha in the eight subjects in his O level from Government College Umuahia in 1975.

    He read animal science with second class degree from the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1981 after which he did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from 3rd August, 1981 to 2nd August, 1982.

    While that of SDP candidate, spent nearly 8 years to obtain third class honour degree from Enugu state University of Science and Technology from 1996-2004.

    Onwe, from the records at INEC proved that he attended his secondary school from Holy Ghost secondary school, Abakaliki where he failed to credit any subject he undertook including English and Maths in 1992 SSCE.

    Other credentials which Onwe who was said to be born in.1972 and was submitted to INEC indicated that he was called to bar in 13 Nov. 2007.

    Our correspondent who went round some areas in Abakaliki observed that commission has pasted names of voters in some polling units.

     

  • 2019: 27 candidates from 14 parties jostle for Ebonyi’s 3 senatorial seats

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says 27 candidates from 14 registered political parties fielded candidates for the three senatorial seats in Ebonyi.

    Also, 48 candidates will contest for the six House of Representatives seats on the platform of 16 political parties.

    Prof. Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi, made the disclosure during a media briefing on Thursday in Abakaliki.

    It will be recalled that both presidential and National Assembly elections were scheduled to hold on Feb. 16.

    Obioma said that the briefing was designed to keep the media abreast of the commission’s preparations for the conduct of smooth and credible 2019 general elections in Ebonyi.

    He solicited support, partnership and cooperation of the media in the conduct of the 2019 elections.

    He noted that the commission commenced preparations for credible, transparent, smooth free and fair elections in Ebonyi well in advance and assured that votes would count in the 2019 elections.

    “In its painstaking plan of activities that will lead to the 2019 elections, INEC headquarters produced and released a comprehensive election project plan.

    “INEC Ebonyi office in compliance with the directive from the national office domesticated the Election Project Plan (EPP).

    “This domestication implied setting up task teams for the various aspects of tasks specified in the EPP,” Obioma said.

    He said that INEC in Ebonyi commenced display of the voters’ register throughout the state on Nov. 6 in compliance with the electoral law.

    “The display of register of voters will enable registered voters confirm their names, particulars and other details as well as raise objections and claims with reference to their captured details.

    ‘‘The exercise which commenced simultaneously throughout the country will last for one week and our staff and NYSC members have been trained and prepared for the exercise.”

    He said that the commission has upgraded the quality and capacity of its Smart Card Readers (SCRs) for use in the 2019 elections.

    “We have upgraded the quality and capacity of the SCRs to be deployed in 2019.

    “Battery voltage of the new card readers is 3000 mili-amps and designed to last for three days as against the old machine that has only 500 mili-amps and lasts six hours only.

    “We shall train 171 registration area technicians to offer rapid response technical repair and assistance in the event of machine breakdown.

    “A total of 2805 functional SCRs will be deployed to 1785 polling units and 508 voting points in the state.”

    The resident electoral commissioner, who restated commitment of the commission in ensuring violence free polls in the state, cautioned political parties to conduct their electioneering campaigns and activities within the ambit of the law.

    He further warned electorate and politicians against indulging in vote- selling and vote-buying.

     

  • Gov. Umahi warns against selective anti-corruption fight

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, on Sunday, warned against a selective method of fighting corruption, if the government was desirous of a successful anti-corruption fight.

    According to him, if the government desires to achieve overwhelming result in its fight against corruption, it must adopt inclusive approach rather than selective method.

    The governor made this remark at a media chat to mark the occasion of the 2018 Democracy Day at the Government House, Abakaliki.

    He added that such approach should also be devoid of any political undertone for the the efforts to have a wide public acceptability.

    The governor said Nigerians should laud the Federal Government for its determined effort in tackling the ugly monster in the country.

    He noted that it was imperative for the Nigerian Government to reduce corruption to its barest minimum in in order for the country to regain its pride of place among the comity of nations.

    The governor, however, opined that proactive measure rather reactive measure, would give the nation the much desired result in its quest to reducing corruption to its barest minimum.

    “I recommend proactive measure for the fight against corruption. President Muhammadu Buhari’s ant-corruption fight is laudable; he means well and he is a man of integrity.

    “I support the call that those who had embezzled our money should be able to give account of it and we must have the fear of God in whatever we do,” Umahi said.

    On his administration’s achievement, Umahi noted that various ministries, departments and agencies in the state had performed optimally.

    He said his administration had focused mainly on people’s oriented programmes, especially in the area of empowerment, and the payment of hospital bills for indigent persons in the state among others.

     

  • 2019: Umahi throws Ebonyi House of Assembly contests open

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has said that his administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would favour no candidate during the 2019 general elections’ for House of Assembly.

    Umahi made the assertion on Monday at Ezillo, Ishiellu Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebony during a solidarity rally in his honour.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor had earlier at several fora, canvassed for the re-election of all the House members.

    Umahi, however, noted that the only exceptions were the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker with all the contestants required to organise rallies in their constituencies to test their popularities.

    “We are appealing to the ‘divine mandate’ his (political structure) for peaceful primaries because we are not going to stop anybody from contesting.

    “Continuity will, however, benefit Ebonyi people but we are not going to impose unpopular candidates on the people during the elections.

    “I will attend the rallies you are going to organise individually because it is not only the delegates that will elect you during the primaries,’’ he said.

    Umahi said that his vote during the election would be tied to those of the House of Assembly contestants and the masses needed not to be disfranchised in the process.

    “We will support any contestant that mobilises the greatest number of people because I don’t want to take risks during the election.

    “You should therefore, go back to the field and mobilise the people and not go to sleep because the governor has endorsed you,’’ he said.

    He said the elders of the state would sit and decide on the National Assembly positions to avoid possible crises.

    “We will not allow the other parties to benefit from our situation but ensure that all matters concerning the positions are resolved amicably without rancour.

    “I thank the people of Ishiellu for the reception and commend them for maintaining the peace we instituted in the area, especially at the Ezillo and Ezza-Ezillo communities,’’ he said.

    Chief Austin Umahi, the PDP South-East Zonal Vice-Chairman, commended the people for supporting the governor and urged them to massively vote for him in the 2019 elections.

    Umahi, who is the governor’s elder brother, noted that the best support for the governor was for the people to massively register in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

    “Ebonyi is a PDP state as other political parties exist on the pages of newspapers, magazines and the social media,’’ he said.

    Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the PDP Chairman in Ebonyi, also assured that the party would not endorse any candidate but allow all contestants to freely pursue their ambitions.

    Mr Henry Eze, Chairman of the council, said the reception was to thank the governor for his numerous favours to the people in areas of infrastructure, empowerment and political appointments among others.

    NAN reports that stakeholders pledged their solidarity to the governor as he was given the chieftaincy title of “Achinagbara Oha’’ meaning the seed that spreads to all by the council’s traditional rulers.

     

  • APC denies alleged parallel LG congresses in Ebonyi

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), said no parallel local government (LG) congresses held in Ebonyi on Saturday to elect party executives.

    The congress committee chairman, Chief Nicholas Adekunle-Ajayi, stated this on Sunday in Abakaliki, while addressing newsmen.

    Adekunle-Ajayi, at a joint media briefing, with the State Party Chairman, Chief Eze Nwachukwu, described report of parallel congresses in Ebonyi as misleading, lacking in truth and without merit.

    Adekunle-Ajayi said that the congresses that held across the 13 local government areas were peaceful and successful.

    He affirmed that he supervised the congresses in five local government areas across the three senatorial districts of the state.

    The committee chairman said that other members of his team monitored the exercise in the remaining eight local government areas.

    He added that the reports submitted by the teams described the congresses as peaceful, credible and transparent.

    He said that the misleading reports were designed to undermine the huge success recorded by the party in the state by ‘enemies of the party.’

    “I, Chief Nicholas Adekunle-Ajayi, is the congress committee chairman appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) and I’m the person who conducted the congresses in Ebonyi.

    “To the best of my knowledge, there were no parallel congresses in the state.

    “There is nothing like parallel congresses; parallel congresses can only exist if the national body of the party establishes two working committees for such congresses.

    “There is just one authentic congress committee chairman for Ebonyi and that person is my humble self,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, Nwachukwu, the state chairman described the reports of alleged LG parallel congresses by two factions of APC in Ebonyi as originating from the figment of the imagination of peddlers of the rumour.

    He explained that APC has only one structure under the leadership of the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

    He told newsmen that Ebonyi APC LG congresses held on Saturday, May 12 and that it was peaceful, transparent and attended by a large crowd of members.

    “For records, we have no faction in APC in Ebonyi.

    “APC is one big family and we have our leader in the person of Onu.

    “The success of the wards and local government congresses have caused upset to the enemies of the party.

    “The misleading reports were designed to undermine and discredit the achievements of the party.

    “But I want to urge our party members to disregard the reports and focus on the forthcoming state congress.

    “Our congresses yesterday was a huge success,’’ he said.

    Nwachukwu commended the party faithful, stakeholders and leaders for making the exercise a huge success.

     

  • Umahi suspends, orders arrest of council coordinator over communal crisis

    Umahi suspends, orders arrest of council coordinator over communal crisis

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has ordered the suspension of Mr Declan Ovunna, Coordinator of Alike Development Centre in Ikwo Local Government Area over the renewed violence by youths from a community.

    Umahi also suspended other political appointees from the community and the centre and asked the police to arrest them.

    “It was my intention to dissolve the development centre through the state House of Assembly so that people would see that this government is not weak.

    “The fact that the government is Godly does not mean that it is weak as the management committee members from the centre, special assistants, technical assistants, vigilante heads, youth leaders, among others, are suspended and should be arrested,” Umahi said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the people of Noyo-Echilaike in Ikwo Local Government Area situated in the centre and Enyigba in Abakaliki Local Government Area were locked in a bloody land dispute which led to the destruction of properties and the death of several persons.

    The governor convened a stakeholders’ meeting involving heads of security agencies in the state on April 27 where several resolutions were reached aimed at ensuring ceasefire.

    Youths from Noyo Echialike community, however, reneged on the agreement and destroyed a school and several house in Enyigba on Saturday which made the governor to suspend the coordinator and other political appointees.

     

    The governor further directed that the salaries of the affected officers be aggregated and the funds used to reconstruct the destroyed school at Enyigba.

    “Their suspension would subsist till the school is fully reconstructed and I will go and inspect it myself.

    “The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and my Principal Secretary should present the aggregated funds to the state executive council which would set up a committee for the reconstruction.

    “The heads of security agencies in the state should contribute personnel to participate in the direct labour process for the reconstruction as the affected appointees must vacate their offices immediately.

    “The state commissioner of police should ensure their immediate arrest while the attorney general and commissioner for justice should secure their detention order for arson.

    “The SSG should immediately issue a security query to Mr John Nnabo, Chairman of Ikwo LGA for being absent at this occasion,”

    He called on stakeholders of both communities to urge their people to maintain peace because human life was sacred and cannot be equated with any psychical possession, including land.

    “I earnestly thank the people of Inyimegu and Ekpomaka communities of Ikwo LGA for maintaining peace after the crisis which engulfed them and this should be emulated by all,” he said.

    Dr Kelechi Igwe, the state Deputy Governor who hails from Noyo–Echilaike community said that his people denied complicity in the arson at their warring neighbour’s community.

    “We the stakeholders, informed them of the ceasefire resolutions and directive of the government but were surprised to hear of the renewed hostilities which led to the burning of schools and buildings in Enyigba.

    “We went back to confront them at our ancestral home and they denied complicity in the arson having decided to abide with the resolutions,” he said.

    Mr Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the State House f Assembly who hails from Izzi LGA where Enyigba is situated, lamented that his people were unduly provoked by their Ikwo neighbours.

    “We always abide with all resolutions to ensure peaceful co-existence with them but they seem to take advantage of such because we do no not have a governor or a deputy.

    “The crisis started since the regime of the immediate past Governor Martin Elechi who is also from the area as we should be truthful while seeking solutions,” he said.

    Rev. Father Abraham Nwali, the Chairman of the Committee set up by the governor to investigate the crisis, noted that both parties cooperated with the committee during its investigations.

    Nwali who is the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the Governor on Religion and Welfare Matters recommended, among other resolutions, that the government should immediately confiscate the contentious land, suspend development projects in both areas.

    Again, gunmen invade Zamfara communities, many feared dead