# The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, has questioned the judgment of developers constructing buildings on wetlands and waterways, as well as the approval process for such developments, following an inspection of a rapidly expanding erosion site at Trans Nkisi, near the Nkisi Bridge in Onitsha.
Describing the situation as “very unfortunate,” the commissioner said it was difficult to understand why anyone would acquire land already threatened by flooding and erosion and still proceed with construction.
Speaking during the inspection, Dr. Aguiyi noted that a structure erected only last year had already encroached on the natural waterway and is now on the verge of collapse. He explained that such developments have narrowed the drainage channel and accelerated the spread of gully erosion.
The commissioner also expressed concern over the safety of the Nkisi Bridge, warning that erosion has already washed away parts of its protective stone embankment. According to him, if urgent intervention is not carried out, the bridge could become structurally unsafe within the next one or two years.
Dr. Aguiyi questioned how such projects could have received planning approval, stressing that the area is a designated wetland that should have been preserved to safeguard lives, property and critical public infrastructure.
# The Anambra State Government has dismissed allegations made in a viral podcast concerning the condition of facilities at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), AMAKU, Awka, describing the claims as misleading and inconsistent with the hospital’s current state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, stated this after leading the podcast host, Yan Baba, alongside journalists, on an inspection tour of the teaching hospital to verify the allegations firsthand.
Dr. Obidike explained that after watching the podcast, he immediately invited the broadcaster for an open inspection, insisting that facts should be established through transparency rather than speculation on social media.
According to him, the inspection was deliberately conducted in the presence of journalists to allow members of the public to independently assess the hospital’s facilities.
The team toured the hospital from the main entrance through the Emergency Unit, Trauma Centre, wards, operating theatres, oxygen plant, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and diagnostic departments.
He dismissed claims that the hospital entrance was filled with large potholes, that the environment was dirty, and that critical facilities were non-functional.
# About fifty students of Mary Sumner Vocational Institute, Awka, have been awarded certificates of Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management with affiliation to Paul University, Awka.
The graduation ceremony, which took place at Paul University Field, Awka, saw the students display what they learnt in an exhibition that included cosmetology, decoration, hairdressing, craft, food and nutrition, and clothing and fashion.
Other courses being offered were mathematics, English Language, human relations, family living, and bakery.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi, has successfully reconciled a widow and her late husband’s family, urging both parties to embrace peace and work together for an amicable resolution.
The widow, from Achina, alleged that her late husband’s family, particularly his elder brother, prevented her from seeing her husband while he was receiving treatment in Onitsha. She further claimed that she was denied access to his body at the mortuary and was excluded from arrangements for his burial.
According to the widow, she lived with her husband and their two sons in the Niger Republic before he returned to Onitsha for treatment of ulcer, hepatitis, and a swollen leg. She said her husband died on Sunday, May 31, 2026, but she was only informed of his death the following day.
Addressing both parties during a mediation session, Commissioner Onyekesi condemned the exclusion of the widow from matters concerning her late husband and stressed the need for reconciliation and mutual understanding.
She urged the family and the widow to put aside their differences and jointly conduct the burial in a peaceful and dignified manner.
The Commissioner also appealed to the Parish Priest to fix a suitable burial date, while directing that discussions regarding the deceased’s properties should be deferred until three months after the burial to allow tensions to subside.
# No fewer than 350 young footballers are participating in a screening exercise to select Anambra State’s male and female teams for the forthcoming Southeast Zonal Eliminations of the Intermediate Games.
The screening exercise was officially declared open on Friday at the Awka Township Stadium by the Anambra State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Honourable Patrick Agha Mba.
Also present at the event were the Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association, Chief Chikelue Iloenyosi, the Director of Sports, Mr. Emeka Obidimma, and other sports officials.
Speaking at the event, Mba said the players, drawn from senior secondary schools and sports academies across the state, represent the future of football in Anambra.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration to developing strong football teams in both the male and female categories, as well as other sporting disciplines capable of excelling at regional and national competitions.
The commissioner commended Governor
Chukwuma Soludo for his continued investment in sports development and urged the young athletes to remain disciplined, dedicated, and committed to both their education and sporting careers.
According to him, the screening marks the beginning of the state’s preparations for the Southeast Zonal Eliminations, scheduled to take place in Umuahia, Abia State, ahead of the Intermediate Games in Lagos later this year.
Mba charged the coaches to ensure that only the most talented players emerge from the exercise, expressing confidence that Anambra would produce outstanding representatives for the Southeast.
He also appreciated Governor Soludo for providing the leadership and support necessary for sports development in the state, assuring that Anambra would continue to achieve success in the sector.
# The 2026 Nigeria Medical Association Anambra State Chapter has successfully delivered its scientific conference/6th Emeritus Professor Festus Nwako Memorial Lecture in Nnewi.
The AGM/Scientific Conference deliberated on the theme,”The Future Of Medicine In Nigeria: Doctors As System Architects, Innovation, Workforce Sustainability And Universal Health Survival’, and the sub theme,”Medicine Under Pressure: Insecurity, Violence Against Healthcare workers, Work force Migration And The Struggle For Healthcare Survival.’
The Guest Speaker for the emeritus Professor ‘Nwako 6th memorial lecture and former acting Vice Chancellor of Unizik Professor Joseph Ikechebelu spoke of the assisted reproductive health technology as a success story and a reality which has put smiles among hitherto childless married couples and those seeking for male children.
According to Prof.Ikechebelu the founder of the Life International Hospital, infertility among couples is not a curse or death sentence but can be reversed through advanced medical technology which he has used as a medical doctor to save many failing marriages.
# In furtherance of the Anambra State Police Command’s commitment to community policing and crime prevention through strategic stakeholder engagement, the Anambra State Chapter of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) has paid a courtesy visit today to the State Government ahead of the visit of the National Coordinator and its planned statewide advocacy and sensitization campaign in the State.
The delegation, led by the State Coordinator of POCACOV HRM Igwe Daniel Obelle of Nawfia represented by Mr Moses Ndukwu, visited the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to brief the State Government on the objectives, activities, and expected impact of the campaign.
The visit also sought the Government’s partnership and support in promoting values that discourage cultism, substance abuse, cybercrime, violence, and other social vices among young people across the State.
During the engagement, the POCACOV team highlighted the importance of collective action in addressing emerging social challenges through sustained advocacy, public enlightenment, and community participation.
The Secretary to the State Government Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake commended the Nigeria Police Force and POCACOV for the initiative, reaffirming the Anambra State Government’s commitment to supporting programmes that promote peace, security, and the welfare of the people. She encouraged continued collaboration among relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of the campaign.
# Christians have been charged to anchor their faith and build their homes on the solid foundation which is Christ, for that is the only transformational strategy for a better life.
The Bishop of Ogbaru Diocese, Right Reverend Prosper Amah, gave the charge during the 20th Diocesan Women Conference with the theme “Building on the Solid Foundation: A Strategy for Transformational Mission” held at Bethel Church, Iyiowa Odekpe, Ogbaru Council Area.
Bishop Amah, who noted that the storms of life must come, stated that any home anchored on Christ will surely stand the test of time.
In her address, the President of the conference, Dr. Mrs. Uche Amah, stressed the need for women to be deeply rooted in Christ, describing them as transformational instruments.
# The Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, has charged Secondary School Principals in Anambra State to inculcate in their students the educational innovation of Governor Soludo to achieve excellence in the education sector.
Mrs. Nnake gave the charge while delivering a lecture titled “Innovative Leadership for Excellence in Education” during the 2026 Congress of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Anambra State Chapter, held at Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha.
The SSG opined that ANCOPSS has the potential of being one of the most influential voices in Nigeria’s education sector, and therefore must build a culture of evidence-sharing within the profession, while urging members to return to their schools with renewed commitment to innovation that will serve the fundamental mission of building excellent human beings.
Addressing the Principals, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ngozi Ogugua, commended them for their commitment to nurturing the minds and character of the state’s children, as well as for carrying the burden of shaping the next generation of Anambra children.
Commissioner Ogugua, who noted that they occupy one of the most strategic positions in society, advised them to key into the educational initiatives of Governor Soludo, who has placed education at the centre of human capital development.
In her address, the ANCOPSS State Chairman, Mrs. Hope Ezeani, described the State Congress as one of the association’s programmes geared towards achieving and promoting excellence in secondary school leadership and administration across the nation, and called on her colleagues to embrace the fast-changing world.
# The lawmaker representing Ayamelum constituency, Hon. Bernard Udemezue, has once again restated his position without equivocation that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has neglected his constituency for too long with outright lack of state government presence.
Udemezue who spoke about the melancholic state of his constituency, explained that he could not fathom what the people of Ayamelum did to the APGA-led state government to warrant the outright lack of physical infrastructures and basic social amenities in his constituency.
The lawmaker who is seeking reelection on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), stated that it would be difficult to convince any Ayamelum person to vote APGA considering the state of infrastructural decay in the area.
He said it is a common knowledge that some communities in Ayamelum Local Government Area have not experienced electricity since the creation of man and that they have forgotten what it looks like to have electricity supply in their homes.
According to him, Umumbo, Omasi-Uno and some other communities have not experienced tarred roads for decades, stressing that the APGA led state government has completely neglected Ayamelum.
