Abia drug dealers solicits state government assistance to meet deadline

April 30, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Abia Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers Association (APPAMDA) has solicited the assistance of the state government in building the Abia Wholesale Drug Control Center (WCC) to avoid sanctions.

Mr Chukwuemeka Osuagwu, its Chairman, told our reporter on Monday in Aba that the association was still facing the challenge of paying for the land.

He said that the drug dealers needed to raise money to pay the owner of the property where the facility would be built to enable the construction work start in earnest.

According to him, the association is yet to get the money to pay the land owner and this is why work is yet to start.

Osuagwu said that the Federal Government gave the drug dealers January 2019 to complete the WCC and move into the facility or face sanctions.

He said that with only eight months to the expiration of the deadline, they might not meet the deadline if state government did not come to their aid.

“The developers sent by the Federal Government have written to us to say that they are ready to come collect the survey plan and start work.

“We replied that they should be patient with us; this is to allow us time to reach an understanding with the owner of the land before we commence work on the project.

“We don’t want people to see us as being lawless, so the right thing must be done,” he said

Osuagwu, however, said the association was yet to see the governor because of some bottlenecks.
He expressed optimism to see him soon following his promise to assist them whenever the need arose.

Osuagwu said that the association had a pending leadership matter in court that had affected the response of their members towards contributing to the project.

He said that now that the matter had been decided by a state high court in favour of his team, the process of collecting money would improve.

Commissioner urges stakeholders to save Abia Polytechnic

April 12, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka


The Abia Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ikechi Mgboji, has urged indigenes of the state to support the state government’s effort in ensuring that the state polytechnic survives its present challenges.

Mgboji made the plea at the 24th matriculation ceremony of the polytechnic in Aba on Thursday.

He spoke against the backdrop of the strike embarked upon by staff of the institution.

Mgboji congratulated the matriculating students and urged them to strive for the best in their academics and lifestyle in general.

He also urged the students to remember to be of assistance to the institution whenever they had such an opportunity, adding that forgetting one’s roots was one of the major problems of Nigerians
.
The commissioner reacting to the action of staff members of the institution who carried placards at the ceremony to protest the non-payment of their salaries for nine months said to the students:


“You are joining an institution that is at the moment facing some serious challenges.

“Though today is supposed to be a day of joy for you, as you witnessed about five or 10 minutes ago, some of the staff here in the true tradition of democracy and freedom of speech have cause to express some of their grievances.

“I am very happy that they were allowed to express themselves and that this institution also acted with a great deal of maturity.’’

He urged the students to feel free within the institution’s environment to search for and speak the truth at all times.

The commissioner said that the truth sometimes could be very inconveniencing and painful but must be spoken to make the society better and set it on the path of progress.

Mgboji said that the polytechnic was facing serious challenges but expressed optimism that the institution would survive with the support of every student and staff.

The Acting Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Ezionye Eboh, commended the management and staff for successfully processing the 2018 admission of students for National and Higher National Diplomas.

While congratulating the students, Eboh gave an assurance that the polytechnic would deliver quality services to the students during their stay.

He, however, warned the students against cultism, examination malpractices and other anti-social behaviours that could destroy their career and future.

Eboh also urged the students to pursue academic and moral excellence.

The polytechnic matriculated about 3,049 registered students in its morning and evening programmes in four colleges.

They are of School Business and Management Technology (1,776 students); School of Environmental Design and Technology (99 students); School of Engineering Technology (278 students) and School of Science and Industrial Technology (896 students).

Although the presence of protesting staff members distracted the matriculating students from joining the Acting Registrar, Mrs Charity Nwaabughiogu to recite their matriculation oath, the event was, however, peacefully concluded.

Abia Poly strike: Rector says workers want panel report killed

April 11, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Rector, Abia State Polytechnic, Prof. Ezionye Eboh on Wednesday said the institution’s striking workers were using the strike to threaten release of a panel report which indicted some of them.

Eboh disclosed this in his office on Wednesday in an interview with our correspondent in Aba.

He said that the report which had been completed and ready to be released would be made public as soon as the state government ratifies it adding that it would send some staff home.

“There is this review panel that was set up with regards to their certificates to ensure the persons who are in the employment of the institution are those qualified to be here,

“I am sure they have heard that the report of that review is out and they are orchestrating a new fangled falsehood in order to ensure the report is damned”, he said.

He said that the panel was set up to verify the certificates of the staff in order to manage the huge wage bill of the institution which as at February 2017 stood at N180 million.

He noted that since assumption of office in February 2017, he had struggled to stabilize the institution by reducing its wage bill from N180 million to N160 million and by paying salaries.

Eboh admitted owing the staff nine months salary which he said was inherited at the onset of his regime adding that they were making efforts to pay some salaries by the third week of April.

He said that the payment of a contractor with the money from Paris Refund was a process which started before he assumed office and because court order was involved, he could not stop it.

Speaking on queries given to union leaders, Eboh said that the management threats all staff equally adding that those who received queries did so for failing to abide by the polytechnic’s rules.

He alleged that politicians had infiltrated the unions in order to tarnish the image of the state government and the management of the institution to get issues for electoral campaign hence the strike.

He said that although the staff were not coming to the campus, the institution would still hold its matriculation ceremony.

 Earlier, Mr Chucks Nwachukwu, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, (SSANIP) Abia state Polytechnic chapter had said that they joined the strike on Wednesday because of the management's treatment of the staff.

He said that the unions gave the management information of the strike two weeks ago without any response from them thus prompting the ASUP to start strike on Monday.

Nwachukwu said that they are demanding payment of 11 months salary arrears which the new management had refused to pay them but instead used Paris refund money made for it to pay a contractor.

He also said that the management had been deducting their Cooperative society contributions amounting to the tune of N200 million without remitting it to them.

He alleged that the union leaders have been receiving queries by the management since January 2018 because of their demands for the rights of Abia Poly workers instead of attending to their needs.

He said that the management had failed the polytechnic community and demanded the state government to investigate and removal the management.

Aba Tricycle Operators call on Ikpeazu to remove illegal gararge operators on their routes

April 11, 2018
By Ijendu Iheaka

A group of Tricycle Operators in Aba on Wednesday protested the extortion of the operators by persons who claim to be owners of peats (illegal garages) at various points in the town.

The operators led by Mr Donatus Augustine carried placards with inscriptions such as “We do not want tricycle peats everywhere in Aba”, No more extortion of Keke Operators” reduce our daily ticket costs”.

The operators spoke to newsmen in Aba on Wednesday during their visit to the N0 58 St. Micheal's road office housing media houses in Aba.

Augustine said the operators who ply Obohia to park to Ngwa road were protesting because they were paying daily ticket of N180 but yesterday another ticket was added to make it N230.

Augustine said this was contrary to what Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s government had told them was the harmonized fee they have to pay daily which was N150.

He said that the economic condition of the country had made the payment hard for them adding that they also pay numerous peat owners on the road about N2000  daily which they want stopped.

“We are now approaching rainy season. In other towns, Keke have rubber covers to protect passengers from the rain. We do not have anything like that. We want it.

“We want them to give us a leader from among us. Eze Job (Eugene) is not a Tricycle Operator. He is a contractor among us and does not feel our pain. He does not know what we suffer on the road daily”, he said.

He urged the government to remove all the peat operators on the roads who collect illegal tolls from the Tricycle operators to enable them enjoy their effort and work.

Augustine said government should reduce the ticket to N180, remove Eugene and give them a leader among themselves and extend their operation time to 24 hours daily like other transporters.

His deputy, Mr Kennth Nwokejiogu, an operator and a graduate of Abia State Polytechnic said that the government should remove the N50.00 welfare fee which no operator had ever assessed.

He also called on the government to remove persons who have placed themselves in strategic places to extort tricycle operators adding that they make life difficult for the operators.

He also urged government to allow them to have a different union and promised they would abide by government rules and pay their dues.

APGA Chieftain urges INEC to enforce law on political campaigns

April 5, 2018

 

By Ijendu Iheaka

A Chieftain of All People’s Grand Alliance, (APGA) in Abia, Chief Ahamdi Nweke has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to check ongoing campaigns by politicians ahead of 2019 elections.

Nweke disclosed this during an interview with our reporter in Aba on Wednesday.

Nwke said that it was unlawful for politicians to have begun campaigns when INEC had not permitted it.

He said that the law is very clear on the matter noting that nobody should start electoral campaigns until 90 days to the election while they must stop 24 hours before the election.

Nweke said that according to the Electoral Act 2010, Section 99, 1 and 2 spelt out the punishment for campaigning in the open 90 days before or 24 hours to the election. 

He said that the billboards and posters of different individuals being sighted in the towns showed the lawlessness of political office holders and aspirants who have started campaigning.

“I think that INEC should do what they should do at all times. They should ensure that the law is obeyed. You should not make a law you are not ready to enforce”, he said.

He said that everybody including political office holders should have respect for the law.

Nweke said that as a people aspiring to contest, win election in order to lead others, the political class should live exemplary lives by obeying the law.

He urged members of his party, the APGA to say no to the temptation of starting early campaigns before the lifting of the ban by INEC as it was lawless and not fit for leaders.

Our reporter notes that in Abia state some political office holders have started placing their posters and billboards in the communities and on radio to announce their interest to contest in the coming elections.

Construction work on Ntigha Dry Port to start soon – Concessionaire

April 4, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka
  
Dr Kingsley Usoh, the Executive Director, Eastgate Container Terminal, says construction work on Ntigha Dry Port in Isiala Ngwa, Abia, will soon start.

He disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Aba on Wednesday.

Usoh said an American construction company that would handle the project was in Port Harcourt awaiting mobilisation to start work.

He said that Eastgate limited which is the concessionaire had paid its part of the money for funding the project as demanded by their international financiers and was awaiting signals to commence construction.

Usoh said the drawings and other preliminary plans had been completed, while the construction company was ready to go to site any moment from now.

According to him, the dry port will be the best among all the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) or dry ports the Federal Government had approved.

The executive director said the dry port would serve the South-east and North-east when completed because it of its size and facilities.

A source close to Abia State Government, who pleaded anonymity, said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had signed the memorandum of understanding with the concessionaire and the GRJ Group in March 2017 to facilitate the project.

The source said the state government had also received some money from their international financiers to pay its counterpart fund to commence work on the project.

He said with the counterpart fund in place, construction work on the project would hopefully commence at the site as soon as possible.

Recall that the Ntigha ICD had witnessed two groundbreaking ceremonies – the first during the tenure of Chief Theodore Orji and the second during the tenure of Ikpeazu without commencement of construction.