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By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for the creation of an additional state for the South-East, to place it at par with the other six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Mbah also made a case for rotational presidency and state police to give every part of the country a sense of belonging and secure the nation better. He spoke on Thursday evening when he received in audience members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment, who were on a courtesy visit to him, at Government House, Enugu, ahead of the regional public hearing on…

By Felix Durumbah Another fruit of this week's three-day protest by irate workers of Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA) has manifested. Perhaps, panicked by threat by the workers' umbrella Joint Union Action Committee JUAC) to proceed on full-blown strike on the heels of the protest, authorities of FCTA have approved one of the key demands of the workers: training and retraining programmes for staff members. They had earlier hurriedly okayed the commencement of promotion exercises for the staff, another key demand of the workers. Ahead of the protest, which kicked off on Monday, June 30, and ended Wednesday, July 2,…

*Shuts Down Outlet By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Enugu State Gaming and Lotto Commission, on Thursday, nabbed 21 underage lotto/game players, including three boys dressed in school uniform, in a lotto/game outlet in Independence Layout axis of Enugu. The apprehended underage children, of between ages 12 and 15, were nabbed at about 1:30p.m. and handed over to the state Ministry for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development. Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prince Arinze Arum, told newsmen in Enugu that the apprehension of the underage lotto/game stakers and unlicensed lotto/gaming outlet owner were part of ongoing moves to sanitise the system.…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Stepping up into the premier league of aviation business, Enugu State government is set to launch Enugu Air, its commercial airline, on Monday, July 7. This was disclosed in a statement released by the state government on Thursday, July 3. According to the state government, Enugu Air is part of the Governor Peter Mbah administration’s integrated blueprint for a modern, multimodal transport ecosystem within its vision to make Enugu a major aviation hub. In the statement, signed by the Commisssioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor, the government said that the launch of Enugu Air would take…

A truck belonging to Dangote Industries Limited this evening, July 3, rammed into several vehicles at the Nyanya-Mararaba bridge opposite Karu checkpoint in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The accident occurred at 6.25 pm, according to a statement by FCT Administration (FCTA)'s Emergency Management Department (FEMD). The statement,signed by Head of Public Affairs, FEMD, Nkechi Isa, read: "The Dangote truck loaded with cement experienced brake failure as it descended the slope at Kugbo and rammed into several vehicles along its path. "The incident occurred during the peak hours as most people were returning home after the day's work. "No life…

*Give Him 14 Days To Response To Financial Impropriety Allegations By John Ekah, Gusau Trouble is looming in Zamfara State as the House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi, today issued a two-week ultimatum to the State Governor, Dauda Lawal, to respond to some alleged acts of financial impropriety or face impeachment. For one, they described as callous, abuse of office and alleged theft the renovation of the state-owned Yariman Bakura Teaching Hospital, Gusau at a cost of N9 billion by the executive arm. These were part of issues raised at the parallel Assembly's plenary which…

To mitigate the impact of flooding in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) this year, the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has embarked on an awareness campaign to Kuje, Kwali and Abaji Area Councils. This followed the annual flood outlook issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) on probable high risk floods in some communities in the three Area Councils. At the palace of the Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Tanko Jibrin, FEMD informed the royal father and his subjects that predictions by NIHSA and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) indicate that eight locations in FCT were at risk of heavy…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised Nigeria and other member countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50 per cent through taxation over the next 10 years, to help curb rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In a statement published on its website, the United Nations (UN) health agency expressed confidence that such move would help cut consumption of the products, which contribute to diseases like diabetes and cancers, as well as generate critical public health revenue. The call is part of WHO’s 3 by 35 Initiative, a global effort to increase the…

From John Bassey, Gusau Former Director General of Gusau Central Market, Zamfara State, Honorable Bello Abdullahi Gwaram, has displayed the milk of human kindness, donating foodstuff items and N500,000 cash to supporters and the vulnerable in All Progressives Congress (APC). Hon. Gwaram, who is also the current serving Secretary to Jaji Coordinating Committee Talata Mafara, made the donation in his home town, Gwaram, Talata Mafara Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. He emphasized the importance of party supporters, describing them as the pillar of any political organization. Hon. Gwaram said the donation is part of his efforts to help…

*Praises His Grassroots Leadership Former Chairman of Oyo State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) during the first tenure of then-Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Hon. Yekeen Popoola, has felicitated the former Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Deolu Akande, on the latter's 60th birthday anniversary. Saluting the celebrant, Hon. Popoola lauded Professor Akande's commitment to grassroots emancipation and his robust strategic and tactical approach to leadership. A press statement signed by Popoola stated: "Prof. Akande's contributions to the development of our nation, particularly his work at the helm of the NCC, are widely recognized." He added: "It is his demonstrated…