Angry mob on Sunday attacked operatives of Anambra State Fire Service for allegedly arriving late at the scene of a fire incident.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director/Fire Chief of Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, and made available to newsmen in Onitsha on Monday.
Agbili said that the incident occurred at Atani Road, by Uga Junction, Onitsha, at about 6 p. m.
He said that the attackers shattered the wind shield and side mirrors of the fire truck, and also injured some of the operatives.
The fire chief described the incident as barbaric and a bad way to start the new year.
According to him, on Sunday 1st January, 2023 at about 1800hours, Anambra State Fire Service, received a distress call of fire incident at Uga junction by Atani road.
“Immediately, our fire truck and fire fighters were deployed to the scene. On arrival to the fire scene, the mob attacked us.
“They threw stones, sticks and irons at us. Unfortunately, they shattered the windscreen of our fire trucks, the side glasses and also wounded some firefighters.
“As they started throwing stones on the fire truck while the fire was still on, what we could hear was, ‘is it now that you people are coming to fight the fire?
“We managed to escape the mob attack with our shattered windscreen and some injured firefighters.
“This gift of new year is really unfortunate, that our hardworking firefighters of Anambra State will be welcomed to the new year with this barbaric act.
“Perpetrators of this ugly act will surely be brought to book,” Agbali said.
An early morning blaze on Saturday gutted Ose Main Market in Onitsha, Anambra, destroying three shops where drums of chemicals were stored.
The incident is contained in a statement signed by the Director/Fire Chief of Anambra Fire Service, Mr. Martin Agbili, and made available to newsmen in Onitsha.
According to the statement, at about 1.02 a.m. on Saturday, the Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call of fire outbreak at No 4 Ajasa Street, Ose Main Market, Onitsha, where they sell chemicals.
“We immediately deployed our fire trucks and our ever ready and fearless firefighters to the fire scene.
“We swift into action, battled the fire, controlled and fought is to a standstill.
“The cause of the fire was unknown as nobody was there when it started. Although, the fire destroyed about three shops but no life was lost during the heavy fire”, he said.
The fire chief said that a lot were saved as they prevented the fire from spreading to other shops around the fire incident scene.
He stressed on the importance of always switching off our electrical and electronic appliances, especially when they are not in use.
He urged the residents to be mindful of the fact that the nation was already in the harmattan season and implored them to avoid anything which could cause a fire outbreak.
DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra Command says the police was yet to be furnished with the casualty rate at the fire explosion in the chemical market in Onitsha.
Ikenga stated this on Tuesday in a telephone in Onitsha while reacting to a fire explosion that rocked the chemical market. According to him, I don’t have the information on the level of casualty and the level of damage.
“But I can confirm to you that there was fire explosion at the chemical market and our operatives led by DCP Operations, John Ogbodaga are on ground.
“The area has been cordoned off, the fire service were also on ground and the situation is under control,” he said.
It was earlier reported that no fewer than four persons were reportedly confirmed dead and about 20 sustained various degrees of injuries.
On his part, the state Fire Chief, Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, said that himself and other relevant stakeholders were currently on scene of incident as at the time of filing this report and useful information would be given in due time.
One of the top line cultural celebrations in eastern Nigeria, Globacom-sponsored Ofala Festival, took off with great fanfare on Friday in Onitsha, Anambra State, with several activities including the Oreze Arts Series and a spectacular Youth Carnival organised by the Onitsha Ado Youth Council (OYC).
The Oreze Arts Series, which is a group art exhibition promoted by His Majesty’s Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation, opened with over 120 artists exhibiting their works. Some of which include Alex Nwokolo, Kainebi Osahenye, Edison Ekwueme, Dr Bolaji Ogunwo, Tola Wewe, and Ayeva Nourridine. The special guest Professor John Ogene, is a Professor of Art History and Graphics, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin.
On the other hand, the Youth carnival featured different cultural groups, including the Otu Odu Onitsha, Egwu Odu, and Agbalanze, dressed in full traditional regalia dancing through the streets of Inland Town, Onitsha, in celebration of his Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, Agbogidi. The carnival was also used to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha indigenes.
A Royal Banquet organised by Globacom in honour of the Obi of Onitsha comes up Wednesday, October 26. The banquet will be held at the Dolly Hills Hotel, Onitsha. The activities will be rounded off with an Ofala Thanksgiving service scheduled to hold on Sunday, October 30 at St. Stephens Anglican Chur
Globacom said the highlight of its sponsorship of the 2022 festival include a special promotion to give subscribers an opportunity to win amazing prizes including tricycles, popularly called Keke, industrial sewing machines and grinding machines. “All a subscriber needs to do to win any of the prizes is to recharge with a minimum of N1, 500 or to buy a minimum data bundle of N1, 000 before the end of the promo,” the company explained.
Ofala celebrations will continue with the Iru Ofala on Saturday, October 22, and the Azu Ofala on Sunday, October 23. It is an occasion for the monarch to fulfil certain obligations, and primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects of the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period he successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom. It is also a re-enactment of the joy which the monarch shared with his subjects at the discovery that yam is non-toxic, and is a valuable source of food. Igwe Achebe is also using the occasion of the Ofala to commemorate his 20th anniversary as monarch.
Traders at the popular Building Materials market in Onitsha, Anambra, have lauded the Anambra State fire service for prompt response in tackling a possible outbreak of fire from gas leakage in the area.
The traders made the commendation while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday on the averted incident in Onitsha.
A trader, Mr Donatus Odozia, said the prompt intervention of the state fire service was the saving grace to what happened in Onitsha on Tuesday.
According to him, if not for the prompt intervention of the state fire service, I don’t know what would have happened yesterday. They were the saving grace.
“The loss of lives and property would have been so huge on the state and the people of this area. Thank God the gas leakage did not ignite to fire.
“I really want to appreciate them for the adequate response to what could have been a very ugly incident yesterday,” he said.
A vulcanizer, Mr Alex Nonso, lauded the effect of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra Command for mobilizing its team quickly to the scene of the incident .
“First and foremost, we have God Almighty to thank for saving us all here yesterday, if not for God, we would have been counting our losses.
“The road safety immediately started diverting vehicles to other routes and controlling the ones here, and they towed the tanker away from here for free vehicular movement,”.
Another trader, Mrs Barbara Nwanyinkwo, said that God at every point in time protect His children, thanking God the incident did not happen at night.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the FRSC command in the state, Mrs Margaret Onabe, while speaking on the incident, said that FRSC personnel were on ground when the incident happened and they immediately diverted vehicles to other routes.
On his part, the state Fire Chief, Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, warned residents to always avert such areas when such situations arise, saying that they would definitely deployed personnel to intervene in the situation.
“My advice to the people is to immediately evaluate the premises when such incidents happen, we are trained personnel, they are not.
At least, twelve passengers on Sunday escaped death when a commercial bus went up in flames at the Niger bridge in Onitsha Anambra State.
The incident occurred around 1.02 pm and was said to have been caused by an electrical fault.
TheNewsGuru.com gathered that the occupants of the bus heading to Onitsha from Warri escaped before the vehicle caught fire.
According to the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in Anambra, Adeoye Irelewuyi, the time of the incident was 1302HRS, saying no life was lost.
“A Hummer bus is on flame inside the bridge. The Fire Service has been alerted. All passengers are safe. The bus has been removed. There is a free flow of traffic on both sections of the expressway,” he said.
Two suspected cases of monkeypox in three local government areas of Anambra State have been recorded, as the victims are placed under surveillance.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the councils are Anambra East, Onitsha and Oyi.
Commissioner for Health Dr. Afam Obidike, who addressed reporters in Awka, said one of the cases has been confirmed positive. He added that the state emergency preparedness and response team put relevant surveillance measures in place towards curtailing the spread of the disease.
Obidike, however, urged residents not to panic but report to the hospital for proper examination whenever they notice rashes on their skin.
Monkeypox victim
He said: “Few weeks ago, two suspected cases of monkey pox were reported in Anambra East, Onitsha and Oyi Local Government Areas. The case from Anambra East was confirmed positive and is currently receiving treatment at the isolation centre of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi.
“In light of the above, Governor Charles Soludo has declared the incident an outbreak, and an emergency preparedness and response committee meeting was convened on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by relevant stakeholders, including World Health Organisation (WHO) team and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF); they are providing necessary assistance to the state.
“Planning for immediate response to the outbreak and surveillance, laboratory, case management, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control and safe burial pillars were also activated.”
Obidike also announced the training of health personnel and response officers on enhanced active case search, sample collection and monkey pox management, as well as intensified public awareness.
The UK now has seven cases of monkeypox, an infectious disease that doesn’t spread easily between people. The first case on 7 May 2022 is thought to have been brought into the UK by a traveller returning from Nigeria.
Five things you need to know about Monkeypox
1. It’s caused by a smallpox-like virus
Monkeypox is caused by a virus of the same name that is closely related to smallpox, which has now been eradicated from the planet. Both are members of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when outbreaks of a disease causing a pox were discovered in monkeys held in captivity for research. It was first seen in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and it is now endemic in Central and West Africa.
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 4,594 suspected cases of monkeypox, including 171 deaths (case fatality ratio 3.7%). They are described as suspected because confirmation requires PCR testing, which is not easily available in endemic areas.
2. It causes pustules all over the body
Symptoms normally appear between five and 13 days after infection, although it can take up to 21 days for them to appear. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle ache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. Once fever has appeared, a rash tends to erupt, concentrated on the face, hands and feet before spreading to other areas of the body. It can spread to the inside of the mouth, the genitals and the cornea. The rash progresses until it forms a scab which falls off, and in some cases large sections of skin can drop off the body.
Although symptoms often ease within a month, one in ten cases can be fatal. Children are particularly susceptible.
3. Diagnosis requires PCR tests
Given that rashes are seen in many other diseases such as chickenpox and measles, WHO recommends diagnosis when identification is necessary. This has to be with PCR testing, they say, because orthopoxviruses produce antigens and trigger antibodies that could look like other related viruses, thus analyses of these cannot pinpoint that the virus is monkeypox.
4. It can spread between people through close contact
The virus generally spreads to people from infected wild animals such as rodents and primates, found in the rainforests of Central and West Africa, but human-to-human transmission can also occur. Similar to viruses like Ebola, transmission only happens in close proximity by contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated materials such as bedding or clothes.
5. There’s currently no cure, but we have a (very old) vaccine
At present, there is no specific treatment recommended for monkeypox by WHO, but there are antivirals licensed to combat orthopoxviruses, such as tecovirimat.
The smallpox vaccine was key to eradicating smallpox decades ago, and this vaccine can be highly effective – 85% – in preventing monkeypox. However, the original first-generation smallpox vaccines are no longer available to the general public. A newer vaccinia-based vaccine was approved for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox in 2019 but it is also not yet widely available.
Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra State has lamented the high rate of evacuation of businesses and productive assets from Onitsha to other neighbouring states.
Soludo expressed his displeasure at a strategic meeting with landlords in Onitsha on Thursday.
Landlords from Omagba Phases l and ll, GRA Onitsha Zone, Onitsha Housing Estate, American Quarters, Trans-Nkisi areas, among many others, participated in the meeting.
The governor explained that the meeting was in line with the mantra of “Be Your Brother’s Keeper’, saying that it had become necessary to dialogue on how best to reclaim Onitsha, starting from the contributions of the landlords.
While describing Onitsha city as ‘dead’, he said that everyone had one critical role or the other to play to take the city to an enviable reputation.
“Recalled that Onitsha was once known to be housing the largest market in West Africa, which is sadly no longer the case, as new businesses and investments are now tilting towards neighbouring states.
“A verifiable estimate shows that 35 to 40 per cent of businesses and productive assets in Onitsha are evacuating to neighbouring states.
“This is the reality of the situation and my administration is committed to turning around Onitsha into a smart megacity, as Onitsha has advanced into a metropolis.
“Hence, this civic engagement. I need your support to drive home the initiatives and policy thrusts of this administration,” he said.
Soludo said that the landlords would benefit the most from the engagement because the value of their assets would increase eventually.
In his remarks, Mr Edward Ibuzo, a lawmaker representing Onitsha North Constituency ll in the state House of Assembly, appreciated the governor for the meeting and promised to support the initiative.
The Anglican Diocese on the Niger, Anambra, has sacked one of its priests, Lumenkristi Eboh, over alleged misconduct and disobedience.
The Deputy Chancellor, Sir Ben Uzuegbu, made the announcement on behalf of the Bishop, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo, at a news conference on Thursday in Onitsha.
Uzuegbu said the priest absconded when he was invited by the Bishop to give explanations to allegations brought against him.
He added that efforts to restore him to face his work in the church as an ordained priest proved abortive as he continued with his unwholesome lifestyle.
“The Bishop on the Niger is besieged with lots of petitions against Lumenkristi Eboh. All the petitions border on acts of impropriety and unwholesome conduct not expected of a priest.
“A panel was set up to look into the allegations and he was placed on suspension while the matter was being looked into. He also refused to make himself available to answer to the petitions.
“When he knew that the panel was about to submit its report, he rushed to declare that he was resigning from the church.
“The church has now taken a firm step by withdrawing his licence and dismissing him as an Anglican Priest, so that tomorrow when he calls himself a Reverend or Canon, you will know that he is an imposter.
“His licence has been withdrawn and he is no longer an Anglican priest,” he said.
It would be recalled that the Eboh had accused the diocesan authority of high-handedness, harassment, conspiracy and character defamation.
He accused Bishop Nwokolo of insisting that his Ministry’s registered trustees be altered to include him (Nwokolo) and wife.
He also accused the Bishop of engaging agents to spread rumours of sexual misconduct and voodooism against him.
On the alleged Bishop’s insistence to be included as a trustee of the priest’s Ministry, Uzuegbu said the constitution did not make provision for a priest to register a parallel church while serving under the church.
“The constitution of the Diocese is firm on that fact and every priest with any call is expected to adhere.
“Also, there are several petitions written by well-meaning female organisations and lawyers on alleged sexual misconduct and voodooism by Eboh.
“These issues lingered following the Bishop’s patience and tolerance to see if Eboh would repent. Since priesthood is sacred, we did not deem it fit to make it public,” he said.
