The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has notified electricity consumers’ of the collapse of the national grid.
It’s the first time in the last 12 months that the grid has experience a total collapse, according to checks from the government agency.
Recall that the grid collapsed at different times during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The notice of the collapse had earlier been sent by electricity distribution companies, Discos, to their various customers, before it was eventually confirmed by the TCN few hours ago.
The grid, according to the notices sent by the Discos collapsed around 12 am this morning.
Speaking, Ndidi Mbah, spokesperson for TCN said efforts are ongoing to restore power.
“It is a system collapse, but we are trying to restore it,” she told The Cable.
Meanwhile, electricity consumers who spoke to the magazine, particularly cold rooms owners have started lamenting the impact of the power cut on their business.
The development will result in serious financial loss to them if the problem is not fixed on time, they said.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has cried out that bandits are about to take over the state.
According to him, the activities of the bandits are gradually becoming overwhelming for the state government.
He said criminals that have been dislodged in other North East state have relocated to the state, and are now causing serious problems.
The governor spoke on Wednesday when he received the State Council of Emirs who paid him a courtesy visit to government House, appealing to the federal government not to abandon the state because it’s a ruled by the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The governor, however, vowed not to allow bandits and terrorists, fleeing from the onslaught of security forces across the country to settle in the state.
He said his government will ensure that the peace in the state is sustained, adding that lives and property will be protected.
He said that because of the Federal Government’s sustained war against bandits and terrorism in other zones of the country, the state is becoming a hiding place for the unscrupulous elements who are beginning to disturb the peace of the state.
He however said that his administration was not resting on its oars but is working hard to ensure that there is peace of lives and properties of the citizens of the state.
He explained that the state is cooperating with the federal government to ensure that full security is achieved in the state.
The governor said, “Other states are moving ahead, we have one of the largest populations in the region and so with the activities of the Federal Government in other parts of the geopolitical zones, the bandits are coming to Bauchi.
“We will have to go the extra mile to make sure we checkmate them. We are doing that but certainly, we’re getting overwhelmed and that is why we call on the Federal Government to help us and to come to our aid, to do that thing that they are doing in the north-west so that as we have always been a sanctuary of peace, we’ll maintain that status.
“The Emir of Katagum is one Emir that is known to always go out at night patrolling. I want the other emirs to emulate him and do what he is doing, not that they are not doing, but you are uncommon in terms of your own forthrightness.
“We will try to exercise restraint and patience with your district heads and with the emirs. Even if we remove or punish any member of the traditional institution, we are doing it with a lot of pain. I don’t like it but we have to do it when there is apparent disobedience to the rules of engagement of emirs, traditional rulers, and so on and so forth.
“We are just taking a minimal number to make an example out of them.
” We cannot afford to punish all the people who are transgressing, we’re just making sure that we are trying to bring remorse to put people on course but we are doing this with a lot of apology and regret. We don’t like touching the institution because that institution is the symbol of our togetherness,” he said.
He called President Bola Tinubu, not to ignore Bauchi State because it is a State governed by the opposition People’s Democratic Party just as he lamented that he said that the first railway route in the country had been abandoned by the Federal Government.
Labour Party has suffered a monumental tragedy. It’s Campaign Director in Abia State, Zachary Maduka, has been killed in his house in Uturu, Okigwe, Abia State.
The news of Maduka’s gruesome murder was broken on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 by a local medium, All Facts Newspaper.
He was not only killed, Maduka was beheaded, and his head taken away by those who committed the atrocity.
Popular as Power Zac, he was the Campaign Director of LP in Uturu, Isikwuato LGA, during the 2023 General Elections. He was also the Campaign Director of Amobi Ogah, Honourable Member of the House of Representatives Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency.
No reason has been adduced for the horrendous act, but Maduka, a grassroots politician, was one of those in his community involved in the fight against criminal acts, especially, kidnapping which is rampant in the area.
The Abia Police Command is yet to issue a statement on the incident at the time of filing this story.
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, is facing the worst public humiliation of his political life. A basket is being woven around him. The daggers are out. The killers are lurking just by the corner. And the vultures are circling around him. They are waiting for his political carcass.
In the past few weeks, the youthful Shaibu has been fighting the battle for his political life. He is fighting to remain relevant. He is fighting not to be dumped in a political dustbin. The man whose hand is directing Shaibu’s fall is his Principal, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki. Obaseki is a man reputed to take no prisoners in a war; a man who is comfortable in the midst of war. Check the list of those he has fearlessly “tangoed” with in the past three years. Adams Oshiomhole. Oba of Benin. Nyesom Wike. And now Shaibu.
Shaibu is a former Students Union President, and so prefixes his name with Comrade. A former political godson of “a bigger Comrade”, Oshiomhole, former President NLC, Shaibu learnt from Adams to, most times, wear ill-tailored and ill-fitting pair of khaki trousers and short-sleeved shirt of same material and colour. That is to fit the bill of a Comrade. But Shaibu quite did not learn from Oshiomhole that Obaseki is neither a respecter of Comrades nor of khaki. Obaseki knows that “khaki no be leather”. So he deals with it as what it is – an ordinary piece of cloth. That was how he dealt with Oshiomhole when Oshiomhole stabbed him. And, he is bent on dealing same way with Shaibu.
But here is the difference.
In Oshiomhole’s case, even though the scar is still there, Oshiomhole had the luck of getting out of the gulag. He is now a Senator of the Federal Republic, and a friend of the President. That may not be Shaibu’s fate.
So, who will save Shaibu? Whose friend would he be?
A few days ago, he tried to save himself by rallying a number of very respectable people, including Clergymen, to bring him out of the dustbin of history he is about to be thrown into. They did, or so they thought, which made Shaibu walk back on his earlier decision of seeking legal action.
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
Suspecting, strongly, that there were plans by Governor Obaseki and the House of Assembly to impeach him, he approached a Federal High Court Abuja for protection. He got it. Obaseki chided him, and denied there were any impeachment plans against his Deputy. But not true. Proof: Thereafter, Obaseki went after Shaibu in full force.
He began by inflicting on his Deputy of seven years a public humiliation. During a Thanksgiving Service to mark the anniversary of the creation of Edo State, Shaibu stood up from the obscure place he sat and made to access the Governor. Ordinarily, he should have sat close to the Governor, perhaps, a couple of seats away from him. But no. Then, he made one of the greatest mistakes of his life. Shaibu decided to go and greet his boss. And Obaseki bared his fangs. In the full glare of the public, a few steps away from the Governor and his wife, a security personnel blocked Shaibu from accessing the Governor. As Shaibu suffered that humiliation, Governor Obaseki and his wife looked on. Unperturbed. I wonder if Shaibu’s wife was present to watch her husband’s belittling. Must have been tough for her.
Political watchers and those who know Obaseki agree that by the time he finishes dealing with his Deputy, Shaibu will not only be finished politically, almost, he would forget the prefix before his name – Comrade. As I write, Shaibu is not only fighting to remain relevant in a Government he is number two in hierarchy, he is, also fighting to convince Nigerians that he is not a common thief. More on this later.
What is the story? How did the elder-junior brother relationship between Obaseki and Shaibu deteriorate to the level where Shaibu no longer has access to his Principal; where a security personnel would publicly stop him from walking up to the Governor to greet him; where a door will be slammed against his face; where he will be evicted from the office of the Deputy Governor, domiciled inside Government House Benin, to an obscure building outside Government House; where he was stripped of his Media Aides?
According to reports, the story is simple. Shaibu dared say he would vie for the office of the Governor in 2024. He dared dream to succeed Obaseki on the expiration of the Governor’s term in office. He dared dream big. He dared have an ambition. Big mistake.
Shaibu was the President of the Students Union Government in his days in the University. He may have been a good SUG President But he is not a good student of history. I may even add that he is not a good politician too. Otherwise, Shaibu should have known that by aspiring to succeed Obaseki, he has committed a cardinal sin. In Nigeria, Deputy Governors, even Vice Presidents are doomed if try to move a step further than where they are. Their “‘Ogas” see it as disrespectful. They see it as, perhaps, ”this guy wants to compete with me.”
So, they begin to find faults, throw obstacles, once their tenure is ending. Look at it. President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar. President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Even though the Vice Presidents yearned to succeed their Presidents, it stopped at that – yearning. They were not encouraged to, let me not so allowed to.
The case of Deputy Governors is even worse. They are meant to be anonymous. Their names are hardly heard or known outside their immediate environment. In deed, a number of people, even in their States, hardly know the names of the Deputy Governors. The Governors so overwhelm them that they feel small, and look small before them. They are to be seen, not heard.
Nobody has been able to explain why. But that is the norm. It is an unwritten rule. They usually prefer somebody else to succeed them. Some people say it is, perhaps, because they think their Deputies know too much. Or because they treated their Deputies so bad that if allowed to succeed them, they would pay them back in their own coins. So, any ambitious Deputy is dealt with immediately. He could be impeached. The Governor does not need any reason to do so. He only orders the Speaker of the House of Assembly to get “the boys” and impeach the Deputy Governor. It’s that easy. Where a Deputy Governor succeeds his boss, something must have gone wrong.
Years ago at the Protocol Lounge of the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, I met Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, just after he left office as the Governor of Kano State. Without knowing the undercurrent, I congratulated him for allowing his Deputy, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, to succeed him in office. Big mistake on my part. When I later learnt Ganduje literally snatched it (by force) from Kwankwaso, and left him with no choice, l asked myself: “who send you sef”? I was lucky the man did not hiss at me in response. When Ganduje began to deal with Kwankwaso, to the extent of literally banning him from entering Kano, it was no surprise.
Perhaps, the Kwankwaso/Ganduje experience is why Governors never allow their Deputies to succeed them. It was the same with Engr. Dave Umahi, immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State, now Works Minister, and his Governor, Martin Elechi. Umahi, Elechi’s Deputy, snatched it from him. Elechi wanted somebody else – a former Minister for Health. For years, their relationship was not cordial. Elechi quit the Peoples Democratic Party because of Umahi. Now, Umahi has joined him there.
As the Governor of Lagos State, President Tinubu did away with three, or was it four Deputy Governors. I forget. As the Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha had three Deputy Governors impeached, and a Secretary to the State Government sacked, all because he felt each of them had the ambition to succeed him in office.
In Enugu State, then Governor Sullivan Chime had his Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi impeaced for having a poultry within Government House – the Deputy Governor’s own premises. When asked why, Chime, with a wave of the hand said “We just replaced a bad plug.” And, one can go on on. These guys wake up to hear that their staff have either been withdrawn or sacked by their Principals – without the courtesy of informing them before that.
Problem is, no Deputy Governor has had the guts to quit office on his/her own over the humiliation some of them suffer in the hands of some Governors.
Otherwise, after the public humiliation of being blocked by a Security personnel from getting close to the Governor, Shaibu should have quit office. He should have known he has been stripped of every political power.
Not a few people blame the Constitution for the fate of Deputy Governors. They are of the view that the Constitution neither protected their office, nor gave them the teeth to bite. It left them empty, powerless, and stripped of their liver.
Every conciliatory moves made by Deputy Governor Shaibu’s to appease his boss has been like pouring water into a basket. His public statement where he said he had withdrawn the case he instituted in Court to prevent his speculated impeachment has not worked. He thanked the very highly placed individuals who helped smoothen his path again (or so he thought) with his Governor who he fondly calls his elder brother. That has not worked. Nor has his many pledges of absolute loyalty to the Governor worked. Instead, things are getting worse. The rope around Shaibu’s neck is tightening. And the political vultures are waiting for his political carcass. He knows.
An unconfirmed report on Tuesday, September 12, said Shaibu has moved out of his official quarters. This comes days after he was moved out of the Deputy Governors office within Government House to a not-quite dignified office outside it.
Sooner than later, if Shaibu does not soak his Chaplet in holy water, he could hear his impeachment bell. And one of the reasons would be a big scandal. Here is what.
An Edo State Politician/ business man has accused Shaibu of stealing his wrist watch worth 250,000 USD. In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, this man said he caught Shaibu, red-handed, at a function in the USA, wearing the wrist watch which, he claims, one of Shaibu’s Police details siezed from him when the Deputy Governor attempted to plant a gun on him.
I don’t know if Shaibu has responded. If not, it is in his own interest to tell his own side of the story. Did he attempt to plant a gun on an innocent person? Did he steal the man’s wrist watch as he alleges? If Obaseki and the House of Assembly decide to impeach him, and add the alleged theft to one of the offences, the sh*t will finally hit the roof. And there will be no redemption. That will be bad for a young man who still has a long political future before him. Sad.
… No husband, no children! A 95-year-old woman narrates how her father prevented her from getting married, bearing children
If there is a singular wish 95-year-old, Susanna Nwachukwu from Owerri, Imo state, craves for in her next life, it would be to be a rebellious and stubborn girl, one who will not obey or listen to her father’s instructions.
Growing up, had Susanna been a stubborn young girl and disobeyed her father, she would have probably eloped with any of her many suitors and would have today been a proud great-grandmother. But at 95, Susanna does not have children talk more of grandchildren or great-grandchildren. And this is because she was never married.
She was not married not because in her prime, she lacked suitors. According to her, suitors came in droves from far and wide but her Catholic zealot father insisted his daughter must marry a Catholic.
However, unfortunately for Susanna, none of her suitors was a Catholic except a Cameroonian “but my father turned him down. He said Cameroon was too far”
Narrating the heart-wrenching story of how her father aborted her dream of getting married and of having children in an interview she granted to a blogger, NELOJOSH, the 95 old woman explained that she obeyed her father because during “our time, you dare not disobey your parents; it’s whatever they asked you to do that you would do”
Still very articulate, witty, and agile at her age, Susanna who spoke in Igbo language and occasionally interjected English, said she was born on the 27th November 1927.
According to her, she worked with Shell for about 9 years and with Emekuku Hospital for 21 years.
With a glint of regret and resignation to fate visible on her face, the 95-year-old spinster said: “I was in standard four when suitors started coming for me. They came from everywhere, including Cameroon but my father refused. He said they were not Catholics.
“My father was a prominent, staunch Catholic in those days. The Cameroonian was a Catholic but my father said Cameroon was too far.
“My father was stubborn and strict. During my time, you dare not disobey your parents; you do whatever they ask you to do.
“All my siblings were lucky to get Catholic suitors and wives”
She disclosed that her parents gave birth to eight of them and that she is the second child. However, only she and her younger sister are still alive.
On whether she regrets her father’s action, Susanna answered in the affirmative: “I regret my father’s action, his action is painful but what can I do? I can’t kill myself. If I was married and had children, wouldn’t be suffering today. But I have put all the pains and agony of not being married or not having children behind me; I’m now waiting for my death”
A suspect, Yusuf Anas, has been arrested by the officers of Zone 17 of the Nigeria Police force for impersonation and stealing.
Ana, described as a police deserter, is reported to be still wearing in uniform with which he was duping unsuspected members of the public.
A statement by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 17 Akure, on Wednesday, stated that one Yusuf Anas is in custody over an alleged case of impersonation and stealing.
The statement by the zone’s spokesman, Akeem Adeoye explained that “Anas claimed to have enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Constable in 2016 and had served in Sokoto and Lagos, before he was declared a deserter and subsequently dismissed.
“On the 8th of May 2023, the suspect, who was still parading himself as an Officer, dressed in uniform went to purchase a Techno-Spark10 handset valued at N102,000 from a phone shop. After collecting the said phone he generated a fake bank transfer to the seller.
“The crime was later reported via a petition to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 17 and the suspect was subsequently arrested through viable intelligence gathering.
“The suspect, in the course of interrogation, confessed to have committed the crime. He will be charged to court and prosecuted accordingly.”
Today, 10th September is the anniversary of an incident which took place in 2006, (which coincidentally was also a Sunday), and which is recorded in my diary as the day Lanli died . It was also the day one of our popular politicians (who I will protect his identity for privacy purposes), learnt a bitter lesson.
The politician was based in Abuja where he had been seriously jostling for a political appointment.
He also had a guest house in one of the highbrow areas of the Anambra State Capital City where he used to stay whenever he came in from Abuja for the weekend to attend the usual functions like weddings, thanksgivings, funerals, etc.
He had this sleek looking and obviously imported, purebred Alsatian that he loved to show off to his friends.
The politician’s neighbour, and our mutual friend was a certain Mr Ugonabo who was a small time businessman engaged in buying and selling at Onitsha.
Before he bagged his most recent executive appointment this very politician used to be on very friendly terms with Mr Ugonabo his neighbor, visiting him next door from time to time to share some glasses of palm wine, even to play the card game known as ‘WHOT’ in those days which he enjoyed so much, and to engage in the usual banter about happenings in town.
Once his latest political appointment was announced and he assumed his duties he gradually started pulling away from Mr Ugonabo.
First, he would come into town with the usual convoy fanfare and would make no attempt to contact Ugonabo. When Mr Ugonabo would walk over to the Politician’s compound as he used to do, the security personnel stationed there who came into town with their boss would refuse him entry, telling him to ‘call Oga’ to instruct them to allow him access. To cap it all, he stopped taking Mr Ugonabo’s calls.
Mr Ugonabo complained to my husband Ikemba Dim Ojukwu, about this and when he broached the topic with the Politician, asking him if there was an issue between them, the Politician made some excuse about having a hefty work load and a tight schedule, and that besides, he knows that the man might only be calling to disturb or pester him about giving him ‘contract’, and that he didn’t want to deal with that kind of stress.
Things would, however take an unusual twist a little over a year later when, on this ill fated Sunday, after his usual weekend visit , the politician and his motorcade set off on the return journey to Abuja. His compound which was always manned by an able bodied gateman who doubled as a caretaker and the fierce looking purebred Alsatian , was also firmly secured by an automated gate. On this particular occasion, once the politician and his motorcade left the premises, the gateman ushered the Alsatian into a room in a bungalow behind the main house which doubled as a kernel and promptly hopped on an ‘okada’ to go visit some friends in town.
It was the barking noises coming from the the Politician’s compound later that afternoon that caught Mr Ugonabo’s attention. He looked across from the small balcony of his duplex and he could see smoke rising from the building in the politician’s back yard. He panicked when he shouted the gateman’s name over and over again and no response came. His phone was also switched off. Mr Ugonabo then tried several times to put a call through to the politician who as usual, snubbed his calls. Since he could not reach the Politician, he was left with no other choice but to call the politician’s sister who lives in Lagos and when she answered, he relayed what was happening to her.
The sister called the politician who by then was halfway to Abuja and he took the call . She told him what was going on in his premises and that the caretaker was nowhere to be found. It was at this point that the politician was faced with the prospect of having to return to his vomit by having to call, Mr Ugonabo, the same man he had been shunning all the while and who he had even refused to take his earlier calls to alert him of the crisis.
It had dawned on him at that moment that Mr Ugonabo , being his neighbor was closest to the scene. His other options would take too long to get to the house. According to Mr Ugonabo, the Politician called him about a half hour later and after the rushed niceties the Politician begged him to use a ladder or find some other way to scale their common wall which was quite tall, so as to be able to enter the compound and see what could be done . He requested him, most importantly, to save his prized Alsatian dog which he had by then been informed, was barking inside the back room of the building. The Politician also called an official to alert the fire department of the development.
Other neighbors and passersby had noisily congregated in front of the imposing automated gate but clearly clueless at what steps to take asides the usual alarmist exclamations.
Mr Ugonabo on his own part was torn between what he later recounted to us as his ‘conscience’ and the need to take his revenge after the way the politician whom he had considered (albeit erroneously) to be a friend, had treated him since becoming more ‘important’ and even as he tried to alert him of the fire situation. Luckily Mr Ugonabo’s ‘conscience’ got the better of him and he managed with the help of a rope and ladder held up by some residents of the neighborhood, to scale the common wall to get into the politician’s compound.
By this time the entire roof of the bungalow was on fire but he was able to trace and unlatch the door of the room where the dog was confined. The dog, Lanli, now whimpering limped out of the room. It had sustained burns coupled with extensive smoke inhalation and died not long afterwards.
It took a while for the fire truck to show up but the automated gate posed a major challenge and the gateman who knew its code and how to operate it was still nowhere to be seen . The small gate door which was locked with a padlock was broken but the main gate remained sealed and the fire truck could not come into the compound. Within the hour the entire bungalow was razed by fire . Fortunately the main house was spared.
The politician had been making frantic phone calls to Mr Ugonabo throughout this time to ascertain the situation on ground. Yet, this was the same man whose calls he had shunned, for no just cause, for an entire year!
He was unhappy when he was told that the bungalow block had burnt down and even more traumatized to learn that Lanli had perished as a result of the fire. When we called to commiserate with him, he lamented that Lanli would be difficult to replace as well as most of his vital documents, records, legal documents and files which had been packed away inside one of the rooms in that block.
He complained that the fire could have been put out before it became an inferno if only his caretaker had stayed at his duty post or someone had accessed the premises shortly after it started . But then, whose fault was this?
After all, Mr Ugonabo ( his neighbor and erstwhile friend) had tried all he could to alert him but as usual, he snubbed the calls on account of his ‘I’m a big man, I don’t need your disturbance’ Syndrome.
The sad reality today is that most people once they assume important positions become unreachable, even to bosom friends and relatives, and hitch on to newfound ‘status friends’, on the assumption that old friends and many of those who used to relate with them definitely now need ‘something’ from them. But when in crisis or in emergency, especially of the domestic kind, it’s often these friends and relatives they have relegated and detached from, that they can turn to for emergency interventions. This, they often realize, only when it’s too late.
Whenever one gets on a flight and the safety procedures are announced prior to take off, you are always informed that ‘Your life jacket is under your seat’. I think this episode sums this up rather well. It is oftentimes those who you overlook or disdain that might end up being the ones close enough and available to intervene on your behalf or to save you from unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances….much like the life jacket in the event of a flight mishap. Treat them with a little more consideration. They are not all necessarily always looking for a favour from you.
Many folks, and most especially many of our government officials are guilty of this deplorable attitude and are quick to forget that they are on transient official missions . They need to learn a thing or two from this incident because they rank an impressive A1 when it comes to jettisoning old friends and acquaintances upon assuming any ‘important’ and even ‘not so important’ official position in the delusion that only they, hold the keys to an imaginary treasure trove.
Keep in mind, Sir (and Ma), that reality is always subject to change and your potential life saver….that one that you had all the while considered irrelevant and bothersome, might just be right under your upturned nose.
Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, Lawyer, former Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain, former Beauty Queen, is the Widow of Dim Emeka Odumgwu Ojukwu
Despite denials by the Federal Government of increment of fees in its institutions, the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile Ife has rolled out new fees payable by returning and new students.
The Student’s Union Government, (SUG) of the University, has kicked against the increments by the school management, noting that it would not stand.
A statement signed by the President of the Union, Abbas Ojo, the Secretary General, Akinboni Opeyemi, and the Public Relations Officer, Omisore Elijah expressed displeasure and said they were not involved in how the new fees were arrived at.
According to the new fees, for those in the Faculties of Technology and Science, the new students will pay N163, 200 and the returning students of the same faculties are to pay N101, 200.
“In addition, the new students being admitted into the Faculties in the College of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Pharmacy are to pay N190, 200 and returning students N128, 200.
Returning students of the College of Health Sciences, before this development, paid N31,000.
According to Olarewaju, “The decision was taken by the Senate of the University at its emergency meeting on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.
“The management, therefore, wishes the students resounding success in their academic programmes. The above adjustable fees are just for an academic session.”
In their swift reaction, the union said the leadership was not carried along while making decision for their members.
“Our attention has been drawn to a proposed school charge circulating. We are stating our displeasure with the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, as the Federal Government has debunked involvement in any form of increment in tuition fees.
“The leadership of the Student’s Union, privy to the incessant increment in other Federal Higher Institutions, has been working tirelessly to ensure Obafemi Awolowo University is kept out of the trending hike in fees.
“While the leadership of the union is dissatisfied with this inimical increment, we want to use this medium to address our union members and urge them to remain calm, as all hands are on deck.
“We are going to exhaust all reasonable options that will be soothing to the common student that we all are. We will reach out to the necessary quarters on how to rectify this, bring back normalcy, and what can be generally accepted.”
Civil Societies Organizations (CSOs) in Ondo state have condemned shoddy and un transparent manner foodstuffs released under the subsidy palliatives by the federal government to the state are being distributed.
The CSOs noted that there exist too many committees which are handling the distribution to favour those that belong to them.
In a statement on Wednesday in Akure, the CSOs blamed this on the long absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, that just resumed from three months medical leave.
The statement, signed by Franklin Oloniju, Pius Akomolafe, Alo Martins, Stella Ikeokwu, Emmanuel Daramola and Bola Fasuyi on behalf of the CSOs pleaded with the governor, now that he has resumed, to take over the distribution of the materials.
The statement stated that “The coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Ondo State strongly expresses its displeasure with the way and manner Ondo State Government is going about the distribution of Palliatives in the state.
“The process seems to be shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty. Following an emergency extraordinary meeting held on September 11, 2023, on the palliative distribution in the office of the Chairman Coalition of Civil Society in Akure, it was noticed that partiality and rent-seeking attitude pervades the entire process.
“We are shocked that the absence of the Executive Governor who was on medical leave, showed that the people he left were unable to effectively manage the process of the palliative distribution in a transparent and inclusive manner.
“However, we are happy that with the Governor’s return, he will bring saneness back into the process immediately.
“It is instructive to note that Ondo State Government initiated different groups and committees on the palliative issue in the state.
“One group was led by Chief of Staff to the Governor Mr. Gbenga Ale and another group led by Commissioner of Finance Mr. Akinterinwa promised the people of Ondo State that they would start receiving palliative as from the first week of September 2023.
“Also, on the 5th of September, another group was inaugurated by the Acting Governor to manage the palliative up to the Local Government Level in a bid to ensure equitable distribution.
“However, none of the groups mentioned has shown any appreciable headway in the palliative distribution to date.
“The CSO Coalition in Ondo State implores the Government of Ondo State to be transparent and accountable to the people of the state in this regard as we are yet to know how the list of beneficiaries was generated, the amount to be paid as well as the commodities received from Federal Government for the people of the state.
“CSO Coalition, which also has spread across the 18 LGA in the state seem to be in the dark on this palliative distribution as was the case during the COVID-19 palliative distribution.
“We ask for inclusion, equity and fair play in the interest of the poor masses who are languishing in abject poverty owing to the effect of subsidy removal.
“We therefore appeal to our indefatigable Governor to step into this issue, our earnest prayer is that our amiable Governor enjoys long life in good health.
We hope these government officials have not forgotten the impact of the EndSARS protest in the State during which time the storehouse for COVID-19 palliative was broken into and items stored, looted by angry youths. We do not want a repeat of that incident.”
The Anglican Bishop of Awka Diocese and Archbishop of Niger Province, Most Rev’d Dr. Alexander Ibezim, has characterized Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate, as someone whose paramount aspiration is to improve people’s lives for the betterment of society. He lauded Obi as a firm believer in the idea that investing in humanity, particularly through projects focused on healthcare and education, holds the power to catalyze transformative change within society.
Archbishop Ibezim conveyed these sentiments at the Foundation Stone Laying ceremony for the Department of Midwifery and Public Health Nursing at the Millenium College of Nursing Sciences in Awka. He acknowledged that Mr. Peter Obi’s substantial contribution of N40 million played a pivotal role in establishing this department and that Obi further extended his support with an additional N10 million during the event. The Archbishop emphasized that through Obi’s generosity, the Millenium College of Nursing Sciences is not only transforming the lives of its students but also equipping them for promising careers in healthcare that meet global standards.
“Mr. Peter Obi’s presence among us serves as a poignant reminder of his small mustard seed, which has blossomed into the substantial tree we see today. I recall vividly the moment many years ago when he handed me a lump sum check of N40 million. That single act of compassion marked the inception of this College of Nursing.”
“Mr. Peter Obi, you will forever remain ingrained in our memories. Your name is etched in the annals of this institution’s history. Today, time doesn’t allow us to enumerate all the benevolent actions you’ve taken for us and our nation as a whole. Your decision to return mission schools to the church marked the genesis of the educational transformation we presently experience in the State.”
“I don’t typically offer accolades, but honesty compels me to speak the truth. Obi has strategically revitalized the educational landscape of Anambra State, and the nation as a whole can witness the positive outcomes of his educational reforms. He isn’t solely an advocate for education; he’s also a grassroots leader. Both I and the entire clergy of Awka Diocese will continue to extend our prayers for you in recognition of the numerous educational advancements you’ve ushered into the State. You are a catalyst for transformative change,” Ibezim praised Obi.
While presenting his generous donation of N10 million to the Institution, Obi expressed his delight at what he termed the commendable efforts of the Archbishop. Obi went on to clarify that the inception of the Institution was not solely a result of his initial seed support of N40 million but was equally the product of the Archbishop’s passion and dedication towards a brighter future, wherein he responsibly managed the funds entrusted to him. Obi reiterated his steadfast commitment to investing in both the healthcare and educational sectors of the nation, recognizing their pivotal roles in the country’s overall development.
“I have consistently emphasized my commitment to participating in initiatives aimed at enhancing humanity, particularly in the realms of healthcare, education, and poverty reduction. The World Health Organization projects a significant shortage of health workers, especially nurses, by 2030—approximately 10 million. Thus, it is imperative that we make investments today in the training of additional healthcare professionals to bolster our healthcare sector and enable our talents to contribute globally, resulting in increased diaspora remittances.
Obi underscored that the paramount infrastructure in any nation is its human infrastructure. He asserted, ‘If you construct physical infrastructure without concurrently developing the human infrastructure, society will ultimately falter.’ Obi urged the students to approach their education and personal growth with utmost seriousness, enabling them to be well-prepared contributors to a more prosperous society and to effectively compete on the global stage.”
