Author: Editor
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The Federal government’s National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-pocket (NAGS-AP) was formally launched on Tuesday with about 14,000 profiled farmers in Anambra and Enugu states to access farm inputs at 50 percent subsidy. The flag-off ceremony, which held at Ikem Townhall in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State had in attendance Over 250 lead farmers under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-One, ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, ATASP-1 National and Zonal officials and other stakeholders from the Agricultural Ministries in Anambra and Enugu as well as other value chain development actors. In his address as the Special Guest of…
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu The sonorous songstress Onyeka Onwenu has just passed, but my duty here is to add the human angle to the legend of the goddess. Onyeka Onwenu, inimitable singer, ace broadcaster and classy actress took no prisoners in all her undertakings. Back in 1986, in the early days of the defunct THISWEEK magazine, Onyeka was billed to feature in the colourful “People” page of the trailblazing weekly that was then printed in London on Sunday and sold on the Lagos newsstands every Monday. The young lady journalist chosen to interview Onyeka was educated in the United States just like…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, an apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, says it is “skipping” all activities in honour of its late President-General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. It would be recalled that the Igbo leader, Iwuanyanwu, died on Thursday, July 25, after a brief illness in Abuja. The National Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Okey Emuchay, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Enugu after an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Emuchay said that the NEC members were also at the national headquarters to sign a condolence register in honour of the late Iwuanyanwu, adding, “Indeed a huge Iroko has fallen.” According to…
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Protest is all the rage in Nigeria today. Democracy allows for peaceful protest, but it is well-nigh impossible for overzealous state agents and sundry nefarious elements not to conjure up violence to complicate matters. In this wise, the demons of death are on the loose, arranging mayhem and spreading damnation. We walk an ungodly but very familiar Nigerian road littered with shattered bones and broken dreams. The pity is that people who ought to know better are flashing the dangerous aspects of ethnic baiting that will do the nation no good. Only the very self-deceptive Nigerian…
Our Reporter, Abuja; with Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia In less than one week after the death of two illustrious Igbo personalities, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, and Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the Igbo nation, has again, recorded another bewildering bereavement following the demise of a legendary singer and actress, Onyeka Onwenu. The 72 year old music legend died Tuesday night after performing at an event at Banana Island, Lagos. She was said to have slumped after performing at the birthday ceremony of Stella Okoli, owner of Emzor Pharmaceuticals. The music icon was later rushed to a hospital in Victoria Island, where she was confirmed…
By Zainab Suleiman Okino Critics of the Dangote Refinery might be called “deniers.” Their scepticisms stem from Nigeria’s history of failing its citizens, making it difficult for them to believe that an individual could succeed where the country has faltered. Building a refinery of such magnitude seems impossible, yet it becomes achievable when driven by forces greater than mere wealth, passion, or fame. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), led by Farouk Ahmed, had initially made disparaging remarks about the upcoming refinery. The resulting accusations and counter-accusations have tarnished the optics of what should be a collaborative…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Irked by illegal deductions from their salaries, staff of Abia State Health Management Board, HMB, on Tuesday, locked out officials of the Board over alleged slashing of their salaries without explanations. The aggrieved workers demanded the removal of the Director of Finance over the anomalies. They alleged that the slashing of their salaries started three months ago when the Director of Finance who had been posted out of the Board was returned. The protesters said they had complained to the Accountant General of the state but did not get any satisfactory response, hence their resolve to stage…
By Nnamdi Elekwachi In Nigeria, the largest democracy in Africa, a nationwide protest against mounting hardships themed ‘End Bad Government’ is being planned, making concerns to grow in the Tinubu-led government. While Tinubu, who had introduced taxing reforms, has been urging Nigerians, since his maiden Democracy Day speech in June of last year, to exercise patience, there is no proof that the president himself was patient with the economy before launching his reforms. For an economy that suffered the throes of currency redesign, and the COVID-19 pandemic before it, patience should have been exercised before introducing such rigorous reforms (removal of…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Government says it has set a target of over ₦100 billion for livestock production and processing. Governor Peter Mbah stated this when he received a delegation from the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) led by the National Project Coordinator, Sanusi Abubakar, who were in Enugu for the flag-off of the first Regional Enugu Model Veterinary Hospital in Enugu. Mbah said this would boost the economy, scale up the capacity of farmers in animal husbandry, and strengthen value chain across the spectrum of agricultural sector in the state. He said he was…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Enugu State Command has issued directive to its personnel to be on alert in enhancing security measures to protect critical national assets and infrastructure. The Commandant of NSCDC Enugu State Command, Commander Cyprian Otoibhi, said in a statement issued on Monday in Enugu that the directive was imperative ahead of the nationwide protests scheduled for August 1, 2024. The commander noted that the directive emphasised the importance of proactive measures to prevent any potential breakdown of law and order and to ensure a coordinated response to security challenges. According to…