By Yagana Ali Yola 

Adamawa state government has received $1 million dollar awards from  the  World Bank for improvement in land administration system in the state

Mr. James Iliya, commissioner for information and strategy, made the disclosure, shortly after the State Executive Council (SEC), presided over by the Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta , at Government House Yola.

James stated, that the award was based on improved efficiency on property registration and sustainability of the land base investment process value in the state 

He added that” The award is based on new land reforms introduced by the present administration”.

Meanwhile, the SEC has approved the procurement of High Earn Scanners and Digital Digital Achieving System for the conversion of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from January 2012 to 31 December 2024.

The approval under the Disbursement Linked Indicator or “DLI” of the state action business enabling reform was contracted to Albashir Nigeria Limited within a three months time frame.

Also government engaged the the services of consultant, Marathon Capital Market Limited to provide business advisory services on setting up Adamawa Mortgage Bank

The project which is to be completed within 48 months is geared towards enabling people to have affordable land and houses of their own.

In August last year the government  released N2.5 billion as capital base to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to revive the state homes and savings, earlier feaseled out of business due to its failure to meet up with the financial standard.

By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu

The Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Enugu State chapter has called for the immediate dethronement of the traditional ruler of Agunese   Mmaku autonomous community in Awgu local government area of Enugu State, Igwe Cyprain Maduabuchi Nevobasi.

The human rights organisation made the call in an open letter it wrote to Gov. Peter Mbah and copied to the chairman of Enugu State traditional rulers council.

In the emotion filled letter signed by Comrade Kindness Jonah and made available to Journalists, CLO wants the traditional stool taken away from Igwe Nevobasi because of his highhandedness on his subjects who he hounds, harasses and intimidates, using his prime position.

The monarch is specifically accused of castrating people into prison who object to his alleged malfeasance and dictatorial tendencies such as Theophilus Chukwu and David Okeke as well as Barr. Vincent Okafor who is currently locked up at the Enugu Correctional Centre on the orders of the royal father.

According to CLO, the Monarch is not popular among his people and does everything humanly possible to suppress and subjugate them into cowed submission.

Cataloguing many crimes and criminalities which they discovered through investigation such as embezzlement of community funds, forming of a terror gang that terrorise and carry out mayhem on the people, CLO recommended that Igwe Cyprian Maduachi Nevobasi, aka, Ogirishi Igbo should be made to abdicate his position as the Igwe of Agunese Autonomous Community forthwith for peace to reign.

“The Executive Governor of Enugu  State ,Peter Mbah, having  thoroughly investigated this criminal case that did not  happen in his  regime, should see  enough  reason to order  for the immediate release of  all  the hitherto  castrated in prison by the police in the satanic order of  Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi .  

“The Enugu State  Chairman of  Traditional Rulers ,should , after due  hearing from both sides, enlist  the withdrawal  of  the  Traditional Stool from Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi, and  advise the Governor rightly to  approve of it.

“The  Honourable  Commissioner  for Rural  Development , Enugu State, should  question Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi  for forging a fictitious  document that the Ministry had ordered the cancellation of  the election of the executives  of  the  Town Union of  Agunese   Mmaku Autonomous Community , and  ordered  him to publish the recant on , at least,  5  National Dailies.

“To each of the families whose  son(s) or daughter(s) had been killed by the militia raised by Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi, it is strictly recommended  that Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi should pay the sum of two hundred  million (N 200, 000, 000)  naira.

“To each person , hitherto  castrated in Enugu prisons or  correctional center  or police  cell  by the police in satanic obedience of the orders of Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi, it is strictly recommended  that Mr. Cyprian  Maduabuchi  Nevobasi  should pay the sum of  twenty  million (N 20, 000, 000)  naira.

“The  State  Government should  immediately announce the separation of, that is , the parallel line between, Traditional  Rulership   AND  Town  Union  Development . whereas the former is under the Ministry of  Chieftaincy Affairs , the latter is under the Ministry of  Rural Development,” CLO recommends.

By Mark Akudu, kogi

Funds meant for the renovation of classroom blocks in Acharu Egume under Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State have been allegedly diverted.

This is according to a recent investigation by Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre, WAMAC which was aired on a private radio station Grace FM in their weekly program tagged  kpuff corruption.

The investigation, which was monitored by our correspondent in Lokoja revealed that Acharu Egume, an ancient community in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, has long faced educational neglect. 

According to the NGO findings, “Despite being in dire need of a junior secondary school, the community has never had the privilege of one. Years ago, the government constructed a block of four classrooms to serve the community. 

“However, this structure was left unfurnished, and no staff were posted to the school. Eventually, the building was abandoned, and over time, wind damage and fire further deteriorated the structure.

“In 2022, the community’s hopes were rekindled when a representative from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), identified Okpanachi, promised renovations.

“However, wadata investigative team visited the community and gathered that, instead of addressing the main block, he allegedly redirected resources to a  structure used by primary school pupils tagged UBEC/SUBEB/RN/071/21 for smaller expenses, leaving the original building in disrepair”.

A leader of the community said “We were shocked when the supervisor of the project named Okpanachi came and started to do renovation on the primary school. At first, we thought he came to resuscitate the Junior Secondary School which was long abandoned because of the dilapidated structure. When he came, Okpanachi told us that he was supposed to renovate the junior secondary School here in Ocharu but decided to switch to the primary session since the other one is not functioning. 

The Ogohi Atah Acharu, HRH Abdul Usman Omale narrated how lack of the government’s attention to the school has brought the community backward.

“As you can see for yourself, things are backward in our community. Our Children usually trek several miles just to attend good school. On countless occasions, our Children have been exposed to dangers because of the spate of insecurity in the Country. Am using this medium to appeal to the Kogi State Government to come to our aid. 

“If what we hear is that money meant for the rehabilitation of the Junior Secondary School was diverted, whoever is found culpable should be arrested and brought to book. The present generation will be at risk tomorrow if they fail to have access to qualitative education which is the bedrock of any nation. Acharu community needs good schools with Teachers so that the future of our Children can be secured”.

The Community leader, Jonathan Okpanachi and Elder Jeremiah Onugba narrated their ordeals with the contractor despite their parsuation for him to work on the main abandoned building.

According to them” When he (Okpanachi) came to Acharu to execute the project, we told him clearly that he should focus on what he was sent to do, which is the renovation of the Junior Secondary School. To our greatest dismay, he never listened to our cry and still went ahead to do what he wanted. Since we were helpless, there was nothing we could do but to align with him. We are calling on the Government to investigate the matter if what we are hearing is true”.

Wadata investigative team contacted Mr Okpanachi to hear his own side of the story, but he said he was there to supervise the project not as the contractor.

He refused to disclose who was the contractor that handled the project which means there’s hiding secrecy that calls for questioning.

“I am not the contractor for the project. I don’t know the contractor. It was a company that somebody represented and at that time they did their work. The building is not separated. I don’t know the one that is junior or senior Secondary School. The contract was for the renovation of four class rooms and it has been done for over two years. 

“Those communities are some how. Something that we have done for the past two years, why are they complaining now? It was only the headmaster and headmistress that was there when the contractors started the work. They wrote a letter of appreciation to SUBEB Lokoja for the work done”.

The Wadata investigative team also gathered that the renovation of the original block was supposed to include fresh roofing, repairs of doors and windows, ceiling work, tiling, and painting. 

Reacting to the alleged diversion, the civil society activist, Success Adejo, condemned the act and called on the government to as a matter of urgency investigate and address the situation.

He said, “if there is an action like that, it is a total fraud. If money is not spent for the purpose of what it was intended for, then it is absolute fraud and needs to be looked into. If you were to construct two primary school blocks and you went ahead to construct one block, that is absolute fraud. Because what was initially budgeted for is not what was done.

” If you are to do a project for primary school and you diverted the money to build another School, that is absolute division from the original intention in which that contract was signed. It is absolute fraud which should be investigated. The government should as a matter of importance monitor every project that they have awarded. When you award a project and you don’t do monitoring, then you are off the track”.

The team made an effort to speak with the management of the SUBEB but proved abortive as they could not respond to our visit, calls and the letter.

 By Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu 

The Enugu State Government has restricted human and vehicular movement for the state’s monthly sanitation on Saturday, Sept. 28, between the hours of 7am and 10am. 

This is contained in a statement issued by the Senior Personal Assistant (SPA) to Gov. Peter Mbah on Water and Waste, Mr Andreas Gebauer, on Friday in Enugu.

Gebauer, who doubles as the Managing Director of Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), said that there would be restriction of all forms of movement in the state except for those on essential services.

He said that those on essential services must provide a valid means of identification or ESWAMA’s official Pass.

The governor’s aide said that “offenders will be arrested and prosecuted at the environmental mobile court of law.”

“All early morning sporting activities across the state, loading/off-loading of passengers in motor parks and other commercial activities should be suspended during the clean-up exercise.

 “The Authority appeals to the general public to bag their waste properly before disposal.

“Residents should also ensure they pay their ESWAMA bills at any commercial bank closer to them,” he said.

Gebauer noted that ESWAMA officials would be moving around to ensure that residents’ surroundings are clean – cut grasses, clear debris and clean drains to avoid water flow obstruction.

According to him, residents should join hands with the state government and make Enugu State clean, safe and beautiful.

By Maxwell Nwafor, Akwa-ibom

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Akwa Ibom State Command has arrested five suspects, who vandalised power installations, including high tension cables in Akwa Ibom.

The State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Bashar Hussaini, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing newsmen at the command headquarters in Uyo.

Hussaini said the suspects were arrested on September 22, 2024 at about 2:30am in Ikot Obio Ekpong village in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of the state.

“The suspects were caught in the act with the help of the local community, while cutting the High Tension Cables in the border between Ikot Obio Ekpong and Ikot Ekong village. 

“The suspects had also vandalised power infrastructure in Atanuk village, a neighboring village to the two affected villages.

“The suspects arrested include; Uchenna Uguru, the buyer of the stolen cables; Emmanuel Sampson, Victor Sampson and Kingsley Umoren, are the three suspects who vandalised the cables, while Joseph Emmanuel was the bike man, who conveyed them,” Hussaini said.

Hussaini said the suspects confessed to the crime and narrated that they monitored and ascertained when electricity supply was off, mounted their ladders and climbed to cut the high tension cables in the early hours of the night.

The state commandant said that exhibits recovered from the suspects includes; three bundles of high tension cables, vandalised from different points and a motorcycle used for the nefarious operation.

Hussaini expressed displeasure on the increasing rate of vandalism of public infrastructure, especially power installations in the state.

He renewed the commitment of the command to tackling the menace headlong and make Akwa Ibom state uncomfortable for vandals and criminal elements.

The NSCDC boss stated that the Command will continue to deploy intelligence and community approach to security as it is yielding positive results.

He called on citizens, community leaders, youths, and residents to partner with the Corps in timely dissemination of information of criminal activities in their localities for prompt action.

The state commandant said that the five suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.