# The Nigeria Police Force has officially launched the Inspector-General of Police’s Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) in Anambra State, reaffirming its commitment to preventive policing through strategic partnerships, youth engagement, and active community participation.
The stakeholders’ interactive session, held on Thursday at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, was led by the National Coordinator of POCACOV, SP Orvenonne Ikwen, and brought together representatives of security agencies, government institutions, traditional rulers, youth groups, women organisations, and other stakeholders.
In her address, SP Orvenonne Ikwen, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Inspector-General’s commitment to preventive policing as a proactive approach to crime prevention, emphasizing the need to address the root causes of crime through advocacy, mentorship, value reorientation, and community collaboration.
SP. Ikwen announced the approval for the establishment of POCACOV Clubs in schools across Anambra State to provide young people with positive platforms that discourage cultism, substance abuse, cybercrime, and other social vices.
According to her, the campaign seeks to strengthen security, build trust between the police and communities, and encourage citizens to take ownership of security by working closely with law enforcement agencies.
She noted that many serious crimes, including kidnapping, often begin with seemingly minor offences such as petty theft and unlawful entry into homes, stressing the need for early intervention to prevent criminal behaviour from escalating.
in his welcome address, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command remains committed to exploring every legitimate means of improving security across the state. He described the launch of POCACOV in Anambra as a deliberate initiative of the Inspector-General of Police aimed at strengthening community policing and fostering closer collaboration between the police and members of the public.
SP Ikenga emphasised that effective policing cannot succeed without public support, describing the campaign as a bridge between the police and the people.
The police spokesperson explained that concerns expressed by residents and community groups informed the establishment of the campaign, adding that security agencies must address early signs of criminal behaviour before they develop into serious crimes.
The PPRO encouraged participants to engage freely during the interactive session so that their suggestions could be compiled into recommendations that would guide future policing strategies and strengthen collaboration between the police and communities.
SP. Ikenga also appealed to members of the public to volunteer with POCACOV, noting that community participation remains vital to sustaining peace and security in the state.
# Chairman of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) says the agency is targeting N75 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), up from N47 billion realised in 2025, through tax expansion, improved electronic payment systems and blocking revenue leakages.
Okonkwo disclosed this while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of the Anambra State House of Assembly during the verification of the state’s 2025 audited government accounts.
He said the agency would achieve the target by broadening the tax net, enhancing electronic tax payment platforms and eliminating leakages in both the formal and informal sectors.
The committee, chaired by Mr Noble Igwe, said the verification exercise was part of its constitutional responsibility to ensure transparency, accountability and prudent management of public funds.
Igwe, who represents Ogbaru I Constituency, assured ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) appearing before the committee that the exercise was not intended to witch-hunt anyone.
According to him, the objective is to verify and evaluate the financial records of government institutions while working collaboratively to promote the state’s development.
# Eze-Nri of Oraeri, in Aguata local government council, HRH, Chief Ejike Ugoagbala, has set things in motion to finalize his ascension to the revered throne of the ancient Eze-Nri Oraeri that had lasted for centuries.
Having confirmed his selection, Ejike Ugoagbala, a business mogul resident in Britain, has put things in order geared towards the final process to be culturally crowned the new Eze-Nri Oraeri. He has completed the cultural procedure of paying homage all the villages in the community with gifts and getting their blessing preparatory for the final coronation.
The regent of the community and also the traditional prime minister, Chief Anthony Okafor whose traditional role is to put the crown of Eze-Nri on the head of HRH Ejike Ugoagbala, is on ground to see the epochal event come through by the special grace of the Almighty God.
# The Programme for Equitable Expansion of Community- Based Health Workers (PEECH) is set to improve primary healthcare across Nigeria through the training and upskilling of Community-Based Health Workers.
The PEECH Project Director, Dr Anddy Omoluabi, made this known during a presentation on the programme to the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, in Awka.
Omoluabi explained that the programme will focus on training Community Health Workers and strengthening the institutions that support them. This includes training, supervision, mentoring, improved data management, monitoring and stronger governance, as according to him, the programme will also strengthen Local Government Health Authorities, improve schools that train Community Health Workers and enhance healthcare services at the community level.
Dr Omoluabi added that the programme is aligned with a long-term plan to create 600,000 paid Community Health Worker jobs for young people between the ages of 18 and 35, expand primary healthcare services to 50 million people, maintain a 90 per cent worker retention rate, help 40 per cent of the workers progress to higher education or formal health employment within five years, and increase government funding for the programme to 70 per cent.
He noted that the programme is designed to move Community-Based Health Workers from volunteer and ad hoc roles to paid and professional employment, saying that the programme gives special attention to young people, women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
Responding, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, welcomed the PEECH Programme and expressed the readiness of the Anambra State Government to collaborate with the project to strengthen primary healthcare services across the state
Obidike stressed on the need to digitize Anambra State’s primary healthcare system to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen health data management. He maintained that the use of digital technology would make it easier to monitor health services, identify gaps and support evidence-based decision-making through accurate and timely data, and a digital health system would improve efficiency, enhance patient care and support the state government’s efforts to build a modern, technology-driven healthcare system in line with the vision of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, received Idemili North All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) women leaders at his office in Awka.
Addressing the women, Dr. Mefor commended them for their loyalty to the party and commitment to supporting the programmes of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration. He urged them to enhance grassroots mobilisation for future elections and advocate for President Tinubu’s reelection.
In their separate remarks, the leader of the delegation and Idemili North LGA APGA Women Leader, Mrs Uju Omile, and the Abatete APGA Women Leader, Mrs MaryAnn Anyaegbunam, said the visit was to congratulate the commissioner on his reappointment and thanked Governor Soludo for giving their son more opportunities to serve the state.
They assured the commissioner that they would sustain efforts to ensure APGA’s victory in the coming elections.
# The Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) has introduced a new public participation initiative tagged “See It, Video It & Earn” as part of efforts to strengthen traffic law enforcement and curb the dangerous practice of driving against traffic on dual carriageways across the state.
Under the initiative, residents are encouraged to record clear videos of motorists driving against traffic. The footage must clearly show the offending vehicle and its registration number before it is forwarded to ARTMA for action.
According to the Agency, videos should be sent via WhatsApp to 08063159282. Once the report is verified and leads to the impoundment of the offending vehicle, the whistleblower will receive a minimum reward of ₦20,000.
ARTMA assured members of the public that the identities of all whistleblowers will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, encouraging more residents to support the campaign without fear.
The Agency said the initiative is aimed at reducing road crashes, promoting responsible driving and protecting lives by discouraging the dangerous habit of one way driving. ARTMA urged road users to join hands with the government in making Anambra roads safer, emphasizing its campaign message: “See It. Video It. Report It. Earn a Reward. Save a Life.”
# Youths have been urged to acquire relevant skills to enable them cope with the current economic realities in the country.
The Special Assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on New Media, Comrade Uchechukwu Ebonam, gave the advice while speaking in Awka.
Comrade Ebonam, said young people should not rely solely on academic qualifications but should also acquire one or more vocational or digital skills, as according to her, such skills may include carpentry, tailoring and other vocational trades, as well as Information Technology and other digital skills.
She expressed concern that some youths are still reluctant to embrace skills acquisition, noting that skilled professionals are now among the most sought-after workers abroad.
Comrade Ebonam called on governments at all levels, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to invest more in youth empowerment through skills acquisition programmes and ensure that beneficiaries are provided with starter packs or financial support on completion of their training to enable them become self-reliant.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Professor Charles Ofoegbu, has called for the creation of a Health, Safety, and Environment department across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, to foster a workplace culture that ensures the safety of personnel.
Professor Ofoegbu, who made the call during an audience with a delegation from the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Anambra State Chapter, in his office at the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat, Awka, disclosed that plans are underway for the establishment of the department in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Commissioner Ofoegbu, while expressing worry over safety concerns posed by oil spillage, bunkering, broken pipes, and the operations of filling stations, noted that they all border on the policy section of the ministry and that there is no department dedicated to it, hence the need to create one saddled with that responsibility.
Speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, Engineer Bertram Nwajagu, who traced the birth of the association to 2017, said they are poised to promote safety through superior engineering design, construction, fabrication, installation, training, operations, maintenance, and engineering procedures and practices.
While unveiling their mission to include the inculcation of safety measures in every ‘Onye Anambra’, Engineer Nwajagu noted that they came to synergize with Commissioner Ofoegbu for the effective drive of safety measures in the Oil and Gas Industry, thereby contributing to loss prevention and sustainable development.
# The Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka, Dr. Maureen Umeakuewulu has been conferred with the prestigious Meritorious Service Award by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State Chapter.
The event which tookplace in Nnewi, attracted several distinguished personalities.
Receiving the award in company of her Management Team, Dr. Umeakuewulu thanked the leadership of the NMA Anambra State Chapter for finding her worthy of the honour, describing it as both a recognition of past service and a call to greater commitment in advancing the medical profession and healthcare delivery.
She reflected on her years of active participation in the Nigerian Medical Association, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, where she served as Secretary and undertook several other responsibilities, including membership of an intervention committee constituted to resolve critical issues within the Association. She called on the Association to continue upholding the nobility of the medical profession by promoting ethical practice, mentoring younger doctors, and protecting their professional interests.
The Chief Medical Director used the opportunity to unveil some of the landmark innovations currently transforming COOUTH under her administration.
# The Anambra State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening community policing through strategic collaboration with creative content producers, including skit makers, comedians, and other digital media influencers, to promote peace, security awareness, and responsible citizenship across the State.
The initiative is aimed at leveraging the wide reach and influence of creative content to educate the public on crime prevention, encourage law-abiding behaviour, discourage cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, gender-based violence, misinformation, and other social vices, while promoting mutual trust and cooperation between the Police and members of the public.
The Anambra State Police Command notes that the collaboration aligns with the Nigeria Police Force’s community policing philosophy and the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), which focuses on preventing crime through advocacy, public enlightenment, and youth engagement.
The Command also assures residents of its continued commitment to adopting innovative and inclusive approaches to crime prevention and public safety.
