Ebonyi builds modern state capital

 When Governor Martin Elechi assumed office as the second civilian governor of Ebonyi State, he said that he would prioritise every aspect of his administration because of the need to improve the well-being and status of his people in all sectors.

His government, he said, will be anchored on three cardinal agenda namely civil service reform, attitudinal change and infrastructural development.

To actualise these dreams, the government rolled out several strategies toward making the state a place and home for all, including awarding contracts for constructions of over 30 unity bridges, roads and two mega water projects at Oferekpe and Ukawu in Ikwo Local Government Area and Onicha Local Government Area respectively.

On attitudinal change, the governor promised a reward for good quality and sanctions for bad behaviour, even following up with  public enlightenment.

In his quest to make Abakaliki, the capital city, look like a modern city that will not only stand the test of time but also compete favourably with other state capitals in the country, Governor Elechi conceived the vision and idea of Ucho Udo City.

Ochudo City is a modern city that will bring forth the beauty of Ebonyi State which goes by the tag of “the salt of the nation”.

To actualise this the governor went to the Ministry of Defence to plead for a portion of their land to be ceded to the state government for him to try out the city of his vision.

The Ministry of Defence granted his request and gave the state government land measuring about 1, 200 hectares. Since then, the government has been developing the land in which some gigantic buildings are being elected while some federal agencies like Central Bank, State Security Service and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have started erecting structures, some of which have been completed.

In a chat with our correspondent, the Commissioner for Land, Survey and Housing Friday Nwaoha said the Ochudo City was the brainchild of the governor, who was in the forefront for the creation of the state and seeing that the present structures in the capital city do not qualify Abakaliki a status of a capital city.

The commissioner stated that the state government, after securing the land from the Army, went into action to develop the land and the design was completed where the proposed Ucho Udo City was divided into 23 zones namely residential area, low and high density, government reservation area (GRA), commercial area, secretariat area, banking area and others.

According to Nwaoha, some zones are being developed which include the secretariat where government is constructing secretariat buildings for the civil servants.

He noted that the governor, after appraising the old city where the ministries were scattered and noting that connecting one ministry to the other is taxing, he decided to create an enabling environment for the civil service. So, the governor went to zone 17 which is the secretariat zone and put up about 11 gigantic blocks in place to accommodate all the civil servants.

In each of the blocks, the commissioner said, two ministries can comfortable be accommodated to grant optimal service delivery to the people of the state and even beyond, adding that nine blocks have two lifts while the rest have three lifts each.

He said the buildings which have been completed and are waiting inauguration cost the state government over N16 billion, even as he said that apart from the secretariat blocks, the road network of the entire Ucho Udo City, the street lights, the drainage system and the recreational facilities have been completed.

“As I speak, the Central Bank, State Security Service and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) buildings have been completed while the giant power plant that the state is embarking upon are nearing completion.

“Apart from these areas, at the residential zone action is on top gear for the allocation of land to those that applied for development, maintaining that Ucho Udo City is a reality and before the tenure of this administration elapses, the place must be a modern city that will give the state capital a face look,” he said.

Before taking over the land, three communities namely Agbaja Unuhu, Enyimagu Unuhu and Igbeagu communites were occupying the ceded land in which they were asked to move from. This resulted in demonstration by the three communities.

The commissioner said the communities knew they were occupying the land illegally, adding that the government, in its magnanimity, has carved out a community layout that will accommodate them.
He added that the Ministry of Defence said the communities were well and dully compensated.

On when the whole city will be ready, the commissioner said “we don’t have definite date for the completion. The total development of the city may be this year, next year or beyond. It will be a gradual process.

It is now certain that Ucho Udo City has come to stay and will compete with any other cities in the world when completed. But what is in the mind of the people are when will these dreams materialise?

Flooding: Ebonyi on the precipice

Flooding and erosion continue to threaten Ebonyi State, laeingd to loss of lives and destruction of properties.

In 2012, devastating floods ravaged 14 states in Nigeria, killing an estimated 363 people and displacing 2.1 million people. Also 597,476 houses were destroyed while several farmlands and livestock were destroyed. In all, more than seven million people were affected by the flood.

Ebonyi State was among the 14 states affected by the flood with at least three people confirmed dead and thousands of others displaced.

In 2013, the state witnessed more severe flooding.

According to the state governor, Martin Elechi, the 2013 flood disaster displaced about 332,938 persons in different parts of the state.

He also said the effect of flooding, gully erosion and other natural disasters in the state has been so devastating and had caused the loss of property estimated at several billions of Naira, including cash crops and other agricultural produce.

The state is also ravaged by gully erosion which is rampant in most local government areas of the country.

But the worst hit is Afikpo South Local Government Area which has over 21 erosion sites.

At present, erosion has so far submerged three buildings in the local government headquarters while the administrative building which houses the offices of key officers of the council, including the Chairman, is also at the risk of caving in any moment.

The situation forced the council administration to construct a new 40 room administrative building in another part of the local government area to relocate the workers.

The town, it was gathered, is in imminent danger of being cut off from their neighbours as the erosion is fast encroaching into the roads built by the state government which link the community with her neighbours.

Already, the road linking the community with Ohafia in Abia State has collapsed, forcing motorists and other road users to resort to using track roads in order to connect the two communities. This situation has brought indescribable hardship on the people.

In a bid to tackle the menace, the state government recently launched the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), which is a World Bank-assisted project for Ebonyi State.

The Governor, during the launch at the Women Development Centre (WDC), expressed his hope that the intervention of NEWMAP would rewrite the ugly trend.

Elechi further said the state government, in conjunction with the Federal Government, had put in series of intervention measures aimed at controlling and containing flood and erosion menace in the capital city.

“I wish to implore you to kindly take time off your schedule to visit some of the major flood and erosion sites to appreciate ongoing remedial measures being put in place by the state in conjunction with the Federal Government.

“Survey shows that Southeast zone of the country is at imminent danger as gully erosion alone contributes to environmental degradation and other associated damage estimated at millions of dollars annually.

“It is for this reason that the Federal Government solicited the support of the World Bank and the response of the bank gave rise to the NEWMAP,’’ Governor Elechi said.

He further commended the World Bank for its timely response to this daunting challenge and for its many partnering developmental initiatives in the state.

He enumerated areas of assistance to include HIV and AIDS, Community-based Urban Development Project (CBUDP), Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) and Health System Development Project (HSDP), among others.

Mr Amos Abu who is the task team leader of NEWMAP commended federal and state governments for tackling challenges of erosion menace, especially in the Southeast zone of the country.

He said NEWMAP would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address the problem of flooding and gully erosion in Ebonyi State.

“Ebonyi State is the first among the five southeast states to key into the NEWMAP programme and we are optimistic that the project will go a long way in tackling the flooding and erosion menace in the state,” he said.

Muslim students condemn media clampdown

Media961, a media monitoring unit of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State branch, has condemned clampdown on the media by the Federal Government.

In a statement, the group’s Coordinator, AbdurRasheed Abubakar, said President Goodluck Jonathan has the constitutional power to stop the military from confiscating newspapers.

“For days, we read reports of the clampdown on some selected newspapers by soldiers and the damages this has resulted into.

We have also read, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, that President Jonathan was not part of the plot.

 Hence, we call on the president to, as a matter of urgency, call the military to order and allow the media to carry out their constitutional duties,” the statement read.

The group said it was undemocratic for the army to raid newspapers; adding that the action violated the Freedom of Information as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.  It added:

“This is not a military regime. Nigeria is a democratic country, where all matters should follow judicial process.

That’s what we expect from the military in a situation like this. It’s a condemnable act and it’s high time we stopped seeing the media as enemies.”

Abubakar noted that the media played important role in the development, urging the president not to see the media as enemy of democracy.

Four bag first class at DELSU

Four students bagged First Class during the Eighth Convication of the Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka. PHILIP OKORODUDU (Graduating student of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering) and ESE OKODUWA (300-Level Home Economics Education) report.


No fewer than 10,215 graduates of the Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka were conferred with degrees and diplomas at the institution’s eighth Convocation penultimate Saturday. The ceremony was held at the Convocation Arena of the university’s Site III.

It was for the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 set of graduates. About 8,049 got first degree certificates; 597, Diplomas and 1,569, post-graduate degrees.

Four of the graduates had First Class, 1,372, Second Class (Upper Division), 4,819, Second Class (Lower Division), 1,684, Third Class and 170, pass.

In attendance were the Visitor, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, and the Pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council, Mr. Tony Elumelu, among other top dignitaries.

The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Eric Arubayi, said the ceremony was an opportunity for the Visitor and stakeholders an opportunity to meet the graduands.

The event, he added, ended the students’ struggle to get a degree. He urged the graduands to take stock of their achievements, saying they must reflect on the challenges they faced before they got their degrees.

Prof Arubayi expressed gratitude to the state government, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other organisations for their support, especially in providing infrastructure.

The VC praised staff and students for joining him to make the campus conducive for learning.
Uduaghan urged the graduands not to give up hope on the future of the country, noting that the objective of Delta Beyond Oil, his pet project, is to open up the state’s economy and provide jobs for indigenes.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of gifts to the best graduating students – Efe Igbagbon of Mechanical and Metellurgical Engineering, who had a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.64 and Joy Onyemaechi  of Economics department, who made a CGPA of 4.67.

Joy advised her colleagues to be ready for the challenges of life outside the ivory tower.

Efe gave all the glory to God, saying: “When I was admitted, so many people told me that getting a First Class in this university was like trying to make a Carmel pass through the eyes of a needle.

 But, I set forth to do my best and I am glad that today, my best was good enough.”

Torres refusing to quit Chelsea despite Costa arrival

Jose Mourinho wants to offload the Spaniard but the 30-year-old does not want to take a wage cut to move elsewhere and is happy to play second fiddle to their imminent signing

Fernando Torres is refusing to quit Chelsea despite the imminent arrival of Diego Costa, Goal understands.

Manager Jose Mourinho has made it clear to the Spanish striker that he has no long-term future at the club but Torres is prepared to play second fiddle at Stamford Bridge next season.

The 30-year-old has two years remaining on his £160,000-a-week contact and knows he will not be able to command such lucrative terms anywhere else.

There is interest in the forward from Torres’ former club Atletico Madrid and Inter but the two European sides would only be able to pay around half of his current wages.

The forward will not be forced out until he has an agreement over his contract. He is understood to be settled with his family in London and ‘comfortable’ with the prospect of even less playing time next season when Costa will spearhead the Chelsea attack.

As revealed by Goal on May 2, the Atletico front man has agreed a £35 million move to Stamford Bridge and exclusively told Goal of his excitement at joining “one of the greatest clubs in the world”.

Chelsea are reluctant to foot the bill needed to offload Torres, who has been such a disappointment since joining from Liverpool in January 2011.

The Blues’ £50m record signing could go out on loan late in the summer window but Chelsea would have to part-fund the move, and the Londoners would also have to pay him off if he were to transfer permanently.

Mourinho made little attempt to hide his frustration with Torres in the final months of last season, questioning whether he is a “real striker” following the Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

Torres scored just 11 goals in 41 matches in all competitions for the club last season, and has only netted 20 times in 110 Premier League appearances since moving to Chelsea.

The striker was a second half replacement for Costa on Wednesday night as Spain crashed out of the World Cup after just two games following a 2-0 defeat to Chile.

2015: Governorship ticket tears Adamawa PDP apart

A disagreement in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening its cohesion. The scramble for the 2015 governorship ticket is tearing the party apart, making the political future of Deputy Governor Bala Ngillari to hang in  the balance, writes BARNABAS MANYAM.


Swift and unprecedented changes are taking place in the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As a result, the political future of  the deputy governor, Bala James Ngillari, is hanging in the balance. Ngillari’s profile  rose swiftly when he refused to defect alongside  Governor Murtala Nyako, who dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year.
At the time, PDP bigwigs in Abuja were in support of his bid for the governorship in 2015 on the platform of the former ruling party.

But, since then, a lot of developments have taken place. Now, and new and equally credible aspirants have also emerged.

Ngillari was taken aback by a media statement credited to the  PDP chairman, Chief Joel Hammanjoda Madaki, that the  governorship ticket has been zoned to Adamawa Central Senatorial District.

Stakeholders in the party were surprised that Madaki could go public with such a sensitive matter, without discussing at the PDP  executive committee meeting. They say even though the high chief may have his own opinion, he should not have presented as if it is the party’s official position.

One of the governorship aspirants,  who has been fighting to build the PDP for more than six years, Dr. Umar Ardo, was the first to respond. The genial Ardo said the chief may have been quoted out of context by the newspaper, even though he admitted that he had not read the publication.

According to Ardo, it may also have been Madaki’s personal opinion, which may not go down well with many party faithful. He added however, that as a good party man, he would accept it in good faith.

Given his close relationship with Madaki, observers say Ardo was being economical with the truth. “He has been a close ally of the elder statesman for many years. In fact, he is like a brother to him. So, he will not publically oppose him,” said a party chieftain.

The deputy governor is a politician with impeccable qualities. He has climbed every surmountable mountain in his political life. But, he prefers to work quietly from the background.

From the remarkable role he played during the Oputa Panel, to his days in the National Assembly, Ngillari has been very active politically. He had already secured his ticket to return to the  House of Representatives for a second term, when he was picked the deputy to Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako.
This time around, it remains to be seen, if he will spring a surprise. But, the statement by  Madaki, who holds the traditional title of the Nzomoro Kaku, meaning the defender of the Bwatiye nation, may have jeopardised the hopes of the prodigious deputy governor.

Going by Madaki’s statement, the deputy governor, who is from the Northern Senatorial District, is out of contention for the  ticket, in spite of the fact that he has contributed so much to  the party and had refused to defect to the APC.

PDP bigwigs in Abuja are of the view that Ngillari should be allowed to spend one term in office as governor.

Ardo, in an interview some  months ago, said that President Goodluck Jonathan had already destroyed the PDP zoning formula and that the governor of Adamawa State can come from anywhere, because zoning is now irrelevant in the PDP.

The chapter has more than 25 governorship aspirants, who are from  the three zones and more are still coming out. There is no telling who will clinch the ticket from aspirants eying the coveted ticket.

For now, many of the aspirants like Ngillari and Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, who are all from the Northern Senatorial zone, are oiling their machinery to do battle against others like Dr. Dahiru Ahmed Modibbo, who has allegations of corruption hanging on his neck, courtesy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC.

But, observers say some of these cases lack merit. But, that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Dr. Modibbo is prosecuting his ambition.

2015: Governorship ticket tears Adamawa PDP apart

A disagreement in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening its cohesion. The scramble for the 2015 governorship ticket is tearing the party apart, making the political future of Deputy Governor Bala Ngillari to hang in  the balance, writes BARNABAS MANYAM.


Swift and unprecedented changes are taking place in the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As a result, the political future of  the deputy governor, Bala James Ngillari, is hanging in the balance. Ngillari’s profile  rose swiftly when he refused to defect alongside  Governor Murtala Nyako, who dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year.
At the time, PDP bigwigs in Abuja were in support of his bid for the governorship in 2015 on the platform of the former ruling party.

But, since then, a lot of developments have taken place. Now, and new and equally credible aspirants have also emerged.

Ngillari was taken aback by a media statement credited to the  PDP chairman, Chief Joel Hammanjoda Madaki, that the  governorship ticket has been zoned to Adamawa Central Senatorial District.

Stakeholders in the party were surprised that Madaki could go public with such a sensitive matter, without discussing at the PDP  executive committee meeting. They say even though the high chief may have his own opinion, he should not have presented as if it is the party’s official position.

One of the governorship aspirants,  who has been fighting to build the PDP for more than six years, Dr. Umar Ardo, was the first to respond. The genial Ardo said the chief may have been quoted out of context by the newspaper, even though he admitted that he had not read the publication.

According to Ardo, it may also have been Madaki’s personal opinion, which may not go down well with many party faithful. He added however, that as a good party man, he would accept it in good faith.

Given his close relationship with Madaki, observers say Ardo was being economical with the truth. “He has been a close ally of the elder statesman for many years. In fact, he is like a brother to him. So, he will not publically oppose him,” said a party chieftain.

The deputy governor is a politician with impeccable qualities. He has climbed every surmountable mountain in his political life. But, he prefers to work quietly from the background.

From the remarkable role he played during the Oputa Panel, to his days in the National Assembly, Ngillari has been very active politically. He had already secured his ticket to return to the  House of Representatives for a second term, when he was picked the deputy to Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako.
This time around, it remains to be seen, if he will spring a surprise. But, the statement by  Madaki, who holds the traditional title of the Nzomoro Kaku, meaning the defender of the Bwatiye nation, may have jeopardised the hopes of the prodigious deputy governor.

Going by Madaki’s statement, the deputy governor, who is from the Northern Senatorial District, is out of contention for the  ticket, in spite of the fact that he has contributed so much to  the party and had refused to defect to the APC.

PDP bigwigs in Abuja are of the view that Ngillari should be allowed to spend one term in office as governor.

Ardo, in an interview some  months ago, said that President Goodluck Jonathan had already destroyed the PDP zoning formula and that the governor of Adamawa State can come from anywhere, because zoning is now irrelevant in the PDP.

The chapter has more than 25 governorship aspirants, who are from  the three zones and more are still coming out. There is no telling who will clinch the ticket from aspirants eying the coveted ticket.

For now, many of the aspirants like Ngillari and Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, who are all from the Northern Senatorial zone, are oiling their machinery to do battle against others like Dr. Dahiru Ahmed Modibbo, who has allegations of corruption hanging on his neck, courtesy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC.

But, observers say some of these cases lack merit. But, that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Dr. Modibbo is prosecuting his ambition.