# The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Anambra State, on Tuesday formally concluded the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream one Orientation Course with a colourful closing ceremony held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe NYSC Unity Permanent Orientation Camp, Umuawulu/Mbaukwu, Awka South Local Government Area.
The event commenced with the arrival of the NYSC Anambra State Coordinator, Mrs. Pauline Ojisua, who was accorded a ceremonial Quarter Guard honour by members of the Camp Security and Man O’ War personnel. She thereafter inspected the Guard mounted at the parade ground before witnessing an impressive display of military drills, including quick march and slow march, by Corps Members, reflecting the discipline and physical training acquired during the three-week orientation exercise.
Delivering her closing address, Mrs. Ojisua expressed gratitude to God for the successful completion of the Orientation Course, describing the exercise as peaceful, engaging and rewarding. She commended the Corps Members for their discipline, patriotism, enthusiasm and cooperation, noting that their positive conduct contributed significantly to the overall success of the programme.
The State Coordinator urged the Corps Members to uphold the ideals and core values of the NYSC Scheme as they proceed to their various Places of Primary Assignment (PPAs). She advised them to remain law-abiding, disciplined and security-conscious throughout their service year, stressing the Scheme’s prohibition of unauthorized and night travel.
# The wife of the Anambra State Governor, Nonye Soludo, has urged residents to prioritise their health and overall wellbeing, describing good health as the greatest investment.
Soludo gave the advice this Monday in a routine health and fitness message, encouraging residents to adopt healthy lifestyles that promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
She urged people to make self-care a daily priority, saying good health is the foundation for achieving personal goals and preventing lifestyle-related illnesses.
Recall that the governor’s wife has continued to champion healthy living through her Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative, which promotes physical fitness, healthy eating and disease prevention across the state.
# The Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has rescued 29 children and vulnerable persons and arrested six suspects during a targeted anti-child exploitation operation carried out at Otolo, in Nnewi North Local Government Area.
The victims, aged between six and 44 years, were rescued as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to combat child trafficking, street hawking, child labour, and other forms of child exploitation across Anambra State.
The six suspects are currently in custody and are alleged to have been directly involved in the exploitation of the rescued victims. Investigations are ongoing.
Speaking on the operation, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
The commissioner commended the Mayor of Nnewi North Local Government Area for his prompt cooperation, which contributed to the success of the operation.
She further stressed that the ministry remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding every child and vulnerable person in the state and will continue to pursue perpetrators of child exploitation with the full force of the law.
According to the ministry, preliminary investigations have revealed a concerning pattern of child abuse cases allegedly involving persons from Ebonyi State.
It therefore urged the Ebonyi State Government to take proactive measures to address the situation, noting that the increasing number of such cases continues to undermine child protection efforts in Anambra State and requires urgent attention.
# HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (HTM) Networks in Anambra State have called for a stronger partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to combat gender-based violence, stigma, discrimination and other human rights abuses undermining the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.
The appeal was made during an advocacy visit by HTM Networks to the Anambra State office of the NHRC under the Global Fund-supported Integrated Community-Led Monitoring (i-CLM) Project.
The advocates said strengthening collaboration between the Commission and civil society organisations would improve protection for vulnerable populations, enhance accountability within healthcare facilities and promote equitable access to quality HIV, TB and Malaria services across the state.
The Anambra State Coordinator of the Tuberculosis Network and State Advocacy Team Focal Lead on the i-CLM Project, Mrs. Ify Unachukwu, said community monitoring had continued to uncover widespread human rights violations affecting beneficiaries of HIV, TB and Malaria programmes.
According to her, many victims of rights violations are reluctant to seek justice because of fear of stigma and possible retaliation, while weak accountability mechanisms within some healthcare facilities have allowed abuses to persist.
Mrs. Unachukwu noted that the violations have continued to undermine healthcare delivery by contributing to delayed diagnosis, poor treatment adherence, treatment interruption and adverse health outcomes among affected persons.
She urged the National Human Rights Commission to work more closely with the State Advocacy Team and other civil society organisations to strengthen protection for patients and ensure that rights violations within healthcare settings are promptly addressed.
# The Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association (AnSFA), Chikelue Iloenyosi, has been re-elected to serve another four-year term.
Iloenyosi emerged victorious after polling 23 votes at the AnSFA Elective Congress held in Awka on Tuesday. The result was announced by the Returning Officer, Darlington Okeke.
Also returned to office was Johnson Ifejika as Vice Chairman, while veteran sports journalist Ralph-Chidozie George secured re-election as a board member.
Other members elected to the board include Obi Moneke and Ralph-Chidozie George, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, alongside Iloenyosi,
while Emmanuel Okeke and Nnamdi Igbokwe joined Vice Chairman Johnson Ifejika to represent Anambra North Senatorial District. Ezoakor Donatus, Mbaezue Michael, and Ijeoma Nwosu were elected to fill the remaining board positions.
In his acceptance speech, Iloenyosi expressed gratitude to members of the association for renewing their confidence in his leadership. He pledged to work closely with the Anambra State Government and sports journalists to further develop football and maintain its status as the state’s leading sport.
Representing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the congress, Ibrahim Aminu congratulated the newly elected board members, describing the election as free, fair, and transparent.
Aminu also commended Iloenyosi’s leadership, noting that his unopposed re-election reflected the confidence and support he enjoys within the football community in Anambra.
# The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has sealed several private hospitals and medical laboratories across the state for failing to renew their annual operational registrations and violating established healthcare regulations.
The enforcement and monitoring exercise was led by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Ugochukwu Chukwulobelu, alongside officials of the Ministry of Health, as part of the Soludo administration’s commitment to ensuring that both public and private healthcare facilities comply with regulatory standards and provide safe, quality healthcare services.
During the inspection, the team discovered that several hospitals and laboratories were operating without valid annual registrations, while others failed to meet the minimum environmental and operational standards required by law.
Inspectors also found that some healthcare personnel were practicing without valid licences issued by the appropriate regulatory bodies.
Among the facilities sealed were Divine Hospital and Maternity, Awka, for failing to provide evidence of annual registration renewal; Iykenson Medical Diagnostics Co. Ltd, where inspectors observed poor environmental sanitation, expired facility registration and expired practising licences; Obuekwe Dental Clinic, Awka, which could not provide evidence of registration renewal; Balm Specialist Medical Laboratory, Awka; and Sticon Medical Laboratory, Awka, which was sealed for non-renewal of registration and operating in an environment that fell below acceptable hygiene standards.
# The Executive Director and Project Manager of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr. Nkem Okeke, has called for renewed efforts to make HIV a strategic family conversation, stressing that everyone has a role to play in achieving holistic epidemic control in Anambra State and Nigeria.
Dr. Okeke made the call during an interview on Arise News, where he emphasized that HIV prevention, testing, treatment and the fight against stigma should not be the sole responsibility of government and healthcare professionals. Instead, he urged families and communities to engage in open and regular discussions about the disease.
According to him, “HIV needs to be made a strategic family conversation again, and everybody must be involved in the drive to achieve holistic epidemic control in Anambra, and indeed Nigeria.”
He explained that encouraging honest conversations about HIV within families would promote early testing, improve access to treatment, reduce stigma and discrimination, while inspiring healthier lifestyle choices among young people and adults.
Dr. Okeke emphasized that the fight against HIV requires the collective efforts of parents, guardians, community and religious leaders, schools, the media and other stakeholders to raise awareness and strengthen preventive measures.
He reaffirmed ANSACA’s commitment to expanding public awareness campaigns and deepening partnerships aimed at reducing new HIV infections while ensuring that people living with HIV have continued access to quality care, treatment and support.
# Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2027 state assembly elections and chairman Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Barr. Obi Calistus Nweke, says that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and all other oppositions are no threats to him in Anambra-East state constituency.
Nweke who stated categorically that he was not aware of the existence of any opposition political parties in Anambra-East Local Government Area, recalled with hindsight that he won his first term election amidst the frenzy of the Obidient Wave of the Labour party, stressing that such feat would be repeated again because the people of Anambra-East have unanimously passed a vote of confidence on him to continue and consolidate on his trajectory of purposeful representation.
Nweke who spoke to newsmen in Awka regarding his next line of action after receiving his certificate of return, said it is his first time in the House of Assembly and there is need for consolidation because there are so many things he has put on ground as it concerns bills, motions and empowerment schemes still work in progress which should be completed.
The astute legislator cum legal luminary explained that his committee on Public Petitions have done over 50 oversight duties on Anambra-East Local Government Area and that many more issues are begging for attention which he said was one of the remote reasons his constituents insisted that he should return to the state assembly to enable him attend to them.
# Students of the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka has paid a courtesy visit to the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, as part of efforts to explore industrial training (IT) placement opportunities within the ministry.
The delegation, led by the President of the department, Comrade Ugochukwu Okpala, expressed appreciation to the commissioner for granting them an audience and emphasized the importance of industrial training in equipping students with practical skills and workplace experience.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Comrade Okpala appealed to Dr. Mefor to support students seeking placement opportunities under the mandatory industrial training programme, noting that such exposure would help bridge the gap between academic learning and professional practice.
In his response, Dr. Mefor commended the students for their initiative and encouraged them to remain committed to their studies and personal development. He stressed that academic certificates alone are no longer sufficient in today’s highly competitive environment, urging students to pursue excellence and professionalism in journalism and communication.
The commissioner advised the students to be diligent, disciplined, and guided by professional ethics, emphasizing that competence, dedication, and integrity are essential qualities for success in the media industry.
He further urged them to embrace continuous learning through research, improve their writing abilities, and pay close attention to accuracy, clarity, and proper presentation in all forms of communication.
# Multimillionaire business mogul cum candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Dunukofia, Njikoka and Anaocha 2027 House of Representatives election, Hon. Chukwudi Oli popularly known as Oba Ezeafia, has made it abundantly clear that the people of his federal constituency will see the difference between what he mentioned as Fanta and Coke, if he is elected next year.
Oli who has been issued his certificate of return, following his massive victory at the APGA primary elections, maintained that it would be a new dawn and a new era of people-oriented representation at the Green Chambers because Dunukofia, Njikoka and Anaocha would experience the positive impacts of his stewardship at the National Assembly.
He said he was not concerned about the opposition in his constituency but very particular about what he will do for the people of Dunukofia, Njikoka and Anaocha (DNA), stressing that it is left for DNA people to choose between him and the opposition.
