* Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Anambra State Command has called on the attention of the general public over a missing eight year old boy.
According to a release by SC. Okadigbo Edwin, Head Media and Tactical Operations, NSCDC Anambra State Command, reads;
A kind-hearted individual brought an 8-year-old boy, Master Divine Chisimdi Onyejiaka, a pupil of St. Raphael Nursery/ Primary School Okpoko in Ogbaru LGA to the NSCDC headquarters Awka.
The child is about 3 feet tall, fair in complexion with no tribal mark. Master Onyejiaka, a resident of Okpoko was found wandering in Awka without any specified destination.
* The Caretaker Committee Nkpor Main Market led by Chief Paul Okafor has installed 22 Solar powered Street Lights around the market and also embarked on serious security measures to secure the market from hoodlums and any form of fire outbreak as they brace up for Christmas seasonal rush.
Addressing newsmen in his Market office, Nkpor Idemili North LGA Anambra State shortly after the last general market prayers for the year, Chief Paul Okafor recounted the various projects and programs his administration was able to achieve within the 2024 fiscal year beating his chest as the first market to pay in 100 percent of the traders stallage or IGR into the state government coffers.
According to him, we traders of Nkpor Main Market are very cooperative with the authorities. We comply with every directive given from both the State Government and Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) especially when we see the tax payers money at work considering the numerous projects carried out by Governor Chukwuma Soludo in different sectors of the State.
* The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze has said that the understanding of the reason for Christ’s birth and His salvation power by Christians is greater and more important than the merriment associated with the season.
Rt. Hon. Udeze in his Christmas message, who was full of gratitude to God for giving people the grace of participating in this year’s celebration, enjoined Christians to exhibit love for one another, which he said is both the commandment and Christian virtue.
The Speaker called on politicians and affluent citizens to use part of their wealth to touch people’s lives positively, adding that through their spread of love and kindness to those around them, the gospel of Jesus Christ would have been made practical.
Udeze charged ndi Anambra to continue to pray for the present administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, which according to him, has done well in transforming all sectors of the State’s economy and join hands in furthering peace, unity, development and maximum security in the State.
* Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has charged ndi Anambra to use the Christmas season to reach out to the poor and needy in the society in the spirit of the Church and APGA Slogan, “Onye aghana nwanne ya”.
The Governor made the call at the 2024 Christmas Carol of Nine Lessons of organized by All Saints Choir At St. Joseph Catholic Parish, Unizik-Tempsite, Awka, Anambra State.
Speaking to the parishioners briefly after taking the first lesson, Governor Soludo represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi thanked God for the gift of life and commended the organizers and prayed that the great sounds and joyous lesson to herald the Christmas celebration would foster peace, unity and love amongst the Anambra Christian Community and beyond.
* As economic hardship in Nigeria bites harder, Chairman, Ogbaru Main Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu and members of his executives, organized an end of the year prayers session for traders of the market.
The event offered the market leaders the opportunity to distribute food items such as rice, tubers of yams, noodles and other food items to less privileged people and disabled who had gathered in their large numbers to have a better share of the items.
About seven traders who experienced setback in their businesses were also offered food items and N40,000 Cash each.
* The Chairman of Idemili North LGA, Hon. Stanley Nkwoka, has inspected the ongoing beautification of Nkpor Junction Roundabout, as well as the distilling of Eke-Agu Abatete-Oraukwu
road.
Nkwoka while inspecting the ongoing project at Nkpor Junction Roundabout, charged the Supervisor for Works INLGA, Hon. Ifeanyi Ekwo, and his team, to expedite action towards completing the assignments speedily, urging them to do a neat and quality job that would stand the test of time.
At Eke-Agu Abatete-Oraukwu Road, the Council boss urged those distilling the gutters and drainages to be fast and ensure speedy evacuation of sands removed from the gutters, even as he said he wanted all nooks and crannies of Idemili North to wear a new and aesthetic look before, during and after the yuletide.
* The leading APC aspirant for the 2025 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Sir. Paul Chukwuma has condoled with families who lost their relatives in the tagedy that tainted the distribution of Christmas gifts in Okija, Anambra State at the weekend.
Sir. Chukwuma while expressing deep shock at the scope and nature of the stampede which claimed many lives, observed that the incident had brought untold grief and sadness to ndi Anambra in a season of love.
Observing that the people’s communal spirit had always risen to its peak when social conditions deteriorate, Sir Chukwuma urged Anambra’s wealthy indigenes not to be discouraged by the Okija inident but rather to task their imagination harder and come up with clever ways to reach out and touch their communities this Christmas.
Noting that the mystery of life was so complex that sometimes, a well-intended effort to heal and bring succour to people could lead to unexpected outcomes, Sir Chukwuma called for a collective introspection and prayers for the peaceful repose of the souls of the dead and a speedy healing for their loved ones.
* Anambra people living in the diaspora, who return for the Yuletide celebrations, have been advised to be wary of land racketeers, who take advantage of their ignorance to sell unapproved lands to them.
There have been reports of many people in the diaspora being led unknowingly into endless litigations by land agents because they bought lands not duly approved, or the ones owned by the government.
Speaking on the development in Awka, the State Commissioner for Lands, Prof Offornze Amucheazi, said it has become worrisome, how such unsuspecting diasporans are swindled of their hard-earned monies just because they failed to do the due diligence.
Amucheazi noted that his Ministry has simplified processes of inquiring about land status and securing land titles, urging the people to always make use of such available platforms to verify the status of such lands before they pay.
* Following the 2024 Operational order for Christmas and New year celebrations of the Command, Anambra State Police Operatives and Joint Security Forces continue to sustain security dominance and anti-crime patrols in the state.
The security deployment covers Onitsha, Aguata, Nnewi, Awka, Ogidi, Nnobi, Oba, Uli, ihiala and many on strategic areas.
The Commissioner of Police, CP. Nnaghe Obono Itam while felicitating with the good people of Anambra wishes them a peaceful and happy Christmas and New Year celebrations.
CP Itam also entreats them to use this period of festivity to pray for the peace and security of the State and the Nation at large.
* The authorities of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, have reinstated Comrade Izuchukwu Francis
Ejikeme as the President of the 30th Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the institution.
This was disclosed in a memo made available to newsmen over the weekend, highlighting the 6-point orders and declarations of the SUG High Court (UNIZIK) after its judgement on the said impeachment by the Students Senate Council of the University.
It would be recalled that Comrade Ejikeme was reportedly declared impeached as the 30th SUG President of UNIZIK on July 23, 2024, shortly after the removal of Prof. Joe Ikechebelu as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the institution.
This was following the allegations that he (the SUG President) violated certain rules governing the office and the school, which allegedly included the instigation of protest against the then new acting VC,
Pro-Chancellor and the school Governing Council without the prior approval of 2/3 members of the union.
