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Delta State LGA Elections: Traffic Shut Down Causes Panic Among Commuters In Onitsha
Commuters and passengers alike, mostly those traveling back to their bases after the Christmas and New Year celebration, suffered total traffic lockdown at Onitsha Anambra State, today.
Hundreds of thousands of people travelling from eastern Nigeria are locked down at Onitsha as the Benin-Onitsha is cordoned off; no vehicular passage, due to local government elections in Delta State.
Eye Witnesses at the Onitsha head bridge wondered why Delta State Government decided to barricade the major Federal road connecting East and other Western parts of country at the time most people are traveling.
“This is barbaric; we want to count ours as a civilised country? I have never seen this kind of heartless and careless power drunk government. Everything in this country, the masses bear the brunt. Just because of local government elections, we are subject to untold hardship, it’s unbearable,” a traveler who identified himself as Mr. Anayo Eze told GrassRoots.ng
He went further to advice that the Federal Government should find ways to ameliorate sufferings of the masses in this period.
“Look, we are complaining of hike in transportation fares due to petrol shortage, now this! After managing to get T-fare only to get stranded here. It’s uncalled for!”, Mr. Eze lamented.
Another traveler, Ms. Victoria Amadi, regretted that traffice was man made and could have been avoided if the right decision was made by the Government.
“Our bus got here (Onitsha), all the way from Owerri by 8am. Since then, we have been stranded. Does it mean that those in Government don’t have conscience.
“This could have been averted had it been the Government made the right decision knowing the importance of the this road even at this point in time. They could have allowed security agencies to monitor vehicles passing so there won’t be diversions to any of the cities in Delta State; others who are traveling will have their way to move”.
Irked by the development, a nursing mother, Mrs. Angela Olekanma, said she is confused over the situation.
“We left our home very early this morning; unfortunately we didn’t hear of any Government announcent that the road will be blocked. I wanted to get my family to arrive at our destination on time, but I don’t know when we shall reach Lagos today. My new born baby and others are suffocating due to heat. Government should help us in this country. It is so annoying”, she said.
According to sources, close to the Governmen, Delta State Government led by Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor ordered temporary blockade of the Federal Road to avoid external interferences during the LG elections in the oil rich State.
But some of the commuters argued that it wasn’t enough reason to stop travellers who have nothing whatsoever to do with Delta state, other than just drive through the federal road that leads from Onitsha Bridge to Benin, Abuja, Lagos etc.,
Over 1000 candidates are contesting for available seats at the Delta State LGAs.
Picture credit: Ikechukwu Amechi
President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the bill seeking to reintroduce the old national anthem. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this at the joint sitting of the senate and house of representatives on Wednesday, May 29.
Akpabio said the president signed the bill into law on Wednesday morning.
The bill received accelerated hearing in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during its independence, penned the lyrics for “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” while Frances Berda composed the music.
The anthem was however dropped in 1978 during Obasanjo’s military administration.
See the lyrics of the anthem below
Nigeria, we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribe and tongue may differ,
In brotherhood, we stand,
Nigerians all, and proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour’d,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.
O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.
We supposed the new generation has to go and start learning the old national anthem now.
Ben Affleck believes he was “temporarily insane” when he married Jennifer Lopez and the star actor is reportedly pushing for a divorce after “coming to his senses”.
The pair tied the knot in August 2022, rekindling their romance 20 years after they called off their first engagement.
Less than 2 years later, Ben has allegedly labelled their relationship a “fever dream”.
Page Six reports the actor is keen to end their marriage, claiming the decision to wed was due to “temporary insanity”.
A source told the publication: “If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would.”
They added: “He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream, and he’s come to his senses now and understands there is just no way this is going to work.”
People also reported Ben and Jennifer have “very different approaches to fame” leading to clashes.
Although they recently attended Ben’s child Finn’s school production together, the couple are reportedly living separately despite buying a £47million ($60million) mansion together last year.
Divorce rumours were further fuelled when fans noticed that J.Lo liked an Instagram post about “broken relationships”.
A 30-year-old teacher at Landmark School Mgbakwu in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Faith Nwonye has been arrested for allegedly beating an 8-year-old pupil into a coma.
The state commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in her office on Monday, May 20, 2024, said that the school has been permanently shut down.
Chuma-Udeh said she had summoned the school’s proprietor and Nwonye to explain the incident that led to the brutal beating of the primary pupil.
“We received this unfortunate incident from an illegal school in Mgbakwu that a child was beaten to a coma over the weekend. On behalf of the State Government, we invited the proprietress of the illegal school as well as the teacher who purportedly beat the child,” she said.
“We’ve handed the matter to the police for further investigations, as we await Mr Governor’s directives. Meanwhile, the school is closed down indefinitely because it’s not supposed to exist in the first instance. Any parent who is enrolling his/her child in an illegal school is doing so at his/her own peril.
“To the proprietors of private schools, anyone running an unapproved school in Anambra is a criminal. It’s a criminal offence to run an illegal school in the state.
“Whether the school is legal or not, it’s criminal to beat a child. According to the doctor, the chances of survival of the child is 20%.”
The commissioner added that the teacher would be brought to book.
“As soon as the police are done, the teacher will face other institutions against child rights. She’s going to have the full wrath of the law brought upon her over her actions,” she said.
“Anambra state abhors violence to children, women, and any other person. It’s not part of this administration and Mr. Governor is against such.”
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