Road users beg FG to rehabilitate Aba-Port Harcourt expressway

July 20, 2020 

By Ijendu Iheaka

Road users on Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt stretch of Enugu - Port Harcourt expressway have called on federal government to save them and their goods from perishing on the road due to extreme road failure.

The road users made their feelings known on Monday in separate interviews with our Correspondent in Aba, Abia.

Ibitamuno Inemoweri, a driver told our Correspondent that plying the Aba-Port Harcourt stretch of Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway had become a nightmare for travelers, business people, vehicle owners and drivers.

Inemoweri said the common people are suffering on the road because it has failed extensively and needed repairs to make it motorable again.

David Nzeduru, a driver plying Obigbo -Osisioma route said that extreme failure of the route had increased the duration of their trip from Aba to Obigbo from 40 minutes to two hours or more.

“When you enter the road because of its deplorable state, there is much traffic jam because of trucks that broke down in the middle of a bad portion of road or goods and containers that fell off trucks and blocked the road.

“If you want to pass from one lane to another, your vehicle can get stuck on a bad portion, in fact, the problem we go through because of this bad road is inexplicable.

“We beg the federal government to work on this road even if it means doing some patchwork on it pending the time it will be completely rehabilitated, let them do it to save us and our businesses”, he said

Onaze Osas, a truck driver working with TSL Lagos, said the Aba-Port Harcourt road which is among his routes has reduced the rate at which the company meets its target and pays them their earnings.

“Moreover, when our company loads our vehicle, our company and the company they are to deliver goods for have time targets.

“But when our company fails to meet our own time target by not getting to our customer’s location on time, it affects our customers ( the company we are delivering goods for) for which they will deduct our company’s earnings.

“This deduction will in turn affect our own earnings because our company will reduce our trip allowance from say N10, 000 to say N 5,000, this affects us and our families in a very bad way. 

“So we ask government to repair this road and make life easier for struggling citizens; Nigerians are hardworking and our governments need to encourage them”, he said.

Mr Chinweike Sunday another road user said that the suffering of road users on the Aba - Port Harcourt stretch of the Enugu - Port Harcourt expressway is very pathetic issue.

He regretted that although the failed roads affects their businesses and returns on their investments, government still make them to pay taxes and levies as road users and citizen which is not fair.

They all therefore called for urgent action from the federal government on the road to save them from losing their jobs, business and means of livelihood. 

NAN reports that the road contract from Aba to Eleme in Port Harcourt was awarded to the tune of N6.3 billion in April 2018 as announced by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

However, the contract awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has since suffered rehabilitation setbacks resulting in extensive road failure and posed a danger to lives and businesses.

Group urges review of EFCC Act, agency reform

July 16, 2020

By Ijendu Iheaka

Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), a non-governmental organisation, on Thursday called for review of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Act to enable it to serve Nigerians better.

COSEYL also asked for reforms in EFCC to ensure its competence and effectiveness in checking corruption.

The group made the call in a news release signed by the coalition’s President-General, Chief Goodluck Ibem, and Secretary-General, Mr Kanice Igwe, and made available to newsmen in Aba on Thursday.

COSEYL said that although Nigerians had in the past complained of governments subjecting the body to hunting down political enemies, recent developments had shown the need to reform the body.

It said EFCC, created during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to fight financial crimes, enjoyed the goodwill of local and international community and partners but had failed to meet expectations of the citizenry.

“COSEYL expresses deep regret that since its creation, the commission has been largely used by governments in power to hunt down opposition and to stifle voices of dissent.

“However, the body left, in most cases certain persons, mostly party members in power, as the proverbial “sacred cows”. 

“Although few cases exist where the commission has gone after persons in government, not much has been seen in terms of prosecution of such politicians in ruling parties.

“It beats the Coalition’s imagination that in spite of billions of dollars reportedly recovered by the commission from corrupt public office holders, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of such monies meaningfully,” it said.

The body said that the structure of the commission could hardly enable it to function independently as long as its chairman remained an appointee of the executive. 

It said that although the body was aware of EFCC’s successes, the anti-financial crimes agency had yet to prove its effectiveness in fighting the economic crimes in Nigeria which appeared to be escalating daily.

The Coalition criticised the appointment of the commission’s head by the country’s presidents and called for a review of the EFCC Act to enable it  to operate independently of the executive or other arms of government.

It argued that had the president not had the power to appoint EFCC’s head, it would have been impossible to retain Ibrahim Magu as acting head notwithstanding unfavourable security reports against him.

“It is ideal that the appointments, sack and remuneration of the commission’s staff members are done outside the presidency as should be appropriate. 

“Also, the Coalition suggests that for anybody to be appointed chairman of the commission, he should be subjected to intelligence agencies scrutiny for six months,” it said.

The group called for the appointment of a South Easterner to the post of EFCC head adding that following the federal character rule, the leadership of the body should be given to another geo-political zone.

The coalition noted that as constituted, EFCC could not work for the benefit of Nigerian masses or be insulated from political influence except the laws establishing it were reviewed.

Ariaria Independent Power plant ready to connect new customers - MD

July 7, 2020

By Ijendu Iheaka

Ariaria Market Energy Solutions Limited (AMES), has announced its readiness to connect to its grid business clusters desiring its services within and around Ariaria International market.

This came as clarification to allegations that the company which had promised to keep to its contractual terms is now connecting to residential areas around the market 

Dr Ubani Nkaginieme, Managing Director, Ariaria Market Energy Solutions Ltd, (AMES)a power distribution company disclosed this Tuesday during an interview with our Correspondent.

He however added that the prospective customers have to sign up through the Ariaria International Market Traders Association (AIMATA) to get the company’s service.

“The Ariaria shoe cluster is not part of Ariaria International Market Traders Association (AIMATA) and we are also not supplying any residential area as some allege.

“We are just focused on the market now but we have told the shoe cluster what they need to do which is not I want to repeat here.

“We are ready to work with them but they too have to be ready to work with us, there are things they need to do to be able to connect from us.

You have to follow due process”, he said.

He said that his company is cautious with connections in and around the market in order not to breach their contractual arrangement.

He pointed out that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) took his company to court accusing it of a breach which never was true.

“We want to follow due process to avoid problems. You might have heard that the Enugu DisCo took our company to court. 

“If we have not been doing things properly, we would be in trouble with them by now. 

“But now they are begging to withdraw the case but we said no because we were on our own when they took us to court. 

“We said let the judgement be delivered and they know if that judgment is delivered it will expose them badly. 

“Now that the other DisCos are quarreling with them, what they have been hiding will be made open.

“If we had rushed to do certain things we would have been in trouble now that is why we appear to be slow but we are going to accelerate things soonest”, he said.

Nkaginieme who is also the President, Total Support Energy Group, a Generating company, owners of AMES told our Correspondent that their Aba power plant had linked Shell pipeline gas supply which had increased its efficiency.

He said that bringing gas with trucks from Port Harcourt affected their operations stressing that the Shell pipeline gas supply had made their operations more dependable

Aba markets resume normal businesses as lockdown eases

July 3, 2020

By Ijendu Iheaka

Ariaria International market and others big markets in Aba, Abia on Friday resumed business operations that would see the traders do business for five days in a week.

The resumption started on Friday following Abia government’s announcement on Thursday that the markets would now open from 7 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

Since Abia announced initial lockdown directives to check Coronavirus spread on March 24, the markets have been opening only for skeletal services from 9 to 3 pm thrice weekly.

Our Correspondent who visited the major markets in Aba which includes Ariaria, Eziukwu, Ahia Ohuru and Eke-Oha markets reports that the traders expressed happiness for the gesture.

Mr Alex Ogbonnaya, a dealer on clothes produced in Aba at Ariaria said the move would alleviate the problem of spending beyond their income.

He said that trading only thrice a week did not bring enough income to solve their problems and meet their family needs.

He thanked Abia government for lockdown relaxation in the markets and promised to ensure he did everything that would keep him and others safe in order to sustain the lockdown relaxation.

“We promise to do everything we can to stay safe from Coronavirus because prevention is better than cure and life is more precious than wealth.

Mrs Ogechi Nneji, a dealer on pots and plastics at Ahia Ohuru said the lockdown rules affected her and her family adversely as their income could not feed them as it was before the lockdown.

“We thank God for this effort by the government to extend the relaxation of lockdown orders in the markets to five times a week and hope that with time it would include Saturdays too.

“I am urging Abia people to do everything government has asked us to be doing to ensure our safety and completely relax the lockdown to enable us trade as usual and live normal lives”, she said.

Traders who spoke to NAN at Eziukwu and Eke-Oha markets, thanked government for relaxing the lockdown in the markets and urged that complete relaxation of lockdown be done in few days time.