By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu 

The House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Funds has visited parts of Enugu State affected by flooding.

The communities include Amechi Idodo, Amauzam Amagunze, Ihuokpara and Nkerefi  communities in Nkanu East LGA and Mpu, Okpanku, Oduma and Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Areas.

Assessing the impacts of the flooding at the weekend, the team led by the Chairman House Committee on Ecological Funds, Aminu Sani Jaji, explained that they decided to embark on the fact-finding visit to see things for themselves, assuring that substantial funds would be made available to address the situation.

“We have selected some states. Now, we have seen the level and magnitude of the flooding and other ecological issues that we are here to identify. We are equally here to find a lasting solution to most of the ecological issues that we have across the country. We have seen this place and we are heading to other places to see for ourselves.

“Before we took over the leadership of this committee, there were so many things that went wrong and now we are trying to correct the public perceptions regarding the Ecological Fund. We want to make sure that this time, it will be completely different from the tradition of giving some piecemeal to the states to address the challenges.

“Now, we are looking at the real problem. Our assessment here is that the devastation will not only affect  the communities, but will also have some significant impact on the economy.  And as far as farmlands and the houses are submerged, leading to displacement, there will be a decline in the national security of the country. So, we are trying to see how we can provide remedy to these challenges. We will make sure that we provide substantial funds that will cater for such problems,” Jaji said. 

Addressing the press, the Coordinator, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mrs. Chinasa Mbah, who accompanied the team, narrated how flooding and other ecological issues had caused devastations in parts of the state, stressing that people in the affected areas were passing through difficulties because their houses and means of livelihood had been grossly destroyed. 

Mrs. Mbah, therefore, called on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to swiftly come to the aid of the affected people of the state to ameliorate their pains and also find lasting solutions to some of the ecological changes affecting the state. 

“The impact of the flood is too high on the Enugu State citizens. When you go to these affected areas, which we visited today, you would discover that the people are actually suffering as a result of the flooding and other ecological issues in the state. We need the National Emergency Management Agency as soon as possible because the citizens are highly impacted,” she stated.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

A small holder cocoa farmer operating at Abonita Cocoa farm, in Etung local government area of Cross River State, Mr. Mark Prince, has called  on the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mrs. Roseline Izuagbe, to  Investigate  alleged attack of his six  workers  by a  rival farmer who inflicted various degree of injuries on his workers  at  the contentious 32 hectares Abonita cocoa estate belonging to the state government 

Mark Prince made the call during an interactive session with journalists in Calabar, stressing that the injured workers are currently receiving treatment at General Hospital Ikom, Cross River State.

He accused Gov, Otu’s Special Adviser on  Security  Matters, Rtd. Major General Okoi Obono, of compromising the security situation at  the Abonita cocoa estate, where he shared a boundary with  government Cocoa estate in the area, calling for investigation into the matter and sanction given to culprits.

“I am calling on the director, State Security  Services ( DSS), because there is no way you can sit at the comfort of your home  and put up a document, stopping the  army that used to patrol at the Abonita axis, protecting lives and property of citizens from patrolling any longer  because  you want your personal interest to be protected”.

“As I speak, if you go into the farms now, you will see Njor’s thugs parading with arms in the cocoa farm. If this is not checked, I foresee outbreak of lawlessness at Abonita axis between Agborkim and Ajassor neighboring communities at the nearest future.

“Don’t you know that persistent attack can cause war between the two sisters communities of  Ajassor and Agborki, Because, there is no way you  machete people like this and we mobilized for revenge that it won’t result to a communal war.

“I am calling on the state governor, Bassey Otu, to ask his State Security Adviser, Rtd Major General Okoi Obono to explain to him, why he halted the Nigerian  army from patrolling at Abonita cocoa estate known for criminal activities.

“We have instances where a criminal commits a crime and we incident the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters at Effraya, Etung local government of the state, the matter will quickly be transferred to Zone 6 police Command Calabar, or Abuja. Before you know it,
victims suddenly turn to suspects”. He maintained.

Narrating his ordeal, one of the victims Mr. Kelly Abang, who spoke on behalf of others at Ikom  General Hospital said,”I go to do work for Mark Prince  cocoa farm yesterday and one  man called Chilo met us in the bush and asked us about the owner of the farm and we  told him we are labourers  working for Mark Prince.

“He demanded that I should call our master, Mr. Mark Prince because he wants to speak with him. And I responded to his demand and i put a call across to Mark Prince and they spoke with each other. And thereafter, Mr. Chilo  ( ASU Njor) asked us to continue with our work and he left in company of the boys.

“Only for him to return back about 30 minutes later in company of armed young men who tortured us squarely  and inflicted  injuries on us with machetes.

In his reaction, the  accused, Mr. Asu Njor (Chilo), denied any involvement in the attack stressing that he was in Càlabar and not at  Abonita farm on the day that Mark Prince’s workers  claimed  they  attacked  adding that he had no hands in the matter.

Reacting, Gov Otu’s Special Adviser on Security Matters Maj.Gen Rtd. Okoi Obono, denied compromise of security situation at the estate, as alleged  stressing that he had asked police to commence investigation.

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.