Buhari in Aba vows to provide more infrastructure for business growth

January 29, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Aba said that his administration would provide more infrastructure to enhance businesses and economic development in the country.

Buhari said this while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters during his campaign rally in Abia, held at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba.

He stressed that when the infrastructure needs of the country is fixed, Nigerians would concentrate on their businesses and there would be peace and progress in the nation.

“I assure that if we get infrastructure correct; the roads, the railways and power, Nigerians will mind their own businesses. It all depends on who is in the Government.

“We have identified this and we are committing available resources to make sure that we get infrastructure right.

“And we are doing as much as possible to secure the country so that we can properly manage it”, he said.

The president said in spite if lean resources, his government has redeemed its promises to Nigerians and would do more when given another mandate to continue.

He thanked the residents and party faithful for their commitment adding, “I expect you this time around to vote APC”.

Dr Sampson Ogah , the APC governorship candidate for Abia, said that the state had suffered mismanagement since Orji Kalu left office in 2007.

He said that no state had suffered as much losses in governance as the South East states where people offered themselves for election because of personal gains.

He said that apart from President Buhari’s interventions, nothing has been done in Abia.

” It is Buhari’s road, his infrastructure development that has saved the Enugu-Port Harcourt road from being used for cassava farming.”

Ogah promised that the president would get the vote of Abians stressing that “Abia people have resolved to unanimously move to APC and there is no other party that can stop it.

“We’ve told our people that the mistakes of PDP will be corrected in Abia as we move into Government. Our people are tired of PDP.

“The last we had good government was under Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu and we have decided that we shall move to next level.

“We are assuring our people that within just seven days in government, Abia State shall invite Julius Beggar to our roads.

” We are an oil producing state and we have nothing to show for it.

“The current administration has received 400,000 billion naira in the last three years without completing even ten kilometre road in our state.

“We have over 100 companies that have closed down in Aba and this is why my people want me because, I understand business,” he said.

Ogah said that Abia people were tired of suffering stressing that workers in Abia were not being paid salaries as at when due.

He said he was contesting to revive Abia state economy and take it to the next level, adding that the state would see a new dispensation seven days after he becomes governor.

The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole said that Abia state would be lucky to have Ogah as governor.

“The truth is that in this state, PDP has governed for 19 years just as they controlled the country for 16 years.

“In those 16 years, this part of the country that was most loyal and committed to voting PDP was abandoned and Federal dual carriage way in the zone was turned to a cassava farm.

“No one could commute from Aba to Port Harcourt. Everything was destroyed under PDP.

“What we need in leadership are men and women who can serve Nigeria as their constituency”, Oshiomhole said.

The APC national chairman said that the beauty of democracy is that if any person was elected mistakenly in an election year, by the next election, people would have the chance to correct that mistake.

He urged Abians to correct the mistake they made in 2015 and vote Uche Ogah as governor, Nkechi Nwogu, Marc Wabara and Orji Kalu for Abia Central, Abia South and Abia North senatorial seats.

He later handed the Abia state guber candidate the APC flag which he said signified victory for the party in the state

Unknown gunmen abduct Abia APC Chairman hours to Buhari's visit

January 29, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

 Abia State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Donatus Nwamkpa was kidnapped by unknown gunmen late Monday evening, few hours to the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Aba.

 A party source said  that Nwamkpa was kidnapped late hours of Monday on while returning from Umuahia to Aba to prepare for the President Buhari’s visit.

Mr Benedict Godson, the Abia State APC Publicity Secretary told newsmen in Aba that the party knew of plots to disrupt its rally and the president’s visit on Tuesday by the opposition.

Godson, however noted that the Abia APC never expected that the planned disruption would be on that level.

Godson said Nwamkpa was kidnapped alongside his aide at Osisioma Local Government Area along the Aba/Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway about 11pm Monday night.

"There was a plot on ground to disrupt today's visit by the president, but we never expected this.

“He was kidnapped and up till now, we've not heard from him. He remains our authentic Chairman.

“Kidnapping Hon. Donatus Nwamkpa, a foundation builder, a mover and the man who has brought this party from no where to somewhere cannot stop this party from winning Abia.

He said that “authoritatively” there are persons in opposition party who might have collaborated with some members of APC in Abia to abduct  Nwamkpa.

He noted that such act of criminality was not the right way to play politics. 

He also said that the move cannot stop the Abia state APC guber candidate Dr Uche Sampson Ogah, from winning Abia.

“People are afraid and according to our party Chairman, it's obvious that some persons were planted into our party by the opposition to distract the party. 

"For now we are not accusing anybody, but we know that the evil people are trying their best, but they'll fail.

“We are sure our Chairman will be back soon because he's a good man and a man of God. We plead with his abductors to release him for he meant well for Abia State", Godson said 

NDLEA arrests 4 for illegal production of sedatives

January 25, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Bamidele Akingbade, State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abia, said that four men were arrested for  illegally and secretly  manufacturing Diazepam, a sleep-inducing anti-depressant drug.

Akingbade disclosed this while taking newsmen round the drug production laboratory at Omenihu Street, off Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, Osisioma Local Government Area, near Aba.

This blog reports that Diazepam is the generic name for a controlled sleep-inducing, anti-depressant drug, also called valium.

He said that the company, which produced a brand of Diazepam, named DIZAPAM, was doing so without licence and in an unauthorised environment within a residential area.

Akingbade said that the company, without  name, was operating in a warehouse and producing the substandard drug with the name of an Indian drug company, Shalina Laboratories, PVT, India.

The commander said the suspects were caught working in the laboratory when NDLEA men raided the warehouse.

He said that the owner of the factory, who is operating from Onitsha, Anambra, was on the run, while the agency had gone after him, after sealing off the warehouse.

Akingbade said that the agency had been gathering intelligence on the illicit drug production for some days before it materialised in the arrests.

“What they do here is compounding and making diazepam illicitly, because from the test that has been conducted, it proved positive for Diazepam but the production, registration is not controlled.

“So it is a clandestine laboratory. He has no number. He has nothing to show government why he is producing the drug.

“I want to add that Diazepam that is produced here is a controlled drug and if a drug is controlled, it means that it affects the central nervous system.

“And the use or abuse of it can lead to addiction or general damage to the user’s brain.

“It is a depressant and used for treatment of insomnia and anxiety. So we expect that it should not be produced by a single individual in this environment.” he said.

He promised that the man would be punished by the law when caught.

Akingbade urged persons buying diazepam in Aba or the South East, to check and ensure they got the authentic one.

He said it was suspected that some of the substandard products had been moved into the market.

He also urged residents in these areas, who had information on such unlicensed drug productions, to report to NDLEA for prompt action to save lives.

Our reporter observes that the proper production of diazepam must go through registrations with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), NAFDAC and permit from NDLEA.

Also, it must be professionally prepared and produced in a verified laboratory with fully employed workers, who must be certified pharmacists.

 The unlicensed laboratory is equipped with one big Lister generator, two packing and sealing machines, two tablet-making machines, one mixing machine and a dryer.

 There are also unsealed tablets with waste products from packaging littering the floor of the production rooms forming the laboratory, when newsmen visited the warehouse-turned laboratory.

Wild fire razes part of Guinness brewery in Aba

January 19, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

A wild fire on Friday engulfed one arm of the Guinness Nigeria Plc, Aba brewery razing bottles, Chemicals, Office structures and furniture worth billions of naira to ashes.

Firefighters were still working hard to contain the fire which started at about 11 : am Friday morning until about 6:46 pm when our reporter left the scene. 

However, a visit to the scene mid-Saturday morning showed that the fire still raged on until late afternoon as only one fire-fighting vehicle was seen bringing water to stop the inferno.

Okezie Uche, Aba Fire Service Commander, told our reporter that his men reached the site at about 1 pm and had fought the fire with the help of other staff of near-bye companies who volunteered.

“We have water challenges but today, we go to NNPC to refill water. When the fire was too heavy for my men, I called Controller of Abia Fire Service, Mr V.O Gbaruko in Umuahia office to help us and he sent men and equipment.

“We used techniques with the support of NNPC which gave us a foaming chemical with which we have been using to extinguish the fire.

“Without that chemical, we could not have done much because we are fighting a highly flammable material”, he said.

Uche said the things burning at the brewery included empty bottles, and plastic crates and other materials

He said that “poor House-Keeping” might have been responsible for the fire, stressing that when the staff could not contain the fire, they called Fire Service.

 A Police Officer who spoke to our reporter under anonymity said the police got information on the fire by about 12 pm and called in the Fire Servicemen in Aba.

“They came, the Commander of MOPOL 55 also sent his men; the villagers also assisted in fighting the fire but it has not been easy as efforts were slowed down because there was no power from EEDC to pump water.

“And the water the Fire Service brought finished but the efforts continued with the help of Glover Paints who mobilized their men to bring water to help.

“When the Umuahia Fire Service Commander sent his men, they joined with the help of staff of Geometric, to contain the fire to this level”, he said.

He assured that the fire would be over before 6pm following combined efforts adding that the fire which reached nearby NNPC Gas Pipeline had been put out at that end.

  

He said the fire reached the NNPC Gas Pipeline area near the depot but when the Fire Service came, they first place they contained and all that area is safe, that was why the pipeline did not burst.

Eric Otuonye, the Station Officer in charge of Security of the Brewery said they noticed fire and smoke in the compound at about 11; 30 am from a bush nearby hence they mobilized to fight it.

He said that the fire fight had been tough as firemen from Fire Service office in Aba and Umuahia, the Staff of Clover Paints, and Guinness Nig. Plc staff fought the fire from 12 pm and were still fighting the fire.

“I think the fire has reached a chemical that has increased the fire and smoke, this is after 6 pm and if it is not put out, I do not know what will happen at night.

“I believe the fire must have started from our compound. But there is bush close to our fence on that side that the fire started that is what we are suspecting.

“But now what is important is fighting the fire, when it is over we can now trace where it started”, he said.

Otuonye said that the damage is to be estimated in billions of naira because of the numerous materials the fire had consumed.

He also said that the fire reached a substance suspected to be chemical because the flames became wilder and harder to contain and the smoke was getting thicker.

Otuonye said the brewery had been shut down already since July 2018 adding that only a few police personnel and company security who guard the brewery remained on ground.

Aba residents groan over bad roads, filthy environment as first rains touch down

January 16, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Aba residents on Tuesday began groaning at the touch of the first rains which reached them on Monday night because it had begun to affect their lives and businesses.

 The rains which had percolated in deep potholes on bad roads in the city had made traffic sluggish.

It had also heightened the danger of spread of diseases, having formed storm water and hauled refuse and trash into resident’s compounds and apartments in different areas of the city.

 The badly affected roads in the northern part of Aba South Local Government Area include, Obohia road, Ohazu road, and Igbere road on which suspended construction work since 2017 had been turned into a vortex of trash, emptying same into resident’s apartments and compounds.

Others in the same axis are Ohazu road, Danfodia road, Mbaitoli and Ozuomba streets all of which have been totally cut off and made non-passable as storm water poured rubbish and contents of nearby soak-away systems into the road blocking access to most residents.

The bad roads on the eastern axis include Omuma road, Cemetary road, Amaukwu road, Uratta road and Osusu roads which suspended road construction begun by the Ikpeazu administration had made a nightmare as the unfinished drainage system is pouring water into people’s houses.

Ngwa road, Ohazu and Ozuomba roads had also become cut-off and some stretches made refuse dumps, raising health concerns because the state’s sanitation agency cannot reach them to cart away refuse from these areas.

Mr Orji Eni, a hawker, told our reporter that the water percolating on Ngwa road will get worse as the rains increase and would cut them off from coming out to do their businesses around the road.

He called on the state government to help them rehabilitated the road and other adjoining ones to enable them do businesses and feed their families.

A tricycle operator, Mr Eze Okroafor who operates on the area Obohia road said “we now live in hell”.

“If I get money to start building on my vacant land, I will leave transport business because there are no roads to do the business here and the damages bad roads are causing us takes much of the money we get daily”, he said.

He doubted if many of the tricyclists in the area would remain in business when the rains fully resume while urging Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to come to their rescue.

A lady who identified herself as Mrs Emeka who lives on Igbere road said that as the rains has started lifting trash into their compound; it would result in breeding of swarms of mosquitoes.

According to her, it had begun to affect their children who after being bitten by mosquitoes become sick and consume much money through medical treatment.

She regretted their incapacity to pack away from the zone because they do not have the money to rent another apartment and asked the government to finish the construction work suspended a year ago on the Igbere road to make life easier for them.

CP says “major” political parties guilty of destroying campaign billboards

January 8, 2019


By Ijendu Iheaka


The Abia state Commissioner for Police, Mr Chris Ezike says that major political parties in the state are guilty of destruction of election campaigns' billboards and posters.

Ezike said this during an interview with our reporter in Aba while reacting to cqmplaints coming from All Peoples' Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) alleging that the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) members were paying thugs to destroy their campaign posters.

He said the command had initiated measures to tackle the situation in order to stem possible clashes.

He warned that police would not tolerate further destruction of election campaign posters in the state to avoid breakdown of law and order

He said that the politicians in Abia state are culpable for hiring thugs to go by night to destroy their opponent's campaign billboards and posters.

"They are all guilty across board. They employ miscreants to go in the wee hours to remove posters and destroy billboards.

"The major political parties are guilty across the board but I would not want talk about that now because we have a meeting of Abia state Consultative Committee on Election tomorrow and after that we will address the press.

"We are going to talk about that because the meeting will be on pre, post and the elections proper.

"There are so many activities before, after and during the election, the campaigns, rallies, processions , all of them have their rules and regulations and does not allow for violence, thuggery and so on

"The rules are clear. Nobody has the right to destroy anybody's billboards, or engage in violence and thuggery", he said.

He said that two cases bothering on campaign billboards destruction have been reported to his office and were being investigated.

Ezike said the two cases happened in  Nkporo, Ohafia local government and Isiala Ngwa North and South local government areas.

He said that another which happened in Umuahia had been resolved having involved the Abia State Sinage Agency responsible for regulating advertising.

Ezike said that all the reported cases of campaign material destruction were at various stages of investigation,  stressing that the issue would be addressed tomorrow so that the criminals would not claim ignorance of the law.

Abia: APC cautions PDP over alleged destruction of campaign posters

January 7, 2019


By Ijendu Iheaka

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia has cautioned members of the ruling party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to desist from destruction of its posters and billboards.

APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Benedict Godson, gave the warning on Monday while reacting to alleged destruction of campaign billboards and posters of some the party’s candidates across the state.

Godson described the recent destruction of campaign posters of the Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency candidate, Mrs Blessing Nwokonneya and others in various locations as uncalled for.

He said his party was not weak to confront the PDP for retaliation, but maintained that turning Abia into a war zone was not the approach of politics that the APC believed in.

He urged the police and other security agencies to fish out and deal decisively with touts recruited to carry out the acts and also apprehend their sponsors.

He said only prosecution of those involved would assuage those whose campaign materials were destroyed.

“The PDP is really trying to throw Abia into serious violence. We are cautioning them to stop these provocative acts to avoid throwing our peaceful state into avoidable violence as elections draw closer.

“”Destroying posters and billboards belonging to opposition parties is not part of democracy. It’s a sign of frustration and frustrated people don’t play free and fair games.

“They started these their evil acts sometimes last year and have continued with it in this new year by destroying billboards of Lady Blessing Uwoma Nwokonneya our House of Representatives candidate for Isiala Ngwa North and South Constituency.

“The PDP is frustrated because the people have rejected them. Their failure to work for Abians is beginning to hunt them down.

“Their bank of lies is empty as they have run short of lies to tell our people. They now see anyone from APC as their problem which is very ridiculous”, he said.

Godson challenged the PDP to come into the electoral contests in Abia with free and fair minds if they had marketable candidates.

He said the APC had the capacity to match the PDP in anyway but noted that joining in their illegal and provocative actions would result in unnecessary bloodshed of innocent Abians.

The Abian State PDP Spokesman, Chief Don Ubani when contacted said that the PDP had no business as a party with giving orders for anybody to destroy campaign materials of other parties.

“You know that the PDP has a track record. PDP is not known for violence. And PDP cannot resort to pettiness.

“Why would you need to tear the campaign posters of persons who you know if election is conducted 20 times, your party will pip them?

“So these are very false allegations, spurious claims. The woman in Isiala Ngwa, as I passed now, I saw her poster.

“She constitutes not threat to us. We believe in the collective free will of the people to take precedence over whatever individual aspiration is.

“So we don’t have any business tearing any candidate’s poster. What would we gain by doing that? he asked. 

Only Gombe United FC has arrived Aba for Super 8 Tournament

January 4, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Super 8 tournament scheduled to hold in Aba on Saturday, Jan.5 may face a big challenge as only Gombe United has arrived Aba for the matches.

Our reporter learnt that apart from the Gombe-based club which arrived Aba on Thursday, no other club had arrived the city.

A staff of the Enyimba FC Stadium, Aba, Enyinnaya Joseph told our reporter that the club was the only one that had on arrival reported to the stadium after which they relocated to their hotel.

He said no other club had reported their presence, adding that the management of the stadium was ready to be a good host to the teams during the matches.

He also said that everything necessary for them to play their games without hitches were on ground and they were ready for the games to start at the Enyimba Stadium on Saturday as scheduled.

The Nigerian National League’s (NNL) request to reschedule the Super 8 tournament from Jan.3 to Jan. 5 was accepted on Monday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The NNL said this was to enable all the eight teams in the tournament to reach Aba for the matches which would determine the best four teams to be promoted to the topflight league.

However, as at Friday afternoon, only Gombe United FC of Gombe had arrived Aba while others were yet to reach the city for the commencement of the tournament.

The other teams expected in Aba are Delta Force FC of Ugheli, Real Stars FC of Zamfara , Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan and, Bendel Insurance FC of Benin.

Others are Remo Stars FC of Sagamu, Kada FC of Kaduna and Kogi United FC of Lokoja.

At the planned initial kick-off of the tournament, only Gombe United FC of Gombe, Delta Force FC of Ugheli, and Real Stars FC of Zamfara made it to Aba for the tournament.

Enyimba Economic City: Landowners compensation to be completed by February 2019

January 3, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

Mr Uzoma Ozurumba, Project Manager, Enyimba Economic City Development Company, says compensation of landowners in the affected communities will be completed between January and February 2019.

He said that half of the communities involved in the project had been enumerated and assessed, preparatory to their compensation.

Ozurumba disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with our reporter in Aba, Abia.

He said that the enumeration of the landowners would be concluded before the ground breaking ceremony of the economic city scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2019.

“Currently, what is going on now is enumeration. You know they have been having series of engagements with the communities.

“This is to enable us know who owns what, what is on the land and the agreed terms for compensation.

“Over 50 per cent of the communities that are involved have been covered so far. It is expected to be completed hopefully by the first quarter of next year.

“We plan that before the ground breaking ceremony, the issue of compensation would have been settled.

“We are very keen on maintaining the equity principle of ensuring that communities are carried along so that we do not have issues of restiveness and community unrest at the project.”

Ozurumba said that the infrastructure design of the city containing the communication system plans, water supply, road networks and other facilities, had also been completed.

He said the project, which would be in phases because of its size, was moving fast, adding that Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority had credited it with the first to get licensed at a record pace.

The project manager said that Abia Government was supporting the project, adding that its ministry of lands was handling the enumeration of the landowners and negotiations with them.

He noted that securing the free trade zone licence for the city had opened more opportunities in the company’s negotiations with foreign firms and heightened their interests in the project.

Ozurumba said the project would not end with the ground breaking ceremony in the first quarter of 2019, having shown lots of promises hence the huge investments so far made by the investors.

The project, which he stressed would not be abandoned being private sector-funded and having gulped billions of dollars, was on course to full realisation following Federal Government’s involvement.

Recently, the Federal Government signed an agreement with the state government and the economic city managers to take up 20 per cent of the project valued at N100 billion.

The city, which would cover about 9, 803 hectares, spans across Ukwa East, Ukwa West and Ugwulagbo local government areas of  the state.

A
December 30, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka

A cleric, Emmanuel Jonathan, a pastor with the Evangelical Life Gospel Church, Agburuike Nsulu in Abia, has charged Christians to use the period of the Christmas celebration to seek greater tie with their creator.


Jonathan gave the charge in his sermon on Sunday, adding that the only way to enjoy close relationship with God was for Christians to strictly obey His word.


He said, “Without knowing and working in the knowledge of God’s word, it will be impossible for Christians to go to heaven or attain the height of glory God had set for them on earth.”


He said that God so highly elevated His word over and above His name “because Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the living word of God.”


“God is inseparable from his word and if Christians must live the life worthy of their calling and fulfill God’s plan for them, they must give heed to His word,” the cleric said.


He admonished Christians to fortify themselves with the word to be able to overcome the enormous challenges of life.


Jonathan said that Christians who used the church to defraud others and commit sundry crimes against the land “do so because they lacked the word.”


He said that the word of God is so powerful that Christians had no justification jostling from one one church denomination to another in search of miracles.


He said: “Indeed, devoted Christians who love and live in the word of God have no business running from one denomination to another looking for signs and miracles.


“God wants his children to manifest His glory but they cannot do so without knowing and living in the word.


“Christians should return fully to the word in order to reap the blessings of riches, divine protection, holiness, deliverance from evil powers and enemies and answers to prayers,” the clergyman said. 

Abia APGA senatorial candidate appeals to police to stop destruction of billboards

January 1, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA),Abia Central Senatorial candidate, Chief Chidi Ajaegbu has appealed to the Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Chris Ezike to warn persons destroying his election posters to desist from such action.

This he said was with a view to saving the state from breakdown of law and order.

Ajaegbu made the call in his home in Aba while speaking with newsmen.

He noted that in the last three weeks, two of his election billboards in Ariaria, Aba and Block bus stop at Ikwuano in Bende had been destroyed by unknown persons.

“Barely last week, my bill board at Ariaria was destroyed. We have information pointing to the opposition parties.

“We are law-abiding and we do not intend to join issues with the hoodlums destroying the billboards.

“Ultimately, we want to find a solution, a legal and legitimate solution, by asking the law enforcement agencies in the state to take action to protect these billboards.

“What could happen is that, if they continue to destroy our billboards, the implication is that at some point, our supporters would want to retaliate and it could lead to the breakdown of law and order in the state.

“We, therefore, appeal to the Commissioner to please intervene, urgently, to protect these billboards and stop the consequences of having them destroyed, ”he said.

Ajaegbu said that coming from the organised private sector where things were organised and rule of law was prime, his party, APGA, would not retaliate by destroying other candidates’ billboards.

He, however, appealed to all well-meaning Abians to advise everybody involved in the destruction of billboards to desist from doing that to avoid the breakdown of law and order.

Ajaegbu noted that the destruction of his billboards and the attack on Ossy Prestige, the APGA member representing Aba North and South at the House of Representatives showed a disturbing trend.

Ajaegbu also urged PDP in Abia to evolve people-oriented policies to remain competitive in 2019 general elections rather than intimidating opponents.

“They could start by paying salaries and going to campaigns to beg people and all of that.

“But if they think it is all about intimidation and violence, nobody has died twice and nobody has monopoly of violence.”

He expressed the hope that INEC in Abia would do the right thing to check the negative development.

 He stressed that “APGA is the dominant party in Abia".

“I can assure you that with all intent and purposes that the people want change.

“So we are all human beings and I am very clear in my mind that, INEC is going to give Abia a free and fair election and that the will of the people will prevail, that will is APGA.”