News
Igbo lawyers task South-East govs on sit-at-home order
The President of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, made the call at its maiden news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Unegbu said the sit-at-home was affecting the economy of Igboland, noting that the governors must work together and come out with strategies to tackle the problem.
“The sit-at-home conundrum in Igboland on Mondays is now a norm and people believe that if you go out on Mondays you are on your own as there is no guarantee of your returning home safe.
“We appear to have been abandoned by the government that campaigned that we should elect them to protect us. We are using this medium to call on the government to come to our aid in Igboland,” he said.
He also decried the security challenge in the country, especially in Igboland which is affecting the economic growth and development of the South-East.
“Igboland has been turned into a killing field where no person old or young is safe. It is the responsibility of the government, both at the centre and the regions, to secure the lives and property of the inhabitants.
“We observe with pains in our hearts the wanton destruction of the Igboland economy. Igboland before now was bubbling with activities from the Onitsha-Nnewi axis through the Aba-Orlu axis.
“Today the story is in the past and this has given rise to a comatose economy without direction and no substance.
“We must all do something to bring back those days of old where the young challenge nature to a wrestling contest for ideas where the young in our communities will surely come out victorious.
“We should go back to the drawing board and discover where we got it wrong before it is too late.
“We are a group that believes in the unity of this great country Nigeria. We have no other country to call our own,” Unegbu said.
The president also decried the education deficit in the region noting that the Igboland was a known place for educational activities in the past.
“Today, the children in Igboland appear to have lost interest in education which is signalling a dangerous trend.
“There was a time it was like a competition as to which of the states will take the first position in the WAEC ranking of states after the examinations.
“Today, what we hear is that our children are showing negative trends to pursue education or they are interested in getting rich through fraudulent activities.
“We call on the governments in Igboland to take action to reverse this unwholesome method before things get worse,” Unegbu said.
He, therefore, called for enhanced investment in education, especially in technical skills to boost employment generation.
Unegbu also called on the Igbo to embrace agriculture which had been neglected to boost food security.
“This is an area that has been neglected in Igboland. Before now, the Igbos were into various farms that yielded food for the people and more for sale.
“It appears we have abandoned the farms and as such hunger is staring us in the face. We should go back to our farms in order to feed our growing population,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs Nneka Chris-Asoluka, 1st Vice President of Otu Oka-Iwu, stressed the need for peace and unity in the country.
“What we want is peace in the country, we don’t have any other country.
“We are sad over the developments in the South-East; we only hope the governors will work in this political dispensation irrespective of their parties they belong to,” Chris-Asoluka said. (NAN)
A personal driver of a Pentecostal bishop of End-Reconciliation Ministry in Asaba, Delta State, has been arrested for allegedly killing his employer and fleeing with his vehicle, a Toyota Prado Jeep.
The driver, whose identity has yet to be disclosed due to ongoing investigations, was arrested alongside another suspect in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, while attempting to sell the vehicle.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Ikioye Orutugu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Awka, on Wednesday, adding that the suspect murdered the cleric before fleeing with his vehicle to Anambra to sell.
Orutugu said the arrest followed a swift intelligence-led operation by operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
He said the driver conspired with some criminal elements still at large, to kill his employer, adding that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident and fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder.
He said, “The operatives of the Anambra State Police Command arrested a domestic staff member allegedly involved in the gruesome murder of his employer, a Pentecostal Bishop of End-Reconciliation Ministry in Asaba, Delta State, and the subsequent attempt to dispose of the victim’s Toyota Prado Jeep in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The breakthrough followed a swift intelligence-led operation by Operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect, who served as the Bishop’s driver and domestic staff, allegedly conspired with yet-to-be-identified criminal elements to murder the cleric before fleeing with the victim’s Prado Jeep to Anambra State for sale.
“Police operatives, acting on credible information, tracked and intercepted the suspects in Nkpor, successfully recovered the stolen vehicle, and took them into custody for further interrogation.”
The CP stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident and fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder.
Orutugu advised the public to exercise due diligence in the recruitment and management of domestic staff, drivers, and other household employees.
He urged members of the public to properly profile and verify the identities of persons employed in their homes and establishments, while also remaining vigilant to suspicious behaviours and activities.
“We assured the public that the Command remains committed to proactive policing, intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State,” the CP added. (The PUNCH)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences.
A source within the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed on Wednesday that Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently in the custody of the commission.
According to the source, the alleged fraud involves funds estimated at N500bn.
“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, for money laundering offences. He was arrested and is currently in our custody. The money Is to the tune of N500bn,” the official said.
Efforts to get confirmation from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
President Bola Tinubu had on October 24, 2023 appointed Abdullahi as Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.
… Several Band A Customers downgraded to Band C
Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission, EERC, has announced the downgrade of 59 feeders under the franchise of the MainPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
MainPower is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, which services customers in Enugu State.
EERC attributed the action to MainPower’s failure to meet the threshold of minimum hours of power availability, especially for Band A customers, despite charging them Band A tariff.
It could be recalled that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, in November 1, 2020 categorized electricity users into Bands.
It incldued: Band A: Minimum of 20 Hourss; Band B: Minimum of 16 Hours; Band C: Minimum of 12 Hours; Band D: Minimum of 8 Hours and Band E: Minimum of 4 Hours
However, there has been an outcry by electricity users in Enugu over the inability of the Disco (Manpower) to meet the electricity supply target, necessitating the EERC’s intervention in line with its statutory powers.
The public notice, signed by the Commission, said the downgrade would remain in place until power supply improved on such feeders.
Providing background to the decision, EERC said it arose following persistent complaints from electricity consumers in Enugu State, particularly Band A customers.
Their complaints were regarding the drastically reduced hours of supply.
Consequently, the EERC said it conducted a technical and safety audit of major injection substations operated by MainPower.
“In addition, the Commission continued its routine monitoring of MainPower’s feeder performance through its online platform, the Electronic Design and Manufacturing International (EDMI) Multidrive Manager.
“The findings from the Commission’s field inspection and the online monitoring platform corroborated customers’ complaints that MainPower had failed to deliver the expected hours of supply as required under the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) regime.
“The SBT framework was introduced to ensure that customers pay for electricity commensurate with the quality and hours of availability of the supply received.
“The public is hereby notified that the Commission has directed MainPower to downgrade all fifty-nine (59) affected feeders, as listed in the Commission’s directive, to their appropriate service bands immediately,” it disclosed.
EERC, however, hinted that upon request by MainPower, it may approve the upgrade of any of the downgraded feeders “once it is verified that the feeder met the threshold of minimum hours of availability in the preceding month in line with the SBT framework”.
Some of the feeders downloaded include: 9th Mile Industrial 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakaliki Road 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 1 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 2 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 3 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band C; Amorji 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band D; Nsukka Township, from Band B to D; Presidential, from A to C; UNEC from A to D; University of Nigeria Nsukka from A to D and Government House from A to E.
Other affected areas included Emene, Topland, Ugwuoye, Chime Avenue, Achi, Amechi, Ibagwa, Ugwuogo, Ugwuaji, Okwe, NOWAS, Coca Cola, Coal Camp, Dhamija, among others.
-
News2 days agoUK-based Nigerian divorces wife after viral cheating allegation
-
News9 hours ago
MainPower: EERC Downgrades 59 Feeders in Enugu over Poor Power Supply
-
News2 days ago
Enugu Govt, Police nab woman for allegedly beating stepdaughter to death
-
News19 hours ago
Over 100 reported killed in Zamfara market airstrike
-
News18 hours ago
2027 Polls: 30 APC Governors, 88 senators, 242 Reps, 2,620 others know fate today
-
News2 days ago
10 feared dead as gunmen attack convoy in Zamfara
-
News2 days ago
Three senators, 16 Reps members who betrayed Obi and should be rejected by NDC — Obi’s aide
-
News6 hours ago
Driver kills employer in Delta, flees with vehicle to Anambra
