Exposing Hon Chief Amanze Israel AKA Izybest (Oke Orji Abia) Part 2

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February 1, 2020

By Victor Onyendi

In what will be a question that calls for objective scrutiny and investigation, what runs in the mind of many is who really is Hon Amanze Israel? The writer here tends to have found out more on who Hon. Israel Amanze is and what he stands for?

Hon. Israel Amanze is an Agricultural and business mogul who hails from the ancient Village of Amankwo Mbutu Ngwa in Isiala Ngwa LGA.

The Agricultural icon is a graduate of University of the Nigeria Nsukka where he passed summa Cum laude with flying colors in 1984. As If that was not enough, Hon Amanze in his dexterity and quest to forge ahead acquired several other academic certificates and awards.

Hon Israel Amanze aka Izybest in recognition of his magnanimity was awarded the title Oke Orji Abia State in 2012, for his versatile qualities contributions to state development.
In the areas of social welfare and humanitarian services he has done much to bring smiles to the lives of many people. He founded and has consistently natured the Abia Grassroots Movement for over 10 years now. This NGO has served as channel for lifting people out of poverty in many ways.

Hon Amanze recently sponsored the Mbutu Ngwa Redemption Youths Football Tournament in Mbutu Ngwa. He had earlier sponsored the Isiala Ngwa South Abia Grassroots football tournaments and competitions in to honour of our amiable Governor Okezie Ikpeazu PhD.

The recent Amankwo Ahiafor Sophisticated and state of the art of water project with Skill Acquisition Centre speak loudly of his philanthropic heart and he has received many awards of excellence to substantiate his philanthropy.

Hon Amanze, Ambassador of Agriculture (NUJ Abia state Chapel 2018), in few years ago enrolled 175 people in Isiala Ngwa south and they were paid N10,000.00 each per month for 24 months through SURE-P.

In collaboration with the UNDP Abia state Hon Amanze about 2004 attracted a large community development package for Osokwa Nvosi under the highly respected Eze Solomon Nwakwue AKA Mohani. This project built earthen roads, drilled motorized boreholes and supplied scientific equipments to Umunneise secondary school and many other things.
I do no want to repeat the Mbutu Ngwa Electricity project earlier discussed, a project of 129 poles of low tension electricity completed in 9 villages in Mbutu and implemented under the supervision of great men of history like Prof Ngwaba and His Honour Nze Achilefu all of blessed memory and others still alive.

Hon. Israel Amanze in his service to the public have stopped at nothing to give a good account of himself.

The newly appointed Programme Manager Abia ADP Hon.Israel Amanze’s astute managerial skill is been witnessed in the Abia ADP today. With just a short time in the period of Appointment Hon. Israel Amanze is changing the narratives of Abia ADP. The question is how is he doing it? Of course the productivity of an organization is subject to the sagacity of the managers. The Programme Manager has embarked on the tour of the three zones of ADP and has completed it.
In the course of these familiarization tours and visits, he is able to decipher the challenges being faced by the zones as an experienced Agricultural technocrat.

Hon. Amanze by His Grace is on course to achieve the stipulated results of the Agricultural friendly Governor Okezie Ikpeazu PhD Government.

Hon. Israel Amanze, sir I will congratulate you on your well-deserved appointment as Programme Manager Abia ADP which is a round peg on a hole.

I thank Governor Okezie IkpeazuPh.D.D for finding you worthy to serve in such capacity. I am urging you to continue with your good works in Abia State Agricultural Development Program.

With the Almighty God on your side sir, the sky cannot be your limit but your starting point.

To God be the Glory.

FG not planning to borrow N2trn pension fund for infrastructure – Finance Minister

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Alex Enemanna

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February 1, 2020

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Dr Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, on Friday, dispelled the report that the Federal Government was planning to borrow N2trillion pension funds for infrastructure development.

Ahmed stated this in Lagos at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (UUBO) second private equity summit with the theme: ‘Drivers, Disruptors and Unlocking Value.”

She said that the government was not borrowing the fund for infrastructure development.

Ahmed said that the National Economic Council set up a committee of itself to explore the possibility of being able to encourage the pension fund managers to invest in infrastructure development.

“It is not that the government is borrowing the pension fund.

“So, what we agreed now is to design a product that pension fund managers will fund attractive enough to invest in, that will give them free safe returns.

“Right now, the regulator, PENCOM, actually allows pension funds managers to invest up to 20 per cent of their money in infrastructure,” she said.

According to her, investment in infrastructure was not moving because it was easier for them to invest in Treasury Bills and Federal Government bonds.

She said that with returns on TBs not good, they were looking for a long-term instrument they could invest in.

Ahmed said that now, pension funds managers don’t have an opportunity to invest in Open Market Operation (OMO) anymore.

“We are actually working to design products which they can uptake and we are also considering, in addition to regulation, whether we should amend the Act to allow them to do other things,” she stated.

On government borrowings, she explained that the government was working very hard to reduce domestic borrowing.

“In 2015, the total government stock that we had was 80 per cent domestic and 20 per cent foreign.

“But we are gradually changing that; the debt management strategy is to move the ratio to 60 per cent domestic and 40 per cent external and now it’s 35 per cent external borrowing.

“This is to give room for the private sector to borrow and to reduce the cost of debt servicing,” Ahmed said.

Speaking on Value Added Tax (VAT) increment, Ahmed, who admitted that it would contribute to inflation rise, said that it would moderate over time.

“When you increase any form of tax, it leads to inflation, but its a temporary thing; after some months it will moderate,” the minister said.

She said that the government would continue to support the development of SMEs for economic growth and development.

The minister also said that the Finance Act would be a regular feature that would accompany the budget going forward.

Ahmed said that the next Finance Bill would be more consultative for more input.

Abducted Kaduna seminary students regain freedom

By

Alex Enemanna

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February 1, 2020

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The Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna, said three of its students abducted on Jan. 9, have been released by their captors.

Rev. Fr. Joel Usman, Registrar of the Seminary, who announced their release in a brief statement on Friday in Kaduna, however, said one student is still at large.

“One is still at large. We thank you our brothers and sisters for your prayers in our travails.

“Kindly continue to pray for the remaining one and all those who are still in the hands of kidnappers,” Usman said.

The Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, also confirmed the release of the students, adding that one of the victims is still in captivity.

The students were abducted from their hostel by gunmen dressed in military uniform on Jan. 9, 2020.

Enugu Assembly passes State Security Trust Fund bill for crime prevention

By

Alex Enemanna

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February 1, 2020

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The Enugu State House of Assembly has passed the Security Trust Fund Bill aimed at providing money for the acquisition and deployment of security equipment and human resources for crime prevention.

The executive bill, which was sponsored by the Leader of the Assembly, Mr Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, would help to prevent crime and maintain public security in the state.

Ezeugwu said that passage of the bill followed holistic and thorough consideration of report submitted by the joint committees on Youth, Sport and Security Matters and Finance and Appropriation at the plenary.

He said the bill also seeks to promote the efficiency of security agencies as well as reserve part of the fund for training and retraining of security personnel in the state.

The lawmaker said the bill would establish a board of trustees to manage the security fund to be headed by a chairman, who should not be less than 45 years of age and must be appointed by the state governor.

In his remarks after the passage of the bill, the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Edward Ubosi, commended the joint committee for the comprehensive report, which he said assisted in the passage of the bill.

Ubosi said the bill, when asserted by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, would go a long way in cushioning any form of insecurity in the state, as it created a special security trust fund to cater for all security and other related expenditure.

On a related development, the Assembly also accepted a petition presented by Paul Nnajiofor on behalf of Concerned Electricity Consumers in Nkanu-East Constituency on withdrawal and removal of old pre-paid metres by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

Nnajiofor hinted that the meters were withdrawn by the company without prior information to the owners, and had posed more hardship on them due to high estimation billing system.

The Assembly then set up an ad-hoc committee headed by Deputy Speaker, Mr Uche Ugwu to look into the activities of the EEDC in the state in line with the petition and report back to House in a week’s time.