Is the ballot finally dead?...the real love nwantiti…Anambra cements inflow of development funding…plus South East Digest

Is the ballot finally dead?

Since about four or five INEC governorship and presidential election cycles, it has been noticed that there has been a continued decline in the quality of the process as well as the acceptance level of the results. Yesterday’s off cycle elections looks like it says that we have come to the elections in Nigeria or about to.

One thing that is very clear and predictable is that the “expected” party or candidate always wins irrespective of whether people voted for him or his party, thus, practicalysing the saying that “God is on the side of the Big Battalion” 

An exasperated analyst on Channels TV said earlier today that “victors” no longer jubilate!  He gave the example of not hearing a whimper in Lagos and anywhere else in the South East where there are substantial Igbo population.

The real love nwantiti

Today, the couple are always in unison in everything they do.  Love pervades the air everywhere they go.  Sometimes I want to remind the wife that her husband is a public figure, and so must have his work times.  May be because of the love they share, some of us who were at the wedding look back and sometimes think “the wedding was only yesterday”.

How Nokia 3310 gave me my wife

By Emeka Ozumba

Over 20 years and counting, what an auspicious time to tell this story! It was in the early days of mobile telephone services in Nigeria when Ericsson, Nokia 3310, and Samsung were trendy phones. The Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card cost over N50,000!!! 

I had the privilege of owning a contract package courtesy of a leading mobile services provider. My abode then at Wuse II, Abuja was a melting pot of sorts for friends keen to take advantage of free calls, especially on weekends. We had just concluded a pre-arranged important Abuja-Lagos telephone call and were heading to Central Area, Abuja, as guests at a scheduled wedding when my friend suggested that we stopped-over at a friend's in Area 3. It was that fortuitous detour that brought me face-to-face with the 'peace-of-my-heart'.

On arrival at Architect Izu's house in Area 3, after pleasantries, our gisting had dove-tailed into an argument when a young, unassuming but confident-looking young lady came out to greet, and probably confirm those disturbing the neighborhood, and quickly disappeared. We later left for the wedding but then I could not concentrate and confessed to my friend that I had just found a wife. But my friend wondered how I could say that about a woman I had just seen and hardly knew. Of course, following my insistence, we got back to Area 3 and learnt that the young lady had just left to Gwarimpa Estate and that she had just concluded her National Youth Service, and was due to head back to Lagos the next day.

Needless to state that reaching her was a tall order because mobile phones were scarce, and the Architect, her cousin, was not sure of the specific address where she lived but only indicated a junction where we could begin our search. Yet we proceeded to

Gwarimpa without an address in search of her. I had no doubt that the love lightening had struck me at the right spot. We drove around the estate asking for Corpers' residence. After we had almost given up and on our way home, we eventually found her on our way to shop at Wuse market. 

Of course, that Gwarimpa encounter gave yours faithfully the opportunity to get vital information from Peace - that's her name. In fact, my resolve was further kindled when I learnt that three other guys - a pastor, a lawyer, and a businessman - were all in line, pushing for her hand in marriage. I had just arrived the scene but armed with information, I moved fast to fend off competition and ensured that when she got back to Lagos the next day, I was still able to reach her through a cousin who worked with NDLEA, or through an office landline.

Long story short, after some background checks, I got a Nokia 3310 and activated a SIM. Next, I got a Pierre Cardin wallet and purse, carefully packaged, and couriered the phone to Lagos through the ubiquitous Ekene Dili Chukwu to a cousin for her to pick up. Interestingly, that singular move proved the masterstroke that gave me access to her, staved-off competition, and opened a vista of hope and advantage in my quest to woo the lady that became the Peace-of-my -heart.

 

To the glory of God, the union was consecrated in Holy matrimony at Holy Trinity Catholic Church,  Maitama, Abuja, on 8th November 2003.

Guys, you see why I have fond memories of Nokia 3310, especially on a special day like our wedding anniversary?

FG approves funding for 260 roads

The Federal Government has approved funding for 260 roads, designated as palliative projects across the country.

This announcement came during a joint inspection carried out by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, at the site of a collapsed bridge in the State capital, at the New Artisan end of the Port Harcourt – Enugu expressway, on Thursday.

It was the second inspection visit to the collapsed bridge, by both the Governor and the Minister since the highway failed. 

This time, the Works Minister, Umahi disclosed that President Bola Tinubu, through the recently signed 2023 supplementary appropriation, has provided a mandate for the immediate commencement of work on the bridge and other federal roads in Enugu State that require attention.

Umahi emphasized that palliative measures on the bridge would begin immediately, and within the next ten days, the bridge would be reinforced and reopened for public use.

Governor Peter Mbah, on his part, expressed confidence in the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the state’s road maintenance needs.

Lagos State justified to stop further development at Trade Fair

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide has maintained that the physical planning enforcement on the Lagos International Trade fair complex, Ojo, Alaba, on Wednesday was justified to stop further development of buildings without official approval within the complex.

This is coming barely a day after the Director-General of the Trade Fair complex, Vera Ndanusa, accused officials of the Lagos State Government of harassment and assault.

Olumide said that the Trade Fair Complex has a record of not complying with building regulations or even cooperating with attempts to bring it to voluntary compliance.

He noted that the enforcement exercise of yesterday was to send a strong signal that planning infractions in the area must stop while all building constructions must be regularised with the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development as stipulated by the Supreme Court Judgement of 2003.

Appeal court affirms Peter Mbah’s victory as Enugu governor

The court of appeal in Lagos has affirmed the election of Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu state.

In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, the three-member panel led by Tani Yusuf-Hassan dismissed three issues raised by the appellants. 

The panel held that the Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that Mbah was not qualified to contest the election.

On the allegation of over-voting, Yusuf-Hassan held that the appellants failed to present the “voters’ register” before the lower tribunal.

The judge noted that failure to submit the voters’ register rendered the appeal inadmissible.

The court also held that the witnesses presented by the appellants did not sufficiently prove the existence of over-voting in the governorship election.

Consequently, the appeal court dismissed the suit for lacking merit and affirmed the judgement of the election tribunal which declared Mbah as the winner of the March 18 governorship election. 

Reacting to the judgement, Mbah described it as a “victory for the people”.

Only 20 out of 85 potential permsecs have passed the exams

Only 20 directors out of 85 initially invited to seat for promotion to the post of Permanent Secretary in the federal civil service have successfully scaled through the exercise. The successful ones are expected to participate in the final stage of Information Communication Technology (ICT) test slated for today in Abuja. 

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOS), Dr. Folasade Yemi- Esan, disclosed this yesterday following release of the results. She explained that out of the 85 candidates, four of them did not show up for the examination, in what she alluded to fear.

Yemi- Esan said there was need to emphasize meritocracy and integrity of the selection process. “It should not be about the number of successful candidates but the quality of the candidates.” 

According to her, President Bola Tinubu has by this exercise further assured that he is not pressured by any socio-political interest to compromise the present system of subjecting all candidates to various levels of assessment to test their competence.

 

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

ABIA STATE

Abia Moves to Counter ‘Japa Syndrome’ in Health Sector By Producing More Nurses

With the shortage of personnel engendered by the pervasive relocation to western countries, popularly called  ‘japa syndrome’ in the health sector, Abia State has adopted the collegiate system to produce more nurses.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, told journalists in Umuahia that with the collegiate system, Abia would be able to produce adequate number of nurses on a sustainable level.

She stated that by producing more nurses, the effect of japa syndrome would be erased and Abia would even have enough to export as “the nurses we produce meet global standard”.

The import of this development, she explained, is that Abia would now have a College of Nursing Aba while all the existing government-owned nursing institutions become campuses of the College with a Provost in charge.

According to her, the collegiate system would “help us take more nurses” for training by increasing intake from 200 to about 600 so that in a year about 1000 nurses would be turned out.

She said: “We are at the 80 per cent stage where we are about to start the collegiate, meaning that it would allow us to increase intake of nursing students and train more nurses.

“With the ‘japa syndrome’ going on, production seems to be the only way out as this will ensure that we are not short of health workers in the state,” she said.

The Abia health commissioner disclosed that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has granted approval for the State Ministry of Health to commence training programme in community nursing.

ANAMBRA STATE

Afreximbank and Anambra State Government sign Development Agreement

 

Afreximbank and Anambra State last week signed two mandates, heralding a pivotal moment in the state's development.

His Excellency Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Mark Okoye – CEO of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), and Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah jointly endorsed these transformative deals, charting a course for the future of Anambra State.

The first initiative entails the provision of capital raise financial advisory services, amounting to an estimated USD 200 million. This funding is dedicated to crucial projects, including the development of the Ikenga Mixed-Use Industrial City Project, investments in the Anambra Export Emporium, and the establishment of the Akwaihedi Unubi Uga Automotive Industrial Park.

The second initiative focuses on the creation of the Operational and Governance Framework for the Anambra Diaspora Fund, aiming to leverage the resources and expertise of the diaspora community for the state's benefit.

Furthermore, the mandate encompasses capital-raising financial advisory services for key projects such as the Anambra Intra-City Rail Master Plan Project. These initiatives underscore Afreximbank's unwavering commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable development.

The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the ongoing #IATF2023 in Cairo, Egypt. #Afreximbank

EBONYI STATE

Insecurity: Ebonyi government approves private security operatives for state-owned university

The university’s chief security officer, Felix Nwafor, promised that efforts would be doubled to ensure adequate security.

The commissioner for tertiary education, Amari Omaka, disclosed this on Thursday when he visited the institution.

Mr Omaka described the university’s decision as “a welcome development,”

He assured the staff that no one would lose their job due to the initiative and security postings to the university campuses. The commissioner commended them for maintaining the peace despite the security challenges and urged them to be law-abiding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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