₦airaland Forum

The President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh on Thursday received Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu at his office in Djibouti.

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Also at the meeting was Amb. Innocent A. Iwejuo , Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA.

Though details of the meeting was not disclosed to ABN TV, a reliable source informed our correspondent that it is not unconnected with enhancing bilateral relations between both countries.

A renowned Interpol Systems Consultant in Nigeria, Sir Chikwe Udensi has said if the next President of Nigeria emerges from the South East region, it will end the secessionist agitation spearheaded by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB in the geopolitical zone.

According to Udensi, history has shown that similar challenges in recent times in the country were tackled by a deliberate effort to instill a sense of justice.

Speaking with ABN TV in Abuja, he said when OPC was running riots in the South West, leading to tension and killings in the region, it fizzled away when Olusegun Obasanjo became President of the country.

"The next thing you saw was Niger Delta agitation as if the country was about to be engulfed in flames.

"Goodluck Jonathan went in there, there has not been anything like Niger Delta agitation again. People like Tompolo, Asari Dokubo, and the rest went in.

"This agitation (IPOB) will die off if Igbo man becomes the President. That is my thinking because that has been the trend" he stated.

He insists that agitation is fuelled by a perceived sense of injustice, adding that injustice and peace do not co-habit.

"When you make an Igbo man President, IPOB and ESN will die off. That is the truth. It has happened before in this country" he added.

On the possibility of an Igbo man being the country's President in 2023, Sir Udensi said nothing is impossible before God.

He noted that it was nearly unbelievable for one to assume that Obasanjo would become the President in 1999 from the prison, same as Goodluck Jonathan who was a deputy governor in Bayelsa before his miraculous elevation to the number office on the land.

He predicted that an Igbo man could miraculously emerge as the country's President come 2023.

A security expert, Sir Chikwe Udensi has accused governors of the South East region of sleeping on duty over their alleged failure to fight insecurity in the geopolitical zone with the instrumentality of Ebubeagu security outfit they earlier set up.

He said the governors have failed to key into the liberality of federal government to allow a regional security outfit to make the region safe for the people.

Speaking with ABN TV in Abuja, he accused the South-East Governors of jeopardising the lives of the people even with the glaring inability of the federal agencies to protect the region.

While stating that the governors issue communiques they are not ready to implement at the end of every meeting, he dissuaded insinuation that Ebubeagu has been inactive due to lack of finance.

He said in Ekiti and other South-West states where Amotekun is functional, they earn less than the States in South East.

He attributed it to lack of readiness to secure the region, describing as ridiculous the decision of Abia State Government to send Ebubeagu operatives into the forest without arming them to confront killer herdsmen.

While calling for improvement of governance attitude with regards to security, Sir Udensi applauded them for achievements in other areas but insists that a lot need to be done in the area of security.

He called on them to put security at the front burner so that other areas of the economy could develop.

Operatives of Abia State Police Command have arrested three persons for allegedly kidnapping with intent to sell one Master Okechukwu Okoroafor, 4-year-old native of Ikwuakpu Ututu in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.

ABN TV reports that the suspects Onyekachi Ugwunwoke, M 43YRS, Chinasa Onyekachukwu, F 40YRS and Chidinma Asomugha, F 48YRS were arrested while at the bargaining point on how to sell the 4-year-old child near Abia Line Transport park in Umuahia, the state capital.

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The victim who was kidnapped on Monday 27 September, 2021 at about 1905hrs (7:05pm) lived with her grandmother, Mrs. Enyidiya Okoroafor while his parents lived in Abuja.

Briefing newsmen on Friday at the command's headquarters in Umuahia, Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Janet Agbede said trouble started when the victim's grandmother sent him to buy pepper from a shop about 200ft away from their residence on the said date.

While on that errand however, Onyekachi Ugwunwoke and Chinasa Onyekachukwu who are also neighbours to the family whisked little master Okechukwu Okoroafor away without the consent of his grandmother.

According to the police boss, Onyekachukwu Ugwunwoke and Chinasa Onyekachukwu moved the child from Arochukwu to Railway line near Tipper/Abia line Transport park Umuahia.

It was at this point they were nabbed while negotiating with Chidinma Asomugha to sell little Master Okechukwu Okoroafor for the sum of Five hundred thousand naira (N500,000).

CP Agbede said their arrest on 30 September, 2021 by the police Crack Squad at about 1130hrs, followed a credible information.

She therefore adviced parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and wards.

She also called on the general public to give information of suspicious movement of persons in their areas.

Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu has called on federal and state governments to think out of the box and reduce the creation of ministries, departments and agencies, saying employment creation through such means increases recurrent expenditure.

He urged them to increase the manufacturing and agricultural sectors to generate sustainable employment that will benefit the economy and people.

Speaking with ABN TV in Abuja on Saturday, the former governor of Abia state said recurrent expenditure should be less than the capital expenditure.

He said during his tenure as governor, the administration ensured that recurrent expenditure remained at 25 percent while capital was pegged at 75.

He insists that input without output breeds a troubled economy.

"States and indeed the federal government should not engage in employment for the fun of it. They should back it up with productivity.

"It creates an unhealthy economy when recurrent is higher than the capital. It cannot be sustained anywhere.

"Agriculture and manufacturing will give huge support in making productive employment. Instead of creating more avenues for expenditure, there should be more avenues for income", he advised.

All is now set for the burial of Mr. Sunday Okechukwu Ogba, a native of Amadike Akanu Item in Bende local government area of Abia State who died at the age of 52 along with his two children, ABN TV reports.

The deceased are Chigozirim James Okechukwu, 17, and Eberechi Precious Okechukwu, 14.

ABN TV reports that the trio were among the seven persons that died on August 25, 2021 after an ill-fated suya and juice meal in Umuahia, Abia State capital.

They will be laid to rest on Friday, October 29, 2021 at their country home in Bende local government area.

A burial arrangement announced by Chinedu Victor Okechukwu on behalf of the family says their bodies will leave City Gate mortuary at 7am on the same day and have a brief stop over at Assemblies of God Church Nkporo Lane Umuahia.

A funeral service will be held in their honour at 11am after which they will be laid to rest at their Amadike, Akanu Item residence.

Earlier, four children of one family, Kelechi Chibuzor 12, Sunday Chibuzor 10, Oluomachi Chibuzor (f) 8, and Kingsley Chibuzor 3 who died along with the Ogbas had been laid to rest at their home town, Umuhu Ohuhu in Umuahia North.

They were all said to have eaten from the same barbecue meat, popularly known as suya.

Only Mrs Chinonyerem Ogba (wife) and her daughter Ijeoma survived.

The family of Chukwuma Omesie, popularly known as Chucks Digits a native of Isiala Ezere Autonomous community in Isuikwuato local government area of Abia state has finally welcomed a baby boy after three previous pregnancies by his wife, Mrs. Omesie turned out stillbirths.

The coupled had been married for five years without a child.

The visibly happy father in interaction with ABN TV on Thursday shortly after the wife was put to birth in Prime Care hospital in Umuahia expressed gratitude to God that the family now has a baby.

He said the wife lost her first pregnancy after seven months, leading to the death of the baby before birth.

Narrating further, he said four months later, the wife conceived again but later lost the baby in her womb after seven months.

According to Omesie, the first two pregnancies were male children while the last one was a female.

"One unfortunate thing is that we will go and buy baby shower things and materials to nurse a baby but they were not used.

"I nearly died because of the third one. I was in Dubai, about to start shopping for the baby when I received a call that the baby in the womb was dead. I just fainted at the shopping mall.

"I came back to Nigeria. As a preacher and evangelist, God said we should go and praise Him. We started praising God.

"By the grace of God, we relocated from Aba to Umuahia and stayed on our own. This one came and before then, God told me He will give me a child, and gave the name of the baby as Gospel.

"At the appointed time, it happened. I am happy for the life of my baby and the life of my wife" he said.

Speaking further, Chuks Digits who is an Evangelist and CEO of strong Digits limited, a company that is into web and software development, laptops, and computer accessories importation said circumstances like this has the tendency of making a man to go astray and start seeking a solution where none exists.

He said the family has remained together with the support of family members and friends.

He said he resisted temptation to go to places he never wanted to go in search of help, saying the voices of prayer from church and loved ones made the family surmount the voices of darkness.

Omesie advised couples who are seeking the fruit of the womb to be steadfast in God, saying a child is God's gift.

He also advised them to be in good terms with people who can share in their burden, saying he conquered through the assistance of his brethren.

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has banned the sale of alcoholic drinks at the various motor parks in the state, ABN TV reports.

Senator Uzodinma stated this during the inauguration of the advisory council on road safety in Owerri.

According to him, the aim is to reduce the number of road crashes by fifty percent by twenty-thirty which Will also meet the global best practices.

He explained that the state has been aligning itself with the global best practices in the management and prevention of road crashes.

He said the State government has done a lot to ensure that the roads in the state are relatively in good shape and hitch-free driving for motorists.

The state Governor said the resolve to curb the frequent accidents on the major highways led to the engagement of world-class contractors to dualize Owerri- Orlu road and Owerri-Okigwe road to boost the economy of the state.

Governor Uzodinma noted that the council would also be focused on the five strategic pillars which are Road Management, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Users, Post Crash Response, and Safer Driving Environment.

Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Sam Onuigbo has hinted that palliative measures on the collapsed sections of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road are scheduled to commence next week. The emergency works are targeted at ameliorating the sufferings commuters face along the federal expressway.

He made this assurance in a chat with ABN TV on Saturday.

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While stating that the road has been a source of concern to him, the federal lawmaker further assured that the main work which will permanently solve the challenges faced by commuters will also commence in no distant future.

Earlier in a statement, while highlighting that the road has remained top in his representative agenda, Hon. Onuigbo said the journey for the reconstruction of the road began in 2016 immediately after he was elected to represent the people.

The lawmaker while chronicling his efforts to bring succour to users of the road said remedial works have been previously carried out on the road to make it passable to commuters, ending the era of using the Ikwueke, Amizi, and Oloko axis by commuters to access Akwa Ibom as was the case before he was elected.

He further noted that he has been in constant touch with the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola whose office is in charge of federal roads across the country in an effort to permanently fix the road to end the misery the people pass through.

Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia will today, Thursday hear the case of Abia-based journalist, Norah Okafor against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over unlawful invasion of her premises, ABN TV reports.

Okafor who claims to be traumatized over the Gestapo invasion of her premises after the officials of the EFCC damaged her doors and property is seeking payment of damage of N20m against the anti-graft agency.

She is also seeking a public apology over what appeared to be a sting operation in a wrong premises by the EFCC officials.

A state high court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State capital on Wednesday remanded an ex-policeman, Corporal Chinedu Nwachukwu for allegedly raping a female student of Abia State Polytechnic, ABN TV reports.

CPL Nwachukwu was arraigned on Wednesday following his orderly room trial at the headquarters of Abia State police command Umuahia on Tuesday which found him guilty of raping a student of Abia State Polytechnic.

He was subsequently dismissed and arraigned in line with the administrative procedure of the police.

Spokesperson of Abia State police command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed Nwachukwu's remand to ABN TV.

Abia State House of Assembly has uncovered how the State Committee on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, established in 2018 allegedly spent over N107,803,000million on overhead cost from the N200m it received from Keystone Bank to establish Abia State Micro Finance Bank.

ABN TV reports that the State Committee on SMEs was constituted in 2018 with the mandates of among other things acquiring a Multi-tier License for the establishment of Abia Microfinance Banks in all the 17 Local Government Areas of the State in order to provide support to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises across the State.

Presenting a report on Tuesday during plenary on a petition titled, "Embezzlement of Funds Earmarked for the Establishment of the Abia State Micro Finance Bank", Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Anti Corruption and Due Process, Hon Jerry Uzosike, observed that the Committee on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, is made up of Dr. Eme Okoro, then Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Gab. Igboko, the then Commissioner, Ministry of SMEs, Mr. Chinenye Nwogu, the Special Adviser to the Governor on SMEs, The Director of Finance, Ministry of SMEs among others.

Findings made by the Hon Jerry Uzosike committee indicate that the SME committee made the following expenses,
Procurement of Banking Licence -N38,500,000.00
Legal fees and Corporate Services - N9,000,000.00
Bridging Finance (deductions from the Term Facility) by Keystone Bank - N19,300,000.00
Rehabilitation/Renovation of the bank building and banking hall and the One Stop Shop in Umuahia - N7,711,000.00
Procurement of Plants and Equipment - N8,728, 000.00
Procurement of Banking Software, ICT and Security Infrastructure - N7,263,000.00
Motor Vehicles - N11,000,000.00
Flag-off/Commissioning Ceremonies - N4,166,000.00
Share Capitalization Increase - N2,135,000.00

This, therefore, leaves the SME committee with the sum of Ninety Two Million, One Hundred, and Ninety-Seven Thousand Naira (N92,197,000.00) which is still intact in the Committee's Account domiciled with Keystone Bank, Umuahia as stated by the SME Committee.

According to the Hon. Uzosike's committee, a representative of the State Committee on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), and its Director of Finance made oral submissions and later submitted documents to the committee to prove these expenditures were done.

Abia Assembly expressed dissatisfaction that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) whose Ministry plays a pivotal role in the coordination of the Central Bank Small and Medium Scale Enterprises oriented programmes was omitted from the membership of the SME Committee.

It also discovered that the former Director of Finance of the Ministry of SMEs who was appointed as a member of the State Committee on SMEs based on her position then has continued to serve as a member of the Committee after she was posted to the Office of Head of Service instead of relinquishing her position to her succeeding Director of Finance of the Ministry of SMEs.

The House Committee on Public Accounts, Anti Corruption, and Due Process, therefore recommends that the State Committee on SMEs to, without further delay, address all the bottlenecks surrounding the transfer of the ownership of the acquired Micro Finance Bank to the State Government in order to ensure that the Bank is put into the rightful purpose for which it was acquired by the State.

It also commended the laudable vision and efforts of the Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, in establishing the Micro Finance Banks in the three 3 Senatorial Districts of the State in order to provide financial support and soft loan facilities to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises across the State.

It further recommends that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of SMEs be included as a member of the State Committee on SMEs in order to ensure proper cohesion between the Ministry and the Committee.

Police Corporal, Chinedu Nwachukwu, who allegedly raped a female student of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba will soon have his day in court after being dismissed by Nigeria Police Force, ABN TV reports.

His dismissal came on Tuesday after an orderly room trial in Umuahia, CP Janet Agbede, Commissioner of Police Abia State Command told ABN TV.

He was found guilty of the rape allegation which he allegedly committed last week.

She said the administrative procedure which among other things includes the orderly room trial and subsequent dismissal prepares him for prosecution in court.