From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

The scandal rocking Cross River Basin Development Authority over missing tractor took another dimension as the Principal Commercial Officer with  Mr. Inyang Umana has denied authorizing  the release of missing MF -275 tractor for physical inspection by external auditors  to be returned the following day.

Umana denied  the allegations  while answering questions from  journalists in his office   Monday in Calabar.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that Umana had been accused of signing the authorization  letter  that allowed the tractor to be taken out of Basin Authority premises 

” To say that I was part of those involved in the release of the tractor is lies.Is not the first time this staff had been involved in issues like this.

” I was only a whistle blower. I  was the one who even raised the alarm. To drop me into the matter is ridiculous.

“The missing tractor might still be in Urban moving wood at Oban, in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River State.

“From what we gathered, the two young men stormed  the premises  of Basin Authority in company of  one of our staff with a forged document pretended as if the document was signed by me.” Umana stated.

He stated that the missing tractor might have been taken to the northern part of the country where it might have been hired to execute a job and he assumed the bandits may have seized the machine 

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

A 46 year old man from Ebonyi state, Mr. Christopher Nwali, whose businesses is frying akara balls (beans cake) and moi moi which he sells to the public, rumoured to have died and disappeared, was reportedly assaulted on reappearance by residents of Ezeiweka road, Awada Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, where he does his business.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen at the weekend, Mr.Nwali, disclosed that it has been problem after problem since he started fighting for his means of livelihood as a family man adding that the worst that happened to him is to tag him a ghost which caused his business to collapse.

“My name is Mr. Christopher Nwali, I am from Ebonyi state, I deal in fast foods business, my business name is Uyaka or Nwoke Akara Na Out. I am very popular at Ezeiweka road axis because of the akara balls I fry as a man.

“After the death of my master who I lived with as a house help, his children asked me to go and look for what I will do since their father has died. Then my wife was hawking akara balls and later procured akara balls’ frying pan and started frying her own. I joined her in the frying.

“She became heavy with pregnancy (our third child), and when she started nursing the baby, I was the only one frying the akara balls and people were joking with me, asking me to go and look for what to do as a man. Before I joined my wife in the business I was riding a commercial motorcycle and later hawked sachet water. 

“One day I took a commercial bike to go and procure a motorcycle part for my damaged bike and I had an accident and got fractured in one of the legs. I then sold the bike because I was hospitalized for one year. When I returned I joined my wife again in the akara business.

“Again, one day I took a commercial bike to go and procure plantain we will fry and was involved in another accident, fracture in the same injured leg. My situation became worse and on recovery I returned again to the akara business. We resolved to have two branches, one at Ezeiweka road and the one at Moore street, where we started the business and I was staying at the new site.

“One day I got burnt while frying the akara balls and my entire body touched. On recovery I continued the business and later felt sick. I was admitted at Federal Medical Center, Asaba, Delta State capital. While in the hospital I got a message from my relative that the news is all over the place that I am dead. A woman called me and I disappeared. 

“I then told my doctor what people were saying and he said it was not possible. I was inundated with calls to the extent that I became worried and demanded to be discharged to go home. I was even annoyed that my wife had not come to visit me, not knowing that she was scared and one day called me and asked me to pick my call and I picked and responded, she cried.

“When I was discharged the next day I went straight to my house and was told she was hospitalized and I rushed to the hospital. On seeing me she spoke with me and started crying. I told her here I come, I am not dead but people have rumored I am dead. Later I went home and during the last monthly sanitation exercise, residents of where I do business and others insisted that I will join them in the exercise to clear their conscience that it was mere rumour being circulated that I am dead.

“I have about five workers in my employ and they told me that within the period of my absence that the business failed, people no longer patronise them as they believe that the akara balls were owned by the ghost. My son told me that he will not go to the shop again because people were telling him that his father was dead even as he insisted that I was not but hospitalized at Asaba.

“They call my children sons of ghosts and disappeared men . So on the clean up exercise I came and was badly assaulted to ensure I was not a ghost. Some threw stones, pebbles, sand, sachet water, and used sharp objects to spill blood from my body, among others at me to know if I will disappear as rumoured that I was a ghost. Some even scratched my body with their nails, poured water on me and I was only laughing and praising God.

“It was a thing I will never forget in life, people who carried rumour about should repent for it is aimed at bringing somebody down.we have lost all our customers but thank God that with my presence now, the business is gradually growing, I have to start afresh, such is life but the wicket must not go unpunished. The Bible told us so.

“I have been into this akara business for 18 years and we also cook moi moi, we are into indoor and outdoor services for those having functions like marriages, parties, new yam festivals, among others and we train apprentices. If not for lack of space I would have started roasting yam and corn. It is hard for me to get accommodation because landlords said I can’t afford house rent as my business is frying akara balls despite my plea to them that I am capable of paying,” he further disclosed

Contributing, one of his workers, Chukwunagorom C. Sabastine, lamented the ugly incident disclosing that he was about to leave when it got to the peak that their master was rumoured to have died but when he returned he had a sigh of relief.

“Rumour mongers can kill one unexpectedly. We were so cursed and insulted when our master did not appear for two weeks. The rumour was all over the place that we are children of a ghost and that we sell akara balls to kill people who eat them. All manners of humiliation.

“Thank God that our master has appeared. Our business went down to the extent that we could not sell a painter of beans in a day because people were scared to patronize us. All who abused us have seen that our master is hale and hearty. Glory be to God in the highest,” he prayed.

By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu, Enugu 

Police Operatives of the Enugu State Command, serving in the New Haven Division, on September 24, 2024, around 4 p.m., arrested one Abuchi Kenneth  aged 27 and Ifeanyi Odu aged 29, for breaking and stealing a Samsung Galaxy and Infinix smartphones from a car parked along the road at Rangers Avenue, Enugu.

The Police Public Relations Officer Enugu State Command Headquarters, Daniel Ndukwe in a statement said that a preliminary investigation reveals that the suspects, who respectively gave their addresses as Zuba, Abuja, and Nekede Owerri, Imo State, surreptitiously broke into the parked car and made away with the phones.

However, upon receiving information on the criminal act, the operatives promptly went after, intercepted, and arrested the suspects at Otigba roundabout, Enugu, recovering the phones and their operational vehicle, a Toyota Corolla car with reg. no. KUJ 614 CF. The suspects will be arraigned in court soonest.

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha 

Worried by alleged anti market activities and insubordination, the President General, PG, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna, has accused three market leaders of embezzlement of State government Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Illegal shops construction, dealing in fake products, among others.

He named those three to include, the former chairman of Old Motor Spareparts market, Mgbuka Obosi/Idemili zonal chairman, Chief Emma Obiagwu, (now on suspension), Chairman of Ogbaru Relief (Main) market/chairman  of Ogbaru zone, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu and his Assistant secretary, Hon. Bucknor Agu.

Briefing newsmen at the ASMATA secretariat, the PG added that the trio also embarked on anti APGA activities aimed at  frustrating the second tenure bid in office of Governor Chukwuma Soludo which prompted his suspending them as zonal Chairmen and subsequent substitution pending when they will repent their sins.

“Obiagwu committed a lot of atrocities, he collected levies from petty market women especially at Ugwuagba Obosi market which caused crisis between him and the market chairman, Chief Samuel Ifurunwa. Then he also collected IGR from zones 13, 14 and 10 of same market without remitting the IGR to the state government.

“To ensure he is not asked of the money, he stopped attending ASMATA meetings and poisoned the minds of other members of the ASMATA executives to stop attending meetings. As if that is not enough, he sent a petition to state government accusing me of embezzling #120million but was not able to proof his claim when asked by government to substantiate.

“We are waiting after the conduct of the council poll, he will give account of the forty something million naira  he collected as IGR which he has not remitted to Government till date. They formed clique to attack government and my leadership through, ‘Concerned Citizens Association,’ scattered all over the state with headquarters in Onitsha,” he further disclosed.

Also on the chairman of Ogbaru market, Ochiogu, he said, “My problem with him started when I told him that he was appointed as chairman not President General. That there is only one PG in  ASMATA. I did not contest for my PG seat to warrant my extorting money from traders to replenish what I spent. I was appointed based on my past records.

“Government sent a letter through me for the demolition of illegal shops/structures at Ogbaru market and they were demolished. Ochiogu used the period of sit-at-home, to rebuilt the demolished shops, fenced and painted them, he allocated one shop to his assistant secretary, Bucknor Agu, that person we all know him, he deals in fake drinks and gets protection from Ochiogu.

“Bucknor felt offended since we partner with Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, because he felt we will expose him. His boss that is Ochiogu stopped attending meetings and his absence became worrisome as nobody to relate to those he represents in Ogbaru zone on resolutions or outcome of meetings and I have to suspend him and replace him with Chief David Obidike, a market chieftain.

“Same suspension went to Obiagwu of Idemili zone. These three market leaders because I refused their illegal activities accused me of trying to frustrate Governor Soludo’s second tenure bid. We are not campaigning for the governor rather we are supporting him because his achievements in the state are enough to speak for him. They are there for everybody to see. This is eye mark not ear mark,” he stated.

Reacting, the ASMATA scribe, Hon. Marcaulay Ekwe, (a.k a. Teacher)) said he saw the allegations against PG as coming from opposition, adding that the PG has within two years did a lot to better the welfare of traders.

“Some of the market chairmen assumed Gods, righteousness, and they constitute themselves as cabals to work against the leadership of the PG. Holistically all allegations leveled against the PG are false. 

“The assistant secretary of Ogbaru market, Bucknor, who is attacking the PG ASMATA, is he PDP or APC, he doesn’t belong to anywhere. He is nether here nor there.. my PG is APGA and Mr Governor is happy with him.the PG is here to pass the policies and programmes of the state government to traders.. the #30000 for public markets and #17500 for private markets is a directive from government.

“When PG pleaded that because of the present socio-economic and political quagmire that the money be postponed to next year for payment, it was most of the market Chairmen that said no, that they are prepared that government should carry on. Most of the leaders are not properly informed,” he affirmed.

In a swift reaction when contacted, Chief Ochiogu said when he came to the ASMATA  secretariat that the former chairman of Mgbuka Obosi market and Idemili zonal chairman, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu, were in a hitted argument and he (Ochiogu), advised the PG to be careful with the opposition who may like to thwart the council election,, to be calm until after the election.

“Then PG told me that he has my own letter of suspension as Ogbaru zonal chairman and handed it over to me. I thanked him on collection of the letter and left. It is only SPAD that I have tokd what happened, no other person until after this election then I will meet SPAD face to face on the issue,” he stated.

On the allegation that he (Ochiogu) built shops after the demolition of illegal structures at a portion in Ogbaru market, he maintained that the structures were erected by the state government through the office of SPAD and not himself. 

“It is the government that built the shops through SPAD, not Ochiogu.It is SPAD that told the PG to demolish the illegal structures. So as journalist you are free to get to SPAD and find out who built the shops, it is government, I only supervised because it is in my market, he further explained.

Also on allegation of faking of products by his assistant secretary, Bucknor Agu, he denied the allegation but admitted that he (Agu), did that some 10 years ego but has stopped it based on hiis petition to government that he should be sacked for faking when he is a market leader. 

“He has sworn never to continue with such faking and has his shop where they sell spices, he has no shop in the disputed portion as alleged by ASMATA PG. Again whenever we have our ASMATA meetings we stay from 10am to 6pm and the PG will lock the door so that nobody will go. Is it how it should be done. In the time of his predecessor, Hon. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, was it done that way.

“Because I don’t react or support him in what ever he says he termed me poisonous. Because of what you journalists wrote that I was praising the governor he was annoyed stating that he as PG is the only one that will be praising the governor on behalf of the traders and that is one of his reasons for suspending me, anti ASMATA activities,” Ochiogu stated.

In his own defence, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu, while thanking journalists for his own reaction, said that he accused the PG of looking for unsubstantiated allegations to pull him down adding that his allegations are fabricated.

“Thanks for giving me fair hearing, he looks for unsubstantiated allegations against me. His allegations are fabricated, I like living above board for tomorrow. I have on records discussions between me and PG and in the other hand between me and Mgbuka Obosi chairman, to tell you that the allegations are fabricated. They want to throw me into the pit,” he stated.

One Sunday Christian, chairman of zone 13 of Ugwuagba market accused Obiagwu of collecting #200,000 cash, from him as IGR which Obiagwu, in his defence said all levies both in cash and through the bank were remitted to government irrespective of sources and directed newsmen to visit AIRS for confirmation.

Obiagwu added that, “petty market women at the dump site at Mgbuka market were asked to pay #15,000 but market chairman, Samuel Ifurunwa intervened and they paid #5,000. All Ifurunwa said are false and fabricated against me. I was the one that purchased the waste disposal tipper but Ifurunwa claimed he purchased it. He wanted to extend collection of IGR beyond the market but was stopped.

“His men worked with me for nine months and abandoned me because I refused to share levies collected in the enforcement of IGR payment. My efforts increased the market IGR from #34million in 2022 to ##43million in 2023.

” In conclusion our problem with PG is that he eats the three per cent IGR meant for ASMATA alone and that is why he has problem with us. We are projecting about #6o million if we collect the money we expect as our three per cent in 2022,” he Stated.

In his own contribution, the chairman of Mgbuka Obosi market, Chief Ifurunwa, accused Chief Obiagwu of illegally collecting 2022/2023 market IGR.

“I told him we will give him two people  from the market that will work with him but he refused. He collected levy from petty market women who cried and came to my office.  Governor Soludo said he exempted them from levy payment. I was the one that removed the ribbon tape he used to barricade their tables, as he demanded that they must pay. Then they paid #5,ooo instead of #15 demanded earlier by Obiagwu.

“Obagwu told some zonal chairmen that they have faults in their zones and as such should come to his house and they came and coughed out #200000, #300000 and above, as the case may be and it was later that  those extorted told me their ordeal in the hands of Obiagwu.

“I want to appeal to the state government not to contract  2024 enforcement of IGR again to Obiagwu because of what victims went through in his hand,” he pleaded.

However, spokespersons of the about eight petty women, Mrs. Agatha Anyanwu(a.k.a. Ebenebe Awka) and Eunice  Ogidi, admitted that they paid #5,000 to Obiagwu when Soludo said that they should not be levied adding that most of them are widows who have no other means of livelihood.

….No life lost– Police

By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu 

Mysterious fire at the weekend reportedly razed one of the most popular filling station located at Agbani Road within Enugu metropolis.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that the incident  occured at a time that fuel pump price has continued to rise unabated, thereby pushing Nigerians into hunger and suffering.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command who confirmed the incident said no life was lost in the fire incident that occurred at Pinnacle Filling Station.

The Command said that the fire, which started in the morning hours of today was immediately put out with the support of the personnel of both Federal and State Fire Services.

The Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, told newsmen in Enugu that the timely intervention of personnel of the both fire services, who promptly responded to the emergency situation, brought the inferno under control and finally extinguished it.

“No life was lost. However, three vehicles on the queue to purchase fuel were torched, while normalcy has since been restored by the police.

“A preliminary investigation suggests that the fire may have been caused by fuel leakage from one of the vehicles buying fuel at the station,” he said.

Ndukwe said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, who led police operatives to the scene, had ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the State CID to conduct a full-scale investigation into the incident.