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Tag: Enugu State

  • APC rejects Enugu Assembly by-election

    APC rejects Enugu Assembly by-election

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Enugu State has rejected the outcome of the Dec. 5 Isiuzo State Constituency election in Enugu State.

    The seat became vacant following the death of the former member representing the constituency, Mr Chijioke Ugwueze.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs Amaka Ugwueze and wife of the deceased lawmaker as the winner of the election.

    However, members of the APC from Isiuzo Local Government Area of the state on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the INEC office in Enugu.

    One of the leaders of the protesters, Chief Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu, said that the result as declared by the electoral umpire was unacceptable to them.

    Jideofo-Ogbuagu said that the outcome of the exercise was contrary to how the people of the area cast their ballots.

    He alleged that the victory of the APC in the election was ‘stolen’, adding that INEC ad hoc staff members collaborated with those who unleashed terror on the exercise.

    “Majority of those who came out voted for the APC, but they used thugs to chase away the people and changed the results,” Jideofo-Ogbuagu said.

    Also, the APC candidate in the election, Mr McDonald Ejiofor, said that he had believed the assurances from INEC that the election would be free and fair.

    Ejiofor alleged that their agents were chased out and not allowed to witness collation of results.

    He said that the election was marred by all manners of irregularities including multiple voting and massive thumb printing, adding that some APC supporters were injured.

    Ejiofor said that he was weighing other legal options in a bid to get justice.

    When contacted, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Emeka Ononamadu, said that he was surprised that they were protesting.

    “Why are they protesting? Their agents were there when the results were released,” Ononamadu said.

  • #EndSARS: Enugu Govt. lifts curfew on 3 LGAs

    #EndSARS: Enugu Govt. lifts curfew on 3 LGAs

    The Enugu State Government has lifted the curfew imposed on Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.

    This is contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Nnanyelugo Aroh in Enugu, on Monday.

    Aroh said that the decision to lift the curfew followed a review of the situation in the three LGAs.

    He said that the action was in furtherance of the government’s commitment to return of normalcy and sustained economic activity in the state.

    “Consequently, normal social and economic activities resume effective from 6 a.m., on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, without prejudice to all existing regulations put in place by the Federal Government as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ” Enugu resident, are therefore advised to go about their lawful social and economic activities, while remaining vigilant and law abiding as usual, ” he said.

    The government imposed had on Oct. 21, imposed a 24-hour curfew on the LGAs, after the #ENDSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums.

  • #ENDSARS: Ugwuanyi sets up panel to investigate police brutality, extra-judicial killings[PHOTOS]

    #ENDSARS: Ugwuanyi sets up panel to investigate police brutality, extra-judicial killings[PHOTOS]

    Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Saturday, for the second time in two days, addressed youths in the state who were protesting against #PoliceBrutality in the country, announcing the setting up of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra judicial killings, as demanded by the protesters.

     

    Gov. Ugwuanyi who addressed the #EndSars protesters amid cheers, reiterated his government’s position on the demands made by the protesting youth and disclosed that the panel will be chaired by a High Court Judge with two representatives of the Civil Society Groups and one retired Police Officer of high repute as members.

     

    Other members of the panel, according to Gov. Ugwuanyi, include one youth representative, one student representative, a representative of the State Attorney General and another from the Human Rights Commission.

     

    The governor who applauded the protesters, led by two prominent artists, Flavor and Phyno, for the peaceful nature of the protest expressed the solidarity of the government and people of the state to their cause.

     

    He added that the panel is saddled with the responsibility of receiving and investigating complaints of police brutality or related extra judicial killings; evaluate evidence presented/other surrounding circumstances and draw conclusion as to the validity of the complaints and then recommend compensation and other remedial measures where appropriate.

    Gov. Ugwuanyi also announced that his administration will establish a human rights public complaints team of between two and three persons to receive complaints on an on-going basis, adding that the team will be established by the special committee on security and human rights.

     

    “We have also resolved that we will set up complaints commission which the public can relate to by telephone or social media channels”, the governor said.

    While appreciating Ndi Enugu for the overwhelming support and goodwill especially when they reelected him in 2019 with an unprecedented 95.54 percent of the valid votes cast, which he said was a referendum on his performance, Gov. Ugwuanyi reassured them that his administration will do all that it has promised to do for the people in spite of the nation’s challenges.

     

    The deputy governor, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, who accompanied the governor to the event, had on Tuesday, presented the state government’s position accepting to address all the demands made by the protesting youth also led by Flavour and Phyno.

     

     

  • Enugu CP opens up on whereabouts of detained IPOB member

    Enugu CP opens up on whereabouts of detained IPOB member

    Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, CP Ahmad Abdurrahman, on Thursday said the police was treating the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) member with bullet wound to make him fit to face trial.

    Abdurrahman said this in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, and made available to newsmen in Enugu.

    He said that allegation by a publication that the suspect was chained and left to bled to death was misleading information, adding that the public should disregard it.

    Abdurrahman said that the suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment and was still being treated for him to be fit enough to face criminal prosecution alongside four others.

    The commissioner said that the four others had already been charged to court and remanded in correctional service custody for the offences of conspiracy, treasonable felony and murder.

    He said the police did not demand money for the bail of the suspect nor was his grandfather or any member of his family arrested, detained and released after extorting N55,000 at Central Police Station, Enugu as alleged.

    He, however, enjoined residents of the state to remain law-abiding and guard against the spread of falsehood and baseless allegations.

    “The attention of the Command has been drawn to a malicious claim making the rounds on social media that one Ofornedum Okafor, an IPOB member, was arrested and detained at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital UNTH), Enugu alongside his grandfather by the police.

    “The social media publication alleged that they were detained on the order of the Commissioner of Police, who wants him to die in police custody where he is chained, rather than being treated from the bullets wounds his men illegally inflicted on him.

    “Furthermore, that the Police, according to the statement credited to one Emma Powerful, the spokesman of the proscribed group, is demanding for over N200,000 bribe for his bail after extorting the sum of N55,000 before releasing his grandfather.

    “And that the Commissioner will “pay a heavy price” should anything happen to the suspect.

    “In view of the above, the Command enjoins the general public, particularly residents of the State, to completely disregard such unfounded, baseless and spurious claims, which contain no iota of fact or truth.

    “The Command took and has been funding the treatment of the said suspect in the mentioned hospital so he can be fit enough to face pending charges against him and four others in the court of law.

    “The Command warns that such acts of calumny against the police and aimed at misinforming, misleading and causing tension in the hitherto very peaceful state and threat to the police, will not be tolerated from individuals or groups.

    “The Command notes that any person(s) found wanting will be made to face the full weight of the law,’’ he said.

    Abdurrahman further advised the residents to report criminal perpetrators to the nearest police station or by calling the Command’s emergency hot-lines on: 08032003702, 08086671202, 08075390883 or 08098880172.

    It would be recalled that the hospitalised suspect was among five IPOB members arrested by police during the bloody clash between security agencies and members of IPOB in Enugu State on Aug. 23.

  • INEC prepares for by-election in Enugu

    INEC prepares for by-election in Enugu

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is preparing for a by-election to replace a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, late Chijioke Ugwueze, who died recently.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu, said the commission had fixed Oct. 31, 2020 for the conduct of the by-election to replace the late lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency.

    “For now, we are preparing for the bye-election to replace the state lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency. More details on the preparation will be communicated very soon,’’ he told NAN.

    The late Enugu State House of Assembly member, Ugwueze died of heart failure, according to a family source on June 19 at age 49.

  • COVID-19: Enugu State records 7 new cases, total hits 976

    COVID-19: Enugu State records 7 new cases, total hits 976

    Enugu State Government has confirmed a total of 976 cases of COVID-19, with new confirmed seven cases, as total deaths remained 19.
    The information is in a statement by the Enugu State Ministry of Health, signed by the Commissioner for Heath, Dr Emmanuel Obi on Friday.
    The statement noted that “as it stand, the state total confirmed case stood at 976, while death toll remain 19.
    “Out of the 976 total confirmed cases, 307 are still undergoing treatment at different isolation centres in the state.”
    The commissioner added that 650 patients were discharged after two post-treatment tests, which came out negative.
    Obi, therefore, urged the citizens to stay at home when it is not absolutely necessary for them to go out.
    He said “wear a face mask whenever you must go out and keep a safe distance from other people at all times.
    “Avoid crowded places, practice good respiratory hygiene when coughing or sneezing.
    “Clean surfaces around you regularly with clean water and wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds under running water as often as possible.
    “Where facilities for handwashing are unavailable, sanitise your hands as often as possible, using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.”
    He said that obeying health expert protocols would ensure self protection and that of others.
  • APC condemns exclusion of members in committee for FG’s job

    APC condemns exclusion of members in committee for FG’s job

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has raised concern over the composition of a committee set up to recruit 10,00 youths by Federal Government in each local government in the state.

    Some APC chieftains, in a petition, addressed to the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Enugu, said that the state government had hijacked the process.

    A copy of the petition, which was sent to the National Assembly, was signed by Chief Ben Ezeamuna and Chief Tobi Odinwankpa from Udi and Ezeagu Local Government areas of the state, respectively.

    They alleged that the leadership and membership of the committee for Enugu State were mostly loyalists and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while members of APC were excluded.

    The petition read in part: “As the ruling party in Nigeria, we were perplexed to see that members of our party are conspicuously missing.

    “The list contains only PDP loyalists and members apart from few inclusions outside party lines.

    “It is a worrisome development as our party is marginalised and this is an embarrassing development that has plagued APC development in the state,” it read.

    The party said that such type of neglect of party members had dwarfed the progress of the party in the state.

    The APC chieftains sought for the intervention and directive of the minister to review the membership of the committee and for a member of their party to be at the head.

    Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Labour, Mr Uchechukwu Ogbonna, said he was not aware of the identity of members of the recruitment committee.

    Ogbonna said that no memo was sent to him from any quarter, adding that he would seek information about the scheme from the relevant quarters.

    The Federal Government had initiated a scheme to gainfully engage 10, 000 youths in each local government area in the country. The Federal Government also announced that a selection committee would be put in place to drive the recruitment.

  • Passengers groan as interstate movement resumes in Nigeria

    Passengers groan as interstate movement resumes in Nigeria

    Some passengers travelling outside Enugu State groaned as transporters increased transportation fares, following the lifting of the ban on interstate movement by the Federal Government.

    The passengers, who spoke on Wednesday at various motor parks, said they were surprised by the alarming increase in the transportation fares.

    Mr Edward Ilorah, a passenger at Holy-Ghost Park, said that the transporters increased the fare by 100 per cent.

    “I came out this morning to board a bus going to Lagos only to find out that the transport fare has gone up by 100 per cent.

    “Before the lockdown, it was N5, 500 from Enugu to Lagos by luxurious bus as against the current price of N10, 100.

    “I know it is normal to increase transportation fare due to the COVID-19 pandemic but not as high as this,’’ he told NAN.

    Miss Ijeoma Nze, another passenger, said she could not afford to pay N10, 100 to Lagos because as a student, she was stranded in Enugu throughout the lockdown after the closing of schools.

    “I am a student in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). I could not travel back home, so I decided to remain until after the lockdown.

    “Now that I want to travel to meet my people in Lagos, I cannot afford the transportation fare,” Nze lamented.

    Mr Timothy Igwe, a passenger at Old Park, said that transportation fare to Onitsha was higher than what it was before the lockdown.

    Igwe added that before now, he paid N800 to Onitsha as against the current price of N1, 500.

    Mr Peter Obike, another passenger travelling to Kano expressed worry over the amount he was asked to pay from Enugu to Kano.

    “It is not funny, we are now paying for two passengers because we want to embark on a journey. How can I pay N14, 000 as against N7, 000, just to travel to Kano, it is unfair,” Obike said.

    Mrs Mary Chukwu, a passenger at Garki Motor Park, said that the transport fare to Port-Harcourt had increased from N2, 000 to N3, 600.

    “The transportation fare will discourage many people from travelling, except on issues that are so important to them,” Chukwu said.

    Reacting to the development, some transportation managers said that the increment was as a result of physical distancing, which was one of the rules to be kept to prevent passengers from contracting the virus.

    Mr Chigbo Onu, a Manager of GUO Motors, said that passengers needed to pay higher than before because a bus of 16 passengers’ carried eight passengers as against the normal 16 passengers.

    Miss Ifunanya Egwu, a Manager of Ifeanyichukwu Motors, added that the luxurious bus of 60 passengers had started conveying only 30 passengers so as to keep to the rules of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

  • Filipino lady searches for love to Nigeria, ends up in tatters in Enugu

    Filipino lady searches for love to Nigeria, ends up in tatters in Enugu

    The Police in Enugu State have rescued a Filipino lady, who searched for love to Nigeria, from the hands of her abductor, one Chukwudi Odo.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Filipino lady, identified as Irene Torento Panas, was rescued by police operatives attached to the Unity Police Division, Ibegwa Nike in Enugu.

    Irene, 40-year-old, was rescued six months after she arrived in Nigeria from the Philippines in an apparent but unsuccessful search for love.

    According to findings, the Filipino lady, who arrived in Nigeria on November 22, 2019, is an accountant by profession and a native of Manila in the Philippines.

    She met 54-year-old Odo, who is from Enugu Ezike in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu, on Facebook on 8th March, 2017.

    The visit which was originally intended to be for 10-days, however, turned out to be a full case of abduction following Odo’s refusal to allow her return to her country against her will.

    She was held incommunicado by the suspect, Odo, and was critically ill at the time of rescue, TNG learnt.

    The Police have arrested the suspect in a raid led by the DPO, SP Siga Malgwi, following a tip-off from some members of the public in the area.

    Irene was immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention where she was admitted from 5th June to 16th June.

    Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, Odo deliberately lured the victim into the country with the aim of confining her, sexually abusing, and extorting money from her.

    Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M. A. Adamu has advised on a more cautious use of social media by members of the public.

    The IGP, while enjoining members of the public to tread cautiously in their use of the social media, warned against any abuse of the cyberspace noting that such criminal acts will not go undetected and unpunished by the Force.

    Meanwhile, the Force said it was already in contact with the Embassy of the Philippines in Nigeria so as to reunite the victim with members of her family.

  • Details of COVID-19 cases in Enugu State

    Details of COVID-19 cases in Enugu State

    Update on COVID-19 cases in Enugu State is that there were 3 newly confirmed positive cases in the state, the day before, and 6 newly confirmed cases late evening of Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

    However, yet another previously positive case has responded to treatment, tested negative and discharged.

    Consequently, the total number of cases of COVID-19 in Enugu State at the moment is 27 (13 active and 14 discharged, no death).

    The Enugu State Ministry of Health wishes to correct the misinformation from its last update. It was announced that the total number of cases in Enugu State was at 19, with 6 active cases and 13 discharged. However an error from the reference laboratory was quickly detected and a case that was reported positive, on further investigation, was reconciled and confirmed negative.

    The patient remained in quarantine for the period of clarification of the result. The quickly repeated test helped to avoid, for the individual, the experience of being wrongly admitted into an isolation and treatment centre.

    Thus prior to this update, Enugu State had seen a total of 18 cases, 5 active and 13 discharged.

    Case Number 19 is a 55-year-old male, from Enugu East LGA, with no positive travel history.

    Case 20 is a 17-year-old male from Udi LGA, who had been exposed to an individual that had returned to Enugu briefly for a burial ceremony and had returned to Delta State where he tested positive for COVID – 19.

    Case 21 is a 23-year-old female also from Udi LGA who had also been exposed to this same burial attendee as above that travelled to Enugu from Delta State, who returned and tested positive.

    Case 22 is a 25-year-old male from Enugu East, with no travel history

    Case 23 is a male from 9th Mile in Ngwo, Enugu North LGA, who came into Enugu from Imo State a week ago.

    Case 24 is a female from Enugu North LGA

    Case 25 is a 45-year-old male contact of case 19, with a history of international travel to an undisclosed country

    Case 26 is a 66-year-old male from Enugu South LGA and a recent returnee, a few days ago, from Onitsha, Anambra State.

    Case 27 is a 55-year-old female university lecturer with a history of exposure to someone with symptoms of COVID-19

    It is pertinent to inform the public at this stage that community transmission is gradually being established in Enugu State.

    The Enugu State Government continues its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the State Ministry of Health also continues to treat its existing cases, respond to alerts, carrying out contact tracing and following up on suspects and probable cases.

    As the social directives of the Federal Government and the Enugu State Government gradually ease, the public health advisories of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and the Enugu State Ministry of Health, essentially remain as important as ever and should be adhered to.

    So do not forget to;

    Stay home when it is not absolutely necessary to go out
    Wear a facemask/covering whenever you must go out
    Keep a safe distance from other people at all times, which is social/physical distancing and avoid crowded places
    Practice good respiratory hygiene (when coughing or sneezing)
    Clean surfaces with a 1 in 6 concentration of bleach and water
    Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds under running water as often as possible
    And when facilities for handwashing are unavailable, sanitize your hands as often as possible using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

    When You do these, you protect me, and when I do these, I protect you.

    If despite your efforts, however, you develop symptoms or know anyone who may have developed symptoms, please call the following numbers;

    08182555550 or 0902233383 or the NCDC number 080097000010

    Someone will speak with you and get your details.

    Stay Safe!

    Signed
    Dr. Obi Emmanuel Ikechukwu
    Commissioner for Health, Enugu State.

    Enugu State is in the hands of God!