# The Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze on Tuesday at plenary, red-out the first batch of commisoner nominees from Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for confirmation.
The nominees are; Dr. Ben Chuks Odoemena (Agriculture),
Mr. Chukwukadibia Okoye (Budget and Economic Planning), Mr. Udoji Amedu
(Culture, Entertainment and Tourism), Dr. Ekene Ogugua (Education), Dr. Clem Aguiyi (Environment), Mr. Izuchukwu M. Okafor (Finance), Dr. Afam Obidike (Health), Dr. Law Mefor (Information and Value Reformation), Barr. Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN (Justice/Attorney-General),
Other nominees include: Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, SAN (Lands), Barr. Vin Ezeaka (Local Government and Community Affairs), Prof. Charles Ofoegbu (Petroleum and Mineral Resources), Barr. Chijioke Oseloka Ojukwu (Physical Planning and Urban Development), Engr. Casmir Chinenye Agummadu (Power), Arc. Okey Ezeobi (Works and Infrastructure), Hon. Eddy Ibuzo (Transport), Mrs. Esther Chinyere Onyekesi (Women Affairs and Social Development), and Mr. Patrick Agha, (Youth Development and Sports)
The Speaker referred the names to the Committee on Screening And Election Matters.
# Chief Austin Ndigwe has formally denounced claims that he is still parading himself as the “Eze Uzu III” of Awka.
In a letter personally signed and submitted to the Governor of Anambra State and the Attorney General, Ndigwe distanced himself from viral social media posts linking him to the Awka throne.
He called the reports the work of mischief makers and said he never authorized any such publication. “Such information seeks to implicate me… they are made in utmost bad faith”, he wrote.
Ndigwe affirmed his respect for the Government White Paper from the Commission of Inquiry on the Awka kingship dispute and declared his commitment to the peace and stability of the ancient kingdom.
# Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, following a deadly clash among security operatives stationed at the facility.
The incident occurred at the hospital’s security post and was reportedly triggered by a dispute over a mobile phone allegedly stolen by one of the operatives.
According to eyewitness, the suspect demanded ₦4,000 from the phone’s owner as a condition for its return. However, after collecting the money, he allegedly refused to hand over the device, leading to a heated argument among the personnel.
The situation quickly escalated into violence, during which one of the operatives allegedly opened fire. One person was killed on the spot, while another sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
# The Commissioner Nominees by Governor Chukwuma Soludo will appear
before the Screening Committee of the
Anambra State House of Assembly on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th May 2026.
According to a statement signed by Anambra Assembly Clerk, Dr. Anthony Ughenu, the House in exercise of its Constitutional duties enshrined in Section 192(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, invites all nominees to appear for screening.
First batch for the screening: Hon. Eddy Ibuzo, Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, Dr. BenChuks Odoemena, Mr. Chukwukadibia Okoye, Barr. Vin Ezeaka, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, Mr. Udeoji Amedu and Arch. Okey Ezeobi are to appear on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at
the Speaker’s Conference Hall, House of Assembly Complex, Awka, by 11:00 am prompt.
The second batch: Dr. Afam Obidike, Dr. Law Mefor, Dr. Ekene Ogugua, Barr. Chijioke Oseloka Ojukwu, Engr. Casmir Chinenye Agummadu, Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, Mrs. Esther Chinyere Onyekesi and Mr. Patrick Aghamba are to appear for screening on Friday May 8th 2026.
The Commissioner Nominees are to come with15 copies of Academic credentials, 15 copies of Curriculum Vitae
and a copy of Code of Conduct Form
# The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, visited Sacred Heart Catholic Chaplaincy, Ngozika Estate, Awka, in Awka South LGA, four years after his last visit.
In his homily, Bishop Ezeokafor, who was accompanied by the Chancellor of Diocese, Rev. Fr. Charles Ndubuisi; the Education Secretary of the Diocese and the Priest-in-Residence, Rev. Fr. Maximus Okonkwo; the Bursar of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Nicodemus Izuchukwu; the Director of Fides Media, Rev. Fr. Obiora Ikeh; the Deputy Director of Fides Media, Rev. Fr. Constantine Echichechi Okoli; among others, expressed delight with the level of development recorded so far in the Chaplaincy, especially in the area of infrastructure and other basic things expected to be seen in a Chaplaincy.
The Prelate, while extolling the Chaplaincy and the Parishioners, exhorted them to think about supporting and investing at the Cathedral level, noting that the Cathedral remained the headquarters of the Diocese and deserved to be up-to-date and better, describing it as the symbol and the first port of call for any visitor coming into the Diocese.
# Hundreds of women from Umuenwelum Anam in Anambra West LGA of Anambra State, staged a peaceful protest over the controversial death of their kinswoman, Mrs. Anthonia Chisom Okafor, in Lagos.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of Umuada Umuenwelum (daughters of the community), converged from various parts of Anambra, Delta and beyond.
The women marched to the residence of the deceased’s husband’s family at Umungwuoba kindred, Umualor village, Umudora Anam, describing their mission as both a fact-finding visit and a formal presentation of demands.
Mrs. Okafor, aged 26, reportedly died on April 9, 2026, shortly after childbirth. However, her death has since sparked widespread concern following reports of visible mutilations on her body and what the community described as “inconsistent explanations” from her husband, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor.
Dressed in black mourning attire and carrying green leaves—symbols of protest and justice in Igbo tradition—the women demanded accountability and clarity regarding the circumstances of her death.
# The people of Ihiala LGA have made a bold and declarative statement that Rt. Hon. Dr. Paschal Agbodike is their consensus candidate for Ihiala federal constituency, House of Representatives election next year.
The declarative statement was made in unison by stakeholders and political heavyweights of Ihiala at the official declaration ceremony of Agbodike for a second term in office at the Ihiala Local Government Secretariat new ultramodern multipurpose hall.
The stakeholders and political leaders in their separate speeches concurred that Agbodike surpassed expectations of the people in his first term and as such deserves to be reelected because they were of the opinion that the reward for good work is more work.
# A total power outage in Omagba since April 30, 2026, has left residents struggling to access water, with prices doubling across the community.
The blackout has disrupted borehole operations, which many households depend on for daily supply. With electricity unavailable, borehole owners now rely on fuel and diesel to pump water, pushing costs higher for consumers.
Mr. Sylvester Nnabuike, a landlord and resident, said he uses electricity exclusively to run his borehole.
“Now that there is no power, I cannot afford to buy fuel because the price is too high. It will cost me a lot,” he said. Nnabuike urged relevant authorities to intervene urgently.
Most borehole owners in Omagba use diesel, which is also costly, forcing many residents to trek from one borehole to another in search of affordable water.
