The Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has attributed the slow pace of Eziukwu – Cemetery Road construction Project to the activities of traders who deal on sand and gravel, including block moulders along Eziukwu Road, Aba.

Describing it as act of sabotage, the governor accused the businessmen of deliberately blocking the new drainage lines with heaps of sand and gravel.

The governor also accused the traders of removing the manhole along the road installed for safety purposes, saying this must not be tolerated.

In a release signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka, Ikpeazu said in as much as the government supports the growth of businesses in the state, such must not be at the expense of public safety, welfare and protection of public property.

He ordered the category of traders involved in this to immediately stop all forms of block moulding activity in area or face the full weight of the law, maintaining that a reasonable distance must be observed between the road and their business premises.

Read full release below

GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Abia State Government has noted with great dismay the incessant acts of sabotage of the Eziukwu – Cemetery Road Project by businessmen who deal on sand and gravel, including block molders along Eziukwu Road, Aba.

Despite repeated appeals by the Contractor handling the project, these people have persisted in their acts of sabotage by deliberately blocking the new drainage lines with heaps of sand and gravel. Some of them have converted the new drainage lines into platforms for block molding and have been removing manhole covers installed by the Contractor. These manhole covers were designed for safety purposes.

Government shall no longer tolerate these nefarious acts. No responsible government will fold it’s arms and watch as unscrupulous persons destroy infrastructural facilities being put in place for the good of our people, under the guise of running a business.
While the Abia State Government supports the growth of businesses in the state, such growth must not be at the expense of public safety, welfare and protection of public property.

The Abia State Government is committing huge sums of public funds into these projects and will not tolerate a situation where ongoing projects are sabotaged by the same persons who are meant to benefit from the projects upon completion.

Consequently, the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, Phd has ordered these categories of businessmen along Eziukwu Road to, as a matter of urgency, desist from these acts or face the full weight of the Government of Abia State.

In particular, those who deal on sand, gravel and block molders around that area are, by this notice, warned to stop forthwith, the habit of dropping these items on the road or on top of drainage lines. All forms of block molding on drainages must stop immediately.

These traders are hereby given 48 hours to abate any form of nuisance their activities have posed along that axis or face the full wrath of the law. A reasonable distance must be maintained between the road and their business premises.

The Governor hereby orders the Honorable Commissioner for Environment and the Chairmen of Aba North and Aba South Local Government Areas to immediately move into that area and take all lawful and necessary steps to implement these directives.

Any person that violates these directives shall be promptly arrested and prosecuted.

Government will not hesitate to shut down and take over that area should these illegal and unwholesome activities persist.

Thank you.

Onyebuchi Ememanka, Esq.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
January 29, 2020.

Some senators have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the nation’s Service Chiefs.

They also called for the resignation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

The lawmakers made the demands in their respective contributions to the discussion on the security situation in the country during plenary on Wednesday.

They are Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, as well as Senators Musa Sani, Betty Apiafi, and Solomon Adeola.

While Senator Sani called for the resignation of the police boss, Senators Apiafi and Adeola asked the President to remove the service chiefs.

According to the lawmakers, the service chiefs should be replaced since they do not have new ideas in fighting insecurity in the country.

The service chiefs include the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ekwe Ibas.

Plateau Killings

Meanwhile, the Senate condemned the abduction and killings of Nigerians in Plateau State and warned against narratives aimed at diving the people along ethnic-religious lines.

This formed part of resolutions reached by the lawmaker following a motion considered and brought to the floor on Wednesday by Senator Istifanus Gyang.

Relying on order 42 and 52 of Senate Standing Rules, Senator Gyang informed his colleagues that a total of 27 people were killed on Tuesday in renewed attacks on Kwattas, Ruboi and Marish communities in the state.

He said, “The consequential effects of this defective anti-Plateau narrative have led to the abduction of over six persons – four males and two females.

“Three boys including an undergraduate of the University of Maiduguri were brutally murdered by Boko Haram at close-range gunshots.”

The lawmaker added that the killings by Boko Haram were attempts by the fanatical sect to whip up religious and ethnic sentiments of unsuspecting Nigerians.

He, however, told the Senate that Nigerians were looking up to it to not only show concern but raise a strong voice in condemning the terror unleashed against them by the activities of Boko Haram and bandits.

Thereafter, the upper chamber resolved to urge the Federal Government to take additional steps to secure Nigerians.

Some senators have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the nation’s Service Chiefs.

They also called for the resignation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

The lawmakers made the demands in their respective contributions to the discussion on the security situation in the country during plenary on Wednesday.

They are Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, as well as Senators Musa Sani, Betty Apiafi, and Solomon Adeola.

While Senator Sani called for the resignation of the police boss, Senators Apiafi and Adeola asked the President to remove the service chiefs.

According to the lawmakers, the service chiefs should be replaced since they do not have new ideas in fighting insecurity in the country.

The service chiefs include the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ekwe Ibas.

Plateau Killings

Meanwhile, the Senate condemned the abduction and killings of Nigerians in Plateau State and warned against narratives aimed at diving the people along ethnic-religious lines.

This formed part of resolutions reached by the lawmaker following a motion considered and brought to the floor on Wednesday by Senator Istifanus Gyang.

Relying on order 42 and 52 of Senate Standing Rules, Senator Gyang informed his colleagues that a total of 27 people were killed on Tuesday in renewed attacks on Kwattas, Ruboi and Marish communities in the state.

He said, “The consequential effects of this defective anti-Plateau narrative have led to the abduction of over six persons – four males and two females.

“Three boys including an undergraduate of the University of Maiduguri were brutally murdered by Boko Haram at close-range gunshots.”

The lawmaker added that the killings by Boko Haram were attempts by the fanatical sect to whip up religious and ethnic sentiments of unsuspecting Nigerians.

He, however, told the Senate that Nigerians were looking up to it to not only show concern but raise a strong voice in condemning the terror unleashed against them by the activities of Boko Haram and bandits.

Thereafter, the upper chamber resolved to urge the Federal Government to take additional steps to secure Nigerians.

The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the eight-man board of the National Institute for Security with a former Director General of the Department of State Services, Afakriya Gadzama, as the chairman.

Other members of the board are Sanusi Galadima, Mrs Amina Shamaki, Mrs Folasade Adekayaoja, S. Aimeyeofori, Maj Gen B.M. Shafa, A.S Adeleke and Nuhu Umar.

While inaugurating the board in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the institute would among other functions be the leading centre for the provision of competence and enhanced training for middle and top-level managers of security in order to advance best practices in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution.

He said the inauguration of the NIS board could not have come at a better time than now when security had become a major issue for national discourse.

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim, have lauded Airtel Nigeria for its exceptional CSR efforts at the telco’s Season 5 premiere of its flagship CSR initiative, Airtel Touching Lives.

The grand ceremony, which held in Lagos at Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Victoria Island, was graced by several eminent guests, including award-winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

In his keynote address, Osinbajo commended Airtel for its unswerving efforts in bringing millions of underprivileged Nigerians out of despair and being a beacon of hope through its Touching Lives initiative.

He said, “I really want to laud the effort of Segun Ogunsanya and his team at Airtel for touching so many lives and for doing so in the past five years without fanfare. Listening to the stories of the lives that have been touched must be a reminder of so many others in despair who need our help and comfort.”

Osinbajo went on to expound the Federal Government’s continuous efforts in providing support for more Nigerians in dire need of help by creating social safety nets to the vulnerable, including improved access to healthcare, welfare, housing, among others. He noted that part of the safety net schemes is the feeding of over nine million pupils across 34 states, however, he stated that the efforts still have a long a way to go in providing succour to people in hard-to-reach communities.

“In spite of all these social safety net schemes, we are still very far from touching the majority of those who need our help. We still need more resources because we can’t do it all, and that is why socially conscious organizations like Airtel is so vital in bridging the huge gap between what the government can do and what is left to be done”, he said.

Sanwo-Olu, in his address, regarded Airtel as a partner in progress, praising the telecommunications giant for going out of its way to impact millions of lives over the years through the initiative. He stated that Airtel’s commitment to touching lives continues to complement the state government’s goal of giving a voice to the voiceless.