Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Mr Emeka Rollas, has been accused of instigating the leadership crisis rocking the Abia State chapter of the association. Aggrieved members of the association who addressed a press conference in Umuahia, accused him of trying to impose one Dorris Ogala on the chapter as its interim Chairman “whereas we have a duly elected chairman and leadership.” They wondered why Mr David Amalaha who was duly elected in May 2023 as Abia State Chairman, of AGN, has not been recognised by the National President, who gave approval for the election…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has said that Ndigbo were not responsible for the 1999 bloody coup that claimed that lives of some military officers and leaders. Chief Iwuanyanwu who was responding to a viral video that Ohanaeze was planning to apologise to the Fulani community over the incidents of the 1966 coup, described the video as false. The Ohanaeze PG who addressed newsmen in Owerri on Saturday, accused mischief makers of masterminding the said video. He said: “Igbos are not responsible for the coup in 1966, it was entirely a military…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports,Barrister Lloyd Ike Ekweremadu, has explained that the Zenith Bank Coal City Half Marathon, scheduled for Saturday May 4, in Enugu has the potential of boosting sports tourism and improve the economy of the State. Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, Ekweremadu noted that winner of the event will take home N1 million, second position N500,000, 3rd prize N300,000 for both, male and female participants. According to him, from 4th to 20th winners will go home with N10,000 consolation prize each, adding that Enugu State athletes who win prizes will be rewarded…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Deputy Chief Whip of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Obiajulu Ugwu, has condemned the assault on a female nurse, Ms. Blessing Ogbonna, by a group of masquerades in Alor-Uno in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state. Ugwu said the abuse meted on the young nurse was dehumanising, and ought to be condemned by all well meaning people in the state. The lawmaker said this while contributing to a motion of urgent importance moved by the lawmaker representing Nsukka West Constituency, Hon. Malachy Onyechi. She noted that some traditions forbid women and girls from seeing…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has said that 8,401 candidates scored above 300 in the just-released 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result. Oloyede said the 8,401 candidates represent 0.5 percent of the 1,842,464 candidates who took the tertiary entrance examination. He made this known in Abuja while giving a breakdown of the 2024 UTME results. “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200,” he said. The JAMB boss said 64,624 results were withheld and are…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka No fewer than 10 inmates at Onitsha and Awka correctional service centres, regained their freedom Thursday, courtesy of an intervention from a popular philanthropist in Anambra State. The inmates have long been placed on bail but were retained at the correctional centres because they had nobody to perfect their bail conditions. The philanthropist, Chief Maduaburochukwu Attah, perfected the release conditions of the inmates to mark his birthday and thank God for adding another year to his age. On why he embarked on the intervention, Chief Attah who owns the famous ABU Charity Foundation, said he has no…

Ugo Nosiri, Nosiri Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has approved the immediate suspension of extension of service for all categories of civil servants, especially those in the cadres of Director and Permanent Secretary. This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu, and made available to Ikengaonline. The suspension was in response to the concerns of the organised Labour and the need to ensure seamless career progression for civil servants. According to the statement, all those who are due for retirement are required to follow the extant laws to…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The African Development Bank (AFDB), has urged the Enugu State Government to redouble its efforts to meet the requirements for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme (SAPZ) in Enugu. Dr Chukwuma Ezedimma, a representative of AFDB, Abidjan Headquarters, made the call when his team and officials of the Federal Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, visited Enugu on Thursday. The SAPZ Programme goal is aimed at increasing household incomes, foster job creation in rural agricultural communities, especially for youth and women, and enhance food security in Nigeria. AFDB plays a vital role in financing the programme through the…

…Tasks appointees on service delivery Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Alex Otti, has sworn in former Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Abia State chapter, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, as the Chief Medical Director, CMD, Abia Specialist Hospital. The Governor also swore in Dr Eno Jerry-Eze, wife of a popular preacher, Jerry Eze, as the new Chairman, Abia Civil Service Commission. He later inaugurated members of the newly constituted Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB; Diaspora Commission, among others. Among the newly inaugurated Aides were two Special Advisers – Dr Ngozi Azodoh (Adviser on Health); and Engr Kachy Etolue (Special Adviser…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has insisted that his position on the multi-trillion naira Lagos to Calabar coastal super highway project remains despite the allegations of incitement from the Federal Government. Obi had voiced out that the trillions of Naira coastal highway project is not a priority in today’s Nigeria. He also stated that priority should be put on internal roads first to move the economy. Following his comments, the Federal Government through the minister of works, Engr Dave Umahi, accused Obi of trying to incite South-East people…