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Mbala Town Development Union, Lagos Branch Sends SOS Message To Abia State Govt
—-Group Calls For Immediate Repair Of Damaged Portion Of Mbala-Amuda Road
Mbala Town Development Union (M.T.D.U) Lagos Branch has made a passionate appeal to the Abia State Government to urgently intervene and save the community from imminent cut-off from the rest of the State.
Rising from a general meeting on Sunday- the 20th day of October 2019, the Union lamented that unless urgent step is taken by the Okezie Ikpeazu- led government in Abia State to fix the damaged portion of the Mbala- Amuda road close to Mainland Oil Filling Station, the border town in Abia North Senatorial zone will be cut-off from all socio- economic and political activities in the State.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference after the meeting, Coordinator of the Town Union, Comrade Obiechile Ikpe decried the seemingly deliberate neglect of the road by both the Umunneochi Local Government and Abia State Government even in the face of concerns raised by the people across social media platforms and representations at various government levels.
“The road has become not only a death trap but a serious security risk. Unsuspecting Mbala sons and daughters who enter the Town late in the night are now at the mercy of hoodlums who take advantage of the bad spot to lay ambush and cause mayhem on unsuspecting passengers.
“Many of our people have become victims of armed robbery attacks on that road as the place has become a hide out and safe haven for miscreants who perpetrate all manner of crimes on that spot against unsuspecting Mbala sons and daughters either doing their legitimate business or returning home to their families,” Ikpe said.
Speaking in the same vein, one of the Community leaders, Chief Kingsley Madu decried what he called the Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the rehabilitation of the bad spot on the road when it was giving signs of dilapidation.
According to him, “the big gully that ended up dividing that road did not happen one day. The signs were there but enough attention was not given to the problem then. Though the then Executive Chairman of the Local Government, Barr. Okey Igwe intervened with some palliatives but it wasn’t a task for the local government because of its lean resources.”
On his part, Chief Richard Ikpe, another community leader urged the Abia State Government to take up the fixing of the road as a matter of urgent importance especially now that the Yuletide season is around the corner, contending that if urgent steps are not taken to fix the road, the impression will be that Umunneochi is not part of Abia State.
Ogbuehi Chichebe Obiaka, one of the community leaders at the meeting also prayed the Abia State Government to urgently repair the road bearing in mind that Mbala community is home to the Abia State Cashew Plantation, one of the biggest Cashew Plantations in the country.
Other people who spoke at the press conference called on the representatives of the community at all levels of the legislature and political leaders in the area to join hands in appealing to the Abia State Government to urgently intervene and save Mbala community from imminent cut off from the rest of the State as this is the only way they can be reassured that Umunneochi is not a marginalised entity in Abia State.
MTDU Lagos Branch Secretary, Prince Ezenwa Okorocha said that Mbala as a border town is so strategic that an issue of urgent importance like the failed road cannot be left unattended, and therefore, charged the Abia State Government to put machinery in motion and get the road fixed as soon as possible.
Earlier, while welcoming journalists to the press conference, a member of the union and logistics expert, Comrade Emmanuel Chukwuma stated that the Abia State Government owes it as a duty to not only get the failed portion of the road fixed but rehabilitate some dilapidated roads in Umunneochi begging for urgent attention.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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