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Tag: Enugu

  • How ‘kpokpo garri’ emerges most patronized local food in Enugu

    The local food called `abacha’, made with cassava flakes or tapioca, also known as kpokpo garri, has assumed an alarming dimension in Enugu State as all classes of residents patronize the meal.

    A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Friday revealed that many major streets, eateries and popular junctions have one or more joints as well as those that sell it in a mobile cart.

    While many people patronize the vendors, some others prefer visiting special joints where they eat it with palm-wine and bush meat.

    When NAN visited the abacha joints at Uwani, Independence Layout, Obiagu, Abakpa Nike and Gariki areas, they were filled with consumers from different walks of life.

    Mrs Bridget Agbo, who owns one of the joints in Uwani, said that she sold a 50 kilogram bag of the cassava product daily and more than that during weekends.

    “I enjoy high patronage in the sale of abacha or jigbo from people from all walks of life including civil servants, bankers, politicians and students.

    “In fact, some people book me ahead of time and I package for them in take-away packs.

    “I equally prepare it for some people during social events like marriage, child dedication, house-warming, thanksgiving and burial ceremonies.

    “I have been in this business in the past 10 years and use the proceeds to assist my husband in the upkeep of our family,’’ she said.

    Another seller at the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Mrs Ngozi Obah said that a plate of the food with fried fish sold for N500 while with stockfish, dried bush meat attracted additional N1, 000 per plate.

    “Abacha is highly consumed by Igbos and it is a food for all season.

    “I make a profit of between N20, 000 and N25, 000 daily. It is a good business and easy to prepare. You can start the business with N5, 000, if you want to hawk it.

    “As a widow, I train my six children from the business and three of the children are under graduates.

    Some women do come to learn the trade from me. I have not less than 100 customers that patronise me daily,” she added.

    Another seller at Independence Layout, Enugu, Mrs Amuche Ugwu said that abacha had been a delicacy of Enugu people adding that it was prepared in every traditional ceremony in the state.

    “About 30 per cent of Enugu residents consume it daily. I started the business as far back as 1999 and have no regrets because it is lucrative.

    “Majority of my customers are students, artisans, bachelors, drivers and other passersby.

    “Most of us selling abacha are no longer interested in white-collar jobs because the petty business sometimes pays more than many government jobs,” she said.

    Some consumers, who spoke with NAN, said that the food was good, cheap and readily available anywhere in Enugu.

    A student at the Institute of Management and Technology, Chikwere Edeh and a corps member, Seyi Adekunle said they could buy N100 worth and be satisfied.

    According to Edeh, it becomes costly if you start adding oil bean known as ukpaka and assorted fish and meat.

    The Head of Department, Food and Nutrition, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Elizabeth Ngwu said that abacha had good nutritional value in human body.

    Ngwu said that the snack was prepared with pepper, palm oil, crayfish, castor oil, oilbean, vegetable, garden egg, onions and eaten with meat or fish which contained the six classes of food.

    She recommended that every family should form the habit of preparing abacha at least once or twice in a week, as it had good nutritional value in children’s growth.

     

  • BREAKING: Court strikes out corruption charges against ex-Enugu gov, Nnamani

    A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has dismissed the charges against a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, for lack of “proper charges” before the court.

    Chuka Obiozor, the judge, said the affidavit filed by Mr. Nnamani showed that the court had entered judgement in the same suit on July 5, 2015, by another judge, Mohammed Yunusa.

    Rickey Tarfa, counsel to Mr. Nnamani, had informed the court that the defendant filed a motion disclosing the facts that this case has been put to rest by Mr. Yunusa in his judgement suit no FHc/L/09c/07.

    According to Mr. Tarfa, a senior advocate of Nigeria, parties in the suit had entered a plea bargain before Mr. Yunusa and there is no valid pending charges before Mr. Obiozor as the court cannot sit on appeal for the case of another judge of concurrent jurisdiction.

    Kelvin Uzozie, the EFCC prosecutor, said he had looked at the affidavits filed by the defendant in the case and was applying that the entire proceedings be expunged to enable him file fresh charges against Mr. Nnamani.

    In a short ruling, the judge said, “I agree that in view of the plea bargain judgement of this court delivered on the 7th of July, 2015, that there is no valid charge before me and I thereby expunge the entire proceedings before me.”

     

    Details later…

  • Police warn Enugu residents against bank fraud

    The Police Command in Enugu State has urged residents of the state to guard their bank details jealously to avoid being victims of fraud syndicate operating in the state.

    The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, gave the advice in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday.

    Amaraizu noted that the advice had become necessary in view of intelligence report about the antics of mischief-makers, who tried to reap where they did not sow.

    He said the command had started to unmask and arrest members of the syndicate involved in the unwholesome act in the state.

    The spokesman said some of the suspects engaged in the financial fraud had been helping the police in the investigation.

    “The command wishes to advise members of the public to be wary of disclosing pin numbers of their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards as well as their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to people.

    “This will avoid unpleasant consequences of hoodlums wreaking havoc on their bank accounts,” said the spokesman.

    He also advised residents of the state to be wary of those who ask to be assisted to withdraw money from ATM points with their ATM cards as such people might be mischief-makers.

    “Such people only desire to cash in on such opportunity to get their victims’ ATM pin numbers and change their cards without them knowing and thereafter wreak havoc on their account,” Amaraizu said.

     

  • Gov. Ugwuanyi signs 2018 budget of N103.5bn into law

    Gov. Ugwuanyi signs 2018 budget of N103.5bn into law

    Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State on Monday signed the 2018 budget of N103.5 billion into law.

    Signing the document in Enugu, Ugwuanyi reiterated his administration’s readiness to deliver good governance and harness the potential in the state.

    The governor, however, expressed his commitment to ensure the full and prompt implementation of the budget.
    Earlier, Mr Edward Ubosi, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, said that the legislators had after wide consultation and robust debate jerked up the budget estimate.

    Ubosi said that the increase became necessary in order to accommodate the various road projects in the state that needed urgent attention.

    He said that the budget was realistic and accommodated the pressing needs of the state.

    The speaker said that the 2018 budget reduced external and internal borrowings of the state by 60 per cent and would not drag the state into any form of indebtedness.

    Ubosi said that the gains of the 2018 budget had demonstrated that the State Board of Internal Revenue was up to its responsibilities.

    “We are happy with the way the revenue board is working to reduce stress from the government but they should not put hardship on our people,” he said.

    He commended the governor for the prudent management of the state’s resources.

    It is reported that the governor had on Dec. 28, 2017 presented a budget estimate of N98.5 billion to the state assembly.

    The budget was passed on Feb. 12.

     

    NAN

  • Enugu Miracle Convention 2018: Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, Emma Isong, Zilly Aggrey and others to Minister

    The President of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association Incorporated, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai alongside with Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, Rev. Ntia I. Ntia, Apostle Prince Zilly Aggrey, Rev. Amb. And Pastor (Mrs.) Chimaobi Aninwene and Rev. Amb. Don Odunze will minister at the 2018, Enugu Miracle Convention.

    The Enugu Miracle Convention with the theme ‘Overtaking the World with the Word’ will begin from the 4 th of March to the 11 th of March 2018 at the Newspring Christian Redemption Church World-wide, Headquarters. This will hold at 8 Moses Ogbodo Street Topland Amechi Road Enugu in Enugu State.

    According to the General Overseer and Senior Pastor, Rev. Amb. Chimaobi Aninwene, the theme was informed by the need to stir up a revival in the body of Christ and in our nation Nigeria. Adding that the crop of speakers lined up for the miracle convention were carefully chosen because of the grace of God upon them and also to bring about the revival in the church and a revolution in our nation Nigeria.

    During the 7-day miracle convention, with morning services starting from 8 a.m. and evening services starting from 5 p.m., Paul Nwokocha, Samuel Anya, Chinyere Udoma, Gozie Okeke and Chika (Abel C) are to minister in songs alongside the Redemption voices.

     

  • FG launches VAIDS in Enugu, set to clamp down on tax defaulters

    The Federal Government on Thursday launched Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) in Enugu with renewed commitment to clamp down on tax defaulters.

    VAIDS is a time limited opportunity for taxpayers to regularise their status relating to previous tax periods.

    Tax payers are expected to within the period which terminates on March 31, 2018, honestly declare previously undisclosed assets and income and will benefit from forgiveness of overdue interest and penalties.

    The Minister of Finance, Dr Kemi Adeosun while launching the scheme in the state, said tough decisions needed to be made to set the country’s economy on the path of progress.

    Adeosun said the country had poor tax record with a six-per cent Gross Domestoc Product (GDP) in tax returns, adding that successful countries had efficient tax systems.

    She added that “if we are serious about building this country, we must embrace efficient taxation. We must make sure that we collect and deploy taxes effectively.”

    The minister explained that out of the 70 million economically viable Nigerians, only 14 million were paying taxes and may not be paying the correct amount.

    She said the current administration had made tremendous progress in fixing the economy through well thought out schemes, noting that there were clear signals that the economy was on the path of growth and recovery after the recession as infrastructure deficits were being fixed.

    The minister said “when we came into power in 2015, N19 billion was allocated to road construction but in 2016, we increased it to N220 billion and a total of N1.2 trillion had already been released for capital votes.”

    Adeosun, who said government was set to go after tax defaulters at the expiration of the grace period, added that accomplices would also lose assets.

    “Henceforth, there would not be any hiding place for tax evaders: I advise every Nigerian to pay tax.

    “I want to urge us all to take advantage of VAIDS to support ourselves and government in building this country,” Adeosun said.

    Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State commended Federal Government for the initiative, which he noted would enhance government revenue.

    Ugwuanyi said the state government had made substantial progress in its tax returns in the past one year, explaining that his administration spent over N40 billion in the construction of 240 kilometres of roads between 2015 and 2018.

    He noted that the government also spent N2.7 billion in fixing federal roads within the same period, adding that grassroots projects worth N200 million were completed in each local government area of the state.

    The governor said his administration had constructed 46.9 km feeder roads in agrarian communities to support farmers and food production in the state, saying more than 4000 public school teachers were employed “to make Enugu State among the first four most developed states in the country by 2020”.

    The governor, however, appealed to the minister to use her good office to impress it on federal agencies in the state to pay their debt.

    He noted that federal agencies owed the state government over N14 billion in unpaid taxes.

  • Police in Enugu arrest 3 suspects after trailing stolen vehicle to Abia

    Police in Enugu arrest 3 suspects after trailing stolen vehicle to Abia

    The Nigerian Police, Enugu State Command, have arrested three suspects over a stolen vehicle after they were trailed for three months to Abia.

    The command’s Spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ebere Amaraizu, said this in a statement on Saturday in Enugu.

    Amaraizu said that the feat was achieved by police operatives of the New Haven Division in Enugu.

    The spokesman said that the suspects were nabbed after the police followed a clue gathered through intelligence report.

    According to him, the three suspects are now helping the police in their investigations in connection with the alleged crime committed.

    “It was gathered that suspects allegedly, on Nov. 1, 2017, snatched and stole a Toyota Sienna car with registration Number LND 388 AS at gun point from the owner at Nnaji Park axis of New Haven in Enugu.

    “The suspects escaped to an unknown destination but never knew that police operatives had been on their trail,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu said that the vehicle had been recovered from the suspects.

    According to him, full scale investigations have commenced into the incident and also on the nefarious activities of the suspects.

    Ekwueme’s body to arrive in Enugu today for final rites

  • Enugu inmate emerges overall best Masters graduate of NOUN

    An inmate of Enugu Maximum Security prison, Chukwununso Nomeh has emerged the overall best Post-graduate student of the National Open University of Nigeria ( NOUN ) prisons special study centres nationwide.

    The spokesperson of the Nigeria Prison Service in Enugu State, Mr Chukwuemeka Monday made the disclosure in a statement issued in Enugu on Friday.

    Nomeh, a convicted inmate, who was sentenced in 2010 gained admission to study Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

    He graduated with a cumulative grade point of 3.80.

    The Desk Officer of Enugu study centre, CSP Kelvin Iloafonsi said two other inmates also graduated from the NOUN post graduate school.

    Iloafonsi said that one of the inmates had since been released.

    The spokesperson recalled that one of the ex-convict of the same centre, Theophilus Adeniyi, emerged the overall best graduating student in 2014 while in incarceration.

    Monday said that he was currently pursuing his PhD in one of the universities in Nigeria.

    The Controller of prison in the state, Ndubuisi Ogbodo, encouraged more inmates to enroll into NOUN and embrace the transformation mantra of the Controller General of Prison, Ja’afaru Ahmed which focused on training and retraining of both staff and inmates.

    The CP also called on the public to accept ex-convicts as reformed and responsible member of the society.

    He said that their continuous rejection would only lead them back to crime.

     

    NAN

  • Handshake across the Niger: 17-point communique issued at Enugu summit

    A meeting of the South-East, South-West leaders and other regions has ended in Enugu with a 17-point communique.

    The communique was signed by Chief Nnia Nwodo, President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo and ‎Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on behalf of Afenifere.

    It reads in full:

    Communique – Handshake Across The Niger:

    A] Notations.
    After today’s meeting of all strata of persons of Igbo and Yoruba origins in Enugu, the erstwhile capital of Eastern Nigeria, the conferees comprising leaders of the South West (SW), South East (SE), the South South (SS) the Middle Belt (MB) made several observations and resolved as follows:

    1. Noted the immense strength of Igbo-Yoruba close affinities of kinship and brotherhood, shared origins and cultural/ethical values, a common world view and inherent love of freedom and justice;

    3. Noted that in a long history of close relations and association, the Igbo and Yoruba have no recorded instances of violence against each other’s ethnic group, such as inter-ethnic mass killings and destruction and/or seizure of property; that instead, they have lived, worked and prospered together, accommodating and respecting their differences;

    4. Expressed awareness that grievances generated by past errors on both sides can no longer justify or sustain dissention between the two groups whose solidarity and mutual collaboration have the capacity to dramatically change the fortunes of Nigeria, thereby also, changing the fates of the African continent and the black race;

    5. Noted that the HS has brought about a new dawn of irreversible amity in the horizon of Igbo-Yoruba relations, that they have today declared time-up for, and permanently buried, the hatchet of distrust and spiteful rivalry, leading to a credible tipping-point of optimism and opportunity in realizing the destiny of Nigeria as a start-up nation-state that can achieve great things.

    B] Decisions and Commitments.
    In consequence of the fore-going, the conferees of the HS arrived at the following decisions and commitments:

    1. Decided to collaborate closely to create mutually beneficial opportunities, build a strong alliance to advance their ever growing mutual interests, while striving together to meet the common responsibilities of building a united, coherent and prosperous nation – state of free peoples, freely relating to one another across the dividing lines of tribe, religion, region and politics;

    2. Declared unflinching support for a truly federal union of Nigeria that is democratic, stable, secure, peaceful, just and fair to all its citizens.

    3. Committed to work in close partnership and through peaceful means to restructure Nigeria, reducing and restricting the duties of the federal government to only matters of national import on the exclusive list, while granting the federating units the right to take full responsibility for local, developmental and residual matters, as this will lead to healthy competition and cooperation among the federating units, in place of the present dysfunctional arrangement that merely superintends over the sharing and consuming of rents, and holds some States and Zones down for others to play the elusive game of catch-up;

    4. Committed to insistence therefore, on peaceful devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, land/resource ownership/control, reforming component structural and systemic institutions to radically reduce the escalating cost of governance;

    5. Committed to working tirelessly towards joining the economically-performing nations – China, India, Brazil, Israel, Singapore , South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand etc. – not as a dependent State, but a competitive producer and exporter of knowledge-based goods and services;

    6. Committed to immediate implementation of pro federalism recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, in particular those affecting the efficiency of governance.

    C] The way forward.

    We believe that the fore-going measures will reposition Nigeria to reach credible nationhood, attain its full potential and respect in the community of nations thereby enabling us to effectively lead the campaign for the political and economic renaissance of Africa and the black race – the very goals for which the Zik of Africa and the sage Chief Awolowo and a host of other founding nationalists lived and sacrificed so much. The conferees of the HS have therefore:

    i] Decided that today’s Hand Shake (HS) is not a one off event, but only the first of a progressive and continuous re-socialization project that will, in short order, reach out to embrace other compatriots in the South South (SS) , Middle Belt [MB], North Central (NC) North East (NE) and North West (NW) zones of the country;

    ii] Decided therefore, to establish a standing Joint Action Committee to drive this process, and to continually articulate fresh ideas and strategies to sustain the current zeal and momentum of mutual understanding and collaborative actions aimed at resuscitating Nigeria politically and economically in order to position her to earn her rightful place among the contending nations in the world.

    The composition and mandate of the Joint Committee and its sub-committees, along with the full report of today’s Hand Shake, will be posted in due course.

  • Police declare members of “Malaysian Boys’’ gang wanted in Enugu

    The Police Command in Enugu State has declared members of the “Malaysian Boys’’ gang wanted for alleged criminal activities.

    Police said the “Malaysian Boys’’ gang have been operating within Nimbo and Adani axis of Uzouwani Local Government Area of the state.

    The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Sunday that the command had issued a warrant of arrest for all the members of “Malaysian Boys’’ gang.

    Amaraizu urged members of the public to urgently furnish it with information that could lead to their arrest.

    He also said that the command had intensified manhunt for the fleeing “Malaysian Boys” who had been a thorn on the flesh of the law abiding members of the public within Nimbo and Adani axis of Uzouwani council area.

    “They are advised in their own interest to report to the state Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (CIID) of the command in Enugu.

    “They are Ikechukwu alias Master; Okoro Ifeanyi alias Bukar; Mathew; Marcel Ojike; Ogbobe Ajulu; Odumodu alias Asogwa, Mike also known as Anyi Anyi and Hyacinth Ugwu Julius.

    “Others are John Okwelli; Anselem also known as Photo; Ikechukwu Aaron; Nnamdi Michael; Gabriel also known as Gabos as well as others known as Fela, Zero, Akwasa, Mmiri and Ratty.

    “The command gathered that these group of fleeing suspected hoodlums and mischief-makers masquerading under the aegis of Malaysian Boys operating in their habitat at the dreaded Malaysian Forest, come out to unleash mayhem on residents of Nimbo community and its environs,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu said that the police was already working with relevant stakeholders to fish them out anywhere they might be within and outside the country.

    The police on acting on intelligence report, raided the said dreaded forest (Malaysian Forest) and arrested some of the suspected hoodlums.

    Police also recovered dangerous exhibits.

     

    NAN