Amidst hydra-headed effects of excruciating hot weather on the populace, the member for Onuimo  statecinstituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon James Esile ( Fresh Air) has cried out against what he called undue neglect of communities under his constituency by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company ( EEDC) over a long time

Speaking on a motion before the floor of the house on ways to ameliorate the effect of the prevailing heat wave across the state, Hon Esile lamented that most communities in thickly populated Onuimo local government area had for long, been without electricity, a situation that worsened the hellish hot weather, as according to him, indigenes of the area could neirher sleep with fans nor referigerate food items and other consumables.

He further, observed that the excessive heat, with its attendant high temperature resulted to measles, body rashes, sleeplessness and high blood pressure.

Esile disclosed that life in  Onuimo communities has been horrible and unpleasant, as every where is covered with darkness at night.

The lawmaker challenged EEDC, the electricity distribution company to explain why Onuimo people should be thrown into undeserved darkness and untold  hardship.

He further, urged the state government to act as a matter of urgency to remedy the sitution of abysmal failure in power supply to Onuimo constituents.

Meanwhile, the state House of Assembly has resolved to summon the management of EEDC, to explain the circumstances surrounding the epileptic power supply in the entire state.

By Fred Njoku…

The General Manager of Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency (IMSAA), Hon. Chibuzor Umunnakwe, has sought the collaboration of the public towards arresting and prosecuting suspected criminals who indulge in the act of stealing and vandalizing billboard materials in the state.

According to Hon. Umunnakwe, the theft of billboard materials in the state has taken a new dimension. The Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency in joint effort with the Imo  State Outdoor Advertising Practitioners has stepped up surveillance to catch the persons destroying and stealing advertising billboard materials.

The GM, disclosed this during an interactive session with the press on the efforts and steps the agency has taken in  addressing and curbing this menace.

According to Hon. Umunnakwe, in the last few weeks, several persons have been caught cutting up billboard materials and they have been handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution. Some of them are serving prison sentences.

Hon. Umunakwe, while highlighting further, stated that they have made breakthrough in the areas of arrest and prosecution of suspected persons responsible for, not only stealing flex materials, but destroying and vandalizing outdoor materials.

He sited a case of their surveillance team, which  accosted some men with a push truck carrying flex materials, upon searching them, the men ran away, abandoning their truck. Further probe showed the truck was equally carrying some stolen items from a provision store, including a generating set.

IMSAA is at the forefront of this campaign to stamp out stealing of billboard materials in Imo State.

IMSAA, according to Hon. Chibuzor Umunnakwe pleaded with members of the public to support in the drive to rid the state of these vandals.

“The theft of billboard materials affects the livelihood of the owners. It also directly impacts on the economy of the state and the revenue generated from the boards.

“The general public is therefore warned that any person caught stealing billboards or other materials or involved in receiving these stolen materials, will face long jail terms, as this is not only stealing and vandalism, but economic sabotage too he posited.

Nigerians have been alerted to a sinister plot being hatched by a group of politicians to execute a campaign of calumny against the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma.

Part of the campaign is to engage in spurious media attacks on the governor, using the recent inconclusive Edo APC governorship primaries as a plank.

In a statement in Enugu yesterday, a Pressure cum Cultural Organisation, Igbo Renaissance for Progress, asserted that it has intelligence reports that former Director of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu is leading the group.

According to its Coordinator, Nze Nwankwo Njoku, Okechukwu is still sulking over his loss of Ministerial appointment which he attributes to the governor.

According to Njoku, the former VOA helmsman has vowed to do all within his power to destabilize Uzodimma in every way possible.  

Said he” those who read Okechukwu’s virulent attacks on Uzodimma over the Edo debacle would understand that the man has a mission which is, to damage the image of the governor who is the leader of the APC in the South East. ”

He noted that while other critics of the Edo matter restricted themselves to the issues, Okechukwu went overboard, calling for the sack of Uzodimma as Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum.

He said members of his group were alarmed by the vitriolic attacks on Uzodimma by Okechukwu, showing that he was actually on the payroll of politicians, envious of the rising national profile of the governor.

“We know for a fact that, that man is still embittered that Uzodimma chose UcheNnaji over him for Ministerial nomination.  But his attempts to rubbish the Imo state governor would be resisted by us”, Njoku averred.

He noted that contrary to the claims by Okechukwu, Uzodimma has used his position as Chairman of Progressive Congress Forum, to benefit Ndigbo and the people.

He listed the appointment of an Igbo man as Chief of Naval Staff, the dredging of Oguta Lake to the Atlantic with the concomitant economic milestone and several other benefits as evidence of what Hope Uzodimma has done with his position.

“Indeed,Okechukwu should know that APC does not revolve around him. We have more qualified stakeholders, who should be respected in Igbo land. He is not a match to Uzodimma, so blackmailing him will not work “, he submitted.

He threatened that his group will declare Okechukwu a persona non grata in the South East if he doesn’t refrain from his unholy alliance with his Cohorts to destroy Uzodimma’s image.

By Jude Onyenedogha…

It was indeed an epoch making event Wednesday, February 21, 2024, as the Old Girls Association of Atta Girls High School sponsored the West African Examination Council (WAEC) registration for the 2024 Senior Secondary 3 set of their Alma mater.

A cash sum of Thirty Thousand Naira (N30,000), being the WAEC registration fee was handed to each of the Thirty five (35) students of the school which now comprises female and male students who registered for the external examination.

Speaking during the official presentation of the cash, chairperson of the association, Lolo Nkemdi Akano Onyirimba and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs Evelyn Iwu-Childs, who spoke through the contact person and Imo State coordinator of the association, Lady Heart Iwuamadi, said the association has been doing a lot to improve the lots of the school.

“We have been coming. Anytime we think out something to help them, we come to carry it out. Some three, five years ago, we came when they complained that they didn’t have a large hall for external exams. The old girls stepped in and renovated this school main hall for them”.

On their reason for embarking on the payment of WAEC registration for the WAEC candidates, Lady Iwuamadi said, “This year, when we interviewed the Principal, he told us that the population of the school is reducing, principally because of hard times, as most parents are no longer able to take care of their children and wards’ academic financial demands.

“We now reasoned together and decided to take care of the WAEC registration of SS3 students this year. So we embarked on freewill donation, through which we raised the money for this project and other logistics associated with it, including the snacks and drinks we brought for the school today”.

She disclosed that the Old Girls have also undertaken to build a modern toilet facility for the school, while urging the beneficiaries to study hard and make excellent results in their exams, which she said will serve as motivation for the organization, towards making the project an annual event.

Fielding questions from newsmen, Principal of the school, Rev. Ikenna Nwanna, expressed gratitude to the Old Girls for the kind gesture, praying for God’s continuous blessings on them, while urging the students to reciprocate by working hard to achieve the aim for the gesture which is excellent result in their WAEC and future academic successes.

“I am dumfounded. I don’t know how to appreciate them for extending hands of assistance to the students, their parents and the school at this time of economic hardship in our country”.

Earlier, a guest speaker at the occasion, Rev. Canon Dr. Emma Egbule maintained that education is the easiest way to achieve genuine and sustainable success in life, emphasizing on the need for people who have tested the goodnesses of education to deliberately devote time in teaching the young ones the enormous benefits in education.

Speaking, the chairman, Parents Teachers Association of the school, Mr Enwenonu Chima appreciated the association for its numerous benevolent gestures to the school, pleading for its sustenance, while expressing readiness of the PTA to collaborate with the Old Girls towards lifting the school to greater heights.

Delivering the vote of thanks, on behalf of the beneficiaries, Senior Prefect of the school, Miss Nwankwo Favour, expressed appreciation to the Old Girls for sponsoring their WAEC registration, promising not to let them down, while praying God to replenish their purses abundantly.

The Federal Government has commenced the payment of withheld salaries of members Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU) in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A senior lecturer at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, who did not want his name in print, confirmed the development to newsmen.

The source, however, said he has so far received payment for only two months of the withheld salaries.

This position was also confirmed by the director of Press in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwah who disclosed on Monday in Abuja that the government released two months salary arrears to the affected lecturers during the weekend.

According to him, another tranche of two-month salary would be released to the lecturers later on Monday.

President Tinubu had in October 2023, approved the release of four of the eight months’ ASUU withheld salaries of the workers.

The salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against some university-based unions that embarked on a strike, which lasted for eight months in 2022.

It was however, gathered that Federal Government might have decided to pay the lecturers all the withheld salaries as part of efforts to sustain the industrial peace being enjoyed now in the universities.

Mokwa alluded to this, saying the Federal Government has resolved to offset the eight-month salary arrears of the lecturers, even though he did not state when the remaining four months would be paid to the members of ASUU.

When contacted on telephone, President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said he was in a meeting and would get back later.

But the ASUU chairperson, Federal University of Technology, Minna, GbolahanBolarin, ASUU chairperson, Federal University of Technology, Minna confirmed the development where he said, “Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in.”

Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abuja zone, on Monday, lamented the death of some of its members as result of Economic hardship in the country.

Zonal coordinator, ASUU, Abuja zone, SalahuMuhammed who stated this in a statement in Abuja, decried the poor remuneration of academics and unfavourable working conditions.

He revealed that no fewer than 46 academics lost their lives in universities under the Abuja zone, namely the University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa, and the Ibrahim Babaginda University, Lapai.The union said it recently lost an eminent Professor of Fisheries, Johnson Oyero, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, due to the inability to afford quality medical facilities.

Speaking further in the statement, Muhammed said the union was also appalled by the failure of the Tinubu-led administration to honour some of the commitments it made with the union in a bid to avert potential industrial actions in universities.

Political activist, Aisha Yesufu, has slammed Nigerians protesting over the high level of economic hardship in the country.

Nigerians are currently going through untold economic hardship as many families could no longer boast of a square meal per day.

The situation has led to protests in some part of the country with residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital being the latest to take to the streets to show their anger.

DAILY POST reports that angry youths in Oyo State hit the streets to protest the high cost of living, food inflation and the current economic hardship in the country.

Our correspondent observed the irate youths were also chanting songs to show their grievances.

They brandished placards with inscriptions such as ‘End food hike and inflation’, ‘The poor is starving’ and ‘Tinubu, don’t forget your promises’, amongst others.

Aisha Yesufu, made popular by her role in the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG, noted that those protesting over food inflation and its resultant hunger in Nigeria were silent when Boko Haram and bandits and other terrorists kidnap, kill and displace innocent people.

“For years farmers were being displaced and sent to IDP Camps yet you felt it wasn’t your business,” she wrote on X.

“You were even angry that people were protesting insecurity and blocking your way. Today you are in the streets protesting against hunger.

“You kept your empathy only for yourself.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) identifies with some bold economic policy reforms which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has initiated within the short time of assumption of office such as removal of fuel subsidy and exchange rate unification as outlined in our previous position papers. We also identify with his support for a clean energy transition that factors in the vast gas resources of the country which in our view is energy justice and will reduce debt exposure of the country. We commend him for these quick and bold actions, drawing attention to consideration of the plight of those within the low-income bracket.

However, another quick and bold action which the President must take as he considers his ministers is the appointment of more chartered accountants in his cabinet. The socio-political challenges facing Nigeria today calls for the intervention of chartered accountants in public governance. Chartered accountants should man key sensitive positions requiring proper accountability as there cannot be effective public governance without accountants.

The study we conducted provides evidence which shows that there is positive correlation between having more chartered accountants within a work force and better organisational performance. In other words, organisations that employ more chartered accountants perform better than those employing less chartered accountants in terms of service delivery and financial performance. This has been proven empirically drawing experiences from Zenith Bank, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Lagos State government. These three organisations span private sector, a government agency and state government respectively”

We believe that President Tinubu’s administration will experience same performance success if more chartered accountants are engaged by his administration. Today we are looking for a Minister of Finance that will clean up government monetary policy. What we need is a chartered accountant economist i.e. an economist that is a chartered accountant and not just an economist alone.

We want to state that within the ICAN chartered accountants, we have economists, engineers, doctors, pharmacists, architects, political scientists, pastors, imams, you name it. So inherent in ICAN chartered accountants are other disciplines, while accounting and finance predominates.

When accountability permeates every cabinet member and his or her ministry, corruption will be minimised, better governance elevated and Nigerians will instantly begin to feel the dividend of democracy.  

Incidentally the President is an accountant and understands what we are saying here.

Protesters in their hundreds have staged a peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, over economic hardship.

They called on President Bola Tinubu to address hunger and insecurity plaguing Nigeria.

Mokola, Iwo Road, and Sango are some of the areas of Ibadan where the protesters crowded.

Most of the demonstrators were young people who claimed they were tired of Nigeria’s situation and that the government must stop the crises.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Hunger is Killing Us” and “Tinubu Must Address Insecurity.”

The high cost of living, according to the demonstrators, is another issue that has made it difficult for people to fend for themselves.

They said food costs were increasing astronomically, making it challenging for many Nigerians to provide for their families.

The protest took place amid several security issues, including terrorist attacks, banditry, and kidnappings in the country.

However, as of the time of filing this report, the state capital was peaceful.

The ICIR reported that youths in neighbouringOsun State staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo on Friday, February 9, 2024, condemning the rising cost of living in the country and calling for immediate intervention by the government.   

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read ‘change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again.’

They occupied the MDS Road in the state capital.Earlier, in Niger State, residents had protested hardship, hunger and blocked major roads in Minna, the state capital.Many residents took to the streets and major roads in the state to protest against the rising cost of living.

The protesters blocked major roads, including the Kpakungu roundabout at Minna-Bida road, stopping the activities of many commercial vehicles in the area.

The protesters complained about the fuel price hike and its continuous economic impacts, emphasising the need for the government to intervene.

There was a celebration at Onipanu Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos after an expectant Mum delivered her child while waiting for a bus.

The woman was said to be waiting for a commercial bus around 9 am when she suddenly went into labour and started bleeding.

Commuters along that stretch of the road were said to have rallied round her, while the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was contacted.

The agency, it was gathered, dispatched officials including paramedics from its Fadeyi office who worked with some market women to provide a temporary clinic for the woman.

The woman was safely delivered of her baby, stabilised and subsequently moved with her son to the nearest hospital for proper attention.

The Imo State House of Assembly standing committee on commerce and industry has commenced  familiarisation visit to allied government Ministries and Industries in the private sector with a  visit to the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Ministry of Industry as well as the CAMELA Vegetable Oil Company and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company located at the Onitsha road industrial estate, Owerri.

Addressing Permanent Secretaries and heads of departments of the two Ministries, the chairman of the house Committee on Trade and Industry, and member for Ikeduru state constituency,  Hon Chief Johnleoba Iheoha  said the committee members were on a fact-finding tour with a view to ascertaining the scope of operation, achievements, staff strength, constraints and prospects of the ministries and agencies under their control.

The Committee chairman demanded that the ministries should as a matter of urgency and due process, forward to the committee in writing and within reasonable time, situation reports in the ministries and affiliate bodies as a guide to the committee.

Hon Johnleoba Iheoha, while commending the management of the ministries for being able to sustain the tempo of activities in the ministries and relevant agencies since the dissolution of the state expanded executive council, assured them of the co-operation of the house committee on trade and industry in the execution of government directives, programmes and policies.

Hon Iheoha who expressed inplicit confidence in Governor Hope Uzodimma’s ability and willingness to make the entire state a haven of place within the next four years of his second term in office, warned against all forms of malpractice in the discharge of official duties.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mr. Ebere Orji told the committee that every department of the ministry which according to her, has a staff strength of 159 workers is in active business, striving to rake in revenues for government.

Mrs Orji assured that the ministry would never deviate from the rules and regulations governing the operations of the ministry.

On her part, the acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of industry, Mrs Eucharia Onwumere  disclosed that the ministry with a workforce of 59-member staff, had been facing the challenges of poor and irregular power supply, lack of operational vehicles and lack of biometric capture of the staff.

The ministry according to Mrs Onwumere, has Industrial zones in the three senatorial districts of the state and Industrial clusters in the 27 local government areas of the state.

On the second day of the visit, the House committee was confronted with complaints bordering on a horrible and terrible condition of roads in the Onitsha road Industrial estate within Owerri, the state capital.

The chief executive of Camela Vegetable Oil Company, Chief Okey Ikoro while playing host to the House committee on commerce and Industry, lamented that over the years, successive governments had merely made promises without actually tackling the  chronic problem of bad roads at the Industrial estate which according to him, has about 154 Industrial plots.

Chief Ikoro among other things, pleaded to the committee to persuade government to restore the original masterplan of the Industrial estate and extend gas supply from Egbema in Ohaji/Egbema local government area to the Owerri industrial estate.

The Nigeria Bottling Company located at the Industrial estate while addressing the committee through its plant manager, Engr Collins Idika, called on Imo state government, to expedite action in providing the enabling environment for industries located at the estate to survive.

Mr. Idika harped on the essence of  constructing an all-season road from Onitsha road through the vast and expansive estate.

The house committee chairman, Hon Johnleoba Iheoha was accompanied during the visit by a member of the committee, Rt. Hon Johnson Iheonukara of Ideato  state Constituency, clerk of the committee, Mrs Blessing Onyeji and some support staff of the committee.