ONICCIMA Calls for Dialogue as Anambra Shuts Onitsha Main Market
The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) has called on the Anambra State Government to resolve the closure of Onitsha Main Market through dialogue, warning that prolonged shutdowns over sit-at-home activities could worsen economic losses, disrupt supply chains, and threaten livelihoods across the state.
Chris Ngige Faces N1.8B Corruption Trial in Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Friday over alleged corruption, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Ngige, also a former Governor of Anambra State, will appear at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, as the sole defendant in an eight-count corruption charge (FCT/HC/CR/726/2025). Filed on December 9 by a legal team led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, the charges allege that Ngige, while serving under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, used his position to benefit companies linked to his associates. He is accused of awarding NSITF contracts worth over N1.8 billion to companies including Cezimo Nigeria Limited, Zitacom Nigeria Limited, Jeff & Xris Limited, Olde English Consolidated Limited, and Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited. Ngige is also alleged to have accepted gifts totaling N119,783,000 through organisations linked to him, including the Senator Chris Ngige Campaign Organisation and the Chris Ngige Scholarship Scheme, while performing official duties. The offences contravene the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, specifically Sections 17(a) and 19, and are punishable under Section 179(c) of the Act.
Anambra Guber: INEC Boss Warns Against Vote-Buying, Extends PVC Collection
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a stern warning against vote-buying ahead of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the warning on Tuesday during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held to review preparedness for the upcoming polls. Amupitan reaffirmed his commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections that genuinely reflect the will of the people, noting that the Commission had completed a week-long readiness assessment across Anambra State. “Our mandate is to conduct credible elections, and we are determined that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised,” he stated. He, however, disclosed that INEC encountered network issues during a recent Mock Accreditation Exercise conducted in 12 polling units across six Local Government Areas using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). He assured that necessary steps are being taken to ensure a seamless voting process on election day. Providing further updates, the INEC Chairman said results of the election would be collated at 326 ward centres, 21 local government centres, and finally at the State Collation Centre in Awka. Following a report that only 63.9 percent of registered voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Amupitan announced an extension of PVC collection in Anambra State. The exercise, he said, will continue from Wednesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 2, 2025, to allow more voters to obtain their cards. “Our mission remains ensuring that every logistical, security, and operational element required for the Anambra election is perfectly in place,” Amupitan added. He also emphasized the importance of synergy among security agencies, describing it as “non-negotiable” in the effort to safeguard the integrity of the polls. The Commission, according to him, has concluded arrangements with transport unions, including the National Association of Transport Owners (NATO), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria (MUWN), hiring 200 buses and 83 boats for the smooth movement of electoral materials and personnel. The INEC boss warned political actors and stakeholders against any form of inducement or vote trading, stressing that security agencies must ensure a zero-tolerance environment for vote buyers. “We must join hands to combat the menace of vote buying. Security agents cannot afford to create an environment that allows vote buyers to operate during the Anambra election. Together, let us uphold the values of democracy and work relentlessly for the credibility of our elections,” Amupitan said.
Anambra Guber: CP assures fair treatment for all
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Ikioye Orutugu, has assured the public of professional conduct and neutrality among its personnel during the Nov. 8 governorship election in the state. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, gave the assurance in a statement on Monday in Awka. Ikenga quoted Orutugu as also calling for strict adherence to the rule of law among the officers and men, during the election. “As part of the ongoing security preparations for the forthcoming Anambra gubernatorial election, the CP, Anambra Command, Ikioye Orutugu has embarked on an operational tour and evaluation across the Police Area Command to assess the readiness of the officers and men for the crucial assignment. “The exercise which commenced with a visit to the Onitsha Area Command, saw the CP leading the high-visibility patrols through major routes and strategic locations within the area. “He also addressed officers and men emphasizing the need for professionalism, neutrality, and strict adherence to the rule of law during election duties,” Ikenga said. The police spokesman also quoted the CP as calling on the officers and men to remain disciplined and committed to upholding the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force. The Command reiterated its commitment to provide a safe and secure environment before, during and after the election. Orutugu noted the commitment of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to free, fair, and credible elections nationwide. Ikenga said that during the patrol, the CP inspected operational formations, police posts, and checkpoints in the area to ensure that the deployed officers and men were alert and properly equipped. The CP commended the cooperation of sister security agencies as well as other security stakeholders in the area for their synergy and support to the police. Orutugu further urged residents of the state to remain law-abiding and to report all suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
Police warn against caste-based discrimination in Anambra
Apparently worried by rising incidents of violence by state institutions, the Anambra Police Command has called on communities to promote peaceful coexistence. In a statement by its spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police command advised communities to shun the ‘osu’ caste-based discrimination in particular. SP Tochukwu Ikenga, made the call in a statement issued to newsmen in Awka on Wednesday. Ikenga stated that the practice of the osu caste system violates fundamental rights of citizens. The Nigerian Anchor reports that some state based security agencies have been involved in recent acts of violence leading to loss of life. “The Police Command in Anambra has reiterated that any form of discrimination, humiliation, or denial of rights based on caste practices is barbaric, unlawful, and a gross violation of the fundamental human rights guaranteed under Nigerian law. “Section 42(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), provides that no citizen shall be subjected to any form of discrimination on the basis of community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion, or circumstance of birth. “Likewise, Section 34(1) affirms the right to dignity of the human person and prohibits all forms of inhuman or degrading treatment. “The command urges residents of Anambra to promote peace, equality, and mutual respect for human rights, and to report any incident of caste-based discrimination to the nearest police station for appropriate action. “In addition, the Discrimination Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2018 criminalises all forms of discrimination and prescribes penalties for offenders. “The command warns that attempts to deny couples the right to marry or live freely together on the basis of caste practices is unacceptable and unlawful. “Once two consenting adults agree to marry, no cultural barrier or discriminatory practice has any legal standing to override their constitutional rights to freedom of association (Section 40), family life, and dignity,” Ikenga stated. He added that the country is governed by the rule of law “and not oppressive or degrading traditional practices, and anyone found culpable of enforcing caste-based discrimination will face the full weight of the law. “The dignity, freedom, and security of every individual in the state remain a top priority to the command,” Ikenga added.
Police to investigate cruel murder of youth by kidnappers
Nigerian Police in Anambra state has ordered investigation into the gruesome murder of a youth in Amansea, Awka-North Local Government by suspected kidnappers. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga quoted the state commissioner of police, Ikioye Orutugu as giving the order in a statement, on Friday in Awka. The sister to the deceased told the police on Thursday that their abductors were Fulani herdsmen who tried to humiliate them, but owing to the resistance of her brother they attacked him, resulting to his death. Orutugu said the trending video of a tragic incident involving the abduction of a young boy and his two sisters in the state, was a cruel murder of the boy by the suspected kidnappers that needed to be investigated. He condemned in the strongest terms the heartless and barbaric act, which was currently trending in the social media. The CP condoled with the grieving family as well as the good people of Amansea, adding that operatives of the State Intelligence Department to identify the survivor to assist the police in its investigation. The commissioner urged members of the public to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative by providing credible information that would aid the swift arrest of the suspects. The CP reiterated the command’s resolve to remain firm in the war against kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state. Oturugu assured that the command would continue to prioritize the protection of every citizen in line with the constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property.
Governance: Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu residents rate governors
The governors were rated high on security, infrastructure and governance As most administrations in the country observe the midterm review, many residents of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States score their governors high in security, infrastructure and governance. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi mark their two years in office, their counterpart in Anambra, Prof Chukwuma Soludo is rounding up his first four-year tenure in November, 2025. In Enugu State, Igwe Patrick Okoro, the Traditional Ruler of Nkpunano Community in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, said Gov Mbah had done well in various sectors of the economy in the state especially in infrastructure, security and good leadership. Okoro, while reacting to the performance of the governors since assuming office in May 2023, said that Mbah had done massive infrastructural development in the three senatorial districts of the state. “We, in Enugu North Senatorial District, have benefited 102 Smart Green Schools, 102 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres and more importantly the ongoing dualization of the Enugu-Ugwogo Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road. “The district is happy with what Mbah has done in the past two years and we urge him to keep it up,” he said. Mr Onyekachi Omeje, President, Nsukka Youths Development Association, said that the governor had transformed the motor parks in the state with a state of the art bus terminals in Enugu and Nsukka. Omeje however, said that Mbah should improve in areas of employment and empowerment especially as it concerned youths in the state. Mrs Ngozi Ozioko, former Chairman of Nsukka Main Market, said that Mbah had transformed the state with quality infrastructure especially in education and health as well as ensuring adequate security in Enugu State. Ozioko commended the governor for including women in his cabinet and urged him to continue to appoint more women in his administration. “To me, Mbah is a game-changer; if he continues this way, Enugu State will be the best state in the country by the time he finishes his first and second tenures,” she said. However, the former market leader urged the governor to compensate all traders whose shops were demolished by his administration to build modern bus terminals in the state. Chief Onyema Idoko, former Nsukka LG Caretaker Committee Chairman and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that infrastructures on ground in Enugu State remained eloquent testimony that Mbah had done well since May 29, 2023 he assumed office. Idoko urged people who said that the governor had not done well in terms of employment and empowerment to know that massive infrastructure would provide enabling environment for business to thrive in the state. According to Idoko, these massive infrastructure the governor is putting in place would in turn boost youth employment and empowerment in the state in future. Speaking, Chief Anthony Onyishi, Deputy-govenorship Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2023 general elections, said that Nsukka people were happy with the Smart school vision of Mbah as well as the dualization of the Enugu-Ugwogo Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road. Onyishi however, said that Mbah could have used virgin lands to build the Smart Schools instead of demolishing some existing primary and secondary schools in the state to build the Smart schools. On agriculture, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, said that Gov. Mbah had deepened the vision to make Enugu State export and commercial agriculture hub in Africa. According to him, the ministry started with a target of acquiring 300,000 hectares of farmland for agricultural purposes especially for developing large scale commercial farming. He said that so far, 187,934 hectares across various locations in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state had been acquired; and more land to be acquired from willing communities across the LGAs. “Continuous update and registration of farmers data on all agricultural value chains across the 17 LGAs in Enugu State has been completed. This is to ensure that the State has a robust and verified data of all farmers within the state. “Over 67,000 farmers’ data have been captured featuring the geo coordinates, farm sizes, specialisations, value-chain etc of these farmers and their farms with over 80 farmer co-operatives registered so far,” he said. On Economy, the Director General of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr Uchechukwu Mba, said the governor had been building on the economy of the state. He observed that a lot of infrastructure development and reforms under Mbah’s administration made the state stand out within two years in office. “In my personal assessment, he is doing well in the areas of transport, infrastructure, investment in education, health sector and a whole lot of others. “But government needs to sustain what it is doing currently and look at the effect of the existing policies they already formulated by reviewing some of them to improve lives of the citizens. “This is important as so many business owners are complaining about taxation, but for me as a person, tax is a necessary policy that the government has to keep. “Our own is to make sure that every tax policy is friendly and that the means of collecting them does not affect or bring adverse effect on the living standard. “So we are in support of what the government is doing and we encourage the government to always look downwards and hear from the citizens,”. The President, Airfreight Stakeholder’s Forum, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Comrade Chinedu Abugu, hailed Gov. Mbah for changing narratives in the state’s transport sector. Congratulating him on his achievements on transportation under two years, Abugu, said the governor built bus terminals in different places in Enugu capital and Nsukka, taking transport sector to another level as obtained in developed countries. “And recently, the governor, in the collaboration of partners, has launched the Enugu Air. It is already in the news and no longer a secret, that Enugu has an airline which will boost the economy of the state. “It is also going to boost the
President Tinubu Visits Anambra State
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu currently on a visit to Anambra State, commissions Emeka Anyaoku Institute of International Studies and Diplomacy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The Nigerian Anchor reports that the President will also be commissioning an entertainment complex called the Solution Funcity, which features the Anambra Country Club, a Family Fun House, a Water Park, and an Amusement Park in Anambra State.
Memories of my beloved Mum, Mrs. Florence Ego Azuka
By: Romanus Ike Azuka “I don’t know why people are mortal and fated to die,” muses Harold S. Kushner, “nor why they die at the time and in the way they do. Perhaps we can try to understand it by picturing what the world would be like if people lived forever.” In this contemplation lies a profound truth: mortality shapes our existence, lending it urgency and meaning. There are but three events in a man’s life: birth, life and death, as Jean de La Bruyère postulates, a stark reminder that we are born to die. Yet, have we ever paused to ask: What if we lived forever? In Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses encounters Calypso, an immortal divine being untouched by death’s shadow. Fascinated by this mortal man, she envies him, not for his longevity, but for his finitude. His life, bounded by time, brims with significance; every choice he makes bears weight precisely because it is fleeting, a genuine act of will. Contrast this with Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, where ,in the land of the Luggnaggians, a rare child is born with a red circular mark upon its forehead, a sign it shall never die. Gulliver first imagines these Struldbrugs as the most fortunate of beings, ” exempt from that universal calamity of human nature. “Yet, upon meeting them, he finds them pitiable beyond measure. They age into frailty, their companions perish, and they linger on, burdened by ailments, grievances, and an unrelenting weariness. Bereft of death’s release, they endure a life grown unbearable. Homer reveals an immortal envying our mortality; Swift bids us pity those who cannot die, urging us to see that while the knowledge of our end may be tragic, an endless existence would be insufferable. Were humanity to live forever,one of two fates would ensue: the world would grow impossibly crowded,or procreation would cesse to prevent it. In either case,we would lose the renewal a child’s birth brings—-the promise of a fresh start,a new dawn under the sun. Indeed,in a world of immortals,we ourselves might never have come to be. Our mum was not of Homer’s world, nor of Swift’s. Suffice it to say, she was mortal,bound by those three immutable events: birth, life, and death. Her name was Mrs. Florence Ego Azuka, fondly known as Fashion. Born to humble Ezeoke parents in Ire Village, Ojoto, in present day Anambra state, she entered the world 85 years ago as the eldest of six siblings (four sisters and a brother). Her parents gave her the name Nwakueke, a title later reshaped to Ego, derived from Ego-Oyibo, in the home of her matrimony. With her conversion to Christianity, she embraced the name Florence, a beacon of her faith. From her tender years, she bore a spirit of determination, compassion and tenderness, ever placing family and others before herself. This disposition was forged by a singular event, her mother, Nne Omesie, fell gravely ill. Thrust into a motherly role for her younger siblings, Florence Ego Azuka ‘s character was moulded amid life’s early vicissitudes, preparing her for the trials to come. In 1962, she got married to our late patriarch, Chief Okeke Nnaoma Azuka (Kwaji-Kwaji). A union that bore nine children, though two, the second and the third, died during the period of the civil war. With a blend of tenderness, love, and tenacity, Mama raised us, her equanimity a steady light through life’s tempests. She faced each challenge with calm and grace, her faith in love, perseverance, and divine mercy unshaken. Life’s sternest test came twenty-five years ago with the loss of her beloved husband. Yet,in the shadow of his passing,she did not falter—she rose. With quiet resolve and a heart fortified by love,she became our family’s pillar,carrying our dreams,bearing our burdens,and guiding us forward with unfaltering grace. Mama was no woman of cant; her words rang true,unmarred by hollow platitudes. She spoke with sincerity and conviction,her lessons wrapped in gentle honesty,her wisdom,a compass for her brood For decades, she bore a persistent affliction of the leg, a burden known to all in Enugo Village. A silent companion that shadowed her through the years. What began as a trial in the beginning grew graver with time, its weight deepening as her steps faltered. Yet she met this relentless foe with unwavering fortitude, her spirit unbowed. Though it clung to her until her final days, she fought fiercely to live, defiant, resolute, never permitting it to dim the radiance of her love or the fire of her devotion. For everything there is a season, declares Ecclasiastes, and a time appointed unto every purpose under Heaven: a time to be born, and time to die. If, then, there be but three events in mortal’s life: birth, life, and death, as Jean de La Bruyère observed, it suffices to say that human being is, in essence, a postponed corpse that begets as Fernando Pessoa so starkly noted. Herein lie the twin certainties of humanity: birth, the dawn of existence, and death, its inevitable twilight. This truth finds echo in the words of Julius Caio Caesar, who proclaimed, “Death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.” A stoic resignation to fate’s unyielding decree. So it was with our mum, whose race in this earthly realm drew to its close on September 14, 2024. Yet, amidst our grief, we find solace in the immortal wisdom of Albert Einstein, “Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us; our bodies are but wilted leaves on the tree of life. Thus, the life of the departed is enshrined in the memory of the living, a testament to how the cherished endure through the hearts of those who loved them. And so, Mama’s spirit abides, radiant and undimmed, within the souls of her children and grandchildren, whom she left behind. We love you, Mama Romanus Ike Azuka, a Sociologist and Attorney in training, wrote in from Sao Paulo, Brazil
APGA Schedules Anambra Governorship Primary for April 5
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has fixed April 5, 2025, for its governorship primary election in Anambra State. This is in preparation for the main governorship election set for November 8, 2025. According to the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms will start on February 28. Aspirants interested in contesting under APGA will pay N5 million for the Expression of Interest Form and N25 million for the Nomination Form. However, a five percent discount has been approved for female aspirants and persons with disabilities. The primary election will take place at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, where party members will gather for a special state congress. The screening of aspirants is scheduled for March 28 at APGA’s National Headquarters in Abuja. APGA has also released a provisional timetable for the entire election process. However, the party retains the right to adjust the dates if necessary. The decision aligns with the APGA Constitution and follows the timetable set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the upcoming governorship election in Anambra.