Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Nigeria may be in for a major shake as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has threatened to lock down the country for one month over alleged plot by the National Assembly to decentralise payment of minimum wage. This was hinted Tuesday, by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, while speaking during the 67th Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association Annual General Meeting in Lagos. He vowed that Labour would not fold its hands and watch the legislators decide their fate as slaves. Ajaero said that labour would stoutly resist the move by the National Assembly to remove the issue of…

…Says state free of cholera Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Abia State Government has approved fifteen thousand naira wage award for public servants in the state to help them cushion the effects of economic hardship arising from the removal of fuel subsidy. This is even as the state has said it is free of cholera epidemic. The payment of the wage award is to last for a period of months with effect from July, 2024. Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting in Umuahia. He said that…

Ugo Nosiri, Owerri The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has sworn in ten new judges in Imo State. Seven of the judges are for the High Courts and three for the Customary Courts of Appeal. Governor Uzodimma during the swearing-in, charged them to carry themselves with dignity and honour in the dispensation of justice to the people, while approaching their responsibility with integrity, dignity and with the fear of God, resisting the temptation to do the unimaginable. “As judges at the temple of justice and administration, you must uphold very high level of integrity and honour and dispense justice…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Policy Alert together with four other non-governmental organisations have commenced the implementation of a project geared towards enhanced and sustainable service delivery through increased domestic investment for Tuberculosis (TB) interventions. The campaign takes place in five states including Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Imo; and will employ research, campaigning, capacity building, and policy influencing. Ikengaonline learnt that the Fund TB Project is designed to influence a number of policy improvements in domestic investment for TB in the focal states, such as creation of TB budget lines, improving releases of allocated TB funds in the approved…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Government says it has planned the construction of a new International Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Market at 9th mile corner in Udi Local Government Area. The Managing Director, Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, disclosed this during a meeting with the expanded leadership of the Enugu Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Association, Coal Camp, Enugu. He said that the market was in line with the electoral promises Governor Peter Mbah made to traders at Coal Camp that his administration would build a world-class market for them. He regretted that…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, has arraigned four persons, Moses Timothy; Joefrey Lawrence; Augustine Abila; and Caleb Kamiru, before a Federal High Court in Enugu on two-count charge of alleged vandalism of underground amoured cables belonging to the Enugu State Rural Electrification Agency. According to the NSCDC, the defendants committed the act on the 1st of July 2024. The corps lamented that the vandalism had obstructed water and electricity delivery in the state. The charge marked, FHC/EN/CR/140/2024, reads in part: “That you, Moses Timothy, Joefrey Lawrence, Augustine Abila, Caleb Kamiru and others at large on…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 elections, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, has called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the amendment of sections of the 1999 Constitution relating to local government autonomy. This was contained in a statement made available to Ikengaonline, in Enugu. Edeoga, who was a member of the House of Representatives, asked the National Assembly to isolate sections of the Constitution that affect local government autonomy and fast-tract there amendment. He advised the Presidency to initiate an Executive Bill to the National Assembly “to excise Section 197 1(b) of…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia As reactions trail the financial autonomy granted local governments by the Supreme Court, a university don, Dr Philips Nto, has said that the court judgment alone, is not enough for the full liberation of the third tier of Government from the grip of State Governors. According to him, a constitutional reform is required for the local governments to function optimally and serve the people effectively. “LGs must also be autonomous politically and administratively,” he added. The former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Abia State, noted that the judgment of the Supreme Court is only the…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The crisis rocking the Ebonyi chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened at the weekend as a reconciliation meeting called by the Caretaker Chairman of the party, Steve Oruruo, allegedly ended in fiasco. It was learned that about nine committee members of the party and other stakeholders in attendance walked out of the Chairman and the National Vice Chairman South-East of the party, Ali Odefa, who is also from the state. Shortly after the meeting, Mr Oruruo had claimed that he had reconciled the warring factions of the party in the state but other members of…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The traditional ruler of Omor, in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State, His Royal Highness Igwe Oranu Chris Chidume, has called on the governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, to create access roads to address food crisis in the State. The royal father made the call in his Omor palace during an interactive session with journalists last weekend. The monarch said that in order to address food crisis faced by the residents of the country, there is need for both Federal and State governments to construct and maintain access roads for easy distribution of farm…