* The Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Lands, Mrs Nkeiru Mokwe (ESQ) has charged staff of her ministry on effective service delivery.
Speaking during her first meeting with the staff in the ministry complex, Mrs Mokwe (ESQ) commended the commissioner , Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, (SAN) for being a ‘go getter’ and for his understanding nature and advised the staff not to abuse the privilege given to them by the commissioner. She stressed the need for staff to develop a good attitude to work and always take permission from the head of their department if need arises. According to her, negligence in discharge of duty in civil service is truancy and has its own penalty.
* There was pandemonium at the popular Aroma area of Awka, the Anambra State capital when gunmen suspected to be cultists gunned down a middle-aged man.
The victim, who was said to hail from Amudo Village of Awka, was said to be a tricycle revenue collector who was previously a Keke operator himself. The assailants trailed him from Ifite area of the state capital and shot him at close range at a filling station which serves as a popular stop for buses and tricycles.
* The Transition Committee Chairman (TCC), Njikoka Local Government Area (LGA), Hon. Clems Aguiyi, has urged the Anambra state governmentat to see to the full implementation of the Child’s Rights Act (CRA) and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) to curb any form of violence, especially gender-based violence, in society. Aguiyi made the plea during the inauguration of stakeholders at the local government. The TC Chairmsn spoke on the need to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against children, and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims as well as punishment of offenders.
* An official of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) has been gunned down at Aroma junction. Though there have been cult related killings in Awka since Easter, it was not clear if Thursday mornings incident was related to cultism. A source said the incident happened close to a motor park, where commuters ferry passengers from Awka to Nnewi. According to an eye witness, the victim stopped some people who were driving a Toyota Sienna vehicle with tinted glasses, and the people shot him and drove off.
* The Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Don Onyenji, has called on the members of the public to learn some lessons from the recent fatal boat mishap that occured in the State, involving a movie cast. Reacting to the incident while addressing newsmen in Awka, Commissioner Onyenji, described it as unfortunate and painful, especially considering the loss of lives that resulted from it, including that of Junior Pope and other promising talents in the movie and other creative industries.
He revealed that, prior to the unfortunate incident, the state government, through the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, had an ongoing deal for a movie project with the deceased actor, Junior Pope, and which would have been done under the Ministry’s brainchild — the ANAWOOD (Anambra movie industry); regretting that Pope’s life has just been cut short in such an unthinkable manner.
* A Professor of Counselling Psychology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State, Prof Nnamdi Josephat Obikeze, has attributed inadequate funding, death of qualified and experienced Counsellors, incompetence among Counsellors, non functioning professional bodies, proliferation and use of quasi Counsellors, inadequate sensitization of citizens about Counselling Unfavourable government policies, over dependence on government for support and non uniformity of Counselling programmes in Universities as factors affecting Guidance and Counselling practice in Nigeria.
* Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Felix Odimegwu, has said environmental well-being and sustainability was top on the priorities of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration in the State. Engr. Odimegwu disclosed this during an inspection of some drainages and waterways in Amawa village, Ogbunike, in Oyi Local Government Area of the State.
The Environment Ministry had earlier received a report about blockage of waterways by a developer in the area.
* Southeast Resilience and Support Group (SERSuG), a Coalition of concerned stakeholders for social and economic development of the Southeast geopolitical zone has stated that Governor of Anambra State Prof Charles soludo non conduct of local government elections has stagnated the development in rural areas of the state. The coordinator of the group, Prince Chris Azor in exclusive chat with our correspondent in Awka Anambra State said the Governor should keep to his words and promise during governorship elections in 2022.
According to him, the Governor had promised to conduct local government elections in the state within six months and later said two years , he has spent two years nothing is done .
* Anambra State chapter, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), has stated that its members will continue with the ongoing strike until the allowances that had been recurring in the budget since 2019 were paid. The association said it is only staff of Anambra Assembly that are yet to be paid full legislative duty, outfit and hazard allowances in the whole of federation and south east in particular.
According to PASAN Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu PASAN enjoy full payment of the allowances. The Chairman, of the Association, Mr Abraham Okoye said that the union was not out to fight or witch-hunt the Speaker or the Governor of the state but to demand what is due for their members. According to him, the union is only agitating for their rights which has been denied them since 2019.
The union had started the indefinite strike since March 28 and it was over non implementation of full legislative financial autonomy by the state government.
* The recent wave of road commissioning in Anambra State by Governor Chukwuma Soludo has excited many of the citizens especially the direct beneficiaries of the projects. One of those elated is the president of Ogbaru Main Market, otherwise known as Relief Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, who declared during his interview with newsmen that he has “always known that Prof. Soludo will perform”.
