Oke Maduegbuna: “he dined with Kings and Queens…”…”Silima” on Awka-Ufuma road…Garri Parfait…plus South East Digest…

Oke Maduegbuna:  “he dined with Kings and Queens…”

Okechukwu Moses Maduegbuna April 14, 1957 – January 19, 2023, was an epitome of that “Man” in Rudyard Kipling’s great poem, “If”.  He dined with Kings and Queens but never lost the common touch.  Oke may have been seen at Aso Rock in the morning, later same morning attending an inter-house sports competition in Lagos in solidarity with the child or children of his friend, then at lunch in Ikoyi Club, then wrapping up the evening at Mama Ngozi’s beer parlour somewhere in Onitsha Inland Town.  That was Oke Maduegbuna.

This writer knows that first hand.  Some of the tributes to him by different people in his funeral brochure also highlight various aspects of him all amounting to what a great soul he was.  Take that from Aliko Dangote, GCON, on page 43 of the brochure.  In the third paragraph, Dangote quotes Leo Buscaglia “I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death.  They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make.  Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories.”  

The tribute from his twin sister, Ifeanyi, was even more to the point:  “…your popularity reflected your kind and easygoing personality.  You made everyone feel welcome and valued, and you had a unique way of connecting with people.  You had a talent of bringing joy and laughter into most difficult situations, and your wit and humour will be greatly missed….” 

Siblings, relations, friends, associates, and well-wishers bade a final goodbye to Oke in Onitsha last Friday.  There were people from across Nigeria.  We bring you some photos:

FG postpones 2023 Census; Tinubu to decide new date

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census earlier scheduled for between May 3 and May 7.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Saturday in Abuja that the exercise was postponed to a date to be determined by the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement he personally signed, the minister said the president approved the postponement of the exercise after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team.

Sudan airlift:  Onyema urges unity

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Allen Onyema, the chief executive officer of Air Peace, said he was not doing it as a publicity stunt but rather out of love for Nigeria and his country’s people. “I consider it a privilege for me to be able to do that. It’s not a publicity stunt; I’ve been working to actively unite Nigeria since I was in secondary school. I think we should all take pride in it,” he said. 

However he denounced both supporters and detractors who have brought an ethnic slant to the intervention. “I don’t want a good gesture to be turned into an ethnic debacle, it makes me uncomfortable to the extent that I might not do this again, because I want to promote unity and not cause disunity,” he said. Onyema said Nigeria’s ethnic diversity is envied and should be a strength.

20,000 Aba landlords mobilise against TCN over Blackout

Over 20,000 members of the Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association (ALPDA) will mobilise to the Alaoji power plant in Abia State and occupy it if within the next 24 hours the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) fails to rescind its order which has since last Friday thrown the State into darkness over N896m owed Federal Government agencies in the power sector by Aba Power.

Speaking at a press conference in Aba yesterday at its office in Aba, the ALPDA president general, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, flanked by executive members of the association, said the disconnection of Aba Power from the sole transmission network violated the Electricity Industry Market Rules (EIMR) of 2010 on two grounds.

Chief Udeigbo observed that the TCN wrote a letter to Aba Power on April 19, 2023, asking it to pay its debt within one month and on the same date directed the market operator, a unit in the transmission company, to remove Aba Power completely within a few hours.

(A digest of latest reports on the Economy, Industry, Politics, Sports, and developments around the South East of Nigeria)

ABIA STATE

Garri Parfait made in Aba

A 21-year-old Maureen Emenike who is a 400-level student at Abia State University has added Garfait to her hustle and won the hearts of many Nigerians with this perfect combination of garri, groundnut, sugar, milk and toppings. 

Garfait is a rich combination of garri, milk, sugar and groundnut. They have other toppings such as peanuts, Kuli Kuli and dried coconuts. 

Her major goal is to change the narrative about garri being a Sapa meal.  She thinks Garri deserves better. It’s been saving lives forever.

Maureen said “Initially when I started, I filled the cup with the ingredients but I’ve worked with the corrections I’ve received and I’ve reduced it to give more space for swelling so people can take it on-the-go.” 

She added, that students buy her Garfait, pour water, dip a spoon, stir and voila. What a product.

This could be a tool for culture shaping just like we have jollof rice which is consumed by foreigners, all we needed for jollof to scale is for a futuristic and intelligent chef to strike a deal with international Chef Ramsey and voila the whole world begins to consume jollof rice.

ANAMBRA STATE

ANSIPPA revving up

ANSIPPA has been undergoing a series of digital up skilling to improve organisational efficiency.  According to Mark Okoye, ANSIPPA’s MD/CEO who disclosed this on his twitter handle, “We have invested in using a paperless filing system and recently on boarded our team to a collaborative platform to help with ideation and accountability.”

”Silima” on Awka-Ufuma road

Commuters on the Awka-Ufuma road have been “watching silima” at the entrance of the site of the upcoming up class housing estate, The Golf Residency, Awka, which Governor Chukwuma Soludo said last week is one of the two housing projects dearest to his heart, according to one of the workers at the site.  This reporter saw cars and buses park and appreciate what the Anambra State Government and its partners are trying to do with the massive bush now all cleared.

EBONYI STATE

Ebonyi Airport Records 1st Flight Operation

The newly constructed Ebonyi International Airport in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area (LGA) had its first flight operation last Friday.  The test flight is the culmination of several months of construction on what is now to be known as the Muhammudu Buhari International Airport.  

The landing of the first two sets of flights served as a test operation to signal the commencement of full aviation activities at the airport.

The test flight is the culmination of several months of construction on the airport now to be known as the President Muhammudu Buhari International Airport.

As a demonstration of the readiness of the facility, two flights operated by Air Peace landed on the brand new runway on Friday.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, said the new edifice would be commissioned by President Buhari in less than two weeks.

The airport, believed to be strategically located, has the potential of turning around the economic fortunes of Ebonyi and adjoining states. 

As Ebonyians and Nigerians await the full commencement of activities at the new airport, the project is expected to enable citizens in the region to explore and exploit available human and material economic resources.

ENUGU STATE

Mbah names 60-member transition committee

Ahead of May 29 inauguration, the Enugu State Governor-elect, Dr. Peter Mbah, has named Ike Chioke, Dr. Joe Abah, Prof. Chidi Onyia, Prof Chinedu Nebo and 54 others to his Transition Committee.

The committee includes internationally recognised technocrats, good governance, transparency and accountability advocates, financial and management experts, entrepreneurs, as well as tech and innovation specialists.

Mbah said the Transition Committee would help articulate and fine-tune the incoming administration’s “implementable and impactful development plan” when it assumes office in May.

The Transition Committee members, as contained in a statement issued last Monday, by the head of the Peter Mbah Media Office, Dan Nwomeh, will streamline the state’s development plan in line with Mbah’s ‘Social Charter’ with Enugu people.

The charter aims at repositioning the state as one of top three states in Nigeria in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, as well as addressing poverty, unemployment and insecurity.

The committee was inaugurate on Thursday and commenced work immediately.

 

IMO STATE

Be Good Ambassadors of Imo State, Governor Uzodimma tells 1st set of 1000 Pilgrims

After more than 10 years of not attending Pilgrimage from the state, the Imo state government is sending its first batch of a total of 1000 Imolites for Pilgrimage. In his address made available to Legit.ng, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma has asked the first set of the intending Pilgrims to be good ambassadors in their conduct and not to abscond to show that Imo people are different.

According to the governor, "remember that the government that sent you needs to be encouraged in prayer and in good conduct". Imo state government is sending its first batch of a total of 1000 Imolites for Pilgrimage. Governor Uzodimma disclosed that his administration's major priority was not only the physical and infrastructural Prosperity but also the spiritual Prosperity and the well-being of ndi Imo.