Palm Oil company wins 2 Mln 2019 Nigeria startup Fund

Thursday, August 9, 2019.

By Ijendu Iheaka

Aba. Kernelincs Resources, an Abia-based integrated oil palm processing and packaging startup has won N1.5 million equity-free funding for the best pitching at the 2019 Nigeria Startup day.

Mr Daniel Chinagozi, Founder / CEO of Innovation Growth Hub, a partner company organizing the Startup Nigeria Demo Day for South East Nigeria announced the result at a briefing Thursday.

The first runner up was Honey Empire which specializing in honey production and packaging while the second runner up was GreenBox Africa which deals in production of cheap solar-powered electricity generators.

Chinagozi said the programme which is the second one it was hosting had over 543 startups applying with screening taking the number down to 330 companies later enlisted to receive free business advisory.

He said that the winner of the pitching contest, Kernelincs Resources pitching was promising and so would receive N1.5 million in a week’s time and then N500,000 after the three months mentoring programme.

He said the other nine contestants would also receive be N1 million equity-free funding in two tranches; the first coming before August second week and the remaining N500, 000 after the three months programme.

He expressed joy having a company incubated in Abia emerge winner adding that the pitching was part of a three months ongoing business incubation programme.

He said that the incubation programme was to upgrade the knowledge and skills of young entrepreneurs to help them succeed.

Kingsley Amajuoyi, the Proprietor of the winning company said he began planning to bring hygenic and safe oil palm production and packaging when his father died from a certain food-related sickness.

“I am speechless, I am so excited. I wished that my father was alive to see this happen; I am very grateful to God”, 

“I dedicated this to my father because losing him woke me up to the responsibility of helping people consume healthy foods and I am glad to be doing that.

In the next couple of months you will see us in shops around Nigeria and we aim to expand into other products”, he said.

Mr Mishack Obioha, the Executive Director, Venture Platform Foundation, a subsidiary of  Innovation Hub said the company believes African entrepreneurs would solve its problems and become its last frontiers of development.

He said the belief has spurred the company up to design different programmes to support emerging entrepreneurs one of which is the Startup Incubation it is doing in partnership with federal government.

“Through this programme, we are incubating 110 companies, we are also supporting another 330 companies amounting to 440 companies to be supported by the Startup Nigeria Programme”, he said.

He said that the winners had emerged on merit hence the startups that won were all very good and promising companies.

Ms Ezinne Uzoije, a Manager in Inovation Hub said managing the startups had been interesting at different stages of the project stressing that the emerging companies can solve Africa’s problems. 

May 14, 2019 

By Ijendu Iheaka

 The Gregory University Uturu, Okigwe, Abia, says the institution has awarded scholarship to two young lads who got the highest scores in the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Chief Gregory Ibe, the Chancellor of the university, announced this in an interview with our reporter in Aba on Tuesday.

 Master Ekene Franklin 15, from Imo and Master Emmanuel Chidiebube 16, from Abia scored the highest and second highest with 347 and 346 respectively in the examination.

However, the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB, Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said that Franklin would not be offered admission for being under-aged.

“I have already granted them scholarship by directing my management to go ahead and admit them as soon as their families bring them because what we are modestly doing in our university is to promote excellence.

“And the way we look at things is that there are different levels and types of intelligence.

“You call it gift to a driver who drives for many years without accident.

“There are gifted people with intelligence that can dance and there are those gifted with intelligence to be outspoken persons and there are people that excel in what their peers don’t excel in.

“That is the intelligence we unravel, because today assumed or forced intelligence has always brought backwardness so students go to school and come out but they are unable to find their talent.

“So whenever I see a child with intelligence, I will just promote that,” Ibe said.

The Chancellor said that he had been sponsoring the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Science Expo singlehandedly for 15 years, with the aim of fishing out eggheads and talents for Nigeria.

According to him, he awards scholarships to students every year in Science and Engineering courses to develop best talents in the country.

He said that JAMB was unfair to have collected Franklin’s examination registration fee which established a contract with the body only to deny him admission even when he showed high level of intelligence.

“And then I said come on, are we not looking for these bright children? If nobody helped these bright children it means there is no hope for other younger brighter children in this age of computer in Nigeria.

“They reviewed their result and knew he was 15years, they should not have taken his money, knowing they will deny him admission because of age.

“There are no such rules guiding a private university seeking to promote knowledge at its best; they are not in the rules the NUC gave me.

“For the federal universities, those draconian rules they documented in the Act of these universities, it is high time they abrogated them,” he said.

He noted that checks on Google would show that a nine year old boy had been given BSC in Mathematics and a 15 year old had been given a Ph.D in the U.S.

“And then I make mention of my own children, two young boys who the Mayor of Bloomberg, New York celebrated for their being exceptional.

“Both of them graduated from medical school before 22 and went to train as specialists in orthopedic surgery and cardiology and they are now practising in Yale and St. Mary, Connecticut.

“So, I don’t see why I should neglect some other children in this country in that order, which was why I awarded them the scholarship.

“I should have extended it to the third child but I restrained myself so that nobody would say that I want to play to the gallery,” he said.

Ibe said Nigeria needed to review its educational policies in order to benefit every Nigerian with the desire to be educated.

He expressed hope that the National Council on Education would address these issues and change obnoxious rules to ensure flow with the tide in the current artificial intelligence age. 

Police confirm killing of Christian Jacob, ex- Enyimba FC of Aba player

May 9, 2019 

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Police Command in Abia on Thursday confirmed the killing of an ex- Enyimba FC of Aba player, Christian Jacob, by suspected hired killers.

The Police spokesperson in the state, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna told our reporter that the former Enyimba player was killed on Wednesday outside his house on Umuola road, Ogbor Hill, Aba.

A reliable source told our reporter on Thursday that the player had been away for a while before resurfacing in Aba some days ago where he met his untimely death.

The source said that contrary to the information making the rounds on the internet, that Jacob was shot dead by robbers was not true.

He said that the former player was killed by suspected hired killers who shot him and went away without taking his phone or anything from him.

He said that the death of Jacob, nicknamed “Nikita Ara” threw the people of the area into mourning because of his friendliness and popularity with the residents of the area.

Ogbonna said that the police was still investigating the matter adding that no arrest had been made.

He said that the corpse of the former player had been deposited in an undisclosed mortuary. 

Abia CP says extra-judicial killings, lawlessness among police personnel disgraceful to Police Force

May 3, 2019 

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Abia, Mr Ene Okon, has decried the rate of extra-judicial killings and lawlessness among the police operatives, saying that the development has brought shame to the Police Force.

Okon said this in Aba on Friday while addressing officers and men of Eziama Divisional Police Station in the Aba Area Command.

He therefore warned the police operatives to be cautious with the handling of their fire arms in order not to become victims of its miss use.

He said: “We are suffering from self-inflicted injury. We have deflected our ego.

“We have become subject of ridicule because this gun they bought for us to protect people, we’ve turned to use it for killing innocent people.

“In one or two weeks in Lagos, police killed about four innocent persons and some in a bizarre manner.”

The police boss recounted how some unscrupulous police operatives abused their power, citing the recent killing of a girl who was allegedly returning from a club.

He wondered when going to club became a crime in Nigeria and warned operatives against indiscriminate arrest and attack on innocent citizens.

“The gun you should use for kidnappers and armed robbers, you now turn to use to kill innocent persons.

“This is happening often. By doing this, you are carving a bad image for the police and yet we have a law guiding the use of fire arms’’.

He reminded them that the first day they joined the police, they were told about Force Order 237, which guides policemen on the use of fire arms.

He frowned at the attitude of some policemen, who usually fired shots into the air during an arrest, adding that there was no need for such wastes.

“Even when you are on the range, you’ll always be told to aim your fire on the knee.

“But your own knee has disappeared as all you now see is the heart and head.

“You neglect the existence of Force Order 237 and so I think you must be taught again, if you still don’t understand it.

“I don’t want to hear accidental discharge here in Abia. Extra-judicial killings must be avoided because it dents police image,” Okon said.

He admonished officers and men of the command to be civil with members of the public and treat them with courtesy so that they would get the same respect from the public in return.

He further said that Nigerians had become more enlightened than before.

According to him, most people now know their constitutional rights, hence the need for the police to work in line with constitutional provisions.

He warned them to stop harassing, molesting, abusing and assaulting Nigerians over flimsy reasons.

He charged them to apply the instructions they learnt from the police college in order to avoid the dehumanisation of citizens and degradation of the police.

Okon also urged them to adopt a better and more mature means of extracting information from suspects than beating and dehumanising them.

He encouraged them to study and make themselves conversant with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Police Act and other laws in order to discharge their duties creditably.

Abia CP says extra-judicial killings, lawlessness among police personnel disgraceful to Police Force

May 3, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Abia, Mr Ene Okon, has decried the rate of extra-judicial killings and lawlessness among the police operatives, saying that the development has brought shame to the Police Force.

Okon said this in Aba on Friday while addressing officers and men of Eziama Divisional Police Station in the Aba Area Command.

He therefore warned the police operatives to be cautious with the handling of their fire arms in order not to become victims of its miss use.

He said: “We are suffering from self-inflicted injury. We have deflected our ego.

“We have become subject of ridicule because this gun they bought for us to protect people, we’ve turned to use it for killing innocent people.

“In one or two weeks in Lagos, police killed about four innocent persons and some in a bizarre manner.”

The police boss recounted how some unscrupulous police operatives abused their power, citing the recent killing of a girl who was allegedly returning from a club.

He wondered when going to club became a crime in Nigeria and warned operatives against indiscriminate arrest and attack on innocent citizens.

“The gun you should use for kidnappers and armed robbers, you now turn to use to kill innocent persons.

“This is happening often. By doing this, you are carving a bad image for the police and yet we have a law guiding the use of fire arms’’.

He reminded them that the first day they joined the police, they were told about Force Order 237, which guides policemen on the use of fire arms.

He frowned at the attitude of some policemen, who usually fired shots into the air during an arrest, adding that there was no need for such wastes.

“Even when you are on the range, you’ll always be told to aim your fire on the knee.

“But your own knee has disappeared as all you now see is the heart and head.

“You neglect the existence of Force Order 237 and so I think you must be taught again, if you still don’t understand it.

“I don’t want to hear accidental discharge here in Abia. Extra-judicial killings must be avoided because it dents police image,” Okon said.

He admonished officers and men of the command to be civil with members of the public and treat them with courtesy so that they would get the same respect from the public in return.

He further said that Nigerians had become more enlightened than before.

According to him, most people now know their constitutional rights, hence the need for the police to work in line with constitutional provisions.

He warned them to stop harassing, molesting, abusing and assaulting Nigerians over flimsy reasons.

He charged them to apply the instructions they learnt from the police college in order to avoid the dehumanisation of citizens and degradation of the police.

Okon also urged them to adopt a better and more mature means of extracting information from suspects than beating and dehumanising them.

He encouraged them to study and make themselves conversant with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Police Act and other laws in order to discharge their duties creditably.

IG deploys special anti-kidnapping squad to Abia - CP

April 30, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Mr Ene Okon, the Commissioner of Police in Abia, said the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has deployed his Special Technical Squad to assist the Abia command in the fight against kidnapping.

Ene said this at a meeting he held with Aba residents, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) members and policemen in the divisions under the Aba Area Command on Tuesday.

He said: “Already I have anti-kidnapping team here in Aba. I have fortified them, given them a vehicle, an office accommodation in Aba outside the area command and approved extra manpower for them.

“Let me give you one more cheering news. I was in Abuja after the elections when kidnapping reared up its ugly head here in Aba and I discussed with the IGP.

“Luckily, yesterday, the IGP dispatched his Special Technical Squad to come and meet me in Abia and they are coming with their technical equipment.

“They are coming to cover the whole of Aba and I expect them by next week,” he said, adding that “they are to remain here and fight it out.”

Ene said that crime and criminality escalated in the country after the civil war, pointing out that “since crime and criminality are dynamic, they now require technology to fight, accordingly.”

He said that Section 214 of the Constitution, which established the police, was made by the people, who are members of the community, hence it could be rightly said that the police are owned by the people.

He said that Section 216 assigns the police with the duties to protect lives and property, maintain law and order in the society, adding that the people as “creators of the police have their obligations also to the police.”

He, therefore, called on the people to assist the police perform their duties satisfactorily by being law-abiding, volunteering information and supporting police efforts.

The police boss urged policemen, who he described as “servants to the people,” to treat the people with respect as their paymasters.

He said he would not tolerate acts of indiscipline, crime and criminality, corrupt practices and abuse of citizen’s rights among policemen.

He said that he was made to understand that every policeman in Abia was desirous of serving in Aba in order to engage in corrupt practices and make money, warning that he would soon transfer some of them out of the city.

He urged the police to make discipline their watchword and thanked the PCRC for its immense contribution to the success of the command.

In their separate remarks, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Central Police Station, Aba, DPO, Uratta-Eziukwu and DPO, Ndiegoro, CSP Abii Onyeulor, CSP Princewill Ekeocha, and SP Emeka Oganyi, respectively, thanked the CP for his visit.

They appealed to him to beef up the manpower in their various divisions, provide them with functional patrol vehicles and motorcycles and post more male officers to make their work easier.

In his speech, the Aba Area Commander, ACP Peter Opara, urged the CP to consider the request of the DPOs and help out where possible. 

ABSUTH warns prospective students, job seekers against scammers, fake adverts

April 9, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Abia State University Teaching Hospital, (ABSUTH), Abayi Aba, has warned prospective job and admission seekers to be careful of scammers who extort money through fake admissions and employment advertisements.

Mr Joe Onwuka, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, ABSUTH, gave the warning on Tuesday while speaking to our reporter in Aba.

According to him, ABSUTH is not employing people and not admitting students in its School of Nursing yet as its strike subsists.

“The information some people received which they claim emanated from ABSUTH asking for employment and admissions application is not from ABSUTH which is still on strike,’’ he said.

Onwuka said it is very amusing that people could send out information or even publications inviting job applications from prospective job seekers to apply for employment to an institution on strike.

“It is very unfortunate indeed. We have been on strike for months now and the resumption date is not yet known.

“The day of resumption is not yet known because the government is yet to settle with the staff on matters of salary arrears which took them away on strike since last November.

“And here we are receiving applications even from applicant’s resident overseas and within Nigeria claiming to be responding to job advertisements which ABSUTH never posted.

“We understand that in this age of the computer and the internet, so many things have been made possible, even easier including fraud and scamming.

“ABSUTH is, therefore, urging people wishing to apply to it either for admissions or employment to be careful.

“People should confirm the information they have about employment opportunities or admissions through the PRO’s office phone number – 0803-0528348,” he said.

Onwuka said that the referenced online advertisement which people claimed they responded to was never made by ABSUTH management but by unscrupulous persons wishing to use the strike to defraud people.

He said that the institution was not recruiting staff or admitting students in its Nursing School stressing that whenever such opportunities were available, it would be published in the local media.

Company promises to pay 2-year insurance proceeds to over 30 clients in Aba

March 25, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

 A & G Life Insurance Plc on Monday promised to start the payment of investment claims, which matured since 2017, to its clients in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia, from the first week of April.

The Director of Operations of the company, Mrs Folashade Olafisoye, said this in an interview with our reporter at the Aba office of the company.

Olafisoye blamed the delay in the payment of the claims on some impediment arising from the challenges between the company and the insurance regulatory body.

She said, “From the first week of April 2019, the Aba clients of the company will begin to receive their policy proceeds without any further delay.”

She also said that the company was still settling the huge liabilities and financial challenges inherited by the company after acquiring BAICO Insurance in 2009.

She said that the “mix-up”, resulting in the delayed payment of some clients, including Aba clients, had been uncovered and being fixed to enable payment to begin.

A client of the company, Professor Harold Nwosu, had reported his disappointment over the delay in the payment of his children’s educational insurance policy that was due in 2017.

Nwosu said the company did nothing to clear his doubts or assure him that it would still pay him the insurance proceeds even two years after.

He demanded the payment of his first daughter’s policy proceeds and refund of his investment in other two policies for his younger children.

He said he abandoned two policies he took for his younger children, which came after his first daughter’s policy because the company could not pay for the one that was due earlier.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that no fewer than 30 other policy holders in Aba were being owed since 2017.

The company, which offers life and non-life insurance policies, was still collecting premiums for fresh policies.

It is the official insurer for Abia State Auto-Reg Vehicle Insurance policy.

Nigeria needs economic technocrat as Finance Minister to transform the economy - Industrialist

March 19, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Nigeria needs an economically vibrant technocrat as Minister of Finance to put its economy on a sound footing, says an industrialist, Mr Imo Anasonye.

The industrialist made the disclosure in an interview with our reporter in Aba on Tuesday.

Anasonye, also the Director-General, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Abia chapter, said: “We need an up to date, dynamic Minister of Finance.

“Somebody that is well abreast of the Nigeria’s economic situation and somebody that has within his or her reach, the solution to what is happening in Nigeria’s economic sphere now.

“We need a vibrant Finance Minister, somebody that understands the economic game and plays it well to turn around the economic fortunes of this nation, because if we don’t get that, we are sunk.

“We need someone who knows about pure economic planning because Nigeria cannot continue relying only on oil revenue which is dwindling by the day.

“We need to shore up the capacities of the real sector without further delay in a strategic manner.“

Anasonye said that the nation’s economy was having hiccups and needed proper economic planning to boost the real sector, the backbone of great economies.

He stressed that with a good economist grounded in economic planning, the real sector would be revived for the benefit of all Nigerians as the nation would depend less on oil.

The industrialist expressed concern that SMEs, which contributed much to the economy, were rarely captured in national and state budgets and cautioned that continuing in that direction would ruin Nigeria’s economy further.

Anasonye said that the only way to grow the economy fast in a big way was for governments to invest in SMEs through SME institutions like NASSI, Chambers of Commerce, among others.

He further suggested continuous dialogue between the government and SME operators and sincerity on the part of government in order to take the SMEs to the height desired in sustaining the economy.

“Let the SME institutions be included in the policies that affect them because.You cannot continue to separate the SME institutions from the economic management systems and expect things to be right, it cannot be right.’’

Anasonye said that Nigeria was bigger than a beggarly nation seeking funds from everywhere it turned into, adding that Nigeria needed to develop its rich economic capacities.

He noted that Nigerians were yearning for political offices because there were less jobs for people to engage in the real sector, but expressed optimism that with developed economic capacities, politics would become less attractive to people.

The industrialist said that solving Nigeria’s economic problems would not take rocket science but only required knowledge, courage and political willpower to accomplish, with the resources available.

RP candidate condemns INEC’s results declaration in Aba South State constituency

March 13, 2019


By Ijendu Iheaka

Goodluck Ibem, Restoration Party (RP) candidate for Aba South State constituency in Abia, has strongly condemned the declaration of a winner in the House of Assembly election for the constituency, by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).

Ibem also rejected results of the election, stressing that it was absurd for INEC to have announced a result when many polling centres in the constituency were deprived of voting.

Ibem in an interview with our reporter on Wednesday in Aba, said INEC erred in declaring Obinna Ichita the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate winner of an election that should have been declared inconclusive.

“The commission has declared the APGA candidate for Aba South State constituency, Obinna Ichita, as the winner of Saturday’s House of Assembly election.

“It is wrong and totally unacceptable for INEC to declare a candidate winner when election did not hold in the 19 polling units in Ward 6 (Umuogele and Iheorji communities) and nine polling units in Eziukwu Ward 1were cancelled.

“What INEC did in Aba South, is grave injustice to the constituency. INEC favoured the APGA candidate.

“There is no election in Ward 6 and about 9 polling units in Eziukwu Ward 1 were cancelled.

“We are talking of about 30,000 votes in the two areas which are far above the total votes cast. What INEC ought to have done is to declare the election inconclusive, this is the law.

“My agents made our complaints known to INEC ad-hoc staff, but they ignored us.

“I don’t know who INEC is working for, but they should understand that they should not be seen to be favouring one party against the other.

“INEC should not be seen to be biased, but today, they are not neutral. Even the APGA supporters are telling me to go to court, because of INEC’s injustice. Democracy is dead in Nigeria. It is unfortunate,” he said.

The RP candidate called for the adjudication of all electoral petitions before swearing in of the winners of this election.

He said that the prevailing situation where candidates engaged in all sorts of electoral malpractices and were later declared winners should not be allowed.

“I am of the opinion that election petitions should be dispensed with before swearing-in, as this will serve justice to all parties.

“It is grave injustice to the people and other candidates to swear in a candidate who has engaged in all sorts of electoral malpractices to be declared winner.

“If sworn in, he will deploy government apparatus to keep his seat but if petitions are dispensed with before swearing in, it will help to reduce the desperation for political offices in Nigeria,” he said.

Ibem promised to do everything necessary to reclaim his mandate which he said was given to another person.

EEDC to complete distributor transformer metering by ending by March 31

March 13, 2019


By Ijendu Iheaka

Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) on Tuesday said that it would hopefully complete its ongoing Distributor Transformer Metering of transformers in its domain by the end of March 2019.

The Head, Communications,EEDC,Emeka Eze disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Aba.

Eze said the transformer metering exercise would ensure that transformers cut off  from power supply while their feeders are up and running do not get billed at the end of the period.

He noted that although the company had not abandoned customer metering, it was pursuing transformer metering also to ensure customers’ complaints of overbilling were checked.

“Now part of what we are doing is to meter open transformers.

“The whole idea is to zero down the cost of energy consumed per transformer so that energy consumed by customers through a particular transformer is now what will be used to bill customers.

“It is a strategy to address this complaint of overbilling as some people say they have not seen light for one year yet they get bills.

“So if a meter is on your transformer and it does not receive power supply, that meter will not capture anything and that means such customer will not be billed at the end of the period.

“We started metering transformers in February 2019 and I do not think there is any transformer in Aba that has been metered although we are metering all the public transformers and we call it Distributor-Transformer Metering”, he said.

Eze said that before this transformer metering exercise, EEDC was using feeder availability to bill customers.

He said that after the exercise, customers would no more complain of being billed without power supply as transformers whose feeders receive power supply, will have supply to it measured to ensure accurate customer billing.

He said that EEDC had metered over 260, 000 customers stressing that metering is not magic and cannot be done over night.

According to him, a new meter access regulation approved by the NERC which was to take effect from January 2019 has taken off and will take over the deployment of meters to customers.

He said that under the new NERC approved system, EEDC customers would have to be told who is the company’s meter provider, pay and buy pre-paid meters from them for installation.

“We are earnestly waiting for the NERC approval so that we will engage our customers. As at last year we published expression of interest asking companies that are grounded in the area of meter technology and deployment to indicate interest.

“And that has been put together and we submitted to the regulator, the regulator will now approve and come back to us.

“With that we will now get the dynamics and educate our customers on the dynamics and tell them who these people are and where they can access them. So it is the process that is now ongoing”, he said.

PDP urges opposition parties to join Gov Ikpeazu to rebuild Abia

March 11, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia, has called on opposition parties in Saturday’s Governorship election to join the reelected Gov Okezie Ikpeazu to move the state forward.

Chief Don Ubani, Abia state Spokesperson of PDP gave the advice on Monday in an interview with our reporter.

Ubani, who was reacting to calls for the cancellation of the governorship election, said that such calls were not in the best interest of the state.

According to him, instead of rejecting Ikpeazu’s re-election, they should join hands with him to rebuild Abia state.

“But if they have decided as they did in 2015 to always bring confusion and take Abia backwards, they are free but they should remember that 2019 is not 2015,” Ubani said.

He thanked all PDP members and people of the state for contributing to the success of the party and promised that in this second tenure; Ikpeazu would make Abia better by working harder.

Dr Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr Alex Otti of the All People’s Grand Alliance (APGA) call on INEC to cancel governorship election in Abia.

They alleged electoral result manipulation using same returning officer, Prof Benjamin Ozumba of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) also allegedly used in 2015 by INEC to rig Abia elections in 2019 election.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Health Department of Aba South Local Government Area (LGA) on Monday celebrated Ikpeazu’s re-election with a march across some streets in Aba while exhibiting fireworks.

Mrs Onyinyechi Nwigwe, Director, Environmental Health Department, Aba South LGA said they were celebrating Ikpeazu’s re-election because Abia had a relatively peaceful election in 2019.

She expressed optimism that God would give Ikpeazu wisdom to do more, rebuild Obohia, Ohanku, Port Harcourt roads, and provide more roads, better health facilities and pay attention to workers welfare.

Mrs Chinazo Nwosu, a businesswoman in Aba said “It is good that the elections have come and gone and those who won have won, now let them face governance.

“We want to hear something different on radio, TV and in reality. We want to see the political leadership at all levels change the story and lives of the people. We are tired of politicking everyday”.

Fidelis Nwokedi, a resident said that whosoever won the election should be focused and create a better environment for business and living for Abians.

He expressed happiness over Ikpeazu’s victory but urged him to construct more roads, give the city pipe-borne water and create enabling environment for businesses to thrive  in the state.

General Elections: Result delay raises questions on INEC’s credibility – CLO

February 25, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Aba Chapter Chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Dr Charles Chinekezi has decried the delay in the collation and announcement of 2019 presidential, house of representative and senate results.

Chinekezi who said the situation was fuelling apprehension and raising questions concerning INEC’s ability to conduct credible election during an interview with our reporter in Aba on Monday.

He said the delay in the release of the election results, would instead of giving the results a stamp of credibility; make the electoral umpire and its election results questionable.

“Never, the delay will even help in doctoring the results, because as long as you and I know, this election is not free and fair election.

“All these delays will help those doctoring the figures, the documents and the reports and taking the information to certain people at certain places, that is the situation. Make no mistakes about it.

“The heat on INEC is not because they are getting things right, but because the Nigeria politician is naturally vicious and desperate, because he is an African politician, who has no value and who does not bother about the credibility of process and processes.

“They have crooks among themselves that is why they are having problems. It is because INEC have people who have no credibility that is why we are finding it hard getting the right results of an election”, he said.

Chinekezi said that Nigeria’s electoral process would never be free, fair and credible with the practice of secret ballot system because Nigerian politicians are always desperate to win elections at all cost.

He said that having corrupt INEC operatives, Nigeria’s only option to getting credible leaders who can change things through credible elections would be only by option A4 open ballot electoral system.

The CLO Chapter chairman condemned the lackadaisical attitude of government and its agencies towards the prosecution of electoral offenders stressing that there is the need to start the process now.

“Nigeria has failed in prosecuting people who commit electoral crimes and it has become a norm here.

“And until we begin to apprehend and punish people who commit electoral offences, we are in for a more terrible time. We need to start now with this level of mayhem unleashed on Nigerians by political thugs across the nation leading to many deaths”, he said.

He said that Nigeria’s elections would never cease from being rancour-free until the country could slam right punishments on electoral offenders, their sponsors and parties where necessary.

He noted that in United States of America, South East Asia, India and other developed countries, have higher populations and locations to cover than Nigeria, but do not report the kind of problems Nigeria reports during elections”, he said.

Abia APC wants Abia central senatorial election cancelled, removal of REC

February 23, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The All Peoples Congress (APC) in Abia on Saturday called for the cancellation of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Abia Central Senatorial District.


The party also called for the immediate removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Iloh.


The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Ben Godson, made the call while briefing newsmen in Aba on the party’s reservations about the exercise in the state.


He alleged that the electoral process was compromised, adding that Illoh compromised by allowing Sen. Theodore Orji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Abia central, to visit him in his office.


He said: “As we know, today in Nigeria is the presidential and National Assembly elections.


“As I speak to you, we are calling for the cancellation of the senatorial election in Abia central.


“One of the major reasons APC is calling for the cancellation of the election is that at about 12:20 pm today (Saturday), Orji visited the REC.


“He spent over 30 minutes with him in his office. He sat with REC who is in charge of elections in the state.


“Thereafter, REC led him to the door, hugged him and shook him with two hands to show loyalty.


“We are therefore calling for his immediate removal and sack as Abia REC,” he said.


Godson also complained that ballot papers brought to Ukwa East had no party logos, adding that materials for the Senate were incomplete in Umuokoroaja in Obohia wards.


He alleged that some thugs besieged Obohia town hall and carted away result sheets that were brought to the centre for the elections.


He further demanded that other areas in Ukwa west, where voters were allegedly chased out of their polling units with the help of the police, should also be cancelled and rescheduled.


APC also called for the removal of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ene Okon, for allegedly failing to provide adequate security in most polling centres in Ukwa where there were skirmishes.


Godson said that some voters were intimidated, leading to voter apathy in most areas, adding that a unit with 100 registered voters only recorded 5 votes.


Reacting to the allegation of compromise, the REC admitted that Orji came to his office along with APC and APGA members to complain that election materials meant for their wards were yet to be delivered to the polling centres.


He said: “They came because election started late in their area. Of course, APC members were also with him. They were all united in harassing me for the delay.


“You see all these politicians they are bad people. When they go outside they become enemies but when they are attacking one person they become one.”


Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Godfrey Ogbonna, has dismissed as baseless the allegation that policemen chased away voters.


Ogbonna said that the command was not aware of such a development, adding that police could not chase away voters, except they were miscreants trying to foment crisis.

“What they are talking about is not to my knowledge. The Police cannot chase away voters if they are not miscreants.

“We deployed policemen to all polling units where elections took place in Abia. If anybody is saying the contrary, let him bring proof.

“Politicians should know how to help ensure peace in our society. They should not be saying what they have no proof of,” Ogbonna further said.