Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Screening for colon cancer as well as patients for surgery has commenced at designated hospitals ahead of the forthcoming medical mission in Abia State by the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas, ANPA. Recall that registration of patients for the 10-day free medical outreach ended last week. The screening which started on Monday, according to a statement by the Local Organising Committee, will hold at all the General Hospitals across the state between 8:00 am and 4:00pm daily. It is expected to end on Friday March 29. According to the statement, screening for colon cancer holds…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Umuahia North Local Government contingents won the first position as the maiden edition of Abia Unity Games ended today (Wednesday) in Umuahia Township Stadium. The host LG team won a total of 61 medals comprising 28 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze medals. Aba South LGA came second on the medals table with a total of 58 medals comprising 22 gold, 14 silver and 22 bronze medals. Isuikwuato LGA clinched the third position with a total of 34 medals comprising 12 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals. The various teams competed in 24 different sports during…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Traders and residents of Ochanja market area and Fegge neighbourhood in Onitsha, Anambra State, Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest against politicians in the state. The protesters warned against any attempt to distract Governor Chukwuma Soludo with propaganda. They carried placards with varying inscriptions, calling on politicians to avoid distracting the governor, and also commending him for the standard of the roads he has built in the state so far. There has been a trending video of a road built by Soludo which was washed off by rainfall on Monday in the area, but the traders described…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election, Peter Obi, was absent as Julius Abure was re-elected as the national chairman of Labour Party (LP) during their National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State. Also absent at the convention ground were  Sen Victor Umeh, Sen Tony Nwoye  and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who   sent in his deputy.  Seven other National working committee members  of the party were reelected. While 14 other NWC members were dropped – either for non-performance or having served out the allowable number of years with…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, has lamented the unending insecurity in the South-East of Nigeria. He said this at the unveiling of a report on the roots of insecurity in the South-East held in Enugu. According to him, the report was intended to drive the “true narrative about the nature, roots, patterns, dimensions and effects of current government’s approach to tackling insecurity in South-East. Nwanguma said though pro-Biafra agitations and insurgency were significant contributors to insecurity in the region, attributing the problem solely to those factors paints an incomplete picture of the situation. “A lasting…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has said that he believes in the economic emancipation of the Igbo nation. Mbah said this at the ongoing one-day retreat of Ohanaeze Ndígbo in Enugu, adding that the war was over and as such Ndígbo should be more concerned about how to transform the fortunes of their people. Represented by his deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, Mbah said that the removal of train from the exclusive list by the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had created a huge task for the economic committee of Ohanaeze Ndígbo. The governor further said the committee…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has lambasted the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, for his uncomplimentary remarks against the party and its only Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State. This is as the party has commended Gov. Alex Otti and the Abia State House of Assembly for repealing the law that recommended pensions for former Abia Governors and their Deputies. Ganduje was quoted as saying that “re-electing APGA in Anambra will be a political dislocation,” a comment APGA dismissed as “a reckless outburst.” National Vice Chairman of APGA, Rev.…

By Rudolf Okonkwo I met Ngugi wa Thiong’o at Bard’s College in upstate New York on Chinua Achebe’s 70th birthday. Every literature star from across the globe was there. Here are some of those present: K. A. Appiah, John Ashbery, Don Burness, Chinweizu, Johnetta Cole, Jayne Cortez, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Joseph Duffey, Michael Eric Dyson, Nuruddin Farah, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Nadine Gordimer, Michael Harper, C. L. Innes, Bernth Lindfors, Norman Manea, Ali Mazrui, Toni Morrison, Micere Mugo, Gil Noble, Emmanuel Obiechina, Charles Ogletree, Sonia Sanchez, Ruth Simmons, Richard Sklar, Wole Soyinka, Ekwueme Michael Thelwell, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and John Edgar Wideman.…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu A Civil Rights group, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN); has commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his prompt intervention in the case of a man, who allegedly continuously raped a 14 year old minor. In a letter signed by its President, Olu Omotayo Esq, and addressed to the governor, he said that the governor’s prompt and very significant intervention had led to the arraignment of the suspect for possible prosecution. Omotayo described Mbah’s action as “giving hope to the realization of child rights in Nigeria.” According to him, the suspect (name withheld), allegedly had defiled the…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The last has not been heard about the last minute cancellation of formal reception of six defecting members of the Enugu State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the Labour Party. The event scheduled for Michael Okpara Square, Enugu last Saturday March 24th was canceled at the last minute after the assembly members involved had congregated at the square with some friends and families waiting for the arrival of the state chief executive and the PDP big wigs to come and receive them officially into the PDP. It was gathered that since the news of…