# The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra State has warned that any employer found aiding or encouraging truancy, popularly known as “ghosting,” among corps members will be blacklisted.
The State Coordinator, Mrs. Pauline Ojisua, issued the warning while addressing participants at the 2026 NYSC/Corps Employers’ Workshop held in Awka.
She said employers play a vital role in the success of the NYSC Scheme and must ensure corps members posted to their organisations are properly supervised, mentored and actively engaged in their assigned duties.
Mrs. Ojisua explained that the workshop, organised by the NYSC South East Area Office I in collaboration with the NYSC Anambra State Secretariat, aimed to strengthen cooperation between the Scheme and employers. The workshop was themed, “Fine-tuning Stakeholders’ Collaboration to Enhance Corps Members’ Welfare and Workplace Experience.”
According to her, the forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to review existing partnerships, identify operational challenges and develop practical strategies to improve corps members’ welfare and workplace experience.
She commended employers who have consistently provided conducive work environments and meaningful responsibilities for corps members, describing their support as essential to the success of the Scheme. She also appreciated the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, the Director of NYSC South East Area Office I, Mrs. Chinyere Ekwe, and other stakeholders for supporting the successful organisation of the workshop.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Director-General, the Deputy Director of NYSC South East Area Office I, Mrs. Victoria Ike-Nwosu, reaffirmed the management’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with corps employers nationwide.
She conveyed the Director-General’s message urging employers to provide corps members with relevant job assignments, quality mentorship, accommodation or accommodation allowance, transportation support, security and opportunities for professional development. Employers were also advised to maintain workplaces free from discrimination, exploitation, harassment and abuse while exposing corps members to practical experiences that enhance their employability and leadership skills.
# The Executive Chairman, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Hon Rome Ibekwe, has appealed to churches and community leaders in the state to collaborate with the government in the fight against environmental degradation across the state.
The Chairman, who made the appeal while having a chat with newsmen in Awka recently, said the collaboration of the religious and community leaders was a must for sanity in Anambra’s environment.
The Mayor regretted that people were not taking environment very seriously, noting that it was a pity that some communities allowed some persons to be damaging government property and throwing waste inside drainages. He described it as a very big disaster to communities.
# A celebrated gynae Obstetrician Oncologist, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching hospital Nnewi, Prof. Osita Umeononihu has bared his mind on the despicable conditions of service doctors and health workers face in Nigeria amid high expectations from many uninformed Nigerians and the monumental socio-economic decay of the society.
Prof. Umeononihu in a press statement in Awka spoke on the sub- theme of the Nigeria Medical Association Anambra State Chapter’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) Scientific Conference.
According to the medical expert, medicine is really under pressure in Nigeria with doctors and health workers at the receiving end of verifiable harassments, intimidation, bullying, threat to life and under valued.
He mentioned the poor doctor to patients ratio in Nigeria as grossly below the World Health Organization standard, and made worse by the worrisome mass exodus of doctors and other health professionals from Nigeria occasioned by their poor remuneration and poor working conditions in their father land.
Prof. Umeononihu decried the humiliation and intimidation of doctors and other health professionals in the course of discharging their professional duties and cited a case in one of the teaching hospitals in the state where a doctor saddled with attending to some wounded military personnel was grossly harassed and humiliated in the course of trying to attend to them.
# The State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Anambra State Command, Maku Olatunde, has charged officers and men of the Command to remain dedicated to their duties and uphold professionalism at all times.
Commandant Maku gave the charge at his weekly tactical digest meeting with senior officers to review the security situation and strategize on proactive measures aimed at sustaining peace and security across the state, held at the State Command Headquarters, Awka.
Speaking during the meeting, the State Commandant cautioned personnel against engaging in illegal duties and dereliction of duty. He warned that the consequences would be severe for anyone found culpable.
He further tasked the officers to improve on their report writing and intelligence gathering capabilities, stressing that these are key to safeguarding Critical National, State and Local Government Assets and Infrastructure in Anambra State.
# The Funder of Olivia University, Burundi, Sir. Paul Chukwuma, has been inducted as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Umueri, District 9124 Anambra East LGA.
Speaking at the event held in Umunya, Sir Chukwuma who was the Candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, in the last Guber Election in Anambra State, expressed regret over what he described as his heavy investments in political engagements in his effort to touch more lives.
Sir Chukwuma who has since returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, after his stint at YPP, noted that despite the huge natural resources and human endowments his Omambala region of Anambra State was endowed with, the people and the entire area had suffered neglect.
In his speech, the District Governor, Rotary Club of Umueri, Chibuzo Hillary Asogwa, stated that this year’s theme of the Rotary International was “Creating lasting impact”, and emphasized that the aim was for people to unite to create lasting hope across the globe and communities.
# The Chairman of Onitsha zone Tipper Drivers Association in Anambra State, comrade Chukwuebuka Unekwe, has said that tipper drivers and owners are helping the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) to track down a reckless tipper driver who climbed the median on Building Materials-Nkpor dual carriageway near Onitsha.
Unekwe who spoke to this journalist on the said development, noted that such recklessness and rascality would not be tolerated amongst their members because such action, according to him, was traffic violation and could be catastrophic and fatal.
He said they were currently trailing and tracking the offending driver in order to identify him and hand him over to ARTMA for appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken on him because his action was not only detrimental to other road users but also destructive to public infrastructure, stressing that tipper drivers in the state support the good works of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and would not rubbish his efforts with any form of reckless driving.
Meanwhile Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) Engr. Okonkwo Emeka Konti, said in a statement that it is unfortunate that some tipper truck drivers have become among the worst traffic offenders on Anambra roads.
He expressed concerns that many routinely drive across medians and through drainage channels to move from one carriageway to another thereby endangering lives while causing extensive damage to public infrastructure.
According to him, ARTMA will no longer tolerate these reckless acts and that offenders would be tracked, arrested, and prosecuted until strict compliance with traffic regulations is achieved.
# They say the best form of defence is attack. The Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, Igbariam, Prof Kate Azuka Omenugha, who recently came under the hammer of some sanctioned staff members of the University for the way she is running the institution, is probably no stranger to this strategy. But on the day she met with a mixed section of the media in her institution, Omenugha, instead, chose a different tactic.
To her, the allegations were simply false, and meant as pushbacks by the sacked lecturers to derail the argument from the trending issue, which, she said, were the reasons for which they were sacked.
She insisted that the allegations were false and mere fabrications meant to cover up the real fact, which, she said, were the offences for which they were sacked.
The VC also insisted that she had since her appointment stood firm to ensure discipline in the institution, ensuring that staff members lived up to their responsibility while also working hard to ensure clean environment around the institution.
# Mbaukwu community in Awka South Local Government Area has reaffirmed its commitment to the expansion of the Mbaukwu Mini Campus of Nnamdi Azikiwe University with the donation of 1,000 building blocks to support ongoing infrastructure development.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the community to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, where members expressed their readiness to partner with the university in advancing the development of the mini campus.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Anyaehie commended the community for its support and unveiled plans to transform the Mbaukwu facility into a fully developed mini campus. He explained that the university had introduced a partnership framework for hostel construction, allowing individuals and communities to invest in accommodation projects, while the institution would retain responsibility for management, security and operational standards.
The Vice-Chancellor identified the construction of modern Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories as a priority and invited the community to collaborate in delivering the projects. He also appealed for support towards the ongoing perimeter fencing and gatehouse construction through donations of building materials.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Chief Barr. Emma Odum reaffirmed the community’s determination to become a strategic partner in the expansion of the campus and requested further details of the university’s development plans.
In a demonstration of the community’s commitment, Sir Chief Obiora Okafor donated 1,000 building blocks to support the ongoing projects and assured the Vice-Chancellor that the outcome of the meeting would be presented to the Igwe-in-Council for further consideration and action.
# The Catholic Women’s Organization, CWO, Diocese of Awka, has flagged off the 2026 August Meeting.
The event, which the CWO’s Director, Lady Ngozi Dorathy Muo, described as a season of reflection and renewal of fellowship among Catholic women, featured among others, unveiling of the theme of the 2026 August Meeting, ”Pure Love in Action”; unveiling of the statue of Blessed Virgin Mary; lighting of the flag-off candle; and presentation of items by CWO’s leaders that gathered for the event, by regions.
In a homily during the Holy Mass, Bishop Ezeokafor frowned at what he described as the excessive use of mobile phones, admonishing Catholic mothers to shun the trend and devote adequate time to their families.
Presenting an address of welcome during the second part of the event, the CWO Director, Lady Ngozi Dorathy Muo, said the event marked a beginning of a remarkable season in the life of CWO in Awka Diocese.
# The Executive Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Anambra State Chapter, led by its Chairperson, Dr. Ngozi Ulogu, paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Professor Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, at his office
The visit provided an opportunity for both institutions to explore strategic areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening reputation management, institutional excellence, and professional capacity development.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Ulogu underscored the critical role of strategic public relations in enhancing the image, credibility, and competitiveness of higher education institutions. She emphasized the Institute’s commitment to partnering with UNIZIK in promoting professionalism and effective stakeholder engagement.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anyaehie, welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to fostering productive partnerships with professional bodies. He noted that such collaborations are essential to advancing institutional visibility, promoting excellence, and positioning Nnamdi Azikiwe University for greater global recognition and competitiveness.
